Where did the whole "mail carrier Derpy" thing come from?

I know fanon loves to take things and blow them out of proportions. (Ex: Derpy said “muffins” once so she must be obsessed with muffins, Lyra was sitting like a person so she must be a reverse otherkin, etc.) But where did the whole Derpy being a mail carrier thing come from? In the series she is seen with various odd jobs but delivering mail was not one of them. She was a mover in “Feeling Pinkie Keen” but I fail to see how someone gets mail carrier out of a mover.

Shrug
 
She moved boxes in Pinkie Keen. Moving boxes is part of the mail system. Mail pony. That’s the best I can guess.

Not only is it fanon, it’s one of the things that has ascended to canon, especially in the comics.

It was just a headcanon that since she works on delivery she probably handles mail as well. Then that headcanon became so firmly established that no one really questions it.
 
It’s how most popular headcanon works anyway.

@Itsthinking  
In the series we have seen ponies delivering mail but they were original characters created to be mail ponies. Derpy was never seen delivering mail in the show.
 
The comics? I didn’t know, I don’t read the comics.

I’d say it was when she dropped half a moving van on Twilight’s head, but I think the idea might actually predate that.
 
So I dunno how it started.

I’m not sure if that started after feeling pinkie keen, the scene looks too much like they knew what they were doing, and not just a random background pony action.

The idea that Derpy was a mail pony began before “Feeling Pinkie Keen.” It was already in place when the dropped boxes happened.
 
No, I don’t know where it started, but I’d guess that it was at least partially due to the thought that having a derp-eyed pony trying to accurately deliver mail was funny.

Does anyone remember that “open up Mr. mailbox, it’s time for your breakfast” animation?
 
Link
 
Because I remember that being one of the first Derpy related things I ever saw.
 
This thing was posted before Pinkie Keen, too.

Basically, “somewhere on /co/” is as far as it goes. Derpy was practically /co/’s mascot back then.

Man people don’t know where this came from,but essentially it came from /co/ as did many other things to. I think there is a screencap somewhere detailing where this particular piece of fanon started.

Yep, this has to do with the very roots of bronydom back on /co/. The Dinky thing also came from there.  
Remember, this was when she was only a minor BG pony whose crossed eyes only appeared in a single scene. It’s basically the same what they do with “Princess Erroria” now. She is also a single scene wonder who will never again appear on the show. Derpy’s derped eyes were the same - originally.
 
The thing with Derpy was that the show staff actually responded and expanded on her role. But ALL that, the keeping of her derped eyes; her merging with Ditzy Doo; ascension to Wally character; the anvil-dropping scene; the speaking role; they all, all became much later.
 
None of that was initially expected. And it’s pretty easy to see why a being a mailpony works well for an internet mascot; it means that her pictures will have a lot of usability for chat and e-mail stuff.

Derpy is a popular internet character. People like her. When they saw her moving boxes, they gave her a role.
 
Mailpony. :3

Going slightly off-topic, I discovered that “Duane syndrome” is a congenital (inborn) condition where one eye can’t swing outwards. It’s a form of strabismus (aka “cross-eyed”) where the eyes don’t align properly. So we have proper medical terms for Derpy’s eyes.

@Soarin_the_Pegasus  
I would recommend not starting, except for the Twilight micro which is the only one that felt in character and could be in the show. Well, I haven’t dl’d #5 yet, but those other ones…
 
 
@Vree  
Being a mailpony also justifies throwing her everywhere in the background, even in Canterlot so-ci-et-yy :v  
Derpy is just a big ol party crasher.
 
@McClaw  

Derpy