@Millennial Dan  
Because he was the person who worked hard to convince Hasbro that they shouldn’t make just another “typical licensed comic” with the show’s flash assets. Because he knows the people at Hasbro and knows what he is talking about.

@Millennial Dan  
It’s a goddamn fictional franchise, whatever is canon or not is up to preference. I don’t get why people are so anal about it all the time.

@Perteks  
Who the heck cares what Andy Price says? Of course he wants to vindicate his comics by calling them “canon”, even though they really aren’t.

@Background Pony #3129  
At least she got the spotlight in “Slice of Life.” Between these 2 episodes all of the Canterlot unicorns had their moment.

Not as bad a discrepancy as you might think - If I remember rightly Sunset was smaller than the adult ponies in other parts of this issue, so the gang here were probably supposed to be fillies (just older than Twi). Amending Fences, meanwhile, shows them to be the same age… But the inconsistency isn’t as bad if I’m right and can easily be ironed out.
 
(Granted it’s been a while since I’ve read this issue, so I might be wrong).

@FloydPinkerton  
Sparkler Amethyst Star gets no love.  

@Perteks  
It’s not that remarkable. Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Minuette were the ponies who told Twilight about Moondancer’s, and a moment later it shows Lyra waving to Twilight. So from the very beginning of the show it was suggested those 6 ponies are friends. The only thing is, Amethyst Star was also going to the party (she was walking with Lyra and holding a present) so it’s a little odd both the comic and “Amending Fences” leave her out.

@lunafan22  
They are cannon ;p  

 
Till the shows say otherwise, still rest count as cannon :D  
But Ironically they are still same six friends xD

Canon or not canon aside, Sunset Shimmer had or could have had the same friends as Twilight before she first went to Ponyville.
 
Also, any one of these ponies could have stopped Nightmare Moon and became the main character, really makes ya think.

Forgot she was in Cadance’s yearbook too. So this comic pony is definitely named Moondancer.

I was going to say this maybe was Moondancer’s mom (because her cutie mark and coat color and age are different) but I realized some of these other mares were the same age as Twi in the classroom flashback. So yeah, there’s definitely a contradiction.

 
sorry… I just couldn’t contain myself…

@Background Pony #7116  
k?  
Not like fanart is going to embrace that.  
My point is not she’s pretty much always going to be seen with the recolor mane and tail in fanart as the show said so.

@Background Pony #3129  
Fanon that she changes it to the comic version after she gets her self-esteem back, I don’t care.

@Background Pony #7116  
Is it so bad that I just wish Moondancer had a pretty mane and tail is all?

@Background Pony #3129  
It’s only an excuse if the explanation isn’t the primary reason for it. If you purposefully choose a copy, and it improves the story, then it’s not an excuse.
 
More work does not automatically mean better.

@Background Pony #7116  
@FSin  
Use that excuse next time you make an OC with that mane.

@Background Pony #7116  
Pretty much. Especially considering how much she looked up to Twilight.

@Background Pony #3129  
There’s also the implication that she styled her hair after Twilight’s.

@bico-kun  
It’s still pretty dumb and lazy looking.

@Background Pony #3129  
Yes, we do know what they were thinking. Twilight actually said that Moondancer was just like her. Making her a pallet-swap is a quick visual cue of that.

@Background Pony #7116  
That is my point, tons of one-off ponies get new styles in that episode, but not Moondancer.  
We don’t know what the writers were thinking, so anyone’s assumption is just as valid as the last.

@Background Pony #3129  
It doesn’t have to be mentioned for the viewers to come to the conclusions the writers intended with it. You REALLY think that making a new mane style is hard enough for the animators to even care about? Look at how many new pony models with in Princess Spike, for far less important ponies.
 
They pretty obviously put it in on purpose, and not out of laziness.

@Background Pony #7116  
No it wasn’t. Her having an identical mane and tail to Twilight didn’t say anything, and nobody mentioned it, so it may as well have just been because they didn’t feel like making a new one.

@Background Pony #3129  
Moondancer’s design wasn’t for laziness’ sake, though. It was pretty obviously put in on purpose to serve the episode.