My Little Pony
My Little Pony is a toy and children's entertainment franchise. The first toys were released in 1981 under Hasbro's Romper Room line of toys.[1]
Toys
The toys were first called "My Pretty Pony," but Hasbro changed the name. The My Pretty Ponies were the colors of real horses and could move their ears. They had manes and tails that the player could comb.[1]
Hasbro changed the way the My Little Pony toys look many times. These different groups of toys are called "Generations" by fans and collectors. The second group of toys from the 1980s are called Generation One or G1. There was also a G2 and G3. The toys related to the Friendship Is Magic series are called G4.
Starting with the G1 series, each toy pony, unicorn or pegasus (winged horse) came in bright colors for example pink and blue, and a "cutie mark," or symbol on its rear end. The symbol usually had something to do with its name and personality. For example, the pegasus pony named Firefly had blue lightning bolts for her cutie mark. Fireflies are also called lightning bugs.
First cartoons
In 1986, Hasbro made a cartoon for television called My Little Pony n' Friends to sell My Little Ponies and other toys. In it, the My Little Ponies live in a place called Dream Valley and go on adventures with a human farmgirl named Megan. They have many different kinds of creatures for friends and enemies. The first half of each episode was a My Little Pony story with a song. The second half of each episode was about other Hasbro characters such as the Potato Head Kids, Moondreamers, or Glow Friends, also with a song.
The first My Little Pony movie was a TV special called Return to Midnight Castle, later renamed Escape from Midnight Castle.[1] The My Little Pony movies and TV specials were later shortened, cut into smaller pieces and put on television as episodes of the show.
Second cartoons
In 1992, Hasbro made a cartoon television show called My Little Pony Tales to sell the G2 My Little Pony toys. In it, the characters live in a place called Ponyland.[2] Neither the G2 toy line nor My Little Pony Tales was as successful as G1 in the United States.
2010 cartoon
In 2010, Lauren Faust released a new My Little Pony cartoon series called My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. In this series, the ponies live in a place called Equestria.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Rob Bricken (November 6, 2014). "12 Strange And Disturbing Facts About The Original My Little Pony". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ↑ James Zahn. "Giveaway: MY LITTLE PONY TALES: THE COMPLETE SERIES on DVD from Shout! Factory". Rock Father Magazine. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.