The Strong National Museum of Play is getting ready to induct a new class into the Toy Hall of Fame. Among this year’s finalists are baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, Ken, and Nerf Toys. But this year, they’re doing something special to celebrate their 25th Anniversary – the public is being allowed to vote on a 4th inductee, from a list of 5 multi-time finalists that have failed to make the cut in previous years. Among them is one I remember very well from my childhood – My Little Pony! (the others are the Fisher-Price Popcorn Popper, Transformers, PEZ, and Pogo Stick. You can vote once per day through October 24 here.)
My Little Pony was the brainchild of an illustrator and designer named Bonnie Zacherle. She worked in Research and Development at Hasbro, where her job was to come up with ideas for kids’ products. She lived in Japan as a child, where her father, an Army Colonel and veterinarian, cared for animals entering and leaving the country. She was particularly fond of a Korean pack pony named Knicker. Knicker obviously couldn’t come with them when they moved back to America, but the little pony stuck with her. At Hasbro, she pitched her idea for a horse toy for 3 years before the company eventually introduced My Pretty Pony in 1981. My Pretty Pony was a 10-inch hard plastic horse that could wiggle its ears, swish its tail, and wink an eye. It wasn’t super successful, so a year later, Hasbro introduced 6 smaller and more colorful versions that were renamed My Little Pony. The 6 original ponies were Snuzzle, Butterscotch, Blue Belle, Minty, Blossom, and Cotton Candy. They were a huge it, selling 150 million ponies during the 80s. Since then, the line has been revamped several times, with each new look called a “generation” by fans and collectors.
In 1984, the first My Little Pony TV special debuted, co-produced by Marvel. Yes, that Marvel. This was followed by the first My Little Pony movie in 1986, which was Marvel studio’s first domestic theatrical film. In the 2000s, the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV series became a cultural and internet phenomenon. It also was a hit with a surprising new audience – males between the ages of 13 and 35. This fanbase adopted the nickname “Brony”to describe themselves, and there have been many creative works, fan sites, and conventions. Hasbro has embraced this odd new fandom, adding nods to the fans within the show and toys. These days, you can find My Little Pony series and movies on Netflix and YouTube. Learn more here.