Bonnie Zacherle

Last updated
Bonnie Zacherle
Born (1946-11-14) November 14, 1946 (age 77)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, inventor, illustrator
Relatives John Zacherle (paternal uncle)

Bonnie D. Zacherle (born November 14, 1946) is an American illustrator and designer who now resides in Warrenton, Virginia. Zacherle is known as the original creator of the best-selling My Little Pony toy line. She is also the creator of Nerfuls . Zacherle has done some outside consulting for Bliss House, an American licensing consultancy, on the graphics and product development side. [1] In 2003, she became a member of Women in Toys.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Her uncle, John Zacherle, was an American television host, radio personality and voice actor known for his long career as a television horror host broadcasting horror films in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1950s and 1960s.[ citation needed ]

My Little Pony

Zacherle attended Syracuse University and majored in Illustration. After college, her first job was with Rust Craft Greeting Cards in Dedham, Massachusetts. At Rust Craft she worked in humorous cards and studio art, eventually becoming Art Director in charge of special projects. After nine years Zacherle left Rust Craft just after it was purchased by Norcross.

She had performed freelance work for Hasbro Toy Company since the mid-1970s and they had a standing offer of a full-time position for her if she ever wanted it. She took them up on the offer and joined Hasbro as an Illustrator in Research and Development at the company headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1980.

At Hasbro, Zacherle had the responsibility to come up with ideas for kids’ products. Her childhood desire to have a horse was still with her and inspired the idea of a miniature horse that would have a brushable mane and tail allowing children everywhere to have a slice of the experience she had desired as a child. The idea did not excite management in R&D at Hasbro, but Zacherle kept presenting it. She always wanted a horse and she knew other kids did too. She felt the idea had merit and she was not going to let it be ignored.

In August 1981, while working for Hasbro, Zacherle, along with sculptor Charles Muenchinger of Providence, Rhode Island and Manager Steve D'Aguanno of Smithfield, Rhode Island, submitted a design patent for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". The patent, U.S. #D269986, was granted in August 1983. [2] [3]

Originally titled "My Pretty Pony", Zacherle's design was first introduced as a 10-inch pony doll to the market. Although an immediate bestseller, the doll was discontinued in favor of producing a toy line of similar-looking figures under the trademark name "My Little Pony", mostly designed by Susanne Riette in the late 1980s and 1990s. [4]

Although Zacherle's involvement in the franchise she created had long since concluded before the later development of the highly successful incarnation, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , in the 2010s, she has noted that she is pleased that the franchise has grown to appeal to a broader cross-demographic audience. In explanation, Zacherle has noted that she originally intended the franchise to appeal to both preschool girls and boys, although she never anticipated that it would later be written for an older child audience, much less catching the interest of the adult "brony" fandom that has arisen. [5] [ unreliable source? ]

Zacherle was celebrated as the Special Guest of Honor at The 10th Annual My Little Pony Fair, where she was further honored as the premier inductee entered into the newly organized My Little Pony Hall of Fame. [6] The event took place July 6–7, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the franchise's creation.

Her first appearance at a Brony convention was June 6 and 7, 2014 at Big Apple Ponycon [7] (now PonyconNYC) where she was welcomed warmly with a standing ovation and cheers from the attendees. She returned to PonyconNYC in February 2016. [8] [ non-primary source needed ] She was also featured as a guest at Everfree Northwest 2015 [9] and BronyCon 2019. [10]

Nerfuls

In the mid-1980s, Zacherle submitted a series of patents which would later become known as the Nerfuls. [11] Nerfuls were produced by Parker Brothers in the United States, Kenner Products in the United Kingdom, and Cromy in Argentina from 1985 to 1987. These small toys consisted of three pieces: hat/hair, ball-face and plastic body. All the parts were interchangeable and the ball-face itself could bounce. [12] There were eight characters in the original series of Nerfuls. This was followed up by more Nerfuls, playsets and accessories. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Little Pony</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro

My Little Pony (MLP) is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature colorful bodies, manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks. Such symbols are referred to in the three most recent incarnations as "cutie marks". My Little Pony has been revamped several times with new and more modern looks to continue its appeal to the market, with each new look called a "generation" by the show's collectors and fans. The franchise is mainly targeted at young girls, although in the 2010s, it gained a cult following by an unintended audience of adult, mostly male fans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashleigh Ball</span> Canadian voice actress

Ashleigh Adele Ball is a Canadian voice actress and musician known for voicing characters in several toyetic movies and television series, notably the Barbie film series, Bratz, Johnny Test, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and The Deep. She is the subject of the documentary A Brony Tale directed by Brent Hodge, which follows her through her first interactions with the brony community at BronyCon 2012. She is also a singer and performs with the pop rock band Hey Ocean!

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> Animated television series

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. The series follows a studious pony named Twilight Sparkle, her dragon assistant Spike and her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash (Ball) and Pinkie Pie (Libman). They go on adventures and help others around Equestria, solving problems with their friendships.

BronyCon was an annual fan convention held on the East Coast of the United States for fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, among them adult and teenage bronies. Eleven events were held, with the final one in August 2019 drawing in 10,215 attendees. Though originally planned to run through 2025, it was announced at the closing ceremonies of the 2018 convention that 2019 would be the final year, tying in with the final season of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Creber</span> Canadian actress

Michelle Nicole Creber is a Canadian actress and singer who is best known as the voice of Apple Bloom in the TV series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> fandom Fan following surrounding the My Little Pony animated series

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated children's television series produced by Hasbro that ran from 2010 to 2019 as part of the My Little Pony toy franchise. The series tied in with the 2010 relaunch of dolls, play sets and original programming for the American children's cable channel The Hub. Lauren Faust was selected as the creative developer and executive producer for the show based on her previous experience with other animated children's shows such as The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on Cartoon Network. Under Hasbro's guidance, Faust developed the show to appeal to the target demographic of young girls, but created characters and settings that challenged formerly stereotypical norms of "girly" images, adding adventure and humorous elements to keep parents interested.

<i>Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony</i> 2012 American film

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony is a 2012 documentary film centering on bronies, the adult fans of the 2010 animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The film, funded through crowd-sourcing via Kickstarter, was originally envisioned to follow voice actor and executive producer John de Lancie to the 2012 Summer BronyCon in New Jersey. The project raised much more than anticipated, allowing it to grow in scope to bring on Lauren Faust, Friendship Is Magic's original creator, and Tara Strong, a principal voice actress on the show, as executive producers and to include additional convention footage from European conventions.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro based on My Little Pony

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, simply known as Equestria Girls or EQG, is a product line of fashion dolls and a media franchise launched in 2013 by the American toy company Hasbro as a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony line of pony toys and its Friendship Is Magic television series. Equestria Girls features anthropomorphized versions of My Little Pony characters from that period; as with My Little Pony, which features a colorful body and mane, Equestria Girls characters sport non-human skin and hair colors, while incorporating their pony counterpart's cutie marks in their clothing. The franchise includes various doll lines, media tie-ins, and licensed merchandise.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> (film) 2013 animated film

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, known simply as Equestria Girls or EQG, is a 2013 animated fantasy musical film which is the first installment of Hasbro's toy line and media franchise of the same name, which is itself an anthropomorphized spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony franchise. The film was animated in Adobe Flash, directed by Jayson Thiessen and written by Meghan McCarthy, and was produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios in the United States. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15, 2013, followed by limited release in the United States and Canada on June 16, 2013, with a home media release on August 6, 2013. It also commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of the original My Little Pony toy line.

<i>A Brony Tale</i> 2014 documentary film

A Brony Tale is a 2014 Canadian-American documentary film directed by Brent Hodge. The film explores the brony phenomenon, the adult fan base of the children's animated show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic that arose shortly after its premiere in 2010. The film is structured around the journey of Ashleigh Ball, one of the principal voice actresses for the show, including her initial reactions to learning of this older fanbase, and her travel as a Guest of Honor to one of the first fan conventions BronyCon held in New York City in 2012. Hodge, a close friend of and previous collaborator with Ball, was curious as she was as to this phenomenon and opted to film her travel and appearance at the convention for the documentary.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks</i> 2014 animated film by Jayson Thiessen and Ishi Rudell

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks, known simply as Rainbow Rocks, is a 2014 animated fantasy musical film which is a part of Hasbro's Equestria Girls toy line and media franchise, which is a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the main My Little Pony franchise. The film was animated using Adobe Flash, directed by Jayson Thiessen and Ishi Rudell, written by Meghan McCarthy, and was produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios in the United States, as a sequel to the 2013's Equestria Girls film. The film premiered in select theaters across the United States and Canada on September 27, 2014, which was followed by broadcast on Discovery Family, a joint venture between Discovery, Inc. and Hasbro, on October 17, 2014, and then a home media release on October 28, 2014, by Shout! Factory.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games</i> 2015 animated film

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Friendship Games, known simply as Friendship Games, is a 2015 animated musical sports fantasy film which is a part of Hasbro's My Little Pony: Equestria Girls toy line and media franchise, itself a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the main My Little Pony franchise. The film was animated using Adobe Flash, directed by Ishi Rudell and written by Josh Haber, and was produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios in the United States, as a sequel to 2014's Rainbow Rocks film. Unlike the previous two films, Friendship Games had no theatrical run in the United States and Canada, but the film was first shown on Discovery Family, a joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro, on September 26, with a home media release on October 13 that year by Shout! Factory; it also had a limited theatrical run in the United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia beginning in late October 2015.

<i>My Little Pony: The Movie</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Jayson Thiessen

My Little Pony: The Movie is a 2017 animated musical fantasy film based on the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which itself is part of the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and franchise. The film was directed by Jayson Thiessen, written by Meghan McCarthy, Michael Vogel, Joe Ballarini, and Rita Hsiao, and produced by Stephen Davis, Brian Goldner, Marcia Gwendolyn Jones, and Haven Alexander. The film stars the show's regular voice cast of Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck, Nicole Oliver, and Britt McKillip reprising their roles and the guest voices of Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba and Zoe Saldaña as new characters. The film follows the alicorn Twilight Sparkle, her five pony friends – collectively known as the "Mane 6" – and her dragon friend/assistant Spike on a quest to save their home of Equestria from an evil conqueror while gaining new friends along the way and testing their friendship and their patience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Little Pony (2010 toyline)</span> Fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise

American toy company Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise in 2010. This generation is not given any name by Hasbro, but some of later releases of toys are labeled with the subtitle "Friendship Is Magic". It is unofficially referred to the "Fourth Generation", "Generation Four" or "G4" by collectors.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is a trilogy of animated television specials based on Hasbro's toyline and media franchise of the same name, which in turn is a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the main My Little Pony toyline. As with prior installments in the Equestria Girls franchise, the specials follow the main characters from the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, re-envisioned as humanoid teenagers attending high school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Perfect Pear</span> 13th episode of the 7th season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

"The Perfect Pear" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as well as the one hundred and fifty sixth overall. Written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, and directed by Denny Lu and Mike Myhre, the episode saw the guest-starring of William Shatner and Felicia Day. The plot of the episode centers around Applejack, Big McIntosh and Apple Bloom, who find out how their now deceased parents met and gather information about their extensive background. "The Perfect Pear" was released early on June 21, 2017, in Australia, before being released on August 5, in the United States. The episode received praise from critics and the show's fanbase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twilight Sparkle</span> Fictional character from My Little Pony

Princess Twilight Sparkle, commonly known as Twilight Sparkle, is a fictional character who appears in the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and media franchise, beginning with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2019), and later in the franchise's fifth incarnation as well. She is voiced by Tara Strong while her singing voice is provided by Rebecca Shoichet.

References

  1. "Bliss House: Resources". Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  2. Belllis, Mary. "The History of My Little Pony". Inventors.about.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  3. "Toy animal - Hasbro Industries, Inc". Freepatentsonline.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  4. "Vintage My Little Pony - Collector Information". Collectorsweekly.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  5. "Ask Starscape, missapplessoda: I asked Bonnie Zacherle, the..." Starscape-majesty.tumblr.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  6. "Bonnie Zacherle – Guest of Honor at MLP Fair 2013". Roundstable.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  7. "Ponycon - Ponycon's Photos | Facebook" . Retrieved 2015-11-09 via Facebook.[ dead link ]
  8. "Bonnie Zacherle on Twitter: "We're hanging with some Ponies at #ponyconNYC "" . Retrieved August 21, 2016 via Twitter.
  9. "EFNW 2015 Special Guests". EverfreeNW.com. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  10. "BronyCon 2019 Guests". BronyCon.org. Archived from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  11. "Toy figure - Kenner Parker Toys Inc". Freepatentsonline.com. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Nerfuls :: Figures". Ghostofthedoll.co.uk. Retrieved August 21, 2016.