Bonnie D. Zacherle (born November 14, 1946) is an American illustrator and designer who now resides in
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, of which it is the seat of government. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2019 was 10,027. It is at the junction of U.S. R ...
. Zacherle is known as the original creator of the best-selling ''
My Little Pony
''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 c ...
'' 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
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture ...
and
product development
In business and engineering, new product development (NPD) covers the complete process of bringing a new product to market, renewing an existing product or introducing a product in a new market. A central aspect of NPD is product design, along wi ...
side. In 2003, she became a member of 'Women in Toys'.
Her uncle,
John Zacherle
John Zacherle ( ; sometimes credited as John Zacherley; September 26, 1918 – October 27, 2016) was an American television host, radio personality, singer, and voice actor. He was best known for his long career as a television horror host, oft ...
, 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.
My Little Pony
Zacherle attended
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
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
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
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
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
and Manager Steve D'Aguanno of
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...
, submitted a design patent for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". The patent, U.S. #D269986, was granted in August 1983.
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".
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
'' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is an animated television series produced by Hasbro as part of the ''My Little Pony'' toy franchise, which is tied in with the 2010 relaunch of dolls and play sets and original programming for the Amer ...
" fandom that has arisen.
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. 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 (now PonyconNYC) where she was welcomed warmly with a standing ovation and cheers from the attendees. She returned to PonyconNYC in February 2016. She was also featured as a guest at Everfree Northwest 2015 and BronyCon 2019.
Nerfuls
In the mid-1980s, Zacherle submitted a series of patents which would later become known as the
Nerfuls.
Nerfuls were produced by
Parker Brothers
Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...
in the United States,
Kenner Products
Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
in the United Kingdom, and Cromy in Argentina from 1985 to 1987. These small toys consisted of 3-pieces - hat/hair, ball-face and plastic body. All the parts were
interchangeable and the ball-face itself could bounce.
There were eight characters in the original series of Nerfuls. This was followed up by more Nerfuls, playsets and accessories.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zacherle, Bonnie
1946 births
Living people
People from Norwood, Massachusetts
My Little Pony
American businesspeople
American inventors
People from Warrenton, Virginia