The ''
My Little Pony'' franchise debuted in 1982, as the creation of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
illustrator and designer
Bonnie Zacherle
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 '' ...
. Together with sculptor Charles Muenchinger and manager Steve D'Aguanno, Zacherle submitted a
design patent
In the United States, a design patent is a form of legal protection granted to the ornamental design of an article of manufacture. Design patents are a type of industrial design right. Ornamental designs of jewelry, furniture, beverage containers ...
in August 1981 for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". She was then working for Hasbro. The patent was granted in August 1983.
Main pony line
Earth ponies
Pegasus ponies
Pegasus
Pegasus ( grc-gre, Πήγασος, Pḗgasos; la, Pegasus, Pegasos) is one of the best known creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion usually depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as hor ...
ponies all have wings, and demonstrate great speed both in the air and on foot. Some are described to be graceful. They are seen manipulating the weather in several occasions such as moving clouds to either cause a storm or clear the skies. They are known to live in a magical island known as Butterfly Island in Generation 3 and in city of clouds, known as Cloudsdale, in Generation 4.
Unicorn ponies
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead.
In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...
ponies are ponies who have a single horn protruding from their forehead, which glows when their powers are used. While they each possess individualized/different magical capabilities, all unicorns share the ability to teleport in a process referred to as "winking". Their teleportation is limited to their line of sight, and can only be performed through open air; any physical obstruction will prevent them from moving through it. Despite being associated with their magic, a unicorn's horn is strong and sharp enough to have mundane uses. They have beautiful horns which helps them use magic.
Friendship Garden Ponies
''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 ...
included Copper Glow, Silver Glow, Golden Glow, and Diamond Glow. They all had attachable wings to become
winged unicorn
A winged unicorn (cerapter, flying unicorn, pegacorn, or unisus) is a fictional ungulate, typically portrayed as a horse, with wings like Pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. In some literature and media, it has been referred to as an alicorn, a ...
s.
Alicorn ponies
Alicorn ponies
with a pair of wings and a horn are rare in the franchise. They usually have the abilities of all three other kinds, the Earth, Unicorn and Pegasus ponies. They have appeared in the toy line since Generation Four, and may have been the spiritual successors to the Princess Ponies of Generation One. Dazzleglow made an appearance in ''
My Little Pony Tales
''My Little Pony Tales'' was an American animated television series produced by Sunbow Productions and Graz Entertainment with animation being produced by AKOM. The series, based on the My Little Pony toys by Hasbro, weekly aired for 26 episodes f ...
'', but her toy form, a unicorn released before ''Tales'' as a part of the Glow 'n Show Ponies lineup, is unrelated to that of ''Tales''. All four of the G4 Alicorn princesses are portrayed as being taller and more slender than most ponies, with unique horns and wings.
References
Sources
*
Further reading
* Summer Hayes (May 1, 2008) ''The My Little Pony G1 Collector's Inventory: an unofficial full color illustrated collector's price guide to the first generation of MLP including all US ponies, playsets and accessories released before 1997 with a foreword by Dream Valley's Kim Shriner''. Priced Nostalgia Press.
* Summer Hayes (2007) ''The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory: an unofficial full color illustrated guide to the third generation of MLP including all ponies, playsets and accessories from 2003 to the present''. Priced Nostalgia Press.
* Hillary DePiano (2005) ''The My Little Pony Collector's Inventory: A Complete Checklist of All US Ponies, Playsets and Accessories from 1981 to 1992''. Priced Nostalgia Press.
* Summer Hayes (2009) ''The My Little Pony 2007-2008 Collector's Inventory''. Priced Nostalgia Press
* Debra L. Birge (2007) ''My Little Pony*r Around the World''. Schiffer Publishing.
* Wood, Walton.
The Empirical Twilight: A Pony's Guide to Science & Anarchism ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies. 6.1 (2011): n. pag. Dept of English, University of Florida. 18 December 2011. Web.
* Brandon T. Snider. (2013) ''My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony: Friendship is Magic: The Official Guidebook''. LiBrown Books.
{{My Little Pony
My Little Pony characters
My Little Pony Earth ponies
My Little Pony Earth ponies