My Little Pony - Wikipedia My Little Pony This article is about the franchise. For the current line - up, see My Little Pony ( 2010 toyline ). For the 1986 television series, see My Little Pony ( TV series ). For the 2010 television series, see My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic. For other uses, see My Little Pony ( disambiguation ). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. ( Learn how and when to remove these template messages ) This article may be written from a fan 's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. Please clean it up to conform to a higher standard of quality, and to make it neutral in tone. ( January 2012 ) This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia 's inclusion policy. ( November 2013 ) My Little Pony My Little Pony logo as of 2017 Created by Bonnie Zacherle Original work My Pretty Pony toys ( 1981 ) Owner Hasbro Official website mylittlepony.hasbro.com My Little Pony is an entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro, originally as a toy line for girls. 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 two most recent incarnations as `` cutie marks. '' My Little Pony has been revamped several times with new and more modern looks to appeal to a new market. Following the original My Pretty Pony toy that was introduced in 1981, My Little Pony was launched in 1982 and the line became popular during the 1980s. The original toy line ran from 1982 to 1992 in the United States and to 1995 globally, and inspired animated specials, an animated feature - length film, and two animated television series. The first incarnation 's popularity peaked in 1990, but the following year Hasbro decided to discontinue the toy line due to increased competition. 150 million ponies were sold in the 1980s. The toy line was revived in 1997, but these toys proved unpopular and were discontinued in 1999. The brand saw a more popular revival in 2003 with toys that more closely resembled the original toy line, which sold approximately 100 million ponies globally by 2010. Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of the franchise in 2010, which started with the animated series My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic. The brand grossed over US $1 billion annually in retail sales in 2015 and 2014, and US $650 million in retail sales in 2013. Contents 1 My Pretty Pony 2 My Little Pony ( 1982 -- 1992 ) 2.1 Mail - order ponies 2.2 International ponies 2.3 Related lines 2.3. 1 Petite Ponies 2.3. 2 Dream Beauties 2.3. 3 My Little Kitty / Puppy / Bunny 2.3. 4 Takara Variants 2.4 Merchandise 2.5 Media 2.5. 1 Mid-1980s animated features 2.5. 2 My Little Pony Tales ( 1992 ) 2.5. 3 Publications 3 Friendship Gardens ( 1997 - 1999 ) 3.1 Merchandise 3.2 Media 3.2. 1 My Little Pony : Friendship Gardens ( 1998 ) 4 Ponyville ( 2003 - 2009 ) 4.1 Ponyville figurines 4.2 Merchandise 4.3 Media 4.3. 1 Direct - to - video animated features 4.3. 2 Once Upon a My Little Pony Time 4.3. 3 My Little Pony Live : The World 's Biggest Tea Party ( 2006 ) 4.3. 4 Interactive software 4.3. 4.1 My Little Pony Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow ( 2006 ) 4.3. 4.2 My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Party ( 2008 ) 5 Friendship is Magic ( 2010 - Present ) 6 Fandom among adults 6.1 Friendship Is Magic fandom 7 Imitations 7.1 Secret Wish Horse 7.2 Fantasy Fillies 7.3 Magic Touch Pony 7.4 Cabbage Patch Ponies 8 In popular culture 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links My Pretty Pony The predecessor to My Little Pony was My Pretty Pony, a pony figurine introduced by Hasbro in 1981. It was created by illustrator Bonnie Zacherle and sculptor Charles Muenchinger. My Pretty Pony was a ten - inch - tall hard plastic figurine that could wiggle its ears, swish its tail, and wink one eye. The original My Pretty Pony was followed by My Pretty Pony and Beautiful Baby, which came with an additional smaller `` baby '' pony figure. This was followed by pink, yellow, and blue versions of the original that had the now - hallmark symbol on the ponies ' backsides. My Little Pony ( 1982 -- 1992 ) My Little Pony ( 1982 -- 1992 ) Original work Toys Print publications Comics Egmont My Little Pony My Little Pony and Friends Films and television Film ( s ) My Little Pony : The Movie ( 1986 ) Animated series My Little Pony ( 1986 - 1987, part of My Little Pony ' n Friends ) My Little Pony Tales ( 1992 ) Television special ( s ) My Little Pony ( 1984 ) My Little Pony : Escape from Catrina ( 1985 ) Miscellaneous Toys My Little Pony After the relative lack of success of the My Pretty Pony toy line, Hasbro introduced six smaller and colorful versions of the toy in 1982, sold under the title My Little Pony. The toy line lead to many more merchandise under the My Little Pony brand, which later became known as the `` Generation One '' or `` G1 '' of My Little Pony. The pony toys were followed by winged ponies, Unicorn ponies, Flutter Ponies and Sea Ponies. Flutter Ponies were smaller and thinner than Pegasus Ponies, and had fluttering wings. Windy Wing and the Summer Wing Ponies were smaller than the Flutter Ponies and were proportioned in a similar way, with larger, butterfly - like wings. The Sea Ponies resembled seahorses, and were produced as both adults and babies. There were also male ponies called ' Big Brother Ponies ', which had slightly larger bodies and feathered hooves resembling those of Clydesdale horses. Many different sets of My Little Pony variations were produced, the first being the Rainbow Ponies in 1983. Other variations included the So - Soft Ponies ( covered in flocking ), Twinkle - Eyed Ponies which had rhinestones in place of eyes, Twice - As - Fancy Ponies with patterns covering most of the body, Brush ' n ' Grow Ponies which had a longer - than - usual mane and tail stored inside the body, Pony Friends - animals designed in the same style as the ponies, such as a lion, giraffe, kangaroo and zebra, among others - and Baby Ponies, some of which were smaller versions of previously released ponies and presented as those ponies ' foals. The first generation of My Little Pony toys was sold in the U.S. until 1992, and was marketed internationally until 1995. The final year of sales in the U.S. was advertised as the `` celebration year '' of My Little Pony. Mail - order ponies All packaging came with Horseshoe Points, which could be used to obtain discounts on special ponies available only through mail order. The Horseshoe Point program was offered in both the US and UK, although the items available for purchase varied by country. Mail - order ponies were generally reissues like Majesty, which was previously available only with the Dream Castle Playset, or unique ponies such as the first boy pony, Lucky the stallion. Another line of exclusively mail - order ponies was the Birthflower ponies, which featured a pony for every month of the year. All had white bodies with pink hair and tails ; their names were Carnation, Violet, Daffodil, Daisy, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Water Lily, Poppy, Morning Glory, Cosmos, Chrysantheum and Holly. Special baby ponies, such as the Pearlized Baby Ponies and Twice - As - Fancy babies, were also available by mail order. Some mail - order ponies, such as Sweet Scoops, Goldilocks and Rapunzel are rare and sought after by collectors. International ponies Some companies were licensed under Hasbro to produce their own line of ponies instead of shipping them from China or Hong Kong, where the vast majority of ponies were produced ; these companies were located in Argentina, Brazil, France, Greece, India, Italy, Macau, Mexico and Spain. Some of these ponies are very similar to their Asian counterparts. For example, the Italian Clio looks very similar to Glory, with the most obvious difference being a non-glittery symbol. Some, such as the Mexican Twilight are a variation on existing colors, poses or species, while others, such as the Greek Ladybird, are completely unique to their region. Due to factors such as limited production and their condition, international ponies tend to bring a higher price than their more - common counterparts. Ponies from certain countries are also easier to find, while others, such as those made in Greece and Brazil, are more difficult. There are also international ponies which were distributed from China or Hong Kong, but made exclusively for a particular region, either a variant of the local ponies or completely new types. Most ponies released in the United States were found in Western Europe as well. The majority of US domestic mail - order ponies never appeared overseas, although many countries had their own mail - order systems. Many of the excess ponies offered by mail order in the US were bagged, carded and sold overseas. Some of the ponies and playsets were given different names abroad ; for example, the Big Brother Ponies were known as Adventure Boy Ponies in the UK. Related lines Petite ponies Petite Ponies were tiny pony figures sold in sets. Some had different characteristics, such as brushable hair, pearlized or glow - in - the - dark bodies. Under the base of each was an engraved hoof, which allowed the pony to function as a key to the Petite Playsets. Most of these smaller ponies had no official name, and many had the same symbols. They were sold from 1989 to 1991 ; only Earth Ponies and Pegasus Ponies were produced. Dream Beauties These larger figures made of hard plastic were advertised as `` grown up '' ponies and called Dream Beauties. Unlike My Little Pony toys, they looked more like real horses in proportions and musculature. The Dream Beauties came in a range of decorated and accessorized styles, including plastic beads along the base of their manes, ornamentation in the style of carousel horses, glitter or pearlescent finishes, and elaborate symbols, some extending the full length of the body. All were Earth Ponies, except for the three Highflying Beauties, which had large, multicolored wings. They were sold from 1989 to 1990. My Little kitty / puppy / bunny Cat, dog and rabbit sets were sold under the Hasbro MLP logo during the early 1990s. Each Lil ' Litters set consisted of a mother, two babies and a plastic comb. The mothers had flocked bodies, and the babies were miniature plastic figures. Kitty mothers had cottony tails, puppy mothers had either silky or cottony ears and bunny mothers had cottony tails and silky forelocks. There were also Nursery Family sets, featuring the puppy and kitty characters. Takara variants In 1984, Takara ( Later merged with Tomy to form a single company ) released a line of My Little Pony toys, which were released in two types : Osharena Pony ( おしゃれな ポニー, Osharena ponī ) and Kawaii Pony ( かわいい ポニー, Kawaī ponī ). Only released in Japan, these are a more anthropomorphic take on the toyline and considered as the most rare of the `` G1 '' collection due to how they were released. Merchandise Besides the toys, merchandise included children 's bedding and room decorations, plush toys, puzzles, clothing, books and playsets. There were also unusual items such as a pomander and toy sewing machines. In 1985, a picture disc featuring songs by Tony Markey was released. During the 2000s, like other fictional characters of the 1980s, My Little Pony merchandise aimed at young women has also appeared, including T - shirts depicting `` G1 '' ponies in a `` retro '' style, featuring slogans such as `` Livin ' in the 80s '' or `` I Love Rainbows ''. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of My Little Pony, Hasbro reproduced the original 1982 My Little Pony collection. The ponies reproduced were Blue Belle, Butterscotch, Cotton Candy, Snuzzle, Blossom and Minty. Hasbro has also reproduced the Generation One Rainbow Ponies, Moonstone, Parasol, Skydancer, Starshine, Sunlight and Windy. Generation One Ponies key chains were sold in Japan. Ponies sold as key chains were Milky Way, Dancing Butterflies, Sugarberry, Starbow, Rainribbon, Sunribbon and Baby Stockings, which came in either red or green. They had comb - able hair, and came with a small comb. The key chains are rare, and valued by collectors. Media Mid-1980s animated features Main articles : Rescue at Midnight Castle, Escape from Catrina, My Little Pony : The Movie ( 1986 film ), and My Little Pony ( TV series ) As a part of Hasbro 's media strategy, My Little Pony, along with their other properties like Transformers and G.I. Joe, was adapted into following animated features : My Little Pony ( later retitled Rescue at Midnight Castle ), the first 22 - minute syndicated prime - time special premiered in 1984 My Little Pony : Escape from Catrina, the second 22 - minute syndicated special premiered in 1985, in which Tammy Grimes voiced the title character. My Little Pony : The Movie, the first and only theatrical feature film released in 1986. Directed by Michael Joens, it featured the voices of Rhea Perlman, Madeline Kahn, Tony Randall and Danny DeVito. It had mediocre box - office earnings, grossing almost $6 million in the United States and received mostly negative reviews from critics. My Little Pony ' n Friends, a half - hour syndicated television series that featured various characters from Hasbro 's properties by having My Little Pony in its first segment and either Glo Friends, Potato Head Kids or MoonDreamers in the second segment. The My Little Pony segment promoted many of the toys available in 1986 -- 1987, featuring a regular cast of Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn ponies with guest appearances by new lines, such as the Flutter and Princess Ponies. It also used the jingles for each brand, as did other series tied into Hasbro properties. Consist of 65 episodes, it had the version of the first two specials, each edited into two episodes respectively. The TV specials, the film, and the TV series were all set in the same milieu : Dream Valley, a land inhabited by witches, goblins and other magical creatures with whom the ponies, their human friend Megan, and their dragon friend Spike interacted. In 2004, the first season of the original My Little Pony television series was released on DVD. The four - DVD collection features the two prime - time television specials and 50 episodes from the original series. Some songs from the original airing of the two specials have been cut, leaving the specials as they appeared when syndicated as part of the cartoon series. The ten - episode miniseries The End of Flutter Valley was released on DVD in 2005. 2006 brought the release of episodes from the second season, with two DVD releases : Flight to Cloud Castle and Other Stories and Quest of the Princess Ponies and Other Stories, as well as a DVD entitled Two Great Pony Tales with The Magic Coins and The Glass Princess available in eight episodes. My Little Pony Tales ( 1992 ) Main article : My Little Pony Tales My Little Pony Tales, premiered on July 3, 1992 on Disney Channel, was set in a different environment. This series anthropomorphized the ponies further than the works from the mid-1980s, as the ponies lived in a town, went to school, ran businesses, went on vacation and exchanged currency for goods. Publications Main article : My Little Pony ( Egmont comics ) Two British comic series were published by Egmont during the era. Friendship Gardens ( 1997 - 1999 ) My Little Pony ( 1997 -- 1999 ) Original work Toys Games Video game ( s ) My Little Pony : Friendship Gardens ( 1998 ) Miscellaneous Toys My Little Pony The 1997 incarnation was marketed by Hasbro as `` Friendship Garden '' and designated `` Generation 2 '' by collectors. They were manufactured in redesigned poses with jewel eyes and turning heads and were smaller, slimmer, and longer - legged than their 1982 counterparts. The line was not successful in the U.S. and was discontinued in 1999, although it continued overseas for several years. Since the second generation was more popular in Western Europe, Hasbro continued to produce and sell them in Western Europe after 1998. Most were Earth Ponies, but a few unicorns were made internationally. Although no Pegasus Ponies were made, some adults had clip - on wings. In the early 2000s, several unicorns with clip - on wings ( called the Magic Unicorns ) were made. Two baby ponies were introduced, and none of the baby ponies were sold in the United States. In Europe, the main location was renamed Ponyland instead of Friendship Gardens, and were discontinued with the inception of the `` G3 '' toyline in 2003. Many ponies released in the last years of the line are considered rare. A number of playsets were introduced, including a mansion and a castle. Some of the licensed merchandise released in Europe included beanbag plushes, magazines, clothing, perfume, wrapping paper and coloring books. A CD - ROM game for PC, Friendship Gardens, was also released, which involved taking care of a pony and playing games along the way. Merchandise Some Generation Two ponies were sold as detachable key chains, including Morning Glory, Sundance, Light Heart and Ivy. The pony came with a comb attached to her neck by a string. The back of the package says, `` My Little Pony Logo and Pony Names are Trademarks of Hasbro Inc. Copyright 1998. '' They were produced under license by Fun - 4 - All Corporation and made in China. Media My Little Pony : Friendship Gardens ( 1998 ) My Little Pony : Friendship Gardens is a virtual pet game developed by Artech Digital Entertainment. Ponyville ( 2003 - 2009 ) My Little Pony ( 2003 -- 2009 ) Logo from the `` Generation 3.5 '' era ( until mid-2010, but still used in some countries as of 2011 ) Original work Toys Films and television Direct - to - video Animated films and shorts Once Upon a My Little Pony Time Theatrical presentations Musical ( s ) My Little Pony Live : The World 's Biggest Tea Party ( 2006 - 2008 ) Games Video game ( s ) My Little Pony Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow ( 2006 ) My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Party ( 2008 ) Miscellaneous Toys My Little Pony The third incarnation of My Little Pony, which is often referred to as `` Generation Three '' or `` G3 '' by collectors, began in 2003. The revamped line of dolls was targeted to a younger audience than the previous lines. `` Generation Three '' is set in the fictional town named Ponyville, which is centered on Celebration Castle. Only Earth Ponies were released from 2003 to 2005, but in 2005 and 2006 Pegasus Ponies and Unicorn Ponies were respectively introduced. Until late 2005, packaging came with Pony Points that were later used for exclusive mail orders. Unlike the `` G1 '' line, the Pony Points had to be mailed in to order ; a customer could not pay a flat fee and add points to it to lower the price. Some of the ponies available with the Pony Points program were Dazzle Surprise, Sunshimmer and Love Wishes. Other merchandise included posters or a play mat to put buildings on. The points program ended on 31 January 2006. While the line was simultaneously released in the U.S. and Europe, there are a few ponies unavailable in the U.S., such as Winter Snow and some small, fairy - like ponies called Breezies who first appeared in the animated feature The Princess Promenade. One of the most uncommon ponies in this third line was released by mistake in 2004. A Pinkie Pie with the words `` 2003 Licensing Show '' embedded into her symbol was used to promote the My Little Pony toy line at the 2003 Spring Licensing Show, and were intended to be released only at that show in a limited edition of 300. Due to a packaging error, a few were packaged as regular ponies and sold in stores. Other limited - edition ponies have been the Pony Project promotional ponies and Rosey Posey, who was given to attendees at a charity dinner held by Hasbro. 2008 and 2009 revamps ( a.k.a. Core 7 and Generation 3.5 ) In 2008, the number of characters were reduced to seven : Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, Toola - Roola, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, Cheerilee and Starsong. The following year in 2009, Hasbro redesigned the characters to resemble Ponyville figurines. Collector 's edition after 2010 Recognizing the older fans of its line, Hasbro has released special collector ponies noticeably different from the regular `` G3 ''. While some had a general release as `` Art Ponies '', many are available through special events, such as the annual My Little Pony Collector 's Convention and the San Diego Comic Con. These ponies are elaborately designed, such as the underwater - themed art pony which has fish and sea creatures printed all over its body, and come in matching display boxes. The 2011 SDCC pony is black and pink and has a kawaii skull instead of a `` cutie mark ''. There is also a white pony available to customizers. Despite the redesign as `` G3. 5 '' and the advent of the `` G4 '' line, Hasbro has continued the collector - themed `` G3 '' ponies in their original poses. Ponyville figurines The Ponyville figurines are fully molded plastic and smaller than the main `` G3 '' line. Although they have their own playsets and accessories, many of the characters are the same as their larger counterparts. Merchandise The tie - in merchandise has been released for the third generation. The characters can be found on bedding and home decor, clothing, dishware, stationery and school supplies. Plush ponies have been given away as theme - park prizes and used in crane machines. There is a 3 - foot ( 0.91 m ) plush - pony line which was first available for sale in Australia ; the characters include Rainbow Dash, Minty, Sweetberry, and the special Kimono, which was used as a prize by Red Rooster restaurants and Target. McDonald 's has also featured ponies in its Happy Meal promotions, as have other fast food chains. Eight characters were used in the first U.S. McDonald 's promotion, while other countries ' chain restaurants had four. Media Direct - to - video animated features Between 2003 and 2009, the ponies appeared in a series of direct - to - video shorts and feature - length films. Most of them were produced by SD Entertainment. These are set in yet another milieu, and feature the `` G3 '' ponies : Early releases A Charming Birthday ( 2003 ) - A direct to video release, it was not sold on its own but packaged with some of the early `` G3 '' characters. Dancing in the Clouds ( 2004 ) - This was a VHS included with the first Pegasus pony of the `` G3 '' line, Star Catcher. Friends Are Never Far Away ( 2005 ) - A DVD that packaged with a new Pegasus Pony, Hidden Treasure. My Little Pony : A Very Minty Christmas ( October 25, 2005 ) - The first video sold by itself, available in both VHS and DVD. It included Dancing in the Clouds as a bonus episode. Re-released in October 2008 with a bonus Ponyville Minty figurine. My Little Pony : The Princess Promenade ( February 7, 2006 ) - Featured the debut of the `` G3 '' incarnation of Spike the Dragon. It also included Breezies, small, fairy - like ponies. It was available on VHS and DVD, and included A Charming Birthday as a bonus episode. My Little Pony Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow ( September 12, 2006 ) - Featured the new `` G3 '' unicorn, Rarity. Only released on DVD ( promotional copies are available on VHS ), it included `` Friends Are Never Far Away '' as a bonus episode. My Little Pony : A Very Pony Place ( February 6, 2007 ) - Three New Pony Tales including `` Come Back, Lily Lightly '', `` Two For the Sky '' and `` Positively Pink ''. Each story features Lily Lightly, Storybelle and Puzzlemint. 2008 revamp My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Special Day ( 2008 ) - Packaged in a set of the same name, with Pinkie Pie in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode. My Little Pony : Meet the Ponies ( 2008 ) - A DVD containing several mini-episodes featuring the `` core seven '' ponies which were first available online. Packaged with the first wave of the `` core seven '' pony toys. My Little Pony : Starsong and the Magic Dance Shoes ( 2008 ) - Packaged in a set of the same name, with Starsong in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode. My Little Pony : Rainbow Dash 's Special Day ( 2009 ) - Packaged in a set of the same name, with Rainbow Dash in an outfit resembling the one worn in the episode. 2009 revamp My Little Pony : Twinkle Wish Adventure ( October 13, 2009 ) - Released by Shout ! Factory and Hasbro, this DVD includes a feature - length movie, sing - a-longs and other bonus material. Once Upon a My Little Pony time Once Upon a My Little Pony Time was produced by Kunoichi, animated in Adobe Flash. It included two 10 - minute episodes, `` Over Two Rainbows '' and `` So Many Different Ways to Play ''. It features the `` Core 7 '' characters as Newborn Cuties, but Starsong and Toola - Roola are not seen in either videos. My Little Pony Live : the World 's Biggest Tea Party ( 2006 ) Main article : My Little Pony Live : The World 's Biggest Tea Party My Little Pony Live : The World 's Biggest Tea Party is a 90 - minute musical produced by Hasbro and VEE Corporation, first announced in June 19, 2006 and stars Pinkie Pie, Minty, Sweetberry, Sew - and - so, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Thistle Whistle, Zipzee, Tra La La, Tiddlywink, and Wysteria. The show opened later in October 2006, and was released on DVD on September 16, 2008. Interactive software My Little Pony Crystal Princess : the Runaway Rainbow ( 2006 ) My Little Pony Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow Developer ( s ) Webfoot Technologies Publisher ( s ) THQ Platform ( s ) Game Boy Advance Release NA : September 13, 2006 Genre ( s ) Adventure / Puzzle Mode ( s ) Single - player My Little Pony Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow is an adventure / puzzle video game developed by Webfoot Technologies and published by THQ under license from Hasbro. It was released for Game Boy Advance on September 13, 2006 in North America. The game recreates events from the film of the same title, featuring mini-games and puzzles. My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Party ( 2008 ) My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Party Developer ( s ) Webfoot Technologies Publisher ( s ) THQ Platform ( s ) Nintendo DS Release NA : September 22, 2008 Genre ( s ) Adventure / Puzzle Mode ( s ) Single - player My Little Pony : Pinkie Pie 's Party is an adventure / puzzle video game developed by Webfoot Technologies and published by THQ under license from Hasbro. The game was released for Nintendo DS on September 22, 2008. Similar to `` Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow '', the game also features puzzles and mini-games utilizing the Nintendo DS 's capabilities. Friendship is Magic ( 2010 - present ) Main article : My Little Pony ( 2010 toyline ) See also : My Little Pony : Equestria Girls The current incarnation of My Little Pony, unofficially known as the `` Generation Four '', was launched in 2010. It is set in a fictional location named Equestria, and the main characters include Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy. Television series My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic, upcoming theatrical film My Little Pony : The Movie, as well as other related media accompany the current line - up. This era generated a fandom among grown - ups with the success of the television series. My Little Pony : Equestria Girls, the anthropomorphic spin - off, was launched in 2013. Fandom among adults Friendship is Magic fandom Main article : My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic fandom My Little Pony inspired cosplay. Despite Hasbro 's target demographic of young girls and their parents, the fourth incarnation of the franchise has become a cultural and Internet phenomenon as the My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic television series generated the unexpected fandom, with many male fans between 13 and 35, creating a large fanbase and a multitude of creative works, fan sites, and conventions. The fanbase has adopted the name `` brony '' ( a portmanteau of `` bro '' and `` pony '' ) to describe themselves. The older fanbase had come as a surprise to Hasbro and staff members involved with the show. They have appreciated and embraced the fandom, adding nods to the fans within the show and the toys. Imitations This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2012 ) In the United States during the 1990s, other toy companies desired to benefit from the success of the My Little Pony line ; imitations were produced and sold after the discontinuation of the `` G1 '' toys in 1992 and before the `` G2 '' incarnation was produced and sold in 1997. When Hasbro discontinued the `` G1 '' My Little Pony line in 1992, some pony molds fell into the hands of other toy companies, who made their own `` pony '' toys. The second generation was not popular in the United States, and there are few imitations ; however, `` G3 '' imitations exist. There are websites to help people identify genuine My Little Pony toys manufactured by Hasbro, and recognize imitations. Many, but not all, imitations are sold at dollar stores. Of many imitations, the four listed below were popular with young girls in the early to mid-1990s and were available at toy stores. These toys had similarities to both the My Little Pony and Dream Beauty lines. In the My Little Pony collecting community, these are known as `` fakies '' or `` bootlegs '' ; however, some are sought after by collectors : Secret Wish Horse Released by Tyco ( now a division of Mattel ), Secret Wish Horse was a toyline of colorful, plastic horses with rooted eyelashes and a bejeweled saddle that would open up to reveal a surprise such as earrings, a bracelet or a ring. They also came with a necklace similar to a magic 8 - ball that was said to make a girl 's wishes come true. Fantasy Fillies Fantasy Fillies was a line of colorful plastic horses that were produced by Empire / Marchon. The designer of this line also designed Fashion Star Fillies released in 1987 by Kenner ( which was, together with Tonka, later acquired by Hasbro in 1991 ). They came as pegasi, unicorns, horses and mini-fillies. One, called Princess Growing Hair, had hair that could grow, and a filly was sold with a carriage. Magic Touch Pony Magic Touch Pony toys were made of plastic and came in different colors. They had symbols on their flanks, like My Little Ponies and Dream Beauties. Some had hooves that would light up, a necklace that lit up, plastic flowers in their manes that would light up, and some played music. Cabbage Patch ponies Cabbage Patch Ponies toys were made by Hasbro, which had a license to manufacture Cabbage Patch Kids from 1988 until 1994. They were made of rubber and came in different colors ; some had glittery bodies. Some had hair that could be combed, while others had yarn for hair. There were unicorns, pegasi and regular ponies. In popular Culture This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2014 ) My Little Pony is referenced in a variety of media. The ponies have had cameo appearances in movies and TV shows, including two Robot Chicken shorts, several appearances in the TV shows Dexter 's Laboratory and Veronica Mars. My Little Pony toys appear on The Cosby Show, G4 's show Action Blast !, Cartoon Network 's The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Boy Meets World and The OC. In the 2007 Transformers film a My Little Pony toy appears as a reference to Hasbro, which owns the licenses for both My Little Pony and Transformers. The toys are also mentioned in the films Meet the Robinsons and Nickelodeon 's movie Spectacular !, which includes one actor, Venus Terzo, who does voice - overs on the My Little Pony TV series. References to My Little Pony also appear in the Backyard Sports series of video games. In the music video of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 's song `` PONPONPON '', an unopened `` Friendship Garden Ponies '' My Little Pony Toy is seen in the background. In the 2014 film Transformers : Age of Extinction, a Rainbow Dash toy appeared briefly. Nicknames and gags related to My Little Pony have been created for prominent people. Radio talk - show host Laura Ingraham referred to former Senator John Edwards as `` Silky Pony '' and plays the My Little Pony theme music when discussing him. Jonathan I. Schwartz, CEO of Sun Microsystems, was nicknamed `` MLP '' by Daniel Lyons. In 2005, when US President George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, political cartoonist Steve Sack drew a cartoon depicting Bush brushing a pony toy with false eyelashes with the title `` My Little Crony '' shortly after the dismissal of Michael D. Brown for failing to handle the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Wizards of the Coast, Something Positive, Slashdot, Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi, and Sister Claire have all referenced My Little Pony in gags and April Fool 's jokes. A Nick at Nite ad for Mister Ed says he 's no `` My Little Pony ''. In the seventh book in the Artemis Fowl book series, The Atlantis Complex the antagonist ( Turnball Root ) refers to the centaur Foaly as `` My Little Pony ''. In Terry Pratchett 's Discworld series, it is referenced as `` My Little Binky '', which Death bought as a present for his granddaughter Susan ( Binky, in this case, was Death 's horse ). A June 2011 article in Wired.com focused on `` bronies '' ( `` bro ponies '' ) : adult men or boys who are fans of the 2010 television series. References Jump up ^ Werbner, Donna ( September 10, 2004 ). `` Campaign : Hasbro resurrects My Little Pony brand ''. PRWeek. Retrieved February 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Seiter, Ellen ( 1995 ), Sold Separately : Children and Parents in Consumer Culture, Rutgers University Press, p. 153 Jump up ^ McNeil, Sheena ( September 1, 2006 ), `` My Little Ponies '', Sequential Tart, retrieved February 2, 2017 Jump up ^ Hasbo ( October 7, 2010 ). `` Hasbro 's Iconic MY LITTLE PONY Brand Excites a New Generation of Girls with Its Message of Friendship and Adventure ''. Retrieved February 2, 2017. Jump up ^ Lisanti, Tony ( May 2016 ), `` Top 150 Global Licensors '', Global License !, p. T9, The My Little Pony brand drives over $1.2 billion in retail sales Jump up ^ `` Hasbro 2015 Investor Update at Toy Fair ''. Feb 13, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Hasbro 2014 Annual Report '' ( PDF ). Feb 26, 2015. p. 6. Retrieved May 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Lisanti, Tony ( May 1, 2014 ). `` The Top 150 Global Licensors ''. Global License !. Retrieved May 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Hasbro ( 2012 ). `` My Little Pony History ''. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2015. Jump up ^ Alkemade, Patrick ( 2013 ). `` My Pretty Pony - 1981 ''. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Dream Beauties - My Little Pony ''. Ponyland Press. Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Boxofficemojo - My Little Pony ( 1986 ) ''. Retrieved 2010 - 08 - 24. Jump up ^ `` My Little Pony CD - ROM ''. August 22, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Hasbro Revamps My Little Pony to Draw Younger Girls ''. Marketing Week. 10 July 2003. Retrieved 9 August 2014. Jump up ^ `` My Little Pony MLP Fleece Throw Blanket 50 '' by 60 '' Officially Licensed Hasbro ``. Retrieved 18 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Shout ! Factory Store ''. Shout ! Factory Store. Retrieved 2010 - 08 - 24. Jump up ^ `` My Little Pony Live ''. March 12, 2007. Jump up ^ Vara, Vauhini ; Zimmerman, Ann ( 2011 - 11 - 04 ). `` Hey, Bro, That 's My Little Pony ! Guys ' Interest Mounts in Girly TV Show ''. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2011 - 12 - 01. Retrieved 2011 - 11 - 04. Jump up ^ Gennis, Sadie ( 2013 - 08 - 01 ). `` Give Bronies a Break ! In Defense of Adult My Little Pony Fans ''. TV Guide. Retrieved 2013 - 08 - 01. ^ Jump up to : Watercutter, Angela ( 2011 - 06 - 09 ). `` My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as ' Bronies ' ''. Wired. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 09. Jump up ^ von Hoffman, Constantine ( 2011 - 05 - 31 ). `` My Little Pony : the Hip, New Trend Among the Geekerati ''. BNET. Retrieved 2011 - 05 - 31. Jump up ^ McKean, Erin ( 2011 - 12 - 02 ). `` The secret language of bros ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2011 - 12 - 02. Jump up ^ Rutherford, Kevin ( 2012 - 04 - 20 ). `` Behind the Music of Pop Culture Smash `` My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic '' ``. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012 - 04 - 20. Jump up ^ Ostroff, Joshua ( 2011 - 08 - 03 ). `` All - ages show : Hipsters love children 's programming ''. National Post. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 03. Jump up ^ Turner, James ( 2012 - 03 - 20 ). `` Is TV paying too much attention to fans ? ''. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 20. Jump up ^ Strike, Joe ( 2011 - 07 - 05 ). `` Of Ponies and Bronies ''. Animation World Network. Retrieved 2011 - 07 - 06. Jump up ^ `` Here Come the Ponies ''. Wizard.com. April 1, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Something * Positive ''. r * k * milholland. May 28, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Slashdot 's Ponies ''. April 1, 2006. Jump up ^ Watercutter, Angela ( June 9, 2011 ). `` My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as ' Bronies ' ''. Wired. Retrieved 2012 - 05 - 07. 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. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9786063 - 1 - 2 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. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9786063 - 5 - 0 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. ISBN 1 - 4116 - 2165 - 4 Summer Hayes ( 2009 ) The My Little Pony 2007 -- 2008 Collector 's Inventory. Priced Nostalgia Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9786063 - 6 - 7 Debra L. Birge ( 2007 ) My Little Pony * r Around the World. Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7643 - 1749 - 1 External links Official website My Liitle Pony at Don Markstein 's Toonopedia My Little Pony 's channel on YouTube Toys portal 1980s portal 1990s portal 2000s portal 2010s portal My Little Pony Bonnie Zacherle Hasbro 1981 -- 1992 Characters My Pretty Pony My Little Pony ( 1986 ) Tales comics Animated features Rescue at Midnight Castle ( 1984 ) Escape from Catrina ( 1985 ) The Movie ( 1986 ) My Little Pony ( 1986 -- 1987 ) My Little Pony Tales ( 1992 ) 1997 -- 1999 Software Friendship Gardens ( 1998 ) 2003 -- 2009 Characters My Little Pony 2000s animated characters Animated features A Charming Birthday ( 2003 ) The Runaway Rainbow ( 2005 -- 2006 ) A Very Minty Christmas ( 2005 ) The Princess Promenade ( 2006 ) A Very Pony Place ( 2007 ) Meet the Ponies ( 2008 ) Twinkle Wish Adventure ( 2009 ) Software Crystal Princess : The Runaway Rainbow Pinkie Pie 's Party Stage The World 's Biggest Tea Party ( 2006 ) 2010 -- present My Little Pony ( 2010 -- present ; including Friendship Is Magic television series ) Media Animation Friendship Is Magic characters episodes songs setting My Little Pony : The Movie ( 2017 ) soundtrack Software Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day Gameloft video game Other IDW comics Issues Collectible card game TV episodes Season 1 ( 2010 -- 2011 ) `` The Cutie Mark Chronicles '' Season 2 ( 2011 -- 2012 ) `` The Return of Harmony '' `` Hearts and Hooves Day '' `` A Canterlot Wedding '' Season 3 ( 2012 -- 2013 ) `` The Crystal Empire '' `` Magical Mystery Cure '' Season 4 ( 2013 -- 2014 ) `` Pinkie Pride '' `` Twilight 's Kingdom '' Season 5 ( 2015 ) `` The Cutie Map '' `` Slice of Life '' Season 6 ( 2016 ) `` A Hearth 's Warming Tail '' Season 7 ( 2017 ) Fandom BronyCon Bronies ( documentary film ) A Brony Tale Them 's Fightin ' Herds Related Discography Overall history of the franchise Equestria Girls ( spin - off ) Films Equestria Girls ( 2013 ) Rainbow Rocks ( 2014 ) Friendship Games ( 2015 ) Legend of Everfree ( 2016 ) Other Miniseries ( 2017 ) Summertime Shorts ( 2017 ) Category Book Project Characters Toy characters Earth ponies Pegasus ponies Unicorn ponies Winged unicorns Antagonists Animated features My Little Pony : The Movie ( 2017 ) Category Project Hasbro Intellectual properties currently managed by Hasbro Toys Action Man Baby Alive Blythe Easy - Bake Oven Furby G.I. Joe Glo Worm Jem Koosh Kre - O Lite - Brite Littlest Pet Shop Mighty Muggs Mr. Potato Head My Little Pony Nerf Play - Doh Pound Puppies Rubik 's Cube Sit ' n Spin Spirograph Stickle Bricks Super Soaker Tinkertoy Tonka Transformers Weeble Games Acquire Aggravation Axis & Allies Barrel of Monkeys Battleship Boggle Bop It Buckaroo ! Candy Land Catch Phrase Chutes & Ladders Clue Connect 4 Cootie Cranium Crocodile Dentist Designer 's World Duel Masters Dungeons & Dragons Elefun Gator Golf Girl Talk Guess Who ? Hi Ho ! Cherry - O Hungry Hungry Hippos Jenga Lazer Tag Life Magic : The Gathering Mall Madness Milton Monopoly Mouse Trap Mystery Date Nerf Blaster Operation Ouija Parcheesi Perfection Pictionary Pit Risk Rook Scattergories Scrabble ( U.S. and Canada ) Simon Sorry ! Stratego Taboo Trivial Pursuit Trouble Twister Upwords Yahtzee Distributed worldwide by Hasbro Beyblade ( except Japan and parts of Asia ) CirKis ( except U.S., UK, France and Germany ) FurReal Friends ( except Japan ) iDog ( except Japan ) Yo - kai Watch ( except Asia ) Licensed products Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader ? Disney Disney Princess Elena of Avalor Frozen Indiana Jones Marvel Legends Marvel Super Hero Squad Marvel Universe Spider - Man Classics Star Wars Idaten Jump Nickelodeon Strawberry Shortcake Sid the Science Kid The Simpsons Wolverine and the X-Men X-Men Origins : Wolverine Subsidiaries Entertainment and Licensing Hasbro Studios Boulder Media Discovery Family ( 40 % ) Wizards of the Coast Avalon Hill Backflip Studios ( 70 % ) Divisions and brands Nerf Playskool Tiger Electronics Tonka Related media Comics Films Television See also Hasbro Universe Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Little_Pony&oldid=801705580 '' Categories : My Little Pony Fictional horses 1980s toys 1990s toys 2000s toys 2010s toys Fictional characters introduced in 1982 Toy brands Doll brands Toy animals Talking animals in fiction Hasbro brands Hidden categories : Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages Articles with a promotional tone from January 2012 All articles with a promotional tone Wikipedia articles needing style editing from November 2013 All articles needing style editing Articles containing Japanese - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from September 2014 Articles using Infobox video game using locally defined parameters Articles needing additional references from July 2012 All articles needing additional references Articles needing additional references from March 2014 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Azərbaycanca Català Dansk Deutsch Español Français Galego 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Scots Suomi Svenska Türkçe 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 21 September 2017, at 09 : 46. 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Question: when did my little pony first come out
Answer: 1981