Pretty Pony Views
Following the related My Pretty Pony toy, introduced in 1981, My Little Pony was launched in 1983. The line became popular during the 80s. The original toy line ran from 1983 to 1995 (1992 in the U.S.) and inspired animated specials, including an animated feature length movie and three animated television series. The brand was relaunched between 1997 and 2003 (1999 in the U.S.), and then fully relaunched globally in 2003. My Little Pony celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2008.
My Pretty Pony is a short story written by Stephen King and illustrated by the artist Barbara Kruger. It was the sixth publication in the Whitney Museum of American Art artist and writer series. An original limited artist edition of 250 was published in 1989 and was an oversized fine press slipcased book with stainless steel faced boards and digital clock inset into front cover. A trade edition of 15,000 was later published by Alfred A. Knoph and was later included in King's collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
An elderly man, his death rapidly approaching, takes his young grandson up onto a hill behind his house and gives the boy his pocketwatch. Then, standing among falling apple blossoms, the man also gives instruction on the nature of time: how when you grow up, it begins to move faster and faster, slipping away from you in great chunks if you don't hold tightly onto it. Time is a pretty pony, with a wicked heart.
It may be hard to believe, but the 5"My Little Ponys" line's beginnings started with a toy horse that really wasn't all that little. In 1981, Romper Room, a division of Hasbro, introduced A"My Pretty Ponyl", a 10-inch tall model horse with synthetic hair, many accessories, and a mechanism which enabled her ears to twitch, eye to wink, and tail to swish from side to side. The original version was a classic brown horse, but later on that year Hasbro introduced a second version of the toy. My Pretty Pony was now a light pink shade with a darker pink mane and tail. She also had heart symbols painted on her hip (which would become a main feature of her smaller descendants) and her accessories were now softer, more feminine pastel shades.