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Hasbro has reacquired the worldwide distribution rights to the Sunbow Library of Hasbro Classics on May 14, 2008.
No sign of Jem, but Hasbro is wanting complete control of their old titles.

Updated: May 14, 2007

  • Australia • 4 DVDs available - 1st 16 Eps. More coming May 07, these DVDs may have been canceled.
  • Chile • "Chilean Home Entertainment" has the rights to distribute DVDs 2005.
  • Germany • "Joan Records" has the rights to distribute DVDs 2004.
  • France • 2008/08/12 - Declic Images has updated the website with JEM DVDs as part of the catalog.
    (old news) 1st two sets available, 3rd set has been canceled. "Rouge Citron" has closed their doors?
  • Italy • Sept 20, 2008 - MTC Medianetwork Communication will release Jem on DVD
  • Netherlands • "Truly Outrageous!" the Movie - 1st 5 Eps.
  • Sweden • "Truly Outrageous! the Movie - 1st 5 Eps.
  • UK • "Truly Outrageous!" the Movie - 1st 5 Eps.
  • US • no DVDs at this time...
    2008/05/14 - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) may release DVDs now that Hasbro has the ditrubtion rights. Nothing set for release.
    videobusiness.com

Updated: Aug 12, 2007

It seems at the same time Hasbro added a new JEM™ for Entertainment Services, they also registered a few JEM URL's. Feb. 25, 2008 Hasbro registered jemmovie.com and jemandthehologramsmovie.com.
Thanks Dragonielle from jemcon.org for this information.

Updated: June. 3, 2008

Hasbro was developing a New JEM line. The project was canceled (I would assume for the Pussycat Dolls dolls, 2006 - which was also canceled) There was rumored that Hasbro is still planning for a 2007-2008. But that seems to be just a rumor, it sounds like Jem is not in development at the moment.

There was no sign of Jem at the 2007 Toy Fair. So more then likely Jem will not be back for 2007. But Hasbro is still updating the trademarks, for dolls, books, etc. With any luck, we well see something by 2011 for Jem's 25th Anniversary.

Old News


 
Awards
March 2002
the She makes an impression's Site of the month for Feb. 2001!
February 2001
Awarded 19th Feb. 2000
February 2001


Please do not use any images without permission.
Most images are from my personal collection, and many are exclusive to this site.

What is at the end of Kimber's keyboard?

It is the letter "M"

Kimber's keyboard with the letter M
Photo by Riot4Jem

Now why is there a M and not a J?

When Hasbro was given the idea for developing a Rock & Roll doll, they named her M. She is rumored to have had three male band members. As time passed, M became Jem because Hasbro could not trademark a letter at that time. Or may have been in conflict with a band called "M", famous for the song "Pop Muzik". Kimber's keyboard with the letter M

Hasbro had to give M a new name. The name of the band became the Holograms. The idea for the name came from the Holographic image that changed an ordinary girl (Morgan or Misty) into M. And during this time the three males became three females ... Kimber, Jada and Aria. The names changed to Kimber, Aja, and Shana. One name for Roxy and/or Stormer at this time was Rue.

Early concepts
M / Misty
Aja
Jade
(click image)
(click image)
(click image)
became Jem/Jerrica
became Kimber
became Aja
Pizazz
Rue
Roxy
(click image)
(click image)
(click image)
became Pizzazz
became Roxy
became Stormer
photos from an unnamed source


A playset was being developed for M, it was a plane. Like most of the Jem playsets, it was to have a cassette player and speaker. This playset was dropped and the Rockin' Roadster, Star Stage, and Rock Backstager came out.

Original Plane Design
as illustrated by Bill Sanders (1986)
(click image)  

 

"Can't Get My Love Together"
Jem seemed to have some popularity, and sells where not bad. But basically Jem was not sell as well as Hasbro expected her too, so the line only had a two year run. The high prices, the larger size then Barbie, and the "scary" Misfits where all stated reasons for Jem's demise. Even though Hasbro took all of these into account when the developed the 1988 line. The dolls were to be sold with out the cassettes and for less, the Misfits where replaced by the Stingers. New cheap outfits where being designed to compete with Barbie's cheap outfits ... the twelve and a half inch size stayed the same.

"Truly Outrageous!"
Bill Sanders (1940-1990) a famous advertiser, and two collaborators went to Hasbro with a idea of a new doll line, to compete with Barbie. Bill thought Barbie was boring and no fun.

Check out the VIP page on Pranceatron Vs. Jem.

Hasbro had Sunbow develop a cartoon to promote the Jem dolls. It started as fifteen (eight minute) segments on a show with several other shows in the "Super Saturday" show, or "Super Sunday" show. (1985) 

"Only the Beginning"
These segments became the first five episodes of Jem know as "Truly Outrageous!" Eight dolls, three playsets and twenty-four fashions started the doll line (1986)
  Polaroid of the original sketches and prototypes of 5 On Stage Fashions
from
ebay.com

Seller: pjkho
Date: 6/27/2008
Amount: $631.00
  "Encore,"™ "Twilight In Paris,"™ "Dancin' The Night Away,"™ "Command Performance"™ & "Permanent Wave"™ -- click names for larger images the win has posted.

"Getting Down To Business"
The dolls hit the store shelves and the Catalogs.
Image from some of the Catalogs

"We're Off And Running"
Three new Jem dolls, three new Holograms, two new Misfits, Synergy, three Starlight girls and also three new playsets, four playset attachments and twice as many fashion where added. (1987)

"This is Farewell"
Jem was starting its third season (1988) when Hasbro pulled the plug.  New dolls where developed but Hasbro decided to stop the line, the dolls never were released. There would have been three new Jem dolls, two new Holograms (Astral - original name was Magic, Regine - original name was Paris), a new group the Stingers (Riot - a male, and two females: Minx, Rapture), maybe Pizzazz and a new Misfit Graphix (she was 1st doll drop from the 1988 line, and never appeared in the show), and new mix match outfits, along with other new fashion sets. (1988)  Some of the new dolls and fashions

Maxie
A smaller doll called Maxie ended up replacing Jem. Maxie was a high school girl, with her high school friends. The line was the same size as Barbie and the fashions could have be swapped with Barbie fashions. This line only lasted 3 years. Maxie was not a true replacement for Jem because Hasbro originally was going to release both Jem and Maxie in 1988. Maxie was a copy of the European doll Sindy, which Hasbro just got the rights to produce for Europe in 1987. Maxie was also going to have a band in the fall 1990, but Hasbro canceled Maxie before the dolls hit the stores. This Maxie band would have featured Jem instruments in new colors.

Rockin' Pretty Bianca - a blue Roxy guitar,
Rockin' Pretty Maxie -
a purple Shana guitar
Rockin' Pretty Ashley -
a blue "Show Me The Way" Video Madness tambourine, missing the Jem logo.
Rockin' Pretty Carly -
a light green Kimber keyboard

I have to wonder if Maxie was canceled when Hasbro got he contract to produce the "New Kids on the Block" dolls. That included two sets of dolls and a stage playset.

 

Updated: September 28, 2008

Jem™, Jem and the Holograms™, the Misfits™, the Stingers™ and all other characters | © 1985-1988 Hasbro, Inc., Wild Star Music, Star Wild Music, & Sunbow, Inc. | Current © Hasbro, Inc./Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. This site is not affiliated with any of the copyright holders of Jem or any other dolls/cartoons listed on this site.