| The
following information is based on what Carleigh told
me in the phone interviews we had. I talked to her several
times in the past 3 years of her life. With the notes
I took, the Stingers, Starlight Girls and few other
aspects of the line where also talked about, but I can
not recall if Carleigh designed these other fashions
or not. I'm almost positive that Carleigh designed the
Starlight Girl doll fashions, but I can't say 100% for
sure. The following is the from the "better"
notes I took ...
Jem vs.
Barbie … the real story
And now for the real story … Jem came first! A
Jem doll box was used for some type of early promotion
for the line (no dolls or fashion, just the box) After
the box was used it was thrown into the garbage. Someone
from Mattel dug through the garbage to get the box.
Ran back to Mattel with the box, and Mattel put Barbie
in the Rockers in to production based on just the box
colors. That is why the Rockers fashions are such bright
colors, compared to JEM's muted Mylar fashions.
So while Hasbro had to take
its time to develop the head molds, fashions, and accessories
from scratch, Mattel worked their employees over time
to get a Rock band out to compete with Hasbro's new
doll. Mattel did not have to spend as much time developing
the line, because they already had the molds for the
dolls. Hasbro was making JEM from scratch.
Jem vs.
Maxie?
Maxie was not made as a replacement for Jem. Maxie is
based on Sindy, the doll that out sold Barbie in Europe.
Hasbro had just got the rights to produce Sindy in 1987.
Hasbro was going to completely copy Sindy to create
Maxie, but Maxie did get produced with new doll molds.
Both Jem and Maxie were
developed and going to be released in 1988. Hasbro was
going to compete with itself. They where looking to
get a little younger audience with Maxie, while keeping
the same audience for Jem.
1986
Mystery Man
Not sure if or who, because Carleigh was brought in
after fact.
Honk
Kong vs. China
Jem was produced in both place because Hasbro was afraid
if political problems where to occur they would not
have a toy line to sell. By having two locates that
made the dolls, if there was a problem with one, at
least some of the dolls would still be released.
Prototype info…
"Splash Of Sound"
- The fashion sold is not the same as the fashion prototype
because the fabric from the prototype gave of a toxic
gas.
"Midnight Magic"
- In the Prototype picture, the Velcro for the scarf
is on the outside, not the inside. This is a goof up
with the prototype because separate fashions was made
for the just for the prototype pictures.
Jetta - The prototypes
where made well in advance, for the box are and posters.
Since Jetta was not on the 1987 Misfits box, that does
mean she was not produced until the very last minute.
Rockin' Romance Jem
- It sounds like she was original going to have fur
around her solders, where the lace was.
Other
1988 Unproduced Items…
Hollywood Jem - Fashions where going to be produced
with the dolls similar to Glitter'n Gold.
Flip Side Fashions
- New Flip Side Fashions where going to be released.
These new fashions where going to be much better then
the previous/first year Flip Side Fashions. (Jem
fashions are more modern and fun, while Jericca fashions
are more Sophisticated and similar to 20's and 30's
design*)
Mardi Gras - these
fashions where introduced on the show. (all
the Mardi Gras fashions are in the episode of the same
name...Stormer's fashion is not one the the Hasbro prototypes*)
After Jem was canceled Hasbro was talked of creating
a new doll just to promote these costumes and masks.
(I believe that nothing came of
this.*)
International - there
was to be an international line of clothing based on
different countries. (seems like
it was more of South American theme, with Mexican fashion,
and Jamaican fashion, and Argentinean/Brazilian fashion*)
Abra Cadabra - Carleigh
did not know anything about this set. (I did not
have time to send her images of the fashions to see
if she might have recognize them.*)
Wedding Kimber -
The doll in the wedding dress was a wedding gift for
a Hasbro Employee. The wedding dress was not developed
for Jem or for Kimber.
Hasbro and Discontinuing
Lines.
Marketing department had complete and tasteless control!
They only wanted items
that had some kind of gimmick. Many many great toys
did not make it past the design phase because they did
not have a strong gimmick. It is true that there is
a very large room full of toys that never made it though
production.
The marketing department would cancel lines at any point
in time that they felt like it. Toys could be made and
ready to be assembled then discontinued and discarded.
The Glow Bugs where going to have a Dragon Fly vehicle
that was completely made waiting to be assembled, when
marketing decided to pull the line. The problem was
the Marketing department did not know how far along,
or now much time was spent on many of the toys they
canceled. The left hand did not know what the right
hand was doing.
Side
Note:
Quite often Hasbro would have freelance artist create
the different toys, while the in house designers had
nothing to do.
Selling Rockin' Romance
Jem - toys given to Hasbro employees
Come to find out, that the discontinued or any kind
of toy was not given to the people that worked on the
toy, toys where mostly give to the people in the marketing
department. (it sounds like Rockin' Romance Jem was
not sold in the employee store, but other employees
say she was*)
* - thoughts I have
added, to clarify different issues |
