What came first?

[True]

The Animation or the toy?

I know there was "my pretty pony" but then switched to "my little pony" did it switch because someone decided to adapt it to a new animated series? or was it just a whim and the animations came later?

its 4am and I cant sleep lol

[Aflame]

the toy came first unlike transformers which was about the seme time i think xaflamex

[kittybethy]

I think the toy was first!

[creampuf]

Pretty certain it was the toy first...which was unusual since either the show is first or it's a simultaneous release.

[hathorcat]

The toys....it was the toys...

It wasnt until 1984 that the US Federal Trade Commission actually deregulated children's television - which essentially lifted the ban on cartoon/tv shows being directly linked to or for the primary purpose of selling toys. He Man and the Masters of the Universe and Transformers cartoons and toys were developed in time for and with the theory of being toy marketing cartoons and they both hit the shelves and tv screens within a short period after the deregulation was in place.

Hence as MLP was about pre 1984, then the line was toys first and cartoon later...

[sweetstuff]

Yup, toys first.

Looking back I wonder why they never really used the original "mane" ponies in the cartoons...

[Dawn]

I think they invented the cartoon to market the toys better (pretty sure the he-man cartoon started for this reason too).

[GazeboMouse]

I didn't know the G1 MLP cartoon existed until 3 years ago! It was on the channel I didn't watch in my house in the 80s so I hadn't seen it.

[ember86]

Well, Cotton Candy was in the first cartoon special. 

[Moonstar]

The toy .
I think they didn't have the all of the first main ponies in the cartoon because the series of shows was always made to hype new ponies rather than ones already common place. It's worth noting in Catrina they had nearly all of their babies, so they must still be around somewhere .

[SourdoughStomper]

I didn't know either, so that's cool.

[Elisto]

Yeah, the movie/shows were used to promote the toys, which is why one of my friends calls it "My Little Pony: Quest for the Next Product Line"

[Taffeta]

The toy .
I think they didn't have the all of the first main ponies in the cartoon because the series of shows was always made to hype new ponies rather than ones already common place. It's worth noting in Catrina they had nearly all of their babies, so they must still be around somewhere .

I'm still trying to work out why Baby Buttons featured in Crunch the Rock Dog...assuming it was an animation foul up is so boring somehow

At least MLP were more subtle than Jem - the "Glitter and Gold" episode is a not so cleverly hidden medium for showcasing every new outfit and theme for the existing characters...to the point the episode was named after the newest version of Jem ><.

Hasbro were shameless...

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

Toys were first.

[cesprins]

Yup. Toys came first!