1985: So Soft Ponies

PARADISE

White flocked pegasus pony with red-orange mane and tail, green and orange palm trees and moon symbol.

Paradise is one of those enigmas. Featured in the UK fact file, she was also projected for the United Kingdom without flocking, as part of the Paradise Estate playset. Though both the Hasbro promotional brochure (below) and the insert showed Paradise with the estate, she was never actually produced, and the So Soft version is the only version of this pony in the mainstream line.

Hasbro UK's booklet, featuring a deflocked version of "Paradise" in the foreground.

Hasbro's own listing also mentions the Estate coming with Paradise pony, but this never materialised. It seems likely that, for whatever reason, the pony was simply pulled before the playset hit shelves. The myth of the Hong Kong made "Non So Soft" Paradise has more or less been stamped out now, but there is a version made in Brazil without flocking.

Paradise: Made in Brazil (no flocking)

Paradise was a keystone of the television series, voiced by the highly talented Sue Blu who Jem fans will also know as the voice of LinZ Pearce and, most importantly, Stormer. She was a storyteller with a big imagination and a sweet heart...I know as a kid she was a special favourite of mine :)

But, as we have already mentioned, Paradise was never sold in the UK through official channels.

Thanks to Pranceatron for the Hasbro booklet scan.