The My Little Pony Scrapbook: G1 in the UK and Europe

Shady

Movie Star Pony, 1987

Neon pink earth pony with neon yellow mane and tail, blue and white sunglasses symbol

Neon pink earth pony with neon yellow hair, sunglasses symbol
Pony Data
Set Movie Star Ponies (1987, UK and Europe)
Pony Friends (Nordic Countries/South Africa, 1987-8)
Asst. Number 4857 (Movie Star)
Accessories Movie Star: Purple sun pick, light blue ribbon, puffy sticker (in UK only, but also sold without sticker)
-
Pony Friends: ?
Pose Gingerbread
Distribution UK and Europe (Various)
 
Other Versions So Soft Shady North America, 1985-6)

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Ponies Sold in 1987 in the UK Movie Star Ponies | Mountain Boy Ponies | Birthday Party with Tutti Frutti | Princess Ponies (Set 1) |Snuzzle's Grooming Parlour | Megan and Sundance (Second Edition)| Twinkle Eye Ponies (UK Set II) | Flutter Ponies (Set II) | Newborn Twins (Set I, Partial) | Pretty & Pearly Baby Sea Ponies (UK Release) Paradise Estate | Dream Castle | Lullabye Nursery | Baby Buggy | Baby Bonnet School of Dance

Other 1987 Ponies Twinkle Eyed Ponies (North America/Italy) | Pony Friends (Ponies) | Stockings | Pony Friends (Animals) | Soft Sleepy Newborns| Sea Sparkle Baby Sea Ponies | Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe | Crimp & Curl Hair Salon (Perm Shoppe) (UK:1988) | Slumber Party Gift Set | Rainbow Ponies (Europe) | Twice as Fancy (Party) Ponies (UK:1988) | First Tooth Baby Ponies (UK:1988)| Big Brother Ponies (UK:1988) | So Soft Ponies (III) | Purse with Baby Crumpet | Baby Blue Ribbon


Shady in the United Kingdom

Shady was first sold in the United Kingdom (and Europe) in 1987, as part of the Movie Star pony release. These were characters which would appear on the big screen in the My Little Pony movie, but which had not already seen a UK release. Although she was already on sale in North America as a (pastel) So Soft pony, the real joy of Shady as a pony can only really be understood by seeing or owning a Movie Star version, because of the bold colours.

The Shady pictured on this page has been with me from childhood, and I remember as a kid feeling a sense of awe and magic about her because of that amazingly bright hair. Little me even believed it glowed in the dark (it doesn't), which is probably why she still has her original curls.

Shady was sold on one of the most elaborate and amazing G1 pony backcards ever produced - the Movie Star card - but she had no backcard story of her own.


Shady sealed on Movie Star card
Shady Mint on Movie Star Card (France)

Shady was also sold with a sticker, and without. The French carded Cine Star pony pictured above also has a sticker, but in France the whole set had a generic sticker featuring North Star, and the words 'Cine Star' underneath. In the UK alone, Shady had her own individual sticker but not all releases came with it and the sticker is not mentioned on the cards I have seen/owned.

I am not sure my own childhood Shady came with a sticker, either. A working theory is that earlier UK releases of the Movie Stars may have had stickers, and then they were phased out - but there is no real proof of this. Only a handful of Mint on Card Movie Star ponies have been found with stickers - the stickers from this set are some of the hardest to find loose.

Shady's Sticker
Shady's Sticker
1987, United Kingdom

I don't care what anyone says, this is the real Shady, and she is awesome :)

Shady was also (probably) sold as part of the European set Pony Friends, which also incorporated Truly and Cupcake.

Shady's Character

Although Shady did not have her own backcard story in the UK, she did have a particularly distinctive persona. Like with her set-mate, Magic Star, the roots of this identity were drawn from the So Soft card story in America, then evolved into something original. Shady was known for having magic, hallucinogenic sunglasses, and when she looked through them she saw all kinds of magical and mystical things. This often led her into adventure. Although her backcard in North America does mention her being a little shy or lacking in confidence, there is none of that in her UK characterisation. The animated series, by contrast, ignored all of the magic and the sunglasses and went straight for the lacking in confidence. As a result, Shady in the animated series is, quite frankly, annoying. She is constantly negative, always afraid, and nothing like her colourful comic persona.

Earth Ponies were debarred meaningful magic in the animated series, despite it being common on backcards and in comic stories - meaning that many ponies became less interesting once they hit the screen.