Bonnie Zacherle
Encyclopedia
Bonnie D. Zacherle is an American illustrator
and designer
who now resides in Warrenton, Virginia
. She is the daughter of US Army Col. (Ret) George H. Zacherle, Jr. (d. 1992) and Betty Jane Zacherle (d. 2008) of Carlisle, PA. She is best known as the creator of the best-selling My Little Pony
toy
line and also as the creator of Nerful
s.
Zacherle has done some outside consulting for Bliss House, an American licensing consultancy, on the graphics
and product development side. In 2003, she became a member of 'Women In Toys'
and Manger Steve D'Aguanno of Smithfield, Rhode Island
, while working for Hasbro
, submitted a design patent
for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". The patent, U.S. #D269986, was granted in August 1983.
s. Nerfuls were produced by Parker Brothers
in United States
, Kenner
in the United Kingdom
and Cromy in Argentina
from 1985-87.
These small toys consisted of 3-pieces - hat/hair, ball-face and plastic body. All the parts were interchangeable and the ball-face itself could bounce. There were eight characters in the original series of Nerfuls. This was followed up by more Nerfuls, playsets and accessories.
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
who now resides in Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
. She is the daughter of US Army Col. (Ret) George H. Zacherle, Jr. (d. 1992) and Betty Jane Zacherle (d. 2008) of Carlisle, PA. She is best known as the creator of the best-selling My Little Pony
My Little Pony
My Little Pony is a brand of toy ponies marketed primarily to girls produced by the toy manufacturer Hasbro. These ponies can be identified by their colorful bodies and manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks...
toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
line and also as the creator of Nerful
Nerful
Nerfuls were a line of toy figures produced by Parker Brothers in the 1980s. They were typically constructed of three or four pieces including a spherical vinyl head and a bowl-shaped body in which the head would sit...
s.
Zacherle has done some outside consulting for Bliss House, an American licensing consultancy, on the graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
and product development side. In 2003, she became a member of 'Women In Toys'
My Little Pony
In August 1981, Zacherle, along with sculptor, Charles Muenchinger of Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and Manger Steve D'Aguanno of Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
, while working for Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
, submitted a design patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". The patent, U.S. #D269986, was granted in August 1983.
Nerfuls
In the mid 1980s, Zacherle submitted a series of patents which would later become known as the NerfulNerful
Nerfuls were a line of toy figures produced by Parker Brothers in the 1980s. They were typically constructed of three or four pieces including a spherical vinyl head and a bowl-shaped body in which the head would sit...
s. Nerfuls were produced by Parker Brothers
Parker Brothers
Parker Brothers is a toy and game manufacturer and brand. Since 1883, the company has published more than 1,800 games; among their best known products are Monopoly, Cluedo , Sorry, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Ouija, Aggravation, and Probe...
in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Kenner
Kenner
Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Cromy in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
from 1985-87.
These small toys consisted of 3-pieces - hat/hair, ball-face and plastic body. All the parts were interchangeable and the ball-face itself could bounce. There were eight characters in the original series of Nerfuls. This was followed up by more Nerfuls, playsets and accessories.