Jem (and the Holograms) is (are) making a comeback

Ladies -- and gentlemen -- I couldn't possibly brace you enough for this amazing retro toy news, so I'm just going to come out with it: Jem, lead singer of the Holograms and the rock 'n' roll answer to Barbie (and perhaps her complete inability to choose among her 100+ career paths), is being resurrected by Hasbro and Integrity Toys in the form of a new line of collectible dolls. I don't know about you, but I'm glad they aren't "a present-day take" on Jem and Friends. I want her, her alterego Jerrica Benton, her purple-haired boyfriend Rio Pacheco, and her computerized spirit animal Synergy to stay squarely in the mid-1980s, with their neon, their shoulder pads, and their crayon-haired idealism. MTV Geek has a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of the old dolls and the new dolls, which debuted at San Diego Comic Con and have been selling out like glittery hotcakes. Integrity Toys has a list of dealers, but if you can't get your hands on the dolls, Jem and the Holograms is still on The Hub. (via The Mary Sue)

Photo credit: Integrity Toys

When she isn't nerding out that the holidays are coming, Jamie is a reader at Monday Night Fan Fiction at Fontana's in Chinatown, NYC (next date: TBA, 7:00 PM). All work is original, written by the readers, so if you have a brilliant fanfic idea stuck in your head, send it via Twitter: @jamielikesthis

MORE: Hasbro • Integrity Toys • Jem and the Holograms

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horn5555

Loved Jem, the Misfits and the Stingers (with Riot). Really loved the first Jem channeling Jem cover band, SPLEEN! http://hyperbubble.net/spleen.html
Joe Wallace

I have to concur here. Spleen was AWESOME. I mean, TOTALLY awesome.
elix

I guess they weren’t satisfied with just ponies.
http://twitter.com/EC_Duncan Emily Duncan

This isn’t so much of a comeback unless they bring back the original doll. She was taller and had bigger, wider feet than Ken!
http://twitter.com/ThatNeilGuy Neil Shurley

This news is truly outrageous. Truly, truly outrageous.
- Mister44
  
  Aw you beat me to it!
- http://twitter.com/writebastard Ian Wood
  
  Oh good. Carry on.
Jorpho

For some reason the cartoon had a certain unique appeal, one that will almost certainly fail utterly and completely to carry over to any modern reboot.

computerized spirit animal Synergy

Shh, don’t give them ideas.
http://hellsdonuthouse.com/ Hell’s Donut House

Pfft, they have nothing on Gerry and the Holograms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiR7iQ9yJmo
AccordionIdol

Big deal. Everyone knows the Misfits’ songs were better.
robotdad

You made me do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=D2mYfwX52Bs
Halloween_Jack

The new doll costs $125, versus $8 for the original (that’s on clearance, in 80s dollars, but still). This edition will probably go to obsessive collectors and people who will pay top dollar in an attempt to regain a shred of their youthful innocence with this gaudy totem. I liked my spaceman G.I. Joe from back in the day, but I can’t see spending fifteen times what the original cost for a slightly-upgraded replacement.
MrLibearian

I’m just going to leave this right here……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpjO2gXkIjQ
cdh1971

I thought about this back in the day, and seeing the pic attached to this post – I think Jem and the Holograms related Something or Other graphics would have made a great Concrete Blonde album cover.

I searched around for three or so seconds for something related to both CB and J and H, I found this, from some list serve from ’96 – interesting, at least to me:

http://jemlist.tripod.com/to0138.txt