The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List Frequently Asked Questions v10.3Last updated: February 1, 2008
Maintained by Lesley Aeschliman (ljaesch@yahoo.com)
The FAQ is stored as:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/FAQ.html
1. The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List
1.1 What is the purpose of the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.2 How is the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List run?
1.3 When did the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List start?
1.4 How can I subscribe to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.5 Does it cost anything to subscribe to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEMMailing List?
1.6 How do I send a submission to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM MailingList?
1.7 Do I have to be a subscriber to contribute to the TRULYOUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.8 What kind of submissions are acceptable for the TRULYOUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.9 What kind of submissions are NOT acceptable for the TRULYOUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.10 I know that the JEM series creator, Christy Marx, issubscribed to the list and answers questions. What kind ofquestions can she answer?
1.11 Can the list be distributed through regular postal mail?
1.12 Is it possible for the list administrator to e-mail me anyof the old digests?
1.13 How do I unsubscribe from the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM MailingList?
1.14 How do I change the e-mail address I receive the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!JEM Mailing List at?
1.15 Can the list administrator remove someone from the list?
1.16 What features are available at the Yahoogroups! area for the
TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.17 Are there any restrictions on what can be done at the
Yahoogroups! area for the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
1.18 Why has the poll feature been disabled at the Yahoogroups! area
for the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
2. Available Resources for JEM
2.1 Is there an official JEM fan club?
2.2 What World Wide Web (WWW) services are there for JEM fans?
2.3 Can I chat with other JEM fans on the net in real time?
2.4 I have a JEM website. Is there a web ring I can join?
2.5 Are there any other Internet mailing lists devoted to JEM?
3. The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's Homepage
3.1 What is available on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List'shomepage?
4. JEM
4.1 What exactly is JEM?
4.2 Weren't Jem and the Holograms a crime-fighting group?
4.3 Isn't there a real-life band called The Misfits?
4.4 Who created the JEM TV series?
4.5 Who created the JEM dolls?
4.6 Where did the characters' names come from?
4.7 Did any of the characters' names change before the JEM TVseries went on the air?
4.8 What's the JEM Bible?
4.9 Is it true that porn star Shannon Whirry was in a realband called Jem and the Holograms, and that Hasbrobased the dolls and show off of this band?
4.10 According to "National Game Review," there was a videogame for JEM, and that Townsend Coleman, the voice ofRiot, died in a roller skating accident in 1990. Isthis true?
5. JEM TV Series
5.1 When did the JEM TV series start?
5.2 How long did the JEM TV series last?
5.3 Why was the JEM TV series discontinued?
5.4 How many episodes did the JEM TV series have?
5.5 What was the chronological order of the episodes?
5.6a Who did the voices for the JEM TV series?
5.6b Who the heck is Kathy Andrini?
5.7 Who were the Starlight Girls?
5.8 Who were the characters in the series that weren't partof a band?
5.9 What were the characters' real names?
5.10 Was "A Father Should Be" intended to be the final episode?
5.11 In some of the episodes, we see that when the characterswere younger, they had the same colored hair (purple, blue,green, etc.) as when they were adults. Was this intentional,or was this an animation mistake?
5.12 Are there commerical videotapes or DVDs available for any of theepisodes?
5.13 Who owns the copyright to the JEM TV series?
5.14 Where can the JEM TV series be seen?
5.15 How can we get the JEM TV series back on the air?
6. JEM Songs
6.1a Who wrote the songs that appeared in the JEM TV series?
6.1b What are Ford Kinder, Anne Bryant, and Barry Harman doingnow?
6.2 How many songs were in the JEM TV series?
6.3 What were all the songs that appeared in the JEM TV series?
6.4 Was there an official soundtrack for the JEM TV series?
6.5 Where can I find these songs and how can I get these items?
6.6 Were there any JEM songs that didn't appear in the TVseries?
6.7 Who owns the copyright to the songs?
7. JEM Dolls
7.1 When were the JEM dolls first released?
7.2 How many JEM dolls were there?
7.3 Is there any way to obtain JEM dolls now?
7.4 Is it true that a Craig Phillips doll existed, and that there wasgoing to be a promotion where fans would get to decide who won the TalentSearch contest between Craig Phillips and Raya, and that the winner wouldhave been determined based on the sales of the dolls?
7.5 Was there anything else marketed for JEM besides dolls?
7.6 What is a JemStar Point?
7.7 What promotions did Hasbro, Inc. have for the JEM doll line?
7.8 Who owns the copyright to the JEM dolls?
***** 1. The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List *****
1.1 What is the purpose of the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List is an Internet mailing
list devoted to the discussion of JEM. It's a list for
JEM fans to discuss the show, the music, the dolls, and to
meet and interact with other JEM fans.
1.2 How is the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List run?
The list is run through Yahoogroups as a reflector.
Members send messages to: trulyoutrageousjem@yahoogroups.com,
and Yahoogroups sends out the message to all the subscribers.
For those individuals who would rather subscribe to the
list in a digest format may do so by logging in to their
account at Yahoogroups and designating that they would like
to change their subscription to the digest version of the
list.
1.3 When did the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List start?
This list was originally called TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!,
and the list administrator sent out the first call for
subscribers on May 27, 1996. The first TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!
Mailing List digest was distributed on June 4, 1996; at
that time, the mailing list only had nine subscribers.
On February 8, 1999, the list's name was officially changed
to TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM; on June 7, 1999, the
list officially became a reflector list, rather than
continue being sent out as a digest which was put
together by the list administrator and distributed
once a week.
1.4 How can I subscribe to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
First, you must be registered with Yahoogroups;
registering with Yahoogroups is free. Once you are
registered with Yahoogroups, then all you need to
do is request to subscribe to TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM
(NOTE: On Yahoogroups, the list is listed
as TrulyOutrageousJem). Or, if you would rather
subscribe to the list through e-mail, send a message
to: trulyoutrageousjem-subscribe@yahoogroups.com;
if you aren't already registered with Yahoogroups,
then an account will be set up for you there by
responding to the e-mail that comes to you after
you send your subscription request via e-mail.
1.5 Does it cost anything to subscribe to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!
JEM Mailing List?
NO, because this list is run through Yahoogroups,
which is a free service.
1.6 How do I send a submission to the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing
List?
All you have to do is to write up the message you'd like to
post to the list, and send it to trulyoutrageousjem@yahoogroups.com
1.7 Do I have to be a subscriber to contribute to the TRULY
OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
Yahoogroups is set up so that the only people who can post
on the list are those individuals who are subscribed.
However, if you have relevant JEM information, but are
not subscribed to the list, please e-mail the list
administrator directly at: ljaesch@yahoo.com
If the list administrator feels that a non-subscriber's
post is relevant, it will be sent on to the list.
1.8 What kind of submissions are acceptable for the TRULY!
OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
Only JEM-related posts are acceptable; this means
messages talking about the JEM show, the JEM
music, the JEM dolls, or talking directly about
the mailing list.
1.9 What kind of submissions are NOT acceptable for the TRULY
OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
Keep your submissions to the topic of this list, which is
JEM. This list is not here to distribute messages that are
solely about Sailor Moon, Beanie Babies, Madonna CDs,
Extreme Ghostbusters, etc. Also, please DO NOT
send a message that is primarily off-topic, then throw
in one or two small paragraphs concerning JEM.
It's not a problem if someone uses something off-topic
as an example (ex. talking about campaigns to save
other cartoons, such as Sailor Moon or He-Man/She-Ra,
and using these campaigns as an example of a way to
try to get JEM back on the air). The point here
is: STAY ON TOPIC (which is JEM)!
Also, Christy Marx (the series creator) is active on
this list, and has asked members not to post fan
fiction or ideas for JEM episodes on the list.
Please, DO NOT send the list forwarded messages;
most people do not appreciate them and feel they are
a waste of time. Forwarded messages are also
considered to be off-topic messages. Below are
examples of forwarded messages:
VIRUS WARNINGS - the most common examples are the GOOD TIMES
virus and the PENPAL GREETINGS virus warnings. Both of
these are HOAXES! If you receive any other kind of computer
virus warnings, check with someone who is a reliable source
(such as a system administrator) to make sure the virus
warning is for real before sending it on to all your
friends. A lot of you might think you're doing someone a
favor by passing these virus warnings on, but more often
than not, you end up causing unnecessary panic. There's
also a good web page out there:
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html, which talks about
existing computer virus hoaxes, the history behind virus
hoaxes, among other things. Also, if you get a virus
warning which states that a warning was issued by the
FCC, then it is a hoax; the FCC has NEVER issued warnings
about computer viruses, because the organization is NOT
involved with computers.
CHILDREN OF THE '80'S ESSAYS - there are a number of
"Children of the '80's" essays floating around on the
Internet (some mention JEM, some don't). These essays have
been around for at least FOUR-FIVE YEARS, if not longer (and
they're all basically the same thing, just slightly
re-written).
$250 DOLLAR COOKIE RECIPES - this one has appeared under
NEIMAN-MARCUS, FAMOUS AMOS, MRS. SMITH'S, etc. These are
all HOAXES that have existed for MANY years (these were
originally distributed via snail mail, and have moved
onto the Internet). For more information concerning
these hoaxes, visit the following web page:
http://www.heimbaugh.com/food/two-fiftyCRAIG SHERGOLD - this has also appeared under various names
(for the first name, it has also shown up as KURT,
CURT, CHRIS, KRIS, etc.; for the last name, it has also
appeared as SHERWOOD, SHERGOOD, etc.). This is a message
about a sickly child who wants to go into the Guinness
Book of World Records as the person who received the
most cards (some messages ask for get-well
cards, some ask for business cards, some ask for postcards).
However, Craig's illness has been cured and he no
longer wants to receive the cards The foundation
that put out the call for the cards is still
receiving them, and they would appreciate it if
people would STOP sending cards to Craig. Also,
Craig's age is wrong in the message -- it says
he's 7, but that was at least *EIGHT-TEN* years
ago... basically, Craig is a teenager now and
has been cured of his illness. Again, some of
you might think you're doing a good thing
passing this message on, but you're only
contributing to a big problem that has existed
for several years now.
JESSICA MYDEK - this is a letter about a seven-year-old
cancer victim whose last request was to start a chain
letter reminding people to live life to the fullest.
According to the message, the American Cancer Society was
a corporate sponsor and would donate three cents toward
cancer research for every copy of the letter mailed.
This is a hoax; in late June of 1997, the American Cancer
Society posted a warning message on its web site saying
as much and explaining that the organization never uses
chain letters for fund raising.
CHAIN LETTERS - These are a nuisance, are
off-topic, and many people find them annoying!
Also, it would be appreciated if people would not
forward messages about boycotting fashion designers,
about elementary school children doing a project about
e-mail and the Internet, about sending e-mails to a
mailbox to help raise money for a charity, etc.
1.10 I know that the JEM series creator, Christy Marx, is
subscribed to the list and answers questions. What kind of
questions can she answer?
Christy can answer questions concerning the development of
the JEM series, along with writing and story-editing for
the series; she also answers questions about other projects
she has done, including other television shows, her
Sisterhood of Steel comic book series, etc. However,
Christy has very little knowledge of the actual
animation end of the JEM series, as well as the recording
of the voices and music, since she did not work with
these aspects of the JEM series; asking her questions of
this nature are a waste of her time, since more likely than
not, her answer will be, "I don't know."
1.11 Can the list be distributed through regular postal mail?
No. It would be extremely difficult with the list
being run as a reflector list. And the weekly digests
from June 4, 1996-June 7, 1999 are also not available
through postal mail.
1.12 Is it possible for the list administrator to
e-mail me any of the old digests?
This is theoretically possible; however, the list
administrator really does not have the time to sit
down and forward the old digests to people who request
them. The digests are available in on-line archives.
The weekly digests from June 4, 1996-June 7, 1999
are available on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM
Mailing List home page. The most recent messages
are available at Yahoogroups.
1.13 How do I unsubscribe from the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing
List?
You can either log into your Yahoogroups account,
or you may do it by e-mail by sending an e-mail to:
trulyoutrageousjem-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
1.14 How do I change the e-mail address I receive the TRULY
OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List at?
You can log into your already existing Yahoogroups
account and make the address change. Or, you
may, from the address you want to subscribe with,
send a message to: trulyoutrageousjem-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
and follow the instructions you receive in the
response you get from Yahoogroups; then, from the
account that you're already subscribed under,
send an e-mail to: trulyoutrageousjem-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
to unsubscribe that account.
1.15 Can the list administrator remove someone from the list?
If a subscriber is being a nuisance on the list, they
will receive a warning for their first offense. If,
after the warning message, the subscriber still
insists on being a nuisance, they will be removed
from the list. If that subscriber re-subscribes
and continues to be a nuisance, then the subscriber
will be removed and banned from re-subscribing
to the list under the e-mail address that they
were causing problems with.
1.16 What features are available at the Yahoogroups! area for the
TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
The following features are available: chat area, file
library, photo album, and bookmarks.
1.17 Are there any restrictions on what can be done at the
Yahoogroups! area for the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
The main restriction involves the file library. Sound
files (such as MP3s, Real Audio files, MIDI files, etc.)
are not permitted. They take up too much space, and
also infringe too much on copyrighted material.
However, photos people have taken of their dolls and
merchandise are acceptable, for example. These photos
are permissible since they are done primarily for the
purpose of identifying JEM merchandise for collectors.
Fan art is a "grey area," and at this time, the
administrator is allowing fan art to be posted to the
file area.
1.18 Why has the poll feature been disabled at the Yahoogroups!
area for the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List?
A poll feature has already been established at the TRULY
OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's web site; the list
administrator does not have the time to monitor both polls.
Also, the poll feature at Yahoogroups! allows anyone to post
polls, and the list administrator does not have the time to
check and make sure inappropriate or off-topic polls are not
being posted.
***** 2. Available Resources for JEM *****
2.1 Is there an official JEM fan club?
Back in 1986, Hasbro, Inc. (the toy company that created the
JEM dolls), tried to start a fan club. Information
concerning this fan club can be found at a web site,
which is listed in section 2.2.
2.2 What World Wide Web (WWW) services are there for JEM fans?
There's the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's homepage,
which is located at: http://devoted.to/tojem
This page contains various archives related to JEM, as
well as services to interact with other JEM fans:
Java-enabled chat room, messageboard, classifieds,
voting booth, and free-for-all links.
There is also an excellent site that features the JEM
dolls and merchandise. It can be found at:
Chicklet's Jem Grrrlz! Page:http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7028
There are also some discussion forums that you can participate
on:
TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Messageboardhttp://jemlist.proboards2.com/Jem And Friendshttp://www.jemandfriends.com/board.phpTruly Outrageous Jem Yahoo Clubhttp://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/trulyoutrageousjem
2.3 Can I chat with other JEM fans on the net in real time?
A chat room is available at the mailing list website:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/interactive/chatroom.html
2.4 I have a JEM website. Is there a web ring I can join?
I am unaware of any JEM webrings that are in existence.
2.5 Are there any other Internet mailing lists devoted to JEM?
Yes; currently, there are two other lists devoted to JEM
outside of TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM that I am aware of.
JEM STAR was established on February 17, 1998.
The purpose of JEM STAR is to facilitate
discussion of the topic Jem (the mid/late 80's
cartoon) and related interests, and the promotion
of Jem fandom. Due to the early introduction of
Role Playing, it has evolved with a great emphasis
on interactive fan fiction. All forms of fan
fiction are encouraged, and expressed on the list.
JEM STAR is distributed automatically via
Yahoogroups. Each individual message sent to
the list is automatically distributed to all list
members. JEM STAR is also available in digest
format, where messages are collected each day and
sent in a daily, single lump post to the digest
members. Any post relating to the cartoon Jem
and its fandom is considered on-topic. JEM STAR
is very tolerant, but if a list member
repeatedly abuses other list members (subject to
list owner's personal criteria) and continues to
do so after warnings, that list member may be
removed from the list. Samples of list abuse:
showing obvious, overt, active, disregard/disrespect
for other members. This includes intentional
spamming, uncontrolled flaming, mean spirited
hoaxes or other malicious mischief. To subscribe
to JEM STAR, you can send an e-mail to:
JemStar-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to:
JemStar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
LIKE A DREAM is a role-playing game designed to
create stories about Jem and her world as a continuation
of the original JEM cartoon. For more information,
visit: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9252/
***** 3. The TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's Homepage *****
3.1 What is available on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's
homepage?
You can subscribe to the mailing list by clicking on the
link that is available on the page. Also, you can browse
through the various archives on the web page, which include
the following areas: past TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!
JEM Mailing List digests, a listing of the episodes (in
chronological order) of the JEM TV series, a listing
of all the songs that appeared in the JEM TV series,
a listing of all the tapes that were marketed with
the JEM dolls and merchandise, a listing of marketed
videotapes and DVDs, the credits for the voice actors who
were behind the JEM voices, the credits for the writers
who wrote for JEM, and a listing of bloopers that have
been spotted in the JEM TV show. Also available are
areas to interact with other JEM fans: Java-enabled chat
room, messageboard, classifieds, voting booth, and
free-for-all links.
***** 4. JEM *****
4.1 What exactly is JEM?
JEM was the name of a television series and a toy line
from the mid-1980's. The premise behind it was that
a woman named Jerrica Benton (owner of Starlight
Music) was also the lead singer of a rock band who
transformed into her alter ego by using her JemStar
earrings to project a holographic image over herself
(the earrings were microprojectors for her computer,
Synergy). Jem was the lead singer for Jem and the
Holograms, which featured Kimber (Jerrica's younger
sister) on keyboards, her friends Aja and Shana (on
guitar and drums, respectively), and later added new
member Raya to replace Shana on drums (Shana went on
to be another guitarist for the band). Their rivals
were another all-female band named The Misfits,
featuring lead singer Pizzazz, guitarist Roxy, and
keyboardist Stormer (and later, saxophonist Jetta was
added to the band). Near the end of the series a
third band (named The Stingers) was added, which
featured a male lead singer named Riot, a guitarist
named Rapture, and Minx on synthesizers.
4.2 Weren't Jem and the Holograms a crime-fighting group?
The answer to this is a resounding NO; Jem and the Holograms
were strictly a rock and roll band. Yes, there were
times when Jem might end up solving a crime, but the
general premise behind JEM was the competition between rock
groups set within the glamour, romance and excitement
of the music business.
4.3 Isn't there a real-life band called The Misfits?
Yes, there is; in its early years, this band was fronted by
Glenn Danzig (who is now the lead singer of Danzig). The
real-life Misfits were a punk band that formed during the
1970's. A common question has arisen about whether or not
this band tried to sue Hasbro for using their band name.
From what the list administrator has picked up on the
Internet, the real-life band did have a problem with the
use of the name for the fictional band, but some kind of
agreement was made between Hasbro and the band which allowed
Hasbro to continue using the name.
4.4 Who created the JEM TV series?
Sunbow Productions, Inc. (now known as Sunbow Entertainment)
produced the television series; however, all the development
work for the show was done by Christy Marx (who later became
a story editor for the TV series).
4.5 Who created the JEM dolls?
The dolls were produced and marketed by Hasbro, Inc. The
concept for the doll line came from a gentleman named Bill
Sanders; unfortunately, Bill Sanders is no longer living.
4.6 Where did the characters' names come from?
Most of the characters' first names and stage names were
created by employees at Hasbro, Inc. Christy came up
with the last names of Jerrica and the Holograms by using
the last names of the leading scientists in the field of
holography. The Starlight Girls (invented by Christy)
were named after her friends and acquaintances; in
particular, Ba Nee was named after a Viet Namese girl
one of Christy's friends adopted after getting the
girl to safety during the fall of Saigon. Eric Raymond's
name comes from the first and middle names of Christy's
brother.
4.7 Did any of the characters' names change before the JEM TV
series was on the air?
Yes, a few changes had been made in characters' names. A
listing of some of the characters (with the name they had
on the show first, followed by the earlier names
considered for the characters) is below:
Jem -- "M" and Misty
Jerrica -- Morgan
Aja -- Jade
Shana -- Chandra
Roxy -- Rue
Stormer -- Rue and Roxy
4.8 What's the JEM Bible?
The JEM Bible was the writer's guide used by the writers
who wrote for the JEM television show. It contains the
detailed background information on all the characters in
the show. At one time, copies of the Bible were being sold by
Christy Marx; however, in October of 1997, Sunbow Entertainment
presented Christy with a "cease and desist" order, and she is
no longer able to sell it. Christy has requested that those
people who managed to buy copies of the Bible do not reproduce
or distribute the Bible to others.
4.9 Is it true that porn star Shannon Whirry was in a
real band called Jem and the Holograms, and that
Hasbro based the dolls and show off of this band?
Contrary to what the "Jem Fact Page" (which was
located at http://members.aol.com/tekrat1987/shannon.htm) said,
this is absolutely not true. If you looked at the
timeline given on this web page, there's no way
this can be true. According to the timeline,
Shannon Whirry "changed" her band to Jem and the
Holograms after the summer of 1985, and that the
dolls and show were based off of this band.
However, the cartoon show debuted in November
1985, and the toys came out shortly after. It
has been explained by series creator Christy Marx
that it takes many months of planning and
development for both a toy line and an animated
series, so there's no way that the cartoon and
dolls could be based off "Shannon's band."
4.10 According to "National Game Review," there
was a video game for JEM, and that Townsend
Coleman, the voice of Riot, died in a roller
skating accident in 1990. Is this true?
There is absolutely no truth to either one of
these claims. The "article" by "National Game
Review" was done as a joke and a farce; so,
this means that a JEM video game never existed,
and that Townsend Coleman is still very much alive.
***** 5. JEM TV Series *****
5.1 When did the JEM TV series start?
JEM originally started airing back in November 1985, as part
of a program called Super Saturday (or Super Sunday,
depending on what day the station aired it). This program
featured eight-minute clips from three shows ("Jem,"
"Robotix," and "Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines"). In March
of 1986, the eight-minute clips of JEM were put together
into a two-hour movie, which was aired on the stations that
aired Super Saturday/Super Sunday. Shortly after this, JEM
left the show; in May 1986, JEM started airing as a
half-hour show on a once-a-week-basis. In September of
1987, JEM expanded to a weekday format (airing five days a
week).
5.2 How long did the JEM TV series last?
The show started on Super Saturday/Super Sunday in November
of 1985, and the last episode in the weekday format aired
in May of 1988. Overall, the show was on the air in
first-run syndication for two-and-a-half years. Then,
reruns were aired in syndication for another year; the
year following that, reruns were aired on the USA cable
network. So, between first-run syndication and reruns,
JEM was seen on American television for about 5-6 years.
5.3 Why was the JEM TV series discontinued?
The JEM TV series was discontinued because the JEM dolls
didn't sell as well in America as Hasbro (the company that
produced the dolls) had expected.
5.4 How many episodes did the JEM TV series have?
When all was said and done, there were 65 episodes of JEM.
5.5 What was the chronological order of the episodes?
Since there were 65 episodes, that would be too much to
include in this document; however, this information is
available on-line at the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List's
archives. The list can be found at:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/episodes.html
5.6a Who did the voices for the JEM TV series?
There is a section of the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM website
that contains this information:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/voices.html
5.6b Who the heck is Kathy Andrini?
In 1992, in a book called "Contemporary Doll Stars," author
Glenn Mandeville had a piece entitled, "Jem: Beautiful or
Truly Outrageous." In this piece, he states that he met
Kathy Andrini after reading in a playbill that she
provided the singing voice of Jem. However, it has
since been proven that Samantha Newark was the
speaking voice for Jem, and that Britta Phillips was
the singing voice for Jem. Kathy Andrini's name is
listed nowhere in the Jem voice actors credits, and
it is not known where she fits into the Jem universe,
if at all.
5.7 Who were the Starlight Girls?
The Starlight Girls were foster girls that Jerrica Benton
cared for at Starlight House (later at the Starlight
Mansion, after the house burned down); Starlight House
was founded by Jerrica and Kimber's mother, Jacqui Benton
(and Aja and Shana were the first two foster girls to live
there). During the series, there were twelve girls living
at Starlight House; however, we only learned the names for
nine of the girls: Ashley, Ba Nee, Krissie, Anne, Terri,
Marianne, Lela, Becky, and Deirdre. From the JEM
Bible, it was learned that a couple of the missing girls'
names were Delaree and Nancy. The three main girls
focused on during the series were Ashley, Krissie, and
Ba Nee. In the final episode of JEM, Ba Nee is
reunited with her long-lost father.
5.8 Who were the characters in the series that weren't part of
a band?
There was Rio Pacheco, Jerrica's boyfriend (who also found
himself attracted to Jem). Howard Sands was the famous
movie producer who offered his mansion as a prize in the
Battle of the Bands (and he produced both of Jem's movies,
including the "award nominated" Starbright). Anthony
Julian was a director (who directed Starbright), and
he was also Shana's boyfriend. Jeff Wright was a movie
stunt double who almost married Kimber during the second
season of JEM. Kimber's other love was Sean Harrison, the
singer who was the "English teen idol." Craig Phillips
was Stormer's brother and Aja's boyfriend; he was also
a drummer.
Eric Raymond was The Misfits' manager, who would resort to
any illegal means necessary to get The Misfits to the top,
as well as to gain control of Starlight Music. At the
beginning of the series, Eric's main henchman was Zipper
(but he was arrested by the end of the first season).
Zipper was replaced with Techrat, an electronics genius
who would use his talents for evil purposes.
Video was a cinematographer and a good friend of Jem and
the Holograms. Video's cousin, Clash, would help The
Misfits with any scheme they proposed (and Clash
constantly tried to become a member of The Misfits, but
never succeeded). Danse, another friend of Jem and the
Holograms, was a choreographer who volunteered her time
at Haven House, a home for runaway teens. Lindsey Pierce
was a TV show host, who interviewed the bands and showed
clips from their videos.
Danielle Du Voisin was a good friend of Jem and the
Holograms, giving them help and advice on fashion. The
countess introduced Jem and the Holograms to the
up-and-coming fashion designer Regine Cesare during JEM's
second season. Also introduced during JEM's second season
was Astral, a young woman magician.
Mrs. Bailey was the housekeeper at Starlight Mansion.
Joanie was the comptroller at Starlight Music, working
under Jerrica.
5.9 What were the characters' real names?
Jem = Jerrica Benton
Kimber = Kimber Benton
Aja = Aja Leith
Shana = Shana Elmsford
Raya = Carmen Alonso
Pizzazz = Phyllis Gabor
Roxy = Roxanne Pelligrini
Stormer = Mary Phillips
Jetta = Sheila Burns
Riot = Rory Llewellyn
Minx = Ingrid Krueger
Rapture = Phoebe Ashe
Video = Vivian Montgomery
Clash = Constance Montgomery
Danse = Giselle Dvorak
Astral = Maeve Eldritch
5.10 Was "A Father Should Be" intended to be the final episode?
In TO! 1.33, Christy Marx made the following comment
concerning the episode, "A Father Should Be": "I had the
rare opportunity to write what would I knew would be the
final show of a long-running series. By that time, I
had spent three years of my life immersed in JEM--creating
it, writing it, editing it. I had lived and breathed
the characters. This gave me the chance to personally
say good-bye through the mouths of the characters I
brought to life. It was an emotional script for me to
write."
5.11 In some of the episodes, we see that when the characters
were younger, they had the same colored hair (purple, blue,
green, etc.) as when they were adults. Was this
intentional, or was this an animation mistake?
This question was asked on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! Mailing
List; Christy Marx, the show's creator, responded by
saying: "Ink & cell painting is an area in which I
had no input or control whatsoever. It's not the
way I would have done it, but I'm weird like that."
5.12 Are there commercial videotapes and DVDs available for any of the
episodes?
A listing of videotapes and DVDs can be found at the following URL:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/videos.html
On September 14, 2004, Rhino issued "Jem: Season Three,
Part 1" on DVD. This 3-disc set includes 19 episodes of
the series, plus some extra features. Unfortunately,
Rhino lost the rights to issue the remaining episodes on
DVD. Sony Wonder now has the rights to JEM, but
there are no plans at this time for Sony Wonder to issue
any DVDs of the show.
On March 30, 2004, Rhino issued "Jem: The Complete
1st & 2nd Seasons" on DVD. This 4-disc set includes
the first 26 episodes of the series, plus some extra features.
In the UK, a DVD entitled "Girl World" was released on February
16, 2004; included on this release is one "Jem" episode ("Adventure
In China").
On September 21, 1999, Kid Rhino issued "JEM Volume 1:
Passport To Rock," and it contains two episodes: "The
World Hunger Shindig" and "Adventure In China." On
February 22, 2000, Kid Rhino issued "JEM Volume 2:
Fashion Fiasco," and it contains two episodes: "In
Stitches" and "Culture Clash."
It should be pointed out that the videotapes that were
issued by F.H.E. during the 1980's are officially "out
of print," which means that it is HARD TO FIND NEW
COPIES OF THESE VIDEOTAPES. The best bet would be to
look in stores that sell used videos (like video
stores, pawn shops, some used music stores also
sell used videos, etc.) It has also been reported
that a few video stores on the Internet sell
JEM videos, which can be found using Internet
search engines.
5.13 Who owns the copyright to the JEM TV series?
The copyright holders of the JEM TV series are Hasbro, Inc.
and Sunbow Entertainment.
5.14 Where can the JEM TV series be seen?
At the current moment, JEM cannot be seen on American
television. However, at one time it was confirmed that JEM aired
on Cable TV in Korea, on tooniverse (channel 38). JEM
started airing there on September 4, 1996 at 12:00 pm, with
a repeat airing at 7:00 p.m. On November 4, 1996, JEM
moved to 1:00 p.m., with a repeat at 7:00 p.m. (Special
thanks to Kyong-On Choi for this information!) In July of
1998, it was reported that JEM was back on the air in
France. Also, in July of 1998, it was reported that JEM was
also airing in Taiwan (but is dubbed into Chinese). It was
announced on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List on
November 13, 1999, that JEM started re-airing in
Sri Lanka (thanks to Gehan for the Sri Lanka information!).
5.15 How can we get the JEM TV series back on the air?
There was an on-line campaign to bring JEM back on
the air. Individuals who were part of this campaign wrote e-mail to
the Cartoon Network, requesting that they bring the show
back on the air.
There are also several on-line petitions being run to try
and bring JEM back; however, online petitions
usually aren't taken seriously (since it's too easy for
people to create several e-mail accounts and sign a petition
more than once).
***** 6. JEM Songs *****
6.1a Who wrote the songs that appeared in the JEM TV series?
The music for the songs were written by Ford Kinder and
Anne Bryant; the lyrics were written by Barry Harman.
6.1b What are Ford Kinder, Anne Bryant, and Barry Harman doing
now?
According to Britta Phillips (singing voice of JEM),
Ford Kinder is now a physician. Anne Bryant has cut an
album concerning dogs for dog owners/lovers; she also
owns her own company called Music & Art (located in
Rockland County, New York). It has also been confirmed
that Barry Harman worked on a program Sunbow Entertainment
produced, an educational pre-school series called "Salty's
Lighthouse"; he was the executive story consultant, and he
wrote the lyrics to all 26 original songs, in addition to
the title song.
6.2 How many songs were in the JEM TV series?
Between Jem and the Holograms, The Misfits, The Stingers,
and guest performers, there were 151 songs that appeared
during the two seasons of the series. However, if you
want to include the two different JEM theme songs that
appeared during the series, then there would've been 153
songs.
6.3 What were all the songs that appeared in the JEM TV series?
Since there were 151 songs in the series, it would be too
much information to include in this document. However, if
you're interested in knowing what all the songs were, go to
the following URL:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/showsong.html
6.4 Was there an official soundtrack released for the JEM TV
series?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is NO.
6.5 Where can I find these songs and how can I get these items?
The only way any JEM songs were officially released were on
cassettes marketed with the JEM dolls and merchandise. For
a complete listing of these tapes, consult the following
URL:
http://members.tripod.com/~jemlist/mktsong.html
However, it is not known if these tapes can still be found
anywhere.
6.6 Were there any JEM songs that didn't appear in the TV
series?
There was a "Glitter 'N Gold Theme" (different than the
song "Glitter 'N Gold") that was only available with the
Glitter 'N Gold JEM and RIO dolls.
6.7 Who owns the copyright to the songs?
The copyright holders of the songs are Sunbow Productions,
Inc. (now known as Sunbow Entertainment); Star Wild Music,
Inc.; Wild Star Music, Inc.; and Hasbro, Inc.
***** 7. JEM Dolls ****
7.1 When were the JEM dolls first released?
The JEM dolls were first released in early 1986.
7.2 How many JEM dolls were there?
When all was said and done, there were 24 dolls officially
released by Hasbro, Inc.
7.3 Is there any way to obtain JEM dolls now?
Apparently, dolls can still be found at doll shows, thrift
shops, and places like this. Dolls can also be bought
on-line, either through auction websites or through
private individuals on the Internet. However, it's not
known how easily the cassettes marketed with the dolls
can still be found with the dolls.
7.4 Is it true that a Craig Phillips doll existed, and
that there was going to be a promotion where fans would get
to decide who won the Talent Search contest between Craig
Phillips and Raya, and that the winner would have been
determined based on the sales of the dolls?
Christy Marx was asked this question point-blank
on the TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List, since
this would have affected her two-part episode, "The
Talent Search." This is how Christy responded:
"No, there was absolutely nothing like that involved
in the development process. They already had Raya
designed and ready to be added to the mix, no doubts
about it. *I* created Craig and never saw or heard
any plans whatsoever to turn him into a doll or
regular cast member. Remember, creating dolls and
making animation episodes takes a long amount of
time, like a year or more. These are things that
have to be done way, way in advance of any
promotional scheme. File it under "bogus rumor"."
7.5 Was there anything else marketed for JEM besides dolls?
There were various things for the dolls themselves (such
as fashions, accessories, etc.) However, there were also
other JEM products, such as lunchboxes. For a more
complete listing of these items, visit Chicklet's
Jem Grrrlz! Page site (the URL for the site
is listed in section 2.2)
7.6 What is a JemStar point?
Basically, when someone purchased a JEM doll or accessory,
they would find a JemStar point on the box (the worth of
the point depended on what type of item was bought).
JemStar points could be redeemed for special offers made
by Hasbro, Inc.
7.7 What promotions did Hasbro, Inc. have for the JEM doll line?
There was the Truly Outrageous! Audition Contest, the MTV
jacket offer, the tape only available at participating
stores, and the "Dream Tour" cassette. For more
information on these promotions, visit Chicklet's
Jem Grrrlz! Page (see the URL listed in section 2.2).
7.8 Who owns the copyright to the JEM dolls?
The copyright holder for the JEM dolls would be Hasbro,
Inc., the company that produced the dolls.
![[TRULY OUTRAGEOUS! JEM Mailing List]](toj.jpg)