I loved the five elements for Jem: the music, the animation, the doll, the fashion, the story. I unconsciously have molded my life around Jem. I started of by playing guitar (1989), and then my interests lead me into art and animation. (1991) By that time I finished high school I was all set to work for Disney, but I didn't want to leave home. (1995) I took the local college route and discover I had to work from what I knew, which led me into dolls…and leads me into fashion design. The whole time I have been trying to develop a story lines for my own show.

So where does that leave me? My goal in life is to create an animated series, doll line, comic book, that has music groups and a whole lot more. Don't worry it would not be a recreation of Jem, I have to many ideas, and I have learned from Hasbro's mistakes. The most exciting part will be my involvement with the whole project…not just one small piece of a great big puzzle.

How did this all get started? TV!

I saw JEM for the first time one Sunday in the fall of 1985 during "Super Sunday." I can't remember the day or month; I can't even remember which episode. It's such a distant memory now; it feels almost like a different life. Some times that part of my life feels so close, sometimes so, so, too far away. I watched the show every Sunday until it was shown weekdays, then I watched every day of the week. Not knowing a doll line was coming out, during Christmas 1985 I was obsessed with idea of finding Christmas Angles in the colors of Jem, the Holograms, and the Misfits.

I started taping Jem on to VHS at the time it was on Sunday/Saturdays. I even made really cool video box covers for the tapes. I don't know why, but I decided to tape MTV rock videos over them. Then around 1988, I taped all the episodes again from WGN an the local FOX satiation, just to tape over them again. I finally taped and kept them, when Jem was on USA Network, but before she became part of the USA Cartoon Express. Before Jem's run was coming to an end, and they chopped the episodes up, and replaced the Jem commercial lead ins/outs with their own. I wish I had the originals still, but at least the show is still in my life. At least I have an audio tape of music I record from the show through my stereo.

A Boy and His Dolls.

I saw the dolls at the local Sears for the first and every time I went to a store, I spent the whole time in front of the Jem dolls … I was in heaven. I always wanted to buy one every time I went to a store. My parents would not let me.

So as I was struggling at school my parents decided to give me a quarter a day for every day I did not get a bad grade … leading into being able to buy the dolls around early fall of 1986. I did not buy one for a long time since they where fifteen dollars at most of the stores. For Christmas that year I asked my three siblings for a Hologram each, and then for my January birthday I was hoping for a Misfit from each of them. They did not get me the Holograms, so the day after Christmas I started my collection. Dec. 26th, 1986. I went straight over to the local Tractor Supply Center (TSC) which had Jem/Jerrica, Rio a lot of fashions On Stage and Flipside Fashions, and the playsets, but they didn't carry the Holograrms, the Misfits, or Smashin' Fashions. I picked up Jem/Jerrica at 50%. Thinking every store would have 50% off, I went straight up to Hills to pick up Kimber and Aja but they where still full price…I just got Kimber at $10.82, plus tax.

With Christmas down, I had my birthday right around the corner. I'm not sure why, but we went to a near by town, about an hours drive. This town had a Children's Palace, and I was in heaven again. It was the Saturday before my birthday and my parents said I could pick out any toy. I went straight for Jem I was hoping for dolls, but my parents would not buy me a doll. The Rockin' Roadster was okay for them to buy me. I still wanted to get two dolls, which would have been the same price.

Then it was my 11th birthday, so we took my two best friends to a local pizza place. I got cards with money…enough to get Aja that night, finally. But my parents wanted to take us home right after the little pizza party. The next Saturday I got my Aja, on our weekly family tip to the grocery store…Hills was right across the street.

After that, I'm not sure which days or even months I got my next two dolls. I was going to get Shana next of course., but then Rock'n Curl Jem came out…and she was cheaper, so I didn't have to wait as long. So I just had to pick her up instead. Shortly after that I talked my best friend's little sister into a trade for her Shana doll, the only Jem doll she had. She got my three She-Ra dolls out of that trade. And I won the "Let's Rock This Town" Flip Side Fashion from the local FOX station contest.

The story seemed to have come to a close by May of 1987. I was still looking at all the new 1987 dolls and wanting to buy everything that came out. My parents got sick of my oppression with Jem and forbid me to buy anything that was Jem related.

When I turned 16 (1992) and got a job and I tried to go to Hills to buy some Jem dolls. But sad to say, there was no sign of Jem anywhere. I was crushed; the last time I looked for Jem dolls they were every where…now no where. The next year when Hills closed they had a few Video Madnesses, but I was so broke I could not afford them.

I did not buy another doll until 1995, when I got a nude Flash'n Sizzle Jem with a bad hair cut. I found in Pennsylvania while my parents were doing genealogical research. I found the doll, bought it and hid it under the seat of the car for the whole ride home…taking it out to look at it every chance I could. I was 19 at the time. Looking back, it was sad that I felt I had to hide her/hide me. Later that fall I found a Jem/Jerrica and Stormer at a local fair and bought them right in front of my mom. She was not to thrilled, but did not try to stop me. Then I struck it big, and got a star capped earring Jem/Jerrica, Glitter'n Gold Rio, a Synergy, 1st issue Stormer, and 2nd issue Pizzazz and Roxy, along with five fashions from answering an ad from a toy price guide, and my collection was taking off again.

In the spring of 1997 we got a new computer and we got on the Internet, and my life changed forever. I bought what I could, when I could…a lot of my early online purchase where not even from eBay, but message boards and posts. I had a car wreck September of 1997, so by September 1998 I got twenty five thousand dollars from the issuance. I did not spend much of it right away, but then Rockin' Romance Jem came up for auction. Early 1999. I thought I was going to be smart and put two thousand on her, but two other people had the same idea ... my first real bidding war, and I lost. If only I would have put five on her or something like that. Oh well, after I got over that loose I figured I could spend the money I was going to spend on her on other Jem items and so away I went. I got a lot of treasures along the way. Don't worry I did not spend all of that money, a lot went into stocks.

A special moment in 1998 was when my boyfried and I where at another local fair. He said, "I bet you won't find a Jem doll." He knew me so well even back then. Before he even got "Jem doll" out, I darted to a table. I could see a foot sticking out of a box three tables away, and I knew it was a Jem doll. It was a Rock'n Curl Jem

Looking back on my life with Jem, I wish I felt more comfortable with liking Jem, as a child…not that I could help that. Do I hate my parents for not letting me get more dolls? Well at the time I sure did, but now I love them too much to be upset over something like that. So long ago, and really out of their hands.

I still have dreams about Jem, finding new toys, and buying the dolls. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about Jem in some shape or form.

It doesn't matter if the store is still there or not. By now all the toy sections have moved and store rearranged, but if they had Jem … I get taken back to those special moments when, as a small boy, I stood in the middle of the doll section and wished and dreamed. And the color and designs filled my very being right in the middle of the store. I can't even describe the rush of emotions that comes over me, as I'm taken back. Just by walking in the doors, or driving past I relive every moment of a few of those most wonderful times from my past.

I hope to create a toy line that will touch at least one child's life, the way Jem has touched mine.

I have God, Jem, my love, family, friends and my dreams…what else do I need.

Riot4Jem