Happy 25th Anniversary!
Hey Jewel Fans! Can you believe we’re finally here? Today, twenty-five years ago, Jewel Riders premiered with “Jewel Quest: Part One” and our lives were forever changed. Some of you – like us – watched the show that Sunday, some of you caught later episodes on TV or found the show via the VHS releases, and some of you only found the show recently via platforms like YouTube or Amazon.
Wherever you found Jewel Riders, we’re glad you’re here to celebrate this momentous silver anniversary with us here at the JRA. Twenty-five years ago to the day have passed since our favorite Princess, the Jewel Riders, and the Pack began their quest to reclaim the Crown Jewels and save Avalon from the evil Lady Kale. Jewel Riders taught us to believe in ourselves and trust in our friends. That with music, you can feel the magic. Or that magic bits are just waiting to be discovered, if only you have the nose for it.
That kindness and consideration for others is real power. Or that we’ve found a friend in you.
Welcome to 25 years of magic, music, and friendship.
25th Anniversary Podcast
To kick off the celebration, Chris are Ronnie are joined once again by the Circle of Friends: Stormy and Natalie (Morning Glory) of the Avalon Website, Lisa Dawn of the Princess Blog, and first-time guest fan fiction author Elizabeth!
They discuss their two favorite and one least favorite episodes, the history of Jewel Riders fandom and the founding of the Jewel Riders Archive in 2015, and all they’ve learned and enjoyed from the Archive over the past five years.
Check out our original conversation with this group on the inaugural episode of the Jewel Riders Archive Podcast!
We metion in the podcast that the art director of the show – Greg Autore – can make custom plush! Really cool dragons that can sit on your shoulder, have light-up eyes, and poseable wings! (Hint: he might be willing to make a unicorn if you ask nicely!) Check out his Etsy page for more details and get in touch!
Also, share your favorite episodes with us and vote in our new poll!
5th Anniversary of the Archive & Site Updates
If you haven’t noticed, we’ve been cleaning house here at the JRA. After getting a huge number of new images and materials from our benefactor, we decided to utilize these to spruce up some of the sections of the website.
First and foremost, there’s an entire new section dedicated to the development of the show from an adaptation of the Dragonriders of Pern to Enchanted Camelot to Enchanted Jewel Riders and beyond.
The section that was once called “Pre-Production” has now been retitled “Development” and includes a new amazing (if I don’t say so myself) “Animation and Design” section full of beautiful new artworks.
The “Memorabilia” section has also been updated with more photos, both of the domestic Princess Gwenevere and the foreign Starla products.
The “Media” section now has full playlists of the show, along with music downloads from both the English and French versions.
You may also notice our new “Avalon: Web of Magic” section. While the Avalon Archive is your go-to source for all things Avalon, we wanted a place to share some of the things we have for this Jewel Riders adjacent project.
But feel free to explore – you never know what magic is just waiting to be discovered.
Restored and Expanded Video
Exciting news on the video front! We recently found a source video that has slightly more image on each side of the screen, as well as better image quality! Ronnie was able to restore these and we’re pleased to present these new videos for 17 of the episodes coming up on their original air dates!
Trading Pins
The coffee shop is crowded when you spot it out of the corner of your eye. Four symbols on the backpack two people ahead of you in line. You don’t pay attention to pins often, but these ones catch your eye.
At first you think you dreamed it up. Perhaps you just really need that caffeine boost today. As the espresso machine hisses and the smell of roasted beans fills the air, you crane your neck to get a better look. The longer you stare, the more sure you become.
All hold a special meaning to you. It can’t be a coincidence you’re seeing them at this very moment. The person wearing the backpack turns, and they notice your gaze.
Mustering your courage, you greet them with a wave and a smile. “Jewel Power!”
They smile back, and reply, “Friends Together, Friends Forever.”
We wanted a physical good to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show and the 5th anniversary of the Archive, and since we love pins, we wanted to make pins of the Enchanted Jewels! The pins are about one inch in size – perfect for clipping to a jacket or backpack! You can find them exclusively at our Etsy shop! They will be LE 50 each. If you buy and wear these pins, please share photos with us or tag us on your favorite social media to share – we are stoked to see these bringing magic to people in the wild!
New 25th Anniversary Redbubble Designs
For those who prefer a more varied set of items to help celebrate Jewel Riders, we have several new designs on our Redbubble shop!
The first is our brand new 25th/5th Anniversary art!
Jewel Riders by the Numbers 2015-2020
Finally, we wanted to share a few tidbits with you that sum up a little bit of the last five years. It’s been a crazy time – multiple job changes and moves for both Ronnie and myself, and through it all there has been the steady beat of Jewel Riders. We’ve loved sharing the last five years with all of you.
- 2680 Instagram Posts (an average of 1.47 posts/day)
- 2000 Average Visitors per Month to the website
- 98 Blog Posts
- 73 Fan Fics archived
- 26 “Princess Gwenevere” episodes released online for the first time
- 14 JRA Podcast Episodes
- 6 Places lived between Chris and Ronnie
- 4 Holiday Interviews with Greg Autore
- 2 Catastrophic Wildfire Evacuations (including Jewel Riders materials!)
- 1 Show that brought us all together
Friends Together, Friends Forever
Chris & Ronnie