Monster High is one of those great properties that both kids and collectors can’t get enough of. Much like real world teenagers, the children of famous monsters find high school to be by turns fun and frustrating, friendly and frightening. Unlike most real teens, these teens embrace their ‘freaky flaws’. The wonderful web television series … Read More →
Perhaps inspired by Mattel’s Monster High dolls, Hasbro has decided to capitalize further on the current high popularity for the long running My Little Pony franchise and extend it into dolls. There’s been plenty of online debate about whether this was a good idea, especially given the questionable realm that is adult My Little Pony … Read More →
Capitalizing on the success of their Monster High web series, Mattel has launched a new series for their main girl Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse! Featuring both classic and new Barbie pals, I find myself drawn to new frenemy Raquelle. She’s spoiled, selfish, and looking to steal Ken away- quite a change from the normal … Read More →
Anyone seeing the original North American Sailor Moon 12 inch doll release had the same response, “Why doesn’t she have a nose?” For reasons that remain a mystery, rather than using their existing molds, Bandai/Irwin created new “stylized” molds that went beyond unattractive looking to achieve downright bizarre. Unsurprisingly, the original release sold poorly and … Read More →
JAKKS Pacific is taking the doll world by storm with their two new lines: Elle (15 inch dolls) and G.I.R.L. Force (11.5 inches). G.I.R.L. Force dolls feature an impressive amount of poseability using a soft “skin” over an internal framework (similar to the Jewel Girl Barbie, only much more so). The amount of detail they … Read More →
Vitamin C is a bit of a rarity among teen pop sensations- she can sing. Equally rare is Mattel’s decision to create a doll based on her- before the Spice Girls dolls became a huge hit for rival Hasbro, the company seemed to avoid dolls of this kind, at least in the US market. But … Read More →
Takara Japan’s lovely and perky Jenny dolls have been coveted by collectors worldwide since the ’80s, when they had obtained a licence to produce Mattel’s Barbie character for the Japanese market. Thankfully, when Mattel terminated the licence to the Barbie name Takara renamed the molds Jenny and continued their wonderful line of dolls, fashions, and … Read More →
Every new group of high schoolers, it seems, promotes one of their own to the position of ‘video diva’. This position is usually held by a young woman with an overstated sexuality, a peppy song, and a mediocre voice. It is almost always an undeserved post with a rapid turnover rate. (Madonna has lasted, but … Read More →
The motto for the Smartees dolls is “Smart friends for smart girls.” It’s an ambitious premise, but I have to admit I like it. Rather than attempting to have one doll that is everything to everybody, Smartees has created an initial line of four dolls each with their own career and history. The dolls each … Read More →
Tree Trimming Barbie is this year’s supermarket store doll. If you enjoy informally-dressed holiday themed dolls, this line can be a real treasure. Each year’s doll is dressed in a casual outfit in preparation for a holiday activity. The price point on these dolls ranges from $10 to $12 (US), and they can be found … Read More →
