New Blue Hujoo’s!
You’ll remember a few months ago, I wrote about Hujoo, a company that creates affordable ABS ball jointed dolls, releasing dolls in purple ABS. Now, you can, also, order Hujoo’s in blue! This blue body comes in all three Hujoo styles- Hujoo, Wings, and Berry.
I’m loving the new color choices Hujoo keeps releasing. While I don’t own a purple hujoo, I still really want to get one to customize as Synergy (from Jem!). This blue body, too, looks like it could embody so many characters.
Keep it up, Hujoo!
What do you think of this new body color? Share your thoughts!
My Little Pony, G3 (2003-2010)
I’ve covered the original My Little Pony toy line (G1) and the second generation (G2), now it’s time to talk about the third reincarnation (G3) of My Little Pony. In 2002, Hasbro decided it was time to re-release their beloved My Little Pony line. Theses ponies would be shorter and rounder than the ponies of the past.
Wave one, Glitter Celebration, consisted of four ponies: Kimono, Pinkie Pie, Sparkleworks and Minty. Alongside these (or within a short time of eachother), Hasbro also released the Rainbow Celebration line, which also consisted of four ponies: Rainbow Dash, Sunny Daze, Wysteria, and Sweetberry. These ponies would be reproduced many times for many different G3 sets during the 7 year run.
Year one products also included many playsets, Pony multipacks, and most exciting, the first of three mail order pony, Dazzle Surprise. (I was supposed to get this pony with my pony points, but once I gathered enough, she was sold out. I received the second mail in pony, SunShimmer, instead.)
In 2005, Hasbro released their first San Diego Comic Con pony. They would continue the tradition 2007 through 2011.
A slew of ponies were released between 2003-2007. In 2008 (year 5), Hasbro trimmed the line a bit and started concentrating on the ‘Core 7′, namely Cheerilee, Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, StarSong, Sweetie Belle, and Toola-Roola. (A side note here– it surprises me that Minty wasn’t put in with the Core 7. Yes, we did see a lot of Minty the years prior, but we saw just as many Pinkie Pie’s hit the shelves and she was included.)
Mattel kept some ‘variety’ in the line by adding ‘Art Ponies’ to their list of products during the later years. These ‘Art Ponies’ had a more adult feel to them and, if I do say so myself, came in awesome boxes with pony cutouts showing off both sides of your pony. My personal favorite in this line is the Junko Mizuno pony, who was decked out in ‘ice’ shoes and a furry hood. She’s a very cool pony.
If I had to put the My Little Pony lines in an order from favorite to least favorite, this G3 line would come in second, just behind the original G1 line. Hasbro made some pretty neat ponies and I’m not just talking about the super cool Art Ponies, but some basics’, as well.
The G3 line had a different ‘end game’ than the earlier reincarnations. While Mattel has released a small handful of G3′s for special events since their demise, the G3′s made a slow exit from toy store shelves in 2010, which coincided with the launch of the G4 line, Friendship is Magic. (But that, my friends, I’ll save for another post!)
My Favorite G3 Ponies:
Bumblesweet, 2004
Bumblesweet is an adorable G3 pony. I love the coloring of her body and eyes.
Rain or Shine Garden Time Starswirl, 2004
I love the ponywear on this girl. It looks great on her white body.
Pony Point Exclusive- Sunshimmer, 2004
I sent in for SunShimmer with my Pony Points. I love how her hair compliments her body color.
Kimono, 2003
I love Kimono. The yellow on her symbol works great with the purple.
Bowtie, 2004
While drastically different than the original Bowtie, I still like this pony. Her hair is a bit flat now, but I like the mixture of colors in her mane and tail against her white body.
Links To Check Out:
Googlebooks G3 Collectors Guide
G3′s on Where the Rainbow Ends
Share your thoughts on the G3 ponies below by leaving a comment!
Anime Central 2012 Goodies
Recently, I attended an anime convention dubbed Anime Central (ACEN). I used to be a regular attendee, but decided to forgo it for the past few years because I started finding more gripes with the convention than actual entertainment. Anyway, after five years, I returned to the craziness that is ACEN and can honestly say I had a pretty good time.
Programming: Truth be told, I didn’t attend any panel programs this ACEN. Friday had no programs that looked remotely interesting to me. (Saturday and Sunday were another matter, but alas, I wasn’t there for those events!) With nothing to talk about regarding the programming, why not jump to the main reason I attend conventions– Cosplayers, the Dealers Hall, and the Artist Alley.
Our dolls watching cosplayers from the restaurant window, while we ate lunch.
Cosplayers: As expected, cosplayers came out in droves to ACEN. Either I’m really out of the loop regarding the popular anime’s of today or a lot more people went pop culture themed. Personally, I don’t have a problem with that– it helped me recognize them easier! There were a ton of people dressed as ‘the Doctor’ from Doctor Who. Surprisingly, there were also at least 40 people dressed as My Little Pony characters. It surprised me mainly (pun intended!) because I had never really seen anyone cosplay as an animal character before. The most unique costumes I saw came from a group of attendees dressed as ramen noodles. (Photos will be posted in another post!)
Dealers Hall/Artist Alley: I saw some definite changes in the Dealers Hall since my last trek to ACEN. This year brought along many fantastic ‘steampunk’ themed booth, as well as your typical Japanese figure vendors. Also along for the ACEN ride, were wig makers and (dare I say?) ball jointed doll vendors, including Mint on Card! (For those outside of the BJD realm, Mint on Card is a BJD store located in Michigan.) Mint on Card was awesome enough to bring wigs, shoes, clothing, and even some dolls. I would have loved to walk home with a 60 cm male doll, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year budget wise.
I found the dealers with ‘traditional’ merchandise (ie: figures, keychains, manga) to be a bit redundant, but with everything that happened to Japan in recent years, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for US dealers to come across large amounts of stock. Shockingly, I didn’t see any Pinky ST figures or Re-Ment. One booth had Re-Ment phone fobs, but I was really looking forward to picking up some food to add to my collection. Production of Pinky ST’s has pretty much been non existent in past years, but I still expected vendors to have a few for sale. The lack of those two products really was a downer. Also a bit of a downer was the fact that the mini figures you usually find in ‘surprise’ type packaging were more money that I would have expected. In the end, I broke down and bought two from a booth that I should have just picked up a grab bag from for the same price. I probably would have gotten more for my money.
Ah, the artist alley. My favorite booths in the Artist Alley weren’t the ‘fine art’ ones, but rather, the ones that had a bit more unique wares. Color me surprised at the number of Perler bead designers in the Alley. I remember my third ACEN, I purchased a Perler bead Charizard magnet. My mom thought I was nuts. I adored it (and still do!). This year it seemed like at least 1/4 of the vendors had some Perler bead action going on. Had I my own refrigerator, I would have left with so many magnets!
Another thing that surprised me while walking the Artist Alley was the vast number of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic products. I saw crochet’d My Little Ponies, Perler My Little Ponies, felt My Little Ponies. Literally, they were all over the places and super adorable. Dare I say, they were totally kawaii! Sadly, they were also somewhat expensive. I didn’t leave with any of the cute My Little Pony items, but maybe next year! I was disappointed that no one was selling OOAK My Little Ponies (ie: My Little Pony re-paints). I would have loved to add a new OOAK pony to my collection– maybe an Ash Ketchum or Misty?
While not as prevalent as My Little Pony vendors, there were also a handful of booths dedicated to ball jointed doll clothing and wigs! The people running the booth were very nice and even allowed us to test the outfits on our dolls before buying.
The Goodies: Ah, the big reveal. Here are some photos of what came home with me!
My Luts Aru in a green star MSD Wa-loli by Crimson Chimera
Originally, I purchased this Wa-loli for my Doll In Mind Fantasia. I had some trouble getting it to fit her chest properly, so instead Aru gets to wear this little number. The Wa-loli was crafted by Crimson Chimera. The wig was purchased at ACEN, as well. It has three parts– one short bob cut and two pony tails that clip on. It’s a very versatile wig, even if the pony tails like slipping down occasionally. (I’m blanking on the vendor right now, but I’ll edit this if I can find the name of the booth.)
My MSD Doll In Mind Fantasia wearing a Resin Melody top and skirt.
Breena is modeling a casual outfit purchased at the Resin Melody booth. Originally, Aru was going to wear this, but I had to do a minor quick change. Both dolls look great in it, though!
Banpresto K-On Ritsu Prize Figure
I like to pick up at least one figure when I go to ACEN. If I were to give awards out, this vendor would have won best booth! One example of each of the figures for sale was de-boxed and displayed in well lit, glass cases. (If I remembered the name of the vendor, I’d give them kudo’s, but I’m blanking right now!) In the center case, they had two oversized figures on display that caught my eye. I meant to buy both figures, this one with the drums and another with a girl playing a guitar, but just before I was helped, someone bought the last guitarist. I knew very little about this set and nothing about the character/anime before purchasing it, but it turns out that this figure is a Banpresto prize figure of Ritsu from the anime K-ON. Since ACEN, I’ve watched all 13 episodes of K-ON and loved them all. I’m looking forward to watching season 2 and collecting the rest of band to eventually complete this set!
These are my two token ‘surprise’ boxes. I was surprised at the lack of vendors with these out of box. A good chunk of vendors had them in boxes, but in my ACEN’s past, it was quite common to have these already broken up into their series. The left is a TokiDoki Unicorn figure and the right is a girl with rice balancing on her head. The box was completely in Japanese, so I have no idea what set she’s from, but she’s unique, nonetheless!
The gang relaxing between in the lobby.
Overall, I had a good time at ACEN and am very happy I could share the day with my mom. She’s the best shopping buddy around! I have been hearing horror stories for years about this and that, but I didn’t have close to as many gripes leaving ACEN this year as I did in past years. Who knows, maybe I’ll even go next year!
Dolly Review: Monster High Jackson Jekyll Basic Doll
During a recent Monster High hunt, my mom and I found the new basic Jackson Jekyll doll!
Pros:
There are three main pro’s for this Jackson Jekyll doll. First, he comes with a stand! Unlike the exclusive sets Mattel released in past months, Jackson does come with a stand. This is helpful, especially since he doesn’t stand well on his own. Also, unlike past male dolls, Jackson has jointed wrists. He can easily be manipulated to hold items or pose with other dolls. The third pro? Jackson’s hair. It is so much better than it was on his original ‘Gloom Beach’ release. His ‘Basic’ hair is still locked down with a ton of hair gel, but if it bugs you, it’s very easy to wash out.
Cons:
As far as cons go, I only see two problems with Jackson. First, I wish he could stand on his own. There are male dolls that do that really well. Jackson, however, isn’t one of them. The second flaw has less to do with the doll, so much as Mattel. After taking Jackson out of the packaging, I noticed he still had bits of trimmed hair all over his neck. Couldn’t someone have taken a brush to the doll before slapping him into the box? Quality control is still an issue with these Monster High dolls, it seems.
Overall, I like Jackson. He’s a well designed basic doll and should photograph well. What do you think of Jackson? Share your thoughts below!
Tonner Doll Company Snags Hunger Games
Tonner Doll Company recently announced that they would be producing a line of dolls based on the popular book and movie ‘Hunger Games’. If you are at all familiar with Tonner made dolls, you know the high quality items they are. Like the other entertainment based lines, each doll will be sculpted in the actors likeness, in this case Jennifer Lawrence (as Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (as Peeta), and Liam Hemsworth (as Gale).
According to the press release,
The Hunger Games TONNER CHARACTER FIGURES™ will range from 16″-17″ tall with multiple articulated joints for expressive poses and mobility. In keeping with the fine detail and high-end quality of Tonner’s other popular product lines, they will feature hand-painted facial features, and high quality Saran hair.”
While no promotional pictures of this trio have surfaced, the Tonner Doll Company has been leaving little ‘hints’ on their blog.
See the blog entry here.
And let’s not forget this little Easter egg…
See the blog entry here.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Tonner brings to the table with these Hunger Games themed dolls. I don’t know if I’ll be partaking in them, but I’m sure they’ll be on a lot of Christmas lists come this December! Expect more information on this line as it is released!
Are you looking forward to these Tonner made dolls? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!
Re-Root: Ideal Giggles
Recently, I re-rooted another Ideal Giggles doll for my mother. Even though these large dolls take a lot of hair, I love re-rooting them. The end results of these re-roots are always fantastic and make for quite a sense of accomplishment!
Giggles started life looking like this:
Ready for the unveiling? Da Da Da DAAAAAAAA.
Giggles was re-rooted with Old Bubblegum Nylon hair from Dollyhair. I purchased a total of six hanks of hair to root this Giggles. The owner of Dollyhair probably thought I was crazy, always coming back to order the same color I had ordered just weeks before. Let’s just say, I’m not very good at estimating how much hair I’ll need for a re-root… :p
I love this bubblegum pink color on Giggles. It makes her look like a young Jem (from Jem and the Holograms). Her outfit was purchased from a vender at the Kane County Doll and Toy Show. It was originally made for American Girl dolls, but fits Giggles well enough.
The color looks great on Giggles. It definitely sets her apart from the pack, not to mention my earlier re-root! Overall, I’m very pleased with how this re-root turned out!
Company Spotlight: Adora Dolls
Recently, I became aware of a doll company by the name of Adora Dolls. Adora Dolls specializes in well crafted dolls in a range of sizes. Aside from having some adorable dolls in production, they also have a fantastic website. I highly recommend checking out their website and blog. While not the most affordable dolls, there is no denying their ‘cute’ factor.
According to Adora’s ‘about us’,
“We know what a difference a doll can make…how it can turn a frown upside down, build friendships, teach nurturing, bring comfort and turn a boring day into a day of play! That’s what makes Adora Dolls special.”
Here are a few of the photos of what Adora Dolls has to offer.
This little guy is part of the Nursery Time line. Isn’t he a sweety? The dolls in this line are 16″ and made with baby scented vinyl with a soft fabric body.
I was a Girl Scout as a kid. I started in Daisy’s and went all the way up to Cadets. I would have continued onto Senior scouts, but my troup disbanded and I didn’t have the resources to ‘go it alone’. For that reason, I thought I’d share this Adora line with you fine readers. These dolls are 18″ and similar to American Girls. These dolls seem like the perfect gift for a young Girl Scout!
My mom collects Dorothy’s, so during an online Christmas gift hunt, I stumbled upon this Wizard of Oz themed line. One word– adorable.
When I have a baby, I want him to look like this! The red hair and blue eyes just slay me. I really hate to be redundant, but really, he is such a cutey! I’ve never been a baby doll collector, but this 20″ Premium Toddler won me over instantly.
These photos are just a few of the wares Adora Dolls has to offer. Rest assured, if I get my hands on an Adora doll, I’ll make sure to give you all a full review!
For information on the company and to see other adorable dolls, check the the Adora Doll website.
My Little Pony, G2, 1997-2003
As previously discussed, the original My Little Pony line ran for a whopping 10 years, 1982-1992, before it was unceremoniously shelved. Late 1997, Hasbro relaunched their popular My Little Pony line (generation 2 aka G2) with a new look and story.
I don’t personally own any of the G2 ponies. By 1997, I was 14 and was receiving more ‘mature’ gifts (necklaces, make up, purses, etc) for birthdays and holidays. Few but my parents even purchased Barbie’s for me. I’m not terribly saddened by this because for me, the charm of the original line didn’t follow through to the G2 line.
To me, the main problem with this re-launch was that all the ponies looked alike. Unlike the original line that had different types of ponies (earth, flutter, pegasi) with different unique traits (flocked bodies, jewel eyes, etc), this pony line seemed to be far more based on accessories and playsets to make each of these ponies different. Still, while they’re not my cup of tea, there are some people who really do like this G2 line.
As I mentioned, these new G2 ponies had re-imagined bodies. Similar to the Sweet Sisters from the original line, these ponies had longer, skinnier legs and were all together smaller, more mature looking features.
I’ve found conflicting information regarding the exact years in which this line ran, but from what I gather, the G2 line ran until 1999 in the US and early 2003 in Europe before being discontinued. While not as epic a run as the original line, I’m sure some collectors would call this ‘their’ My Little Pony line! (Had to toss a Doctor Who reference in there somewhere!)
Want more information? Check out these links!
G2 Info Wiki (US/Europe) (Photo credits for this post go to this MLP Wiki!)
Dream Valley (US Line only)
C2E2 2012 Goodies
Friday, I attended the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2). I’m not a huge ‘comic’ person, but usually these conventions are filled with pop culture/entertainment and those elements are my cup of tea! As I only had a Friday pass, I missed most of the celebrity guests on the playbill, however, I did score a few fun buys and attend a few entertaining programs. While this post isn’t exactly about dolls, I thought you might be interested in hearing a bit about it!
The day started off with a program hosted by the creators of the webcomic ‘Unshelved’, Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes. It was one of the more entertaining convention programs I’ve been to. Gene and Bill talked about how they got started, how certain strips came about, and even talked about some of the strips that didn’t work out as intended. If you’ve ever worked at a library or even a job heavily based around books and customer service, check out ‘Unshelved’.
I also attended two ‘professional development’ type panels. One of the panels was hosted by an entertainment lawyer who spoke about how to protect your ideas through copyright and trademarking. The other panel was hosted by a TV writer who let us in on how he got his start and his current projects. Both of these were interesting programs.
The dealers hall was as expected. It had fewer ‘comic’ vendors aka vendors who’s booths are filled with cardboard boxes filled with single issue comics, a good number of ‘toy’ vendors, and (thankfully) a surprising amount of ‘unique’ vendors, selling cool Star Wars purses or fantastic looking, steampunk hats.
The artist alley was fantastic. First off, it was huge, as in it could take you a good hour to see everything the artists had. Second, it was filled with a large number of amazing artists. And let’s not forget that the unique works of art each artist offers up are far better priced than anything you’ll find in the dealers hall!
Like all my past convention experiences, I left with my bags a little heavier than when they arrived. My shoulder may be in a little pain today, but all in all, it was worth it.
The super big My Little Pony bag was free with a purchase from the WeLoveFine booth. The bag is very similar to the ones handed out by Warner Bros. and most recently BBC America at San Diego Comic Con. I purchased this shirt from WeLoveFine. It isn’t very often that two of my obsessions collide like this (Doctor Who/My Little Pony). I was very tempted to get one of their Jem and the Holograms tee’s, too, but wanted to try the company out before buying a ton.
This Doctor Who Fob Watch is a reproduction of the one used in Series 3 of new ‘Who’. I over paid by $5.00-10.00, but it’s a neat toy and a working fob watch. It will come in handy if I ever need to be ‘steampunk’.
Newsie’s is my favorite movie and if I ever see any of the actors, you know I’ll be getting this one sheet signed! Also, pictured is an Avatar: The Last Airbender promo print and a Spider-man print.
This is my purchase from the artist alley. You may have seen this image on Deviant Art before… If I were rich, I would have ended up with a print from Crystal Aura Wilson, Garth Cameron Graham, and loads of other talented artists!
All in all, C2E2 made for a great way to spend the day. I feel like we (my mom and I) did a good job at experiencing both the programming end of things, as well as the vendors area. If you are in the Chicagoland area and like pop culture, toys, and comics, you might want to check out the C2E2 website and add it to your calendar for 2013!
Monster High ‘Escape From Skull Shores’ TV Special
Don’t forget to set your DVR’s and VCR’s to Nickelodeon, Friday April the 13th at 6pm EST/PST, to record the newest Monster High TV Special, ‘Escape from Skull Shores’.
The animation is different than normal and is a bit jarring at first glance, but I’m willing to give it a chance.
Also on the Monster High front, it seems Rochelle Goyle has been seen in a handful of stores in the US, usually alongside the new Jackson Jekyll release. Keep your eyes peeled!
Do you like the new animation for the Skull Shores special? Have you had any luck finding Rochelle? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
