One Year

I thought I had a little more time to formulate this post, but then I checked and realized my first review was published on the very first day of 2023 and the anniversary was right on the turn of the year! So here's a reflection!

ROFL, XD, GOOD 4RLZ?: Investigating L.O.L. O.M.G. Dolls by MGA Entertainment, Part 2

TT&T has already decided L.O.L. O.M.G. is so. not. it, bestie. Flopped the vibe check, hunny. Gag-o-rama! The vibes were totes off, queen! 

But we're, like, so totally not done yet!

Literally, Can I Even?: Investigating L.O.L. O.M.G. Dolls by MGA Entertainment, Part 1

I host a critical space here through my reviews, but I don't aim for a cynical one. But the topic at hand here and in the next post is something I'm not included to look at with an optimistic mind, and my holiday was also quite bitter, so I'm riding that wave a little.

Swimming the Seas and Rivers: A Lagoona Blue Roundup

Back for more of Monster High's main fish monster, because I've found more to do with her! It's just not a G3-only roundup this time.

Answering Questions From The Dolly Insider, Part 1

I've hit a bit of a blogging production roadblock at this point in time right now, where I have multiple posts planned and started, but none completed or able to be finished due to waits for parts or waits for holiday money to order additional stuff I want to write about within a post. So I figured this'd be a good time to drop the first chunk of this post idea, just so I have something going up. I feel antsy being so busy for the blog but yet being forced to go silent here, even though I keep my Instagram active for those who've found it. This is my solution. I've been building this document behind the scenes for a good while until it was substantial enough to post in some form. 

It's time for Friday Dolly Questions!

The image accompanying each question post, taken from The Dolly Insider's website.

Thrice Bitten: A G3 Draculaura Roundup

 I've never been the hugest fan of Draculaura, but it's through no fault of her own. In fact, I respect a lot of what she's been.

I'm Going Nuts (and Bolts): A G3 Frankie Roundup

Back in G1 and my original doll collection, Frankie Stein was not necessarily my favorite character, but she was the character I had the most dolls of. Those hold exactly true for Frankie in G3, as they've had hit after hit and they're still going. I wanted to bring in some new Frankies and revisit the ones I had.

Flourescent Dances, Second Chances, Part 2: Monster High Neon Frights Ghoulia Yelps by Mattel

Now comes Ghoulia, the eternal underdog! Is she better by her second doll?

Flourescent Dances, Second Chances, Part 1: Monster High Neon Frights Twyla by Mattel

Today, we're doing a bit of a hybrid post--one of two. We're looking at two selections from Skulltimate Secrets Series 3, Neon Frights, which happen to be the second dolls released of each G3 character. I like them for themselves, but I wanted to see if they can surpass their original dolls or resolve the issues I found in them through their bases or stock for restyling purposes. 

Two in a Million: Monster High Peri and Pearl Serpentine by Mattel

 Monster High has pushed the envelope for a while with several dolls that go further-out than the rest to really try something unusual and unprecedented within the doll space. 

Head of the School: Monster High Headless Headmistress Bloodgood by Mattel

 This is a doll I've wanted for a long time out of a love for the character and the toy gimmick. 

G3 Rescue: Deuce Gorgon

I have some issues with a few G3 dolls that have visually disappointed me, so I figured it might be worth playing around with them and trying to give them a fresh start. G3 isn't over so these really can't be considered RESTYLE ICONS (I know there's every possibility a future release of a character I'm not vibing with may end up nailing it for me), but there are still dolls I want to work with to try to figure out something. The first G3 doll I was actually hooked by was, surprisingly, Deuce. He was also the first to disappoint me in-person.

Picking Bones, Part 2: The Skelita Collector Dolls

In the previous post about Skelita, we looked at the start and end of her G1 career, and had to grapple with some dark discussions about the way her designs created a distracting and distressing implication. In this post, we'll be looking at her two collector dolls, which include her sole G2 appearance and her first appearance contemporary to G3. The previous post has more context, but know it gets serious. Read it here.

Picking Bones, Part 1: Skelita's Debut, and Difficult Concerns

This post might be a bit grim. I'm bringing in a character I find very tricky to talk about, but I find it fascinating how complicated she is. She has a lot of good and bad that's worth discussing, but it gets dark on the bad side.

Banking on Snow: Monster High G3 Abbey Bominable by Mattel

 It's been a very cold day, and I just finished a review of G3's warmest character. I thought it was about time to come back to its coldest today. 

Deal or No Deal? Monster High G3 Scare-adise Island Heath Burns by Mattel

 What a weird time to release warm vacation dolls.

Festive Love: The Monster High Skullector "Nightmare Before Christmas" Set by Mattel Creations

Well, Mattel has completely broken the Skullector formula in 2023, hasn't it?

Left Out Dolls 3-D: The Revenge

 Go here to see the post where the Left Out Dolls came from, and here to see the preceding post to this one.

RESTYLE ICONS: Petrifying!

Deuce Gorgon was a really great character concept. A gorgon for the most prominent male character, or for a male character at all, is a respectably unusual choice, and it's pretty awesome that they managed to make that work for all three generations of the brand so far! Heck yeah! 

Left Out Dolls: The Return!

My relationship with Shadow High has shifted a bit since I made it my governing obsession with the Shadow High Deep Dive series of posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, and epilogue). 

No Longer Floundering: Three Generations of Nautical Monster Makeovers!

 This was going to be a post discussing just one doll, but I realized I had three sea characters, and each from one of MH's three generations, that were on my project list at the same time...so I figured I'd make it a post about all three, particularly since two of them wouldn't warrant posts of their own. 

They've Got it On Lock: Monster High Skulltimate Secrets Series 2 "Fearidescent" by Mattel

I've been open-minded about Monster High G3, and I've gotten a few dolls. Some have impressed me, some have disappointed me quite a bit.

A Grow-Up Glow-Up: Monster High Treesa Thornwillow by Mattel

While I accurately stated that Gooliope Jellington was the only character unique to the 17-inch "Frightfully Tall" Monster High doll size, Gooliope was not actually the only giant character depicted by a giant doll. This is the other one-- Treesa Thornwillow, the growing dryad with a torso-extension mechanism that allowed her to rise to 14.5 inches while unfurling branchy thorn wings. 

A Third Try in the Three Rings: Monster High Gooliope Jellington by Mattel

I think my experience with this doll would best be compared to Avea Trotter--a doll whose concept and novelty I couldn't stay away from, but whose actual execution didn't click. With Avea, I squashed my issues after working with her as a first-time member of my collection this year. With this doll...it's my third time owning her.

There's the Wolf: Monster High G3 Clawd Wolf by Mattel

I'm a little unconfident about the long-term for G3 Monster High, which is a shame because it's just now getting really strong.

My Luckiest Shot: Monster High C.A. Cupid by Mattel

Every collector in a fandom pertaining to collectible items will eventually determine their “grail”--their most desired (and usually hard to come by) item released by the brand.

RESTYLE REVISIT: Invisi Billy

I kind of suspected there would be the occasional RESTYLE ICONS project that would bear a second pass. And wouldn't ya know, it's my first RESTYLE that's the first retake!

RESTYLE ICONS: The Beautiful Grotesque!

This was something of a personal challenge to myself, because of all the Monster High characters whose executions didn't connect with me, Rochelle Goyle may be the concept with the most appeal to me that missed the hardest.

Putting the "Teatime" in "Teatime Tangents and Toys"--A Scary Tale Twyla!

It's kinda nice to be back to a little Monster High!

Getting Playmobilized, Part 4- Custom Figures!

I've already altered designs in my previous posts, but here's where I make them up from whole cloth!

Getting Playmobilized, Part 3-- Reviewing More Figures!)

While I newly acquired older figures for this project which were included in the original post for chronological ordering, all of the figures in this post are new acquisitions-- more older toys I just got or figures which were released after I put the hobby aside due to other things demanding attention, and these figures not showing up anywhere near me in stores. These all are part of the official Hobby Revival!

Getting Playmobilized, Part 2-- Reviewing Figures!)

Alright, now let's talk about my favorite designs of Playmobil figures and Playmobil Fi?ures. First, context on the Fi?ures in specific.

Getting Playmobilized, Part 1- Playmobil Anatomy!

Let's talk about one of my longtime favorite toys and finally break out of this doll fixation. This is Teatime Tangents and Toys, darn it, not Teatime Tangents and Dolls! 

Just a Few More Laps in Shadow High (Epilogue)

Please read part 1, part 2, and part 3 of my Shadow High deep-dive for the full journey I went on, which provides a healthy overview and quality-control study of this brand. This post is here to squash my issues with the dolls of part 2 and investigate some things I was really compelled by, but which didn't need to be featured for my overview opinion.

Hopelessly Immersed in Shadow High (Part 3- Finale)

Here's part 3 of my Shadow High deep-dive. Read part 1 and part 2 for the complete picture, if you haven't already!

Swimming Deeper into Shadow High (Part 2)

Here's part 2 of my Shadow High deep-dive. Go here to read part 1 for the complete picture, if you haven't already!

Diving into Shadow High by MGA Entertainment (Part 1)

 I'm not generally attracted to the doll brands of toy mainstay MGA Entertainment. 

Harping On (and On) About Centaurs: Monster High Avea Trotter by Mattel

Essentially since I heard of her, there was one Monster High doll I just couldn't decide on. Did I love her, or did I think she was a mess?

RESTYLE ICONS: The Shrieking Sixties!

Let's hear it for the only ghoul who broke the SDCC/ILF curse!

REVISIT: Tinny Tinkerpins

 Sometimes you can call "done" on a project too early. 

RESTYLE ICONS: Music to My Eyes!

 

Here's my follow-up on Operetta.

RESTYLE ICONS: Outta Sight!

Welcome to my next subseries! 

She's Alive--And It's Not a Costume!

Alright. We've done DIFFUSION, where we turned fused ghouls into one monster type...but I don't know what the heck to call the process of turning a fusion costume into a real take on that monster type!  

DIFFUSION (Finale): Bark with Bite!

Here's the Clawvenus project!

About Face: Mystixx Azra by Playhut

Monster High was massive in the toy world, and any smash success will have imitators trying to tap into the same theme. 

DIFFUSION: Basking in Ra's Sunlight

 Now for Cleolei!

Burning It Up: A Barbie Extra Minis Monster!

It's treacherous to shop with an algorithm.

Connecting the Dots: A Custom CAM and MH Body Model!

 This project is the resolution to two problems.

A Very Delicate Process: The First Custom Doll I WANTED to Make!

Boy, this was a journey. 

DIFFUSION: Smiling Like Clockwork!

Time for the Dracubecca portion of this project!