So Mattel's next in-house Skullector release is a forgotten character, done basically as close to perfect as possible? How'd that happen?
Yeah, Scarah was a big surprise on all levels. The first was just...seeing her again. Oh, I've entertained dreams of Scarah being reimagined for G3 Monster High, but never in much earnest (nor with much excitement; she's a character I worry would be hurt by G3 changes). Scarah was a popular exclusive doll who had a decent playline run after, but was still not a main character in G1, and not one I expected to return. I certainly didn't think she'd be the second G1 character in the Skullector label after a heavier hitter like Venus. And also...the design did Scarah so right, in a way I wasn't confident they could. Not after cool-but-missable Fang Club Ghoulia, bland pinky Fang Club Operetta, and especially, Skullector Venus and her horrible costuming. I haven't been impressed by the Fang Club-exclusive dolls yet, but finally, there's one who makes the membership worthwhile! This is the doll true Scarah fans have wanted for over a decade.
Sure, there's some stylistic clashes. The veil doesn't suit the dress; the dress's fancy tones might be more evocative of Art Deco than mod...but the essence of Scarah is here, and she takes all of the character's strengths. Pink was always a dubious addition to her palette; Skullector Scarah has none of it. Scarah rocked bangs for her retro tone in her exclusive SDCC signature doll, yet none of her dolls to follow brought them back. Well, here we are. And most wonderfully, the banshee theming has actually stuck since her final G1 doll in the Student Disembodied Council pack--Scarah looks more like a spirit than she ever has before, pays tribute to Celtic folklore in a more concerted way, and has actual screams in her costume design again! This is only her second costume to actually take her banshee scaritage as theming! This Skullector edition of Scarah also basically does the same things I did when restyling and designing myself a personal Scarah edition back in 2023--green lips, bangs, zero pink, and incorporating her monster type in her fashions. Now, I'm pretty proud of my personal Scarah. Reshaping and taming her hair, and repainting her face (including a whole eye) were pretty big achievements...but they're visible as repaints and the hair is still pretty dry.
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| This was a pretty darn impressive turnaround, though. |
I welcome a base Scarah that follows my desires for the character with factory execution, and the new doll is quite pretty. I love a lush verdant spectrum. Is she fully authentic sixties? No. Is she a fun fashion gala piece with sixties influence? Yeah. After her boyfriend finally finally ended up in a perfect polished state from the Maul Monsteristas pack, it only felt right to give Scarah a revisit through this pretty eerie doll.
I really fell over every stumbling point in the launch of this doll. It was an extended trainwreck for all of its three minutes. First was me forgetting the launch at the last minute, thus entering the purchase later than I should have...then the captcha refused to work even when I solved it correctly many times, and then at checkout, I was slammed with having to update my card details and address, and she sold out before I could finalize the purchase. I fed the scalpers again. I shouldn't have, but I liked this doll and recognized, clearly, that this wasn't something to decide I wanted at a later day. By that later day, she was likely to fall well out of my range. It was obvious this Scarah was right on the pulse and exactly what buyers wanted to see! So obvious, in fact, that Mattel announced a restock shortly after. Arrrrrrrghhhhh...
I'm fully the sucker and loser in this scenario. But why should I have expected a restock, and so soon? Unless moves like this and the Creepro restock and Skullector Shining rerelease really are signs of a more consumer-opportunity-generous approach at Mattel Creations, I'm still gonna treat a corporation like a stingy businessman and not trust them to offer second chances. As predatory and unfair as scalpers are, they offer a sense of certainty in availability I can't ever expect from Mattel directly. That's no justification and it does fuel the problem to consume from predatory resellers, but it does represent a tangible tradeoff for the shopper--get the doll cheaper if you can get it, or get the doll for sure if you're willing to badly overpay. If I can console myself a little, the restock sold out quickly too, so perhaps I would have been unlucky both times. Not sure.
Here she is!
As lovely as it is that this doll is paying more cultural tribute to Irish folklore, I've seen that apparently this doll was not made available to the Irish audience? Scarah apparently doesn't ship to Ireland...and apparently, Corazón wasn't able to be shipped to the Philippines either, despite being a Filipina cultural doll. That asks the question of who these dolls are really for. Why design a cultural spotlight and not offer direct access of the doll to the country it derives from?
The packaging is decently small, all things considered, and doesn't feel like a space-waster in the way some Mattel Creations boxes do. I love the commitment to the doll's limited palette and the retro aesthetic of the funky patterning on the sides and the name label. Scarah is presented in a forest scenario.
The large dark forms outlined in lime have Skullette eyes and noses in them, with the tri-spirals in the eyes.
The spiral forms are part of Scarah's personal Skullette icon, which features on the back of the box but not in the doll design. The back has a ghostly-looking photo of Scarah emphasizing the ethereal spirit side this design captures for the first time.
The picture makes me wish the veil had wire inside to be actually posed that way!
The bottom of the box has some text about Scarah celebrating the Irish spring festival of Imbolc.
It doesn't feel much like Imbolc right now.
I suppose I prefer a doll release ahead of the seasonal theme rather than after it, but I wish these dolls centered on a holiday would be shipped closer to their season so outdoor would be more appropriate!
Here's the certificate of authenticity, signed by designer Annalise Lao.
Lao did Welcome Committee Frankie and is working on the Fang Vote Abbey Bominable doll, who I might just have to get. The people voted for the correct hair and makeup and stand with her! (Wrong purse for me, though. Whether I order Abbey is dependent on other matters; I have a priority to chase that I'd happily lose Abbey for.)
Here's the doll unboxed.
As a massive admirer of green and retro, Scarah's appeal is strong with me, and this doll especially satisfies my adoration for a luxurious spectrum of a single color in many shades and fine materials.
I believe Scarah's doll stand is the same design as used for the Skullector Corpse Bride doll, which in turn is very similar to the later Skullector Xenomorph's, being a saddle stand with a clip that encircles the thighs. This stand is clear and does not adjust in height. For Scarah, it's designed to leave her "floating" in the air. I'm not hugely confident in the stability of the stand, and her dress is so short it can be hard to pull the cradle into the costume.
Scarah's veil (I've also heard it called a shroud!) is the marquee piece of the doll, and it certainly has presence! The piece starts on top with a silver vinyl headband the fabric is attached to. The band is molded with Celtic knot motifs and centered with a skeletal visage with what looks like a keyhole for a mouth--very spooky.
The headband comes stapled to Scarah's head and doesn't sit tightly without the tags left in. I don't like that. All doll headbands should be rigid enough to grip the head with tension. I'm also not impressed with the attachment to the veil, which is two elastic loops that can easily decay. Why didn't they sew the two together with thread?
The veil itself is very pretty, with its medium green sheer fabric, pale green lace trim, and metallic foil print depicting tree branches inhabited by birds--and I've heard the long-tailed animals are ferrets, not squirrels.
The pattern is a little weird, though, because there are visible wings and birds which appear to be emerging from behind a wall, except there's only a small branch adjacent. Where's the rest of the birds? Is this intentional?
The veil hangs in triangular folds, and the back is two halves held together to meet with green bows.
I love the drama and look of the veil, but I'm not sure it matches the costume cut of the dress. It calls for a long flowy dress and I'm not sure how successfully Scarah mixes Celtic tradition with sixties mod.
I say this, but the doll might be missing something when the veil is taken away.
Scarah's hair here is black and wavy with straight bangs gelled across the forehead in a slight curve. The style looks fine, but it might be lacking in verticality for the right sixties look. Either the hair needs a defined swoop or it needs some piling or puffing up. I'm worried about how dry and messy the texture feels out of the box. I don't know why black doll hair is often so ratty-feeling, but this seems like it could be another case.
The bangs hang rather low, just getting into her actual eyes, which I think is too long. They're also rooted on the center part line, which worries me. Bangs rooted with a center part can split if the gel loosens, and that's not ideal.
Scarah's face paint is simple and striking. The character's always been known for her eerie blank white eyes, and here, they have some shading...as well as some spidery lines. I believe this is deliberate, perhaps invoking branches or spider webs, but the eyes look a little grainy and the lines across them are easy to mistake for errors. The green airbrush-style shading around the eyes is also a dotted illusion.
It's a cool idea, whatever it is, but the print quality and subtlety don't make the design as distinct or intentional-looking as it probably should.
I like the soft pistachio shade of her lips.
Scarah is a character revival where the G1 doll returning is not easily tied to their sculpts re-entering production for an additional external reason--that is to say, it's not clear right now that Mattel are planning to get more mileage out of the Scarah mold reviving (unless, perhaps, a Skullector doll needs her face or has already used it prior). Venus is getting Creeproduced, which could explain why she became a Skullector revival last year. Her molds were being remade anyway. Ghoulia and Operetta got Creeproduced, which could explain their earlier appearances as Fang Club dolls. Twyla's molds had already been revived for the Skullector Grady sisters, so she was easy to bring back in Sweet Screams form. I'd have been sure that Nefera's Mummy Majesties revival was a sign she was getting her sig G1 doll Creeproduced, but no dice so far...for no clear reason. She should have been in the wave with Operetta and the werecats. I suppose Howliday Love Clawd Wolf would have counted as such, too, but he's rumored to be Creeproduced in his signature set with Draculaura, so a second doll release with the revived Clawd sculpts should be coming. Creepro Purrsephone and Meowlody and Toralei also have no clear forward plans with the molds. The twins probably justified themselves because they're two characters created with one set of molds, but Toralei also so far has no clear signs of future alumni editions. I believe Catrine has the same head mold as the twins, though, so a new doll of her is possibly on the table.
Scarah's earrings are symmetrical dangling silver disks with sculpting of screaming human faces merging with spiraling mist. It's super cool and very haunting detail.
Scarah's earring game was literally nonexistent before, so I'm glad to see this doll finally giving her earrings and hitting the retro tone just right and mixing in creepy banshee theming too. The earring faces also remind me a lot of Scarah's literal only previous piece of banshee-themed clothing:
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| Still iconic. |
Around her neck, Scarah has a tiny choker of green ribbon that opens with velcro. I'm not sure if this is meant to be visually read as the turtleneck of her dress which couldn't be tight enough if attached to the dress, or if it's a separate piece in the visual design. If it's the former, it doesn't do perfectly since it leaves some gaps.
The dress piece is a simple retro cut with minimal tailoring and sheer bell sleeves that hang just right. The body is emerald velvet with detailed embroidery in pale and yellowish colors.
The embroidery pattern is fabulous. It features screaming mouths up top, Skullettes on the sides, and a pair of evil eyes on the bottom, while Celtic knots fill out the flourishes.
I like this design a lot, and this kind of clothing production almost never happens from Mattel anymore. I do feel like this style of patterning and embroidery reads more art-deco 1920s than sixties mod, though, and the luxurious materials also step away from the target period. I think the ornate aspects of the doll help to marry the dress with the veil, but it could be unsuccessful from some perspectives.
It seems like this is the year Mattel discovered velvet, because they're suddenly including it in collector dolls-- Wednesday Morticia has a velvet dress, too. Not sure I really need her.
Under the dress, Scarah has sheer tights that match the sleeves while being a different shade. There's a visible snag in the netting on her right thigh in front, which is disappointing.
Scarah's shoes are a thing of wonder. The core is dark green flats with the skull-lock design on the toes, but the platforms are translucent masses of wisping mist with many tormented screaming heads mixed into the design. It's horrifying!
The platforms also come off if you just want the doll in her flats. That works well for a simple look without the veil.
I had a harder time separating and reattaching the parts of the left shoe at first, but later found both shoes very simple to click in after nestling the toes.
Removable shoe attachments were done at least two times in the brand before--Freak du Chic Twyla had removable stilts which plugged onto the bottom of the shoes and also clipped onto the sides of the legs like braces, while G2's Dayna Treasura Jones had removable platforms to reveal the hidden gold-coin heels underneath.
After washing, combing, and fabric softener, Scarah's hair texture is mildly unforgivable. This is a brand-new doll with hair that feels messed up. Not very tangled or catchy, but not at all silky and smooth, and definitely not the intended result. I'm appalled that Mattel seems to be often releasing dolls with messy or damaged hair these days. My Garden Mysteries dolls had similar problems. Scarah is lucky she's still gorgeous, and that she can rock a messy texture on behalf of her monster type. Her bangs also did well, trimming and combing without gapping into a big V in the middle where the center-part could interfere with them. Even though her hair is a mess, working with it did help to sell me fully on her simpler veil-less look and I fell in love with her as another mod ensemble.
Here's Scarah with Billy now.
I think this is a strong match. All green and all blue and each semi-formal. I didn't bother to unbury my customized Scarah to directly compare the two, but I do think Fang Club has supplanted her as my representative Scarah doll.
My first pictures with Scarah played with green paper backdrops and her veil, as well as her simpler mod look.
Like I've done for ghost dolls previously, I staged a Pepper's Ghost photoshoot with Scarah, reflecting her off glass in front of a backdrop to make her look translucent. I think the plant pattern worked beautifully with the transparent effect to make her look swallowed by the stalks, and this might be my favorite Pepper's Ghost shoot yet.
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| It's not at all intended, but I get a little bit of jellyfish from the veil here! |
Scarah leaned back made the image look like some tapestry or portrait of a dead lady lying in the weeds, perhaps the subject of a tragic old ballad.
Next, I tried some photos with plant props for springier atmosphere, since the correct season hasn't arrived yet.
IOU a springtime garden revisit shoot, Scarah.
Next, I put her against her box's insert backdrop with blue light and the Pepper's Ghost effect.
I also decided to use some nature photos I had as computer-screen backdrops.
I tried to work with the pattern on her box in mod mode, but it's such a thin sliver to use as a backdrop.
The cover photo came with a huge amount of photo editing, but everything except the tree branches was a photo I took. A lake pond photo worked well as a base backdrop, edited to look greyer and foggier, and I used edits of a picture of LDD Vincent Vaude's head as several hidden fog wraiths to pay tribute to Scarah's awesome shoes. Scarah herself is edited in from the newly-unboxed photo above. In the second take, another layer of the Scarah picture is edited on to control the translucency and make her face more distinct.
I was doubtful about Scarah's ensemble at first, but I've come to think she simply has two personalities--the mod and the opulent, where the former works within the latter. With the veil and platforms, she's a fun elaborate banshee, and without them, she feels retro and fun and her remaining ritzier aspects don't disqualify that read. I love her in basic mod style as a versatile Scarah edition, but I'm also enchanted by the folkloric air of her veil and her shoe platforms are such awesome sculpts, it's a shame not to use them. The doll is not very well-made as a doll. Her dress is atypically fine for Mattel standards, but the neck joints continue to be hampered and underperform, the hair is atrocious quality for a brand-new doll, and the headband doesn't grip tight or use durable thread to secure the veil to it. I also noticed the right hand had some messy mold seams. Mattel is really slipping their QC. It's a shame because the doll is so lovely and should be 100% what was asked for. Visually, she is. Fans have wanted this doll for years. I adore her controlled green palette and her compelling display. The eye paint could use some more intentional-looking execution, but she's still gorgeous. Manufacturing-wise, though, she wasn't worth the overpay on my end, and fails to hold up her MSRP too. Mattel did follow up on a Mattel Creations review I wrote which featured my criticisms, but I didn't really know how to respond since I didn't get the doll through them and couldn't provide a requested order number for them to log. Another way I lost out. If I had bought the doll officially, I could have gotten a little further toward addressing the bad manufacturing!
If you love Scarah Screams, this is a dream come true. With caveats. I wish this doll was perfectly nailed because the look couldn't be better.
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