She's a Diabolical Bozo: The Monster High Skullector "Killer Klowns" Shorty Doll by Mattel Creations

Mattel won me over with this one, if a little begrudgingly. She's just enough novelty and fun, and I appreciate a colorful doll for the summer mood. She's my Young-hee for the year. 

It's Whatever It Wants to Be: The Monster High Skullector "Ghostbusters" Gozer Doll by Mattel Creations

Monster High Pride isn't over with Spelldon and Valentine! Mattel dropping a pretty darn genderqueer licensed horror character during June simply couldn't be coincidental, and I saw what they were doing! I love my queer dolls, and I love having multiple to celebrate for Pride in one year. I had a lovely time in 2025 with Welcome Committee Frankie and the Witch Weaver. The Weaver was a '24 release in autumn which I selected for last June, but Mattel did have two covert Pride releases last year with Frankie and Elvira v2. I just didn't get Elvira. Shame on me, I know.

But what about Gozer?

"Now SERVING" or "Dolls Divided 3/2": The Monster High Skullector "Beetlejuice" Waiting Room Two-Pack, and a Zombini/Viv Revisit!

...so Mattel made a fool out of me. Remember how last year, I did a two-half project about two-half gimmick horror dolls which split apart at the waist, comparing the body designs of brand-new Monster High manananggal Corazón Marikit and classic Living Dead Dolls' unfortunate magician's assistant Viv? Yeah, well, turns out I should have waited a year, I guess, because it turned out Mattel was adapting the bisecting concept to the exact same murdered magician's assistant concept as Viv. It's a real Doofenshmirtz's Nickels situation here. There aren't many dolls in this type, but weird that it happened twice. Poor Viv never got her timing right--first an incomplete solo review in 2024, then a review of her full two-pack set ahead of her ideal MH counterpart! And now I don't know what this post is. I can't very well add a third half to the two I wrote. It's unmathematical. Is this a third in a series or a separate review that happens to be a follow-up to a duology? Yes. 

Warnings for very bloody imagery as pertains to the LDD half of this discussion, and discussion related to, and imagery alluding to, suicide as pertains to Miss Argentina.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Gag: The Monster High Skullector "Alien" Doll by Mattel Creations

This might be the hardest a doll has seized me in a little while...and I hadn't even seen the films or the full reveal when the wind was first taken out of me!

I Got A Hundred On It: The Monster High Skullector "Us" Set by Mattel Creations

What a beautiful doll release. Blown away from the first look, and nothing's changed.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR US (2019); DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU AT ALL WANT TO WATCH THE FILM BEFOREHAND!

They Played With Us: The Monster High Skullector "The Shining" Set by Mattel Creations

Mattel Creations, are you headed for a crash or something? Save for a continual release pattern of boy Skullector characters turned into girls, you keep putting out wondrous surprises at breakneck speed and I'm getting worried for your safety. 

Warning for bloody imagery.

Mechanical Marvels, Part 2: Monster High's SKULLECTOR Robots!

How's about a sequel to a post I never thought would get one? Turns out, there are now two more robots from Monster High, albeit licensed adaptations, and both are characters who play with the fusion of doll and robot themes in an intriguing way. Neither doll quite convinced me alone, but together, they made for a compelling discussion. Both are also very recent icons adapted to Skullector, and both are from series of media with their next installments releasing June 27, 2025! It's meant to be. 

Woe is She: Monster High x "Wednesday" Wednesday Addams Doll and Paint it Black Fashion Pack by Mattel Creations

It hasn't passed my attention that Netflix's Wednesday has abruptly (and relatively belatedly) gotten a huge marketing and merchandising push, possibly because they realized the show's popularity was juxtaposed against a relatively untapped market, and also they have a second season to hype up. The first season is even on physical media now, which Netflix almost never allows for their originals. Toys and clothing and other branded products are popping up everywhere, and now we have proper Wednesday fashion dolls in lieu of the cheap Chinese no-brand dolls that have been floating around online. And who else would be giving us these dolls than Monster High? It's an ideal match. Both are about spooky schools! Let's see how the doll collaboration turned out.

Altogether the VERY Ookiest: The Monster High Skullector "Addams Family" Set By Mattel Creations

I was torn deeply about the Skullector Creature from the Black Lagoon, but I basically forgot all about her once these were revealed. There wasn't a question in my mind: I needed these and I would get them. I haven't found a Skullector release so good or so relevant to my interests since the Bride of Frankenstein dolls.  I immediately shuffled out a space for them in my budget. If I couldn't get these at early-access or standard launch, I didn't even care about going aftermarket. There was just no missing these for me.

Fish Month Addendum: About That Skullector Gill-Ghoul....

Well, she's been revealed. And it's terrible timing for me, and I'm not smitten. However, she's certainly relevant to my work here, she's quite interesting, and I promised she'd be a topic, so let's have a short chat.

Mattel stock photo of the Skullector Creature from the Black Lagoon.

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?

They Belonged Dolls: The Monster High Skullector "Bride of Frankenstein" Set by Mattel Creations

...so why did nobody tell me they made this? I completely didn't get the memo about it, and I picked up on a lot of other MH news. Maybe it was for the best because this lit a spark in my brain and quickly became my absolute most coveted MH collector release, far outstripping any admiration I had for any of the G1-era exclusives. For one big reason.