Doing Some Rearranging

We visited my husband's mom this weekend, and she gave me a Christmas present that somehow got missed in December. So even though we came, in part, to wish her a happy birthday, I ended up with a gift, too.

Bewitched Barbie (Pink Label collectible)

Love her! Yes, yes, I have been a pretty staunch critic of Barbie, and Mattel in general, but I have a real weakness when it comes to the witchy ones. (My husband calls me a Halloweenie. 'Nuff said?) Anyway, this one has the awesome vintage face that looks cool and a little aloof, instead of the vapidly empty smile that the modern face has. (Although this is one of two (?) Bewitched Barbies, and the other one has the modern face but doesn't look as stupid as some of them do.)

Years ago, a friend and coworker also worked at FAO Schwarz when they had an exclusive Samantha doll (made by Exclusive Premiere). He got her for me, and I was happy to get it, but the doll looks about as much like Elizabeth Montgomery as I do. The box is definitely the coolest part.

Since I picked up the FAO Schwarz  doll in '97, I've also been collecting the Hallowe'en Barbies. I don't have all of them, but I will, and I can't display them with my action figures, because I need more room for both. I had a thought last night, and decided it would make the most sense to move the dolls into the children's library/guest room. I already have a shelf in there dedicated to all my witch-themed children's books, and since making that room over as a children's library sort of interrupted my plans to make that room with a New Orleans/Mardi Gras vibe, maybe I can make them mesh together...

I found a woman's blog this morning with photos of how she's made her Hallowe'en Barbies into a seasonal diorama/display, and it's pretty awesome. I figure if I can get a nice long shelf or two, I can make a creepy southern-style backdrop with images of trees dripping with Spanish moss (or make my own with branches and dyed cheesecloth), get some Barbie-sized props like Valerie did, and I have a swampy, creepy, Southern-fried Hallowe'en display. And since New Orleans is also home to a huge annual Hallowe'en celebration (and the former home of Anne Rice), it's really not much of a stretch. However, this does mean I have yet another project on top of the hundreds I already have.

Anyway, I think it'll work out. I've already cleared them off the single crowded shelf downstairs, and hauled them all upstairs, getting some of them displayed.

One of two bookshelves that flank the bed in the guest room. The second shelf is my
collection of witchy children's books, and a naked 1972 Emerald Witch doll.

The Secret Spells dolls aren't Hallowe'en specific, but I think these came out around the height of the popularity of the show Charmed.

The Secret Spells dolls I had to run all over hell to get when they went on clearance, to get all three.
Naturally, these were not popular with the ultra-conservative set. (More reason to love them.)

They sit atop a tall desk in the corner. Because their packaging is so cool, I'll probably leave them boxed (and get the rest of the price stickers off the front of the boxes).

The bookshelf on the other side of the bed has four more boxed dolls. And it's fine like that, but because of the height, they're not as visible, and I am really loving the diorama idea; they may not stay up there. (Could be really bad-ass if I do it right, you know?)

See? Just not very interesting! (Yes, the room really is painted a pea-soup green. It was that color when we bought the house. Initially I hated it but it's grown on me, and now I think I can make it work with the "swamp" theme.)

Plus, I have these...

...that need a home, and why leave those four all alone up there, when they can be displayed out of their boxes, with the rest of the girls? And the ones missing from the collection, that I have yet to acquire...

My only real concern about putting them in the children's library/guest room is that it is the children's library, and I'd prefer my daughter not play with them. So they may stay boxed, at least until I'm sure she won't run off with them.

UPDATE:
I couldn't stand it: I took them out of the boxes, and got the shelf all arranged. My birthday present to me was playing with dolls.

See? Much better than sitting in boxes!

Tutorial for making the tree here. I found black doll stands, and they nearly disappear (I am a firm believer in black stands -- white reflects so much more light and is a lot more obtrusive.) I had a tiny tealight holder that looks like a cauldron, with a pumpkin cut-out face, and purple glitter. It turned out to be exactly the right size for the Kelly-and-friends dolls.

FYI: They aren't warming their hands...
This was the first arrangement, before the other dolls were added.

I am particularly pleased with how the Barbie "coven" turned out. Clearly adding more props isn't practical, but I'd love to add some tomb façades (New Orleans graves are mostly above ground because they are below sea level) to put as background. I have another shelf, too, and more Hallowe'en dolls to add to the collection, but this is a great start.

Something I noticed as I was unboxing them, there is great variation in the Barbie faces. Not just different makeup, but whole new sculpts. I think my favorite face is the Halloween Glow Barbie, in the lavender and black dress.

Halloween Treat (2009), Happy Halloween† (2010), Trick or Chic† (2006), Halloween Hip (2006)

Halloween Enchantress (2004), Halloween Glow (2002), Enchanted Halloween (2000), Halloween Star (2005), Halloween Charm (2007)

Missing from my collection of Hallowe'en Barbies († indicates Target exclusive dolls):

• Halloween Fun† (with Kelly, 1997, not a priority - not witchy)
• Halloween Party† (with Ken, 1998, not a priority - not witchy)
• Halloween Fun† (with Kelly, 1999, not a priority - not witchy)
• Halloween Princess† (2001, not witchy but she's way cool)
• Perrr-fectly Halloween† (2002, not a priority - not witchy)
• Maskerade [sic] Party (2002, not a priority - not witchy)
• Halloween Wishes (2005)
• Halloween Party (2007)
• Trick or Chic (2008)
• Fashion Spell (2009)
• Pink Halloween† (2009)

They will be mine...!

I Don't Get It

 

When I sadly learned of Ray Harryhausen's death earlier this month, I sat down to watch Clash of the Titans. I'd forgotten what a fun film that is, and just how awesome his artistry was, and is, even in this day of CGI. Clash of the Titans was his last movie, made in 1981. (The remake, made in 2010, was awful.)

Mattel made the tie-in toys for the movie. They did 3 3/4" action figures for Perseus, Calibos, Thallo, and Charon..?! (Charon, really? He was on screen for like 2 minutes, max.) There were also figures for Pegasus and the Kraken. No Andromeda... the reason for Perseus to go and kill Calibos and later the Kraken. No Medusa... his only means of killing the Kraken. In what universe does that make sense? Another blogger postulates that Mattel didn't have strong enough sales to put much effort into a big toy line, cancelling a second wave of toys before they hit the shelves. I'm not the only one who noticed the lack of these important figures, either. CantinaDan at Action Figure Insiders has several suggestions for things that should have been in Mattel's lineup. 

Because I'm me, it irritates and puzzles me why (for either movie) there were no figures for Andromeda or Medusa. Yes yes, fine, "boys don't play with female figures" (coughbullshitcough), that might explain Andromeda, but it doesn't explain Medusa, who (it could be argued by some -- not me) is more monster than female, or at least monster enough for boys to overlook the fact that she's female. Look, I know the film is 22 years old, but really, how could you not make Medusa, Mattel?? I don't get it. She was absolutely essential to the story! *sigh*

I would like to sit down with people at Mattel -- generations of them! -- and have a wee chat about some of the dumb things they've done, and continue to do. (The gender segregation on your website, Monster High -- age 6, really?!, the really vomitous redo of Merida...)