Once upon a time, it was easy to differentiate a doll from an action figure. Dolls had limited articulation and usually rooted hair. They wore cloth clothes that could be put on and taken off. Action figures had molded plastic clothes that were part of their plastic bodies; they had molded hair or molded headgear. Action figures were articulated in several spots to allow them to move. So what are the four characters in this photo? Dolls or action figures?
Okay, if you recognize the manufacturer - Sideshow Collectibles - then you will have a good sense that these are action figures. Sorry to blow the suspense and the surprise for the doll collectors who may not be familiar with Sideshow Collectibles.
The four figures from left to right are
Odd Job from James Bond series
Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer series
Wai Lin from James Bond series
Tee Hee from James Bond series
So how can you tell that these are action figures?
1. The size of the eyes. Yes, action figures' eyes are usually smaller than fashion dolls' eyes. Action figure eyes tend to be more realistic than dolls' eyes although there are idealized, manga-styled action figures and character fashion dolls resembling (more or less) human characters.
2. The demeanor of the figure and expression of the eyes. Action figures look at you or look away, but their gaze usually is more remote than fashion dolls. Fashion dolls flirt. They are sooo happy to see you. Or they really, truly do NOT care, they are above you, they ... hey, do YOU notice THEM, NOT noticing YOU?! Fashion dolls are divas. They crave attention.
Action figures would rather you NOT notice them. They have all sorts of plans that may or may NOT involve you. And if you think that that grin on Tee Hee's face has any ingratiating inclination ... well, let me tell you that Grandma's teeth were never that long. No, action figures are not necessarily evil. They just aren't that into you.
See Odd Job's expression? Does he look as if he wants anything from you? Nope. Come or go, it's all the same to him. And the second Buffy there? (Sideshow's first 1:6 scale Buffy had molded hair.) Well, that Buffy doesn't seem comfortable in that white satin dress. She's thinking about staking the Master, the evil vampire who killed her. Wai Lin? Why is she here now? Why her, why here, why now? And what is Angel up to now?
I could continue, but I made my point. However we use them, dolls and action figures are NOT the same. Not just due to gender issues although here is an article about gender and our figures that takes a similar line to what I've written although it's written by an outsider, a NON-collector/enthusiast. I thought it was an interesting piece. But my ramblings emerge from the mind of a fervent collector/enthusiast. So I am not completely aligned with all of the author's ideas.
When I return to this theme, I'll either mention other action figures or start on the doll end.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the thoughtful commentary.
ReplyDeleteVery Best Wishes for the New Year!
Good synopsis. You have an amazing collection of action figures that I have never seen.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thanks for schooling us. LOL! For those of us who have both, there is definitely a difference!
ReplyDeleteHello from SpAin, ver y good entry. The action figures have a different look to our usual dolls. There are some action figures that give me something to fear.Anyway to a collector i think you leed to have both action figures and dolls. Keep in touch
ReplyDeleteHello from Spain: I did not know the difference between the different dolls. Very good entry. We remain in contact blog blog
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Marta!
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you enjoyed the post.
What a chuckle you give with this review, but how true. Awesome writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ro! Glad to provide laughs and maintain your interest ;-)
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to get through to my comments; the Free Library doesn't have Chrome as a web browser.
You're welcome, Limbe Dolls! The bestest of wishes to you, too.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgia Girl and thanks for your kind comment. I realized near the end of 2011 that most of my posts were about Mattel and other frequently seen dolls and action figures. So for 2012, stop by to see some of the more elusive, different figures. Happy New Year to you as well!
Hi Vanessa. You, too, are welcome to my action figure/doll chatter ;-) Yes, ma'am differences, indeed.
Yes, Marta, I think it is important to have both dolls and action figures, today. Having both dolls and action figures makes our collections more interesting.
I apologize for the erratic publishing of your comments. I've been limited to Internet access at the Free Library where unfortunately, I could not fully access my Blogger account to read and to reply to ALL comments.
ReplyDelete(For those interested in the why, the Library computers use a version of Internet Explorer that could not completely work with Blogger. At home, I use Firefox so I have had no problems with accessing Blogger.)
I appreciate all your comments and thank you for your patience. Sincerely, D7ana aka Dana
LMAO, you crack me up. So true though. When I walk into the room, the dolls are usually happy to see me, and the action figures just wish I would go away. ;)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that second doll was Buffy. She sure is, well, buff!
Great post!