Re-Introducing Kari Mitchell by M and C Toys

Kari Mitchell profile

An anonymous visitor asked for Kari Mitchell photos. So I include these photos showing my only Kari Mitchell doll wearing a summery Barbie dress. This Kari Mitchell doll shows a SuperStar Barbie influence in her permanently bent arms, her open-mouthed smile, and the deep flat forehead before a retroussé nose. However, her eyes are brown. She has brown or blond hair. And her dimpled chin is more substantial than most Barbie dolls. Black Kari dolls are available, too. They were produced from the same face sculpt as my doll's.

Kari Mitchell raises her permanently bent arms.

Back view of Kari Mitchell dressed in a Barbie outfit.

I wrote a brief article about Kari back in 2009. M&C Toys Centre Ltd. produces her as well as the more articulated Power Team action figures. While Kari Mitchell is not as pose-able as the Power Team guys, she is jointed at her head, her shoulders, and her hips. Her knees are click bend style, and she has a twist waist. She's good quality for a Barbie clone; solid weight, decent hair quality and thickness, and clean plastic parts. (Clean as in no sticky or leaky plastic.) 

Even better though, Kari Mitchell dolls tend to be produced with mini wardrobes. Those more realistic-than-Barbie's clothes can be used for other fashion dolls. Big Lots! sells this doll series on the East Coast; she can also be found online at eBay. One or two Kari Mitchell dolls would provide a different face to your doll collection.

Is Dark Horse Comics Producing Game of Thrones Action Figures?

Hey, Game of Thrones fans! Dark Horse Comics has won the license to produce Games of Thrones merchandise. Were you - like I - wishing and hoping that Dark Horse Comics would produce playscale Game of Thrones characters? If so, which characters did you want to see first? I would have liked to have Tyrion Lannister, Cersei Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Catelyn Stark - pause to check the character list - well, you guessed it, most of the characters, ha ha. The first ones Dark Horse is producing though are Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. I can understand why those two were chosen - to avoid any spoilers, I'll just leave it that they are among the most striking of the characters. Now I mentioned playscale, didn't I? Alas, per Toy Examiner Kevin Griffith, Dark Horse is not yet introducing regular, articulated action figures ... they are creating an unspecified scale of sculptures that they are calling "action figures."

Bah!

Sigh. Well, maybe Dark Horse Comics will relent and someday release playscale figures of some of the Game of Thrones characters. Some day ....

Teen Beach Movie Dolls - Big-Heads Strike Again!

If you follow Disney movies, you might be aware of a recent movie called Teen Beach Movie. Teenagers Brady and Mckenzie find themselves in classic teen movie West Side Story. They have to "escape" from the classic movie. Singing and dancing and romantic musical chairs ensue.  These three dolls are based on characters from that movie: Brady, Lela, and Mckenzie.

Musical Brady - the boy. I mention "the boy" because well, I wouldn't have guessed that just looking at his doll face sculpt. I am a little suspicious about his body too. I do have androgynous dolls (see my Takara guys) so I don't mean to sound catty. But this doll does not resemble the actor and does not look boy-like to me. Shrug.

Musical Lela. Okay, the huge big head and the big eyes are creepy. But I do recognize the doll as a representation of the actress. (If only by the coloring and the face screening.) The other dolls in this series fall short on doll-actor likeness.

Musical Mckenzie. If Lela's head is creepy, Mckenzie's cheeks look like you could bounce a quarter off them. But I like the red bandana print cropped top. For another teen doll perhaps ...



Big, big heads they have. How big? I pulled up a beach Barbie to see how the bodies would look next to a Barbie. Here we have Brady and Mckenzie next to a basic swimsuit Barbie.

Hmmm ... aside from a slight bow-legged stance, the bodies are not bad. Width and height-wise, they could work in a Barbie-scale universe. Sad they do not seem poseable, but if you needed straight-armed or straight-legged playscale dolls (for store mannequins?), well, they would do. The big heads though would have to roll go.

The jackets look cute and maybe the tops could be used as well for other fashion dolls or action figures. I look forward to when these hit clearance. I don't see anything particularly exciting about them to rush for them now. No, this set calls for a Muff-like wait for clearance attitude ;-)

Allan and Some Vintage Fashions

Another referral post here. This time, to a blog about vintage toys. Tracy - the blogger - has these photos of Allan that are worth viewing for vintage Allan fans. I have the two-toned shoes myself, but I don't have the red striped socks. Uber cute. If you like vintage fashions, of course.

My favorite PhillyCollector post featured Allan as a stand-in for Ken: curious? If you don't mind nude dolls and action figures, stop by to read that post. I did a brief social commentary in it. Thanks if you choose to stop by ... I'd LOVE to get feedback on that one.

More Mod Barbie Fashions Anyone?

Are you in the mood to see some Mod Barbie fashion dolls and Mod [and psychedelic] Barbie fashions? Well, here is a website for you. Yes, a website chockful of wild, far out, and groovy mod fashions worn by Barbie, Francie, Allan, and other kooky, cool fashion dolls from that era. You will also find tips on cleaning your mod'ern gals and guys.

What I find particularly neat about this website is that the site owner includes some Julia fashions and some Barbie catalog specials. The photos are a little small, but the colors just pop on the screen.

Happy viewing!

Updated Mixis Fashion Doll Guide on eBay - Feedback Request

I have updated my eBay guide about the Mixis dolls. I needed the Guide to reflect the name change for the Mixis Editions and I made a few other changes as well. Only 11 people clicked that they have found it helpful. If you have an eBay account and if you are feeling particularly kindly to me, would you visit that page and let me know what I could do to make the Guide more helpful. Thanks in advance.

Asian DAFs Trying to Stay Cool

There is no "getting hot in here;" we are HOT in Philly. Ninety-two degrees unseemly, steaming, still air. I hate summer. De Cat hates summer. The DAFs hate summer. But a few more Asian dolls and action figures gathered to be photographed. Here they go.

Back row, left to right, standing Hasbro Dreams & Visions G.I. Joe foe Miss Fear, Jakks Pacific G.I.R.L. Force Kulture Shock Jaz, R&D Dolls Ibiza Heat Susie, and Mattel Generation Girl Mari Nakano.

Front row, left to right, kneeling Disney Mattel Captain Li Shang from Mulan and Dragon Mong Kok C.I.D. Wai Sir.

Hasbro Dreams & Visions Miss Fear, Disney Mattel Captain Li Shang, and Jakks Pacific G.I.R.L. Force Kulture Shock Jaz stand strong against the heat.  Miss Fear has borrowed YNU Group Mixis' Rosa's floral sundress; Li Shang borrowed some Ken shorts; Jaz has borrowed a Fashion Fever Teresa halter dress that resembles the iconic white dress Marilyn Monroe wore in The Seven Year Itch.

Standing, left to right: Mattel Generation Girl Mari Nakano, Dragon Mong Kok C.I.D. Wai Sir, and R&D Dolls Ibiza Heat Susie decided to take their outfits down a peg or two. Mari borrowed a top from MGA Entertainment's ANTM wardrobe and shorts of unknown origin; Wai Sir borrowed Ken shorts; Susie borrowed a white My Scene Barbie top and olive My Scene Barbie shorts.


P.S. Mari was removed from her box just for this occasion. Jorge of Clicking Dolls had asked about her.