Monday, October 21, 2013

NYCC

For the first time, new Monster High dolls were premiered at New York Comic Con! Exciting stuff! If the San Diego Comic Con reveals left many feeling a bit ho-hum about some dolls, the New York one made up for it in spades! Indeed, if there's one big take away from NYCC, it's that MH may just be getting it's mojo back! Sure, we got another couple new character doll reveals but, if you ask me, just as exciting was the fact that previous characters got bold, new, unexpected looks! A lot of fans have been complaining that MH is becoming "too predictable". The dolls we saw at NYCC seem to point to the fact that Mattel is aware of it, and are actually doing something about it! Let's get started!



First up -- Viperine Gorgon. With her middle-parted, long, swirling, frosted pink hair and matching eyes and accessories, Viperine may strike some as "too pink". To me, the light frosted shade used here is a nice change from the hot pink shades we usually see on these dolls. She's got big, dragon eyes hidden behind monstrously huge shades, diamonds patterned on her forehead (!!!), and a headband that seems to have snakes crawling out the back of it from within her hair. SO. COOL. Her dress seems to be a 70's peasant-style cut adorned with cosmic, mutating flowers. It works because floral prints were the thing for peasant dresses, but it's been MH-ized with the spacey interpretation of the flowers. To top it all off, she wears a necklace that appears to be a tangle of tiny snakes. Given her 70's touches, luscious, long, tendrils of hair, and those toxic flowers printed on her dress, Viperine is totally speaking my language. Even the shade of pink works. I adore this doll.

Elissbat looks like Draculaura. Some have even gone so far as to say she may actually be Draculaura, in another form. Elissabat doesn't much excite me. She's pretty to be sure, and her plum-accented Goth dress is cute. But she just doesn't have the oomph other new characters like Honey and Viperine do. But like I said, she's very pretty. I'm sure she'll be making her way into my collection very soon. (November is almost here y'all!)



New Scaremester owns my soul. The line consists of Jinafire, Catrine, and Clawdeen, and they all three look amazing, in my opinion! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually think I'm most looking forward to the Clawdeen from this line! It's all about that hairstyle and spotted eyeshadow. Way unique for Clawdeen, even if they do come in her typical colors. Jinafire's faceup is dominated by green, a nice touch that deviates just enough from her Scaris doll to make her interestingly different. Catrine's faceup is very samey, very similar to her Scaris doll. But she makes up for it with a cool 60's 'do that complements her Scaris hairstyle while being completely different. And her outfit? Yowzers! I have no words! I bow before you, Mattel, for giving us this unique, layered outfit that, like the hairstyle, plays off the Scaris doll's outfit while being totally different. All in all, this is one of my most anticipated upcoming lines. I love me some basics, and all three dolls deliver in that regard.



Next is the Black Carpet assortment, related to the Frights! Camera! Action! line. All four of these dolls strike me as very Art Deco in their dresses and accessories. Fitting for a Hollywood-themed line. I'm not especially excited for this line, although Cleo looks like a must-have (unless Mattel manages to screw the manufactured doll's eyes up again). Draculaura and Lagoona look really nice. Not digging this Clawdeen at all.



So, yeah, with one exception, Art Class is totally rocking my world. Draculaura has bold yellow streaks in her hair! I repeat, Draculaura has bold yellow streaks in her hair! She also appears to have gold/yellow eyeshadow. She's too cool for school, kiddies, is what she is. Can't wait! We're also getting a second Skelita thanks to this line, and wow, is she gorgeous! The blue of her Scaris faceup seems to have been replaced by pink, but whatever -- look at her hair! Her orange streaks have been joined by teal ones as well! Her dress is simple but cute. The big draw with this Skelita is that hair. For me, anyway. Art Class Abbey's dress seems to be an abbreviated, slightly modified, version of her basic doll's outfit. But as with Skelita, the exciting thing about this Abbey is her hair. Wavy, non-tinseled, with a simple middle part. You know how SRM Frankie totally worked for me because of her loose, tousled hairstyle? I'm getting the same vibe from Art Class Abbey. And to top it all off, she has beautiful blue eyeshadow surrounding the entire eye. This Abbey strikes me as mellow, groovy, laidback, cool. Robecca appears here, too, but she confuses me. Is she steampunk? No. But that never bothered me before about her. What's not working for me is her overall style. They seem to be going for the 40's with the hairstyle and dress, but why on Robecca? And why does it look so "off"? I'm not really getting it. Ending on a happier note, Art Class Operetta -- a Walmart exclusive -- is the very kind of doll I love to see from MH. She has two-toned hair -- black on top, red underneath -- with the black portion curly and possibly pigtail'd. Her dress features a red bodice giving way to a skirt featuring one of the coolest prints I've seen in quite a while. One of her forearms and hands is solid black while the other is white. She's unique, she's gorgeous, she's right where MH needs to be stylistically.



I don't have much to say about the Coffin Bean assortment. Abbey is hard to see in the pics I've found of her, so I can't comment. We're getting yet another Toralei -- yay! -- though she does look very basic. Again, I need to see more of her before I can accurately comment. Frankie, on the other hand -- wow! She looks like a deranged 50's waitress, and I'm so loving those yellow streaks and emphasis on her white hair. The outfit is wicked, too -- those prints are just too funky. And fun! If the manufactured doll comes out like the prototype I honestly feel she may be my favorite Frankie yet.

As far as Ghoul Spirit is concerned, you already know how I feel about Slo-Mo and Venus. Frankie looks like she has a cold. I mean, what's going on with her eyes? It's really weird. But hey, she's unique, always a plus in my book! Spectra looks off, as well. I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something odd going on with those eyes. And mouth. Her outfit is uninspired, to say the least. Disappointing.



I'll finish with the Picnic Casket 2-pack. Frankie looks pretty amazing here, wearing a modernized 50's ensemble and sporting extremely dark eyeshadow. She looks to have both blue and yellow streaks in her hair: one of my all-time favorite color combos. Jackson looks like the "coded gay" nerd character from every 80's teen flick. Me no likey. I'll be getting the set for Frankie and ditching Jackson as quickly as possible.

NYCC: the monsters came, the monsters conquered (well, aside from a small handful of duds), the monsters ruled. What did you think of MH's NYCC presence? Which dolls do you love, which ones do you hate? Do you agree with me that, aside from a couple of minor missteps, MH seems to be getting it's mojo back? If nothing else, it was exciting seeing such a large number of dolls premiered at one time! It made SDCC pale in comparison, if you ask me.

To see great pics of the actual dolls on display at the con, head to VioletVondergeist's Tumblr. Lots and lots of great stuff there!

Thanks for reading!

12 comments:

  1. I think my favorites mostly align with yours (aside from Robecca, whom I always adore).

    Elizabat's similar look to Laura is.... I'm not sure if she's intentionally supposed to look so similar to Laura as a plot point or if they just thought we needed another pink vampire. But I do like her dress and her coloring with the purple is nice & something I hope they explore with Laura in the future. The other newbies are just tops themselves and apparently Viperine's based on an albino snake of some sort? She doesn't thrill me as much as Honey does but she's firmly tied with Clawdia for my likes. The (hopefully) skinny box black carpet dolls are amongst my favorites with Operetta & Cleo being the shining stars of the line. I have a feeling that Draculaura's white hands for her 'shoes' doll were a test run for different types of molded gloves for them & I'll be interested in seeing whether or not the skin on them is raised.

    As far as the others go, Abbey sold me on her art class doll with that chainsaw while the others in the assortment also look mostly adorable to me. Both Clawdeen & Jinafire (whom I never found in stores by the time I started liking her) from new Scaremester line are musts but if I'm looking to talk myself out of dolls - if only to have money for different ones - then Catrine is one I can skip. For the Coffin Bean dolls the only definite is Toralei, as I still don't have one of her, and the others are cute but are lower on my list. The two pack, however, is a definite as is Slo Moe (whom I really wish wasn't short packed. Ugh - it is going to be a fight to find one of him in stores, isn't it?). Frankie from that line was one as well until the odd make-up around her eyes.

    Between these and EAH Mattel has my wallet in a stranglehold until at least the summer with these upcoming dolls & I'm sure by then they'll be putting out even more dolls that we want. Hmm - perhaps it would just be easier to direct deposit my paychecks into an account for them. Certainly less hassle then hunting these down one by one! XD

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    1. Lots of good points, Andrew! I had also read that about Viperine being an albino snake. Makes sense to me. If Ula's ILS glove-hands were a test run I hope they learned from it! They're not bad, but they're not exactly great, either.

      I like your idea for a direct deposit -- it would be so much easier lol! Btw, I'll catch up with and fill you in on Flickr! ;)

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  2. Don't care much for any of the new Cleo dolls. Never been a fan, never will be. She still looks like a spoiled Egyptian princess and not like the daughter of a mummy. I love Cleo's persona and attitude... but the way she looks... she needs to have a monster trait, like the others. She looks too human.

    Don't care at all about any of the new Clawdeen, Frankie or Draculaura. Completely lost interest in those three. I'm so saturated with them. Some of their new upcoming dolls look pretty but I won't buy any. Frankie and Draculaura don't excite me at all anymore. Plus, I'm beyond sick and tired of Clawdeen constantly getting done with purple hair or purple streaks. It's maddening and infuriating. A bunch of interesting shades and styles that could be used on Spectra are being wasted on Miss Wolf. Enough already.

    I LOOOVE the new FCA/Black Carpet Lagoona. She looks so pretty. Head over heels in love with this Operetta. Her reveal totally took me by surprise since I had no idea she'd be getting a new doll. The full black bangs is awesome. Love, love, love her!

    Viperine looks quite fierce. Not sure if I'll get her but she's a beauty. No doubt about it. Elissabat... I'll need to see her in person. Too similar to Draculaura. However, her outfit is stunningly beautiful. Spectra will look drop dead gorgeous in it.

    New Scaremester Catrine and Jinafire.... Aah! Absolutely adorable! I wish they had given Catrine a different faceup and hair color... but she still very successful. Love Jinafire! Those fiery red pants.... va-va-va voom!
    Hyper sexy!

    Art Class Robecca and Skelita... very pretty. Beautiful colors. But not getting them, as I am not a fan and I only invest in ghouls I truly love. Abbey looks pretty good. I wish they'd do one with white lipstick. She'd be amazing.

    Don't give a hoot about Clawdia. She's too creepy and not in a good, amusing way. On the other hand, I'm very excited about Honey. So pretty and colourful. A true beauty.

    The Ghoul Spirit line... uh.... confusing much? That line is so... off-putting and weird. In a bad way. Frankie, Venus and Spectra look like a major train wreck. I don't understand that line at all. And what the bloody hell have they done to my beloved Spectra?

    In resumé, the best part of the 2013 New-York Comic Con: the unexpected Black Carpet Operetta and Lagoona. Plus, Elissabat's dress, and the fierce Viperine. Art Class Abbey and New Scaremester Catrine and Jinafire.

    Worst part: the Ghoul Spirit line. Very disappointed with Venus and Spectra. And the complete absence of Ghoulia. Not even one doll for the friendly zombie. Not fair at all.

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    1. I love Cleo so much but I actually agree, her dolls lately have been problematic. Mostly it's the weird eye issues for me, though. I actually like that she's not as monstrous as the others. It gives the line that much more variety. Love her attitude! I know you know I adore Cleo, I admire your honesty on your opinions of her!

      Frankie, Clawdeen, and Draculaura are probably here to stay, for better or worse. I'm a Frankie fanboy; with the other two it all comes down to each doll's design. I feel 2013 has been great for Clawdeen, less so Draculaura, but she had her moments. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing either of them scaled back on, I just don't think it'll happen. Then again, they seem to be doing that with Frankie so who knows? Tying into your point about Ghoulia, subbing her in for one of the main three occasionally would be nice.

      Viperine -- right on! Elissabat -- yep, pretty much! Art Class is all about Operetta I gotta say. Well, and Draculaura. Like I said, it comes down to the design of her dolls for me, and I really like it here! Honey gives me life ;) Ghouls Spirit, we'll see. Maybe the manufactured dolls will look better? (Doubtful.)

      Thanks for the detailed reply, Tristan! Just what I like!

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  3. Oh, man, I'm seriously disappointed about Elisabat. I was looking forward to a more serious, old school vampire; in the first blurry picture from SDCC it looked kind of black and white, but now it's pink and purple? No, no. Just no. And no Ghoulia? I hope they make up for her absence later...

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    1. Based on that blurry pic I thought she was gonna be a more straightforward Gothic style doll. No such luck. I guess we shoulda known, eh? :-/ Hopefully we see Ghoulia in a New Scaremester second wave. She's long overdue for a new basic.

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  4. I'm SUPER excited for Skelita and Catrine from this set. And, of course, Honey Swamp (coooooooome to me, Honey Swamp...). I wasn't entirely "grabbed" by Skelita's Scaris doll, but I am SO grabbed by this new one. That hair! Oh my Ra. It's gorgeous. Those are the three on my "Must Buy" list.

    Although I also love Cleo (but when don't I??), Viperine, Venus, Lagoona and... Actually, I kinda love that Robecca. I'm a huge Robecca fangirl (unexpectedly, too - I wasn't that into her and then received her Dance Class doll as a surprise gift from my sister and fell. in. love. once I had her out of the box and on display). Although I'm confused. The leaked stock photos seem to almost have some kind of tightly curled hairdo in the usual color mix, but the doll at NYCC had straight hair that was predominantly blue (loooove). It should be interesting to see what the actual doll ends up being released with. I think both hairstyles look great.

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    1. Glad to see you're so enthusiastic about the new dolls! So am I, of course. (Well, for the most part lol.) If DC was your first Robecca doll I'm kinda not surprised you became a fangirl. Imo that's her best doll so far, easily. Loaded with personality! I think my bad experiences with my initial basic Robeccas have left a bad taste in my mouth. Although I'm still confused about AC Robecca I appreciate your excitement for her! It'll be interesting to see which 'do the manufactured doll actually has. This being Mattel, I wouldn't be surprised if it's not like either style at all lol.

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  5. i cant wait for most of these dolls i think im most excited for AC skelita, NS jinafire, PC frankie and jackson (hopefully they will change his hair) FCA the new stars and BC, and the new operetta although i think the sign next to her in a few pics said she was FCA exclusive to walmart but i may be wrong she may be art class but was pretty sure she is FCA... whatever line she is im really excited for her because i love operetta i just hope they give us some good operetta hair with her since a lot of operetta dolls have bad hair... i also really love slo-mo

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    1. I know she's a Walmart exclusive but I thought the sign said Art Class. I could be wrong though -- it's certainly happened before lol. In general I think Mattel is taking some chances with the designs like they used to. Bold colors, bright streaks of hair, interesting outfits. Really excited for these dolls!

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    2. me too i think operettas outfit is amazing i love the color scheme and the design of it... it is original and eye catching... and i totally agree that mattel has started taking chances again and doing unexpected new bold out fits and colors... oh did you see on EAH dolls FB page they have a picture of all the art class ghouls in box and ready to be sold by toots toys, if you cant find it on face book then you can go to tootstoys.com and click on MH and you can even click on the pic of the sets and it will bring up a pic that you can magnify and if you go there you can see the box art... i know you really like that kind of stuff

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    3. Yep, I saw those! And I *love* them! I'm most excited for Skelita and Ula, but Abbey looks quite gorgeous, as well. She'll definitely be making her way into my collection! Speaking of Abbey, dude, her Art Class box drawing? Love it! She looks so sexy and fierce there! Loving Ula's AC box art, as well -- so, so cute!

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