Toys in Motion: Designer Toys

Developed by artists David Horvath and Sun Min-Kim, this irresistible 12” to 14” tall hot pink plush creature looks like a Cyclops caught in a nuclear meltdown. The “dog” has four feet and a tail, all in a row. Made of a soft fabric akin to the inside of a fleece sweatshirt, the doll is easy to squeeze and hard to put down. Uglydoll describes the character as “the ultimate pet” because “what he really likes to do is stand on his tail and live out his big dream … to be just like you!!!” Whether full-size, half-size, swinging from a keychain, or decking a t-shirt, the Ugly Dolls are the coolest hot toy for kids of all ages.
— “They’re so popular, and across such a broad age range!” enthused Elaine Hackney, owner of J.P. Boing’s Toy Shoppe in Jamaica Plain, Mass. “They´re great. When they first came out several years ago, I didn’t think so, but I was proven wrong.”
— A TDmonthly Magazine reporter spotted a tourist at a Los Angeles airport carting off a whole bagful of the Uglies. All the retailers we called said they haven’t slowed down a bit.
— Uglydolls have been seen on CNN and The Today Show. The t-shirt is featured in the Sony picture “Zathura,” out this month.

This collectible designer figure is one of only 900 made. He is painted to resemble one of the Luchadors — masked Mexican wrestlers. The figure is asymmetrical, with one arm slightly longer than the other, one ear slightly narrower than the other, and one leg sligthly thinner than the other.

A collectible like no other, Skumbo is the weirdest, funkiest, cutest evil dude around. Created by hybrid transmedia crossover artist Tristan Eaton, this limited edition vinyl action figure is like no other. And action is the key word; Skumbo came to Earth for the hootch, and stayed for the nightlife, roaming the planet looking for trouble and finding it. He’s too cute for hell, too drunk for heaven. 4 ½ inches tall, he comes in Red Cutty and Felon Purple.

A niche product from Japan, distributed here by DRAGON MODELS USA, Pinky Street is being collected by kids and adults in specialty comics and anime stores. Conceived as a “girl next door” fashion doll, Pinky Street figures were designed by modeler Yuki Kanaya (Baby Sue). Influenced by anime and current Tokyo fashion trends, the 4” vinyl dolls have interchangeable heads, hair, body parts, clothing and feet. Each doll comes dressed and with one extra vinyl outfit. The more Pinky Streets collected, the more mix-and-match outfit possibilities there are! Fun, imaginative and a good alternative to “brattier” fashion dolls. Warning: Pinky Streets are collectibles, aren´t produced on a mass scale and are sometimes in short supply, so if you think the doll is right for your store, you should get your order in as soon as possible.

Moxy’s got a lot of moxy. She’s a real get-up-and-go Ugly, with far more energy than her older brother Ox. Moxy’s favorite activity seems to be bouncing off the walls and jumping in and out of mischief. Her giant antennae are always on the look out for a good time, and she can hear a party from miles away. Launch date: May 2006.
— When asked for the surprise hit for 2006, Denis Hofstetter, owner of The Toy Store in Atlanta, said “The Uglydoll. We’ve been carrying them for more than just this year, but they've done extra well this year.”
— “Uglydolls — I’m shocked that they’re still selling as well as they are,” said Barbara Fineblum, owner of Barston’s Childs Play in Baltimore.
— “’Surprises’ is a perfect category for the Uglydolls,” Victoria George, public relations representative for Pretty Ugly LLC, shared with TDmonthly. “They first capture your attention by their name — Ugly — and then you hold one and you’re surprised by how incredibly soft and cuddly they are. Upon further inspection, their stories make for an additional surprise with their funny anecdotes.”

They´re half the size and half the price, but twice as cute. Little Uglys give regular UglyDolls the opportunity to parent their clones. Pictured is Ox, but Tray, Target, Cinko, Minimum Wage and the rest of the gang are also available in mini sizes.

With the popularity of Dark Horse´s release of the complete library of classic Little Lulu comics, Dark Horse is happy to offer Little Lulu as an 8" vinyl figure. From her first appearance in The Saturday Evening Post in the 1930´s as a single panel gag strip, Little Lulu has gone on to become a beloved cultural icon all over the world. Dressed in her signature red hat and dress, she comes complete with doll in hand. Little Lulu qualifies as both a collector´s item and an adorable doll.

With the popularity of Dark Horse´s release of the complete library of classic Little Lulu comics, Dark Horse is happy to offer her sidekick Tubby as an 8" vinyl figure. From her first appearance in The Saturday Evening Post in the 1930´s as a single panel gag strip, Little Lulu has gone on to become a beloved cultural icon all over the world. Tubby was alternately Little Lulu´s closest companion and biggest nemesis — forever getting into mischief and hatching schemes. Tubby and his club, the Junior Paratroopers, often found themselves matching wits with Lulu, with often disastrous results. The beauty of this toy is its value as a collector´s item, as well as a vinyl figure.

These tiny 3" vinyl dolls resemble workers you would expect to find in Santa´s workshop. The first series of Ice-Bots include 14 different characters. One secret design has yet to be released. The dolls are packaged blind, so the character’s identify is a surprise when the box is opened.