Dolls have always had a place in the hearts of young girls, with the bright pink princesses and fashion icons being the usual designs that we see as the small role models that all girls want. In the past decade, they have left a rather big impact on girls, making way for the astronaut, the surgeon, the firefighter, and the Olympic Skier; just to name a few. Inspiring a whole new way of thinking and things to strive for in what a young girl’s future goals are.

I have seen many dolls in my life, they line the shelves of any major toy store and can be found throughout the internet. Pink everywhere! However, I came across a fascinating new doll explosion in my adolescents.

Monster High Dolls

At first glance these dolls are immediately different. In the sea of frilly pink blondes; there sits the Gothic and ghoulish variety of dolls. All Monsters. I didn’t realise a doll could be this way, they have taken the scariest things to a child of any age – vampires, werewolves, zombies, and ghosts – and turned them into fashion icons. I have seen almost every single one of these dolls and I am in awe of how they have changed my view of the toy industry. As a lover of Gothic fashion and culture I instantly fell in love with these dolls.

The doll franchise was originally revealed at San Diego Comic Con, with the first doll in the line being Frankie Stein. Based on Frankenstein’s Monster, the book written by Mary Shelley, her skin was green and she was covered in scars and sew marks, her eyes were two different colours and her neck had bolts in it. A monster indeed!

Yet I have seen many occasions where little girls and even my own cousins have fallen in love with these dolls in the same way I have, wanting to buy them, their accessories (which I’d like to add are coffin beds and skeleton hand chairs), to dress them and show them off to their friends.

Young girls are very impressionable when it comes to the toys they “should” play with, and the fact they can look at a doll with fangs, one eye or two heads and still want it in their life and on their shelves is honestly heart-warming.

In my own opinion, as a 20-year-old, I still absolutely adore these dolls. My personal favourites are C.A Cupid and Rochelle Goyle. These two are quite different as they are not technically monsters. C.A Cupid is, as you’d expect, based on Cupid, the God of Love and her tag line is “What matters to your heart?” I love her overall black and pink design along with her boney heart-shaped wings. She is an interesting fictional character to base her on, however she has certainly captured my heart with her pink hair and gradient skin.

The other being Rochelle, based on a gargoyle. I think I must have a thing for grey outfits and wings, but she is definitely a beauty. Being part of French heritage as well, as her own backstory places her on Notre Dame, she sets a lovely change to what could be made into a doll, a stone creature on the side of the building is something I have never considered to see to young dolls.

Alongside the main doll franchise there have been several animated TV specials and movies related to the Monster High brand. There have also been several video games based on the franchise, the first of which was released in 2011 for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii. There is also a Monster High young adult novel collection which are written by Lisi Harrison. These books:

Take place in a different fictional universe than the webisodes and deal with the Regular Attribute Dodgers (RADs) and their struggles with love, social life, school and not be outed as monsters to humans.”

Closing Comments on Monster High Dolls

In a closing note, these dolls may seem scary, Gothic and odd, but that’s the beauty of them. I would love to cover each and every doll to tell you their stories but I’ll leave that for you to see in your own time! Monster High Dolls have changed what kind of toys are “suitable” for young girls. All of these dolls are special and extraordinary; not just that they are based on mythical monsters but the fact they cover all areas of personalities and traits.

A zombie who’s slow but is the smartest student, a fish monster in a wheelchair, a vegan vampire and so many more. I like this challenge to society, I like the way they have brought a new statement to what is beautiful. Monster High Dolls are indeed an inventive and daring outlook on our standards of what is normal.

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