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A Christmas Truce statue inspired by The Farm’s WWI song All Together Now is set to be unveiled in Liverpool.
The giant fibreglass sculpture, designed by Stoke-on-Trent artist Andy Edwards and made by a team of volunteers at Liverpool’s Castle Arts Foundry, will be installed in the Bombed Out Church on Sunday and will be on show to the public from Monday.
On Friday, December 19, it will also be seen at the ECHO’s carol concert in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral where The Farm will play an acoustic version of the song which has been rereleased as a single, in aid of the Red Cross, to mark the centenary of the famous 1914 truce.
Mr Edwards, who first got the idea after visiting Messines in Belgium four years ago, said: “What we’ve done, there’s been no money but this has been a labour of love. We decided it was too important an occasion not to see it marked with something of this nature.
“It’s called All Together Now, its one-and-a-quarter life size and covers 3.6 metres of No Man’s Land.
“I’ve attempted to capture a particular moment, and trepidation, hope and humanity.
“We have goals, and the goal for this piece IS peace. That’s what it’s about. The truce didn’t hold, but it’s held up as an image that can inspire.”
This was my very first complete line of Project MC² dolls! It all worked out, because this is also one of the most iconic waves (and oldest). I remember seeing these dollies on so many occasions when Project MC² was in stores still. If they weren't $25 originally, I surely would have collected more. Instead, I had to rely on sales, the flea market, and eBay to build my modest collection. Half of the dolls in this photo came from eBay in 2021. McKeyla and Bryden were listed by the same seller (who actually had the entire line, but I already owned the other two). They were mostly complete (Bryden is missing glasses), and there were other Project MC² dolls I wanted. I got four altogether with combined shipping...so it was a steal! As for Adrienne and Camryn, they are actually the re-releases. MGA must have had leftovers that they box dated 2019. I got these beauties at Target in 2020 for more than half off! Weirdly Camryn was even cheaper than Adrienne for whatever reason (she was like $7). I would have bought McKeyla and Bryden at Target that day too, but they weren't in stock.
While most Project MC² experiments are kind of lame, these dolls in general came with some very cool accessories. My favorite is without a doubt Adrienne's' volcano. It's perfectly sized for dolls, and it's a school project cliche we all are familiar with. I actually never had to make a volcano in school...despite the fact that they are always shown on television shows! Camryn's skateboard is also appropriately sized for dolls. The "experiment" was building it. I didn't even have to use the instructions to figure it out because it was that easy to assemble. McKeyla's lava light is admittedly too large to be appropriately sized for fashion dolls. But I love lava lamps (I have my dad's original one he got when they first came out). Plus, this is great for American Girls and a handy photo prop. Bryden's glow stick is the most disappointing, but the doll herself is a knockout so she more than makes up for it. Overall, I love the nerdy vibe of Project MC² dolls. The concept is very unique, but the dolls maintain their stylish and beautiful properties.
Dolls in photo (from left to right):
-Lava Light Experiment McKeyla
-Glow Stick Experiment Bryden
-Skateboard Experiment Camryn (2019 re-release)
-Volcano Experiment Adrienne (2019 re-release)
I really liked how the small amount of colour in my Hanekawa model looked, so I took that a bit further this time.
Anyway, same story as the rest, design based on the ending animations by Hajime Ueda from the Monogatari Series. Once again based on an official but extremely limited figure.
Oh boy this one's been a long time coming. I finished the design over a year ago, just waiting for that concave slope to be rereleased in yellow. Finally gave up waiting, redesigned it, and then the next day the 2020 set inventories were published and lo and behold, there it was. Another few weeks for it to show up on Bricks and Pieces, a few more weeks still for my order to actually arrive, and here we are. So yeah, this was meant to go up like a month ago
Loew's State
Since: 09-08-1921
Address: 1540 Broadway, New York
Film on Marquee: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)
CinemaTreasures.org ID: 557
Victoria
Since: 1908
Address: 1547 Broadway, New York
Film on Marquee: POPI (1969)
CinemaTreasures.org ID: 2945
On the back: "TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY
The miracles of Broadway are reflected in the millions of lights that illuminate the "great white way". Broadway is the center of the theatrical world; the stage, movies, music, television, radio, any entertainment is Broadway"
Alan Arkin stars in POPI at the Victoria, across the street ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is still playing, but across the smoking Kent cigarette, there's a smoking volcano prepping New Yorkers for the Cinerama 70mm spectacular "KRAKATOA: EAST OF JAVA" which premiered on May 14th 1969. "The Incredible Day That Shook the Earth to it's Core!" was one if it's taglines, the disaster extravaganza was one of the last films to use Todd-AO (and Super Panavision 70) for principle photography. After the succes of EARTHQUAKE in 1974, the film was rereleased in Europe as VOLCANO with Sensurround added, sometimes advertised as Feelarama. And just so you know, Krakatoa is west of Java..
I can't tell what's playing in the Astor.
Postcard ©1969 Dexter Press, Inc. West Nyack, New York. & Manhattan Post Card Pub. Co., Inc.DT-59964-C
She's finally home! I've been wanting this doll for YEARS and YEARS fortunately Souldoll did a limited rerelease last winter and I was able to order one.
All photos in this set were taken at the Howell Nature in Howell, Michigan. The animals all have been permanently injured and cannot be rereleased into the wild.
A Black-Footed ferret rereleased on the Crow Nation in Montana, Friday, Oct. 23, 2015. USDA photo by John Steuber.
I got this doll a few years ago NIB from Amazon. I think she was released last time they rereleased Sleeping Beauty.
Looking at her now, I am extremely unsettled by how small her upper lip is. It's cool she lights up and stuff, but my god, how could I have never noticed how terrible her lips are? I've never been a fan of this face, but man, it's never looked this bad. Do you guys see what I mean? Or is it just me???
Ruby throated hummingbirds are all over our yard.
At one point there were at least 10 hummers at this feeder.
There are two more feeders and an oriole feeder.
Three more in the front yard.
Archilochus colubris
The oldest known Ruby-throated Hummingbird was a female, and at least 9 years, 1 month old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in West Virginia.
source -https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird/lifehistory
In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id
www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...
"A female Mountain Bluebird pays more attention to good nest sites than to attractive males. She chooses her mate solely on the basis of the location and quality of the nesting cavity he offers her—disregarding his attributes as a singer, a flier, or a looker.
A male Mountain Bluebird frequently feeds his mate while she is incubating and brooding. As the male approaches with food, the female may beg fledgling-style—with open beak, quivering wings, and begging calls. More often, she waits until her mate perches nearby, then silently flicks the wing farthest from him—a signal that usually sends him off to find her a snack.
The oldest recorded Mountain Bluebird was a female, and at least 9 years old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Alberta in 2005. She had been banded in the same province in 1997." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/
The day before yesterday, 11 July 2018, my place was just too hot for comfort. so I took a short drive SW of the city to see what I could find. I had been wondering if the Mountain Bluebirds were still around and I wanted to check on them. A few were found and two pairs gave me a few chances to take photos. The first pair I checked on was nowhere to be seen - and then I knew why. Way down the road, perched on a high power post, was a Red-tailed Hawk. Once the hawk had flown off over the fields, the Bluebirds appeared. Certain other bird species were not seen during the time I spent out there, so I guess I will have to try again another day.
The highlight of my drive was suddenly spotting a beautiful Moose (probably a young one from last year) who was busily feeding on the trees and bushes a short way into the forest. It was so dark within the trees that I almost missed seeing it. In fact, I thought I had spotted a deer, but a quick U-turn and I discovered it was a Moose, not a deer. It was in no hurry to move away and was still there when I left. Almost every one of my photos came out blurry - most likely because I was shooting from the driver's seat across the passenger seat, with the car still running : ( I had pulled over in a place that was not the best for stopping, so wanted to be able to move if I needed to. Happy that a handful of photos came out OK, though.
(Cardinalis sinuatus) Just south off Falcon Lake, Tx. This year's sighting was somewhat disappointing after our experience with the species at Falcon SP. After failing to locate any in the park, we left. A couple of km outside the entrance, my wife Nana spotted this one at the top of tree. I could only see the bird from the backlit side, so it was impossible to get it in better light or angle. Still, better than not seeing it at all. And it was singing, too!
"The Pyrrhuloxia or Desert Cardinal is a medium-sized North American song bird found in the American southwest and northern Mexico. This distinctive species with a short, stout bill and red crest and wings, and resembles the Northern cardinal and the Vermilion cardinal which are in the same genus." (Wikipedia)
And from Cornell's Lab of Ornithology:
• Foraging winter flocks of Pyrrhuloxias may number as many as 1,000 birds.
• The name "Pyrrhuloxia" is a combination of the genus names Pyrrhula (bullfinches) and Loxia (crossbills). The roots mean "flame-colored" and "crooked," and aptly describe the reddish bird with the crooked bill.
• The Pyrrhuloxia has very similar vocalizations and behaviors to the closely related Northern Cardinal, which is found in the same range but tends to live in wetter habitats.
• When a male Pyrrhuloxia’s and a male cardinal’s territories overlap, each defends its territory vigorously from members of its own species, but they don’t seem to fight with each other.
• On a day when outdoor temperatures reached 118°F, a Pyrrhuloxia was seen sitting on a terrace in the air-conditioned breeze coming out of a house. This canny behavior has also been observed in Cactus Wrens and Loggerhead Shrikes.
• Though they will drink at pools of water when possible, Pyrrhuloxias seem to get most of their water from their insect food in spring and summer.
• The oldest Pyrrhuloxia on record was a male, and at least 8 years, 1 month old when he was recaught and rereleased during banding operations in Arizona.
BOX DATE: 2021
MANUFACTURER: M.G.A.
DOLLS IN LINE: Prom Princess; M.C. N.Y.C.; Valley B.B.; Pins; E.D.M.B.B.; Oops Baby
RELEASES: 2019 #Hairgoals "Wave 2"; 2021 Hair Hair Hair
BODY TYPE: No date; painted bodysuit, gloves, & tights
HEAD MOLD: No date; ear slots; open mouth
SPECIAL FEATURES: Color change
IMPORTANT NOTES: The only difference between this 2021 Hair Hair Hair re-release and the original #Hairgoals doll is the additional accessories. These Hair Hair Hair dolls were also packaged with 2 extra clips, a hair bauble, and a scrunchie.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: This tiny tot is without a doubt one of the most iconic L.O.L.s ever produced. I quite literally wanted her from the first moment I discovered the world of L.O.L.s. It was the beginning of 2020 when I spotted #Hairgoals tubes in the clearance section at the local Walmart. After doing some research at home, I found deboxed images of the strange dolls online. I fell wildly in love with this little raver girl. I realized that there was another wave of the #Hairgoals dolls, which featured her on the outside wrapper. When I went back to the store later that week to procure one of the #Hairgoals tubes, I unintentionally stumbled upon the last "Wave 2" tube in stock. I was so hoping it would be E.D.M.B.B. I had even learned her name early on, despite the fact that it took a while to get used to the way these dolls are titled. To my disappointment, I ended up with Pins instead. Of course, I loved her too, and it was the existence of Pins and Yang Q.T. in my life that drove me to the brink of L.O.L. insanity. Since I didn't want to risk getting any duplicates by purchasing any more "Wave 2" balls I found in other stores, I decided to check eBay and Mercari. Unfortunately, she was one of the more desirable characters....meaning some people were paying around $40 for her (kind of ridiculous if you ask me). The only cheap E.D.M.B.B. dolls who were around retail were listed from sketchy sellers--ones based in China who had bad reviews for stocking counterfeit items. If it seems to be too good to be true, than it probably is. I decided to hold out, and see if I'd find her secondhand or if the online prices went down. To my greatest delight, MGA re-released some of the #Hairgoals dolls in the Hair Hair Hair line two years later. E.D.M.B.B. was stocked at my local Walmart. However, now the dolls were in visible packaging--like buying a standard Barbie instead of one of those annoying, wasteful surprise gimmicks. I knew it would be easy to get my hands on E.D.M.B.B. I opted to hold out for a sale. It was over Memorial Day weekend 2022 when my dream to own this tiny tot came true. We ventured out to Target on Sunday afternoon, since the Series 2 O.M.G. 4 Pack was 50% off...but not stocked online. I had no option but to travel all the way to Target. I finally caved in and made the trip, after some incessant begging by Colleen. I hoped that there would be other great sales in the L.O.L. section, since there were tons of dolls price slashed online. Delightfully, there was a fresh stash of the Hair Hair Hair dolls who were also 50% off. I nabbed E.D.M.B.B. and Valley B.B. (another coveted tot). Earlier that day when we were at the flea market, we had come upon an abused looking group of predominantly L.O.L.s and O.M.G.s. There was no rescuing 99% of them, due to their missing appendages/bodies, lack of clothes, and extensive damage. Feeling disheartened by the sight encouraged us to seek out brand new dolls who were marked down at stores...also in need of homes. The long wait made this doll that much more worth it. Plus, after that disturbing flea market encounter, I felt even more protective and loving towards her than I usually would be (which as a doting doll mama, I already am quite the helicopter parent).
BOX DATE: 2020
MANUFACTURER: M.G.A.
DOLLS IN PACK: Glitter Queen; Cosmic Queen; Fresh, Majorette; Teacher's Pet; Rocker; Merbaby; Roller Sk8er; Line Dancer; Sis Swing; Royal High-ney; Leading Baby
RELEASES:2016 Series 1; 2017 Series 1 "Re-Release;" 2018 Series 1 "Re-Release"; 2020 Ultimate Collection Re-Released Series 1; 2022 Miss Royale Family
BODY TYPE: No date
HEAD MOLD: 2016 "Royal"; open mouth; ear slots
SPECIAL FEATURES: Spits
IMPORTANT NOTES: This doll was released multiple times over the years (see "Releases" section above). The original 2016 Series 1 dolls have smaller pupils (compared to this doll's larger pupils). There are two versions of the Ultimate Collection--one with Diva on the package and one with Merbaby. This doll was part of the Merbaby pack.
PERSONAL FUN FACT: Her majesty, the queen, her Royal High-ney!!! What an absolutely brilliant concept...down to the clever pun on her name!!! MGA knocked it out of the park with this L.O.L. doll! Ironically, I only found out about Royal High-ney after I bought a doll from the Boy Series. I saw His Royal High-ney featured on the character checklist and I knew I HAD to get him someday. Being so new to the world of L.O.L. Surprise (literally only a month or so into them), I did not realize right away that he was based off a Series 1 girl. When I was scoping out His Royal High-ney dolls on eBay, I stumbled upon lots that included the brother AND the sister. It was an absolute delight learning that there were more ridiculous looking royal dolls produced. Now, if only MGA were to make an O.M.G. sister for the two L.O.L.s, then my life would be complete. While the little sister isn't quite as ridiculous looking as her brother (imagine this powdered wig on a fella), she is pretty darn close in terms of cuteness. I was over the moon when I realized she'd been re-released in the Ultimate Collection. It just so happened that Royal High-ney was in the set I was planning to buy (once it went on sale). I think if she'd been included in the "Diva Pack," which had three duplicated dolls from my collection, I might have caved and gotten that one too. But fortunately she was in the set I already made up my mind I was getting. Luckily, I hadn't cracked and bought her and her brother on eBay (which I had contemplated doing many times). She's a very sharp looking little creature--with those super pale eyes and pastel hair color. But her extremely black eye liner and pupils are jarring in contrast to her otherwise pale complexion/features. This idea is by far one of the most unique ones I've seen for L.O.L.s yet, and definitely a personal favorite!
I really liked how the small amount of colour in my Hanekawa model looked, so I took that a bit further this time.
Anyway, same story as the rest, design based on the ending animations by Hajime Ueda from the Monogatari Series. Once again based on an official but extremely limited figure.
Oh boy this one's been a long time coming. I finished the design over a year ago, just waiting for that concave slope to be rereleased in yellow. Finally gave up waiting, redesigned it, and then the next day the 2020 set inventories were published and lo and behold, there it was. Another few weeks for it to show up on Bricks and Pieces, a few more weeks still for my order to actually arrive, and here we are. So yeah, this was meant to go up like a month ago
In my opinion the new version is perfect they should put the accessories and she's a must have ^^ she's so pretty, and for the fans of Cleo don't hesitate !!!
I was super excited to get the rereleased Coraline, in her trademark raincoat. The first thing I did was switch the faces, because Coraline had to be as happy as I am to have her in this outfit. I really hope rerelease the rest of the set, and they sell well enough to have Laika produce even more Coralines; and other puppets/dolls, from there other movies.
After a long time of waiting... (They should have been here last week =-=) I had to call the store alot before they finally understood what was wrong. But i finally have them! I couldn't choose wich dolls i wanted but it's okay since i want all of them though :p I think i'm going to look for the rest tomorrow when i go shopping! ^_^
VIDEO: (Coming in due time)
••• SCRIPT/LYRICS: •••
(Continued from: www.deviantart.com/molemanninethousand/art/MERB-43-A-Luke...)
Mara Jade:
"You will kill Sonic the Hedgehog", voices in my head command me,
And said order needn't be repeated; I'll fulfill it gladly,
And not settle for some clone made from a severed former hand,
When in to bust Jade's Fire verses comes the Emperor's former Hand!
You wanna dance with me? Well, you should know: this isn't Jabba's palace,
So no stealth is necessary here; I spit with open malice!
I won't second-guess this mission, let alone become your bride;
You couldn't get me to join you with a swarm of Killiks on your side!
Before, I made blue foes concessions; ever since, I've learned my lesson:
I'm resistant to suggestion, and to deadly spore-infection!
That insane old man's foresight fell flat; that much, I made him see,
But mark my words: Princess Acorn will soon fall to her knees for me!
I rocked that purple saber-blade before Sam Jackson made it mainstream;
Like Luke getting with Callista, beating me is just a vain dream!
I'm a Wild Karrde: a dark tyke-bomb-turned-smuggler with a blaster,
Then wife, mother, and, of course, the O.G. female Jedi Master!
Sonic the Hedgehog:
This ain't Yavin; no quick saves! Abandon ship; trust me: you wanna,
Lest you be exposed to coldness vaster than at the Katana!
Sally Acorn: All we'll need to counter that display rests right here in my hand;
With me through many a bizarre adventure, just call this my Stand…
NICOLE:
I enter with a will of Iron, though not as Regina's minion:
I'm a holo-hottie, here to put you under my Dominion!
A Lynx more Advanced than any Game Boy, let alone Atari's,
I detect no threat from you, and certainty that you'll be sorry!
I'm a truly self-made woman if this world's ever seen one,
Constructing cities out of scratch; how? Check it: nanomachines, son!
My evil counterpart assumed a turtle's form, the crazy bastard;
Overclocking won't be needed for my going greatly faster!
Though your dossiers' downloads were massive, I'm a rapid learner;
If Jade's bark had any bite, she'd off Luke sooner than he'd turn her!
I don't give a BEEP about that garbage canister of yours;
If rebel data's what you're after, I'm the one you're looking for!
In trying to bring about my ousting, this wack wizard won't get far:
I'll hack into his puny mind; entrance him like The Crystal Star,
For I'm not of this universe! They flung a light into the past,
And soon, you'll share my makers' fate, struck by my verbal-nuking blasts!
Princess Leia:
Keen on inciting our armada's wrath? If not, then don't be starting:
That's like building up a settlement atop some ancient garden!
Luke Skywalker: I project true power; this glorified Pokédex just spouts noise!
Mara Jade: Her flimsily-fabricated feline form couldn't catch a mouse droid!
NICOLE:
Pardoning Kyp's stellarcide surely made you some enemies;
What, did you try forgetting that? Well, here: I'll jog your memory…
Sally Acorn: Seeing as the royal army isn't here to represent our nation:
To me, Freedom Fighters!
Sonic the Hedgehog: Reassemble!
NICOLE: Roll out!
Sonic, Sally and NICOLE: BATTLESTATIONS!
Antoine D'Coolette:
As I once more steal the show, this time I'll make it worth the while;
Fools should know: I am the fuel that shall sustain this track for miles!
Far-empowered from the coward I was in the early years,
You'll need a whole lot more than margarine to get me squirming here!
When the Great War is reignited, I'll repeat my dad's performance.
Once a hopeless romance-rival, I'm now regularly scoring
With a hot cyborg like Krillin, and bells soon will sound once more,
But not in light of any wedding as it's you they're tolling for.
Rotor:
I am the walrus! To the Eggman, though, I'm polar-opposite:
The engineer of the salvation of a planet's populace!
No Herd-mentality-subscriber, my inventiveness is boundless,
More than any carpenter's; where'd you think Tails picked up his prowess?
Rock 'n' roll like my bazooka that was nearly Buttnik's Boomer,
I'm far too fly for the council; should've left them even sooner!
Now, I've got my own Stark-style suit, and my own team, at that,
But you're unfit to join, and that says lots; we let in Big the Cat!
Bunnie Rabbot:
Be silent here? Like the "T" in my surname, I ain't going to,
For one attracts more flies with sugar, but I'll shit all over you:
A worse nightmare for y'all than mine where metal overtakes my person,
'Cause you're feeble as the Auntie-Bodies of my Anti-version!
Midget Morgan Freeman gave me these upgrades so I could wreck you;
I just keep going and going, needing no cell to connect to!
With apologies to Beauregard, who raised me way back when,
Neither your asses or the South are ever gonna rise again!
Antoine D'Coolette:
There's no country for you on Mobius!
Bunnie: You tell 'em, Antoine, sugar!
Antoine: You'll be slaughtered; we'll put steel bolts in your brains like Anton Chigurh!
Rotor: Penders' word on my love life was wholly unsubstantiated,
But there's ample indication that you're getting devastated!
Bunnie: Taking after our Sand-Blaster chapter, things are getting bloody!
Antoine: You're old hat, á la Master K'Kruhk…
Bunnie: …But won't turn out as lucky!
NICOLE: This resistance lives on, always!
Sally Acorn: There can be no stopping us!
Sonic the Hedgehog: Even Ric Olié would agree: that much is sorely obvious!
Mara Jade:
Don't think there's too many of you for us to handle, now, you rats:
The weapon I've inherited is known for cutting little brats!
Luke Skywalker: My set of students fared far better, but don't take it from just one guy;
Get schooled on the matter by the most badass of our alumni…
Kyle Katarn:
D'Coolette, you'd better cool it: sheathe your blade soon as I enter;
Just regress back to the stereotype you stem from, and surrender!
Heed the wisdom of a certain other Antoine: hide your wife,
'Cause obviously, I don't need to self-destruct to take your life!
Your souls will be trapped here forever for so much as trying to battle
With the guy created for the plots too big for Luke to tackle!
Dealing blows strong, fast and medium, I'm one true triple threat,
Known as the galaxy's Chuck Norris; fact: I fucked up Boba Fett!
The Death Star plans' theft was but item one on my long venture-list:
I brought prophecies to fruition and killed dragons with my fists;
Aborted the rebirth of the regime I'd once served as a goon!
You're like the game among whose clones mine stood out with its engine: Doomed!
I'll drop the hammer harder than I dropped the Hammer on you bastards;
Of my droid and me, it's I whose very stare's a deadly hazard!
I brought fans the tech it took to stage fight scenes straight from the films;
Though on the Light Side, rapping-wise, I'm out to take the power-helm!
I ride the Raven's Claw, yet Gryffindor's where Hogwarts would be having me,
For I'm an alpha-male, but as for magical Academies,
This Jedi Battlemaster stands against your ilk's admittance!
Even my arch-nemesis can see: your strength is nonexistent!
Bunnie Rabbot:
Don't expect you'll shut this bunny down; this ain't your Marvel series!
Rotor: As intimidation goes, rag dolls have spooked me more severely!
Antoine: With your tainted bars, like poisoned food, you're fouler still than Patch!
Freedom Fighters: This Star Wars-Smashing Squad will put you in the ground without a scratch!
Sally Acorn: While Kyle triumphed at the Valley, wait 'til our full force comes, rallied,
With the strength of eight Darksiders!
NICOLE: Should I send a beacon, Sally?
Sonic the Hedgehog: Nah; forget our friends Downunda, for I know far fiercer creatures:
I'll be chilling out off-panel while you face our backup feature…
?????????:
Work, work…
Julie-Su…
Work, work…
…Dimitri…
…And Knuckles!
Echidna power!
Knuckles…
…Julie-Su…
…And Dimitri!
WORK!
Knuckles the Echidna:
I'm gliding in to climb to tops of charts as I put you to pasture,
Striking iron-Knuckled blows against so-called Steel-Handed "Masters"!
One mere series couldn't contain my people's rich, proud history;
I'll drive you deeper into madness than the Sith's dark Mysteries!
Not just the Emeralds' Guardian, I'm also keeper of these tracks;
If I go green here, know it ain't with envy, you trespassing hacks!
My first friendship was forged with Sally at my home high up above,
But Sonic needn't worry; I've got my own steady-going love…
Julie-Su:
That's right, yo!
Finally: someone once more let me out of my cage;
I'm exiting the Twilight Zone, and entering a fit of rage!
The Legion's freed, yet ultimate annihilation's still in store;
You stopped three stages of Dark Forces? Call this trooper a phase-four!
The tech inside my hair alone puts that robotic hand to shame;
In fact, it's said Shades of my character have made it to the games!
Plus, shout-out to a certain bat: go fuck yourself; the red one's mine.
I know the way to Knuckles' soul; want the Ugandan version? Fine…
I came in packing heat before that punk edgelord made it uncool:
I've got a Luger for Grandmaster Luke; I'll straight-up cap you fools!
If thinking you can take me on, you're tripping on that Lemon stuff;
I even helped bring Amy's freedom-fighting prowess up to snuff!
Knuckles:
No mere religious purge compares to all the horrors our kind has faced:
"A dingo ate my baby"? Try "Dingoes damn-near-wiped out my race"!
I brought along a frenemy who knows this well; this dude is ancient:
Unearthed after centuries, he's waited long to make his statement…
Dimitri:
I'll make broken-minded, drooling cretins of you sorry devils!
Thus, you'll let me break you down on a molecular level,
But unlike whom I quoted there, my transformed state won't disappoint:
Commence the power-syphoning; I'm Ener-jacking up this joint!
Dimitri (Enerjak): In trying to bring the island of my nephew's birth down from the heavens,
Chaos was unleashed, with Emerald energies cranked to eleven!
Third of my name and remaker of the realm in my own image,
I'm one ugly mofo, and you'll make for easy prey; you're finished!
Burial can't keep me down, nor can I be kept up in space;
Even entombed, I'll sow the seeds of revolution for my race.
Watch me get inside Mara's head, taking the Emperor's former place;
I'll turn her back against her love, and banish Leia to the wastes!
Katarn has clearly gone insane! I'll snap him out, though not through yielding:
Closer to a Thanos sort of snap; his fate, I'll soon be sealing!
Once I raise my Nekronopolis, it's these wretches' apocalypse;
Sans divine intervention, by what else can I be toppled?
Julie-Su: This? (*DRAIN…*)
Dimitri: Gah! It seems I've been reduced to more machine than man,
But although I'm a head, we're still ahead, and keeping to the plan,
For I speak purposefully, and not to weaken our cause from within:
Don't Steppenwolf to this; our win's a Locke! Now Lien-Da hand, my kin…
Knuckles:
Chaotix' captain's dropping Mighty, Heavy Bombs yours can't compete with,
As the fiercest creature of his kind you'll find this side of Greek myth!
Julie-Su: While we risked assassination trying to reunite our nation,
When we go to war with you, there'll be no reconciliation!
Mara Jade:
If your mom was Mari-Su, the apple didn't fall far; go figure.
I'll juice Julie dry, as if she were some grapes up in a vineyard!
Kyle Katarn: Leaving naught of Baxter Stockman here shouldn't us take long at all;
I mean, for crying out loud: a pack of ants caused his initial fall!
Luke Skywalker: It ought to be a crime just bringing this brash Knuckles out in public;
Making like his future-self, I'll tear his soul out through his stomach!
Princess Leia: You should know that yours won't be the only party made to pay,
When an old hired gun steps straight out of Shadows into the fray!
Dash Rendar:
Yo, had I not swooped in on Tatooine, Luke would have perished, surely;
Hell, I had the Gall to try and rescue Solo prematurely!
My sharpshooting helped save Leia from the clutches of the Black Sun;
Had the heroes' backs at Echo Base while they fled in the Falcon!
My project paved the way for the prequels, plus the rereleases:
Check its tech props in A New Hope; they look sweet, however needless!
Screw you, Sega: my game on Nintendo Sixty-Four sold millions;
Man, we got our very own soundtrack damn-near on par with Williams'!
My Hoth level's awesomeness inspired Rogue Squadron in its wake,
So Chuckie Finster over there can suck my nasty one-eyed snake!
Watch me entangle you with words, like making walkers go kaput;
I straight-up kicked Boba Fett's ass!
(*Unimpressed silence; crickets…*)
…Then shot the Slave One down on foot!
Even cold-hearted robo-ladies can't help warming up to Dash;
Like my big bro into some wack museum, you're about to crash!
Well, many Bothans died because of my poor aim, and that's no joke,
But this time I won't miss as I'm the one who blows up furry folks!
Julie-Su:
You bit off Han's whole schtick: the ship, sidekick and all! Are you for real?
Knuckles: Your character's so unoriginal, I'll call you "Donut Steel"!
Dimitri: This mind needs not a mortal form to keep things going neatly my way:
I'll reciprocally mind-swap apprentice-pairs; think Freaky Friday!
Dash Rendar:
You're akin to Xizor's home: so utterly bullshit-infested,
We should just blow you sky-high before your crappy rapping spreads it!
Luke Skywalker: Next, the mic goes to our killer secret weapon; he's a star!
Princess Leia: He'll come in like a wrecking ball; you'll never have been hit so hard!
Galen Marek:
My Soul's of highest caliber, and to the lore, I'm no mere guest:
This mighty martyr's the kick-starter of the whole Rebellion-quest!
I put Skywalker's working name to use, and made it something greater:
I've got Midis off the charts, and real Montoya-beef with Vader,
And although I brought him in alive, I'll end you with my rhymes,
'Cause yours are garbage; someone ought to dump them off on Raxus Prime!
I won't let your foul Brood go free, though I will bring you resolution:
My Force-lightning skills are Infamous; they'll be your execution!
Thrashing Knuckles, I'll make an Endangered Species of his posse;
Sic my crazy training holo-droid on them: murder by PROXY!
Shaaked and shaken by my lyrics, you'll be sent to the abyss:
Find no Salvation once this Rogue casts down his Shadow; be Eclipsed!
It took eleven-thirty-eight attempts at replicating this;
Luke killed a Rancor? Padawan's play; watch me fry far bigger fish,
And I'm glad to have died a hero: had I lived, resuming villainy,
My dark self would have fucked up the entire classic trilogy!
Julie-Su:
This Star Destroyer-destroyer thinks he's such a massive deal,
But he's about to get blindsided; learn just how his master feels!
Knuckles: We'll harrow you until your faces all go solid white, you clowns,
Then form a council and, like Finitevus…
Echidnas: …Vote to put you down!
Galen Marek:
How's Mobius intend to top my Force Unleashed; Rule Thirty-Four?!
Kyle Katarn: Knux ain't a true original; just look to Sonic's early lore!
Dash Rendar: My contract called for eighteen bars, so… does this mean I get a raise?
Princess Leia: What? No, you scruffy-ass nerf herder!
Dash Rendar: Well, then… off to hyperspace! (*WHOOSH!*)
(*Kyle Katarn and Galen Marek are inadvertently caught up in the Outrider's hyperspace jump…*)
Luke Skywalker:
…Something tells me that ship won't be back to stage our timely rescue;
Like our foes post-Doomsday, seems it's time to try a different venue:
I propose that our next generation join in on this jam!
Mara Jade: I'm not about to bring our son into this, Luke!
Princess Leia: Well, then, I am!
Anakin Solo:
I'm burdened with the duty of absolving grandpa's twisted legacy,
But I ain't stressing here, for never would I join this enemy!
A chosen child Golden Globe Champ just like Ricky Schroder,
Prophecies attest: I represent the future of the Order.
Making enemies envious ever since I was in diapers,
Your Mongoose is cooked; it's her swan song once I start up a cypher,
For this Solo isn't solo in word-melding on the mic:
It's truly Triple Trouble for you when we launch our sibling-strike!
Jaina Solo:
It's Twin Suns leader, standing by no longer; here for little brother!
Jacen Solo: …With her twin, sons, and we share a stronger bond than any other!
It won't take five years of searching to reveal you stand for nothing:
You're as fake as the Imperium's alleged leader; fronting!
Try to hunt us down with your guerrilla tactics, and get owned,
Because I'll slay your would-be queen before she ever takes the throne!
Jaina: I'm all in favor of diversity, within the realm of reason,
But come on: a French coyote; are your writers trying, even?
I'm to be addressed as "Goddess", suckers; didn't you get the memo?
This Sword of the Jedi's sharp as a molecular stiletto!
Jacen: Know I won't embrace your painful raps, for empty are your words:
There's more worth learning in the ramblings of some torture-happy bird!
Jaina: We've got the moves like Jagged, Felling you in one decisive swoop:
Sticking it to you doubly, to throw you for your final loop!
Though I've seen Darkest Knights returned to light, you're way past all redemption!
Jacen: Violence is the answer here, and I'll end you, no qualms, no question!
Anakin: Taking up Kenobi's blade, which I retrieved, I'll strike you down,
And death won't make you powerful; I'll always have the higher ground!
Jaina: We're pushing past the Edge of Victory…
Jacen: …And you right off a cliff!
Solos: The holocaust these furballs face is no mere propaganda myth!
Jaina: My tricks will mess with mental sensors 'til you can't tell friend from foe!
Jacen: To stave off your Light future-vision, there are no lengths I won't go!
Anakin: I started heresy among the Vong's untouchables, but still:
We're Shaming you such that you couldn't recover were that what I willed!
Sonic the Hedgehog:
I'm reassuming center stage again to kick your sorry tails,
Self-chosen as the one who'll bring back harmony, so sorry, Tails!
With fifty rings in hand, I'll blow you off your feet a second time;
Bring consequences far more dire than those winds in Vector Prime!
Super Sonic: This Chaos-Agent's trumped "Perfection" and curb-stomped wack salamanders,
And as non-robotic lizards go, call me your Finalhazard!
Like a Supreme Overlord with not a single string attached,
I'm unlimited to the seventh power; Palpatine's no match!
Equipped with but a single Emerald-set, of extras, I've no need
To send you to your Myrkr; striking you with Hyper-Sonic speed!
Taking a page from my Thoraxian performance as I spit this,
You'll go down in flames disastrously like my name was Iblis!
Anakin Solo:
Brother, sister, tell Tahiri that I'll be returning shortly
From confronting this piss-colored prick, achieving utter glory.
I'll release a wave of lyrics that'll rock your world forever:
One that couldn't be stopped by you and Mega Man both put together!
Super Sonic:
I could decimate your cosmos Star by Star! What are you thinking,
Messing with the force that brought the dinosaurs to re-extinction?
It's my specialty to rise to challenges no other could;
A second great big Feisty softie's 'bout to get that understood… (*STRIKE!*)
Anakin Solo:
…Gah, my spleen! Ah, well, no matter; I've still energy aplenty,
And I'd die before surrendering to you, to put it bluntly!
When you feel the white-hot burn of what my power's pouring into,
It'll mess your look up vastly worse than your Memento issue… (*BANG!*)
Sally Acorn:
Sweet Aslan; Sonic, speak to me!
Sonic the Hedgehog: Don't worry; I had rings left!
Princess Leia:
My dear baby!
Mara Jade: Are you okay, Annie?
Jaina Solo: Please get up…
Jacen Solo: …Yeah, he's dead.
Mara Jade: What?!
Luke Skywalker: No, no, that's not true; that's impossible!
Princess Leia: What have I done?!
Jacen: I need to go rethink my life, not back at home, but on the run!
Sally Acorn: Ha!
Jaina: Don't you dare laugh, fuzballs; this is all your fault; you murdered him!
I should abduct you for lab testing; think more Felidae than NIMH!
Luke Skywalker: I fear it's my anger and hatred from which what we've suffered stemmed,
So though the Jedi will continue, it's time for this feud to end…
…
…
…
Rotor:
So… what does this mean?
Antoine: That the Mobian world-victory's renewed!
Bunnie: …And not a fat warlord in sight!
Sally Acorn: The glowing eyes are no-shows, too.
NICOLE: It's my home-future's polar-opposite!
Sonic the Hedgehog: We've finally won it all,
And we don't even have to deal with any Wasteland protocol!
?????????:
Don't celebrate too soon, hedgehog, for I've returned in search of vengeance;
You have no idea what I've Sacrificed for my ascendance!
Nephews of your foes who took their places prior weren't the brightest?
I'm so dark, they couldn't so much as see my heart; the name is Caedus!
Darth Caedus:
Waging most uncivil war, I'm back in black to dominate,
And soon, Antoine, his dad and my dear aunt will share a common fate!
Once I sic my Alliance Guard on you, there's no use in retreating;
Watch as I put a G.A.G. order out against your very breathing!
You're all talk, while I flow-walk in present, past and future tenses,
And I didn't just honor brother with his girl as my apprentice:
It's comeuppance for your team when Anakin returns the favor!
I'll whip Bunnie into Cream, armed with my late Dark Lady's saber.
Ending Sonic will be simple as his wack McDonald's games,
And Sal, I've got a royal prick neck-snapping knack; ask mom's old flame!
Invincible as I Reveal my Fury through Infernal rhymes,
The fans rechristened me, but there's no contest here, you kriffing slimes!
Jaina Solo:
The last live light of Leia's lineage has returned to end your evil;
I've rejected darkness, helped out by Kyp Durron of all people!
Lesser heroes beat up Boba Fett; I put him to good use:
Trained with our former enemy! Between us, though, there'll be no truce!
Darth Caedus:
Ah, sister: I bid you dark greetings; I'd long-wondered where you were!
Come join me, and together, we as twins can smite these rabid cur!
Indeed, I see it now; a vision: you'll fulfill your destiny,
Igniting your lightsaber blade and killing your true enemy! (*STAB!*)
Bunnie Rabbot:
Oh my stars!
Antoine: Mon dieu!
NICOLE: Meh; I've seen worse.
Julie-Su: Hell, I'd do that to my sis…
Knuckles: She's gone mad!
Dimitri: Whatevs; kill me, for all I care.
Rotor: Do something, highness!
Sally Acorn: Let's be rational here; think before you use that laser-arm…
…It's Sonic's fault, if anyone's!
Sonic the Hedgehog: Wait, what?!
Jaina Solo:
I mean none of you harm.
Each one of us has said some nasty things throughout this battle's course,
And that's what cost my brothers' lives, such is the Dark Side of the Force,
So though I hate you, your whole franchise, and your fans' furfaggotry,
I won't kill you, for that would just perpetuate this tragedy!
?????????:
…Did somebody say "tragedy"?
TO BE CONTINUED…
It was an unusually quiet evening at the Gabor compound, when the Misfits tuned into the ever so popular Lin-Z Pierce show to catch the latest news in Rock music. The top story of the hour was an exclusive report on Tony Cassini's Rock fashion competition and the details mentioned that the show would take place in Venice, Italy, by invitation only. Lin-Z continued that the top winners would appear in Cassini's ambitious Rock 'n' Roll music video! The contestants were chosen from all parts of the world. Though the American contestants weren't yet decided, the existing bands included the Limp Lizards, the Misfits, and Jem and the Holograms. Then, in a surprising appearance, Cassini himself announced his choice and decided to invite both the Misfits and Jem and the Holograms to compete in Venice! After flicking the off-switch on the television, Pizzazz turned to Roxy and Stormer in anger. She couldn't understand how the Holograms stood a riverboats chance down Niagara of winning, since the Misfits had famed designer, Bobby Stark, as their stylist, and the Holograms had only Shana. Roxy agreed and decided to call Shana over the phone to shake her up with Pizzazz and Stormer joining in on their end. Shana, being the respectful darling that she is, told Roxy to cram it, and banged the phone down on its receiver! The next morning, the Misfits touched down in Italy and quickly began with a plan to steal Shana's clothing designs, and brought along Zipper to provide extra manpower by disguising himself as an oarsman to escort Shana across the water long enough to snatch her fashions! Things got out of hand during the ride and the gondola flipped over while Zipper leapfrogged from boat to boat with her sketches in hand! Pizzazz and her girls quickly pulled up in a speedboat to assist him in his escape, but as Zipper landed inside of the boat, the long capsule holding Shana's designs collided with the clutch, sending the speedboat flying across the Venetian lagoon and directly into the star designer, who was still standing stranded in her boat! Then, by a miracle, the speedboat swerved around her as the Misfits laughed while speeding away! Moments later, at Countess Danielle du Voisin's palazzo, Shana explained to her that she had lost her trunk with her fashions. While Jem, Kimber and Aja assisted her with drying off, an oarsman entered into the room with her designer trunk and set it down in the middle of the room. With the worst behind her, Shana took a huge sigh of relief as she realized that everything was back on track. Then suddenly, they heard something crashing around inside the valuable trunk and quickly investigated. As they gathered closer, a voice chirped out from inside, then out popped their foster daughter, Ashley, who had smuggled herself inside of the trunk to join them on their trip! Ashley revealed to the group that she had switched capsules back at Starlight Mansion, substituting her own designs with the sketches that were in Shana's possession from the start. It turned out that Zipper stole Ashley's designs instead LOL! Meanwhile, in the hotel room, Pizzazz cracked open the long cylindrical capsule only to discover Ashley's designs and cackled while criticizing Eric for paying Zipper a flat fee for absolutely nothing. The next day, the Misfits click-clacked into a ritzy shoe store where Shana and Ashley happened to be shopping for heels and confronted the famous drummer while kicking over boxes of shoes and cavorting wildly with several salesmen, all with the false narrative that Pizzazz’s a “designing woman”, and has what it takes to make “her own” breaks. After purchasing a few boxes of glossy, designer pumps, the Misfits made their point very clear, then walked out the department store and slammed the door behind them. Back at the hotel, Shana, Jem, Kimber and Aja decided to check in on her designs, so they approached her room and opened the door only to discover that her costumes were gone! Zipper, operating on his second wind, was at it again by opting to lower himself into Shana's room through the skylight with a grappling hook to steal the actual outfits for the competition! Looking to profit from Shana's hard work, Zipper arrived at Eric's villa and presented all four suits to the Misfits, but Pizzazz wasn't pleased with the colors and demanded a seamstress to dye the outfits black. Just outside of Eric's villa stood Jem and the Holograms poised and prepared for action. Then Jem summoned Synergy to transform her into a seamstress so she could blend in and nab their belongings from the miserable Misfits. Once inside, Jem rescued all four garments and made a break for the servants stairs, but Eric caught her as she reached the balcony to toss the outfits down to the Holograms who were just under the window in high alert! The commotion on the balcony caught the attention of Pizzazz, Roxy and Stormer, so Jem and her team fled on foot towards the Rialto Bridge while they were chased by the wrathful shock-rockers. Furious and looking to even the score, Pizzazz moved in closer to sink her hooks into a jacket that Kimber was holding and the two battled for ownership. The war reached the top of the Rialto Bridge and continued with Pizzazz switching over to Aja, while Roxy attacked Kimber, and Stormer threw down with Shana AND Jem! There they all were, prestigious, award-winnin', record-breakin', chart-toppin' professional recording artists, locked together in mortal combat. Due to the hardcore struggle (and their high heels), the Misfits were thrown off balance and overboard while hanging onto each article of clothing for dear life! Pizzazz, the “fearless” leader of the group, shrieked out for someone, ANYONE to help, but the fabric for each outfit began to deteriorate. Now preparing for the big splash, the Misfits tried pulling themselves up to safety, but the clothing continued to separate and the rockers became airborne while departing for the water! With his speedboat engine racing, Zipper, who firmly believed that one hand washes the other, rushed in like Galahad to save them from the dip. Still standing at the top of the bridge, the Holograms got in the last word, when Kimber exclaimed that they nearly got killed just to rip them off! Unconcerned about the incident, the Misfits sped away in triumph and felt quite satisfied about ruining the outfits...but little did they know, Synergy had Shana's designs stored in her memory bank from the very beginning. That night, at the Rock fashion contest, the Misfits strolled in and glided towards center stage with conviction. Then, in a flash, Ashley noticed Shana's creations and informed Danielle that they were stolen by the Misfits. While on stage working up a spectacle, the three thieves posed with full confidence. Then suddenly, in a brief moment of ego-trippin', Pizzazz stepped out of character and turned to ask a judge whether they're hot or HOT! Backstage behind the curtain, the Holograms, with the help of Synergy, prepared for their entrance by morphing into their high-styled fashions, and then they ran on stage and struck a pose for the audience. During the announcement, Roxy began spewing acid at Shana as the rightful winners from America, but the judges had another group from America in mind—Jem and the Holograms! Shana received more exciting news from Mr. Cassini who mentioned that she had earned two designing credits on his Rock 'n' Roll fashion video, one for Jem and the Holograms' costumes, and one for the Misfits. Still down, but certainly not out, a delusional Pizzazz howled that Shana didn't deserve credit for her own designs, and that it was her idea to make the material black! The disturbance fell on deaf ears as Tony Cassini set her straight by explaining that, if the costumes appeared in HIS video, then Shana, the designer/creator, would indeed receive full credit. After experiencing a difficult time gulping for air, and struggling to clear the lump in her throat, Pizzazz was left standing “In Stitches”, and suffered one harsh lesson in high-fashion: Never risk humiliation and/or DEATH by fighting over clothes that aren't yours to begin with! Why, in the immortal words of Pizzazz herself: “The world belongs to the major movers, the ones who keep up a relentless pace. If you ain't up to the fast maneuvers, you're gonna wind up in second place. You're gonna wind up with egg on your face.” BLOOP!
This marks the third Pizzazz doll from Integrity Toys. Well, actually, this marks the fourth Pizzazz doll if you're counting the quick-switch head provided for this particular set. I will be the first to admit that I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of Integrity rereleasing all four dolls, which is why it has taken me a few months to finally make up my mind on whether or not I really needed them to complete my collection. As time went by, I began to change my mindset and I finally decided that I will let it slide this time around and snag all four, anyway. Those who are aware of my undying love for my Jem collection know that I really adore the Phyllis Gabor dolls. This trash-talkin', cash-stalkin', flashy-walkin' tyrant is absolutely fearless and bigger than life on the show, but such a helpless lil' feline in doll form. I just think that it's so cool to actually hold the Queen of Saturday Morning Animation in the palm of your hands literally! Everything looks great with this set. And how cool is it that we get the unreleased ‘88 head/makeup to own and enjoy?! I placed this doll and the extra head in the light for a second and noticed the difference between this version vs past editions, and I concluded that DW Pizzazz has such a lovely distinctive hue of neon green hair! It's obvious that Integrity came equipped with several new ideas this time around. I like her purple paint she purchased, in “Sucker Punch!”, which starts on her forehead and drives downward along the sides of her nose, then surrounds both eyes! There's a faint outline of shimmery light “Crusin' for a Bruisin'” violet shadow that trails around the purple paint, and it also shows up on her eyelids. For this special occasion, instead of using her white paint for highlighter, she decided to create two thin V-shaped designs on the areas of her eyebrows. She's also wiped away the violet lines from her cheeks and replaced them with two long, yellow triangular shapes on each side. Pizzazz piled on her black “Danger Zone” eyeliner and “ill-Tempered Tarantula” mascara to electrify her blue eyes, giving her enemies that serious, no nonsense-type glare she's most famous for! Originally, I didn't care for the color of her lips and nails, but considering her Japan skin tone, I'm now in love with her orange “Killjoy” lipstick! The color kinda makes her appear more happy, more inviting and exciting lol. There's an ample amount of accessories to enjoy, all the finest threads needed to fill the closet in her dressing room, and a top compartment to hold her heels, jewelry, and filthy stash of cash! Always thinking outside the box, Ms. Gabor decided to pair up her black sleeveless dress with an oversized orange dress shirt. She then decided to top it off with her expensive, knee-high designer heel-boots and huge matching purple belt! This outfit is one serious flashy hit, but in all actuality, it's the black and white animal-print dress that truly epitomizes the word FASHION! Now, if we are talking OUTFITS and FASHIONS from the show, then I could go on for hours with my picks...
My first pick would have to be her glittery, light gray jumpsuit with the black and white animal-print minidress, from “The Talent Search, Part One.” I have a deep desire for that outfit!
Second, the black leather jacket/miniskirt combo, from “The Music Awards, Part One.” A true must-have!
Third, her unique tan and black ensemble with matching black hat as depicted in the beginning of “In Search of the Stolen Album”...one of my all-time favorite outfits, and another must-have on my list!
Forth, and probably the most interesting of the bunch, a “Welcome to the Jungle” gift set with all four Misfits, wild makeup, original outfits and accessories. Just my opinion, but we really need more Misfits fashions from the music video segments.
Lastly, I'll take it way back to Season One, when she FIRST appeared in her yellow jumpsuit, black headband, and number fkin' 1 earrings! That trendy jumper is what I like to call the “B***h, look at me! I'm casual, but bad” outfit lol.
This gift set is everything it appears to be, and I am more than satisfied with both new Pizzi's! 💚
"The Big Sleep" is a film noir directed by Howard Hawks, the first film version of the 1939 novel of the same name by Raymond Chandler. It centers around the Sternwoods: an old, paralyzed ex-soldier, who made a fortune in oil and his two beautiful daughters – one a gambler, the other a degenerate; and a strangely missing son-in-law. Marlowe, the detective – shrewd, strong, and incorruptible, the healthy force amid the shadows and the whispers – is called in to break a blackmail case and ends up to his neck in a series of mysterious murders.
William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman co-wrote the screenplay. In 1997, the U.S. Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” and added it to the National Film Registry. [Source: Wikipedia]
Movie trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-K49CUaeto
Post your faves in Illinois on the Chicago Audubon FB public page. We are having our 1st Annual Photo Contest in May.
Golden-winged Warblers have suffered one of the steepest population declines of any songbird species in the past 45 years, but the Cornell Lab and partners in the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group have a conservation plan to stop the decline and grow the population 50% by the year 2050.
Minnesota has the highest remaining density of Golden-winged Warblers, with about half the global population.
Recent work with radio-transmitters has expanded our knowledge of Golden-winged Warbler habitat. The birds breed in shrubby, tangled thickets and other “early successional” habitats. But after the chicks fledge, the families move to mature forest habitats to continue raising their young.
Golden-winged Warblers often hybridize with the closely related Blue-winged Warbler. The Blue-winged Warbler has been expanding its range, and hybridization has been one element in the sharp decline of Golden-winged Warblers.
Hybrids tend to develop into one of two distinctive plumages, which early naturalists at first thought were separate species: "Brewster's Warbler” (which looks like a Blue-winged Warbler with a white chest), and "Lawrence's Warbler" (which looks like an all-yellow Golden-winged Warbler).
Hybrids do not sing intermediate songs but sing either normal Blue-winged Warbler or Golden-winged Warbler songs. Some birds sing both. Occasionally pure-looking parental types sing the "wrong" song.
Golden-winged parents may use trickery to protect their young from predators. Adults feeding nestlings have been observed repeatedly carrying food down other plant stems away from the next, possibly as a decoy, when they detected humans nearby.
The oldest known Golden-winged Warbler was a male, and at least 9 years old when he was recaught and rereleased at a banding station in Ontario. @Cornell Lab
My Newest American Girl Barbie. She has the most beautiful pale lemon blonde hair... I got her about a month or so ago and I still have not been able to get rid of that cowlick in the front of her hair... other than that, she is minty perfect. Here she is dressed in Magnificence from 1965... this version included the very delicate pink tulle underskirt and Pink open toe heels. It was rereleased in 1966 As Fabulous Fashion...the only difference in the two ensembles is that the slip was omitted, and it came with different shoes, the clear open toe heels with silver glitter. This outfit has never been on my radar really. I am not sure why, it is a lovely set. It is another one of those outfits that you truly must see in person to appreciate. I recently purchased a case lot from a seller and it was a gamble as there were only a few terrible pics and no real visible Mattel/ Barbie item to be seen, but I decided to take a chance. It definitely paid off! This and several other complete outfits... a few duplicates of ones I already owned, but in nicer shape, so still an upgrade. There was also a really nice Fashion Queen and a Wig Wardrobe Midge to boot! ...Still, there were some mommy made items and unusable larger doll clothes as well, but the case itself was also in really nice shape, so I definitely got my money’s worth...My favorite thing is when I get a lot like this and a single item or outfit is worth what I paid for the entire lot, I feel like everything else is just an added bonus!!!
Ballinclamper Beach
County Waterford 02-08-2021
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Charadriiformes
Family:Scolopacidae
Genus:Calidris
Species:C. mauri
Binomial name
Calidris mauri
Measurements:
Length: 5.5-6.7 in (14-17 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.2 oz (22-35 g)
Wingspan: 13.8-14.6 in (35-37 cm)
Adults have dark legs and a short, thin, dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, especially the semipalmated sandpiper. This is particularly the case in winter plumage, when both species are plain gray. The western sandpiper acquires winter plumage much earlier in the autumn than the semipalmated sandpiper. With rufous and gold markings on the head and wings, breeding adult Western Sandpipers are the most colorful of the tiny North American sandpipers known as “peeps.” This abundant shorebird gathers in flocks numbering in the hundreds of thousands in California and Alaska during spring migration. It’s among the continent’s great wildlife spectacles, particularly when they fly up and wheel about, exercising their wings (or fleeing from falcons on the hunt) before flying to remote nesting grounds in the Arctic.
Their breeding habitat is tundra in eastern Siberia and Alaska. They nest on the ground usually under some vegetation. The male makes several scrapes; the female selects one and lays 4 eggs. Both parents incubate and care for dependent young, who feed themselves. Sometimes the female deserts her mate and brood prior to offspring fledging.
Like many sandpiper species, Western Sandpiper females have longer bills than males and are generally larger. In the populations of Western Sandpipers that winter farthest south, females outnumber males, while the reverse is true in the northern parts of the winter range.
In migration, the Western Sandpiper stages in huge, spectacular flocks, particularly along the Pacific coast at San Francisco Bay and in the Copper River Delta in Alaska. Estimates suggest that nearly the whole breeding population passes through the Copper River Delta during just a few weeks each spring.
Many of the Western Sandpipers that winter in Central America remain there for the first summer of their lives, rather than migrating north to breed. By contrast, birds of the same age that winter in the United States or Mexico usually attempt to return to the breeding grounds in their first spring.
Western Sandpipers compete with many other sandpiper species when foraging. When larger Dunlin are absent, Western Sandpipers forage at the edge of the receding or advancing tide, where prey is easiest to catch. When Dunlin are present, Westerns often forage on drier areas of mud.
The oldest recorded Western Sandpiper was at least 9 years, 2 months, when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Kansas.
I got this 2 years ago, assembled it a few weeks ago (had to remove the side steps and I skimped on the flowers), still decorating though. When I checked to see if the site still sold the house, the price had gone up $70. Inflation my butt. The smaller version of this house now costs more than the big version used to. It's only been 2 years, not even 2 whole years. That's insane. These toys companies man. I haven't seen a price increase this egregious since the most recent rerelease of the TMNT Party Wagon. How is it double what it costs in 2010? It's the exact same van.
From 2019, the fourth release of the Corgi Chitty car (third re-release from the original 1968 version). This one (like the 25th Anniversary version) approximates all the details of the original.
Like the other releases this differs from the original in paint and it lacks the jewels in the lights and no plastic belt on the hood (it's just printed instead).
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo today is my birthday and I met up with nxleeandherfavouritethings since today was an ~~~~~exclusive~~~~~~ day that the Mattel Toy Club shop opened its doors. It’s basically the Mattel warehouse in my state that has a storefront and sells surplus stock for clearance prices.
But before I met up with her, I stopped by a thrift store I used to visit as a child (but obviously don’t any more cuz I moved away) and found an Indian Barbie with a Sari and stuff, as well as a sorta bearded Ken doll I remember begging for as a child but never gotten. But that was a great start to the day.
I then met up with Nhi and we drove to the warehouse. I was surprised that the storefront looked like every other retailer storefront. I would have taken photos but theres a policy against it so yeah.
Anyways there was crap tons of dolls but since most are gonna have the same prices as the upcoming June/July Toy sales I only grabbed the ones I felt I could never get.
So there was tucked away in the corner 4 fashionistas for $5 each so I grabbed them but couldn’t find any more. I also grabbed a Nikki and Raquelle Fashion Spotlight Fashionistas cuz body donors too. I grabbed two 2012 Fashion dresses for 70 cents each.
Nhi got for my birthday a rerelease Basic Draculaura and Lagoonafire for really cheap and she also got me a 2015 Fashion Model Silkstone for like $35.
And I also got a half priced Director Barbie too cuz why not.
Anyway carrying all this home on the train was not fun lol.
"There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seeing things in a different way..."
Aerosmith - Livin' on the Edge
I now have a dedicated blog on Facebook with my 30 years of data, research and knowledge on the A*Men and flanker series from 1996-the present day which is here:
THIERRY MUGLER A*MEN & FLANKER SERIES 1996-? BY PAUL WILLIAMS
www.facebook.com/groups/4280494602275069
** The photograph shows part of my personal collection of Mugler fragrances
From Right to left: 2ml A*men metal flask, A*Men 30ml metal flask 2011, A*Men 100ml metal flask 2011,B*men metal flask 2004,pure coffee,pure malt,pure havane vintage 2010, 'Le Gout du parfum-The taste of fragrance', Pure shot, Pure energy in metal flask, A*Men 30ml metal flask 2011, A*Men Seducing 30ml rubber flacon, Pure Havane 2014 Original formulation, Pure malt creation, Pure wood, ultra zest, Angel Men USA travel spray presentation set, A*Men 2018 reformulation in metal flask, A*Men Gold esdition 2012 in presentation case, Pure tonka,pure havane 2018 reformulation, kryptomint,pure tonka in gold edition flask,
A devil's take on Angel for Men & the 'Pure series' of Manfred Thierry Mugler
The chemoreception that forms the sense of smell is called 'olfaction', a sense that is crucial in the detection of hazards, food and pheromones. Through orthonasal olfaction and retronasal olfaction, we breathe and chew flavours and odours good and otherwise, a crucial part of our daily lives. The human function of smelling is carried out by two small odour-detecting patches consisting of approximately five or six million yellowish cells within the nasal passages, and although feeble in comparison to those of animals - a rabbit has 100 million of these olfactory receptors, and a dog 220 million, we are nonetheless capable of quite an acute sense of smell.
I was one of those souls born with the ability to detect, pinpoint, appreciate the smell of things around me to a heightened degree compared to my peers, and from an early age began to appreciate the importance of fragrant smells around me long before others could detect them. Let's be honest here, back in the sixties and early seventies when I was a boy, there were few pleasant fragrances on the market for men, and my first foray into the world of smelling 'good' came with Fabergé's famous, perhaps infamous offering of Brut 33. Cologne, body wash and hair shampoo, soap on a rope and Christmas box sets from Gran were a must, with a plethora of unsuspecting passers by collapsing from the ghastly scent cloud which hung over me like a personalised storm cloud through my adolescence.
Fast forward my difficult teenage years and into manhood (the brief memories I can muster through those years of drunken debauchery), the emergence of some splendid male fragrances to elevate me towards 'stud' status with the ladies, 'Denim for men' by Faberge, Pfizer's 1967 stalwart 'hai karate',Procter & Gamble's 'old spice' with the wonderful music used from 'Damien' heading up the TV adverts in clorious monochrome, I was by now searching for something different, something daring, a signature scent to call my own. Hitting me like a thunderbolt, straight between the eyes in the midst of my clubbing days at London's Hippodrome, Cafe de Paris and Stringfellows nightclubs, came a new fragrance that literally knocked me, and the fragrance world for six. Like one of those Marmite atser tests it was loved and hated, cosseted or despised, yet few could ever deny the impact that it had on the world. Things would never be the same again. A fragrance bold and powerful, unashamedly masculine with notes of patchouli and Bourbon vanilla and toasted Arabica coffee beans conspiring to bombard one's senses and pound them into submission..... It separated the men from the boys, garnered attention and compliments, and got right up the noses of those moany old aunties who thought the smell of carbolic soap behind the ears was a prelude to passion and romance and always bought us socks and hankies with our initials printed in the corners for Christmas presents, expecting us to conform and 'belong'.
Mugler's concept behind A*Men focussed on comic strip superheroes that as children we idolised and who's adventures we followed in weekly comic books or animated cartoon feature films. The rubber flasks designed by Mugler himself, echoed the rubber suits adorning the flesh of so many superheroes, and also provided an Eco-friendly option of disposal as objects that could be recycled. With the success of A*Men around the world, Mugler waited a full eight long years before creating a new fragrance for men.
B*Men was launched across the globe to a fanfare of press releases with a range of grooming products including shower gel and after shave lotion, promotional mini rubber flask 2ml editions and even a beautiful grey metal flask limited edition in a presentation case, plus one boxed edition with a comic included just like it's predecessor some years earlier. But the press were less than kind about that 'difficult second album' so to speak, and the internet is littered with mediocre reviews and fragrance lover's reviews that all point to the new 'baby' being nothing more than a toned down version of it's older stable-mate. In truth B*Men is far from disappointing, and despite being discontinued and view in retrospect as a failure, in latter years though rarer to find and ever more expensive to purchase, it has come to be viewed as a unique and appealing fragrance in it's own right. That 'difficult second album', sadly could not live up to the legendary first, perhaps merely a victim of hype and stratospheric level expectations.
A*Men & the 'Pure' series of fragrances
My personal collection of Thierry Mugler A-men & Pure fragrances isn't definitive by any means in terms of someone who is an outright 'collector'. Missing are various versions and special editions, presentation boxes with original comics and certain American issues where the fragrance was marketed as Angel Men, but it is assembled though my love and deep passion for these fragrances which, to my nose are quite simply exquisite in all their variances and aromas.
It all began for me back in 1996 when Mugler offered the mens version of the female fragrance which had taken the world by storm and created a new genre for them, the Gourmands (they smell so good you could eat them!). A*men was different, startling, polarising even. Not for shrinking violets, I can still remember the amount of comments that I received when wearing that fragrance, though sadly through the years, as with many major fragrance houses, the original fragrance has fallen victim to reformulation and the current 2018 version is a pale shadow of it's vicious, snarling beastly brother from the nineties.
Two other Mugler pure series fragrances have also sparked controversy on various websites having also fallen victim to the reformulation game, Pure Malt and Pure Havane, and again current 2018 versions are arguably nowhere near the aromatic wonder and perfection of their ancestors. More on that later. So here is a brief (and not comprehensive) overview of the Thierry Mugler range starting back in 1996 with the game-changer, the daddy of them all..... A*Men.
A little background
Manfred Thierry Mugler was born on December 21st 1948 in Strasbourg, France. At the age of nine years old he began studying classical dance and later at age fourteen he joined the ballet corps for the Opéra national du Rhin in Alsace. He also began formal interior design training at École supérieure des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg. After moving to Paris he began designing clothes for Parisian boutique, Gudule and within two years became a freelance designer for fashion houses in London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona.
Mugler moved from strength to strength, his first collection in 1973 followed three years later featuring in an event organised by Japanese company Shiseido. His first boutique opened in 1978 and during the eighties and nineties his name and popularity increased dramatically. Also a keen photographer, he published his first photographic book in 1988, and has worked as director for short films and adverts, and even collaborated with Cirque du soleil. But for all that, I noticed him only when he turned his hand to the art of fragrance.
Mugler's entrance into the fragrance world came in 1992, after he approched Jacques Courtin-Clarins of the Clarins group founded in 1954 with a view to backing his first ever fragrance creation. Clarins bought a stake in Thierry Mugler Couture and Mugler began 'Le cercle' for it's customers, and 'La source' to allow refilling of fragrance bottles. Angel was an overnight success, with the groundbreaking, award winning woman's perfume going on to sell more than $280 Million annually along with Alien, launched in 2005. By March 2019 global sales for all Mugler fragrances exceeded $797 Million. Suddenly we men were victims of the scent, rendered incoherent, incapable, speechless by the mere whiff of a woman passing by adorned by this new and remarkable wonder scent. Us guy's had to wait another four long years until 1996 for our chance to feel unique beneath the glitter balls on the dance floors the world over, when 'A*Men was launched and the world of fragrances changed forever. Angel was inducted into the Fifi awards Hall of fame in 2007, an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry's creative achievements. A*men also won the 1998 fragrance of the year - Prestige there. Mugler approched Clarins to help him create and market his first perfume, and to this day Mugler is still part of the Clarins empire.
An incomplete History
1996 A*Men
2004 Angel Men Travel spray (January USA only release of presentation box containing a tall skinny rubber flask fitted with 15ml cartridge ans two separate 15ml refill cartridges. Batch number 401327)
2004 B*Men
2004 B*Men Metal flask edition in presentation box (Batch number 408074). Released in August 2004
2006 A*Men summer flash
2007 Ice*Men
2008 Pure coffee
2009 Pure Malt Edition Limitee
2010 Show collection Bracelet de force Limited Edition (A-men in different rubber flask). Released October 2010
2010 A*Men sunessence edition orage d'ete (Released in March another summer version of A*MEN)
2011 Pure Malt - Rerelease due to popular demand. No longer says 'edition limitee' on the front.
2011 Pure Havane Edition Limitee (Original white Cigar style logo on box) Released in May 2011
2011 Le gout de parfum (The Taste of fragrance) – Sometimes referred to as 'Pure Chilli' and created with a chefs eye to a fragrance, by Helene Darozze.
2011 30ml Zamac metal rechargeable edition
2011 2ml Zamac Metal rechargeable edition sample 'Not for sale' on box
2012 Les parfums de cuir (Pure Leather) Released in October 2012.
2012 A*men Gold edition – Limited edition gold flacon in presentation box like B*Men special edition). Manufactured in November 2011 for 2012 release.
2012 Pure Shot (See below for details)
2012 Pure Havane (USA only re-release due to popular demand still with white cigar box style label on the box)
2013 Pure Energy – Edition Limitee (Re-released 'Pure shot', again in white rubber flacon)
2013 Pure malt creation (Special limited edition variation on original 'Pure malt', in a white box with silver lettering).
2014 Pure Havane - January Re-release in a different box. No white cigar label. Now says: 'Thierry Mugler' and underneath 'Sublimee de notes fumees-sublimented by smoky notes'. Still original formulation.
2014 A*Men Urban - Limited edition. Created by Jacques Huclier & Givaudan, a Swiss manufacturer of flavors, fragrances, and active cosmetic ingredients.
2014 Pure Havane – Sublimee de notes fumees (Re-release now in a different box. Cigar style white logo replaced by oblong white logo. 'Thierry mugler' in gold on front of box)
2014 Pure wood – Sublimee de notes boisees, Released June 2014.
2015 Ultra zest Edition Limitee(The first move away from the 'Pure' series of names.
2015 A*Men vaporisateur Metal rechargeable (Metal Zamac flacon in standard Pure series box)
2015 Pure Havane - October 2nd re-release. 1st reformulation with box the same as 2014 release.
2015 Pure Malt - October re-release. 1st reformulation with box the same as 2012 release.
2016 Pure Tonka – Sublimee de notes torrefiees. Released Feb 2016.
2016 Pure Havane (Still same box as 2014 release and re-released)
2017 Kryptomint (Sometimes referred to as 'Pure mint'.) The new box now states 'MUGLER' instead of 'Thierry Mugler' on front.
2018 Pure Malt (Reformulation). The new box now states 'MUGLER' instead of 'Thierry Mugler' on front.
2018 Pure Havane – April re-release and 2nd reformulation. 'Sublimee de notes fumees' (Repackaged for the third time. Oblong white logo and now says 'MUGLER' on front of box. Reformulated with prominent cherry/honey opening and arguably diminished longevity and projection.
2018 A*Men Silver metal Zamac edition in normal Mugler box rather than presentation box)
2018 Alien Man
2019 Alien Man Fusion
2019 A*Men Ultimate
An interesting theme which runs through the Mugler 'Pure' and A*Men/B*Men series of fragrances comes from the nose behind them, Perfumer Jacques Huclier. Huclier only shared duties on a few fragrances: B*Men with Christine Nagel/Ultra Zest with Quintin Bisch & Taste of Fragrance with top chef Helene Darozze.
'PURE SHOT' & THE 'FACE OF MUGLER' OSCAR PISTORIUS
Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius was a South African Double amputee athlete from 2004 to 2013 known as 'Blade runner' after his endeavours at the Paralympic and Olympic games, even competing against non-disabled professional competition. On 14th February 2013, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria. A year later after a high profile court case, he was cleared of murder but found guilty of Culpable homicide and handed down a five year prison sentence and a concurrent three year suspended sentence for a reckless endangerment charge. In 2015 his case was heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal which overturned the verdict of Culpable homicide and convicted him of murder, extending his sentence to six years which was later extended to a term of Thirteen years after the State appealed at a lenient sentence.
At the height of his fame as an athlete, Pistorius had won six Gold medals at the Paralympic games, as well as a silver and bronze, a Gold at the IPC World Championships and three other silver medals.
In March 2011, one month after signing a contract with the Clarins Group and Mugler, Pistorius featured in an advertising campaign for Thierry Mugler's A*MEN, directed by Ali Mahdavi. In the advert he is wearing his customary artificial carbon fibre limbs but coated in a futuristic chrome cladding which was designed by Thierry Mugler & Stefano Canulli. Two versions of the advert were aired if fifteen and thirty second guise along with various magazine spreads.
In 2012 Mugler had launched 'Pure shot', which understandably, following Pistorius' arrest and trial over the shooting of his girlfriend, became something of a coincidental faux pas in terms of marketing and association, and the decision was made to drop him from all future campaigns. Mugler stated that the decision to drop Pistorius was ' Out of respect and compassion for the families implicated in this tragedy'. Nike also dropped the convicted ex-athlete.
Left in something of a pickle, production of 'Pure shot' was terminated and the design team quickly utilised the same white flacon and blue and white boxes used for 'Pure shot', now repackaged as 'Pure energy' which was released in 2013. To say that the renaming and repackaging has caused confusion to this day would be an understatement, with internet fragrance sites alive with stories and rumours, reasons for changes and a belief that the two perfumes were and are different in aromatic terms. Even on Fragrantica the overall scores differ for what is essentially the same perfume repackaged.
Personal favourites
Fragrantica scores show Pure malt creation as most loved with 4.58 followed by original 2011 Pure havane 4.43. Then Original pure malt 4.41 and ultra zest 4.28. Bringing up the rear with least liked is Bracelet de force at 3.29 though that is partly due to rarity and the fact it was simply A*Men repackaged. The father of all A*Men scores a measly 3.77, due in part to poor reviews for the newer refomulations.
Each of us are different, each of us has a different take on a smell, and any top five or ten of fragrances is deeply personal, subjective, sometimes even sentimental. Take my choices with a pinch of salt, because what I love, what fragrances work on my skin, with my oils, may not work on someone else's. But... as a lover of tonka bean and vanilla in a fragrance there could be only one winner for my nose and that would be...
Pure Tonka
A heavenly, creamy caramel, latte of a fragrance which, although fairly linear on my skin throughout the duration of it's stay, just wafts into my nasal cavity and gives me a feel good factor which is beaten by no other fragrance on the planet. That's right, it is my go to, signature scent, receiving countless compliments from customers and co workers alike (I work in retail meeting hundreds of the great unwashed public every single day), and standing the test of time, easily lasting up to ten hours on my old craggy skin. It is 'da bomb'. Nectar. The holy grail. I am in love with that juice. There, I've said it. Nothing that a year of therapy cannot cure me of!
Close behind would be the original formulation of Pure Havane which is just insanely gorgeous, then Pure Energy/Pure shot, Pure Malt (Original formulation and Pure malt creation), and Pure wood which is a stunner. My least favourite is Kryptomint, not because I don't care for the aroma, more that on my skin it becomes a skin scent within two hours and that for me is not acceptable.
And what about original formula A*Men from 1996.... I just can't bring myself to compare it the it's siblings and flanker army. It's still just so special, so unique, so important in my own life, the first fragrance that really changed my life. It made me feel special, it gave me confidence that I could pull it off when many of my peers still clung to mediocre, underwhelming, under performing fragrances that did them no service. A*Men is something special, a game changer, it still is, if you can get yourself a vintage bottle over the various reformulations that have lost that amazing opening 'tar' note, along with what was once stratospheric levels of sillage, projection and longevity. The new formula is still excellent, still different, still a great, but not 'as' great as the original.
The future of the 'Pure' series
Well, sadly, now in March 2019 having dealt with a lovely lady who works for the Mugler/Clarins empire out of 'House of Fraser', and has an insiders ear to the ground so to speak... It seems to be a case of time up for the pure series. At least for now. Mutterings in the fragrance community, Basenotes and Fragrantica message boards and even some well known fragrance reviewers residing in the sanctuary of 'YouTube' land, have been heard begging for Mugler to put a cap on the plethora of A*Men flankers, seal it tight and chuck it over the tallest waterfall they can find! Many have long believed that Mugler needed to reinvent themselves with an entirely new, standalone male fragrance with a name that doesn't include the word 'Pure', nor come in a rubber flask that posesses the worst spray mechanism in any fragrance known on this entire planet (I shit you not. It's true sadly and there are YouTube videos teaching you how to liberate the sprayer within by butchering the lovely rubber flask!!!). It seems that myself and a few Mugler diehards are unfortunately in a minority, a sad fact backed by the release of the awful 'Alien man' and 'Alien fusion' offerings.... I'd like to type more but I've gone into a rage over the new releases, have started pounding on the keyboard like a boxer in a heavyweight title fight and fear that I may go balls out postal at any given moment......
I am not alone in finding 'Alien man' an utter and bewildering mess of a fragrance, too floral, too feminine and on my skin projection, sillage and logevity are less than that of the lesser spotted May fly found only in remote sections of the Pongamuchly rain forest of Papua new guinea with a life span measured in minutes! If I wanted to buy a skin scent, I could always revisit Brutt 33 and it's kindred spirits. A relative non seller, Mugler tried to boost sales by reinventing the fragrance with 'Alien fusion', but alas for my taste, a similar failure to it's older brother is inevitable, and although part of my collection, not one that I reach for often, nor would care to purchase in the near future, unless reduced to a snivelling cut priced bargain at my local back street chemist with a few packs of waterproof plasters and some incontinence pads thrown in as a sweetener! I lament the demise of the pure range that I have loved for so many years, and still do. I scour the bay of fleas (that would be Ebay), for vintage bottles of Havane and malt, B*Men and Pure wood, and can only hope that at some point new and exciting aromas might see the light of day. 'Pure sicilian lemon zest', 'pure vanilla','Pure Grapefruit and mango', 'Pure suede'..... well, a man can dream can't he...
OCTOBER 2019 'Pure series' Resurection...
Released in October 2019 came a shot out of the blue... quite literally... in the shape of the Blue box, Blue flacon and blue Star of A*Men Ultimate. Described as an oriental woody fragrance created once more by Jacques Huclier, and reaching a 3.8 score out of 5 on Fragrantica, the fragrance certainly seemed to offer a little of the old magic from some of the past pure series releases.
Any info on Pure fragrances that I have missed would be gratefully accepted. If you have not tried any of the Pure series... what the hell is wrong with you! Get out there and sample some now. It's a brave new world of fragrances and some of the finest smells in a bottle ever made are right there in the Mugler back catalogue... What are you waiting for..
Part two of 'A devil's take on 'Angel*Men' & the 'Pure series' of Manfred Thierry Mugler', looks at the thorny issue of reformulations, specifically of MUGLER PURE HAVANA and can be found here:
www.flickr.com/photos/despitestraightlines/47397173002/in...
Part three can be found here:
www.flickr.com/photos/despitestraightlines/46769907944/in...
****UPDATE ON MOVING AWAY FROM MUGLER****
My journey with Mugler ended somewhere in 2020 when I sold off my entire collection to a very happy collector, as I had grown disillusioned with the way that Mugler no longer cared about it's male customers.
The Alien Man range was in my opinion weak and feeble, and the constant watering down and reformulation of the superb Pure Malt and Pure Havane fragrances left me angry and not wishing to waste any more of my money on such rubbish. With the death of the Pure range came a drive upwards in prices on original bottles, and by February 2023 you could see Pure Havane and Pure Malt/Pure Tonka boxed editions selling for anything up to £200 a pop on the Bay of Fleas!
Time to walk away from a once loved range.
I moved onto other ranges, and found a beautiful and almost identical fragrance to my beloved Mugler Pure Havane, in the shape of Reyane Tradition INSURRECTION II WILD which was released in France in 2013. Initially commanding a mere $20 in the USA, by the time I found it it was between £40 and £75 in the UK. It is utterly gorgeous and takes me back to Pure Havane every time I use it with a honey, heavy cherry and cuban cigar vibe that is addictive.
I also moved towards the house of Maison Margiela where the Replica range which has run since 2012, has fabulous fragrances such as BY THE FIREPLACE (smoky/boozy like Havane) and JAZZ CLUB (as good as Pure Malt), plus UNDER THE LEMON TREES (Better than Pure Zest), WHISPERS IN THE LIBRARY (like Pure Leather)... also limited runs and costing £110 retail, but also offering me those gorgeous aromas I so loved with Mugler (duty free prices come down to £80 and similar on discount fragrance sites)
Paul Williams March 21st 2019 and updated on March 16th 2023
Romanian collectors card. Photo: publicity still for Yoyo/Yo Yo (Pierre Etaix, 1965).
French clown, actor and filmmaker Pierre Étaix has died aged 87. Etaix, who, was directly inspired by Max Linder and Buster Keaton, kept the tradition of slapstick alive. In the 1960s he made a series of acclaimed short- and feature-length films, many of them co-written by Jean-Claude Carrière. He won an Academy Award for his short film Heureux Anniversaire/Happy Anniversary (1962). Due to a legal dispute with a distribution company, these films were unavailable for three decades. As an actor, assistant director and gag writer, Étaix worked with Jacques Tati, Robert Bresson, Nagisa Oshima, Otar Iosseliani and Jerry Lewis.
Pierre Étaix was born in 1928 in Roanne on the river Loire in central France. He decided very young to become a clown. Knowing how many skills were needed to fulfil his ambition, he studied the violin and piano, dancing and gymnastics, while teaching himself to play the xylophone, accordion, saxophone, mandolin, trumpet and concertina, as well as learning to become a magician. He was also trained as a designer, and was introduced to the art of stained glass by Theodore Gerard Hanssen. After joining an amateur theatre group in Roanne, Etaix moved to Paris in 1953, working as an illustrator, cartoonist and cabaret performer. In 1954, he met Jacques Tati and managed to get taken on by his hero’s company, Spectra Films, which had started the lengthy preproduction of Mon Oncle/My Uncle (Jacques Tati, 1958). During the almost four years it took to make the film, Etaix acted as gag writer, assistant director, storyboardist, gofer and uncredited player. He is seen briefly wheeling a bicycle and, with an imitation of clucking, startling a woman who is de-feathering a chicken. He also created the wonderful poster for the film. Later, Etaix performed comedy routines at the Parisian music hall Bobino, and at the cabaret Les Trois Baudets in Pigalle. He also appeared in Robert Bresson’s classic Pickpocket (1959), as one of the accomplices of the title character, and in the army comedy Tire-au-flanc/The Army Game (Claude de Givray, François Truffaut, 1961).
In 1960, Pierre Etaix met the then-unknown writer Jean-Claude Carrière, and they became friends. They shared a love for the comedy kings of Hollywood in the 1920s. They first collaborated on ‘novelisations’ of Monsieur Hulot and Mon Oncle, written by Carrière and illustrated by Etaix. Then they co-scripted and co-directed two shorts: Insomnie/Rupture (Pierre Etaix, 1961) and Heureux Anniversaire/Happy Anniversary (Pierre Etaix, 1962). The latter, which won the Oscar for best short film, had Etaix as a happily married man meeting a series of obstacles – mainly to do with traffic - as he desperately tries to get home in time for a celebratory dinner with his wife. Etaix, while paying homage to silent film comedy, paradoxically used sound effects as an important element in his work. His first feature, Le Soupirant/The Suitor (Pierre Etaix, 1963), was a huge success at home and abroad, and established Etaix as ‘the French Buster Keaton’. Some of the plot – a shy and studious young man has to get married in a hurry – echoes that of Seven Chances (Buster Keaton, 1925), and a scene where Etaix attempts to carry a drunk young woman up to her apartment is almost a carbon copy of a similar one in Keaton’s Spite Marriage (Edward Sedgwick, 1929). His next film, Yoyo/Yo Yo (Pierre Etaix, 1965), was his masterpiece. He plays a spoilt millionaire who loses everything in the Wall Street crash, then finds his former sweetheart, a circus horse rider, and their son Yoyo, a budding clown. Ronald Bergan in his obituary of Eraix in The Guardian: “This enchanting nostalgic comedy romance, paying tribute to the tone and technique of silent cinema, has no dialogue for the first 30 minutes except for creative sound effects such as the creaking of the vast chateau doors. As both the adult Yoyo and the millionaire, Etaix brought the same control and sense of style to his performance as to his direction.” He then directed two feature films Tant Qu’on a la Santé/As Long As You’re Healthy (Pierre Etaix, 1966) and Le Grand Amour/The Great Love (Pierre Etaix, 1969), which he co-authored with Jean-Claude Carrière. Tant Qu’on a la Santé looked at the absurdity of modern life. In a series of comic set pieces, Etaix played a serious-minded young man harassed wherever he goes – in the city crowds and traffic, at the doctor’s surgery, on a camping site and even on a desert island. Le Grand Amour was Etaix’s first film in colour, about a middle-aged married man who falls for a much younger woman. The wife was played by Annie Fratellini, one of the few female circus clowns in France, whom Etaix married in 1969.
Both Pierre Etaix and Annie Fratellini were featured in Federico Fellini’s semi-documentary I clowns/The Clowns (1970) about the human fascination with clowns and circuses. In 1974, Fratellini and her husband founded France's first circus school. Etaix’s last feature was the documentary Pays de Cocagne/Land of Milk and Honey (Pierre Etaix, 1971). Ronald Bergan: “a penetrating, rather cruel and satirical look at the French on holiday and their reactions to topical questions put to them by a hidden inquisitor (Etaix). The film, which was edited down from six hours of material to 80 minutes, was both a commercial and a critical failure, and Etaix was seldom seen on the big or small screen thereafter. In fact, he ‘vanished’ for some years when he and Fratellini joined the touring Pinder Circus as clowns.” In 1972, Jerry Lewis cast the comedian in his unreleased film drama The Day the Clown Cried. Later, Etaix wrote a play, L’Age de Monsieur est Avancé (The Gentleman is Getting On), which was successfully staged in the autumn of 1985 at the Comédie des Champs-Elysées theatre in Paris. Etaix filmed it for television two years later. He played the lead role opposite Nicole Calfan and Jean Carmet. Among his later film appearances were roles as a detective in Nagisa Oshima’s Max Mon Amour (1986) and as a friend of Henry Miller (Fred Ward) in Henry and June (Philip Kaufman, 1990). He also appeared in Jardins en Automne/Gardens in Autumn (2006), Chantrapas (2010) and Winter Song (2015), all directed by the Tati and Etaix admirer Otar Iosseliani, the exiled Georgian in Paris. Etaix also played a role in Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre (2011). Because of complex contractual problems, his old films could not been shown for three decades – either in cinemas, on television or on DVD. At last, in 2010, after more than 50,000 people – including Woody Allen, David Lynch, Charlotte Rampling and Jean-Luc Godard – had signed a petition, the films could be restored and rereleased. They were a revelation to a younger generation. In the same year, he toured France with a show inspired by music hall, Miousik Papillon. In January 2013, the French government promoted Etaix to the rank of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres. In June 2013 he received the Grand Prize of the SACD (Society of Authors and Composers of Dramatic) for his entire career. Annie Fratellini has died of cancer in 1997. Pierre Etaix is survived by their son, Marc, and by his second wife, Odile (nee Crépin), a former jazz singer. Le Monde reports that the cause of his death was an intestinal infection.
James Travers at French Film Site: “The precise, gentle comedy of Pierre Etaix invites not just admiration, but also genuine affection. Sweet but never mawkish, acerbic but never cruel, his films are packed with as much humanity as humour, and will move you as much as they will make you laugh.”
Sources: Ronald Bergan (The Guardian), James Travers (French Film Site), Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (A.V. Club), Le Monde (French), Wikipedia (French and English), and IMDb.
Small German collectors card.
Intense and eccentric Klaus Kinski (1926–1991) was one of the most colourful stars of European cinema. In a film career of over 40 years, the German actor appeared in more than 130 films, including numerous parts as a villain in Edgar Wallace thrillers and Spaghetti Westerns. The talented but tempestuous Kinski is probably best known for his riveting star turns in Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Nosferatu (1979), Fitzcarraldo (1982) and other films directed by Werner Herzog.
Klaus Kinski was born Nikolaus Günther Nakszyński in Zoppot, Danzig, Germany (now Sopot, Poland), in 1926. He was the son of a German father of Polish descent, Bruno Nakszyński, a pharmacist and a failed opera singer, and a German mother, Susanne Nakszyński-Lutze, a nurse and a daughter of a local pastor. He had three older siblings: Inge, Arne and Hans-Joachim. Because of the depression, the poor family was unable to make a living in Danzig and was forced to move to Berlin in 1931. They settled in a flat in the suburb of Schöneberg. From 1936 on, Kinski attended the Prinz-Heinrich-Gymnasium there. During World War II, the 16-year-old enlisted in the Wehrmacht. Kinski saw no action until the winter of 1944 when his unit was transferred to the Netherlands. His obituary in Variety magazine states that there he was wounded and captured by the British on the second day of combat, but Kinski's autobiography 'Ich bin so wild nach deinem Erdbeermund' (I Am So Wild About Your Strawberry Mouth, 1975) claims he made a conscious decision to desert. However, Kinski was transferred to the Prisoner of War Camp 186 in Colchester, Great Britain. The ship transporting him to England was torpedoed by a German U-Boat but managed to arrive safely at its destination. At the POW camp, Kinski played his first theatre roles in shows staged by fellow prisoners intending to maintain morale. Following the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, Kinski was finally allowed in 1946 to return to Germany, after spending a year and four months in captivity. Arriving in Berlin, Kinski learned his father had died during the war and his mother had been killed in an Allied air attack. Without having ever attended any professional training, he started out as an actor, first at a small touring company in Offenburg and already using his new name Klaus Kinski. He was hired by the renowned Schlosspark-Theater in Berlin but was fired by the manager in 1947 due to his unpredictable behaviour. Other companies followed, but his already wild and unconventional behaviour regularly got him into trouble. His first film role was a small part in Morituri (Eugen York, 1948) a drama about refugees from a concentration camp. In 1950, he stayed in a psychiatric hospital for three days; medical records from the period listed a preliminary diagnosis of schizophrenia. He only could find bit roles in films, and in 1955 Kinski twice tried to commit suicide.
Then Klaus Kinski got a supporting part in Ludwig II: Glanz und Ende eines Königs/Ludwig II (Helmut Käutner, 1955) about the frustrated and tragic King Ludwig II of Bavaria played by O.W. Fischer. More supporting parts in German films followed. In March 1956 Kinski made one single guest appearance at Vienna's Burgtheater in Goethe's Torquato Tasso. Although respected by his colleagues, and cheered by the audience, Kinski's hope to get a permanent contract was not fulfilled, as the Burgtheater's management ultimately became aware of the actor's earlier difficulties in Germany. He unsuccessfully tried to sue the company. Living jobless in Vienna, and without any prospects for his future, Kinski reinvented himself as a monologist and spoken word artist. He presented the prose and verse of François Villon, William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde among others. Thus he managed to establish himself as a well-known actor touring Austria, Germany, and Switzerland with his shows. In 1960 he returned to the cinema as a sinister character on the verge between genius and madness in the thriller Der Rächer/The Avenger (Karl Anton, 1960) based on a crime novel by British writer Edgar Wallace. In another Wallace adaptation, Die toten Augen von London/The Dead Eyes of London (Alfred Vohrer, 1961), Kinski’s psychopathic bad guy refused any personal guilt for his evil deeds and claimed to have only followed the orders given to him. During the 1960s, Kinski appeared in several Wallace Krimis, which enjoyed enormous success in Germany and are now considered cult classics. He also appeared in many other European genre films such as the Karl May Western Winnetou - 2. Teil/Last of the Renegades (Harald Reinl, 1964) featuring Pierre Brice. In these films, he built a reputation as an effective screen villain. In 1964, he relocated to Italy and was cast in the international production Doctor Zhivago (David Lean, 1965) as an Anarchist prisoner on his way to the Gulag. That year he also had a small part as a hunchback in the classic Italian western Per qualche dollaro in più/For Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone, 1965) starring Clint Eastwood. Roles in numerous other Spaghetti westerns followed, including El chuncho, quien sabe?/A Bullet for the General (Damiano Damiani, 1966) with Gian Maria Volonté, Il grande silenzio/The Great Silence (Sergio Corbucci, 1968) starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Un genio, due compari, un pollo/A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (Damiano Damiani, 1975) with Terence Hill. When the Spaghetti Western genre was over its top, Kinski started to appear in other exploitation genres. Often these films proved to be brainless trash.
In 1972, in between his countless appearances in genre and exploitation films, Klaus Kinski suddenly found international recognition with the German production Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes/Aguirre: The Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972). At AllMovie, Karl Williams writes: “The most famed and well-regarded collaboration between New German Cinema director Werner Herzog and his frequent leading man, Klaus Kinski, this epic historical drama was legendary for the arduousness of its on-location filming and the convincing zealous obsession employed by Kinski in playing the title role. Exhausted and near to admitting failure in its quest for riches, the 1650-51 expedition of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro (Alejandro Repulles) bogs down in the impenetrable jungles of Peru. As a last-ditch effort to locate treasure, Pizarro orders a party to scout ahead for signs of El Dorado, the fabled seven cities of gold. In command are a trio of nobles, Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra), Fernando de Guzman (Peter Berling), and Lope de Aguirre (Kinski). Travelling by river raft, the explorers are besieged by hostile natives, disease, starvation and treacherous waters. Crazed with greed and mad with power, Aguirre takes over the enterprise, slaughtering any that oppose him.” Kinski delivered a bravura performance that typified his screen image: that of an obsessive, terrifying, and emotionally unpredictable antihero. Kinski and Herzog would make five films together, including Woyzeck (1978), Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht/Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) with Isabelle Adjani, and Fitzcarraldo (1982) with Claudia Cardinale. The volatile love-hate relationship between Kinski and his equally driven and obsessive director Herzog resulted in some of the best work from both men, and both are best known for the films on which they collaborated. Kinski and Herzog pushed each other to extremes over a 15-year working relationship, which finally ended after filming Cobra Verde (Werner Herzog, 1987), a production plagued by volcanic clashes between the star and director, involving violent physical altercations and mutual death threats.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica writes that Klaus Kinski “disdained his chosen profession, once saying, ‘I wish I’d never been an actor. I’d rather have been a streetwalker, selling my body, than selling my tears and my laughter, my grief and my joy’. Numerous offers from prestigious directors—whom Kinski categorised as ‘cretins’ or ‘scum’—were refused; he worked only when the money suited him.” Kinski was also notorious – and in high demand – for his scandalous TV appearances and interviews. The scandals paid off. Although he continued to appear for the money in countless trash films, Kinski also starred in such respectable films as the French melodrama L'important c'est d'aimer/The Main Thing Is to Love (Andrzej Zulawski, 1975) starring a memorable Romy Schneider, and the Oscar-nominated Israeli production Mivtsa Yonatan/Operation Thunderbolt (Menahem Golan, 1977), based on the 1976 hijacking of a Tel Aviv-Athens-Paris Air France flight and the daring rescue of its 104 passengers in Entebbe, Uganda. In the 1980s Kinski appeared prominently in such Hollywood productions as the comedy Buddy Buddy (Billy Wilder, 1981) as a neurotic sex scientist opposite Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and the thriller The Little Drummer Girl (George Roy Hill, 1984) featuring Diane Keaton. Kinski’s last film was Kinski Paganini (Klaus Kinski, 1989), in which he played the 19th-century ‘devil’ violinist Niccolò Paganini. He also wrote and directed the film and his wife Debora and his son Nikolai also starred in the film. The production was marked by chaos and clashes between Kinski and his producers, who accused him of turning their production into a pornographic film and sued him in court. The result was a commercial and critical flop. Kinski reinforced his image as a wild-eyed, sex-crazed maniac in his autobiography 'Ich bin so wild nach deinem Erdbeermund' (1975). In 1988 he updated and rereleased it as 'Ich brauche Liebe' (All I Need Is Love) and in 1997 it was again rereleased as 'Kinski Uncut)'. The book infuriated many, and prompted his daughter Nastassja Kinski to file a libel suit against him. Werner Herzog would later say in his retrospective film Mein liebster Feind - Klaus Kinski/Kinski, My Best Fiend (1999, Werner Herzog) that much of the autobiography was fabricated to generate sales; the two even collaborated on the insults about the director. In 2006 Christian David published the first comprehensive biography based on newly discovered archived material, personal letters and interviews with Kinski's friends and colleagues. Klaus Kinski died of a heart attack in Lagunitas, California, U.S. at age 65. His ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean. He was married four times: to Gislinde Kühbeck (1952-1955), Brigitte Ruth Tocki (1960-1971), Minhoi Geneviève Loanic (1971-1979), and to Debora Caprioglio (1987-1989). His three children Pola Kinski (1952), Nastassja Kinski (1961) and Nikolai Kinski (1976) are all actors.
Slow Walk Rock
Sil Austin And His Orchestra
Mercury-Wing Records/USA (1959)
Released on Mercury in 1957, rereleased on Mercury-Wing in 1959.
ReReleased by Atlas in an original looking display box.
The car is based on the Citroen DS.
1/43 scale, Diecast.
My heart skipped a beat when I first saw the two Ultimate Collection packs at Target in 2020. Colleen and I unexpectedly found the dolls while we were on our way to an eye doctor appointment. I wanted to stop into Target to get cleaning supplies that I was having trouble finding at our local Walmart. Of course we did the "adult" thing and looked at the toys! I was so tempted to buy this set right away, but I resisted the urge. I knew I could get it on some sort of offer/sale. It turns out I didn't have to wait long because I was able to save 25% when I found an online offer! There are actually two Ultimate Collection packs--the Merbaby one shown here, and Diva's pack. I already had a handful of dolls from the alternative set (Diva, M.C. Swag, and Queen Bee). Most of my favorites were in this Merbaby pack anyways (although I was sad about Baby Cat and Hoops MVP being in the other set).
I love it when toy companies decide to capitalize off a doll brand's popularity. It doesn't do MGA any financial favors to have people over paying for Series 1 L.O.L. Surprise dolls on eBay. It makes sense to jump on the bandwagon and re-release the dolls themselves. Sure, it makes collectors mad because it "devalues" their originals. But for those of us who don't collect for value and who missed out on the first waves, it is an exciting prospect. Plus I LOVE that there is no surprise when it comes to the Ultimate Collection sets. It tells you on the back of each box which dolls are included. I could do without the wasteful surprise ball packaging though. These dolls create so much waste and trash that it makes me cringe. Although they did come with tissue paper instead of little bags to hide their clothes/accessories. The tissue paper is something I was able to reuse for other projects.
My favorites from this set are definitely Merbaby, Royal High-Ney, Glitter Queen, and Rocker. But obviously Colleen and I adore them all! She was especially excited about Teacher's Pet (and who could blame her...Teacher's Pet melts my heart)! They are identical to the original versions with the exception of their enlarged pupils and lack of color change features (for the dolls that were color change originally of course). There are a few subtle color variation too, but all in all you are getting the same essence of the character.
I love how they came complete with their drink cups and other little accessories! These faces are so iconic to me because they are featured time and time again on L.O.L. Surprise merchandise. Look at the background behind them--I got familiar with them while putting these stickers and party decorations on the cardboard! It feels unreal getting the actual dolls. As a kid, there weren't many pack dolls available, unless it was Barbie sister sets or mini Disney Princess ones. Ginormous packs like this one didn't exist, but I would have LOVED them!!! I think it's my inner child that always lures me in to spending the money on such sets. Plus, they fondly remind me of when the "1st Edition" Bratz were re-released in a large gift set, and Dad bought me them just because one night. I'm so glad I didn't previously own any one of these ladies because it made this set all that much more exciting!
BOX DATE: 2020
MANUFACTURER: M.G.A.
DOLLS IN PACK: Glitter Queen; Cosmic Queen; Fresh, Majorette; Teacher's Pet; Rocker; Merbaby; Roller Sk8er; Line Dancer; Sis Swing; Royal High-ney; Leading Baby
RELEASES:2016 Series 1; 2017 Series 1 "Re-Release;" 2018 Series 1 "Re-Release"; 2020 Ultimate Collection Re-Released Series 1; 2022 Miss Royale Family
PERSONAL FUN FACT: I have no idea what practical occasion would ever call for a doll to wear such an absurd outfit. But it is the sheer ridiculousness of Royal High-ney that made me fall in love with her and her matching brother. The world of L.O.L.s is meant to be anything but reality based. I have always been drawn to dollies that were more fanciful in design, but I played with them in a more "realistic" setting. To me, the more crazy and bizarre the design, the more I love the doll. Looking at this ensemble makes me chuckle. It's clearly based off of actual historical royal clothes. But the color combination is anything but historically accurate. I think the part of this outfit that grabs my attention the most are these shoes. They have a considerably large heel for such a tiny doll. They remind me of some of the silly looking slippers my Bratz dolls came with. But these were not meant for bedtime...oh no, these are Royal High-ney's every day shoes! I noticed that the L.O.L. characters who do not require sunglasses or hair accessories/hats are always packaged with a binky. I guess that was MGA's way of keeping things equally distributed. After all, they do promise a certain number of "surprises" with each doll (insert eyeroll here). My only complaint is that this drink cup is awfully bland for someone of such a regal social status. You'd think Royal High-ney would have a more blinged out bottle!