*sigh* I hate prototypes.

So I got another doll today for my business venture and well, I’m glad I wasn’t overly excited about getting this doll because the real doll depresses me.  So the doll in question is Jackson Jekyll from the Monster High doll line.

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Prototype here seems to have a rounder and softer face.  The hair is way nicer, even though I know I just need to was my doll’s hair, but sometimes when you was the hair you make the situation worse.  But I will be trying it because I hate the shellacked hair.  Also he seems to be more smiling or have a neutral expression on his face and the lip paint seems to follow the mouth line which looks good.  His eyes look warm and smiling.  He just seems sweet and nice and warm.

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*sigh*  Then we get the real doll.  Are you kidding me?!?  Ok, so let’s just gloss over the whole glued down hair issue?  Ok, no, let’s not.  What is the deal with gluing down the hair?!?  It makes it look nasty as heck and what would really be so bad if they hair was free flowing?  Ok I guess the whole static cling thing, but couldn’t they use something like a hair gel or something like that that would easily brush out?  I just don’t get it!  Ok, moving on.  The face, it’s sharper and edgier, but not in a good way.  It makes his face look very androgynous, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it just doesn’t give me the feeling of attractive male but more like an in between being.  The lips.  Ok I don’t know if this is for everyone, but my guy’s lips almost looks like he is doing a comedic drag queen show.  The paint goes way over the lip line and the ends point up at the corners in this weird kind of mock smile.  However the middle line of the mouth forms into a frown.  It looks so freaking weird.  I just can’t get comfortable with it.  The prototype looks like the lip paint went with the lip line and into the lip crease, so much better.  The eyes, while on the prototype they look almost almond, on the real doll they are a weird oblong shape.  And he looks like he has raccoon eyes.  The shadowing is just bad on this one.  Really bad.  I like the eyebrow piercing, and am kind of shocked to see that on a Mattel made doll, but I thought it was a nice touch.

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Now my final issue with Jackson is the fact that he has Popeye arms.  They are held at an awkward angle and when they fold in they look almost how Popeye holds his arms.  I could easily picture anchors on his arms for some reason.  I kind of want to put an anchor on one of them now.  Humm, it’s an idea. 

*Warning, doll nudity ahead.*

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As for the rest of the body, it’s ok.  It fits in with the Monster High line.  His arms look beefier than they should be when you look at the rest of the body, but it’s a decent body.

So like I said, I got him basically to try making some things for to try selling, and I did want him because I wanted a normal looking skin color to go with different colors better.  I also have my Frankie still that I plan on fixing her paint issues instead of getting another one of her.  And they will be my Monster High models.  I wanted to get Ghoulia and several more dolls but the Ghoulia they have is a sexed up version of her in my opinion, and so I decided to pass on her.  So I will just stick with what I have.  Oh, one cool think about Jackson, his sandals fit Liv Doll Jake’s feet.  Their feet are practically the same size.  But those sandals seem to be big because it’s hard to keep them on either of their feet.  But I might get the male clothing pack for Monster High just for the shoes to see if they fit Jake, but I will try my Ken shoes out first.

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His clothing are your basic Mattel productions.  Simple cotton shirt with I believe rayon shorts.  Hemmed pretty decently, but I think the shorts would have been nicer in cotton also.  But it’s decent for a basic doll.  I might want to chance getting Holt later on to see how he is, but I think for now I am done with the MH line.

But yeah, those are my views on Jackson.  I have nothing against the doll, because when I saw the prototype I knew I was going to get him.  I wanted to own him.  But taking a closer look at what Mattel churned out just bummed me out.  But I don’t expect much from Mattel any more, so I knew not to expect perfection.  I think with some tlc he could look a little better, so I may attempt to doctor him up some.  Well I am off now.  I must do my ten miles on my exercise bike and then I’m going to try seeing if I can come up with a pattern for Jackson.  Talk to you guys later.  Be good until then.  Bye for now. 

Loves ya,
Mouse