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84-548: The idea for the character was inspired by action figures , particularly Batman ones, which seemed to Mignola to be the same figurines with different paint jobs. Mignola imagined a robot with a head that screwed onto different bodies to suit the occasion, hence "Screw-on Head". An animated pilot , based on the plot of the comic, was produced by the Sci-Fi Channel in 2006, with Bryan Fuller as writer and executive producer and Chris Prynoski as director. Screw-On Head

168-625: A 2005 study in Sweden , action figures which display traditional masculine traits primarily target boys. While most commonly marketed as a child's toy , the action figure has gained widespread acceptance as collector item for adults. In such a case, the item may be produced and designed on the assumption it will be bought solely for display as a collectible and not played with like a child's toy. Articulated dolls go back to at least 200 BCE, with articulated clay and wooden dolls of ancient Greece and Rome . Many types of articulated figures date to

252-403: A chrome head and cyborg feet. During the oil supply crisis of the 1970s, like many other manufacturers of action figures, Takara was struggling with the costs associated with making the large 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 -inch figures, So, a smaller version of the cyborg toy was developed, standing at 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches (95 mm) high, and was first sold in 1974 as Microman . The Microman line

336-467: A color-changing feature has been demonstrated on some figures throughout the years. This concept involves dipping the character's head into cold water and revealing a temperature-sensitive paint. Examples include Kenner's Sky Escape Joker and Camouflage Swamp Thing, as well as Hasbro's Desert-Camo Sgt. Savage . The majority of figures in Kenner 's Super Powers Collection toted a punching action upon

420-530: A cut's strict vertical rotation. Basic knee articulation often relies on what is considered a pin joint. The amount and style of figure articulation used by toy designers have varied over the years. Two of the most popular figure lines of the 1980s, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and Masters of the Universe , contrasted one another greatly in articulation; the former included several points in their small, 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) scale while

504-453: A distinctly Asian view in their aesthetics, but the designs are diverse and range from highly anime-inspired to hyper-realistic. LA Weekly said Asian BJDs are "often strangely human looking" while NPR described them as "eerily lifelike." Most are anatomically correct and have proportionally large heads, big eyes and comparatively large feet, contrasted with fashion dolls like Barbie , and are capable of standing on their own, without

588-417: A hard, smooth, porcelain -like feel, but is less brittle. Unlike porcelain however, polyurethane tends to turn yellow and decay over time depending on exposure to UV light and heat. The resin casting process allows for molds to be produced with a relatively low initial investment, compared to the injection molding commonly used for mass produced vinyl dolls. However, the materials are more expensive, and

672-656: A hobby level, to incorporated multinationals. Hobby artists in Asia, particularly Japan, and the West, particularly USA and Australia, create and sell their own dolls. In Asia there is a wide variety of companies making BJDs, most based in South Korea. The BJD Orbyrarium book lists 49 different BJD companies and one fan-run BJD database includes 125 companies as of February 2009. As of March 2018, there are over 600 different BJD companies and independent artists worldwide. A few of

756-547: A master of languages, Emperor Zombie ( David Hyde Pierce ) is the first of Screw-On Head's ( Paul Giamatti ) manservants, who has turned to evil despite Screw-On Head's advice. Out of revenge for his first defeat, Zombie developed what he refers to as a "petty vengeance fetish", killing the seven replacement servants after him, and before Mr. Groin ( Patton Oswalt ), in gruesome ways. The pilot also featured Molly Shannon , Mindy Sterling , and Corey Burton in various roles as well. On July 12, 2006, The Amazing Screw-On Head TV pilot

840-527: A move that would create global popularity for this type of toy, Hasbro also licensed the product to companies in other markets. These different licensees had a combination of uniforms and accessories that were usually identical to the ones manufactured for the US market by Hasbro, along with some sets that were unique to the local market. The Japanese had at least two examples where a Hasbro licensee also issued sublicenses for related products. For example, Palitoy (in

924-463: A new Star Wars figure line had surfaced and Spawn figures flooded the toy store shelves, proving action figures were not just for kids anymore. Corinthian Figures of association football players were popular in England during this time. Beginning in 1997, ToyFare magazine would become a popular read for mature collectors in providing news and embracing nostalgia with a comedic twist. And with

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1008-425: A number of ways. Window Box packaging Window box packages consist of a sturdy, but somewhat thin cardboard box that allows for easy stacking. The box has colorful artwork to draw one's attention. The front of the box will have an area of the cardboard that is cut out and a thin piece of soft plastic then fills the cutout area. This ensures easy visibility of the action figure inside of the box. This type of packaging

1092-478: A particular series includes a body part to a larger-scaled figure. This encourages the consumer to purchase every figure of the given series, in order to complete the larger figure. The concept has spread into Mattel's DC Universe Classics . Figures intended to appeal to the collector market commonly include a display base and/or pack-in comic book. In such cases accessories may be designed more for display than play. Manufacturers have packaged their action figures in

1176-506: A punch and emit a loud bang from the ring cap in his backpack. Other features emphasized aesthetic rather than action, such as the flocked bodies of Grizzlor and Moss Man as well as the unique scents of the latter and Stinkor . The success of the many Transformers lines has relied heavily on their signature feature of shifting from vehicle to robot. The popularity of this carried into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ' Mutatin' series among others. In 1987, Mattel introduced figures for

1260-658: A range of fullsize human dolls, Elfdoll have released many types of tiny anthro BJDs, beginning with Catsy. They had a showroom in Glendale, California , opened in August 2007 where they held parties and meetups for BJD enthusiasts. In 2007, LA Weekly described Elfdoll dolls as having "detailed, human-like features." Dollzone was one of the first Chinese BJD doll brands, developed and manufactured by Shenzhen Red Society Toys Ltd. Dollzone make male and female dolls, 1/3 and 1/4 dolls, and BB dolls in 26 cm size. Angell Studio

1344-691: A split between Cerberus Project and Luts, who now trade separately. Minifee are mini-sized versions of the Delf dolls, distributed by Korean company Fairyland. Custom House is one of the oldest Korean BJD companies. Their dolls were featured in the Korean horror movie Doll Master from 2004. D.I.M (Doll in Mind) produced, among other dolls, the Minimee, completely customized heads created from customer photos or drawings. Some people commissioned heads from them in

1428-478: A stand or other support. BJDs are readily customizable. Wigs and eyes are easy to remove and replace, as well as heads, hands, and feet. A doll may even be a hybrid of parts from different companies. Some BJD owners or customizers even re-shape existing parts by sanding them or applying epoxy putty to them. BJD face paint is referred to as a face-up to indicate that it is not just make-up, but all facial features that are painted on and customized. This includes

1512-421: A swiveling waist are also common. Various terms have come into practice such as a "cut" joint, frequently used to allow a basic head rotation at the neck or arm rotation at the shoulder. The "T" joint at a figure's hips commonly allows up to 180° of front-to-back leg rotation; although, this may vary. Ball joints often allow more liberal movement than a cut, such as the figure's head being able to tilt in addition to

1596-736: A variety of skin tones. Resin ball-jointed fashion dolls like the Sybarite differ from the typical Asian BJD in several ways. Their main influence is from the collectible American 16 inch vinyl fashion dolls, like Gene Marshall by Ashton-Drake Galleries and Tyler Wentworth by Tonner . Ball-jointed fashion dolls are usually around 16 inches tall, closer to 1/4 scale than the typical 1/3 scale of Asian BJDs. They have more lifelike proportions, smaller heads and eyes, and less childlike, more distinctive facial features There are several types of larger 60 cm vinyl dolls in Japan. They are in

1680-428: Is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic , and often based upon characters from a film , comic book , military , video game or television program ; fictional or historical . These figures are usually marketed toward boys and adult collectors. The term was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys (while competitors called similar offerings boy's dolls ). According to

1764-490: Is a variety of doll types available, including dolls with elf ears and vampire teeth. Delf were originally designed by Japanese resin kit designers Cerberus Project and made and distributed by the Korean company Luts, who also own the rights to use the Delf name. These dolls are often referred to by the acronym CP , or as Luts dolls , after the distributor; dolls produced after 2007 are correctly known only as Luts dolls due to

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1848-518: Is an agent for President Abraham Lincoln . He is summoned by Lincoln to track down Emperor Zombie, an undead occultist and originally a groundskeeper at Hyde Park. Zombie and his henchmen, the vampire Madam and scientist Dr. Snap, have stolen an ancient manuscript. This will allow him access to the temple of Gung, a warlord who nearly conquered the world over ten thousand years ago with supernatural power gained from "a fabulous melon -sized jewel ", which Zombie obviously plans to use for himself. With

1932-634: Is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints . In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD , it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin , a hard, dense plastic, and the parts strung together with a thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan , South Korea and China . The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime . They commonly range in size from about 60 centimetres (24 in) for

2016-418: Is common as of the 2000s decade is PVC packaging. With this type of packaging, the cardboard card is replaced by a clear PVC plastic backing. The front of the package is a different piece of PVC plastic that is molded to include a bubble that will house the action figure and all of its accessories. Any colorful artwork designed to help draw attention to the package will be printed on a thin piece of paper that

2100-458: Is completed, the entire figure is baked to harden the clay. The sculpted prototype is then sent for approval to the manufacturer. Once all design details have been finalized, the prototype is used to make the molds that will form the plastic pieces for the mass-produced figure. The entire sculpting process may take about two weeks, depending on the skill and speed of the sculptor. This process may be repeated several times if revisions must be made to

2184-433: Is placed between these two pieces of PVC , or will be affixed in sticker form to the front piece of PVC . This type of packaging is popular today and can be seen being used by McFarlane Toys for their Movie Maniacs line of action figures beginning with Series V. Other companies that utilize this type of packaging are NECA/Reel Toys ( National Entertainment Collectibles Association ) with their Cult Classics and Pirates of

2268-430: Is placed on the card and a bubble of clear plastic is then laid over the top of the action figure and attached to the card. The figure is then clearly visible to consumers. Often the bubble will have several small, fitted compartments to hold the figure and its accessories in place. Kenner and Hasbro 's packaging of Star Wars action figures since 1977 are an example. PVC packaging A more recent type of packaging that

2352-890: The Masters of the Universe revival and Justice League Unlimited , however, still evoke adult collector followings as well. Comic book firms are also able to get figures of their characters produced, regardless of whether or not they appeared in movies or animated cartoons. Examples of companies that produce comic figures and merchandise almost exclusively include Toy Biz and DC Direct . Adult-oriented figure lines are often exclusive to specific chain stores rather than mass retail. Popular lines often have figures available exclusively through mail-in offers and comic conventions , which raises their value significantly. Ploys such as packaging "errors" and "short-packed" figures have also been used by toy companies to increase collector interest. Modelling clay and various sculpting tools are used to create

2436-462: The Super Dollfie line of dolls. The first Super Dollfie were 57 cm tall, strung with elastic, ball-jointed, and made of polyurethane resin; similar to garage kits , which were Volks main product at the time. Super Dollfie were made to be highly customizable and to find a female market for Volks products. See further: Super Dollfie History . The earliest Asian BJDs were influenced by

2520-507: The anime aesthetic. The early, prominent BJD companies Volks, Cerberus Project with the Delf line, as well as the Japanese artist Gentaro Araki with the U-noa line, all have backgrounds in anime-style resin figure kits. Around 2002–2003, South Korean companies started creating and producing BJDs. Customhouse and Cerberus Project were among the first Korean BJDs companies, and since then

2604-625: The cyborg action figure concept to the concept of the living robot. This led to the Micro Change line of toys: objects that could "transform" into robots. In 1984, Hasbro licensed Micro Change and another Takara line, the Diaclone transforming cars, and combined them in the US as the Transformers , spawning a still-continuing family of animated cartoons. As the '80s were ending, more and more collectors started to surface, buying up

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2688-610: The early modern period , including the artists' mannequin and the Japanese ichimatsu doll. The modern ball-jointed doll was first created in Western Europe in the late 19th century. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century French and German manufacturers made bisque dolls with strung bodies articulated with ball-joints made of composition : a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue and similar materials. These dolls could measure between 15 and 100 cm (6 and 39.5 in) and are now collectible antiques. Besides

2772-473: The 1890s and polyethylene figures becoming common by the 1950s. The toy soldier market, ubiquitous thanks to its history and mass-production methods, would therefore become a natural home for the military-themed action figure. One of the earliest toys to bear resemblance to modern action figures is Albert Schoenhut 's "Humpy Dumpty Circus", released in 1904, which featured articulated wooden figures interacting with various devices. The term "action figure"

2856-525: The 60 cm Andolrea U-Noss line in collaboration with Volks. He later went on to create his own company called Alchemic Labo with a line of mature minis called the U-noa Quluts, and later continued to branch out to other sizes including the 35 cm Unoa Quluts Chibi. and the 64 cm Unoa Zero/Unon. The Delf dolls were one of the earliest lines from Korea, dating back to 2003. They are slightly taller and slimmer than Super Dollfie and there

2940-467: The Caribbean line of figures, and Toy Biz with its Marvel Legends action figures, which included a comic book placed between the two PVC segments. Tube packaging Another recent type of PVC packaging is a tube-shaped piece of PVC plastic surrounding the action figure. The tube may be cylindrical or oval in shape. Artwork on the package is often in the form of a sticker affixed to the outside of

3024-468: The Korean market has expanded with many more. The earliest Chinese produced BJDs were knockoffs. Some were direct recasts, while others were slight modifications of Super Dollfie or Korean BJDs. These knockoffs were made of plaster , low quality resin or polystone —a mix of resin and a filler material like sand. They were low in price, but not very durable. The first Chinese company to release their own original BJD sculpts in high quality polyurethane resin

3108-500: The PVC tube. This type of packaging has been used by Hasbro for their Star Wars Galactic Heroes line of figures. Figures of the original Masters of the Universe line included many unique "action features": Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor had rotating chest plates to represent varying degrees of damage; Leech featured suction cup limbs; Mantenna 's eyes would pop out using a lever on his back; and Thunder Punch He-Man would thrust

3192-594: The Super Dollfie museum, Tenshi-no-Sato in Kyoto, Japan. In 2004, Time magazine described Super Dollfie as having "trendily refined makeup" and "exaggerated features inspired by Japanese animation". Shojo Beat , in 2008, said they have "cool glassy expressions", "a distinct anime look" and that their styles "stay true to a Japanese aesthetic." The Japanese artist Gentaro Araki first started in BJDs in 2000 with

3276-555: The Super Dollfie size range, are around 60 centimetres (24 inches). Roughly 1/3 scale, they usually represent fully grown teenagers or adult body types. There is also a range of even larger full size BJD, from about 70–90 cm (27.5–35.5 in) tall. Mini size dolls, sometimes referred to as MDD from Mini Dollfie Dream or MSD from the Mini Super Dollfie size range, are about 40 cm (15.5 in) tall. There are two major categories of minis: those that are roughly in

3360-745: The Super Dollfie size range. Even smaller childlike dolls, tiny tinies, are usually not made to be in scale with any larger BJDs. A few tiny BJDs have mature bodies and are in the same 1/6 scale as fashion dolls like Barbie , about 21–30 cm (8.5–12 in) tall. Humanoid anthro animal BJDs are usually in the tiny size scale. Ball-jointed doll prototypes can be produced in one of two ways. They can be initially modeled in clay, most commonly polymer clay , by hand or, alternatively, they can be digitally designed using digital sculpting tools such as ZBrush , and 3D printed. The hardened clay or 3D printed body parts are used to form molds for multiple parts to be cast in synthetic polyurethane resin . Cured resin has

3444-569: The Taiwanese drama film Spider Lilies from 2007 feature BJDs. The virtual band Mistula is composed of customized BJDs, Super Dollfie and Delf dolls. The main characters in the manga and anime Rozen Maiden are ball-jointed living dolls. The horror novel, manga and anime Another also features BJDs. BJDs are also an important motif in the movie Ghost in the Shell: Innocence where many dolls have "spirits" of some sort, but at

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3528-566: The UK) issued a sublicense to Tsukuda , a company in Japan, to manufacture and sell Palitoy's Action Man accessories in the Japanese market. Takara also issued a sublicense to Medicom for the manufacture of action figures. Takara, still under license by Hasbro to make and sell G.I. Joe toys in Japan, also manufactured an action figure incorporating the licensed GI Joe torso for Henshin Cyborg-1, using transparent plastic revealing cyborg innards, and

3612-514: The aid of his manservant, Mr. Groin, and dog Mr. Dog, Screw-On Head manages to track down Zombie, but not before the villain and his henchmen find the treasure: instead of a jewel, the tomb contains a turnip with "a small parallel universe" inside. Zombie unleashes the Demigod within, but Screw-On Head manages to defeat it in combat. The 22-minute pilot differs from the comic mainly in that the characters are fleshed out with backstories. Rather than

3696-471: The articulated doll, another important precursor to the action figure is the toy soldier . Military figures have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and have appeared in many cultures and eras. Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal between two pieces of slate. As industry and demand advanced, so did production methods, with hollow casting first being utilized in

3780-418: The bulk of many action figure lines and often make use of the old figure and accessory molds. Glow-in-the-dark figures and accessories also became popular in the early '90s with lines like Toxic Crusaders and Swamp Thing . A 1999 study found that "the figures have grown much more muscular over time, with many contemporary figures far exceeding the muscularity of even the largest human bodybuilders " and that

3864-601: The bulkier latter remained minimal. Both, however, used methods involving rubber cords at the hips that are little used today. In the 2000s, Toy Biz 's popular Marvel Legends line became known for its high rate of articulation, even boasting points at the abdomen, toes, and fingers. While not all action figures include accessories, the additional items often prove essential to characters and their effectiveness as interactive toys. Typical 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) scale G.I. Joe figures include several intricately sculpted guns or hand weapons that can be fastened inside

3948-655: The changing cultural expectations reflected by those changes may contribute to body image disorders in both sexes. The adult collector market for action figures expanded with companies such as McFarlane Toys , Palisades , and NECA . These companies have given numerous movie characters, musicians, and athletes their very first highly detailed figures. The Cinema of Fear action figures were sold together with plush dolls, "screen grab" dioramas, and limited edition toys based on New Line Cinema 's horror franchise. These kinds of action figure are mainly intended as statuesque display pieces rather than toys. Child-oriented lines such as

4032-414: The character has been selected, the actual design process begins with sketches of the proposed figure. The next step is the creation of a clay prototype, but other materials such as wax can also be used for the prototype. This model is made by bending aluminum wires to form the backbone of the figure, known as an armature. The wire form includes the outline of the arms and legs posed in the general stance that

4116-454: The eyebrows, lips and blushing to enhance features. Face-ups and body blushing are done with watercolor pencils, acrylic paint —applied with a regular brush or an airbrush —or soft pastels , and coated with a sprayed-on layer of clear matte sealant for protection. BJD face-ups, even from large companies, are always painted by hand, and it takes considerable skill to execute detailed, professional face-ups. The polyurethane resin material of which

4200-443: The figure will assume. The sculptor then adds clay to the armature to give the basic weight and shape that is desired. The clay may be baked slightly during the prototyping process to harden it. Then, the sculptor uses various tools, such as a wire loop, to carve the clay and shape details on the figure. After creating the basic form, the sculptor may choose to remove the arms and work on them separately for later attachment. This gives

4284-453: The figure. Several months are typically allowed for this design phase. Action Figures come in fixed scales to allow compatibility within (and sometimes between) toy ranges. A common feature among action figures is body articulation, often referred to as points of articulation (POA) or joints. The most basic forms of articulation include one neck joint, two shoulder joints, and two hip joints. Beyond these, rotating wrists, bending knees, and

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4368-464: The figures' hands. Missile launchers are also commonplace in military and comic book figure lines and usually involve a spring-loaded mechanism. However, possibly due to safety concerns, this method saw a decline in the mid-1990s. Some figures, particularly of the Joker , have incorporated water-squirting weapons. More recently, Marvel Legends has popularized the "build-a-figure" concept. Each figure of

4452-402: The finer details, paying close attention to the eyes, nose, and mouth that give the figure its lifelike expression. The designer may attach a rough lump of clay on the main figure as a temporary head while the real head is sculpted on a separate armature. This allows the sculptor to finish the figure's facial expressions independently of the body. At this point, the finished head can be attached to

4536-507: The gaining popularity of the Internet, websites such as Toy News International would soon offer information on upcoming collectible figures and merchandise . It was during this time that popular characters were increasingly getting specialized costume and variant figures. Batman quickly became most notorious for this (i.e. Arctic Batman, Piranha Blade Batman, Neon Armor Batman). Rather than individual characters, these variants would make up

4620-745: The higher-end, hand-cast BJDs are usually made is easier to paint than the softer and more slick vinyl often used for other dolls, which may require a base sealant to make the paint adhere properly. There is a sizeable international community dedicated to BJDs. The largest English language BJD internet community , Den of Angels, has over 43,000 members as of February 2016. Enthusiasts have also held offline BJD meetups and organized conventions, like Dollectable in San Francisco , US. In Japan, Dolls Party conventions are organized by Volks , and some enthusiasts meet and take pictures of their dolls at doll-friendly maid cafés . BJDs owners usually customize

4704-417: The hobby level of collecting usually associated with dolls. They cost several thousand dollars, up to several hundred thousand dollars for older collectible dolls from famous artists. The art doll community is still active in Japan and artists regularly release artbooks with photographs of their dolls. The history of commercially produced Asian resin BJDs began in 1999 when the Japanese company Volks created

4788-422: The idea of artful doll photography, which continues today with Japanese doll artists, as well as BJD hobbyists. Influenced by Bellmer and the rich Japanese doll tradition , Japanese artists began creating strung ball-jointed art dolls . These are commonly made entirely of bisque and are often very tall, sometimes as tall as 120 cm (47 in). These dolls are purely intended as art, and not for play or even

4872-783: The larger dolls, 40 cm (15.5 in) for the mini dolls, and down to 10 cm (4 in) for the very smallest BJDs. BJDs are primarily intended for adult collectors and customizers. They are made to be easy to customize, by painting, changing the eyes and wig, and so forth. The modern BJD market began with the Volks line of Super Dollfie in 1999. Super Dollfie and Dollfie are registered trademarks but are sometimes erroneously used as generic blanket terms to refer to all Asian BJDs regardless of manufacturer. Articulated dolls go back to at least 200 BCE, with articulated clay and wooden dolls of ancient Greece and Rome . The modern era of ball-jointed doll history began in Western Europe in

4956-530: The largest English BJD forum. Super Dollfie from Volks was the first line of modern Asian BJD. They set the range of sizes used by most companies. Volks have released a vast variety of different dolls, most of them limited editions, some in collaboration with fashion designers like Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and H. Naoto or anime series like Rozen Maiden . Volks has a number of stores in Japan and Korea, as well as one in Los Angeles. They also run

5040-520: The largest marketing tools for toy companies. Some of the most successful to come about were Masters of the Universe , G.I. Joe , Thundercats , The Real Ghostbusters and Super Powers Collection , to name just a few. Early in the decade, the burgeoning popularity of Japanese robot anime such as Gundam also encouraged Takara to reinvent the Microman line as the Micro Robots, moving from

5124-587: The late 19th century. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century, French and German manufacturers made bisque dolls with strung bodies articulated with ball joints made of composition : a mix of pulp, sawdust, glue, and similar materials. These dolls could measure between 15 and 100 cm (6 and 39.5 in) and are now collectible antiques. During the 1930s, the German artist Hans Bellmer created dolls with ball joints and used them in photography and other surrealistic artwork. Bellmer introduced

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5208-415: The likeness of celebrities, anime/video game characters, TV show personas, or even comic book characters. Dollshe introduced a line of tall, slim, double jointed mature boy dolls in 2003. These are slightly larger full size BJD, about 68 cm tall. Their Bermann doll was strictly limited and is one of the most sought after collectible BJDs. Tensiya has since split with Dollshe. D.O.D. (Dream of Doll)

5292-530: The look of their dolls, and they are often named, and sometimes assigned individual characteristics and personality traits. The dolls are often used as subjects of artistic work, such as photography or drawing, which is shared on the internet. Some use their dolls and characters for roleplaying . A small minority makes further emotional investment, going so far as to talk to their dolls as if they were alive. Some BJDs are collectible; limited editions and skillfully customized dolls can fetch prices much higher than

5376-492: The main armature and joined to the body with additional clay. Once the head is attached, the neck and hair are sculpted to properly fit to the figure. Then, depending on the design of the figure, the costume may be sculpted directly onto the body. However, if a cloth costume or uniform will be added later, the prototype is sculpted without any costume details. During this process, parts of the clay may be covered with aluminum foil to keep it from prematurely drying out. Once everything

5460-513: The most notable BJD lines and companies can be found below. On occasion, unauthorized copies or recasts of original dolls are sold, predominantly in South-East Asia. Several Korean and Japanese BJD companies have posted notices warning against recast dolls. There is a strong resistance against these knockoff dolls within the BJD community. They are for example not allowed to be posted on

5544-561: The newer, smaller size figure with molded-on clothing the industry standard. Instead of a single character with outfits that changed for different applications, toy lines included teams of characters with special functions. Led by Star Wars-themed sales, collectible action figures quickly became a multimillion-dollar secondary business for movie studios. From 1972 to 1986 there was a famous line of Big Jim action figures produced by Mattel . The 1980s spawned all sorts of popular action figure lines, many based on cartoon series, which were one of

5628-1097: The original in the second hand market, sometimes as much as US $ 5000. However, the customization and personalization aspects are usually more emphasized in the BJD world. Even collectible limited-edition BJDs are played with and used as props in photoshoots, and even dolls that are no longer in mint condition can command high prices in the second hand market. Many BJD owners have other interests such as anime , Gothic Lolita and cosplay , and some dress their dolls in related styles. BJDs can often be seen dressed in contemporary and casual youth fashions like punk or goth . Other dolls may display fantasy elements like elf ears, vampire fangs, different types of wings, horns, hooves, and cyborg parts. Doll manufacturers sometimes base BJDs on characters from anime , manga , other works of fiction, or even historical figures. Some BJD owners similarly customize their dolls to create one-off representations of existing characters or celebrities. Asian BJDs have been featured in movies and other works. The Korean horror movie Doll Master from 2004 and

5712-436: The process requires more manual labor, resulting in a higher cost per unit. Most regular edition BJDs come assembled with an option for a "face-up", the facial blushing and painting, while full set BJDs, which are often limited, include clothes, face-up, and sometimes full body blushing. A few BJDs are sold as bare unassembled parts in a kit, similar to a garage kit . BJDs are produced by anything from single-person outfits on

5796-409: The prototype. The actual figure is molded from a harder plastic resin such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Softer plastics and nylon may be used for costume components including body suits, capes, and face masks. Acrylic paints of various colors may be used to decorate the figure. More elaborate toys may contain miniature electronic components that provide light and sound effects. Once

5880-474: The same scale as fullsize BJDs, with similar proportions. The two most common types are Dollfie Dream  [ ja ] from Volks and Obitsu  [ ja ] . The first Dollfie Dream body type was strung and had classic ball and socket joints, but the current body has an internal skeleton of hard plastic, as do the Obitsu dolls. The vinyl bodies can, sometimes with some modifications, be combined with

5964-459: The same scale as the 1/3 full-size dolls and meant to look like children, and mature or slim minis which are meant to represent fully grown adults that are in 1/4 scale. Tiny BJDs are under 30 cm (12 in) tall. They are available in many different types and scales. Some tiny BJD are made to look like toddlers or babies next to full size dolls, these are about 25 cm (10 in) tall and are sometimes referred to as Yo-SD size after

6048-423: The same time are not quite human, with designs based on the art of Hans Bellmer . The earliest BJDs were all around 60 centimetres (24 in) tall, but as the market expanded they have been produced in many different types and sizes. There are roughly three main size categories for BJDs: full size, mini and tiny. Compare with Super Dollfie models . Large full size dolls, sometimes referred to as SD size from

6132-412: The sculptor more control and allows him to produce finer details on the prototype. Working with blunt tools, the sculptor shapes the body with as much detail as is desired. During this process, photo and sketch references are used to ensure the figure is as realistic as possible. Some sculptors may even use human models to guide their design work. After the general body shape is complete, the sculptor adds

6216-471: The squeezing together of their legs. In a more technically advanced method, the Ninja Turtles' Wacky Action series involved a wind-up gear that caused the motorized performance of certain actions like swimming legs or a rotating wrist. Two years prior also saw the release of Tyco 's Dino-Riders , which featured battery powered, motorized dinosaurs. Ball-jointed doll A ball-jointed doll

6300-633: The television series Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future . The line boasted an interactive game where children could shoot at the TV screen. However, while an ambitious concept, it was not a long-term success. Glow-in-the-dark paint and plastic have been utilized in various figure collections, particularly those of the early '90s including Ninja Turtles, Swamp Thing , and Toxic Crusaders . Similarly,

6384-405: The toys to keep in their original packaging for display purposes and for future collectability. This led to flooding of the action figure toy market. One of the most popular action figure lines of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures were produced in such high quantities that the value for most figures would never be higher than a few dollars. In the mid-1990s,

6468-739: The transformation and combination of the characters. In 1971, Mego began licensing and making American Marvel and DC comic book superhero figures, which had highly successful sales and are considered highly collectible by many adults today. They eventually brought the Microman toy line to the United States as the Micronauts , but Mego eventually lost control of the market after losing the license to produce Star Wars toys to Kenner in 1976. The widespread success of Kenner 's Star Wars 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) toy line made

6552-604: Was Dollzone. Their dolls hit the market in 2006. Since then, several other Chinese companies followed suit, putting their own BJD creations on the international market. The first American company to produce a BJD with more of an American aesthetic influence was Goodreau Doll in 2007. Modern Asian BJDs are intended for adult collectors and customizers and range in price from US$ 100 to over US$ 1000. The more costly BJDs have body elements which are cast in polyurethane resin and held together by thick elastic cords, making them fully articulated and highly poseable. BJDs tend to follow

6636-523: Was aired online at scifi.com with a survey to decide whether or not the show went to series. According to Mike Mignola on the November 29, 2006 Fanboy Radio podcast, the series was not picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel. The pilot was released on DVD on February 6, 2007. The Amazing Screw-On Head won the 2003 Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication. Action figures An action figure

6720-475: Was also novel in its use of interchangeable parts. This laid the foundation for both the smaller action figure size and the transforming robot toy. Takara began producing characters in the Microman line with increasingly robotic features, including Robotman, a 12-inch (300 mm) robot with room for a Microman pilot, and Mini-Robotman, a 3 + 3 ⁄ 4 -inch (95 mm) version of Robotman. These toys also featured interchangeable parts, with emphasis placed on

6804-548: Was coined by Hasbro in 1964, to market their G.I. Joe figure to boys who refused to play with "dolls" , a term primarily associated as a girl's toy. (A similar toy named Johnny Hero was introduced by Rosko Industries for Sears in 1965, but was known as a "Boy's Doll" since the term action figure had not gained widespread usage at that point.) G.I. Joe was initially a military-themed 11.5-inch figure proposed by marketing and toy idea-man Stan Weston. It featured changeable clothes with various uniforms to suit different purposes. In

6888-598: Was established in Hangzhou, China in 2005 as one of the earliest BJD creators in China. In 2013, the company collaborated with makers of Gujian Qitan (古剑奇谭) , a popular Chinese MMOG to create ball jointed dolls for the game. Doll Leaves Doll Leaves is a Shenzhen based Chinese ball jointed doll company introduced in April, 2010. The company produces both male and female dolls in sizes ranging from 12 cm to 70 cm in

6972-404: Was one of the earliest Korean companies to make a large line of child like minis, D.O.C. (Dream of Children). They have since expanded and now make, among others, the D.O.T. (Dream of Teen) line, the D.O.B line (Dream of Baby), and D.O.I. (Dream of Idol) line. Elfdoll is a subsidiary of the Korean company Artmaze. Elfdoll are created by the sculptor Rainman and a team of artisans. In addition to

7056-527: Was used by companies such as Mego Corporation in the early 1970s until they switched to the Carded Bubble style of packaging in the mid to late 1970s. Window Box packaging is still used today, often for figures that measure 10" or taller in height. Carded Bubble packaging This type of packaging consists of a sturdy piece of thin cardboard backing known as a "Card." The card is decorated with colorful artwork to draw consumer attention. The action figure

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