Doll-A-Day 43: 1983 Sunsational Malibu Ken

  Today's Ken is Sunsational Malibu Ken, from 1983.

He originally came in a pair of gold swim trunks.I don't have those, so he's wearing a Ken Twice as Nice Reversible Fashion from 1985.

He's actually only the second African American Ken produced. (Yes, it took that long.The first was produced in 1981, a year after the first African American Barbie.)

He's the first doll to use this head mold.African American Ken number one had a big rooted hair do. This guy has a nice tidy vinyl 'fro. They hadn't yet mastered rooted hair for guys yet, (as we saw with Mod Hair Ken!),or short rooted hair in general,so this may have been a better choice. The rooted hair on Ken's these days is done much better.

He would be the face of African American Ken for 4 years. He also lent his face to a few friends and the African American Heart Family Dad.

He has bendable legs, as Ken has had since 1965.He also has those bent arms that look so awkward!

I guess the bent arms work with this karate outfit!

See you tomorrow for another Ken.