Doll-A-Day 290: GI Joe

Yesterday was Veteran's Day, and today's doll,(Better call him an 'action figure'!) is GI Joe.

In fact, GI Joe is where the term 'action figure' originated.

I got this guy recently at a garage sale. He's exactly like the GI Joe I have from when I was a kid. (Except his owner didn't have a sister who shaved his scar off with a razor blade.)

However, this guy comes with a few extra wounds.

He has the hard head and red hair like mine, but a different uniform.

This is my childhood Joe, which I named John, since my sister got to name hers Joe.This is what he always looked like when I was a kid. All that posability isn't all it;s cracked up to be when you're too little to control it!

Hasbro debuted GI Joe in 1964, and the line up included figures based on all four branches of the Armed Forces.

"America's Moveable Fighting Man" ironically his clothes are made in Japan and the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. Check out that price: $2.99!

In Britain Joe was called Action Man, but the same molds were used.

The 12" line was discontinued in 1976.In 1982 Hasbro shrunk Joe to 3 3/4" tall! Eventually the 12" figure was brought back. Joe moved away from the strictly military to the random adventurer. Fuzzy has a Joe that is very Indiana Jones inspired.

But back in the early 60's Joe was all about soldiering.

"GI" originally referred to galvanized iron. It was during World War I that the letters GI were used to stand for 'government issue' or 'general issue'  in reference to soldiers and air men's equipment.During World War II GI Joe became the standard nickname for any member of the United States armed forces.
See you tomorrow for another doll.

Doll-A-Day 31: Straight Leg Skooter

Today's doll is Skipper's friend Skooter.

This is pretty neat: See that tiny leaf? That was actually a full size rose leaf, so I tried to get rid of it so the branch would look in scale to Skooter. When I squashed the dry leaf, to get rid of it, what was left looked like a real leaf, only tiny.I couldn't have done that if I'd been trying.

Skipper was introduced to the Barbie line in 1964. (In fact, Mattel just released---and sold out of just as quickly!---the 50th anniversary Skipper doll. But more about that tomorrow.) Skipper must have been feeling lonely by 1965 because she got two friends that year.One friend was Ricky, and the other was Skooter.

Skooter has a cute, turned up nose,brown side glance eyes, and freckles. She came with side ponytails, in blonde, brunette, or titian, and shared the same body mold as Skipper.(So did Ricky, but that's another story. And one that doesn't completely make sense.) Sharing bodies meant Skooter could share all of Skipper's clothes,(and Ricky's too.), which was a good thing, because the only thing of her own she ever got were her swimsuits!

Straight leg Skooter original swim suit.

No clothing was produced for Skooter, except this Cut 'n Button set,but you had to make the clothes yourself.

Oh well, she looks great in Skipper's clothes! In fact, some things just look better on a Skooter.I like this Skipper outfit,Sledding Fun, from 1966,on a Skipper too, but it just looks right on a Skooter.

This Sledding fun is complete except for the red and white plastic sled...

...so Skooter is using a Flexible Flyer type sled like the World kids used in my photo story  The World Kids Go Sledding, on January 23rd.

This sled is so cool. You can actually steer it.The handle bar really moves the parts.

Sledding Fun has a red sleeveless turtle neck shirt, stretchy blue snow pants with built in red socks,cute jacket with white furry collar and real zipper,red rubber boots,white furry mittens that are red on the palms, and a hat that matches her cool jacket.

The hat can actually be reversible,(blue or a matching fabric to the coat).The inside and the ties of the hat are the same fabric as the jacket, and the blue side matches the pants.

And yes, that's real snow in her hair. We've had two relatively normal cold days, and now it's starting to get REALLY cold again and snow.

I wore red rubber boots just like those when I was a kid.

I don't seem to have a picture of the red ones, but here are some white ones just like them.Man, what is it with my teeth? Thank goodness they didn't stay like that.

Skooter started out with a 'tan' skin tone, (which actually looks grayish to me),and straight legs. In 1966 she got a new pink skin tone,still with straight legs, and then Bendable legs.(The bendable leg dolls came in both skin tones.) After that Skooter disappeared entirely and has never returned.

Most people like to think of Skooter as Midge's little sister and Ricky as Allan's little brother. In truth, the Barbie story books of the era refer to Skipper "going next door to Skooter and Ricky's house",so apparently they were siblings.So, unless Midge and Allen were siblings...no. We don't even want to go there. I'd like to get a ratty Skooter and turn her into a boy. I think her face would make a really good boy, and Ricky must be tired of being the only guy his age.
  In doing a little Skooter research I came up with someone's suggestion that Skooter and Charmin Chatty share the same head mold. In spite of the massive difference in sizes, there may be something to that. They're both by Mattel, and may have shared the same sculpter. And look!

Take the glasses off this girl, and what do you have? Attack of the 50 Foot Skooter!Same mouth, same nose.Both even have side glance eyes.

    I would have taken a picture of Skooter next to one of my Charmin Chattys to show how much they really do look alike, but my camera seems to be having a problem at the moment.(That's why there aren't more pictures of Skooter.) Just trust me. Plus you can watch for Charmin to be doll of the day in the coming weeks. I'll post a picture then.UPDATE: Find the Charmin Chatty post and the comparison pictures HERE.
  Join me tomorrow for Skipper Saturday.

Doll-A-Day 29: Brunette Hair Fair Barbie

  Today's doll is technically just a head, but hey, it's already over an hour late to even be  doll 29. So don't complain!

Brunette Hair Fair Barbie head on a Twist and Turn body, wearing the Floating Gardens I got this summer, (mentioned in Fantastic Finds of the Week, from August 6th, 2013).

  Hair Fair Barbie was produced between 1966 and 1970.The package contained a blonde or brunette Barbie head, various combs and brush type things,some hair pieces, a wig, and a 'wiglet', which was a hunk of hair you stuck on top of the dolls head to make it look like she had a piled up hairdo.

  No body was included. You were expected to rip the head off the body you already owned,(and do what with it?!), and stick the new head on your possibly already worn out body. Well, I guess it was good for kids who had chopped all their doll's hair off and wanted a fresh start. In that case it was perfect, because these kids  were obviously into hair play and would appreciate the wigs and hair lumps.

  I love the Hair Fair heads. They're beautiful 'dolls'.

They have rooted eyelashes, and in the case of this girl, bright blush and very nice lips.

Barbie Bazaar once did an article on Barbie's dressed to resemble 50's and 60's actresses. Brunette Hair Fair 'played' Batman's Bat Girl, (commissioner Gordon's daughter Barbara),actress Yvonne Craig. So now that's who I always see the doll as. She really looks like her, especially when I can get that side curl going..

  I have a couple of blondes too, but this brunette girl is my favourite.

Doll-A-Day 12: Hong Kong Mod Girl

  Today's doll is this little tyke.

She is obviously a 60's girl.

Check out those white go-go boots and the mod dress.
She measures about 5" tall. Her hair is rooted and her facial features are painted on.

Those eyes look a little off center, but you have to love those freckles.

 Cute little thing, isn't she? She reminds me of an anime' character.

The back of her neck is marked Hong Kong.She doesn't have a manufacturer's name.She is one of those cheaper dolls from my childhood, made of soft vinyl. Her hair is pretty thickly rooted though, for a cheap doll.

The fabric of her dress is inexpensive, but the style is cute and she even has little undies. She reminds me of the little dolls I used to buy when I was a kid. I had (and still have) loads of those inexpensive dolls with the...unusual faces.I definitely would have bought this girl when I was a kid. As it was, Emma got her somewhere and wanted to keep her because she was just so cute, and was wearing go-go boots, like Emma wants in real life. She sat around for ages and finally Emma told me I could have her.And she didn't even make me trade!