Monster High: What is this I don't even.

[Bergamot]

The grown-up professional part of me can't quite understand my fascination with Monster High dolls. As a child, I never played with Barbies; didn't care for them at all. Their proportions seemed weird to me, and I hated those wedge feet. As I came into adulthood, Bratz came into vogue, and I hated how stereotypical they seemed to be. (I also couldn't get over the noselessness.)

A friend once asked why I had "Bratz dolls with ears." I made a clumsy attempt to describe how these were not Bratz dolls (I still don't much care for them), and I went on to feebly explain how Monster High was different, how the concept is a really neat thing, and how much I love the whole marketing package behind it.

I love the overall concept. I love that each character is a "monster." Perhaps a little more diversity in their overall shapes would be good (All of the leads are of nearly the same physique), but it's not high art. The online "webisodes" are clever and adorable slice-of-life stories. The Mobile version of the website looks awesome. It seems to be some kind of mashup of drawings from a catwalk sketchbook, anime, and Barbie.

I'm an artist. I have all kinds of brightly colored little toys that make me happy. I've accumulated many such artifacts over the years, but not dolls. Never dolls! As a whole, Monster High is a really neat thing, and I find it intriguing enough that I have new dolls for the first time in more than 20 years.

Well played, Mattel.

Why do you love Monster High?

[Bow Tie]

I never played with Barbies either. My mom told me I had maybe like 5 Barbies. I do remember having a few Jasmine Barbies as she was my favorite princess as a child, but other than that I don't remember playing with Barbies. I was obsessed with Power Rangers and I remember playing with some G1 ponies and then when G2 came out, I would go over to my best friend's house and play with her ponies.

I like how unique these dolls are. The concept is fantastic! I just love them! When I first saw them back in late 2010, I tried to convince myself that I didn't like them, but I fell in love with Cleo and Lagoona. In late spring of 2011, I decided to buy Wave 1 Lagoona and her fashion pack. I tried not to buy anymore dolls, but I ended up buying quite a few dolls, sold them all a couple of months later, then rebought a few and tried being selective of which dolls I buy.

I am very happy with my dolls. I don't play with them, but I love displaying them and just looking at how unique and creative they are! It's just hard to describe.

[justkitter]

The art is what first caught my eye.  I kept seeing pop-up ads for the website that included the doll art.  They could have easily put the prototype pics of the dolls in the ads instead, but they were smart enough to sell the "characters" first, not the dolls.

I loved that every character had a bio, a color that kind of represented them, a skullete (oh how I MISS those ) and a pattern of some sort!  I love all the color, and design!

When I had the dolls in hand, I fell for their bodies.  I just like holding them   I like how expressive they can be, and how each doll has something unique about them (i.e. wolf ears, webbed hands, wings, tails)

Lastly, I enjoy that every doll has a different head mold.  These dolls are everything Barbie is not!  I had a dozen Barbies over my lifetime, and they all had blonde hair and blue eyes:( 

[DiamondDreams]

I had Barbies...I had My Scene.....  My daughter asked for a Monster High doll a little over a year ago for Christmas last year and I was baffled- for one because this was a child that had nightmares about vampires up until about six months before the request (!) for a Draculaura of all things. But, I gave her and them a chance.  And um, they took over her and me.   I love the design, the branding (oops, showing my graphic design roots here, lol) and the overall fun-ness they have captured with  this brand.  I love the little details like the bug snacks and the three eyed frog   The poseability...the ability to play dress up dolls with the daughter...heck, the list goes on for miles.  I'm nearing 40 and they make me feel like a kid  

[kamakazee82]

lol i HATED dolls when i was little ... i mean HATED dolls ... WITH A PASSION! ... i had ponies out the ying yang but barbies got shoved in a box in the closet lol

... and then i saw Pullips ... Teayang Edwards Scissorhands ... and my dolly fate was sealed ... but my first doll was signature Ghoulia ... then Taeyang Timulus ... and i really truthfully feel that it's because each doll has a story and a personality and isn't "BARBIE!" ... my mom shakes her head at me all the time lol

[Kalavista]

DUDE ME TOO.

I hated Barbies as a kid. Ripped their heads off. Maybe kinda played ice hockey with the heads.

Now, I have a ridiculous number of Monster High dolls... plus all the Bratzillaz, some Bratz, a couple of La Dee Dah's, some Moxie Teenz... even a Stardoll. LORD WHAT HAPPENED.

[kamakazee82]

dolls got EPIC! is what happened lol

if they'd had MH when i was little ... gtreat googley moogley i'd have been in heaven! lol

[Daiyuflower]

These dolls are everything Barbie is not!  I had a dozen Barbies over my lifetime, and they all had blonde hair and blue eyes:( 

This is what initially drew me in as well   First of all I love the creative concept of monster dolls, and that each is so unique.  I don't otherwise collect fashion dolls  

[Zombelina]

I've actually loved fashion dolls since I was little, and I've always loved fantastical creatures, monsters, fairies, imaginary beasties, etc too! And my own wardrobe has been all kinds of spooky-sweet/creepy-cute since high school So for me, MH was actually the fulfilment of my wildest dreams!    (Well, maybe not wildest. But... close.)

[Salli]

I'm with Zombelina I have always LOVED toys and made toys because we were kind of poor. I love to design and dolls, ponies and bears (oh my!) were (and are) my muses.

I saw Monster High when the pilot episode aired way back when and wished I had a little girl (2 boys here) to give me an excuse to get into it. Well, I got into ponies, then collecting ponies and then there was that fateful SS Frankie clearance sale. Genius, Mattel. Started watching the webisodes and here I am, collecting and addicted.

It also reminds me of a cartoon I LOVED LOVED LOVED as a tween called "Beverly Hills Teens" and MH bears more than a few resemblances, so there's the sentimental factor for me. I also love macabre but not super dark and old movies, many of them ghostly or monstery. And I really see myself as being monsterish. Not in the psycho way but in that oddball/misfit way. Does that make sense? I really relate to a lot of the scenarios (as I think most people do) that the ghouls find themselves in, especially Frankie

I also enjoy enjoying the show and characters with other fans  

[Mintymints]

I really like drawing them.. and ponies... and littlest pet shops...
Seems drawing fuels my life ;o;

(Also, I am the biggest weirdo ever, and I LOVE just saying that I'm a MONSTER, and therefore it's expected of me...)
 

[Jenn77]

I love it, because of its diversity. Even if the same character is used she/he never looks the same as the one done before her/him. The only Barbie I remember having is,Barbie and the rockers and I think they appealed to me because they weren't exactly the same as Barbie, but other than that it was Jem,Spectra,Rainbow Brite,MLP,Care Bears ect. Looking back I realize that I loved all different kinds of colors and I guess Barbie and all her pinkness just didn't work for me lol. Not to mention that I was a very different cause I loved boys toys too like He-Man,Thundercats,Silverhawks,ect. Ahh brings back memories lol. Ok though back on topic,with Monster High there is just so much variety,add to the fact they are monsters who's parents are classic monsters that a lot of us grew up with. There is just so many appealing factors when it comes to MH and yes I am..hangs head.. Horribly addicted then again who wouldn't be. I also love the particular message of "be unique, be yourself" you don't have to be like everyone else to belong, very cool.

[HollowZero]

I played with everything as a kid, I (and my brother) were relatively spoiled by my grandparents.

I saw MH years ago, in Toys R Us. I only saw Clawdeen and Draculara, so I passed. Werewolves and vampires are kinda "meh" to me. But the line really interested me, because I would have adored these as a child.

Then there was a bit of drama here at the Arena, on how MH was "taking over" the dollhouse forums and got its own board because of it. I had to see what the hubbub was about, and here I am, two dolls later.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

They're unique.  I think their characters are really interesting and not something that would have ever been released as a toy in past times.  A fashion doll gargoyle?  Really?  :-p 

So they're fun to have around because we can use our imagination over and over again with them as adults. 

[Yurusumaji]

I have a deep love of all things bright and colorful.

I had Barbies as a kid, but I only ever bought the Barbies that came with animals. Ha ha! I didn't care as much for the Barbies themselves, I just wanted the dogs, cats and even that gnarly dolphin that made dolphin noises. I played with the Barbies every so often, but I generally forewent the dolls for whatever animal toys I had.

As I grew up, I stopped liking dolls altogether. Not toys, just dolls. Humans don't appeal to me as much as animals do. Ha ha! When I discovered MH, it was through ANTM and I couldn't deny how lovely these dolls are. I love their stunning color schemes, I love that they're Monster-based because they all have a unique look to them, I love their outfits. I also love the black/pink scheme of the website and the boxes and I love the logo. The webisodes are cute and the characters are interesting. I love monster lore, so seeing such a lovely line of dolls based off of the monsters yesteryear really thrills and excites me.