Hello! It’s good to see you! Come in, take a load off. 🙂
For no real reason at all, I’ve decided I want to have real, tangible version of the cast of characters I’ve created for the Ella Rosa series. I’ve never created a toy before, I have no idea how to sculpt or make 3D models, so I’m basically dependent on modifying toys that already exist. At this very moment, I’ve purchased a few dolls and I’m waiting for them to arrive in the mail. The whole set is going to be based around characters that are roughly 12” tall. Here’s what I’ve got so far…
The Ella Rosa Doll
Ella Rosa was a tough one for two reasons; she’s Latina and she’s not a smiley, feminine kind of person. In conducting my search for the perfect Ella Rosa doll, I was immediately confronted by the lack of Latina dolls on the market. Those that I could find, mainly int he Barbie line, looked way too feminine to accurately represent Ella. I wracked my brain for movie characters that might, at least, bring me close to the model I was looking for.
Starting with characters based on Michelle Rodriquez, an actress that plays prominent roles in both Avatar and The Fast and the Furious franchises. If I were casting an Ella Rosa movie, she’d be my first choice. So I search Ebay and Amazon, and I don’t find anything for Letty Ortiz, her character in the Fast and the Furious movies… at least, nothing taller than an inch or two. Then, I look at her character Trudy Chacon from Avatar. There’s one action figure, but it looks nothing like her, and it’s Star Wars hieight (3” or so). It also looks like they took a base model for one of the male characters and just sort-of added a hint of breasts… a sad disservice to Michelle Rodriquez and one of the coolest characters in Avatar.
Feeling defeated, I started thinking about other series with cool Latina characters. I searched for the Rafa and Trace Martez. I found them, but one had weird hair and the other was wearing a crazy coat that I couldn’t really work with. Out of ideas, I looked through Barbies and other dolls that might work. They didn’t. There was this company called DYKEdolls that made butchy 12” dolls (complete with dildos and vibrators, apparently), but it looks like it’s gone out of business.
Finally, FINALLY, I landed on Tomb Raider dolls, and though most of them were (not surprisingly) large breasted, short short wearing versions of Angelina Jolie, there were a few wearing regular clothes. One, in particular, was perfect… the 2016 Lara Croft doll by Hasbro. She even had a holster and gun. She’s a little too fair-skinned, but she’ll work better than any of the toys I mentioned above. One issue is that her hair is really wild and thin and stringy. My daughter wants to find a doll wig and get her looking fight. Another plus? She’s 10.5 in tall, which means her girlfriend Sinoe (a Barbie of some kind), will be a little taller. Perfect.
Welcome home, Ella.
The Squatch Doll
I figured Squelch would be easy. He’s the legendary Bigfoot, and there should be a million appropriate Bigfeet out there being sold at rock bottom prices. There aren’t. Most of what I found were $150 lawn ornaments, or small gag gifts you’d find at Spencer’s next to the Jesus Christ action figures.
I was scouring Ebay, and I was just about to give up when I ran across a 16” Toys R Us exclusive Bigfoot action figure. Yes, he’s angry as hell and has a mouth full of scary teeth while the actual Squelch is relatively docile and, mostly, an acting pacifist. But then, Squelch does have his moments. My daughter and I will probably find a way of toning down the teeth and keeping everything else. We might even give him a wrist display, constructing it out of old Barbie parts. He’ll be the right height relative to Ella and the Barbies that will eventually serve as Sinoe and Laope.
Welcome home, Squatch.
Parting Words
With these two wonderful dolls on their way to the S. Viola residence, my daughter (the artist) and I are waiting with bated breath to discover what the action figurines are going to look like in real life. Then, it’s time to dig in and figure out what to do to get them looking just right. Next on the agenda will be obtaining a Barbie with straight black hair, another with wavy red hair, and two Greco-Roman style outfits to dress them in. We’re also on the lookout for a black and white cat, and whatever toy will serve as a the basis for Noowt; the gelatinous creature with the metallic humanoid suit that leads them all around the galaxy. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.
Thanks for visiting. 🙂 -S. Viola
S. VIOLA 