#i think I just don’t like Draculauras fans that much

[starlooove]

And what if I was shipping holt and operetta…

[misfitdollies]

A Tough Love Letter to Monster High G2

When I’m asked about Monster High G2, I will often say I like it, typically to mixed responses. Some people are shocked, while others agree with me. My actual answer isn’t so black and white though, but usually most people don’t want some long, drawn out answer, so I’m left with answering “I like it”. So, how do I feel about generation 2?

If you were asking me strictly from the standpoint of my opinions on the dolls, it would be mixed, but overall I’d tell you I like them. Some of them are just objectively low quality and aren’t worth much note, such as the Budget Cheerleaders. But other lines within G2, such as Shriekwrecked, are honestly very cute and a major highlight of what G2 could offer.

Shriekwrecked & Budget Cheerleader Draculaura

Some people see Shriekwrecked and give it more credit because it was originally intended to be a G1 line, using that as the reasoning behind why it’s such a nice line, but even lines that were strictly intended for G2 had cute moments. The Ghostly Tea Party line comes to mind despite being a cancelled line.

Ghostly Tea Party Clawdeen & Ari

The thing about G2 though, is that no matter how much I like some of the dolls, artwork, etc. there is this heavy feeling of it not being Monster High, a sentiment I feel is shared between a lot of people when they think about G2, only this feeling for me doesn’t stem from the dolls themselves like it does for many others, it doesn’t even stem from the franchise being rebooted and introducing a new story. After all, G3 has done that in an even bigger way and never once has it left me with that same feeling.

That feeling comes from a piece of Monster High history that I feel is often glossed over; how it was introduced. People do talk about it, it’s not like it’s some niche piece of media that only die hard fans know about, but I do think it’s often swept to the side in favor of talking about the quality of Monster High at that time. Not that I can blame anyone for that, it is a major part of G2, but it’s not all of it.

When G2 was introduced, it was introduced via a video Mattel posted themselves. They’ve done a decent job erasing the video from existence, but it does exist.

As shown here, it highlighted many reasons why Monster High was undergoing a change. Despite Mattel’s efforts to make it seem new and exciting by wrapping it in a pun filled, cutesy bow, there was no denying that one thing was painfully obvious; Monster High was changing because of peer pressure.

It was hard not to feel like it was a major slap in the face to people who had grown up with and loved Monster High. I mean, wasn’t that the point of Monster High? To be yourself? The very brand that had spent years making that its image, that had spent years telling people that fitting in was so out, was suddenly turning that completely on its head and acting like it had never promoted that in the first place. Suddenly the message of being yourself felt incredibly inauthentic. Sure, be yourself, until people think you’re too scary or too much, then it’s okay to stop being who you are. After all, you wouldn’t want to upset anyone by being different, right? That’s how it read, anyway.

Even the attempts that Mattel did make at seemingly promoting that same sort of message G1 had with G2 felt empty when you remembered the messaging attached to them and why it existed in the first place. It was nice, but it was empty. The heart of the brand had been sucked from it in favor of giving into the demands of parents.

In the end though, none of that mattered. Mattel, despite their best efforts to, couldn’t keep G2 afloat. It proved many things, but above all proved that sucking the uniqueness from a brand that prided itself on that very factor wouldn’t fix the waning sales or bring in a new audience of people who once thought Monster High was too scary. Because the people who were so harsh on Monster High to begin with never wanted to see it thrive, they never wanted the dolls to cater to them, they just hated the idea of something different being on the shelves. It was the same complaints those very people had in 2001 about Bratz and Barbie in 1959 being repackaged for a new generation of dolls and no amount of sanitizing the brand was ever really going to rope those people in, it would only push even more people away.

Despite this though, I can’t and don’t hate G2. I can see the potential it could have had, I can see that had it not been plagued by low quality dolls and Mattel’s mishandling, that maybe it wouldn’t be remembered as poorly as it is today. Brands have to reboot to stay relevant eventually, Monster High is no exception to that, it’s just a shame that their first attempt at a reboot was handled so poorly and as a result, the bad parts of G2 are typically highlighted over the good parts.

I’m glad with G3 Mattel chose to stick to the roots of what made Monster High so iconic to begin with and I’m glad they were able to show that it’s possible to reboot a brand like Monster High, it just takes handling it with the same amount of love G1 was handled with so many years ago.

[taybatwo2]

Vampire Heart Draculaura Review Part 4 of 4

In this final part of my review, I’ll be comparing her a bit more to some other Monster High vampires.

Including my G1 Elissabat (who really needs her hair de-glued) and I’ve had her hair “restyled” like that ever since I got her just because I liked how she wore it up in the flashbacks in “Frights, Camera, Action.” The picture above has mini-dress Draculaura with Elissabat, the true Vampire Queen. Luckily she’s pretty cool with this Draculaura playing dress up, as long as she gets to try on her outfit too.

Also, I had never undressed my Eissabat before and didn’t know these were two separate pieces!

And here is she is!!! I kept her puff purple sleeves to make it fit more with her color scheme. It’s not a bad look at all and I would have loved to have seen a true Vampire Queen Eissabat Collector doll.

Something like this, but even more dramatic. Give her some large vampire wings, layers of bows and bats and deep purples, a better looking tiara to house the vampire’s heart than what she wore in the movie, the works!

I think her boots look better under the dress than Draculaura’s though.

Her purples and large bell skirt gown are also kinda reminding me of this collector Barbie:

The true Vampire Queen….

….and now

Jump scare!

I wanted to compare G2’s hair play Draculaura (my favorite of my G2 Draculaura) due to the light pink steaks in her hair (as I thought it was the same light pink Saran) and her “darker face-up.” Turns out, it is actually a shade darker than Vampire Heart Draculaura’s and her makeup is not as dark as I remembered.

The difference in these dolls are night day, so onto something a bit closer.

Draculaura’s 50 dollar Amazon Exclusive collector doll vs Amazon’s Exclusive Collector 90/100 dollar doll.

I never thought I’d say this, but I actually way prefer the new doll over the old one in every way except for the lack of diary in the current release.

I was actually never a huge fan of the Collector Draculaura’s eyes (they look better far away and look like they were designed by Tim Burton) or her extra long body (I did like the chest articulation though, but thought an ever TALLER Draculaura looked odd), and prefer the new face up and eyelashes on the newer doll.

It does look like they have that same really light pink Saran.

They both have crumby stands that don’t hold the doll very well (at least Collector Draculaura’s is beautifully detailed).

And surprisingly non of these lace/lattice patterns were present on Vampire Heart’s Draculaura’s skirt. The embroidery on Collector Draculaura is still unmatched though, and she’s still an extremely lovely doll.

Buuuuut, she surprisingly has more in common with Haunte Couture Draculaura than Vampire Heart’s and visa versa.

She’s like the in between of Vampire Heart’s and Haunte Couture (similar colors to Vampire Heart’s, buuuut the same layered skirt with bat wing edges, heel/sole to her shoes, and a cape that attaches to her wrists…and I guess hats and rooted eyelashes that Haunt Couture has).

Well, Draculaura likes to reuse and update pieces of her wardrobe from her long life.

“Come play with us Vampire Heart Draculaura.” For fun, I compared OG Draculaura (whose hair has been degreased with LA’s Totally Awesome, but she just needs to be retro-brighted and I haven’t had time to do that).

She has the much skinner eyes of the OG Draculaura than the more “show accurate” Creeproduction Draculaura, but has the darker pink skin tone of the Creeproduction.

Well, I think that’s everyone, let’s get you to the Vampire Heart ball, or whatever ball your vampires are celebrating this week.

Huh. Looks like Valentine has offered to dance with you Draculaura. I wonder if he’s reformed in this timeline too….

Wait, now the famous movie star -and nothing else- Elissabat wants to dance with you instead. I’m sure Lord Stoker will be glad at all the attention you’re receiving….such a graceful model Vampi-

Tripped over Fangelica….it looks like she’s in this timeline too…

Anyways, all bow down to the Vampire Queen, the most beautiful of Monster High’s Skullector’s dolls (to date and my opinion).

….seriously I really want a diary to go with her…stop leaving those out Mattel!!

[fulgurbugs]

Birthday haul 3, the final birthday haul

last but certainly not least (in fact, i saved them for last because they are my favorite of the 3 i picked up) is Monster Fest frankie! as irl unboxed photos started to be released, this because the monster fest doll i was the most excited for. i am so happy to have them in hand… this doll is so, so cute. yall.

face card! this frankie has a lot of my favorites on frankie -dark lip (this shiny metal grey… it’s probably the best lipstick color they’ve ever had.) -asymmetrical makeup (and this whole doll goes ham with the asymmetry) and…. Bangs! i love bangs on frankie… and these are really cute. the chunky streaks are similar in execution to fearidescent, but lay much nicer in saran. im also a huge, huge fan of this mostly black hair blend for frankie. it stands out so much!

screen printed detail check. a lot of frankie’s have been going ham on the trans colors, (and this one has all of them too,) but this one is loud and proud pan flag. this is a really really cute and well balanced color scheme overall.

shoe check. this frankie has these cool, disco ball heels, that have these separate yellow pieces attached to them. and also a unique leg mold! frankie’s prosthetic blends into the shoe on the side it’s on, and i think it looks cool as hell. i do love when they do something fun with the prosthetic, though in previous dolls that’s usually just been changing the color of it, so to see a whole new mold is super fun

another detail. these cute little fingerless gloves! theyre separate pieces, but they stay on very securely unless you remove the hands.

accessory check! this time we’ve got another bag, another camera, another ticket (and two ticket rolls, one of which i almost lost when unboxing bc it was so tiny, lol.) a fancy lightning bolt shaped drink cup, a black-bun hot dog, and of course, another pair of sunglasses. i do like the mold on these ones tho

with some accessories on! i have to say, i think the bag isn’t doing much for this look. it’s a little much and less cohesive than clawdeens. probably won’t display them with with it. again, as well, the glasses are cute, but i want to see their face.

.5 shot

now that i’ve unboxed all of them, i had to squeeze them in somewhere. i ended up sitting frankie down on this shelf to make a little frankie corner (since that blue-haired peach riot is also a frankie… maybe i should get a little one piece franky to put with them too.)

i have to say, frankie has become easily my second fav of the g3 mh cast. them being nonbinary is an awesome change, and they’ve been getting hit dolls recently that i really love… welcome committee, when they figure out where the hell they’re releasing you… i’ll be picking you up too.

as for the monster fest pair i picked up, i really don’t have a spot or stands for them. i just have the one stand, so i decided to sit them down in the misc section on my desk

absolutely obsessed with these two. can’t wait to pick up the cleo and lagoona from the line too! (and draculaura… well, she’ll be a project doll. i think i can save her.)

ty guys for reading, if you didn’t skip my insane doll ramblings. it’s been a good birthday :D

[jekyll2life]

“Contest for Cleo’s Affection”

I recently received G3 Cleo as a gift from my mom, so of course I had to take pictures of Cleo with all of her potential love interests. lol I tried to frame this as how I imagine it would go if all three of them tried to ask Cleo out to the Monster Ball. 

Deuce would try to ask her the traditional way. He’d invite Cleo on a really cute, simple date to a cafe she likes, surprise her with flowers, and then ask if she would like to be his date to the Monster Ball. 

Frankie would try to ask her the flashy way. They would ask all their friends (I’m imagining Heath and Draculaura are the ones giving them the most advice) as well as consult their different brain bits on what’s the best way they can impress Cleo. They also try watching a bunch of romcoms, romantic dramas, and romance anime as a means of “study” (kabedon anyone?). Frankie’s focus is on impressing Cleo enough so that they stand out amongst the other potential suitors, and they eventually come to the conclusion that big gestures are the way to win Cleo’s heart. 

Clawdeen would try to ask her the natural way. She would start by taking Cleo out some place special, not too simple like Deuce nor too over-the-top like Frankie. They would go somewhere that has meaning to both of them in terms of the journey of their friendship. They’d spend the day together, laughing and having fun as they normally would. Then, at the end of the day, Clawdeen would confess her feelings for Cleo and tell her how much her relationship means to her. And then, finally, ask Cleo to be her date to Monster Ball. 

Anyway, here’s my thoughts on each ship:

1. I haven’t been a fan of Cleuce in G1 and I don’t see them happening in G3. Granted, I haven’t seen every episode in the new G3 animation, but from what I have seen I don’t think they’ve ever interacted. And aside from that, I just don’t think their personalities are compatible. 

2. I don’t really care for Cleo x Frankie either, and it’s not solely because I already ship Jackson x Frankie x Holt regardless of generation. Kinda like G3 Cleo and Deuce, I just haven’t seen Cleo and Frankie interact enough to want to see them together. I can see Frankie having a one-sided crush on Cleo, but that’s about it. Granted, I think my feelings for this pairing could potentially change depending on how the writers portray their relationship in future episodes. But as of now, not my cup of tea personally. 

3. Y’all can probably tell Cleo x Clawdeen is my favorite. XD I love what we’ve seen so far of their friendship and they have great chemistry. The fact that G3 Cleo has an interest in humans sets them up to have a really interesting dynamic. And also I enjoyed seeing Cleo being so supportive of Clawdeen in “Case of the Moondays”.

[mr-walkingrainbow]

Besides toradeen, what g3 ships do you like the most?

uhhhhhhh

Clankie I guess. They definitely have my love.

And genuinely after that??? Idk. I can tolerate anything involving toralei because TORALEI.

but um. Idk. So much of me is jsut focused on Toradeen.

Ooo our secret poly ship which isn’t that secret. I do love them.

Clawd and Draculaura aren’t bad IG. But they’re straight. So that’s hard for me to fan over. Same with Lagoona x Gil. Although I actually like this gil much more then G1 Gil.

Bram and Deadward do have my heart too.

OOO FUCKING YARN SALT. Aka Meowlodes. Lol I didn’t even think of them as Meowlodes. Their ship name in my head instinctively turns to ‘Yarn Salt’. Specifically ‘fucking yarn salt’. Screw you for that /affectionate

OOO. ROBECCA AND VENUS WHEN WE GET THEM. It’s been confirmed both Robecca and Venus will be coming back eventually and I just pray to the gods they get together.

Toragoona I can appreciate. But I don’t really care for them.

OOO! Ratarina x a Flaming ball of trash

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

i’m so torn between getting vampire heart draculaura or not T_T

i only buy collector dolls if i really like the look of them. they have a higher price tag so i don’t restyle them and i think the high price is only justifiable to me because the doll looks great as it is, but VH drac has me SO TORN T_T

i really love her face up but i don’t care about her outfit (don’t get me wrong i love it, definitely something i’d wear lmao but the pleather material is ugh. i’d love it if it weren’t but here we are T_T) and hate her hairstyle… i do like her headpiece though !! and her face up looks gorgeous on restyles !!!!!

she’s the exception for collector dolls for me. she’s one i will actually restyle and that’s always so much fun to do !!

it doesn’t help i’m very picky about what collector dolls i actually buy which is why i don’t have every skullector and passed on many other collector dolls. drac is my fave but i didn’t like her howliday doll (much less the v day one although her face ups are so cute the overall look is just not great imo) and i was dumb when haunt couture (and OG creeproductions) dropped. thought dolls wouldn’t be worth it and it wasn’t until the bride of chucky set dropped that i couldn’t resist and rediscovered my love for dolls >.< (i’ve been a MH fan since G1. i was literally the target audience when G1 dropped >.<)

i originally passed on VH cuz she dropped in october and leaks said we would get the nightmare before christmas skullectors that same month. it was between choosing drac or jack and sally so obviously i went with jack and sally. drac will always get new dolls, while jack and sally won’t. so yeh… this is why i didn’t get VH drac but now i’m like O_o

i’m gonna sit here and contemplate ._.

sorry. i had to ramble about this cuz hn ._.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

hi! may i request a romantic matchup for star rail, tears of themis, and bungou stray dogs please?

my name is twyla, i go by she/any pronouns, i’m acespec but im ok being matched with any gender. my mbti is intp or istp

appearance: i dye my hair pretty often throughout the year but right now it’s black with magenta pink highlights, exactly like draculaura but with a wolf/butterfly haircut and short/baby bangs. i have brown eyes and i’m quite curvy. i usually dress in a bold alternative style and occasionally academia, my style is really all over the place and depends on how im feeling but i’d say im pretty fashionable and often go out looking like a mall goth HAHA.

personality: im super chill and laid back, nothing really bothers me nor do i show it. im very patient with other people even when im annoyed by them. i come off as very monotone and stoic and i have really dry and sometimes offensive humor that would honestly get me cancelled by twitter in a matter of seconds. i joke around a lot and i usually have trouble taking things seriously. im kind of scatterbrained and get bored easily, and am always seeking some form of entertainment or mental stimulation. i’m definitely a realist too and i don’t expect much out of anything nor do i hold strong opinions or beliefs. im autistic+suspected adhd and that sometimes affects how i interact with others.

likes and dislikes: im honestly super nerdy and really interested in science and math like astrophysics, i love learning how things and the world works. im an astronomy nerd (not astrology/zodiacs im so sorry i kinda hate it with a burning passion) and i love astrophotography and stargazing. i read a lot of encyclopedias and watch documentaries about things i find interesting. im not really sure about the rest of my dislikes honestly, maybe just crowded spaces and rollercoasters

hobbies: a lot of things but i like to read and draw, research stuff, and sometimes cosplay. ive mentioned i liked stargazing and astrophotography too, and photo and video editing. i also play a lot of VN or rhythm games.

thank you!!

Hi Twyla! Your current hair sound awesome! I was a big Monster High kid so it's good to hear there are still fans out there. Thank you for your request! I hope you like your matchups!

In Honkai Star Rail, I match you with...

I'm not super familiar with Arlan's personality yet so hopefully this isn't too out of character!

Arlan's not super into science stuff but he does pick up on a few things working on the Herta Space Station. He'll also try his best to keep up with whatever you're telling him about whatever scientific field has caught you interest.

Would enjoy stargazing with you. The space station is the perfect place to do that anyway and Arlan knows all of the best spots to stargaze from.

His favourite part of stargazing with you though is watching you while you explain everything you know about each constellation. He can't help it. He just thinks your pretty while talking about things you're passionate in. Don't mention the soft smile or the blush on his face...

Your sense of humour balances out Arlan's more serious nature. He likes your jokes but often won't visibly react to them. Later, when he's alone in his room, he'll think back on what you've said thought the day and have a bit of a chuckle to himself.

In Tears of Themis, I match you with...

Marius pays close attention to your interests so he can make you artwork based on them. From paintings of your favourite constellations to sculptures of your favourite cosplays, there's a new art piece being gifted to you every couple of months.

Loves your sense of humour. He can't really make those sort of jokes due to his position (no need to make more scandal than there already is) but he loves it when you make them.

Marius absolutely plays rhythm games with you. He's fairly good at them so he might give you a run for your money. He will let you win on purpose sometimes...

Already has a fairly large collection of books so he's sure there are some on astronomy in there but he'll also buy you astronomy books and encyclopedias whenever he sees on you don't have when he's out.

Marius is definitely the type of person who has hired a observatory for the evening. With just the two of you there, it's nice and quiet and you have access to all of the telescopes.

You can look at the stars and he can watch you. He's happy when you're happy so seeing you enjoy yourself as a result of something he's done means a lot to him.

In Bungo Stray Dogs, I match you with...

Junichiro is another one who will listen to everything you have to say about your interests! He's hanging on every word.

He often feels like one of the less interesting members of the Armed Detective Agency so he's always on the look out for new hobbies and interests to pick up.

Stargazing dates! He'll pack a picnic with your favourite food and drinks and will take some blankets and pillows so you stay warm and comfortable for as long as you want to stay there.

I also see Junichiro as someone who would take you on carnival or arcade dates (avoiding the rollercoasters and the majority of the crowds of course). He'd try to win you some prizes but he'd also love to play the rhythm games with you.

Time spent with Junichiro is always guaranteed to be fun and mentally stimulating.

[soulless-bex]

I’m getting more tired of people complaining about the people who complain about G3 lol like I love G3 MH but ffs, you’re cluttering the MH tag with complaints every G3 fan and their mom has already voiced over and over.

So no, you’re not the only one constantly complaining about people who dislike G3. If you want to provide counterpoints against G3 hate, maybe post about things you like about G3 and what it does right.

Or make a masterpost of debunked G3 complaints or smth so that you don’t have to constantly post over and over about it, just link to your post.

you want positive stuff g3 did? i’ll give you positive stuff g3 did

cleo’s darker skin tone. she was so stupidly pale in g1, it’s a nice change

clawdeen’s fur. she’s a werewolf, it just make sense that she gets to have fur. it’s also surprising honestly that it wasn’t a thing in g1

the witchcraft plot. a lot of people think it’s too much, but i absolutely love it. it brings another aspect to explore, gives more dept to the monster high universe and brings something new for the reboot

frankie’s prosthetic. they’re made of separate bits and pieces, and the fact that not all of them are human is just cool. it also implies that they can switch their limbs for different uses, which has been shown to be true in the series

frankie’s pronouns. the representation is sooo important, and it’s nice to see that monster high did it. frankie was also the perfect character to do so, which is even better considering that they didn’t force androgyny on them. they still get to dress fem and have long hair, without it making them any less valid

draculaura as a witch. don’t get me wrong she was great as just a vegan vampire, but i won’t be the one to complain about one adding more to their character. the whole conflict that creates with dracula also allows him to be more in the picture: he was hardly spoken of in g1

the different body types. you don’t notice it when you’re an eight year old playing with your cool monster dolls, but it’s super important. g3 fixed the “everyone has the same body type” issue perfectly. just take a look to draculaura and abbey! or even frankie, who is much taller than the other dolls

those are just the first ones that come to mind too. so no, i’m not just here to bash those who hate without reason, i also have genuine reasons to like the reboot

[greenvillainredemption]

Ooooo okay so love ghoulia <33333, in g1 she's in the main crew but not like featured as much as say, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Frankie, and Cleo. She is by far the smartest ghoul at school, and honestly has her act together more than the others cuz, love them, but they're messy. Ghoulia's bestie is Cleo, and I think at least in the doll line lore, ghoulia is the one who discovered Cleo in her tomb? That could be just to make a cohesive story for their collectors dolls though. Their friendship is sweet imo, obvi it can be a lil toxic at times cuz Cleo is.... Cleo, but y'know. Also also on the talking thing, I know alot of people were upset ghoulia spoke English now (saying spoke English cuz y'know technically in g1 she does speak, it's just in zombie, but I digress). Anyways ik there was a bit of controversy around the change as alot of nonverbal people found comfort and rep in ghoulia; I would give my own comment but I am not nonverbal myself and as such feel unfit to discuss that specific topic (if I find any good sources or opinions from nonverbal fans I'll be sure to send though). Anyways yeah! I am so sorry to have written an essay ask I'm just always excited to talk monster high jwahavgawjkejenskddkdndj

Ooo yeah I’m slightly more aware of Cleo’s popular mean girl status just from fandom osmosis. I never would’ve guessed she and Ghoulia would be friends based on their character designs, but it does make sense. The concept of an undead mummy is just repackaged zombies right? Ooooo.

Now that you mention it I do remember reading that she did make inarticulate zombie sounds, but I never thought it was its own distinct language, that’s kinda fun. But yeah i can see how it’d be very relatable to non-verbal people to see a character like that. I’m not non-verbal, but I do often get like really tired of talking and just kinda go ‘mhmm’ when people talk to me lol (not sure if that’s the same type of thing, I’ve heard it called shutdown or being semi-verbal? I’ve known I’m autistic for 5-ish years, but there’s so many specific things about it, and I usually don’t have all the right vocabulary for everything until someone brings it up first and I’m like ‘oh it was the autism the whole time??’) Anyway

Never apologize for big essay asks this is exactly what I asked for!!! :D Feel free to share more if you want!

[spooky-pens]

I posted 3,172 times in 2022

That's 1,134 more posts than 2021!

8 posts created (0%)

3,164 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@peppapigvevo

@heartsnbruises

@stupidbeecandle

@lemonade-cat

@sparkle-hotdog

I tagged 75 of my posts in 2022

#monster high - 11 posts

#infinity train - 5 posts

#human resources - 5 posts

#shinbone alley - 4 posts

#art - 4 posts

#draculaura - 3 posts

#steven universe - 3 posts

#creepover party - 3 posts

#monster high g3 - 3 posts

#my art - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 129 characters

#i didn’t say anything about gender or money being social constructs so i don’t know why you’re telling me this but i already know

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Much like G3 Draculaura, G3 Frankie has gotten a lot of static because they are nonbinary. I'm non-binary and I claim Frankie.

And quite frankly, I can't think of a monster more suited to be Non-binary than a simulacrum like Frankie is and others have said so more eloquently than I. I love this child and I am so grateful to see Mattel giving the community a character that falls under the trans umbrella.

I had a blast drawing them and I may be passive aggressively ignoring Paramounts new "rules" that Monster High's Frankie can't have neck bolts or be green. your copyright rules have no power over me!

49 notes - Posted August 13, 2022

#4

Much like G3 Draculaura and G3 Frankie, G3 Clawdeen has faced some backlash, mostly because she has glasses now but also because she is mixed, Her Father is human and her Mother is a werewolf. something very taboo in the Monster High universe.

As for her glasses I think they are cute! Wolves are notoriously colorblind so her needing glasses makes sense. However, Mattel gave her the most boring basic frames they could think of, She's a WEREWOLF! and Half Moon glasses are a thing! so I gave her a pair. Her pupils are also slits now which is weird because that's a cat thing, not a dog thing.

But it's my art so I make the rules.

Creepover Draculaura

Creepover Frankie

55 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

#3

See the full post

166 notes - Posted August 9, 2022

#2

The trailer for the Monster High movie just dropped. Now seems like a good time to show off my new Monster High necklaces! The charms are lipglosses! I’m making more! Available to buy soon!

241 notes - Posted July 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I've never been much of a Draculaura fan until everyone and their mom came for her weight in the G3 dolls.

Now I'm on the G3 Draculaura defense squad.

And I drew my baby to reflect that. I'm really in love with their Creepover Party outfits! I had a blast drawing this.

243 notes - Posted August 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[belovedstars]

muse prompts ↪ frankie stein

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐃𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐋  𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  ?

frankie smells...cold, i think, being likely some degree of undead. there may be an unpleasantness to it, although, among fellow monsters it’s in no way considered offensive or bad. they maybe smell a bit metallic, or like electricity (however that may smell), due to the voltage running through them.

𝐇𝐎𝐖  𝐃𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏 ?

frankie sleeps very well! they’re prone to overthinking, which sometimes keeps them up, but for the most part they have a regular sleep schedule that they’re good at sticking to.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂  𝐃𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐄𝐍𝐉𝐎𝐘  ?

frankie likes all sorts of music, from classical ( something tells me they likely have some part from a classic artist in them ) to the more modern music that their friends are into. they just love music, i think, and the vibrations in the air from it are exciting!

𝐇𝐎𝐖  𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇  𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄  𝐃𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃  𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘  𝐈𝐍  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆?

it depends! probably not as much as clawdeen or draculaura, but they like wearing layers and chains and things like that, so some mornings take longer than others.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐓𝐎  𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓  ?

i think frankie loves to just collect, period, any little things that fascinate them. old books, cool rocks, fish bones, old nuts and bolts. they are especially a big fan of little parts like that, half built mechanisms and the like.

𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓  𝐎𝐑  𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃  ?

ambidextrous!

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐍  ?

frankie is not religious, although they absolutely love to learn about it, as is the case for most things. the different ways so many different people have created their own stories, believe in different things and express it in different ways, they love it.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓  ?

casketball!

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐘  𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐓𝐎  𝐃𝐎  𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍  𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  ?

Learn And Experience Everything Possible About The Place.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄  𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃  𝐎𝐅  𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑  ?

hmm...as a monster, frankie of course prefers the gloom to the sun, but i think their favorite type is right before it starts storming, where there’s electricity in the air and it runs through them. it feels weird and good.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓  𝐈𝐒  𝐀  𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐃  /  𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐄  𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘  𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄  ?

frankie doesn’t have any weird fears, i don’t think. they worry a lot about being accepted, understood, things like that. they worry that people won’t like them, but those are normal fears for a “teenager.”

tagged by: @songeurame​ ( thank you!! ) tagging: you!

[licoricecrypt]

I actually wrote a paper about this today so heres that I have such strong opinions about this stuff

A lot of monster high G1 fans have been complaining nonstop about G3 and it's getting exhausting with how they've devolved into such petty complaints that are completely void of any real substance. From downright misogynistic views of only wanting to see these dolls as stick thin puffy lipped fashionistas to teaching kids horrible self image expectations, these old fans have completely turned themselves into "back in my day" boomers, claiming monster high has been "ruined" despite it just being for a new audience. 

Firstly I'd like to discuss how G3 has improved tremendously in the aspect of body types. while no the dolls people claim to be are not fat or plus sized, they just have a wider bone structure and a different body type. This is still so important because it's a first step into getting some dolls that are actually plus sized but it also shows kids who naturally have a bigger frame that that's ok. The old dolls only had one body type and such similar facial structures with thin waists, big eyes, perfect jawlines, and puffy lips. Now this isn't to say the new dolls are entirely free of this because they certainly do have that standard fashion doll beauty, but they at least all have a lot of differences with their structure both in their bodies with height and weight and in their faces with the eyes being smaller and having different face shapes.

Something a lot of people complain about with the new series is how they "dulled it down" aka made it more for kids. And honestly I can see why they would say this, but if you think about it for a moment then you'd see that this is a good choice. Firstly this is a new series for a new audience and the characters need to be a little more suited to what kids in this day are used to or it won't grab their attention, as well as the fact that the old characters didn't have much personality. Before you argue with me I'd like to present you with this: I asked two friends of mine how they played with their monster high dolls as kids and both of them said they would have to change their personality and invent new characters. I did this as well because the characters themselves acted like dolls rather than actual characters. If you were to ask "what is G1 draculaura's main motivation as a character" as someone who has watched the entire old web series and a lot of the movies I would say she just wants to buy more clothes. And I would probably say the same for most of the other characters because all of them mostly just want to be fashionistas without much other motivations (this is aside from lagoona's relationship with Gil, because while this could count as a character motive this is introduced much later and on and character motivations are meant to be well established early on). Now if I were to do the same with the G3 characters, as someone who has only seen 2 episodes of the animated series I can say that Draculaura wants to be a sorceress and have her dad understand her. That is a genuine motivation outside of boys and fashion. 

The real point of monster high was always self expression. That was always the point of the dolls because they were introducing kids to alternative fashion and it was a new way of telling kids the “be yourself! You don’t have to be like everyone else!” story, which is great and it was efficient due to it being told with a line of dolls that did not conform to society's standards of fashion for girls. However I would like to argue that a lot of old fans have completely lost this because of how they’re treating the new line, the new generation is meant to do the same thing, show kids you can be yourself and this is especially apparent with Clawdeen’s story of hiding a part of herself and eventually sharing it only to be accepted. This is something that old fans are completely losing sight of, because they’re so angry about the old toys not being the main focus anymore. If we look at both lines and compare them when talking about being yourself I would say the new dolls do it better, they are diverse and all have different styles and really fit the being yourself theme a lot better than the old dolls with how those are all the same in body type, facial features, and personality. You can’t just take away the point of the doll line for the sake of your nostalgia. 

Now another thing I would like to ask is “what are we teaching kids”. Because at it’s core monster high is a kids doll line. Do we really want to only put emphasis on the old dolls with little diversity and show them that you need to achieve such a body type to be seen as beautiful even among alternative subcultures? Because kids that don’t meet that body expectation you’re setting are going to grow up and get an eating disorder or they’re going to go reach for a barbie with their body type and completely ignore monster high all together. You cannot argue about monster high and the new generation without bringing up the fact that it’s for kids because at its core it is for kids, it always has been and it always will be. Comparing the two lines one of those is significantly healthier for people and honestly I can say that I am evidence of this because I was very self conscious of my body before I saw G3 Draculaura. I might be a bit of an emotional person but it made me very happy and I almost cried because there was someone who looked more like me and was still beautiful. Representation matters in every way and you can’t teach kids that they have to be stick thin to be beautiful because a lot of them will take it to heart. I would prefer monster high be an escape from the modern beauty standards that’ve been set already in society and tell them that they can be beautiful regardless of what the current modern world tries to shove down their throats. 

If we really need to talk about the adult collectors and how they’re handling things completely outside of kids, then I need to bring up their constant complaints and how there really is no pleasing them. I’m not joking even in the slightest when I say there’s no way to please them because I saw a post that was complaining about Twyla’s doll not being that much different from her old design and in that same post they also complained that they didn’t like any of the changes made from G3. There is genuinely no way to ever please any of them. They complain about the dolls not being alternative enough compared to the old dolls then do restyles where they put the dolls in very preppy and basic outfits, they complain about the new dolls not being able to share clothes but completely brush over how they can’t do that in favor of having more diversity, they complain about the new dolls being too different but ignore that it’s called a new generation for a reason. There really is no pleasing them and it’s getting quite exhausting because under every single instagram post about G3 there’s a thousand comments that just say “G1>>>>” when the post doesn’t even mention G1 for even a brief second. I understand that you miss your childhood but please stop bashing people who are just trying to enjoy themselves with the new dolls because they are still making new dolls for G1 today, there was the holiday Draculaura and the reel drama line and you still complain about the new dolls. Another thing about the new Twyla doll is that people really seem to want to complain about her, because this is her only doll but also is a part of a sleepover line they had to work with both of those and give her an outfit that fit as a main doll but also worked for the line and people have just complained about the outfit being bland, while I know if they made it a legit outfit people would complain about it not fitting the sleepover theme of that line. So there really is no way to get these people to stop complaining when it seems all they want to do is complain. 

The new generation of monster high is just fine the way that it is, it’s good for kids to have some alternative dolls with different body types to explore self expression and they’re just pretty to look at, a lot of old collectors are just upset and blinded by nostalgia to the point where they’d being extremely mean to other people about it. Just let people enjoy things without feeling the need to be assholes about it, your childhood isn’t going anywhere, let the new generation of kids enjoy the new generation of monster high. It’s not for you, leave them alone. 

just went on an hour long rant to my friend ab how G1 M/H fans literally have just devolved into being complete assholes with no substance despite G3 being better in a lot of aspects

[lethargical-lily]

Dorm Leaders x male!Draculaura!Yuu

I’m making this because no one else will and because I’m chronically obsessed with both fandoms

🌹Riddle Rosehearts🌹

I feel like there would be a rule against pink skin or something😭

Yes this is twisted wonderland where people are used to others with unnatural features but PINK SKIN??

I think it would be very off putting to him at first but he eventually accepts it

He enjoys your quite outgoing and cheery nature, he deserves to let loose once in a while and you’re his first option for just that

Both of your old victorian-esque styles would clash very nicely

He would often invite you to tea parties which you’d enthusiastically accept, and maybe dress in a nice pink dress which would always put a small blush on his face

He’d introduce you to the hedgehogs and they would probably be fond of you (especially the pink one)

Enjoys having someone who’s about his height or shorter. It’s a welcome change for him

Always has an umbrella handy for any sun exposure you may run into

Trey also enjoys having you around so that’s like a bonus for Riddle

Very accommodating towards your vegetarian diet

Overall very happy that you happened upon twisted wonderland, he couldn’t imagine his life without you

🦁Leona Kingscholar🦁

Can someone say SIZE DIFFERENCE

Your hella short compared to him

He can’t lie and say he’s not a fan

Y’all probably met while you were admiring the pink roses in the botanical garden and came across him napping

You didn’t wanna wake him up so you just stepped over him

He noticed you right away (probably because you’re like walking cotton candy) and was somewhat interested in you

As in curious as to what your deal was, I doubt he falls in love that fast

He sneaks glances at you every once in a while throughout the day

Was ACTUALLY introduced when he saw you hanging out with Jack

He was very drawn to your energetic personality which was the complete opposite of his and you vice-versa

Everyone wonders how in the world Leona got a cute, peppy, stylish bf (who everyone thinks may be a vampire but they don’t have much proof for that)

He’s probably aware that you’re capable of taking care of yourself when need be, but is still generally very protective because of your somewhat naive tendencies

After all this is a school for villains people aren’t the nicest here

Always kisses your heart shaped birthmark

Wouldn’t be as diligent with bringing an umbrella to block sun exposure but will still do what he can to make sure you avoid it

He’ll even block the sun with his own body if he has to

Forgets you’re vegetarian very often

Is willing to try to be a little more active if you encourage him to

After all he does really wanna impress you

Very happy he met you, you make his life a lot cheerier even if he refuses to admit it

🐙Azul Ashengrotto🐙

Probably met because Floyd likes to bother you a lot

Not everyday you get a pink skin non-human from another dimension ya know?

Like many others your sunny disposition is very welcome to him

He was always made fun of as a kid so having someone who not only accepts his *freaky* flaws but encourages him to embrace them makes his heart melt

Enjoys having someone shorter than him since the tweels are basically towers compared to him

He has a pretty good sense of fashion as do you so I imagine he would purchase a lot of very nice (and pink) clothing/accessories for you

You would probably be willing to help around the lounge which is much appreciated from him

You would likely scold him if he tried to make a deal too serious (like taking someone’s bodily control)

You’re still very impressed by his UM though

Your excitement for things never fails to get him flustered

He would go to the ends of the earth to make you happy

🥳Kalim Al-Asim🥳

It’s like looking in a mirror

Not in terms of physical features ofc but in terms of personality

Y’all are like two peas in a pod

Jamil has never wanted to disappear more/hj

He loves having someone who’s just as cheery and down to party as he is

You’re definitely an enabler

But not in a bad way

Jamil is the one to keep you both in check if you guys try to do something stupid

But you keep Kalim distracted to for that Jamil is thankful

Always takes you on magic carpet rides because he loves to see the way your eyes shine seeing this wHoLe NeW wOrLd

Will spoil you with extravagant gifts and clothing

His siblings probably love you

Also one to kiss your heart shaped birthmark

If you’re someone who’s not used to compliments get ready because this man will SHOWER YOU with love

Loves to carry you around bridal style

Idk why I just feel like he would

You both are incredibly obsessed with each other and he wouldn’t have it any other way

🦚Vil Schoenheit🦚

He would try to hide his interest in you but that doesn’t go over well for him

YOU’RE JUST SO BEAUTIFUL AND CUTE

HOW???

Probably thinks your skin color is like body makeup or something at first

Pretty shocked when he finds out it isn’t

He tries not to be disappointed that you’re put into ramshackle instead of his dorm

Not necessarily in a romantic way he just feels you’d fit in there so much better

Would get to know you through Rook constantly spying on you

He didn’t ask him to, but it is a bonus

Would always dress you up in stunning pink ensembles

Think Haunt Couture or Limited Edition Draculaura

Would show you off to his fans (with your consent ofc)

He would love if you modeled with him

Is very understanding of your vegetarian diet and always gets you vegan snacks

Will always have a beautiful pink umbrella handy for potential sun exposure

It’s very important to him that you keep yourself safe

He’s more than happy to let you pick out his outfits

He could never be more happy that he met you

👾Idia Shroud👾

He would be scared of you

Not because you’re a scary person, but because you’re just so nice

He simply does not understand

He would try to avoid you like the plague but he doesn’t get very far since you and Ortho get along so well

You also like hanging out in Ignihyde a lot because of the dark lighting

You approach him first with mountains of compliments about his hair and overall looks

His face goes the shade of your pink skin

You tell him your interest in his video games since I don’t imagine you’ve played a whole lot of those so he asks if you would like him to teach you

Your enthusiasm is unexpected and leaves him blushing profusely

He grows to really like your outgoing and kind nature even if it’s the exact opposite of him

You encourage him to go meet others a lot which he’s opposed to at first but its gotten him a lot more friends which he doesn’t hate

Always lends you his hoodies

You convince him to let you dress him up and he likes the style you’ve given him much more than he expected

You paint each other’s nails

Is the only person he lets mess with his hair

He also likes that you and Ortho are such good friends, it makes him happy that two of his favorite people get along

He would dox someone for you💙

🐉Malleus Draconia🐉

You being a 1600 year old vampire you can definitely relate to the feeling of being lonely for so long

Which is why you always go out of your way to attempt befriending him

You’re more than happy to talk to him at lengths about his love of gargoyles which is what made him fall for you in the first place

That and your lack of cowardice in speaking with him

He always asks you to dress him up since he knows you like doing it so much

He likes the color change

Also someone who is a fan of the size difference

It makes it feel more like he has someone to protect

And protect he will

Always shields you from sunlight by standing the direction the sun is pointing from

He is indeed tall enough to block it out

Gifts you with beautiful pink gemstones he finds

You try to explain to him current technology which he appreciates even if he doesn’t understand it

You would probably decorate his horns with different chains and jewels

He refuses to take them out

You invite him to any and every event if he wasn’t already

He would destroy every realm if it put a smile on your face

[fulgurbugs]

It’s time for another doll review!

today, i’m unboxing venus mcflytrap, the newest in the series of core students for monster high g3. she’s been showing up in targets sporadically, though my targets tend to be late on the pickup so i ended up ordering her for delivery as soon as she was up on the website.

she was delivered a few days early and i sent her to my moms house, so i was dying to go back there to open her up for those few days. here’s her in box! she’s quite tall, though without an abbey to compare im not sure if she’s about the same size as her?

freed from the box! once again the star jar is my prop-up instead of a proper stand, though venus is actually sturdy enough to stand on her own without too much trouble.

of course we’ll take a look at the shoes. g3 loves a gradient boot, and i’m a fan here. the look like concrete planters before they fade to pink, and the teeth are just hilarious.

the vines are rubbery and removable. the bottoms of them have a peg that secures them to the boots.

another detail i wanted a close up on is venus’s molded vine details. i love that g3 is going more in with the monsterey details, and these are awesome. they peek out just above her mismatched legging pieces

the face: venus’s mold and makeup are both great. instead of the shaved side of her g1 version, she has molded braids, which still give her that asymmetrical look. her ear mold also has a leaf look to it as well. her hair is some kind of yarn, i believe. i’m not sure how durable the ends are, though, so i may see if there’s a need to seal them to preserve them. (in addition, one minor defect i have seen people have with their venus rooting is that the larger yarn plugs seem to sometimes tear her scalp slightly, so it may be something to check for if you’re buying her in person.) i’m a very big fan of the black features they’ve added to venus this generation, which i think has been the general consensus on her design that i’ve seen online. her reception has been overwhelmingly positive, and she is the doll that has many people warming up to g3. and id have to agree! i’m a little picky with what dolls i want (unless they’re draculaura dolls, lol) and she was an instant note on my wantlist as soon as those stock photos were out.

accessories! venus comes with a clear open backpack, icoffin, energy bar, water bottle, a hair product bottle (if someone knows specifically what product it is please let me know, im not sure off the top of my head), sunglasses shaped like venus flytraps (of course) and her pet, chewlian.

chewlian is well… definitely a pet! he does come out of the pot, though. i said this in a previous review, i think core lagoonas, but i’m continually baffled and amused at the ability of g3 to turn every pet into a dog or cat version of it. while the pets have never been a draw for me, this is just comical. i think i’ll stick by a previous joke i made that chewlian just ate someone’s dog, and that’s why he looks like that.

the backpack can hold one (1) chewlian or all of her other accessories. something about the way this backpack sits on her or the silhouette or something is awesome to me, i love it a lot. it’s super cute, and i want to display her with the bag instead of storing the backpacks like i usually do.

one last little thing, while i don’t have abbey, my draculauras, or even twyla to compare her too, i think venus is about abbey height, though i think she’s got a slimmer body and hips. here’s her next to frankie. venus also uses the clawed hand mold.

of course, we have to have the obligatory .5 shot

and that’s venus! one last note i want to make is there’s been a lot of fomo around her, but i want to remind people she is going to be widely available as abbey and clawd are. she is going to stick around for a long time compared to other lines, so there’s no need to pay scalper prices for her (i know i say this as someone who bought her as soon as i could, but that was as soon as i could for strictly retail price. i’m just saying i get it, lol.)

i also recognize that that’s a bit america-centric, but she also did start showing up in person in the UK before the US, so hopefully her international release isn’t as frustrating as other lines and characters.

thanks for reading! big g3 venus fan now and forever, and i’m excited to see her eventually show up in other lines, too!

[bigendermonster]

Points for the new MH:

More than one character has prescription glasses, yah! (However they keep forgetting to add them and are for the sole purpose of making the character “nerdy”.)

More freckles. Always a plus.

Cleo is a medium brown instead of just tan: 👍🏼

They seem to not be completely abandoning lagoonas’ sporty girl aes?? Hopefully?

Draculaura is chubby! (At least in comparison) more body types is great especially for fashion focused franchises

Frankie has a mechanical leg! Legitimately love this addition

Frankie is also nonbinary here which is something I think most fans agree fits them/her (it pronouns would be fun but I don’t think we’re there yet😔)

Ghoulia and Abby exist (the bar is a little low here)

Actual effort going into designing the mansters? …potentially?

Clawdeen is the main character

I think a lot more energy + passion is going into the gen than the last one, like I think people are having fun working on it

The dolls seem to be almost as good as the first wave, potentially better in some areas

Points against:

Wolf siblings got axed again 😐 what do y’all have against them!?

P sure they chose draculaura as the “chubby” girl of the group bc she’s hyper feminine therefore redeemable on that front, but also that her signature with Lolita fashion covers common “problem areas” so they can still hide her new figure. I’m probably just a little too jaded but I’m worried any other character being given the same body type will suffer fashion wise 🫣

I heard they made lagoona Latina (cool) but why is she pink (white ppl skin color) 🤔

They took away lagoonas signature waves and missed the opportunity to give clawdeen legitimately curly hair, this is prejudiced (jk not jk)

No jackson and holt… again…

They things I will do if Abby doesn’t have tusks

Clawdeens fashion once again taking the biggest hit despite being a designer… why do they keep nerfing our girl…

Making clawdeen the main character only after changing her main personality traits, making her biracial* and lighter skinned, and potentially retconning her recent lesbianism… do y’all even like her?

making a beloved character canonically and confidently racist

Also making her British

Seriously you had to take toralei when characters like gill are already kinda racist… you couldn’t let him take one for the team?

Nothing else for now idk much actually I just have opinions and love sharing them, hopefully despite its flaws kids really enjoy it I love the idea of kids having their own version of something that brought me a lot joy growing up