dolls

It takes a little while to process the sensory overload of something like NYCC. The lights, sounds, and crowds are nothing like the ol’ antique fair or leisurely July driveway tag sale stroll. The whole mess is kinda like nothing else I’ve ever attended, and that’s a good thing; it’s both a lot to deal with, and it qualifies NYCC as a unique experience. Some of us collectors can be very solitary people, so it’s both reassuring and jarring to attend an event where there are thousands upon thousands of likeminded people who speak your particular dialect of the ‘collecting’ language.

And honestly, every section of collecting has its own lexicon – offhanded references to notable collectors, events, abbreviations of rare pieces, and narrative pieces of history all make for the rich, though sometimes insular,  world of collecting. You know those weirdos who speak Klingon? Yeah, we’re just as bad. It’s a weekend of total immersion, but as I learned after an enlightening weekend with the Pez people, you pick up on things pretty quickly – and if you don’t know what someone’s talking about, they’ll usually be more than happy to fill you in. Enthusiasm is everywhere – all over the floor, a little in your eye, and somehow, inside your shoes. It’s inevitable.

So, what’s left over from NYCC? Here’s a quick list of my favorite, not-previously-mentioned things from the Con, with apologies for any omissions.

- While we’re a ways off from getting any action figures from The Office, perhaps for the best (since I fear Meredith’s inevitable action feature), Tonner will be releasing a large format doll of Steve Carell as he appeared in Get Smart, complete with shoe phone. Of course, Anne Hathaway’s doll isn’t far behind that, but perhaps it says something unsettling that I’m more into the Steve Carell. Mr. Carell in a suit is pretty much a universal stand-in for a good portion of the memorable roles he’s played anyhow : Daily Show correspondent, Michael Scott, Brick Tamland. I don’t think that we have many sculpted likenesses of him beyond an NBC bobblehead, and this one is sculpted with just enough of a confused smirk to make it great.

- Though not yet on display, Tonner deserves a second mention because of the announcement that they’ll be making dolls of both Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Torchwood’s John Barrowman and Eve Myles. Which is amazing, and I can’t wait to see. I’m beginning to appreciate the freedom that Tonner has in doing such a wide variety of properties because of the unique opportunities of making things classified as ‘dolls’ affords. I made my vocal push for a Tom Baker Doctor Who, and perhaps a whole line of the many notable Doctors, because I’m a gigantic nerd. Who apparently likes dolls. I’m such a winner.

- As someone who grew up watching He-Man after school, I have some interest in Mattel’s Masters of the Universe Classics figures, which focus on updated sculpts and details revamping the original line, which is heavily referenced in both content and form. The modern line, just like the classic line, uses a few stock parts to create all of the figures, with a handful of new accessories and facial sculpts to set each figure apart. The NYCC Faker figure included a robot decal on its chest, not unlike the original, and the upcoming Mer-Man figure will come with two different heads – one mirroring the original figural head, and one that more directly references the artwork on the figure’s original package. The whole line is collector-centric and sold exclusively through Mattel’s online shop, one new figure each month for about $20. ALSO : Mattel showed off sculpts of movie-accurate Ghostbusters, which were unfortunately off-limits for photography. They’re awesome, so stay here for images coming out of Toy Fair. Harold Ramis can finally watch me while I sleep.

- And of course, the people in costumes. Sure, they’re not technically collectible, but it’s an important part of the experience – whether you like it or not. Often not. It becomes pretty apparent that a lot of the people who visit the Con in costume are actually a lot more comfortable playing characters than they might feel about being themselves, so the everyday-is-Halloween thing is another element to contend with. The anime guy with the 6-foot-long sword who oft loses track of where he’s poking, or the Hulk on stilts who can’t completely see where he’s going, or the schoolgirls haphazardly fleeing from tentacled monsters – you give a wide berth.

My unofficial ‘Best Group Costume’ award goes to the Super Mario Brothers – two guys who took their body types and made it the most genuine, hilarious and fun costume at the show. Runner-up goes to the set of five Watchmen, who were one of many, many Watchmen group costumes running around. While they don’t win for pure quality, they won me over for being the largest Watchmen group, and walking around as a group of six all day – as well as showing up at the giant Watchmen chalk drawing when I did.

The ‘What The Hell Did You Expect?’ award goes to Waldo, who showed up in a huge crowd in a Waldo costume, and later had the gall to complain at the Venture Brothers panel about people saying ‘I FOUND WALDO!’ all day. Seriously, buddy, what the hell did you expect?

The ‘Total Dedication’ award goes to Captain America, whose hand-made costume was both really, really slick, but a moving homage to his father, who passed away before this year’s Comic Con. Runner-up goes to Thor, whose costume was also stellar. That guy’s costume either included some really, really light blue contact lenses, or he was looking into my soul.

So, by the end of it all, the two artists that I expected to encounter and get my Bizarro book signed by were too difficult to locate, I didn’t have the patience to wait on lines to buy any original artwork, but I did have a pretty awesome time overall. I’ll save the original art buying for this summer’s show at MOCCA, where I’ll be both visiting and exhibiting.

Next year’s New York Comic Con is happening in October and on my birthday, allowing me 18 months to recover and regroup. It might just be enough.

I’m home from New York Comic Con 2009, with only minor injury. Mostly in the feet area, a little bit in the dignity area.

NYCC has definitely attained the status as being the East Coast’s San Diego Comic Con – a Con which is legendary in its scope as a mecca of pure awesome and geekiness. NYC has begun to attract suffocating crowds, celebrities, and all manner of the entertainment industry. As it turns out, ‘comic con’ has evolved into a vile misnomer, as comics comprise a minority of the convention floor, with movies, video games, artists and costumed folks taking up the rest of the space. A long talk with creator Evan Dorkin revealed his utter disdain for this transformation away from the art of comics, but truly – you know what it is what you walk in there, and there are a whole bunch of other very pleasant conventions that focus only on the art of comics. So, I think everyone is catered to appropriately.

The crowds still really, really suck though.

If anyone dominated those minor comic aspects of the Convention floor with their stuff, it was DC Comics, who had toys and properties represented by three different companies at three different locations : DC Direct (owned directly by DC Comics and Time / Warner), Mattel, and Tonner.

Dominating the DC action figure scene is definitely Mattel, whose DC Universe Classics line is at the very top of the most sought-after collector lines. It was at NYCC that they revealed the never-before-seen ninth wave of their DCUC line, which is scheduled to include Black Canary, Green Arrow, Wildcat, Deadshot, Guardian, Black Adam, and most interestingly, Mantis in both classic and robotic forms. We’ve just seen Wave 6 come out, so Wave 9 is at least 6 months away – which only gets collectors buzzing more intensely.

As a collector of figures based on Jack Kirby’s New Gods universe, I’m a little in love with Mantis (as well as the Parademons that’ll be coming out before this wave). Mantis joins Lightray, Orion, Big Barda, Kalibak, Darkseid, and Mr. Miracle from Jack Kirby’s artworks – all of whom have received a lot of respect from Mattel and The Four Horsemen, who sculpt the line.

Collecting all 6 will allow you to build the gigantic Chemo, who is a giant, translucent green blob of a creature. Which is weirdly awesome in that whole ‘Silver Age comics were wacky’ way. Wacky as hell, and still infiltrating my toy collection.

Mattel also had a classic Brainiac figure on display, slated to be released in a 2-pack with a red-eyed Superman, and some large, original sculptures of future figures that had been previously revealed.

In addition to holding the license to make 6” DC figures, Mattel makes action figures for the new cartoon ‘The Brave and the Bold’, which features Batman and a hero-of-the-week team-up. While I didn’t see any unrevealed figures at NYCC, I was surprised to see a whole bunch of miniature Brave and the Bold figures, done in the ever-more-popular ‘Superhero Squad’ style. Sure, Hasbro owns the rights to ‘Superhero Squad’, but that hasn’t stopped Mezco from doing Hellboy, and Character Options from doing Dr. Who in a very, very similar style. Dare I say that these Mattel prototypes, which are based firmly in the blocky animation style of the cartoon, are the most aesthetically pleasing? Plus, Batman.

Finally, Mattel will be continuing their Target-exclusive Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) line, which has been running for many, many years and now exists solely on the support of fans and enthusiasts of the excellent cartoon. Future offerings will include show favorites (as well as other DCU characters that never actually appeared in the show) Lex Luthor in his prison orange, Ultraman, the feral version of Cheetah, Amanda Waller, General Eiling, old Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond, and Psycho Pirate. If it says anything about the visual appeal of the JLU line, my mom really loves them, and she’s the most practical person I know.

DC Direct has a much more direct grasp on their properties, and can anticipate turning characters into action figures from the moment of their conception. So, while Mattel focuses on ‘classic’ figures that hold a certain amount of weight and endurance in the DC universe, DC Direct spends a lot of time creating figures of things that are happening right now in the comics – which often involves characters that are relatively new, or new interpretations of old characters, or figures that are very specific to one artist’s stylings.

DC Direct’s newest offerings will include at the beginnings of a series of statues based on the artwork of Adam Hughes, encompassing the women of the DC Universe, each standing roughly 10” tall, and including Catwoman, Zatanna, Black Canary and Wonder Woman. Yes, we already have busts of these fine ladies done by the same artist, which is the only thing preventing me from throwing myself headfirst into yet another collection. And by ‘bust’, let’s just confirm that Adam Hughes really loved drawing his women amply.

Those Women of the DC Universe busts (some of which have exploded in value) will be joined by Aquaman’s wife, Mera, sometime this year. The entire ‘Women’ line will be complemented by the ‘Heroes of the DC Universe’ bust line, which has revealed Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and the villainous Darkseid to be among the ranks.

The DC Direct 13” line will finally be joined by Wonder Woman, who was on display here for the first time, after being announced and profiled in a recent issue of Toyfare magazine.

The DC Direct action figures of note were the eight figures from the next two waves of Green Lantern figures – each of which will feature Lanterns in colors Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and Black. As someone who’s into the visual effects of colors, as well as strange fictional parallels, I’m pretty excited to see a whole mess of variously colored Lanterns. The two Black Lanterns were only represented by placards with blank silhouettes, as their appearances have not yet been revealed in the comics, so that’s a demonstration of just how far ahead of the curve DC Direct places themselves.

Finally, Tonner had the whole collection of DC Stars dolls on display, which I really enjoy. Newly created figures include a Green Lantern (based on Hal Jordan), which includes a fancy – though wholly untraditional – Power Ring. I was also excited to see a Hawkgirl with huge, feathered wings, and a classic Silver Age Catwoman. If I were to want a Catwoman doll, the chick in the purple cape was top on my list. They can hit the skin-tight spandex later.

They’ll also be re-envisioning their earliest DC Stars females, using altered costumes and an updated, most busty body to more accurately represent comic book attitudes towards the female form.

Something’s definitely changing about the way that companies reveal their upcoming stuff. With the internet being so immediate and widespread, it’s rare to see something at a convention that you didn’t already see leaked online somewhere. The pleasure and anticipation of seeing a new toy in person isn’t what it used to be, and many companies have indicated that they’re going to reveal even less at Toy Fair next weekend.

This doesn’t spell doom for toys – just how the companies interact with their loyal collectors, who are both their most vocal critics and most rabid supporters. The convention scene is definitely taking over where Toy Fair once dominated, with its direct connection to the buying audience and instantaneous feedback about the products on display. All of this is a demonstration of how the collectors are having an increased sway with the companies they financially contribute to. And that can’t be a bad thing – even if it means that I’m a lot less surprised during conventions.

Much more NYCC 2009 fun to come! For now, check out the highly disorganized NYCC 2009 photos in the Community, while I try desperately to sort them out.

As an added bonus, I include this panorama of the Con floor. And believe it or not, against all odds, look closely and you can actually find a Waldo. Click to enlarge!

It’s a strange coincidence that a B-list DC superheroine would suddenly have three high end action figures hit all at once, but Black Canary has taken over the month of December with a three-pronged assault.

Barbie collectors recently got a high-end Black Canary figure for about $40, but the figure caused something of an uproar because of Canary’s black-leather-and-fishnets attire. While the comic costume is meant to evoke something of a burlesque crimefighting kind of thing, overzealous parents decried Black Canary Barbie as a prostitute, or a participant in that most unholy of all personal practices, bondage. Never mind that most people should be aware by now that many Barbies are intended for adult collectors and are sold as such – someone just needed an excuse to be outraged.

DC Direct also released their 1/6th scale Black Canary, complete with alternate ’screaming’ head (since that’s her secret weapon), masks, and various accessories. DCD’s Canary retails for about $90, and is definitely action figure oriented.

Tonner’s new Black Canary fashion doll walks the line between the two, at roughly 16” tall, with rooted hair, completely removable costume elements, and retailing for around $150. As with the recently profiled DC Stars Batman, she’s definitely the highest of high-end superhero doll and figure collecting – and because of her place in the DC universe, as well as my love of creative iterations of characters, she’s found her way into my collection. What does it say about me that I’m more interested in her for her marriage to Green Arrow than her long, exposed legs and blonde hair?

Have a glance at the Batman review to familiarize yourself with the idea behind Tonner, and come back.

Tonner’s female figures are absolutely the company’s strength but my love of females definitely provides a bias. Man, do I love females. While I loved Tonner’s Batman, he’s a very pretty man. The delicate, angelic doll look that Tonner employs fits so much easier with the female figures, which are radiant and idealized – very true to the idea behind much comic art. Apparently, superpowers make you really, really hot – unless you’re being written by Grant Morrison. That guy’s messed up.

As with all Tonner dolls, Black Canary came in a very collector-friendly box, tied in gently with white ribbons, and easily removable and replaceable from her plain, black box. Her choker, boots, and gloves are packaged separately, and her wavy, blonde hair is protected inside of a plastic bag and a hair net. Unlike Batman’s requisite parts, nothing is made of the durable (but frightening in that whole ‘oh man, I’m totally gonna mess this up forever’ way) rubber – instead opting for all fabric parts, which comes as a relief. While they might not be as exactly form-fitting, they’re a whole lot easier to dress her up in and remove. The basic costume on her midsection is especially well-made, with corset-like boning running the length of the outfit – and I swear that I only know about corset boning from an adventurous ex-girlfriend. Snaps are hidden along the back, so even this piece is removable. The most bosomy part of the costume is held in place by very thin, clear rubber shoulder straps that disappear under the jacket.

The leathery jacket that comprises the outer layer of her costume is easily removed, and flexes beautifully with the articulation of the figure – which is located at the shoulders, elbow, hips, knees, hands and neck. While these don’t offer a full ball joint’s worth of rotation (to keep the clothes from bearing too much strain, presumably), there’s more than enough motion to keep the figure interesting. Replacing the jacket is another task, and my main concern was threading Canary’s hands back through the sleeves without tearing the lining of the jacket, since it’s a separate layer. With some gentle, slow jiggling, it’s not much of a problem at all.

Correct me if I’m wrong, ladies, but there must be something pretty awesome about modern fishnet technology, because I’m seeing it used everywhere, and more effectively than ever. Even DC Direct’s 6” Black Canary action figure had these great fabric fishnets fixed around her legs – which is always so much more aesthetic than sculpted-on fishnets, which often end up looking like scarring from some kind of horrible waffle iron accident instead of high fashion. Canary has great fishnet stockings, and under them is a thin layer of flesh-colored fabric that covers the leg as a second stocking, and completely hides the knee joins, creating a seamless leg very effectively. And the perfect little boots? They zipper down the back. I almost wish I had some kind of weird shoe fetish, because the engineering of these is really impressive.

Anyone who’s had a doll with rooted hair knows that after about a day of regular use, the mass of hair will become a matted, scraggly mess – so I’m always hesitant to display anything with rooted hair, instead of sculpted hair. Tonner’s dolls’ hair seems to be lightly waxed into shape, so that keeps everything pretty much in order. This might be a regular practice in the doll-world – I haven’t spent much time here. I tried, but the babies with biological functions scared me away. Either way, it’s a good idea.

Tonner’s newest DC Stars figure is an excellent addition to their growing heroine & villain collection, which already includes Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. I can’t wait to see who’s coming next. Retro Catwoman in purple? Zatanna with a sexy tophat? Power Girl? Starfire with ridiculously long hair? A perfectly cheesecake Mary Marvel? Will they fulfill my strangest fantasy and create an Elasti-Girl from the Arthur Drake era Doom Patrol? Maybe it says a lot that I’m hoping that they make such a huge variety. I’m not even a doll person, but as I said in the Batman review, I really appreciate the respect and dignity that Tonner is affording these oft looked-down-upon comic characters, and the genres they’re boldly crossing.

Black Canary can be purchased from Tonner directly, and you can also pick up the other DC Stars figures for a huge discount, for a limited time. Check out this full gallery of Black Canary right here on Collectors’ Quest!

I’ll be the first to admit that when Tonner’s DC Stars line started popping up alongside action figures at my favorite toy retailers, I was a little bit confused. I mean, there was this 16” tall Batman figure, and as a huge Batman fan, I was naturally compelled to obtain him. But wait – was this Batman a DOLL? Could I comfortably purchase a doll, even if it ostensibly fought crime? Was the Tonner Batman a gateway drug into collecting Madame Alexanders and … gasp…. Hummels?

Before long, the Tonner collection extended into Superman, Aquaman, The Joker, and a wide variety of DC heroines and villains : Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Black Canary… the list kept on growing. And they were all so classy – obviously fine collector pieces, and running at around $120 to $150 each, any of these would be an investment. Tonner knew exactly where to cross genres, and they had my attention.

It wasn’t until I visited Tonner at 2008’s Toy Fair that I was completely sold. The disconnect between seeing a 3” computer image of a fashion doll and seeing the huge, in-your-face object from all angles was large, but encountering the genuine article was enough to win me over. I finally understood that Robert Tonner’s interpretation of The Joker called upon some of The Joker’s first comic appearances, and the rubber cowl that Batman wore over his coifed Bruce Wayne hair actually fit very well. The pose that the Fair displayers chosen for their Joker and Harley Quinn reflected an Alex Ross painting of them, so they had genuine comic chops underneath their high-end exterior.

So, here’s Batman. Any regular readers will know that Batman’s kinda my thing, so reviewing Tonner’s interpretation is a natural match. In my vast collection of Batman paraphernalia, I’m kinda particular about what I’ll accept into the fold, but ultimately, it has to appeal to either my sense of culture or my aesthetic sensibilities – which is why I cherish ‘Bat Dude‘ as much as a Mike Mignola Batman Black & White statue, as much as a Batman drawing that a friend might have made for me. At this point in pop cultural history, Batman is just as much OURS as he belongs to DC Comics.

Tonner ships their male DC Stars dolls in large, black boxes (with the female dolls coming in narrower boxes, which remind me of flower boxes in shape), with a very small label on the bottom to indicate which character dwells within. I’m hesitant to open any collectible ANYTHING if I don’t have safe and dedicated display space for it (and the dust that I live with could choke an elephant), but the packaging of Batman allayed this hesitation, as it’s 100% collector friendly. The half-dressed Bruce Wayne is held in place with white ribbons, which are easily untied and re-tied for quick removal. His cape, cowl, boots and gloves are packaged in plastic baggies, and figure also comes with a tall, metal stand to aid the figure in remain upright.

One thing that might seem unusual about Tonner’s DC Stars figures is that they’re given realistic human proportions – which is unusual for any superhero. Tonner uses a more universal approach than the super-muscled hero, opting for a healthy, though muscular, human form, with single-joint articulation at the neck, under the chest, hips, elbows, wrists and ankles. All of this accommodates the clothing excellently.

Batman’s costume is made of a hero-appropriate stretch material, which is thin enough to conform to the body without bunching or lumping inappropriately, but solid enough to withstand movement. The back has a zipper, if you’re compelled to undress your Batman. I mean, I like Batman, but I don’t LIKE like Batman. As with most Tonner dolls, clothing is interchangeable between similar body types without much trouble.

The cowl is made of rubber, and is attached to a thin, cloth cape that drapes beautifully. The back of the cowl opens up with two hooks, and the top of his cape opens up with a small button, allowing for enough space to fit that perfectly coifed head in. I thought that it would be far more difficult to pull the hood over the head than it was, and it took some delicate shimmying, but it eventually fit comfortably on. Later, when I removed the cowl for repacking Batman, hardly a hair was out of place on Bruce Wayne’s head, as the whole ‘do seems slightly waxed to keep it in order. He’s got the hair and face of a 22-year old fashion model, which is something I’m very willing to accept as ‘interpretation’. If I can accept the Batman finger puppet with the blue logo from that weird Native American store in the mall, I can accept Tonner’s fashion conscious vision.

The boots, which have zippers down the side, were very easily slipped on and off. The gloves, however, seemed like the most difficult part of all. I’m not sure what kind of rubber that they’re made out of, but they held up to pulling the large hands through the narrow wrist spaces – though I’d definitely suggest being careful of those extended thumbs, which seemed desperate to tear those gloves in twain – but they didn’t even deform with all of my pulling. Quality stuff, Tonner.

When the whole thing is assembled, it’s formidable. All of the press shots I’d seen made Batman’s cowl appear to sit very uncomfortably on his head, bulging out at odd angles to accommodate the head, but none of that was present here (as you can hopefully see from the shots in the gallery here). If anything, the hair was invisibly compressed, and the cowl’s durable rubber bulged appropriately where Batman’s human ears were hidden. It’s a really enjoyable experience to see something as universal and as specific as Batman get this kind of serious treatment, and I think that’s what appeals to me more than anything. I can also appreciate that Tonner went for a ‘classic’ blue and grey Batman, instead of any of the more current duds from the movies or comics. Not that I wouldn’t mind seeing two or three Batmen of different eras, each with different logos and color schemes, but this was a great place to begin. Also, Catwoman and Power Girl. Just sayin’.

Having a huge, quality Batman as a centerpiece to a collection of Batman figures is a good feeling. The 13” DC Direct Batmen, the 8” Hasbro Batman, the huge selection of 6” figures and even the 2” Lego and Kubrick Batmen can all live comfortably together, and nothing feels out of place. If you’ve had hesitation about getting a Batman (as I initially had), but want a really interesting, iconic centerpiece, this is it. I’d absolutely grab one before they’re sold out, as other various Tonner pieces have vanished and become expensive on the secondary market. This is my first Tonner piece, and I’m significantly impressed. They’ve taken a familiar license, taken a risk by interpreting it so uniquely, and ultimately, created something great and unexpected.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more Tonner goodness, and go and check out their online shop for their current holiday sale, as well as our own Tonner Batman gallery.

I’ve mentioned green ear, so it seems no surprise that I should bring up another toy side that’s easy to despise… The smell of teeny-tiny scented plastic dolls. Charmkins, to be precise.

Charmkins were made by Hasbro, Inc. in the 80’s, and like the original Polly Pocket made by Bluebird Toys (made at the end of the decade), the dolls were very small (at or under an inch). Unlike the Polly Pocket dolls, Charmkins were designed to be worn — and to smell. Sold as “scented jewelry playmates” each piece had a loop at the top of the head & a hole in the bottom so that it could be attached to a piece of jewelry (a necklace, hair ribbon, ring etc.), thus creating an endless array of accessories — or, in many cases, an endless array of plastic bits lost at home and in public places.

And they were scented.

I can only imagine the number of dogs who ate these little bits of scented plastic, unceremoniously dumping them in backyards throughout America.

Being too old to play with Charmkins when they debuted, I discovered them at a rummage sale last weekend. In a play case, properly known as the Charmkins Jewelry Carrying Case. I was intrigued enough to buy them. As predicted, not all the dolls or charms are with their original jewelry accessory, but I was able to identify each piece.

Brown-Eyed Susan (the first one) & her Ribbon Choker
Flower Godmother ChrysantheMum
Blossom
Petal Pusher
Half-An-Inchworm (no ID tag, but wears the pink key chain from Petal Pusher)
Sweet Bea and Honey Bee (no necklace)
Petal Pink Puppy & Ring
Morning Glory & her Bow-tie Barrette
Lily Belle
2 Lady Slippers
My Pixie Pony (who looks too much like Hasbro’s My Little Pony to be accidental)
Dragonweed Mail Order Charmkin
a pink picnic table (likely from the Whippoorwill Flower Mill play set)
and a pink chord with pendant clip

The Charmkins enjoyed the sweet smell of success, inspiring stickers, games, bedding, etc. — and, of course, The Charmkins Sniffy Adventure, a scratch-n-sniff book. They were even popular enough to spawn an animated Charmkins cartoon; just one episode.

Did I mention they were scented?

Having been stored together the past two decades, the scents are no longer distinguishable from one another, but each had it’s own scent.

The past two decades have not diminished their scent much. I think. Up until now I have had no experience with Charmkins. But thanks to my dedication to readers of this blog, my hands now smell of Charmkins.

And it’s not as charming as you might think, or, to you 20-somethings reading this, as you remember. In fact, I’ll go on record as saying the scent might be toxic; I have an enormous headache that I cannot get rid of. And I have to wonder just how smelly you were as a kid.

Ooh, ooh that smell
Can’t you smell that smell?
Ooh, ooh that smell
The smell of Charmkins surrounds you.