Saturday, December 24, 2005

Welcome

I have been collecting these Bleeding Edge beauties for nearly two years now. It all started with a fancy dress shop in the nearby city that also stocked some collector figures. My eye wasn't caught by the morbid looking Living Dead Dolls or the grotesque Spawn series, but to one solitary beauty in the midst of all these horrors.

Her name is Raven Dragonfire, and she became the first of what was to become a rather substantial gathering.

The link to my own collection can be found here, along with all the profiles of the 12" and 7" dolls.

Next...

About the Creator

The dolls' creator, Steve Varner, plays an active role in talking to the fans and answering any questions on the forum concerning the dolls. His son, Stefan, has also joined the forum and is extremely friendly towards the forumites. It is Stefan who first mentioned the idea of producing gothic dolls to his father. Steve Varner explains this to Daniel Robert Epstein on the BEGoths site:

'Well I had been talking to my son, Stefan and everyone at the company about starting our own toy company for a long time. I'm in the toy business already and we sculpt toys for other toy companies. We did the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a lot of the Star Trek stuff and the giveaways for McDonald's. I have one company already called Varner Studios that's been around for 23 years. But I've wanted to do my own toys for a while. I've done some licensed stuff for Lara Croft and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Stefan went with me to a meeting last year where we talking to some people about buying some licenses. After the meeting he said why don't you do Goths instead? There haven't been any Goth toys which is odd because there are so many Goths out there. There are more and more people electing to get tattoos and piercings. These people aren't really represented. There is no real toy or figure for kids to look up to because maybe their dad has piercings. I have a lot of people who work for me who have tattoos and piercings. I see a lot of these people get discriminated against when I help them find apartments and things like that. They need representation because it's a subculture that isn't so sub anymore. There's a lot of Goths out there and they need to be validated.'

And so Bleeding Edge Goths was formed. They have become more popular, selling figures on leading sites and in shops across the world. The quality of the dolls has improved greatly since the first series was released as the company now has the ability to make their product better.

Another key element that makes the company so popular amongst their collectors is that they listen to the fans and have a very active relationship with them through the forum. An example of this is the way that the company improved the quality of their packaging after the forum members commented that the boxes were not overly strong.

Steve Varner now has his own section on the forum where fans of the dolls can talk to him directly. Go here to find out more.

Series 6 is on its way...

I am EXTREMELY happy to be able to show you all the amazing, fantastic and stunningly beautiful Series 6!

First we have Pandora. I actually squeaked with excitement when I saw this beauty. As a purple girl, she is my dream come true. No other doll has boasted such amazing colouring as Pandora. She is rich and luxurious.

Pandora’s facial design is too beautiful for words. I am in awe of the gorgeous purple tones and the soft feathers around her eyes.

In a word – PERFECT

Next up we have Penelope Fabrique, a fashion designer. The term ‘pirate-chic’ comes to mind when I look at this hottie. Ruffles and eye patches are so in this season.

Again, Penelope’s face is amazing. I love the way that the textiles theme is incorporated into her eyes, with a needle and thread and what looks like stitches under her eye patch.

An extremely cool doll, very glamorous but with an edge.

And last but by no means least, I can show you the sixth version of the beautiful Storm. Gone is the school uniform. Storm is all grown up as a slayer. I am head over heels with the Medieval vibe she has going on. This girl looks like she not only made her dress, but also killed and skinned something to get it! The stakes on her leg are a fantastic detail.

Nothing much has changed in the way of Storm’s face design. Her eyes are now metallic silver (to see in the dark of course!) and the red eye-shadow is striking yet subtle.

I know that any Storm fan will be overjoyed at this doll!

Then we have Katerina Moreau, the first 7" doll that has been shown. She is extremely cute and will be adored by any cat lover. The big cat sprawled around her feet is a brilliant touch!

Kat's eyes are beautiful - the green looks so vivid, matching the eyes of her furry friend.

Doll of the Week

This feature on my Blog will allow me to rave on about the dolls as much as I like! Every week I will post a review of one of the dolls in this slot. The archive can be found here.

Opehlia Pain

I recently went home for the weekend, and after seeing Ophelia again I just had to take her back to university with me. She has such an innocent look about her that makes her look eerily adorable. Ophelia's facial design is amazing. Her big hair reminds me of a lion's mane and her firey eyes suggest that she has an attitude. This is all offset by her serene smile and rounded cheeks, giving her a look of uncertainty. Her clothes are adorable. Her cute stripey straight jacket is so detailed and covers up whilst showing a lot of skin at the same time.

I'm so happy that Ophelia has such a big part in the new comic books. She has so much character. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that she is my favourite 7" BEGoth EVER.



12" Fashion Dolls

The Bleeding Edge website desribes these as 'stylish & stunning'.

I don't think that description does these girls justice. There are currently twenty regular dolls (11 of these have exclusives in the Crypt Club Store) three exclusive dolls and many variants.

The quality of the last two series has been astounding. Bleeding Edge has had their own high quality mould created showing details such as shoulder blades. They've also started to give some of the girls tattoos. These dolls are getting better with each series!

The doll pictured here is Divinity - click here to see her profile!

Storm - The Ultimate BEGoths Beauty

Storm has to be one of the most loved Bleeding Edge girls. To date, the company has brough out four versions of this gothic beauty, plus two exclusives.

I'd have to say that my personal favourite version of Storm is the latest, Evening Storm (far right). She is the epitome of gothic beauty with her figure hugging dress and sexy smokey make-up. Very Morticia Addams.

Since her release, the character of Storm has been adopted by the gothic supermodel Donna Ricci. She even attends some of the conventions where the dolls are being shown to the public. Donna Ricci is a very successful model, posing for companies such as Lip Service, Heavy Red and Drac in a Box.

7" Vinyl Dolls

The Bleeding Edge site states that these dolls are 'sinister & sexy'. In recent years the 7" dolls have more than satisied this description with characters such as Nurse Hypochondrianna and the kinky maid Eva Destruction.
This range also contains the only three male characters that Bleeding Edge has produced. Unfortunately the company has not designed any male characters for a while as they were not popular enough with collectors, but Steve Varner has said that they are considering making one in the future.

The doll pictured here is Lunabella Whispers - click here to see her profile!

Psycho Clown

Finally the Bleeding Edge collection now boasts a 6" likeness of the company mascot, the beloved Psycho Clown. Although he may look scary, this figure has been a hit with the BEGoths forumites, even those who don't like clowns!

The detail on this figure is amazing, especially his eye-ball earring. Despite his grotesqueness, this little clown is cute in his own way. For those fans lucky enough to go to a toy show or comic-con, they may get to meet the Psycho Clown in person!

Kindergoths

The Kindergoths are the softer side of the BEGoths. There are currently only three series of Kindergoths unlike the dolls, but the company had insisted that we shall be getting more in the future.

The characters in the first two series were all 14" tall, but to make them more affordable and easier to store, the company has reduced the size to 10".

These cute cuddly toys are adorable, especially the punky cat Voodoo. I'd recommend trying to buy them now though as they are becoming very hard to find.

The plush pictured here is Fester Jester - click here to see his profile!

Tub-Tastrophes

The Tub-Tastrophes are the most tongue in cheek figures to ever come from the Bleeding Edge. With characters such as Six-Pwack and Don Voyaggi, collectors are sure to have fun at bath-time!

Six-Pwack is not all fun though. As well as making a collectable figure, the Bleeding Edge team puts out a warning to cut your can rings!

Princess Ai

Bleeding Edge are now making both 12" and 7" dolls based on the popular Anime comic, 'Princess Ai'.

A brief description from the TokyoPop website -

'A stranger in Tokyo, Ai struggles to come up with a solution for her homeland's troubles,to understand her own abilities, and to avoid assassins from Ai-Land. In order to support herself, Ai uses her special talent for music ... which ends up turning her into a superstar. Fame makes hiding from her enemies sometimes more difficult and sometimes easier, but it also leads her to unexpected discoveries that could be the solution to all of her homeland's problems. Princess Ai is a mind-bending trip co-created by alt-rock goddess Courtney Love and featuring some of the most cutting-edge manga art in Japan, including chara designs by famed manga-ka Yazawa Ai.'

There are currently three 12" and three 7" dolls available from the BEGoths site. I'd have to say that Rock 'n' Roll Ai is my favourite. She's a true fashionista who appeals to the wild child in all of us!

Rigormortis Cosmetics

The Bleeding Edge website also sells the gorgeous Rigormortis range of bold make-up.

For something morbid yet cute, why not try a Lip-Embalm? These coffin shaped pewter rings are ideal for the busy gothic girl (or boy!) who is sick of rummaging through her handbag whenever she wants to find her lip balm. There are three scents available, Cremated Cotton-Candy, Gruesome Grape and Sinister Strawberry.

The Skull Set is ideal for a gift. It includes a deep red lipstick plus two eyeshadow quartets (one red, the other black) and comes in a funky skull shaped box.

My favourite products in the Rigormortis range are the Sin Sets. These include a lipstick, nail polish and ring. As the name would suggest, there are seven available from the traditional red of Lust to the bold blue of Greed.

Pictured here is the Envy Sin Set - click here for more info!

Accessories

There have been two new additions to the accessories section on the site. The first is the 'Army of Gothness' poster (pictured left). This poster is a huge 23 by 36" and pictures all of the 12" and & 7" dolls.

Another new item is the customised BEGoths doll stand. This is specially designed for the 12" dolls and has the BEGoths logo on the base.

The main items in this section are clothing, such as the 'Just F-it' shirt (right) and cute badges of the dolls which look cool on bags and jackets. A perfect way to show your love for the BEGoths!

Crypt Club

As a Crypt Club member I can recommend the package to any fan of the dolls! Not only do you gain access to the exclusive online store, but you also get a pack of goodies when you join! The membership fee is a one off payment of $35. To join the Crypt Club, go here.

Here is what you'll get:
  1. Access to the Bleeding Edge Exclusive Store
  2. Morbida Exclusive figure
  3. Bleeding Edge Long Sleeved Dagger Shirt
  4. TWO Gifts from the Grave
  5. Crypt Club membership sticker & button
  6. Notification of new Bleeding Edge exclusives
  7. Special Contests ONLY for Crypt Club members *

As a Crypt Club member you can also order the regular dolls straight from BEGoths and their great sales team!

(*information correct at time of posting)

Next...

Forum

The forum is a great place to meet other collectors and talk about the BEGoths. You can discuss the dolls, share pictures and talk to Steve Varner and his son Stefan.

There are also non-doll related topics where you can discuss music, art, poetry or anything else! The forum is relatively small but the regular forumites are fantastic people and a joy to talk to, and we have the best forum administrator ever, in my humble opinion. There have even been some forum meet ups!

To read the forum and sign up, go here! We look forward to talking to you.

Next...

Newsletter

The newsletter is sent out around once a week. It includes the weekly Gloom Toon and information about special offers, competitions and updates to other sections of the site. It's worth signing up to for news about holiday coupons, such as the 10% discount that the company is giving over the holiday season.

The latest newsletter can be read here, where you can also sign up.

Next...

Rebecca's Realm

The latest toon...

Follow the humourous escapades of Rebecca and her chums! Take a look in the toon archive on the Bleeding Edge site and chose you own favourite.

You can get the weekly toon delivered straight to you inbox by subscribing to the newsletter here.

Don't forget the new Minor Misfits toon!

Check out my Series 5 post for new Rebecca's Realm plush toys, funky frames and a full colour book with some of the most loved toons (due for sale this July)!

Next...

Minor Misfits

The Minor Misfits toon is a new addition to the site, and a fantastic one at that! This new comic-strip style toon by James Muscarello is sure to be a hit with Bleeding Edge fans! To recieve regular news on the dolls and the site, such as this new toon, sign up to the newsletter here!

The Kindergoths in this month's Minor Misfits are Zero, Zero's Sister and Voodoo.

Check out my Series 5 post for new members of the Minor Misfits family and cute frames depicting some of their antics!

On Location

This is the section on the site where collectors get to show off their camera skills! To view the full archive or submit your own photos go here.

Competitions

Every now and then Bleeding Edge gives collectors a chance to win some dolls for entering a contest. Details about any contest can be found in the weekly Newsletter and past entries can be found in the Play archive.

BEGoths Fan Sites

This new area of the site follows the latest competition held at the Bleeding Edge. Fans were asked to create their own blog dedicated to everything Bleeding Edge. I came joint first place with three other fans from the forum and second place was shared by two other forumites. This page lists the top six BEGoths fan sites.

First Prize (in alphabetical order):

Second Prize (in alphabetical order):



      Doom & Gloom

      Apart from the online catalogue, 'Doom & Gloom' is perhaps the most extensive part of the BEGoths website. From interviews with bands (including the popular HIM!) to home decor links, you can satisfy all your gothic needs here!

      The next four pages contain more detail as to what can be found in this part of the site.

      Morbid Curiousity

      This is one of my favourite areas of the site. Filled with lots of somewhat useless facts, this page is ideal for pub quizzes and also for freaking out your friends. Here are some of my favourites:

      Did you know that a human eats about eight spiders in their lifetime?

      Did you know that there are more people alive today than have ever died?

      Did you know that there is a phenomenon called the last laugh. A bullet shot through a victim's heart sometimes precipitates a final laugh before death?

      Did you know that 83% of people hit by lightning are men?

      To find out more fun facts, go here.


      Contact

      Should you ever need to contact the staff of Bleeding Edge, the official contact details can be found here. They are all lovely people who will respond quickly with any advice or help needed - no one could ever say that they are lacking in the customer service department!

      Where to buy

      For those dolls that are hard to find or sold out on the official site, check out these links:

      Alternatively, type Bleeding Edge Goths into a search engine and see what you can find. Remember that when making any purchase you should buy from secure sites with recommended retailers. Good luck collecting and happy shopping!