Me and my Dolls

[ellen_datlow]

Sherry Austin has a blog called Strangeness and decided to interview me about my doll collection. Which reminds me that I need to do some more photographing of them.


WEIRD STUFF: A Conversation with Ellen Datlow--Editor, Anthologist, and Weird Doll Collector

Comments

[neojess.livejournal.com]

There seems to be more than a few of us here who collect dolls and figures. I have both a collection of stuffed rabbits - there's something about the eyes - and I've been starting to get customizable dolls (Asian Ball-Joint dolls, and a few others) just because I like the idea of playing with the parts.

I've learned that many people really do have doll-phobia (pediophobia) - once you realize it, it's kind of neat to go back and see how some older horror and dark fantasy stories play on that.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, thanks to BJDs, I learned that some people even have Omukae (http://www.winter-light.net/Victorian/2007/05/omukae-ceremony.html) ceremonies for their dolls. There're some interesting dynamics going on in our relationships to effigies!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I actually think I love my baby doll heads the best--with and without eyes --is that too weird? Did you see the rabbit doll/sculpture that my friends Mikey and Richard gave me?

I'm very much hoping to edit a doll horror antho at some point.

[angelinehawkes.livejournal.com]

A doll horror antho would be awesome. I've only written 2 dealing with dolls...wanted to write more but dolls and cats seem to be a hard sell these days with editors...maybe it was due to the proliferation of creepy doll and/or cat stories in the 80s? I missed that era of publishing for the most part [literary mags aside] as I was still in my teens. Oh, to have been born a decade earlier! lol.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_twilight_/]

"I've learned that many people really do have doll-phobia (pediophobia) - once you realize it, it's kind of neat to go back and see how some older horror and dark fantasy stories play on that."

If any of my childhood friends developed that, it's probably my fault for telling scary sleepover stories, and/or owning some semi-creepy collectible dolls. ;)

[angelinehawkes.livejournal.com]

I had dolls that I made creepy and none of my friends wanted to play with. There was skipper with the shaved head who was "concentration camp skipper", I was morbid as crap....then there was the barbie whose head refused to stay on who got transformed into sometimes Mary Queen of Scots and other times, Marie Antoinette.

Then I had a whole slew of 666 forehead "tribulation" barbies...they also met their demise on the same popsicle-stick guillotine that the above loose-headed barbie died 1000 deaths upon. lol.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_twilight_/]

You sound like you were a cool kid. Weird, but cool. ;)

My Barbies drove Tonka trucks, and went all Godzilla on tiny toy cars. I was also pretty weird.

[angelinehawkes.livejournal.com]

ooooo, Godzilla...never thought of that one!