Girls get sophisticated with their dollies

I think these lesbo playthings are a first in toy-dom: Willow and Tara Together Forever. They're "collectible figurines," I know, not mere kiddie baubles (eye roll). Better than Barbie -- and they come as a couple.

But, but, but. As with most "from life" figures, the likenesses to the actual actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson, are kinda terrible. I wondered whether the talent demands contract language that allows control over their graven images -- to the point where dollies based on their television and movie characters must have slightly mangled features.

Mark Del Vecchio says that's not the case. He's the president of the Salem, Mass.-based Cinequest, which markets Tara and Willow. (It's such a small company that Del Vacchio answers the telephones himself.) "The sculptors did their best," says Del Vecchio. "It's hard, and for some reason a lot of the sculptors have trouble with female figures."

One would think the difference between the sexes is... the T&A, eh. But the very proper Del Vecchio says it's about the whole body, including the face, so there you go.

There was little for sculptors to practice on for a long while. Del Vecchio say there were few female figurines at all even up to four or five years ago. A lot of the buyers were "men, or boys, or men who are still boys." But more recently, the girlies have caught on. Del Vecchio says his company pushed for a Tara and Willow Together set (the license holders actually produce the product, and Cinequest does the selling). "It's a good tribute," he says.

There are also more recent changes in the artistic process that makes things easier: complete 3-D computer scanning. A full-body scan measures everything -- the depth of the nose and eyes, and anything else you could imagine. Del Vecchio says that once an actor can be booked for scanning (which can take some doing, given schedules), as happened for a new Buffy figurine, "the likeness is very, very good."

He adds that the best figurine sculptor of women in the business is a man, Clayburn Moore.

Moore sent me a quick e-mail this morning: "Thank you for your very politely written questions. That was gracious of Mark Del V to say that. The answer to your first question is Yes [female figurines are harder]. The second question [why?] requires a more thorough answer than I can give right now. I'd like to look over your blog, then I'll write back in a few days." I'll post Moore's longer response if he does have a chance to get back to Oples.

Tara and Willow were lesbian TV trailblazers (Xena and bland sidekick whatshername were also impressive, but never formally came out until the very end). Yet still, Buffy mastermind Josh Whedon was criticized... and criticized, as with Ann Turner's Lesbian Media Blender in 2003: "Lesbians have long had a love-hate relationship with Buffy The Vampire Slayer. First, we wished Buffy or Willow were lesbians. Then, we were ecstatic when Willow came out as a dyke. Then we revolted when Buffy creator Josh Whedon disgustingly fulfilled every TV/Movie stereotype, murdered Willow's girlfriend and then had our favorite TV dyke go insane and try to destroy the world. And right after the couple had made up and gotten it on! The bastard!

"Still, many of us couldn't stop watching -- at least to see if Tara would somehow get resurrected.... And Willow did get involved with that other hottie... But she wasn't Tara, damnit!"

Most exclusive figures sell some 3- to 4,000 each, but the T&W set has done even better than that, though Del Vecchio can't give a total tally.

I'm a bit slow in writing this -- T&W came out last November. But there's an upside to my lateness: while I'm no shill for Cinequest, Del Vecchio says fans should know that the figurines are on sale for another day or two. And for collectors seeking the next big thing, Del Vecchio picks another TV show with a strong female in the lead role, the teen detective Veronica Mars.


WEDNESDAY noon: I managed to screw up Joss Whedon's name in this post. Apologies. Big, sheepish apologies.