davidd's A DOLL A DAY 2026

[davidd]

Interesting setting!

I've been pulling my old "Bratz story" room box out of mothballs (aka back of the storage shed) to use in photo-story games on one of the action figure forums.

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I've mostly been doing "real life" stuff lately, and what "toy time" I've squeezed in has been centered around crafting brief photo-story game responses for a couple of the action figure forums. I don't feel entirely comfortable posting too many "action figure" photos to "doll forums.". As a result, I haven't had a lot of enthusiasm for staying current in my A Doll A Day posts.

I'll try to catch up... again... but I don't know how long I can keep this going. I feel my interest shifting toward story games rather than random doll photos.

Here is an assortment of 1/6-scale (Barbie doll size) characters who have appeared in or will appear in one of the ongoing action figure photo games:

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7 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Trekkie Girl

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8 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Nicolette Arkham

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9 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Basil Leyland

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10 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Sister Taube of the Order of the Sisters of Little Mercy

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11 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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"King" or "E" or "King 'E'" or "Ellis 'King' Prescott"

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12 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Oscar the Dog

[Alliecat]

So the "doll chat" thing is working this time? I recall you saying nobody wanted to play.
Life Stuff is a serious downer on dolly time.

I don't feel entirely comfortable posting too many "action figure" photos to "doll forums.".

Yeah. There are so many people here who'd be offended

[davidd]

So the "doll chat" thing is working this time?  I recall you saying nobody wanted to play.

The Doll Chat Game on the Men With Dolls forum has been totally dead for months. The Doll Chat Game on One Sixth Figures will slow for a while and will then pick up again. Most forum members still insist on replying with comments rather than replying with a PICTURE with a comment underneath it. I mean, it's not that hard, is it? Rachel and Lexxi don't think so:

13 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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[Alliecat]

I dunno... if people don't have time/can't be bothered to take a random picture, they're maybe not likely to take a reply-picture AND add a caption....?
I don't have anything to say about fries... >shrug<

[davidd]

I dunno... if people don't have time/can't be bothered to take a random picture, they're maybe not likely to take a reply-picture AND add a caption....?
I don't have anything to say about fries... >shrug<  

Stand a doll on your desk where you're sitting right now. Snap a pic with your phone. Done.

You don't have anything to say about fries? Don't you live in Canada? Isn't poutine a dietary staple in Canada? Isn't poutine basically fries with goop on them?

You'd be surprised -- or not -- at how wide-ranging a discussion about fries can be: history, culture, international rivalry, and random off-topic-ness.

Mostly randomness.

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14 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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WOO HOO! Grail Fig!

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Go Hero / Castaway Toys Flash Gordon - circa 2010 release

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A "grail doll" is a doll, toy, or action figure that somebody would like to own one day that is either challenging to find or prohibitively eensive.

I have hoped to one day own a Go Hero / Castaway Toys Flash Gordon 1/6-scale (12 inch) action figure since seeing one pictured in MiskatonicNick's photostream back in 2013. When I was a kid I was a rabid fan of the 1930s Flash Gordon movie serials. TV horror movie host Bob Wilkins used to run Flash Gordon during the "Creature Features" program on KTVU out of Oakland, California. KTVU was one of the first exotic and distant channels available when cable television became available where I grew up.

Back in 2013 when I learned about this Flash Gordon action figure, based on the likeness of screen actor Buster Crabbe, the figure was already sold out at retailers and prices on the secondary market seemed prohibitive. The Go Hero Flash Gordon is not really a true "grail" figure because it is not particularly difficult to find. Prices, however, have always tended to be more than what I have been able or willing to pay, so for me, the figure qualifies as a "grail" item.

A few years ago I found a partial costume set for the figure at a price I was willing to pay. I figured that was probably going to be the closest I would ever come to acquiring a Go Hero Flash Gordon action figure.

Recently I randomly searched for the figure once again on eBay, and I found one complete-without-box for what seemed like a reasonable price; or reasonable compared to what they usually sell for. I happened to have funds available -- an uncommon coincidence in itself -- so here it is: a complete Go Hero / Castaway Toys Flash Gordon action figure, including ray pistol, ray rifle, and miniature rocketship.

[davidd]

15 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Frank Walker

[Alliecat]

Yeah, I don't do phone snaps, except when I'm travelling with no laptop.
Where I'm sitting right now?  Ha.  On the porch in the dark because it is a very rare quiet evening, and even the incessantly barking dogs have stopped momentarily.  It got too dark to see my notes to work on articles  ...HOWEVER... since the pot fumes have started up again from the OTHER side, I will probably be going in soon.  This effin place.... 
Ugh, poutine; yeah it's a Thing.  Cholesterol special.... doesn't float my boat.
OK den... last night I had some really good grocery-store frozen fries; they are always nicely crispy.  I may have slightly charred them though.  Sigh.  I did not pose a doll with them, so I guess it doesn't count 

YAY for getting a grail figure!  Congrats.  Yes, being too ex$pensive definitely counts.  And hey, you opened the box!  Hope he gives you some fun ideas for photoshoots.
Frank's realistic detail is terrific.

[davidd]

And hey, you opened the box!  

 The figure did not include the original box, only the liner tray, so it was already opened!

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16 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Arcturus Hathaway aka Mr. Arcturus

[Alliecat]

Well, I mean, you’ve posted pictures of “I got this months ago and still haven’t opened the shipping box”, so that’s what I meant …
Is this guy a particular movie character?

[davidd]

Well, I mean, you’ve posted pictures of “I got this months ago and still haven’t opened the shipping box”, so that’s what I meant … 
Is this guy a particular movie character?

Yeah, I still have some of those "shipping box" figs around here someplace. Flash managed to avoid Dolly Limbo.

The "Arcturus Hathaway" character is one I made up. Somebody on one of the forums once mentioned that the head resembles some actor I've never heard of portraying a character I've never heard of in a streaming series I've never heard of.

I based the character name on an advertising campaign for a brand of dress shirts from the 1950s:

https://www.sitepoint.com/50-cent-eye-pa...lar-story/

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17 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

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Tag Challenge (courtesy of Flickr member Rooners Toy Photography and resurrected by BlondeActionMan aka BAMComix):

If a global rise of zombies threatened the very existence of humanity... what team would you assemble to save the day?

Are you up to the challenge? If so, choose a Team Leader, Brawler, Weapons Ex-pert, Brains, Medic, Speed Fighter, and a Mascot.

Optional: guy who dies first.

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Zombie Apocalypse Team

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My 2026 team (left to right):

Medic: Sister Taube of The Convent of the Sisters of Little Mercy
Her medical specialty is administering Last Rites.

Speed Fighter: Nicolette Arkham
Lithe, quick, and silent -- until she cuts loose with her weapon of choice, a Thompson sub-machinegun in .45 caliber.

Mascot: a big dog, Great Dane or some such.
Name? How 'bout we call him Oscar!

Brawler: King "E"
"E" acted in films back in the day. Every film had at least one fight scene. "E" usually prevailed. For this assignment "E" is channeling his character from a pictured called "Paradise: Hawaiian Style."

Brains: Frank Walker
Frank is a reclusive and ill-tempered inventor rumored to be familiar with time travel; some say he lived in Tomorrowland for a while.

Weapons Ex-pert: Basil Leyland
Basil claims to have taught special weapons tactics to legendary WWII SAS operatives Stirling and Mayne. Or course, Basil makes a lot of claims.

Guy (or  in this case, gal) who dies first: Trekkie Girl
The reason should be obvious.

Team Leader: Arcturus Hathaway, known as Mister Arcturus
Rich guy. The rich guy is always in charge. Plus, he's a sharp dresser.

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Original prompt: Rooner's Toy Photography - 2013

Resurrected prompt: Dal Lee aka  BAMComix - 2026
My 2013 team
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Just for fun: AI images using the photo above as an image prompt:
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Pulp Novel prompt
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Disney prompt
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Anime prompt

[Alliecat]

Sounds like a fun challenge. Although I’m not sure we need zombies to effect the demise of humanity
I chuckled at the guy who dies being any Sean Bean character.
If I wasn’t so exhausterwhelmulated on a daily basis I might give it a try.

[davidd]

If I wasn’t so exhausterwhelmulated on a daily basis I might give it a try.

I asked TrueFan to create sections of the Dal House forum for photo-stories and for games, but she's been too exhausterwhelmulated to get around to it.

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18 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

Lexxi, Rachel, and Zelinda's adventures have been resurrected in mid-2026 on another action figure forum in another interactive photo-story game.

Yeah, it gets confusing running separate storylines with the same characters. The stories started out in parallel, but since it's an interactive game involving different forum members, the timeline eventually branched.

This version of the story has been dormant for about a year; well, okay, for a little over ten months. I'm trying to kick-start it back to life.

It's the Men With Dolls forum, if you're curious (or if you'd prefer more context). I believe forum membership is required to view the topics. But you're not missing much. As I noted, the topic has been dormant for nearly a year:

www.tapatalk.com/groups/menwithdolls/the-doll-chat-game

The version of The Doll Chat Game on the One Sixth Figures [OSF] forum is more interactive, chaotic, and arguably more fun as the responses build off of, or ricochet off of posts from a number of members, and the replies more more direct replies and "dolly interactions." The version on the Men With Dollls [MWD] forum has evolved in to somewhat separate yet partially intertwined story threads.

Lexxi and Rachel are TBLeague (Phicen) 1/6-scale action figures (dolls). Lexxi is a TBLeague S41 and Rachel is a TBLeague S44. Zelinda, if or when she shows up, is a TBLeague S45.

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[Alliecat]

Yes, one needs to be a member to see. Not being a man, I shall pass
It’s funny how small the 1/12 look beside the 1/6 when you put them together.

[davidd]

Yes, one needs to be a member to see. Not being a man, I shall pass.

The name of the group dates back over twenty years, to around 2002 or so. At that time it there was no significant "adult" action figure fandom. "Adults" were not collecting Star Wars figures or setting up scenes with G.I. Joes. A small group of hobbyists set up the forum, and even had trouble in the early years finding hosting sites because of the content: customized action figures. The group eerimented with a variety of security measures over the years because critics and trolls would discover the site and bombard the site with ridicule and hate. It has taken a long time and a lot of effort on the part of the hobbyists to maintain the site and help make the hobby more palatable to the general public.

These days, Instagram in particular is flooded with "adults" taking and posting photos of dolls and action figures. The now nearly dormant Men With Dolls paved the way for all the smug twenty-something guys who think they are doing something cool and edgy and artistic and creative with their f*****g Star Wars action figures.

Anyway, there are women on the forum, too.

Back in the day women had "doll clubs" but there was nothing for guys who were action figure and doll modders (Barbie and clones were about the only option for female figures back then) and modelers. Thus arose the Men With Dolls action figure group.

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19 May - A Doll A Day 2026:

Team Miskatonic 2026 - Zombie Apocalypse Survival Team

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Tag Challenge (created by Flickr member Rooners Toy Photography in 2013 and resurrected by Flickr and OSF forum member BlondeActionMan in 2026):

If a global rise of zombies threatened the very existence of humanity... what team would you assemble to save the day?

Are you up to the challenge? If so, choose a Team Leader, Brawler, Weapons Eert, Brains, Medic, Speed Fighter, and a Mascot.

Optional: guy (or gal) who dies first.

My second installment for the 2026 Zombie Apocalypse Team Challenge is based entirely on characters originally created by Flickr member MiskatonicNick. Over the past few years I have attempted to assemble emulation versions of some of the characters who appeared in Nick's photostories. The Zombie Apocalypse Challenge offers me the opportunity to feature all of my homage characters together for the first time.

The "job titles" as assigned do not necessarily apply to these characters with any accuracy, but who's paying attention to such details?

Back Row left to right:

Mircalla, Countess von Karnstein - As one of the Undead herself, Mircalla the Vampiress cheerfully steps in to the role of Guy (or Gal) Who Dies First. Having already died, she figures she doesn't have much more to lose.

Louis Marques - A member of the Royal Kadath Society, by necessity Louis Marques has become a Weapons Eert while accompanying his colleague Professor Champion on dangerous missions of dubious merit.

Ellie Fields - Another member of the Royal Kadath Society, Ellie Fields qualifies as a Speed Fighter through her mastery of various types of machetes and cane knives. Hacking through jungle undergrowth differs little from hacking through grasping zombie limbs.

Professor Victor Champion - Despite his frequent incessant blustering, Professor Champion, Senior Fellow of the Royal Kadath Society, does know a lot about pretty much everything, making him the natural choice for Brains of the operation.

Shelley - Baghead's caretaker and, by default, Team Co-Leader.

Doctor Diablos - While the team allows Diablos to believe he is both the Brains and the Leader of the Zombie Apocalypse Squad, in actuality his presence is tolerated as something of a mascot -- a sacrificial mascot if the situation necessitates.

Kroger Terreblanche - the "black sheep" of the Royal Kadath Society, heartless, some say soulless, and undeniably fearless vampire hunter Terreblanche is the Brawler of the group. Terreblanche has agreed to an uneasy truce with The Countess Karnstein as they pool their forces against an even greater threat: zombie hordes.

Gavin - A specialist in the Occult Arts, Gavin's studies have familiarized her with a variety of natural and unnatural remedies for maladies both physical and spiritual, leading to her assignment as Medic for the team.

Front row:

Baghead - A mysterious hooded figure, the bumbling but well-meaning Baghead serves in a largely ceremonial capacity as Team Leader, or co-leader with Shelley (the de facto leader), mostly to keep him out of the way.

Thank you to our friend Nick for inspiring us and for allowing us to continue playing in the fantastic world of Toyville that he created and shared.

[TrueFan]

You are welcome to post all the action figure photos to the Dal House Forum that you want.

Elvis looks like Chakotay from Voyager.

And this forum seems like it is on ever rockier ground.