Doll Names : Orginality vs Characters

To owners of these dolls: Why do you enjoy character based dolls? Have you also had a character based doll that ended up turning into an original?

For character based dolls I enjoy the challenge of getting the doll as close as possible to the character. And then working within that framework. Like right now I have a Two-Face doll (from Batman) and as long as it's split down the middle, there's really no restriction. As for changing wigs/eyes/etc. I found that when I started I went wild buying tons of wigs and eyes, only to discover that pretty much I stayed with the same set of eyes-wig and the rest just sat in a box.

As for turning original, my GF actually had the opposite kind of happen. She'd been working on a mod for a doll when we both realized he reminded us a lot of Ned from South Park. So he got little fatigues to wear.

 

Why do you enjoy original dolls? Do you find it distressing or upsetting when people emulate your original doll or copy his/her name without asking? Or do you feel names are just names and are up for grabs.

I have yet to actually obtain any dolls (but that should change within the next couple months, I'll at least have... half a doll), but they are all going to be based off of already existing characters of mine. Characters that belong to an extensive universe that has been living inside my head for years. I feel that dolls become a lot more personal and special when I'm creating an actual "body" for characters that I've had for so long, rather than just coming up with one based on a pretty doll I see (no offense to people that do this! There's nothing wrong with it, I just wouldn't do it.).

When I eventually post information about or pictures of my dolls, I'm considering using pseudonyms for them in the form of Greek letters rather than their actual names (at least for a short period of time). I've been browsing DoA and I've found a number of dolls that share names with my characters. I'm not one of those people that will change a name because someone else has it, but I think I might be a little uncomfortable at first because that person might think I'm taking it from them.

Most of the names aren't actually "names", but the majority of them are music terms or just words (Baroque, Ether, Mint, etc.) . I've even seen a couple in this thread that are the same name (Rhapsody and Requiem), and I'm sure there's many more out there. As much as I'd want to, I don't think I could let myself be upset or jealous that another person chose the same name as I did, since they are common words. I'll just think of it as: "Hey! Another music lover" or "wow this person is also fascinated by alcoholic beverages that have hallucinogenic properties! (Absinthe)"

But if this other person's Absinthe is also a green-eyed, green-haired, cape-wearing, half blind lesbian that wields a giant spoon... Well, then I might be a little curious where they came up with the idea.

 

All of my dolls currently are original, and not fan based. My head is the only one that was a preexisting character, my DZ Mo is a character that was created Post doll, and IU wonder if my DZ-Floy will ever gain a personality, because honestly I only love him because he's pretty. XD

I feel that the customization of my dolls is an art, as I'm sure many people on DOA do, and so I don't want to purposefully copy any part of my doll, name or otherwise. That said, If the are dolls with the same name as mine, I would probably just laugh at the coincidence, because my two boys that weren't previously characters have, in my opinion, somewhat unique names.

That's not to say that replicating an existing character ISN'T art. It is, as surely as cosplay or fanart that is drawn. The creativity inside you that puts it's own spin on that character, or makes it the way it is shows clearly that the outcome and process is art, but the original character is not your idea. The character being MINE is very important to me, personally, and I would never spend so much money on a doll that was not specifically an outlet for my creativity, but there is nothing wrong if you prefer something different.

As far as names... When choosing names, it is actually important to me to try and pick a name that isn't too popular, just to avoid confusion. Many names like that sound corny to me, if I'm going to be honest, and besides a few select names, Japanese names and fantasy names don't really appeal to me, and they tend to be the most popular names. I prefer a common name much more.

My Names:

Josh: I picked it because I liked it. It was for an RP character, so I had no trouble picking a name that I would probably not pick for a doll, because it is too common. All in all I REALLY like this name, as I like most short common names that start with a J.

Artemis Ira Husayn: He was my first, and I was looking high and low when I got him. An internet name site told me that "Husayn" was arabic for "beautiful little one", and whether that's true or not, I loved the way it sounded, and it was so appropriate... As for Artemis, It is derived from the sailor moon cat, I think, but I heard it on a podcast, I wasn't thinking of the anime at the time. And Ira was the name of a big burly character on the sitcom "Gary Unmarried" which I'm not a fan of, and was watching out of boredom. Ira stuck more as a first name than Artemis, in the end. I picked these names because I thought they sounded nice, and fit, not because I want my boy to emulate any of the origins (except beautiful child, of course).

Lane: Derived from the main character of the movie "The Contender" who is names "Lanie" or "Elaine" or something. XDD I wasn't really paying attention, it just sounded nice. :3

So yeah, no idea is PURELY original, and my names were almost completely inspired by something, but I was looking for the features of the name itself, not for the characters it was originally part of.

I'm probably talking in circles, and there may be a little bit of hipocrisy in my post... Ah well, It's early. XD

 

I have a simple outline in mind. I think of a name and a character basis but then the rest come from time with the doll. Like, I have a gown that I put her in and it doesn't look right. She's not a girly-girl.
I don't like the idea of basing a doll on an already established person/character, but that's just my opinion.
As for names... Names are named. If you like one, why not use it? Unless you're basing your doll on that person's doll exactly, I don't see an issue. It's not like everyone in the world has a unique name. =\

 

I have both types. Two 'Fan-based' characters, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, though, they are not entirely cannon. For one they are together and for two I completely disreguarded the last several chapters of six and all of seven.

The rest of my characters are completely out of my head. It started with Virginia and her story and expanded from there to encompass hundreds of characters, with twenty-two destined for doll form.

As for 'retired doll names' my next doll is going to be a character named Elliot who's a flamming Shiwoo. :/ I didn't know the other rather infamous doll exsited until I had his character set in stone. So, if the owner of the doll ever becomes annoyed about the similarities or if another Shiwoo who's flamming named Elliot shows up, I'll just gently point out the differences and be on my way. My Ellie and hers aren't the same 'person'.

 

I myself prefer original, mainly because they will be even more "mine" than they would otherwise be. If they have the same name as some existing character they will be more restricted to what they can be, and not unlimited like an original one would be.

 

I enjoy original dolls because there's so much creativity that can be put into them. I haven't had anyone try to emulate or copy mine that I'm aware of. Though I would find it somewhat upsetting because I put a lot of thought into my dolls' names.

 

I have my first doll coming in and I've picked a name I really like and I haven't seen a girl doll with the name, but there's probably one out there. I picked the name because she has the big eyes which give her an adorable face, but the name is a unisex name that is used basically as a boy's name and I didn't know it was a unisex(I thought it was only a boy's) name until I saw it on a baby name site. I think when you look at her and say the name, it makes you look at her in a boyish way, but she's far from it. I want to make her really original, and she's a blue fairy, so in order for me to get white skin, I had to get a limited edition, which means more money, which means I don't know when I can get her new clothes. But, I've decided I'm just going to make her clothes, and she's going to wear her limited edition set until I make something that will look really nice and how I want it.

Not everything I "design" is going to be completely new designs, but I like the idea of having clothes I took the time to measure, cut, and sew. I like the idea that she is how I pictured her.

If you like to buy clothes or base your doll off characters, I think that's COMPLETELY fine with me, but I want to design her character myself and put every piece of clothing on her that I think fits her.

Back to the name thing, I used to really want an original name, but I'm totally okay with it now. Like I said I haven't seen my name used on a girl yet after searching(browsing) for months on this forum, but that doesn't mean I'll never see one. It just clicked in my head while I was browsing baby names on various websites. I like to use human names, but not too common ones because I usually have a friend with that name and, to me, that would be a little awkward. If someone sees my name and copies it, that's too bad they couldn't really search or find a name on their own.

Also, I totally forgot which company, but one has a doll that has my name, Olivia, and that name is becoming intensely popular. When I was born, it was about 150 on the name rankings, now, it's in the top 10. Name popularities fluctuate. Your doll may have an original name now, but in the next few years may be the next big thing. If your doll's name has sprung in popularity, that's okay, it'll die down if it kind of rubs you the wrong way.

And, about the wig thing. I'm going to pick a color and stick with it(color does vary by company, but keep it as close as I can) because I feel wig change kind of changes the character a little bit. It's going to change style, but not major color differences. I'm totally okay with it if you do it, but in my own taste I'm not going to. People in real life dye their hair and such, but doll's don't really have a "unique mold" unless modded. Even make-up doesn't sever the similarities(which are major to me) between two dolls of the same mold.

Originality comes down to how you view the doll and how you made your doll be viewed by others. There are many cliches(yes, it has an accent) in purchased items. The only way your going to get pure originality is if you sculpt it, so therefore, to me, the "originality contests" are kind of futile.

 

I have to agree. I think replicating an existing character IS art. It's how you look at a character and find a way to make the closest doll look the closest to it. Sure, it may not be your design, but who here(out of the vast majority) can make clothes that aren't based off pre-existing designs? It shows craftsmanship. It's not about who you base your doll of off, but how well you do it. How well it's sewn. To what depth does the detail go into.

Also, the name Husayn is pronounced just like "Hussein" in "Sadam Hussein", just to make sure you know that, right? This isn't really against anyone here that's Arab, as my best friend in the whole entire world is(lol), but when names/words from languages that have different alphabets are romanized, spelling is varied and so it can be read wrong, not like you did, but yeah...

 

I've always been a character creator type, well before I got into dolls or online games. Since high school, I've enjoyed fantasy writing and art and creating unusual names (whether off the cuff, a name generator or just a unique combination of names) has been kind of a hobby in and of itself for me.

I should have my Mei by the end of the month and am so looking forward to being able to flesh out a role-playing/storyline character of mine. I came across the name because it's a rather well known surname where I live, even though it's a very, very rare name - Keheley. There's even a school here by that name. While I don't expect there are any other dolls out there with the name Keheley (unless it's a surname), I'm not sure how I'd feel if someone else took it as their own. It's not like I own it - it's a perfectly legitimate name. I just tend to cherish my characters and feel a little possessive, I guess. LOL!

Keheley will have a specific look that won't change much. Her wig will be pretty much the same, changing only to upgrade it as I have more money to spend (hehe). Her eyes and especially her faceup will remain about the same also since they are vital to her back-story.

I expect that most, if not all, of my dolls will be original characters. The only variation might be my two current OT dolls because their "alien" faces just beg to be switched out now an again.

 

I like original dolls because I can make it however I want them to be. I sometimes base it off another character but that's only a few parts because that's what I liked about that certain character. I also do not mind if someone else likes the same name because there will mostly be someone in the real world who has the same name as I do and there are a lot of people who tend to act the same way I do about things, but then again we are never exactly alike. There will always be something different so that's why it doesn't bother me as much.

 

I agree, i like having original dolls because i make them the way i want, and i can change them. it would be cool to have a character doll but i'd have to *really* like that character.

 

I only ever plan to have original character dolls simply because I feel like dolls are an extension of original art. It is a way to act out stories from my head to pictures. I'd feel strange emulating someone else's character. Considering my love for fanart and fanfiction I know that it's irrational and doesn't really make sense but... oh well.

 

I make mine character dolls. I find it more fun that way because I sew and I love making the costumes. I also cosplay and my favorite cosplay is dressing as Tsunade (from the Naruto manga/anime) with my favorite Naruto and Sakura ABJ dolls in a stroller at conventions. (Yes, I'm a major Naruto and Sakura shipper My only non anime/manga ABJ dolls are Gambit and Rogue from X-men comics. (yep, also a Gambit and Rogue shipper) I like making my dolls into fictonal couples I've shipped.

And also, because my dolls are character ones, a number of them are "frankendolls" One company's head on another's company's body, especially my 1/3 scale ABJs- like my favorite Sakura Haruno doll has the old style Customhouse Ai body (perfect for Sakura's shape- smallish breasts- about B cup on a real woman, with a big butt, and slightly short, solidly muscled legs) paired with Obitsu's Haruka head.

 

My doll's name is based off of a character, but personality/looks wise, have no similarities at all...

 

I plan to have dolls based on a series where the characters have no facial difference from one another, no set eye colors, and are children, so my girlfriend and I will be growing them up into teenagers for our dolls. We're very passionate about the fandom and the characters, and we have so many artistic liberties with them because they are so ill defined. This gives us lots of room for customizations and modifications, such as making some of them chubby, and in one case, obese, and I do not feel as though we are limited in any way. I've always been a character-loving person, and my girlfriend is the same way. These characters make the dolls more exciting because we're aging them and giving them style and enhanced, matured personalities.

We've discussed what it would be like to own an original doll, and we cannot see the appeal for our own interests. I do love Iplehouse Freezia, but as our views of the characters change, we have acknowledged that any doll could fit into our collection.

We do not yet own our first doll, but we've been hunting for the right faces, and it has been nothing but fun and exciting. I can hardly wait to buy our character doll!

 

I can't say that I'd ever buy a doll to base it after an already existing character. To me, having dolls that are my own original creating is just more artistic and feels more like they're 'mine'... though I've done doll cosplays before.

 

Personally, and I don't know if I'm the only one that shares my wacky little ideal, but the reason I'm getting my doll is to use him as a companion on a day to day (or at least when mommy is off of work) basis. Hehe. His name suddenly popped into my head and that's what I stuck with. Marcus isn't terribly original, but it's something I might have named a child of mine, were I to want kids... which I don't, and it's certainly another basis as to why I'm getting a doll... anyway, off topic. Hahaha.
I definitely do love learning people's names for their dolls. It shows just what kind of character they have. And there are TONS of us doll hobbyists out there, so goodness knows. Maybe like humans, dolls have their 'other half' out there somewhere too. ^_^'

 

I thought about making my doll a character-based doll. When I originally bought her, I intended to make her a Belldandy-based doll. However, the moment I took her out of the box, she just screamed 'Helena' to me. Ever sense, she's been Helena. I've even dressed her up as Belldandy with the full wig and dress, and even then, I can't find myself calling her Belldandy.

Now, the name itself, Helena isn't common, but it isn't too highly unique or original either. I'm sure that there are tons of female dolls with the name Helena floating around even on this forum. Therefore, even if two dolls have the same name, I think the name fits them well in different ways.

It's like how growing up in school, I had three classmates all named Jessica. However, they were all Jessica in different ways, one of which even ended up going by Jessie. A name is a name, and it holds a different meaning for everyone.

 

Charecters often give me ideas for different dolls, but more often then not the charecter the end up with for me if far to different and more defined then the one they started out with.