Dolls modded / named after people?

Well, one of my dolls IS modelled after a real person, but he's not really famous- Clairvius Narcisse, the most recently documented real zombie. He lived in Haiti and came "back to life" during, I think, the 80s. However, apart from some basic similarities, my Clairvius is very unlike the real Clairvius, down to personality, race, upbringing, etc. So really it's just inspiration, rather than copying

 

How do you guys feel about this?
It's fine to me. What I like about this kind of dolls, is that they are so flexible with the looks they can have, or how they can radically change, or the way they can look like real person. So it's fine, and people is FREE to do whatever they want with their dolls, since they payed as much as I would (hopely soon I will) pay for a doll of my own, and I wouldn't like not being able to do whatever I want with my doll.

Do you feel that it's okay to keep these kind of dolls?
At some point yes; If it is a doll who's actual face/style/personality is like a person you admire (Like a singer, guitarist, writer...) and you have the doll just like s/he looks because you really admire that person, is cool. But it would be a little bit sick if somebody started to treat that doll like a real person, talked to them, and even make a special 'conection' to that doll further than the love that a doll owner has for it's doll, I mean, like the doll was that real person living in the owners house. If this thing was going on, I would probably get rid of the doll, 'cause I don't think that is healthy...

Is it alright to sell these dolls; using a celebrity's face, look, and reputation just to earn some quick bucks?
Yup. I think it is part of the customization process... But if I wanted to have a real person-based doll, I would do the faceup, buy the clothes and wig and everything by myself. That way I wouldn't feel like I'm paying for something that was pre-created for somebody who didn't make the customization with love, and just did it because of the money. If I buyed the doll all in one, I wouldn't really attach to that doll, it would be empty. But others may feel different.

Would you be able to really 'bond' with a doll who isn't your own creation, but an existing person?
Humm... Not so sure. I mean, I would like the fact that the doll is like a mini person of who I like and admire. But probably, I would end up by selling him/her because it would be an empty doll for me.

Do you feel it's pushing the line of acceptable and creepy?
Nope, not at all. I would like a doll that really looks like that person, and not only has it's style and personality, if it isn't the most simmilar to that person's face, then the inversion is not worth for me. In fact, when I was about having my first BJD (like a year ago) I was thinking about making the doll just look like Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, but, luckly, I never got the chance to buy the Volks doll I wanted for him. Now, when I think about it, I realize how dumb that would be (dumb for me, I respect others opinions). But I do have a character in mind, that looks like 2D from Gorillaz (blue-ish hair, yellowy skin, and rings under the eyes, kind of sick looking, dark eyes) but the characters history and personality is totally different from 2D. So, considering that 2D is a drawing and not a person, and my character only looks like him, I don't think it counts like a person-based doll.

 

It might be dorky to have character dolls, but I don't think it's unethical. And I suppose people are creeped out when our Death the Kid and Edward Elric dolls "fight" with Doctor Who over the best place on the couch, but they've come to accept that in our family, it's completely normal

 

Oh please, it's hardly a waste of a doll. People create fan fic, fan art, fan comics etc so they can have fun with their fave characters. Yes, it does place some restrictions since you want the characters to be recognizable as who they're supposed to be, but it doesn't create nearly as many as you seem to be implying. Think of it as the doll version of painting with a limited pallet, ok, so your color choices may be fewer, but it can force you to do some really creative things to work around it. You can make additions/changes to the character and still keep them 'in character' by preserving their basic personality and history. At least, that's how I see it. Also, many people's celeb dolls are not necessarily the celebs themselves, but the characters they play, so you aren't forcing Actor X's doll to do something Actor X wouldn't in real life, you're actually playing with Character Y who happens to be depicted by Actor X on TV.

In my experience, fan dolls are not easy to put together, but they're very rewarding. When I'm really interested in something, I don't like to be just a passive observer. If I really love a series, then doing something like putting together fan dolls from it is very appealing to me, because I get to actually do something. I love my fan dolls very much even though it's taken me several years to get them any where near completion. I'm currently hoping for another three MNM group orders to go through so I can get three more heads from the same series. That might make me a bit of a geek, but I have lots of fun, thank you very much and my fan dolls are some of my fave dollies.

 

^ this made my day.

IMHO it is just a form of fan art like any other. I have character dolls that may apear in my storylines in the future. (its complicated, but they're there)

 

Do you feel that it's okay to keep these kind of dolls? Yeah

Is it alright to sell these dolls; using a celebrity's face, look, and reputation just to earn some quick bucks? I think it's actually illegal to sell a celebrity's likeness without their consent, so I think it's in the same realm as selling a coach bag that's a knock-off.

Would you be able to really 'bond' with a doll who isn't your own creation, but an existing person? Honestly, I would find it kind of weird. Most BJDs are highly stylized to some degree, be it facial features of body proportions. While the theory/concept of having a doll that looked like Johnny Depp, or someone famous would be a neat thing to see, I wouldn't own it. I just find the likeness might be too much for me. I do like realistic dolls, don't get me wrong (like Iplehouse), but those aren't modeled after people - though there could be people who consequentially look like the dolls by chance - but not on purpose.

Do you feel it's pushing the line of acceptable and creepy?
I find it creepy, so I don't want to own one. Pushing any sort of line or boundary into BJDdom? No, not at all. Some people might think it really cool to have a mini version of someone. I don't.

 

This. Basically, a doll that looks like your favourite actor/singer/movie character isn't all THAT different from a poster of that actor/singer/movie character - the only differences are that a doll's in 3D, it's more expensive and it's more difficult to make it look like a certain person/character. I mean - whether it's a poster, a figurine, a drawing, a fan fic or a doll, you still can fantasize about that actor/singer/movie character and make up things about them in your mind. As long as you don't confuse imaginatiion with reality - not really a problem, I'd say. (And dolls do have the bonus that, in contrast to pics, fan fics or posters, you can actually hug them without damaging them. *gg*)

Me being a fan fic writer, there's plenty of characters that aren't my own that I've "adopted" - Star Trek, Babylon 5, Lord of the Rings, most recently Thor, you name it. It's like Taco said: The challenge isn't to make up your own stuff. The challenge is to work with what you've got, stay true to the existing characters and still manage to give them your own little twist

Would you be able to really 'bond' with a doll who isn't your own creation, but an existing person?
That depends. I wouldn't want a doll of a real person. I'd find that just a little creepy, to be honest. But right now, e.g., I'd simply LOVE to own my own mini-Loki with a Tom Hiddleston Minimee head. Cos I think that guy looks waaaaaay cool in the movie and the character's even cooler! And since the look is part of the character ... It's all about the character, for me. If I can identify with the character, if I feel like I understand the character, if I like the character then I can also like the doll. Cos it's a 3D-representation of the character.

 

I have several dolls based on fictional characters, although all my krewe are characters created by me. The closest I have to a doll based on a real person is my Eleventh Doctor, but even that is based on the character, not Matt Smith the actor.

 

I love this idea of creating a doll based on an existing character. Actually, some of my planned dolls are inspired by existing characters. I don't know, I just think it's a lot of fun this way and a challenge for me. I plan to name them after the characters but like only "steal" some of the personal infos and then add some other characteristics of my own. What I want to create, when that time comes, is MY version of "this person" or "this character".. if you know what I mean? So yea.. I like copying real characters but not all the way... and I definitely would never go to the lenght of treating my dolls like the real thing.

 

How do you guys feel about this?
I think it's fine for you are just turning your doll into someone that you like which is quite similar to creating a personality for your doll just that the personality that you are creating is the idol that you love n___n

Do you feel that it's ethical to keep these kind of dolls?
Well, I think it's about the same as keeping the merchandises of the idols so I don't think it's an unethical thing to keep these kind of dolls n__n

Is it ethical to sell these types of dolls?
Well, I think it's quite ethical in a way for like I mentioned, it's similar to selling the idol's merchandises 6__6

Do you feel it's pushing the line of acceptable and creepy?
Nope, I just think that if you like then is there any point that you would feel creepy that your beloved idol is made into a doll?

 

How do you guys feel about this? Do you feel that it's okay to keep these kind of dolls?
If that's what the person wants, let them have it. Who really cares? If someone wants a cosplay doll, that's fine with me. I prefer having my own "characters", for the most part. There is one "character" that is based off someone I knew when I was really little. Childhood admiration of sorts.

Is it alright to sell these dolls; using a celebrity's face, look, and reputation just to earn some quick bucks?
I'm not so okay with that- if that's the sole purpose for creating the doll's identity that way. If it's personal, I'm all for it.

Would you be able to really 'bond' with a doll who isn't your own creation, but an existing person?
If I was the one creating the doll based on the person, one could assume that person was something special to me, and thus, yes, I would.

Do you feel it's pushing the line of acceptable and creepy?
The doll being of an existing person does seem a little creepy- I mean, I thinking of a doll MODELED off someone- not EXACTLY like him- and I feel a little creepy.. ^^;; If it's an anime/manga/book/movie character it's not so creepy to me though.

 

I named a doll (don't own, will get one day) Denver after a boy I met in school. I don't think it's strange to want to preserve the memory of a person. It makes the experience more personal. They're personalities are completely different, though!

It would be a little strange to see a doll modeled after someone else, but I still don't see a reason not to.

 

How do you guys feel about this? Do you feel that it's okay to keep these kind of dolls?
Yes, it's your doll, you bought it, do what you want with it.

Is it alright to sell these dolls; using a celebrity's face, look, and reputation just to earn some quick bucks?
I think so, if you want to sell it and someone wants to buy it..great!

Would you be able to really 'bond' with a doll who isn't your own creation, but an existing person?
I think you can, I have a celebrity doll and I have a lot of fun with him.

Do you feel it's pushing the line of acceptable and creepy?
No, it is really just fan love...unless you do strange things with your doll..lol.

 

Is this really any different then same a 'Sarah Palin Action Figure'. The only difference is that you are doing so without the express consent of the person. I think there is also a line to be drawn between characters (such as Captain Jack Sparrow) and people (Mr. Depp).

For starters, are you infringing on copy-write when you essentially copy a character that someone has created? Should that really be any different then stealing the look of another owners doll?

If you were to copy another doll then there would most likely be major backlash from the owner, if not some serious hurt. If that's not okay then why is copying a film or book character any different. I think it's either okay to copy everything, a complete and free sharing of ideas, or it's okay to copy nothing at all. You can't really have it both ways. personally I don't really care, as long as it's done well. There's nothing worse then seeing a doll and think... 'that's supposed to be Who now?'

As for copying a real person, when a celebrity puts their face out there surely there is an expectation that fans will use your images. People print t-shirts with their celebrity crushes on them so why is a doll anything different. I think as long as it is done with adoration and the desire to share with other fans then it's okay. It's when you deliberately rip off someones reputation purely to make money that the waters become a little murkier.

I personally wouldn't really want a doll that was someone else's character/creation, but then again I'm not about to judge someone who does own or make one. Some of the mini me's and character recreations are really exceptionally high quality, with an extraordinary eye for detail (I am thinking particularly of Mich's Tilda Swinton MNM as the white witch, can be seen here in post #8). They are original works of ark/visions in themselves.

However at no point do I think it's creepy. I mean a dolls a doll. If you start to develope an unnatural 'connection' with a doll then it starts to get a little creepy, but that would be just as creep whether the doll looks like Depp or the vampire creature you dreamt about one night and decided to make a reality.

 

If you make a doll of a celebrity, either natural or from a particular role, that's basically like crafting your own personal action figure. I don't see anything creepy about that. I have made many cloth art dolls of particular characters from film and books, and most people think they are quite impressive. Now, if you make a character doll, and then start following the person around with it, then no...

 

I think its up to the owner whether or not they want to name/ mod their doll after really people