Oh My Goth!

Spooky toys for teens and tweens

By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 4/1/2007

Fuzzy zombie teddy bears wielding weapons, cuddly-yet-creepy skeletal pets, designer dolls with ghostly faces—toys and collectibles like these that embrace dark themes, solid sellers among adult collectors, are increasingly finding younger fans. And at a time when toy manufacturers fret about age compression, savvy marketers are responding by expanding their selections of edgier fare.

Many 'dark' brands have found a home in recent years first at specialty chains like Hot Topic and Spencer's, who count teens and tweens among their target customers, and then at a widening circle of independent stores. It is these retailers' willingness to focus on the category that has helped fuel its success with young fans, manufacturers say. Companies also credit a range of influences—everything from Tim Burton to rock bands to an influx of anime, manga and horror properties—as well as the growing sophistication of today's kids.

"This trend mirrors a greater cultural shift," says Alison Kenney, COO of Skelanimals licensor Art Impressions, Calabasas, Calif. "We are forever testing the limits and expanding our definition of what's considered normal. Things that would have shocked an older generation barely faze a teenager."

Rob Reger, creator of the Emily the Strange character for Cosmic Debris, Berkeley, Calif., agrees. "I would say that the darker side to lifestyle in general is less of a threat to the 'regulars' out there," he tells Playthings. "Now people at Whole Foods have tattoos, facial piercing and dyed hair." Reger lauds retailers who promote edgier products, as they attract kids committed "to a way of life of being yourself and finding your own path."

"I think the creativity and freedom expressed in Goth fashion and sensibilities attracts a growing audience," adds Marco Pavia, director of marketing for Los Angeles-based TokyoPop, publisher of several dark manga series for kids, including the acclaimed new My Dead Girlfriend.

Steve Varner, creator of the exotic BeGoths line of dolls and figures (distributed by the Torrance, Calif.-based Bleeding Edge), also sees a wider acceptance for darker fare. The initial reaction to the line's debut in 2003 was "fantastic," he says, and spanned all ages and types of people. "Some of [our fans] look like our dolls and figures, but most don't," he says. The BeGoths include 12-inch fashion dolls and 7-inch figures (from the peculiar to the perverse to the downright pretty) as well as unusual plush pets. "We emulate the entire pierced and tattooed culture and that is defiantly [getting] much more mainstream," Varner adds.

According to Matthew Wozniak, director of sales for Underground Toys, U.S. distributors of the ghostly Little Apple Dolls, a solid segment of their fan base is girls. "On our notice boards we have many young teens," he says, adding that "younger girls down to around 10 show a lot of interest also" in the 14-inch collectible dolls, each with a name, back story and a meticulously designed fabric costume, though a not-quite-fully-formed face. "It seems there's interest in both the fashion element of the dolls and the dark fantasy storyline. Perhaps the modern equivalent of the ghost story books my sister grew up adoring."

This willingness for younger fans to embrace these gothic-styled brands coincides with a number of companies' recent successes and product expansions, they say. For example, "We were looking for something with a bit of edge or a fashion sensibility that would appeal to the junior market," Kenney notes of Skelanimals, which were created by Mitchell Bernal in 2004 to comfort his family after they lost a beloved pet.

Traditional toy maker Schleich, Ottawa, is putting its own twist on the trend. Its eight-piece World of Elves line includes four "Dark Elves." The line is a way to keep kids interested in the brand long after they might typically age out of it, says sales and marketing coordinator Katherine Maclean.

"There have been a large number of young teens, girls and boys alike, looking for something new to collect from Schleich that reflects their age category," she tells Playthings. "More tweens seem to be interested, especially in the Dark Elves."

"Young people today are increasingly growing up in a climate of uncertainness and even fear," Kenney says. "The rise of edgy brands, many of which take a humorous approach to dark subjects, reflects not just typical tween/teen rebellion but also a way to make light of their fears and give themselves a sense of security, even as they are testing their limits and trying to find their way in the world."

Want more? Visit www.playthings.com/goth for additional information from our interviews plus new 'dark' products from these and other toy manufacturers.