Polly Pocket is a toy line of dolls and accessories first founded and designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 and licensed by
Bluebird Toys
Bluebird Toys plc was a British toy company. They are responsible for the Polly Pocket brand, Havok wargame and Disney Tiny Collection. Previous toy lines include Manta Force, Oh Penny, the British version of Oh Jenny from Matchbox Toys, Mig ...
from 1989 until both entities/properties were acquired by
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
in 1998.
History
Polly Pocket was first designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 for his daughter Kate. Using a
makeup powder compact, he fashioned a small house for the tiny doll. Bluebird Toys of
Swindon
Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, licensed the concept and the first Polly Pocket toys appeared in stores in 1989.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
held a distribution arrangement with
Bluebird Toys
Bluebird Toys plc was a British toy company. They are responsible for the Polly Pocket brand, Havok wargame and Disney Tiny Collection. Previous toy lines include Manta Force, Oh Penny, the British version of Oh Jenny from Matchbox Toys, Mig ...
for Polly Pocket items in the early 1990s. In 1998, while production lulled/slowed down, Bluebird Toys endured multiple hostile takeover attempts until
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
finally purchased both the brand and Bluebird Toys later that year. The sets made by Bluebird Toys are now valuable collectables.
The original Polly Pocket toys were plastic cases that opened to form a
dollhouse
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America ...
or other
playset
Playsets, or play sets, are themed collections of similar toys designed to work together to enact some action or event. The most common toy playsets involve plastic figures, accessories, and possibly buildings or scenery, purchased together in a co ...
with Polly Pocket figurines less than an inch tall. The dolls folded in the middle, like the case,
and had circular bases which slotted into holes in the case interior, allowing them to stand securely at particular points in the house. This was particularly useful for moving points in the case. Because the dolls were so small, sometimes they came enclosed in pendants or large rings instead of the more typical playset cases.
In 1998,
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
redesigned Polly Pocket. The new doll was larger, with a more lifelike appearance than the original dolls. She had a straight ponytail, rather than the curly bob hairstyle used previously. The following year,
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
also introduced "Fashion Polly!," which used the same characters from the new Polly Pocket (Polly, Lea, Shani, Lila, etc.), but they came in the form of plastic jointed dolls. They gave a new spin on fashion dolls; instead of traditional cloth clothing, Polly Pockets used unique "Polly Stretch" garments, created by Genie Toys, rubbery plastic clothes that could be put on the dolls and removed. There are also some boy dolls (Rick, Steven, etc.). Like the
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
...
and
Bratz
Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment which debuted in 2001.
The four original 10-inch (25 cm) dolls were released on May 21, 2001 — Yasmin, Cloe, Jade ...
brands, Polly Pocket has also expanded into a media franchise, consisting of
DVD-exclusive animated films, books and a website, with the latter currently a section of/under the larger Mattel website.
In 2002, Mattel stopped producing the smaller Polly Pocket playset range but continued to produce the larger fashion doll.
In 2004, Mattel introduced the Polly Pocket "Quik Clik" line. Instead of having rubbery clothes, the dolls had plastic clothes that would click together by magnets. On November 22, 2006, 4.4 million Polly Pocket playsets were recalled by Mattel after children in the United States swallowed loose magnetic parts. Affected toys had been sold around the world for three years prior. As defined by the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC, CPSC, or commission) is an independent agency of the United States government. The CPSC seeks to promote the safety of consumer products by addressing “unreasonable risks” of inj ...
(CPSC), the use of magnets in children's toys — and particularly the inclusion of two or more magnetic parts in such toys — has resulted in many significant injuries in children, and has been repeatedly flagged as hazardous by the commission, who have sued many companies over such toys and announced many recalls.
Mattel relaunched Polly Pocket in 2010 by making further changes to the dolls, including increasing feet size, head size, and leg size, although the height remains approximately the same. However, fan reactions were mixed. It also introduced the Cutants, which are inanimate–animal hybrids.
In 2012, Polly Pocket toys were discontinued in the U.S. but remained available in Europe and South America. The brand dwindled, eventually only being sold in Brazil. The dolls would continue to be sold exclusively in Brazil until the brand's 2018 reboot.
On February 12, 2018,
Garrett Sander announced on his
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
page that Polly Pocket would be making a comeback. The new toys are miniature dolls in playsets, like the original 1990s Polly Pocket, rather than the larger Fashion Polly. However, they are slightly larger than the original 1990s version. Rather than slotting into holes in the case, the new Polly is made of a flexible plastic that sticks to certain surfaces, but also bends so she can sit in a chair.
In addition to the reboot in 2018, Hot Topic and Unique Vintage clothing brands have created merchandise inspired by the vintage Polly Pocket brand including handbags, makeup and clothing items for adults.
Characters
Below is the list of characters who appeared in the Polly Pocket media franchise:
Current
*Polly Pocket: the title character with light-toned skin, blonde hair, and light blue eyes. She is described as being very confident, cool, friendly, optimistic, adventurous, resourceful, and loyal. She loves having fun, adventures, and, importantly, friends. She has many hobbies, such as skateboarding, water-skiing, snowboarding, shopping, playing music, and singing. Polly has a fun and cool fashion style.
** Voiced by
Tegan Moss
Tegan Moss (born February 7, 1985) is a Canadian actress appearing in film and television. She has been nominated for a Young Artist Award.
Biography
Moss was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has two brothers, Rory Moss, and actor Jes ...
(2004–06), Sue Thorpe (2011–15), and
Emily Tennant
Emily Tennant (born August 9, 1990) is a Canadian actress. She played Ivy Young on the Canadian comedy television series '' Mr. Young''.
Life and career
Tennant was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 2000, she played her first role in the ...
(2018–present)
*Shani Smith: dark-toned skin, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. She is described as being intelligent and creative. Shani is a technical genius who loves taking things apart to see how they work, as well as a proficient inventor. She loves gadgets, such as MP3 players and headphones. Shani has an urban fashion style.
** Voiced by
Chiara Zanni
Chiara Zanni (; born July 19, 1978) is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is known for her roles as Amy Ryan on The N series '' About a Girl'' and Maggie Buckman on the CBC series '' Edgemont''.
She is also known for her voice-work as Hahli i ...
(2004–06),
Erin Fitzgerald
Erin Fitzgerald is a Canadian voice actress who provides voice-overs for a number of cartoons, video games and English language dubs of Japanese anime. In animation, she voices Raven Queen in ''Ever After High'' and C.A. Cupid in both ''Monster ...
(2011–15), and
Kazumi Evans
Kazumi Evans (born September 14, 1989) is a Canadian actress. She began her career as a contestant on the CBC's ''Triple Sensation''. As a voice actress, she has voiced Saffi on '' Bob the Builder'', Madeline on '' The Deep'', and Skipper in the ...
and Cherlandra Estrada (2018–present)
*Lila Draper: pale-toned skin, brown hair, and light purple eyes, and later strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes, then a redhead and green eyes. She is described as being sweet and fashionable. Lila is a fashionista who loves to go shopping for the latest styles, trends, and accessories. She is also best friends with Crissy, as well as a talented dancer. Lila's fashion style is glam. She is of Scottish ancestry.
** Voiced by Brittney Wilson (2004–06),
Kate Higgins
Catherine Davis Higgins is an American voice actress, singer and jazz piano, jazz pianist.
Career Music career
Higgins earned a degree in music from Auburn University in 1991. She is a trained pianist who studied with the jazz artist Bob Richard ...
(2011–15), and
Shannon Chan-Kent
Shannon Chan-Kent (born September 23, 1988) is a Canadian voice and stage actress. She is known for her roles as Silver Spoon and Smolder and the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', Misa Amane in the English ...
(2018–present)
Former
*Lea: tan-toned skin with freckles, orange hair, and light green eyes, and later red hair and blue eyes. She is described as being athletic and giggly. Lea is an athlete who enjoys many sports, like skiing and soccer. She is also an animal lover. Lea's fashion style is girly. She is of Irish ancestry.
** Voiced by
Natalie Walters
Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, ...
(2004–06) and Erin Fitzgerald (2011–15)
*Crissy (originally called Ana): pale-toned skin, black hair, and blue eyes, and later olive-toned skin, black hair with a magenta streak, and brown eyes. She is described as being stylish and outspoken and hates it when her looks are messed up. Crissy is an aspiring fashion designer who is always full of many artistic, fashionable ideas and she'd love to be a rock star. She has many hobbies, such as roller-skating, snowboarding, practicing sports, shopping, singing, and playing music. Crissy has a fun and cool artsy fashion style. She was white, then
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
, then Asian.
** Voiced by
Nicole Bouma
Nicole Bouma (born April 24, 1981) is a Canadian voice actress who works for Ocean Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is best known as the voice of Mint Blancmanche from the ''Galaxy Angel'' series, Blossom from ''Powerpuff Girls ...
(2004–06) and
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress, writer, and director.
Biography
Lee studied dance and theater and later became a full-time dancer in her teens. According to her interview on the ''Magic Knight Rayearth'' DVDs, she started doing voices ...
(2011–15)
*Rick: light-toned skin, blonde hair, and light blue eyes, like Polly, and has a crush on her. He enjoys playing pranks, skateboarding, and likes being his own rock star. Like Crissy, Polly, and Shani, he has his own fashion style.
** Voiced by
Andrew Francis
Andrew Michael Scott Francis is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in many television shows and films including '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' as Shining Armor, '' MegaMan NT Warrior'' as MegaMan.EXE, '' Hero 108'' as Lin Chung, '' L ...
(2004–06) and
Cindy Robinson
Cindy Robinson is an American voice actress who voices in animations and video games. Some of her major roles are Makoto Nanaya and Gii from the ''Blazblue'' series, Betty Boop in commercials, Queen Beryl in ''Sailor Moon'', Chitose Nanbu in '' ...
(2011–15)
*Todd (originally called Steven): light-toned skin, dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He is Rick’s best friend and follower.
** Voiced by
Matt Hill
Matthew Hill (born January 19, 1968) is a Canadian voice actor working for Ocean Productions.
Career
His roles include List of Ed, Edd n Eddy characters#Ed, Ed in ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'', Kevin Keene, Kevin Keene/Captain N in ''Captain N: The Game Ma ...
*Kerstie: light-toned skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. She is described as being humorous and enthusiastic. Kerstie is a talented cook who is proficient and somewhat familiar with old and new recipes. She also likes telling her friends about her adventures.
** Voiced by
Debi Derryberry
Debi Derryberry is an American voice actress who has provided voices for a number of animations and video games.
Biography
Derryberry was born in Indio, California to a family of Hungarian Jewish descent. Her grandparents were Holocaust surviv ...
.
Expansion to Media Franchising
Films
* ''
Polly Pocket: Lunar Eclipse'' (2004)
* ''
Polly Pocket 2: Cool at the Pocket Plaza'' (2005)
* ''
PollyWorld
''PollyWorld'' is a 2006 animated comedy film from Universal Studios, based on the Polly Pocket toy franchise. It is the third Polly Pocket movie. It is preceded by ''Lunar Eclipse'' and '' 2 Cool at the Pocket Plaza''. This is the only feature- ...
'' (2006)
* Untitled Polly Pocket film (TBA)
Web series
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
rebooted Polly Pocket in 2010 with two-season web serial programming, which is currently only available on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. The first season of the first web series was made using
flash animation
Adobe Flash animation or Adobe Flash cartoon (formerly Macromedia Flash animation, Macromedia Flash cartoon, FutureSplash animation, and FutureSplash cartoon) is an animation that is created with the Adobe Animate (formerly Flash Professional) p ...
technology with the second using
CGI. The CGI technology would be revisited in the second web series 2013 with the same voice cast as the first.
TV Series
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
relaunched the brand for a second time in 2018 by collaborating with DHX Media (now ''
WildBrain
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children' ...
'') on ''
a new animated TV series'' which initially aired on Canadian television on
Family Channel on July 8, 2018. The series featured a young girl named Polly who has a magical locket that allows her and her friends to shrink down to a tiny size. The series is currently available for
streaming
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...
on YouTube,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
,
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
and
Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...
.
Play set Characters
Below is the list of recurring characters who appeared multiple early Polly Pocket play sets This list does not include characters who only appear in one or two playsets.
*Polly Pocket: Originally with blond curly blonde/yellow hair and a hairband in various colors that usually matched her outfit, Polly Pocket was the mayor of Pollyville. Later her designed changed to feature a ponytail instead of the curly hair.
* Tiny Tina: a doll with blonde pigtails
*Wee Willie: a boy doll with a blonde bowl cut
*Midge: A strawberry blonde doll with a "Dutch boy" straight hair with bangs usually wearing overalls
*Little Lulu: Straight brown hair parted in the middle, usually wearing a playsuit or swimsuit
*Pixie: brown hair parted in the middle in flip style, usually wearing a long sleeve top with a scoop neckline in various colors
*Titch: A boy doll with brown hair bowl cut, sometimes wears a hat
Other Toylines
Some similar toylines to Pollypocket include Might Max by BlueBird as linked below. But a few other small scale sets that came out around the time of the original BlueBird compact Polly Pocket sets include Starcastle Kingdom by Treadmasters in 1995 and Fairy Winkles were produced by Kenner in 1993-95. Small compact toys featuring Pokémon characters were created by Tomy Nitendo in 1997 called Pokémon mate which were a similar scale and style to the Polly Pocket toys.
[https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_mate] and lastly Bluebird Toys produced miniature Disney sets from 1997 to 1999.
See also
*
Mighty Max
References
External links
* (under ''Mattel Play'')
{{Mattel
Doll brands
Transforming toys
1990s toys
Mattel franchises
Fashion dolls
American animated web series
Products introduced in 1989