How did Ugly Dolls begin? I encountered them way back in 2003 when I was leafing a copy of Previews magazine. They’re pricey for plush dolls, but I was still drawn to them because of the amusing description of each character and how they look.

My first Ugly Doll was Jeero and eventually they increased in number every time my brother leaves the country. Now, I’m collecting other toys designed by David Horvath and other artist designs that catches my attention.

Here’s how the lovable Ugly Dolls started:

Back in 2001, Sun-Min Kim forever changed the course of history when she sent her then long-distance boyfriend, David Horvath, a hand-sewn plush doll modeled after a little character he frequently doodled into the corners of his correspondence with her. The apron-wearing little fellow was named Wage, and he was the very first Ugly doll. Eventually, Sun-Min would bring to life even more of David’s drawings, and what began as a huggable love-letter of sorts would result in a hugely successful line of plush dolls.

David’s infectious character design has since been translated into several other mediums – from collectible vinyl figures and an upcoming video game release for Sony’s PlayStation 3, to an animated children’s TV program in Japan and an Ugly dolls-themed show currently in production for the US. His insistence upon creative control over these projects has set new standards for creator’s rights, and he has meticulously worked to insure the quality of the products associated with his design. And, as discovered, he’s a hell of a nice guy whose greatest professional joy thus far has been spotting one of his Ugly dolls in the hands of a five-year old girl.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 10:59 am and is filed under uglydolls, sun-min kim, plush dolls, designer toys, david horvath. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.