Last time on the Skipper Highlight Reel, we covered Growing Up Skipper and her friend Ginger. This controversial line lead to the sudden disappearance of Skipper for a short period of time. Between 1975 and 1979, most Skipper releases were exclusive to the European market, like Deluxe Quick Curl Skipper and Funtime Skipper. It looks like a Malibu or two was released, but there wasn’t much more than that in the States, according to the internet. (Price guides like the Skipper: Barbie’s Little Sister stop at 1978. I’ve always played with the idea about trying to pitch a book that covers Skipper post 1978. It would be so helpful!)
In 1979, Skipper returned revitalized with a new ‘Super Teen Skipper‘ face mold and more active tagline. Super Teen Skipper was marketed as, “Glamorous one minute, a super sport the next.” Besides the new face, Super Teen Skipper’s body mold was changed from flat chested to having a small bust. To be 100% honest, the Super Teen Skipper is my least favorite of the Skipper’s manufactured. Personally, I find it to be just plain ugly. There’s not one thing that bugs me, it’s pretty much everything about her face that does.
In addition to tweaking Skipper’s sculpt and body, in 1980, she found herself her first ever boyfriend! Scott is an interesting character and definitely reflects the late 70’s/early 80’s! He has a head of curly hair and wears a sporty outfit with a tank top, jacket and pants. To complete the look? Four wheeled roller skates. Just imagine the folks in the skating movies of that time, like Xanadu, and you have Scott.
Interestingly enough, I always assumed that Scott’s body mold, which has one bent arm and one straight, had to do with the ‘active and sporty’ theme that surrounds him and Super Teen Skipper. Apparently, though, his body mold was also used earlier in 1978 for Mattel’s Jimmy Osmond doll. Those dolls were packaged with microphones and had bent arms so kids could pretend Jimmy was performing. So that’s why Scott has a bent arm.
Scott has a unique face mold that I don’t think has been used since this release, which only seems to have been produced for a year before disappearing. The whole Super Teen Skipper theme only lasted a few years (thank goodness) with a new face mold for Skipper being released in 1985 and then again in 1988.
Video review below!
Do you have Scott? What do you think of him? Share your thoughts in the comment area.
AdvertisementsFebruary 23, 2017. Tags: mattel, series, skipper. Introductions & Reviews, Uncategorized.
