The Cuddly, The Soft and the Ugly

By Toronto4Kids

They're cuddly, very soft … and well… they're ugly - but in a cute kind of way! Uglydolls is a phenomenon that has completely swept the U.S. and they are now making their way over to Canada.

Quirky and colourful, Uglydolls are unique limited edition creatures that have created a frenzy of excitement. Fluffy and huggable, Uglydolls make great naptime companions for wee ones and curious conversation pieces for grown-ups.

Some call it a toy, others call it a designer art collectible. These peculiar dolls are the new best buddies of many celebrities and fashionistas across the States. Upscale stores such as Barney's of New York can't get enough of them. And ugly or not, they've been featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and were accepted as part of the French State Toy Collection at the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

The first Uglydoll was conceived in 2002 by the creative minds of two sweethearts - artists David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim. When David's fiancée Sun-Min returned to Korea, he sent her frequent "I miss you" letters with an amusing little orange character now known as Wage, drawn at the bottom of his letters. As a surprise to David, Sun-Min sewed Wage into a plush doll and sent it him. David asked Sun-Min to sew a few more for Giant Robot (an Asian Culture Boutique) in Los Angeles and they sold out in one day! Ecstatic, Sun-Min sewed many more and they sold just as quickly! Sun-Min and David then began to design more characters and Wage was soon joined by an ever-increasing troop of equally cuddly & ugly friends - all of whom have become part of the Uglydoll family. They all live in Uglyverse, a universe where UGLY means "unique and special". David and Sun-Min would go on to win the 2006 Toy of the Year Award 4 years later and have since been honoured by Parent's Choice, Creative Child Magazine, Oppenheim Best Toy, Action Figure Times, iparenting media and TD Monthly Awards.

Uglydoll characters are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles of plush at specialty retailers worldwide. Each pillowy creature is carefully handmade by skilled Chinese artisans. There are now 24 endearing characters: Abima, Babo, Babo's Bird, Big Toe, Bop N' Beep, Chuckanucka, Cinko, Deer Ugly, Gato, Ice-Bat, Jeero, Moxy, OX, Peaco, Plunko, Poe, Puglee, Suntan Target, Tray, Ugly Ghost, Uglydog, Uglyworm, Wage and Wedgehead.

What's amusing is that you can choose an Uglydoll to suit your own personality - each comes with its own traits and oddities. Some have good habits… some bad. Some have fave foods. For example, Chuckanucka worries about pretty much everything under the sun: what if the phone rings when he is out and what if the mail man tries to deliver his Deluxe Ugly Earmuffs when he's in the bathroom? Moxy's the go-getter of the Uglies. She bounces off the walls and jumps in and out of mischief. If your room is really messy, Moxy's on your side! And Babo? He's everyone's best friend and will protect you if you're having a bad day or if someone is giving you a hard time. He'll send you a nice greeting card from wherever it is he runs away to! Each character is undeniably one of its kind and totally loveable!

The Uglydoll craze is perpetually increasing their product line, which now includes journals, "How to Draw Uglydoll" drawing kits, keychains, t-shirts, books, card games, stationary and more! And coming soon is a new line of Uglydolls Action Figures. Dolls are also available in various sizes, from the miniature… to a 2' doll! In April 2008, Random House launched a publishing program with "Guides to the Uglyverse" followed by pop-ups and storybooks. As you can tell, there is plenty of Uglydoll gear for fans and collectors of all ages to enjoy!

Uglydolls … so unsightly, they're adorable! You will want to collect the entire crew!

For more information:
www.uglydolls.com

To Purchase:

In Ontario, Uglydolls are available at:
Silver Snail, Magic Pony, Oink Oink, Animal World, Pinochio Pick of the Crop, Treasure Island Toys and every Chapters/Indigo location across Canada.

Ontario Online Retailer:
My Aunt Elephant - inspirational store for babies and tots