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Marianne Clay |
After all the heat and the bug bites we've endured in August, I hope you're
reviving under the crisp snap of September. If I were still a schoolgirl, I'd
be lining up my school supplies with the same tingling sense of adventure as a
mountain climber preparing for the big ascent. Certainly now's the time to
venture from the air conditioning and head out to see the world, beginning
with this issue about unusual people, faraway places, and exotic dolls.
Sylvia Weser, whose Asian boy graces our cover, creates her porcelain
masterpieces from her studio and home in Germany. Philip Heath calls
attention to the plight of the world's "throw-away" children with the dolls he
creates in his studio in Valencia, Spain. Be sure to enter the contest to win
Philip's signed original prototype Perdido, a street boy. (You'll find all
the details on page 45.)
Markus Engel, president of Engel-Puppen, his parents, and his sister
oversee one of the last doll companies to manufacture their wide array of
dolls — the company offers some 600 different ones — entirely in
Germany, with no plans ever to make "German" dolls in Asia. "Doll and toy
manufacturing have a century-old tradition in our area," explains Markus.
"The dolls we manufacture have their roots here, as do our dedicated and
experienced employees, many of whom have been with us for more than 25
years."
Straight from Japan come the wildly popular, wide-eyed SuperDollfies that
are created to be customized. Ann L. Wilhite, whose knowledge about Cabbage
Patch Kids astounds me, recalls the one year when CPKs went off to see the
world.
Then on page 36, join me in celebrating our Riley paper doll design contest
winners: Jennifer Jo. Fay of Vermont in the collector category and 14-year-old
Alyssa Archiletti of Florida in the junior category, plus the two runners-up
in the collector category, Catherine Hanson and Diana Eufrasio. Catherine and
Diana's designs came so close to winning that we included them as well. Their
work and the work of doll artists and manufacturers from all over the globe
remind us that creativity transcends national borders and political division
every time.
Here's to their creativity and the cooler days of September,
Marianne Clay
Editor
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