Introducing Nicholai

The doll chosen for this makeunder / makeover / repaint was the Finnick Odair Collector Barbie from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. In the same pack, I also purchased Peta Mellark, but he is thus far un-repainted.

I asked Betty to work off of this composite of Michael C. Hall (Dexter) mixed with Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) and make him look a little older and much, much scruffier.

I don’'t know why I like this look on my male dolls, I just do. One of these days, I’ll have to branch out and get myself a pretty boy. But that day is not today.

Rather than going with another body-builder action figure type, like Cole, with this second male figure, I went ahead and chose a standard body. Variety is, after all, the spice of life - even for dolls.

Now that I’ve had him for a bit, I’m on the fence about my decision. Not because I don’t like the look of him, mind you, but, unlike his overly-muscled friend, it takes a lot more patience to get him standing on his own two feet. He tipped over more than once as I tried to snag these pictures.

That being said, I love his face. The sculpt, and the repaint, are both awesome.

Betty did an amazing job with him, and, after seeing the pictures she sent me as he progressed, I decided to name him Nicholai. While he’s not as puffy-chested as Cole, he still has an athletic, albeit slender, build. I will do a side-by-side comparison to to Cole in an upcoming post.

Nicholai has a good amount of articulation, similar to that of a fashionista barbie. His torso is also one, solid piece, like theirs. I wish his elbows and knees were fully articulated,t he way the made-to-move dolls are, but alas, that’s not the case.

I’m happy to say that, unlike his Superhero-based buddy, his hands are not permanently fists, and, because his body is less bulky, it’s going to be much easier to shop for him without making him look like a beefcake that’s on steroids ;)

Welcome, Nicholai, to my little clan :)