If you've played BioShock and/or BioShock 2, then you know Little Sisters are anything but cuddly. They're these ghoulish children wandering around with stabby gun-pacifier things, their eyes glow, and they like to cheer on whichever Big Daddy is currently pummeling you into the ground.
But at the same time, they retain a sense of innocence, and - mild spoiler? - are really just victims themselves, waiting to be rescued and turned back into sweet little kids again.
Literally the least creepy screen-grab I could find. I've played both games multiple times, but I'm telling you, some of Google's pics and gifs are friggin' terrifying. Ha!
Which is why Kari Parham's custom Little Sister doll is both brilliant and gives me all the grabby hands:
WANT.
Granted, my tolerance for creepy dolls is pretty high, but c'mon: this is adorable, right? Don't you just want to squeeze her? And then wake your husband up with her sweet little face RIGHT NEXT TO HIS?
:D
PLUS, Kari made this incredible display for her!
So perfect it looks photoshopped - but it's not! Kari just set her handmade display (the floor and cage-like walls) in front of the TV to give it that awesome window-to-Rapture background.
And what's the display made of?
Foam, paper, and paint??
My mind, it is boggling.
The world's most perfect night light.
Just imagine the comforting glow of her eyes and blood syringe, lulling you to sleep each night.
(Eh, John?)
And look, accessories!
I first thought the Big Daddy doll was the ThinkGeek exclusive from years ago (I
have one, and it is a prized possession), but no, Kari made that all from scratch! (Wha whaaaa?) She also made the ADAM syringe - aka the stabby blood
gun thing - which lights up. Both in a suitcase just like
ones seen in the game.
And can we pause to appreciate the paint work and aging on that floor and trim? Because HNNNNNG SO GOOD.
If the doll seems familiar, it's because Kari modified an old My Child doll from the 80s - remember these?
I asked Kari for the scoop on the glowing eyes, and she told me she sculpted them from translucent clay, then lit them from behind with LEDs. There's a push button in the hair bow to turn the eyes on and off, and the batteries are accessible through the top of the head, which opens up.
If all that sounds complicated, it's because it was. Kari said it took her over a year of trial-and-error - and more than one ruined doll! - to get it right.
But wow, did she.
I can't get over that perfect eye glow. Translucent clay - who knew? Plus, serious skills on that dress!
Sadly Kari doesn't have a website or page we can follow, but she's working on putting together a Youtube video showing the whole build process, so I'll link that here when she's done. She actually shared all these photos through the BioShock Facebook page, so you can check out her original post here to ask her a question or to give her a virtual high five. (Plus it's a great page to follow anyway, if you're BioShock fan.)
In the mean time, anyone else eyeing old dolls they can retrofit with glowing eyes? Or is that just me?
Jen,
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the doll you showed. What was it?
Maureen
P.S. It was great to see you in Pittsburgh!
Not sure what you mean, Maureen - did I reference another doll? Help!
DeleteSorry, Jen. I missed you writing about your My Child doll. I don't remember these dolls at all. Are they hard to get, do you know? I know nothing about BioShock. Never played it; never seen it. My video games are original Zelda and Pokémon.
DeleteMaureen
P.S. It was great to see you in Pittsburgh!
Oof! Last I heard, My Child dolls were really expensive - like $100 or so? I'm not a My Child collector, but I'm curious about their take on this! Obviously it's a lovely custom (and I love Bioshock, so I love her all the more!), but I can't help but wonder if a slightly-less-rare base would have been a better idea, from a purely collector side of things! From a customizer side of things, wow!! Incredible workmanship!!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I looked them up they ranged from 25 to 100 ish on ebay depending on condition. My sister and I both had one and loved them and dragging them out of my parents attic made me curious! :)
DeleteWow! This doll is amazing! And the display too! Before I scrolled down, I stared at the display for a really long time, trying to figure it out. I didn't notice that it was a tv behind it! Sooo good!! :D
ReplyDeleteI used to have a My Child doll when I was a little girl! I remember she had green eyes, just like the one in the "before" picture. I think her hair was auburn. That's an incredible build by Kari, and putting the backdrop in front of the TV set was a really clever idea.
ReplyDeleteSo, not to denigrate the amazing art and effort -- I'm truly impressed -- but ANY dolls creep me out so it's a hard "no" on this project for me. Like @June Marie, I was impressed with the display too and didn't realize that was a t.v. behind it. Wowzers!
ReplyDeleteIf someone ever wants to creep out an entire con, they could dress up their child as the character in that screenshot, with yellow-painted eyelids. Then have the girl look up at people and slowly close her eyes...
ReplyDeleteI'd be out of that con SOOOOO fast! :)
The doll, though, is adorable, and incredible, and awesome. And I'm not even a fan of dolls.
I /knew/ that was a My Child doll. I had one as a kid and their face is so recognizable. Sorta makes me wanna dig mine out if I still have it.
ReplyDelete