#skooter

Barbie's little sister Skipper first debuted in 1963, but she was not on her own for long. By 1965, the younger teen gang had expanded out to include both Skooter and Ricky.

They weren't in the line for very long, only a couple of years. Possibly because consumers kept thinking, "What kind of a name is Skooter?".

Seriously though: the Cut N Button Costumes Skooter that I used as a reference picture for Skooter is so charming. I love the idea of a doll line that encourages kids to take part in "making" clothes for the dolls without actually having to know how to sew.

In a way, Skooter and Ricky were kind of like Skipper's answer to Barbie's friends Midge and Allan. Note that Ricky was Skipper's "friend" - or according to some of the releases, "Skipper's special friend", or even "Skipper and Skooter's very special friend" - definitely NOT a boyfriend. At the time, Skipper was envisioned as a younger, more innocent character than Barbie so she was definitely too young for a boyfriend.

Something about "Skipper and Skooter's very special friend" feels ominous, though, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Who is Ricky? Why are they talking about him like that?

Note as well that they really wanted to make Skipper and the gang seem squeaky clean - allegedly, Skipper and Midge were both introduced to desexualise the Barbie line. You can see this in full action here as Ricky is described as a "smartly tailored" boy ready for "attending Sunday School".

I redesigned Skooter ^^

Vintage Skipper and Barbie doll ads! Watch my new vid all about vintage Skipper!