Mattel Launches BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Monster High and Polly Pocket Collector Sets
Buffy Summers may not be heading back to television anytime soon, but she’s about to have a pretty great September in the toy aisle.
Mattel is bringing Buffy the Vampire Slayer into two of its biggest collectible brands with a Monster High Skullector Buffy and Angel 2-pack and a Polly Pocket compact packed with tiny versions of Sunnydale’s favorite Scoobies. Both collectibles go on sale September 4 at 9AM PT through the Mattel shop.
The releases give fans two very different takes on the beloved supernatural series, and Mattel clearly had some fun digging into the show’s history for the details.
The big attraction is the Monster High Skullector set, which transforms Buffy and Angel into Monster High dolls dressed in ‘90s-inspired faux-leather outfits. The pair comes packaged together in a collector-friendly window box, along with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Mattel describes the $98 set: "Watch out vampires, demons, and forces of darkness: Monster High is unleashing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2-pack upon the world! These Buffy and Angel dolls are dressed for a 'graveyard shift,' so to speak, in their ‘90s-chic faux-leather outfits.
“His sword necklace and her Slayer handbook purse and boot heels all feature fun nods to the hit series that ran for seven seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rest assured, she also comes with stake and crossbow accessories so she’s ready to slay any vampire that comes her way … maybe even Angel!"
Those little touches should make this one especially appealing to longtime Buffy fans. Angel gets his sword necklace, while Buffy comes prepared with her Slayer handbook purse, stake, and crossbow. Even her boot heels include references to the series.
The response to the reveal has already been huge. Monster High’s official Instagram announcement pulled in more than 123,000 likes within hours, with fans flooding the comments to celebrate the crossover.
One of the most popular reactions pointed out just how fitting the collaboration actually is: "You all have no idea how much Buffy helped Monster High happen! It was such an [inspiration] and, because of its popularity, helped to show that there was a market for a monster doll line!"
The Buffy and Angel figures join Mattel’s Monster High Skullector collection, which has become a home for horror, fantasy, and pop culture characters reimagined through the Monster High aesthetic.
Halloween II villain Michael Myers was the most recent addition, while previous releases have included Gozer from Ghostbusters, Skeletor from Masters of the Universe, and Morticia Addams from Wednesday.
If the Monster High set isn't enough Buffy for your shelf, Mattel also has something smaller and considerably cheaper coming the same day.
The $33 Polly Pocket Buffy the Vampire Slayer Compact shrinks Buffy, Willow, and Xander down into micro figures and gives them a miniature Sunnydale in which to fight the forces of darkness.
The upper portion of the compact recreates locations from Sunnydale High, while the lower section takes the Scoobies into Restfield Cemetery. Mattel even included Buffy's grave in the cemetery scene. Accessories include a tiny stake and Vampyr book, so micro Buffy still has the tools she needs to get the job done.
Mattel's description leans right into the wonderfully ridiculous fun of turning vampire hunting into a Polly Pocket playset:
"Attention all mini monsters and diminutive demons: a tiny but deadly Slayer, chosen by fate, is about to be your demise! Polly Pocket is paying tribute to the most fangtastic trio of the ‘90s and early ‘00s with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer compact, perfect for fans of the cult-classic TV show.
“Place micro figures of the core Scoobies group, Buffy, Willow, and Xander, into eerie scenes from Sunnydale High, as well as Restfield Cemetery, site of many of Buffy’s most epic showdowns. Stake in hand and Vampyr book at the ready, Buffy Summers is ready to seize the moment and start slaying!
The new merchandise arrives after disappointing news for fans hoping to see Sarah Michelle Gellar return as Buffy on television. Earlier this year, Hulu's planned Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival was confirmed to no longer be moving forward.
While that closes the door on that particular return to Sunnydale, Mattel is giving collectors another way to revisit the series.