Living Dead Dolls are a line of 10” horror-themed dolls that launched initially as a custom handmade item in 1998.
Creators Ed Long and Damien Glonek sold these one-of-a-kind dolls at conventions until one day, the founder of Mezco saw them and offered to partner and mass-manufacture.
In 2000, 40,000 units were produced as the first wave. While the dolls have a popular “cult-following”, they actually stirred up quite a bit of controversy with the general public, who deemed them as unfit for children and a threat to their mental development.
The dolls were banned in Greece, with Ireland and Singapore nearly doing the same thing. While the dolls didn’t blow up like Monster High, they’re still revered by horror fans and doll collectors alike.