Midge is a character that was introduced in 1963 as Barbie Roberts' friend.
History[]
In 1963, Mattel introduced Midge onto the market, who had less makeup and a more friendly look than Barbie after Barbie was 'sexually intimating' looking more like an adult woman like Bild Lilli was, and Midge won the hearts of little girls everywhere, just like Barbie. Midge started dating Allan in 1964 when he was introduced as Ken's best friend. Midge, Barbie, Allan, and Ken would double-date.
Midge was discontinued in 1967 and was replaced by PJ, who used the same Midge face mold. PJ was freckle-less, very pale, and wore heavy makeup that accentuated her rooted eyelashes in the Mod era.
Midge came back in the late '80s, first being California Dream Midge, but her appearances continued to be spotty, next to being seen marrying Alan in the 1991 Wedding Day set, only to disappear again (aside from 35th anniversary Midge from 1997) until the Happy Family series, which was quick to retire after absurd accusations of it promoting teen pregnancy. Midge finally came back in 2013, though no longer married with children, as they and Alan no longer exist.
In the early years, Midge was a teenager, the same age as Barbie, but during her multiple comebacks, it was led to believe that she was more of a young adult, around twenty-five years old, when marrying Alan, then having children. The first was Ryan, who came as a small child in the Happy Family series. Later, she had a little girl, Nikki, named after her best friend.
Later, around Nikki's first birthday, Midge was "pregnant" again with another child. The baby had no name. It was a surprise whether the baby was a girl or a boy when the owner opened the doll's box. Midge has two known parents who are simply called "Robert" and "Ethel". At first, the grandparent dolls were sold together as part of a big set consisting of the dolls and a kitchen playset, but they were sold separately for Nikki's first birthday. They came in both Caucasian and African American versions. They use different body molds to reflect their age.
In 2023, a Midge doll was created for the National Barbie Doll Collector's Convention - the Modern & Marvelous Midge Barbie Doll. This doll is a one of a kind (OOAK) doll designed by Mattel designer Bill Greening. The doll was made to be auctioned off at the Mattel silent auction.
Also in 2023, Midge was featured is pregnant in Barbie: The Movie, portrayed by Emerald Fennell.
Dolls[]
- 1963 - Midge - #860 (straight leg). Variations: blonde, brunette, no freckles, titian, with teeth
- 1965 - Wig Wardrobe Molded #1009 (head only)
- 1965 - Midge #1080 (bendable leg). Variations: blonde, brownette
- ©1988 - Cool Times Midge Doll #3216
- 1990 - The Beat Midge #2752 (Barbie & the Beat)
- 1994- Hot Skatin' Midge
Appearance[]
Midge has red hair, blue eyes and freckles.
Gallery[]
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