"GENE 2000" > Page 1, 2, 3
Gene 2000: Limited Editions
Plus Madra Equal Great Collector Excitement!
Part Two: Madra
Lord, Gene's New Rival
One of the main reasons for the great excitement
in the Gene line this year is the introduction of the first new character in the
Gene
collection
since 1995--Madra Lord. The Madra doll (pronounced
Mad as in angry-ra) is a
"rival" of Gene--a movie star a bit older and a bit more tempermental
than Gene who definitely
sees Gene as a younger, upstart rival. The Madra doll will be jointed at
the knees and the elbows (a new feature--no Genes have jointed elbows--yet) and
her own line of clothing. Gene's clothing should fit Madra and vice-versa,
although Madra is a bit taller than Gene. Madra is designed by Mel Odom,
the designer of Gene.
THE STORY OF MADRA
Just as Gene has her own background "story," Madra has a story, too. From the Madra promotional brochure*, here is The Story of Madra:
"Even when she was a kid in Milwaukee during WWI, Mabel Lorkovic knew a thing or three: that she loved the "flickers" and wanted to be a part of them, that she wanted to be famous -- and that she was going to have to work hard to get her heart's desire.
Leaving the west coast of Lake Michigan for the West Coast took a lot of moxie, but Mabel was up to it. And somewhere between the pines of Wisconsin and the palms of California, Madra was born.
The road to stardom was uphill, but Madra was ready for the climb. She knew what she wanted and was going to take it, not holds barred.
She began as an extra in silent films--the "flickers" she had spent hours watching. And with the advent of "talkies" and color, Madra's distinctive husky voice and vivid beauty made her a natural for stardom, revered for her talent--and feared for a temper that made studio heads cringe, gave directors ulcers and provided endless delight to her fans.
For
many years, Madra Lord reigned as a queen of Hollywood. But into every
queen's realm comes a princess; a shining light that can bring out the queen's
jealous nature--so talented newcomers better beware!"
The Madra promotional brochure also showcases lovely line-drawings of the entire debut Madra line (for some of the FIRST photos of protoype Madra dolls on the Internet, don't miss Part III). Madra will be available in October, but you may want to pre-order your Madra dolls and outfits now. Black Widow (shown above) is limited to 2,500 dolls and is sold out at most dealers, and Highland Fling (a very campy Scottish-inspired holiday outfit) is a costume limited to 3,500 pieces, and it is also sold out at most dealers. The rest of the line is not limited, but is expected to be in high demand.
The Madra Line:
Black Widow: Doll, limited to 2,500. $125.00
First Encounter: Doll, not limited. $110.00. Doll dressed in cream-colored gown with luxurious, full-length white faux-fur coat.
Highland Fling: Outfit limited to 3,500.
$59.95. Holiday outfit, Scottish-inspired
Heartless: Outfit, $44.95. Great 40s inspired outfit; don't miss the olives-on-toothpicks for Madra's martinis (two in the box; one extra just in case)
So Evil My Love: Outfit, $49.95. Suit with long skirt and risqué opened faux-fur collared jacket.
Pink With Envy: Outfit, $44.95. Pink suit with big hat, portfolio and purse.
Cat Walk: Outfit, $39.95. My favorite, red-red dress with leopard-prink lined jacket--meow!
Devil May Care: Outfit, $49.95. Madra's sleepwear--very very, red, marabou trimmed nightie with fantastic little red sleep-shade for her eyes!
Dressed To Kill: Outfit, $44.95. Stunning, copper-colored evening dress.
Dogs: Accessory. Price Unknown. Pair of white porcelain Saluki dogs
Other Pages > Gene 2000 Hits The Stores > Page 1, 2, 3
The FAO Gene Event: Madra Prototypes Unveiled! > Page 1, 2, 3
What do you think of the new Madra line? Discuss in the
Gene
Folder in the Dolls Forum!
Back to the Doll Collecting Main Page
*story of Madra and drawings from Madra promotional brochure, courtesy of Ashton Drake
©Denise Van Patten 2000
All Rights Reserved.
