Skipper (Barbie)

''. According to the Random House novels of the 1960s, Skipper is the second child of George and Margaret Roberts of Willows, Wisconsin (their first child being Barbie). In these novels, she attended Baker Elementary, while the Marvel Comics of the early 1990s had her at Central Junior High School. Since Skipper was re-released in 2009, she has had a new personality to match her redesigned appearance. She is described as a technology lover who likes "being a gadget girl and trying out the hottest techie toys." Skipper is shown to be 14 years old in the TV series, Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures. Skipper current design has also been rendered in computer animation for her appearances in the Barbie film series and the television adaptations of the Barbie media franchise including Dreamhouse Adventures, where she and fellow younger sisters were given "a realistic and modern CGI look" that was different from previous entries in the franchise. Physical appearance Since Skipper was introduced, the dimensions of the doll have changed significantly. She was in height (compared to Barbie's ) when she was introduced, and then as newer versions were released, she gradually became taller with a teenage appearance. Usually, Skipper dolls have blue eyes. Skipper currently most often has pale skin and brunette hair with a purple streak. == History ==

Creation Skipper was created, along with Midge, to counteract criticism that claimed Barbie was a sex symbol. Midge's facial appearance was gentler than Barbie's, whereas Skipper was a response to requests for Barbie to have children; however, instead of having a married, pregnant Barbie, which would make her too domestic, Barbie would babysit Skipper. As Barbie's little sister, Skipper was Barbie's first family member sold. Since their introduction in 1964, Skipper dolls have changed drastically. Modern (1975–present) In 1975, Growing Up Skipper was released. The gimmick of the doll, which led to much controversy in the newspapers, was that if Skipper's arm was rotated, the doll would become an inch taller and small breasts would appear on her rubber torso. This concept was later used for Mattel's My Scene brand in 2007 with the "Growing Up Glam" line, which was also controversial. In 1979, Skipper's entire appearance changed. She was advertised as "Super Teen Skipper". She had a new body mold which included small, permanent breasts, and a different head mold that made her look slightly older. In 2007, Mattel released its second vintage 1964 reproduction Skipper doll, this time wearing her "School Days" ensemble and sold in a gift set, along with a reproduction of a vintage swirl ponytail Barbie doll wearing the matching "Knitting Pretty" ensemble. == Friends ==

Skipper's friends at the vintage stage were Skooter (1965), Ricky (1965), Living Fluff (1971), and Pose N' Play Tiff (1972). Skooter and Ricky had their own head molds, and both had freckles. Skooter was available with the same three hair colors as Skipper had, but Ricky was only available with molded red hair, similar to Midge's boyfriend, Allan Sherwood. Fluff and Tiff shared a head mold which many collectors considered adorable, with a contagious smile. Most of Skipper's first friends were never seen after the lines they were produced for, but another Skooter doll, called Fun Time Skooter, was produced for the European market. She had auburn hair, a Twist N' Turn waist, and bendable legs. However, she had the head mold of the oldest version of Skipper, not the older Skooter doll, which many collectors found strange. In the Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Go Team Roberts Netflix series (2018), Skipper is joined by her friends Chantal and Navya, who run a babysitting business with her. Both characters are based on dolls from the Skipper's Babysitters Inc. Barbie line. Chantal and Navya share a love of dancing. In Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Adventure (2023), Skipper was joined by three new friends: Joy, Cheri, and Anna. Joy is an Asian teenager with dark brunette hair featuring blonde streaks, who loves music and dreams of becoming a singer. Cheri is a Black teenager with dark brunette hair and pink streaks, passionate about dogs and aspiring to work with them. Anna is a Latina teenager with black hair and blue streaks, a creative jewelry designer who hopes to sell her pieces professionally. All three have summer jobs at Ocean's Extreme and are featured as dolls in the movie's accompanying doll line. Danielle, Skipper's friend, is a variant with dark skin and curly hair in an Afro-puff. She is featured as a Target exclusive in the Skipper First Jobs line, where she works at a Target cash register. == Notes and references ==