After months of searching, I finally found the elusive Slow Mo at Walmart this past weekend. Slow Mo debuted at last year’s San Diego Comic Con as part of the Ghoul Spirit budget line. While the other three Ghoul Spirit dolls – Frankie, Spectra, and Venus – have been available since late last year, Slow Mo had been pretty scarce. Rumor had it that the first dolls produced were recalled due to a production error: he had claws, like Clawd Wolf, instead of hands. I thought this might be a rumor circulating around the Internet until Lark from It’s Toy Time reviewed her Slow Mo doll, which she bought from Amazon during the very brief time that he was available during his initial release late last year. As you will see from her pictures, her Slow Mo has claws instead of hands. But this problem has since been corrected, and the new, improved Slow Mo has been slowly making his way to large retailers such as Target and Walmart.
Slowman “Slow Mo” Mortavitch is the son of Zombies. In the Monster High movies and webisodes, he is portrayed as Ghoulia’s love interest. But he has to compete for Ghoulia’s affections with another zombie boy, Don of the Dead. The Slow Mo doll looks different from the cartoon version of Slow Mo. For starters, the doll’s hair stands straight up, whereas in the cartoon it’s more of a shaggy flat top. Dolly Slow Mo has rooted hair that is gelled to stay upright, with the rest of his scalp is flocked to simulate a buzzcut. Also in the cartoon version, one of Slow Mo’s eyes is bigger than the other, and his pupils glance in opposite directions, conveying the poor kid’s less-than-stellar intellect. I’m sure it’s easier for Mattel to manufacture a more uniform-looking doll, but I’ve seen a Slow Mo custom doll that looks more like the cartoon version of Slow Mo than Mattel’s doll, so it can be done. Even Slow Mo’s skullette logo has the disproportionate eyes and the flat, shaggy hair of the cartoon version of Slow Mo.
Slow Mo wears an expression that’s perhaps slightly vacant but sweet. Being a zombie, he moans but he doesn’t talk. And Ghoulia likes the strong, silent type.
Slow Mo wears a purple t-shirt with a dripping Monster High shield design, blue knee-length shorts, and black high tops. I would have liked to see Slow Mo in the clothes he wears in the cartoons and movies – long pants and his varsity jacket. I don’t know why Slow Mo is part of the Ghoul Spirit team (which, let’s face it, is one step below the Fearleading Squad). He is, after all, on the Casketball team. I’m not sure how that works since he’s a slow-moving zombie, but it’s his favorite sport.
The only Monster High boy to come in a varsity jacket is Heath, even though Gil and Clawd, in addition to Slow Mo, wear them too. Maybe someday Mattel will release a varsity fashion pack for the boys, so they can all wear their varsity jackets. Heck, the boy dolls need more fashion packs, period. But rather than make Slow Mo an athlete, the Slow Mo doll is relegated to being on the Ghoul Spirit team. He comes with a school pennant to wave at the Pep Rally. Poor ghoul. Slow Mo deserves better.
Being a budget-line doll, Slow Mo doesn’t come with a stand. However, he stands very well on his own in his cool monster high-tops. The tread on the bottom of his high-tops are cleverly designed in a brain pattern, you know, ‘cuz he’s a zombie.
Now that Ghoulia has been reunited with Slow Mo, they can do all sorts of things together. Ghoulia can give Slow Mo a ride to school on her moped.
Queasy Rider
She can cheer for him when he’s playing Casketball.
We’re nuuuuuuuhhhhhhhmber ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhnnn.
They can talk about their favorite comic book character, Deadfast.
Ghoulia can’t believe Slow Mo got the rare Deadfast action figure
They can be lab partners in Mad Science class.
Slow Mo makes a better lab partner than Cleo. All Cleo does is talk about herself.
Ghoulia does have to help Slow Mo with math, however.
(Don’t worry Slow Mo, I don’t understand what’s on the blackboard either.)
Ghoulia and Slow Mo have so much in common that it’s easy to see why they fall for each other.
I’m very happy to have Slow Mo. Although I’d prefer he look more like the cartoon version, I think he’s sweet, and I’m glad my Ghoulia can finally be reunited with her boyfriend. I’d been checking my local stores on a regular basis for Slow Mo because I refuse to pay more than retail for him on Amazon or eBay from sellers who claim they will get him in stock within 30 days. These sellers have been selling “pre-orders” of Slow Mo since the doll was first debuted at Comic Con – for over-inflated prices. This is a pet peeve of mine (*stepping on soapbox*). If a doll is a pre-order, then it hasn’t been released yet. These sellers call the doll “hard to find,” but it’s hard to find because it hasn’t been released yet! And it’s not just sellers on Amazon or eBay. Some established online doll dealer websites have been pricing the pre-orders at two or three times the retail price. I could understand dolls commanding inflated prices on the secondary market, when they’re no longer in production, but when dealers who are allowed to buy wholesale from Mattel sell new dolls at over-inflated prices, it’s nothing less than scalping. And in my experience, most of the dolls that create a frenzy when news of its release is first announced eventually make it to the stores, even if it takes several months. The only doll I pre-ordered, at $25 more than retail, was the I Love Fashion Scarah Screams, a Toys R Us exclusive. I really wanted it, and I thought I might never see it in stores. This was in October. But by December, just in time for Christmas, the shelves of TRU were overflowing with Scarahs, and I still see her in abundance when I go to my local TRU. So I’ve learned my lesson regarding pre-orders. Since then I’ve found other “hard-to-find” dolls, including Scaris Deuce, Power Ghouls Cat-Atrophe, and the Heath and Abbey Home Ick two-pack in stores, at retail price. If you want to get your hands on Slow Mo, don’t pay scalpers’ prices. It looks like Slow Mo is now becoming more available at brick-and-mortar retailers – which means the inflated prices on Amazon and eBay will go down too. (*stepping off soapbox*).
All this fuss over me?
Have you found Slow Mo? Have you ever paid scalper prices for a doll you really wanted?
Dollsville, USA 