Doll Power: Female Action Figures as Multimedia Tie-Ins

Particularly since the 1970s, action figure tie-ins have served as an integral part of the merchandising strategy for cross-platform multimedia entertainment, including comics, film, television, and gaming. While initially designed for and marketed to children, many figures are now geared just as often to adult collectors.

This exhibit is devoted to female action figures tied to action-centric, fantasy, and superhero narratives. The figures in this exhibit, from the private collection of librarian Diana King, demonstrate a range of marketing and design features.They depict female characters and the female form itself through a variety of cultural and industry lenses. The exhibit also includes a selection of books on media paratexts, tough women in popular culture, and comics history.


Doll Power: Female Action Figures as Multimedia Tie-Ins: UCLA Arts Library, from February 11 to April 14, 2013.