Discovery of Super Dollfies
During the summer of 2003 I saw my first Super Dollfie. At the time I had no idea what the strange, haunting dolls were called, and because of the way they were dressed and their coffin-like boxes, I assumed that they were J-Rocker action figures. A few months later I ran across pictures of similar dolls on the internet and I became intrigued as to where they were coming from. I eventually discovered that they were made by a Japanese company called Volks and that they were called Super Dollfies. I was particularly captured by their photogenic nature. All the Super Dollfies I had seen up to that point were female, and although I found them beautiful, I had no desire to own one. It was not until I came across pictures of limited edition Chris on Volks' website that I knew I must own a Super Dollfie of my own. It was also when I discovered how expensive these dolls are, in fact the first time I saw the price I thought it was a misprint! Alas, Chris was a limited doll that was nearly impossible to find at a reasonable price, so I soon abandoned my hopes of ever owning him.
Soon after discovering Chris, I was informed by some very kind members of a Super Dollfie Live Journal community that I could somewhat recreate the look of Chris by purchasing a Full Choice System (FCS) doll with a F-28 head mold. This seemed like the best idea, because not only would I be get the look of Chris, but I would be able to have his face painted any way I pleased, in addition to having the wig and eyes of my choice. However, I had a few quips with Volks' FCS system, mainly the fact that they had improved the body sculpt of their dolls, but had not yet updated their FCS system to include these new bodies or the newly developed resin they call pureskin. Finally, over the summer of 2004, Volks updated their FCS system with the newer, more beautiful bodies and the new pure skin resin; this is what I had been waiting for. The new body has better poseabilty, a nicer knee sculpt, better upper thigh design, and self-locking knees. The new resin being used is said to have a lovely translucent appearance in comparison to the old resin. Along with changing the bodies and the resin, Volks also changed and added new head molds to their selection. The old F-28, which is what I wanted, was changed to F-16. Supposedly there are slightly noticeable differences between these two head molds (the F-16 is smaller in size and has a more rounded noise), but the differences are so minimal that they do not bother me. I had been worried that I would spend a tremendous amount of money on a doll that would be outdated months later, so I held off ordering a FCS until I knew I would be getting exactly what I wanted.
Lawrence's Story & Influence
Lawrence's character is loosely based off of a real historical figure: T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. I have a BA in History and will be returning to university for my M.A. in Social Studies Education, so having a doll of somewhat historical significance is important to me; it is a crossing between two of my interests. T.E. Lawrence has been a hero of mine for many years. I thought it would be interesting to own a doll based loosely on a real, historical figure.
The first incarnation of Lawrence was ordered at the end of November 2004 and he took nearly two months to be completed. I personally picked him up in Japan on his finish date: January 30, 2005 at the Ginza Tenshi no Sumika. I was very lucky to personally retrieve my FCS, as at that time many foreigners were not able to do this.
After owning Lawrence for over three years I decided that it was time for an update. His face-up seemed very dated to me as face up techniques and style have changed drastically over the years. I was also interested in updating his eyes and wig and in the new UV-cut resin that Volks has starting using for their FCS line. I wanted a fresh start, so on April 26, 2008 I placed a Tenshi no Sato FCS order for a new, updated Lawrence.
Lawrence's character had been in my mind for well over a year before I was able to order or receive him. I also spent a good deal of time making him a 1:3 scale Victorian living room. It was so much fun putting it together, kind of like building a model.
And now, if you're extremely bored, please feel free to read the 100 Questions for Doll Owners.
About this Site
Ου φροντις (pronounced "ou phrontis") is a Greek phrase from one of Herdotus' stories, where a young man named Hippocleides loses his chance to marry a girl after getting drunk and standing on his head. This caused his robes to fall down revealing his naked body to all the guests at the party. The girl's father tellls Hippocleides that he has danced away his marriage and the young man replies with "Ου φροντις" or "who cares." T.E. Lawrence liked the phrase so much that he personally carved it on the architrave (area above the door) of his cottage. This phrase is also sometimes translated as "why worry" which seems a fitting name for a web site for a doll based on the personality of T.E. Lawrence.
The Real Lawrence
I am practically a walking T.E.
Lawrence fact file, so it is very hard for me to simplify his life into a bits
of easily digestible information without going overboard. Anyway, here's my
attempt.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 15, 1888 in Tremadoc, Wales, but he would live most of his life in England, mostly Dorset and Oxford. Lawrence lived a precocious youth, going on small adventures and helping the Ashmolean Museum by collecting artifacts dug up from local construction sites. One of his favorite hobbies was making brass rubbings of knights' tombs and he would often scour the countryside on his bike looking for cathedrals and churches. He attended Oxford and worked on archaeological digs in Carchemisch (modern day Turkey) and Egypt.
Lawrence is best known for his involvement in World War I with the Arabs, as he led many guerilla attacks across the desert while fighting against the Turks from 1914-1918. He gained legendary fame as "Lawrence of Arabia" through a slideshow touring the U.S. and Europe which was made to boost morale back home. The trench warfare in France was seen as depressing and horrific, so Lawrence's seemingly heroic endeavors in the deserts of Arabia seemed romantic--a good subject to divert attention from the mounting death tolls. Lowell Thomas' slideshow was hugely popular (it is rumored that the queen attending several screenings) and so Lawrence became a wartime celebrity. After the war Lawrence was very active in representing the Arabs at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, trying to win the Arabs an independent state. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic promises made without Lawrence's knowledge, the land he (and England) initially promised to the Arabs was given to France and England. The guilt he felt for letting down the people he promised freedom to would haunt him for the rest of his life.
As an adult, Lawrence was jaded with the prospects of politics and war. He wanted to disappear from the fame he had garnered as "Lawrence of Arabia" and so he changed his name to John Hume Ross (and later T.E. Shaw) and joined the Royal Air Force as a private. He would spend many years in limbo between the RAF and Royal Tank Corps, while publishing a book about his involvement in Arabia (Seven Pillars of Wisdom) and writing one about his experiences in the RAF (The Mint) which would not be published until after his death. Lawrence was forced to retire in early 1935 and he somewhat reluctantly retreated to his quaint cottage in Dorset, England. He was tired, lonely, and mostly unhappy with his life and his past. On May 19, 1935 Lawrence died from a motorcycle accident.
To me, T.E.
Lawrence was a remarkable human being. He sacrificed so much of himself in order
to assist the Arabs and attempt to win them freedom and a land to call their
own. He endured countless hardships in this pursuit, fighting on the both the
fields of battle and the tables of politics. Despite his somewhat larger than
life accomplishments, the things I admire most about Lawrence were his kindness,
his sense of humor, his quirky and childlike nature. There are so many stories
about his life that are interesting or humorous, and his letters are filled with
the charm which won over friends from RAF privates to Winston Churchill. Lawrence did not allow one thing
to define or confine him: he designed boats for the RAF, wrote, printed, and
bound his own book, carved stone designs, took photographs, biked over 1,500
miles across France, translated works from Greek and French, was an excellent
shot with a pistol, spoke several languages, among many other things. He was a
true Renaissance man, and for his many talents and his endearing flaws as a
human being he will always be an influence and hero in my life.
I have amassed a collection of more than 40 books by and about Lawrence; many of these books have been out of print for over a decade. I have visited Lawrence's gravesite and cottage in Dorset, England, as well as his boyhood home in Oxford, England. During the summer of 2002, I biked alone across France following a portion of the route (from Troyes to Avignon) that Lawrence biked in 1808 at the age of 20. I am a member of the T.E. Lawrence Society in England and I run the T.E. Lawrence community on Live Journal.
If you wish to learn more about T.E. Lawrence, please visit the Lawrence of Arabia Factfile.
Picture of Chris ©Volks