ToyVey!

Jem and the Holograms – Ingrid “Minx” Kruger
Manufacturer: Integrity Toys
MSRP: $119.00 from official Integrity Dealers
Availability: September 2013
Website: Integrity Toys: Jem and the Holograms

Minx was the sexually liberated keyboardist of the Stingers. She wasn’t remotely shy about using her feminine charms or pursuing Jerrica Benton’s boyfriend Rio… and in the episode “Change of Heart”, she showed her technical proficiency and potential for good.

Although the Stingers are technically a German band, Minx is the only member who has an accent. Riot is the son of a military man stationed in Germany, and Rapture is…

I have no idea what Rapture’s story is, even after seeing “Riot’s Hope”, the episode that reveals the Stingers’ past and Riot’s family drama.

Integrity’s Minx has a sultry side-glancing expression that perfectly captures the original character’s sensuality. Although she comes packaged in bare feet (showing off her lovely pedicure), she does come with footwear.

The Stingers wore essentially matching costumes in the cartoon, but Integrity Toys has opted to go with complementary-but-not-identical outfits. Minx wears a black “leather” top printed with gold stars, and black “snake skin” pants.

Her accessories include her signature giant black brimmed hat (flocked, in this case), two dangly earrings, two metal bangle-style bracelets (black and gold), a black ring, three pieces of sheet music, an elaborate electronic keyboard and stand, an extra pair of hands, a doll stand, and her lace-up boots.

This is one case where Integrity Toys’ dedication to realistic details caused me some problems. First of all, the bracelets are actual metal rather than vac-metallized plastic. This makes them just heavy enough that they tend to rotate on the doll’s wrist, so that the thickest part ends up on the bottom and the open section ends up at the top. I tried using double-sided tape to stick them in place, but it just wasn’t working.

The dangling earrings are made up of a post, a small ring, and a bigger ring. In my case, the thin metal ring connecting the earring post to the larger dangling ring was broken, which is why my Minx is displayed without her earrings.

It’s a little disappointing, because other than the fragile earrings (and the tiny black ring, which slipped off of Minx’s hand and necessitated a desperate late-night search), Minx is a wonderful, near-perfect doll.

Integrity Toys helpfully includes two discreet hat pins to keep Minx’s hat on her head. I opted not to use them, as I didn’t want pinholes in her hat.