Her almost obscenely large head and vivid eyes may take a little getting used to, but as any Blythe fan will tell you....Once you fall in love with her, you fall hard.

When the Blythe doll was first released in 1972, her sales were so poor that production stopped that same year. The only hints of her existence for the next 28 years were sporadic appearances in doll enthusiast publications and amongst serious collectors.

In 2000, Gina Garan released a book of photography called This Is Blythe, which resulted in a renewed interest in the doll. That interest has snowballed within the past few years and now Blythe has gone from obscurity to an international cult following. Original Blythes fetch for upwards of $2000 and everything from stickers to purses to clothes have been imprinted with her image.

The Magic Pony Gallery, home of the charming Touch My Bunny exhibition last month, will be hosting the Blythe exhibition from April 30th to May 25th. This will be the first Blythe and Gina Garan appearance in this country. The exhibit consists of two parts: Gina Garan's photography and "Behind Blythe" - an exhibit of Blythes and a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process through original illutrations. Blythe dolls and publications will be available for sale at the gallery, too.

I had a chance to attend the opening night when Gina Garan and curator Junko Wong of CWC Japan made personal appearances. Gina was very friendly and even complimented me on my purse! (Perhaps off topic, but that had to be noted!) The gallery was packed and a good number of books and prints were purchased.

Looks like this creepy but cute little girl has found her way into quite a few Torontonian hearts. Unfortunately, she doesn't come cheap. The photos I took of her in all her reincarnations will have to do for now.