Doll News, Here We Come! 

I have accepted the job of editing a Gene Marshall (and cohort) newsletter for the Yahoo Group HLAYG Club (go to the site or see my 10/27/09 post below for a spelling out of the acronym) following the shocking news from Mel Odom that he will be terminating the production of these dolls with the models of the current run. There will be a final farewell convention in Philadelphia in June but that will be the end of the line for the famous Gene Marshall, Girl Star, and all the other "people" who have joined her since her introduction.

The two HLAYG group proprietors and many of the most active members as well as a few lurkers have decided to continue the group to support Gene fans (collectors, from those with a few dolls to true fanatics, somewhere in between which I count myself ) and provide a place where we still can trade information, stories, pictures, patterns and so on having to do with all Genes et alia, from her inception in the mid-1990s up to the time in which they will no longer be produced.

The idea of the newsletter appealed to me as a moderate collector but also as a desktop publisher by current (and pre-music) profession.

So now we are deciding exactly what we want the newsletter to contain, having decided it will be produced in pdf and will live on the group's internet presence in the Club's Files Section.

I am collecting ideas, suggestions, offers of contributions of publishable items—articles, how-tos, photos, designs, drawings, patterns, etc.—for the premier issue as well as other issues down the line. We plan to publish the premier issue on January 15 or thereabouts with an online Launch Party! If anyone wants to get in on the fun, just go to the HLAY Club (link above) and apply to join the group!

There will be information about the project (GENE NEWSLETTER INFORMATION) and a questionnaire (GENE NEWLETTER QUESTIONNAIRE) in the file section for any new members—or current members who have misplaced the original e-mails. Deadline for submission of replies to the questionaire is 11/30.

If you miss the deadline, I'll just consider your answers/submissions/etc. for the NEXT issue!