Troll doll

Troll doll
A "wizard" troll doll, manufactured by Russ Berrie in the 1990s
TypeDoll
Inventor(s)Thomas Dam
CompanyDam family (1959–2013)
DreamWorks Animation (2013–present)
CountryDenmark
Availability1959–present

A troll doll (Danish: Gjøltrold) is a type of plastic doll with furry up-combed hair depicting a troll, also known as a Dam doll after their creator Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam. The inspiration came from trolls in old Scandinavian folklore.[1] The toys are also known as good luck trolls.

The dolls were first created in 1956 or earlier and were larger and made from a softer, more rubbery material than the smaller versions that became popular in 1959[2], before becoming one of the United States' biggest toy fads in the early 1960s. They became briefly popular again during the 1970s through the 1990s and were copied by several manufacturers under different names. During the 1990s, several video games and a video show were created based on troll dolls.

In 2003, the Dam company restored the United States copyrights for the trolls, stopping unlicensed production.

In 2005, the Dam company licensed the brand to DIC Entertainment, who attempted to modernize the brand by creating a cartoon under the name Trollz,[3] but the show only lasted one season.[4] The failed cartoon also led to a lawsuit[5] followed by a counter-claim lawsuit.[6]

In 2013, the brand was bought by DreamWorks Animation,[7] with an animated feature film called Trolls being released in 2016, followed by two sequels released in 2020 and 2023.[8][9]

  1. ^ Jacob Osborn, Peter Richman (5 December 2022). "Top holiday toys from the year you were born". Top holiday toys from the year you were born. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  2. ^ Petersen, J.K. (4 August 2024). "Troll Dolls, reader comment Oral History". Blogger:All About the 1970s. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  3. ^ Sheff, David (4 January 2005). "New Babes in Toyland: Trollz". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  4. ^ Trollz (Animation, Adventure, Comedy), DIC Entertainment, Dam, Mélusine Productions, 3 October 2005, retrieved 26 December 2022
  5. ^ "DIC Entertainment slaps Troll Company with US$20 million lawsuit".
  6. ^ "Lawsuit Charges Fraud In Deals for Iconic Troll Doll; DIC Entertainment Cynically Concealed Financial Woes - 31/10/07 - 305539". elEconomista.es. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference DreamWorks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "DreamWorks Animation to Bring Trolls Out of Hiding". DreamWorks Animation. 23 June 2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  9. ^ Chitwood, Adam (16 May 2013). "DreamWorks Animation Moves B.O.O. Release Up to June 5, 2015 and TROLLS to November 4, 2016; Fox Dates ANUBIS and FERDINAND". Collider.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.