Sinister Cuties

Every now and again I come across something that is creepy as hell and too damn cute at the same time. No, I am not talking about a baby snake, but I am talking about something babies. Zombie babies! Horror movie inspired babies! Sinister babies!!!! and they are cute as hell! Maryann is the mastermind behind Sinister Cuties! Her shop specializes in taking old, worn dolls and transforming them into creepy little lovelies. With her own imagination and some help from her daughter, she creates something new with these worn and distressed dolls. Maryann was kind enough to chat with me about her work and now I am going to let you get to know a little about Maryann and her Sinister Cuties.

My name is Maryann, 38 years old. I live in Bad Axe Michigan with my 17 year old daughter Jorge and dog Cooper. My daughter is my biggest helper, critic and fan. She has just made her first doll to sell in my etsy shop, a dead Geisha girl. Mommy is very proud!

1. What kind of items do you sell in your shop?

Dolls: zombie babies, little ghost babies, mummies, and horror movie tribute dolls. Each one is special and unique. I scour the local thrift stores and garage sales, find the ones no one wants and take them home to turn into my own sinister creations... covered with marker...missing a few fingers...those are the ones I like the best.

2. How long have you been creating these killer dolls and how did you get started?

I have been creating the dolls for a couple years now. I was all set to buy a zombie baby from Spirit Halloween until I seen them in person. They looked great but I wanted something that I could dress in different clothes and pose with other dolls.So I made my own. I decorated my front porch as a zombie baby daycare for Halloween and people started to ask where they could buy the dolls.

3. I love that you have several dolls that are inspired by horror films. What was the first doll you made that was representative of a specific horror movie character and why did you pick this person?

Thank you. That would be Abby. I was in an antique shop and there was this fancy glass bowl filled with these tiny hatchets. The first thing that came to my mind was the way Marcie was killed in Friday the 13th part 1. I knew I had to make a doll to pay tribute to the movie. It's one of my favorites.

4. How do most of your ideas come to you? How would you describe your process from the moment you have an idea to the end result?

I usually find either a prop that I want to use like the tiny hatchet or when I find just the right doll, I just look at it and the ideas start running through my mind. I lose myself in the creativity process, it is a wonderful outlet.

5. Do you have a favorite doll that you have created? Which one and why?

It is really hard to pick a favorite. If I had to choose it would probably be Miss Evangeline. My daughter was a big help in creating her, from the paint to her clothes, to the background story on how she died, swallowed a diamond. She turned out very scary. 

 
6. Are you working on any new ideas that you would like to share with my readers?

I just finished 3 zombie babies, Cora Blue, Brody Grey and Winston. Just posted to my etsy shop this morning. I'm also working on a little werewolf boy. Still need to bloody him up a bit though. I would love to get some ideas from your readers, if there is something they would like to see I would welcome the inspiration!

7. I remember being obsessed with Living Dead Dolls when I was 14 years old. These dolls have no doubt paved the way for creepy horror inspired dolls to have a place in goth and punk culture. Why do you think people like these strange and unusual dolls? Do you think their popularity will continue to grow?

I love the Living Dead Dolls! My daughter has quite the collection. As long as people continue to watch horror movies and take in the darker side of life, these dolls will 'live' and prosper. It seem there has been a bit of a resurgence lately with television shows like The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. I think it's fantastic!

8. I would be lying if I said I wasn't in love with your Trick 'r Treat Sam doll. Why did you pick this character to become one of your amazing dolls?

Thank you so much. Oh Sammy...it was hard to let him go. Trick 'r Treat is one of my favorite movies, not just for Halloween, all the time. I love everything about it, especially Sam. He's like a sour patch kid, sour but sweet. As soon as I found the doll I knew it was going to be my Sam. I'm very proud of how he turned out.

9. Since horror has changed over the past few decades I am going to ask what is your most favorite classic horror film and what is your favorite horror film to come out in more recent times and why?


That's an easy one: Halloween, the John Carpenter classic. Love that movie. I own them all and watch them on a regular basis but of course I love the first one the most. I have a tattoo on my foot that took 4 hours and the whole time I just kept watching the movie in my head, it got me through it. For a more recent one I would go with the Rob Zombie version. It was great to see the origin of Micheal and as a director he gets some of the most real performances out of his actors, it's truly amazing. Oh, and Danielle Harris as Annie, perfection.

10. Since you are a member of the Etsy Massacre Team as well as the Horror Couture Team, what is it about these teams that you enjoy the most?

They are both great teams. I love to check out the items in the other seller's shops. They have great creepy stuff. It's like I found a home! There are other people out there just as freaky as me. It's awesome.

Alright guys, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as we did! And you heard Maryann, what would you like to see in doll form? A character from a certain movie? An idea with a crazy back story? Let us know! Leave a comment!

Make sure you check out Sinister Cuties on Etsy and on Facebook!