Carter Bryant (born 1969) is an American toy designer, artist, and inventor. He is best known for inventing the Bratz fashion doll[1][2] and his previous work as a Barbie product designer for Mattel.[3]

Early life

Bryant was born in Missouri in 1969. He attended the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, but did not graduate.[3]

Career

In September 1995, Bryant was offered a position as a Barbie product designer for Mattel.[4] He left his position with Mattel in 1998.[5] Bryant later worked as a freelance designer, including doll design work for Ashton-Drake Galleries.[6] During this period, Bryant stated that he found with the initial inspiration for "Bratz" dolls after driving by a high school in Springfield, Missouri in 1998.[7]

In 1999, Bryant went back to work at Mattel where he was the lead designer of a number of collectible Barbies.[8][9][10]

Shortly thereafter, Bryant presented his "Bratz doll" concept art to MGA Entertainment.[11] In 2000, they offered Bryant a consulting agreement and he again resigned from Mattel. In 2001, Bryant's Bratz doll line was released by MGA Entertainment.[2] Bryant was also credited as a character writer on various Bratz projects including Bratz 4 Real, Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion - Diamondz, and Bratz the Video: Starrin' & Stylin'.

In 2013, the Pinkie Cooper "Jet Set Pets" fashion dolls were released by the Bridge Direct, which had been designed and developed by Bryant. The line included aspects of fashion play, travel, and pet collectibles.[12] Bryant based the dolls on his sister's pet Cocker Spaniel of the same name, "Pinkie Cooper."[13]

Controversy

In 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $500 million, alleging that Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed its original idea/concept and thus had violated his exclusivity contract.[14][15] On July 17, 2008, a federal jury ruled that Bryant had created the Bratz concept while he was working for Mattel, despite MGA's claim that Bryant had never been employed by Mattel at the time and Bryant's assertion that he had designed the Bratz concepts between two separate periods of employment at Mattel.[16][5] In 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered MGA and Mattel to resolve their dispute out of court.[17][18]

Bryant's story is featured in an episode of the Netflix documentary series, The Toys That Made Us.[19][20]

As of 2023, a television series titled "You Don't Own Me" is in development by CBS Studios. The series will examine the parallel stories of Barbie inventor Ruth Handler and Bryant.[8][21][22]

References

  1. ↑ "Bratz creator tells of origins". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Talbot, Margaret (December 5, 2006). "Little hotties: Barbie's new rivals". The New Yorker. New America Foundation. Archived from the original on November 30, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  3. 1 2 Lobel, Orly (November 14, 2017). You Don't Own Me: The Landmark Court Battles that Exposed Barbie's Dark Side. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-0-393-25407-5.
  4. ↑ Jennings, Marianne M. (January 1, 2014). Business: Its Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-305-15610-4.
  5. 1 2 Roth, Carol (March 6, 2012). The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business. BenBella Books. ISBN 978-1-936661-86-2.
  6. ↑ Jennings, Marianne (2022). Business Ethics: Case Studies and Selected Readings. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-0-357-71783-7.
  7. ↑ "Bratz doll creator tells of origins at Mattel trial". Reuters. June 14, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Listen Up, Dolls: A Barbie V. Bratz TV Series Is In the Works". E! Online. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ Reder, Margo E. K.; Chang, Kabrina K.; Melvin, Sean P.; Darrow, Jonathan J. (March 26, 2021). Business Law for Entrepreneurs. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78990-255-6.
  10. ↑ Hart, Maria Teresa (November 3, 2022). Doll. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-5013-8087-7.
  11. ↑ "A Brief Cultural History of Bratz". W Magazine. June 1, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ Kavilanz, Parija (February 4, 2013). "After Bratz, will this be the next 'it' doll?". CNN Money. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ Kavilanz, Parija (February 4, 2013). "Bratz inventor unveils new doll Pinkie Cooper". CNNMoney. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  14. ↑ Goddard, Jacqui (December 10, 2006). "Barbie takes on the Bratz for $500m". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  15. ↑ News.com.au (July 27, 2023). "Barbie fans uncover secret reference to rival doll in movie". Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Jury rules for Mattel in Bratz doll case". The New York Times. Reuters. July 18, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Bratz dolls to remain on shelves in Mattel-MGA battle". BBC News. December 10, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Statement by MGA Entertainment: Appellate Court Orders Immediate Stay of Bratz Recall – Bratz Products Will Remain on Store Shelves". MGA Entertainment. Business Wire. December 9, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Netflix Series THE TOYS THAT MADE US to Premiere on December 22nd - Outright Geekery". Outright Geekery. November 21, 2017. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  20. ↑ "A toy story for nerds like us—Netflix's The Toys That Made Us doc drops next week". Ars Technica. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  21. ↑ "A 'Barbie' Vs. 'Bratz' TV Series Is Coming". ELLE. August 31, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  22. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 29, 2023). "Barbie V. Bratz: CBS Studios Acquires 'You Don't Own Me' Book About Dark Side Of Doll Wars For Series Development". Deadline. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
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