The studly companion to Barbie, Ken, showed up on the scene about 40 years ago. He and Barbie were an item until February of 2004. Standing at 12", the very first Ken doll was available as a blonde, a rare light brunette, and a dark brunette. He came with sandals, a fashion booklet, a towel, and a black wire stand. His career as Barbie's one-and-only had just begun. In an odd move, Mattel made Ken shorter in 1962 (his second year of production). This year, he also featured painted hair rather than flocked and had ungainly loose leg joints and larger kneecaps. This didn't last for long, and corrections were made to him by 1964. Ken was more limber in 1965 with his new bendable legs that kept their shape, but he still retained his good-boy image until 1966, when he was turned into a Beatles-style rocker. Maybe the longevity of Ken's relationship with Barbie was based on the fact that Ken was unable to speak during the first few years. By 1969, he had found his voice with a new "talking" innovation by Mattel. Wanting to keep pace with the times, a Burt Reynolds look-alike was conceived and brought to life in the early 1970s, complete with a stick-on mustache and a beard. It wasn't until 1981 that Mattel introduced an African-American version of Ken. It is a difficult doll to find and a very valuable collector's item. By 1987, the Hispanic Ken was on store shelves. Unfortunately, like most celebrity couples, Barbie and Ken eventually went their separate ways. Although they broke up in February 2004, a Mattel spokesperson states that they remain "close friends."
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