The next big thing for the vampire subculture may have nothing to do with HBO, Stephenie Meyer or Robert Pattinson. This time around, it’s six plush dolls that will delight bloodsucker devotees.

The new toy line, called Vamplets, offers a fresh take on the rekindled obsession with creatures of the night, and consists of six limited-edition plush toys not for the faint of heart. Artist G-Ra, inspired by the works of Edward Gorey, spent a few years coming up with the concept of the lovable yet bloodthirsty tots.

“I was playing around with concept ideas when I suddenly changed direction, drew this baby drinking a bottle of blood with a ball and chain attached to his ankle, and wearing a black diaper with a big red ‘x’ on it,” he tells Fango. “I could not stop laughing. This little baby vampire became the prototype for the Vamplets. I kept drawing these babies that were nasty but totally cute doing creepy things, and being completely at home with very dangerous devices. I felt I had hit upon the perfect concept: ‘Baby vampires! Weirdly cute but cuddly!’ ”

The Vamplets bear distinctive names, personalities and looks, are made out of fleece-like material and stand 8 to 10 inches tall. Each comes with a tag shaped like a bottle of blood that includes the character’s name, an “Official Certificate of Possession of a Baby Vampyre” and instructions on how to get more items for your Vamplet. Disappearing Bottles of Blood filled with red “fluid” and capped with a black nipple are available to satisfy a Vamplet’s insatiable thirst. G-Ra has also created other accessories, and has a line of Undead Pets set to come out later this year.

But one of the best features of the Vamplets goes beyond the physical products. By visiting the line’s official website, owners of these night prowlers can print out Undead Certificates, create tombstones and visit a nursery, where they can watch a sweet yet disturbing animation for each Vamplet.

These tiny ghouls will be become available for the warm- and cold-hearted alike starting May 25 for $15.95 each. Now without further ado, meet the Vamplets:

Cadaverson Nightshade: Inventor, dreamer, dark tiny schemer. Building all night to create a big fright! This little guy never utters a sound because he’s so busy inventing and thinking. He builds creepy creations by taking things apart. He has even trained his pet spider to weave fantastical web structures.

Lilyrose Shadowlyn: Black tiny roses and bats with pink noses. Sweet as a thorn the day she was “unborn.” The most normal of the Vamplets, she is pleasingly well-behaved, shares and plays nicely with others! But being a vampyre, Lily has a dark side—a fierce temper that flares when she’s pushed too far.

Count Vlad Von Gloom: So cute but so cruel, descended from Drac. Blood is always his favorite snack! Known as arrogant (he’s royalty, after all), this baby vampyre enjoys his bed-of-nails playpen and his bottle, which is filled with blood, his favorite drink.

Evilyn Nocturna: Slightly mad and totally bad. You don’t need a hunch…she’d prefer you for lunch! This tiny sorceress is slightly mad. She’d rather bite you than drink from her bottle of blood. She’s psychic with lots of visions and precognitive dreams. Plus she sleepwalks, so keep her locked in her coffin during daylight hours.

Burton Creepson, Jr.: Painting with blood, his fingers so red. He entertains all of the other Undead! This little artist loves to finger-paint with blood. He can be moody and dark and tormented, so he hangs out with bats in dark places. His favorite hobby is to fashion “screamcatchers” out of spider webs.

Midnight Mori: A demon in diapers, bossy and restless. A fanatical leader you don’t want to mess with! Don’t let the sweet hair bow fool you—she can be bossy and she always wants her way, so don’t ever tell her no. Mori is a leader of the Vamplets and she’s restless, aggressive and annoyed, since she doesn’t like to sleep.

 

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