Evilstick
 An Evilstick in its packaging. The front of the flower has been removed to show the hidden image. | |
| Type | Toy wand |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| Availability | c. 2008–c. 2014 |
| Features | Hidden image, sound effects |
The Evilstick is a children's toy wand that was sold at discount stores in the United States and New Zealand. The toy has a button that, when pressed, reveals a hidden image and causes the toy to emit a menacing laugh sound effect. It gained notoriety and media attention once a parent bought one at a dollar store in Dayton, Ohio, and discovered that the toy contained a hidden image depicting a girl cutting her wrist. After the toy received media coverage, some were sold online for over US$200.
Background
[edit]The first recorded appearance of the toy in stores was in 2008 in New York City. It was manufactured by a company in China.[1] The toy was sold in discount stores in the United States and New Zealand in 2014. In a 2014 New Zealand newspaper article about new discount store toys, it was described as having "a mirror that horribly distorts your features", but the article made no mention of the hidden images contained within the toy. It makes use of three 1.5-volt batteries.[2] The toy sold at retail for US$1 in the United States[3] and NZ$2 in New Zealand.[2] The toy's packaging contains artwork from the series Cardcaptor Sakura,[4] and states that the toy can "send out wonderful music".[5][1]
In 2014, a mother in Dayton, Ohio, purchased an Evilstick from a dollar store for her child and was surprised to see that it contained an image of a girl cutting her wrist with a knife and drawing blood. The mother stated that the toy was inappropriate for children and that she was "outraged" about it.[6] Other parents were also upset by the toy.[7] The owner of the store defended the toy, stating that it was the responsibility of parents to examine toys before giving them to children, and that the name "Evilstick" should have given parents pause.[6] The store owner also stated that he personally thought that the imagery was appropriate for children ranging from five to ten years old because "they see that on TV every day".[5] The Dayton dollar store sold out of Evilsticks after it received media coverage, and some were sold on eBay for over $200.[3][5]
The image of the girl cutting her wrist was originally taken by photographer Butcher Ludwig as part of his Macabre Muses series, with the model portraying a vampire, although the toy manufacturers modified the image to have enlarged eyes. Other Evilsticks contain different images, including a photograph of a woman as a zombie, although most have non-disturbing images taken from anime and manga.[1] Ludwig stated that his photograph was used for the toy without his permission.[1][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Rossen, Jake (October 18, 2018). "A Gory Toy Story: The Horrible History of the Evilstick". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on October 8, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- 1 2 LaCapria, Kim (November 11, 2014). "Evilstick 'Princess Wand' Images Horrify Parents". Snopes. Archived from the original on April 24, 2026. Retrieved August 13, 2026.
- 1 2 Rawles, Timothy (August 9, 2024). "Remember When Dollar Store Sold the Cursed Toy Called the Evilstick?". iHorror. Archived from the original on June 7, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ↑ Dong, Bamboo (March 5, 2026). "Bootleg Cardcaptor Sakura Totally Doesn't Condone the Evil Stick". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Zevely, Jeff (November 12, 2014). "Disturbing image hidden in dollar store toy". CBS 8. Archived from the original on April 26, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Hooton, Christopher (November 10, 2014). "Toy wand has hidden picture of demonic child cutting herself". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 15, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Parents say 'Evil Stick' toy isn't appropriate for toddlers". firstcoastnews.com. November 11, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
- ↑ "El juguete más siniestro y perturbador que existe se llama Evil Stick". sdpnoticias (in Spanish). February 6, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.