Is there any more American method of expressing important aspects of one’s beliefs or identity other than through an article of clothing? From t-shirts to kerchiefs to trucker caps, folks from all walks of life seem to use this most non-verbal method of communication from time to time. Belt buckles I think are an under-appreciated way of garnering attention, and
Read moreI’ve covered Grunt in his Spy Troops incarnation before, but after taking pics of a few other disguised figures last week, I’ve wanted to take another look at him. Many of the Spy Troops series snap on armor, leg and arm bracers and helmets were less than convincing. Some were of a downright humorous effect. Grunt’s Cobra getup doesn’t look
Read moreby KansasBrawler Even though I never had it as a kid (or even knew about since this was back in the days before the Internet), I’ve always thought the Wolverine was a pretty cool Joe vehicle. Hailing from 1983, the Wolverine had a very realistic military design, yet since it was an “armored missile vehicle”, it wasn’t just another tank.
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We’re in the depths of summer here in the US, so I thought it a good time to cover something that brings to mind colder climes. It’s also one of my favorite 90s vehicles, and an unsung little gem at that. Check out the Cobra Ice Snake right here.
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The Capcom Street Fighter crew give new meaning to the term poetry slam. It’s your Joe Moment of Zen…
Read moreIt’s another cover focused entry today. This time, we’ve got a coloring/activity book from 2003. The relaunch era provided some of the most extensive ancillary product since the heyday of the 1980s, and the first couple of years really seem to be a feeling out period for just what this new GI Joe would become. Scholastic published a series of
Read moreThe Spy Troops series was one of the boldest efforts in the history of GI Joe figure gimmicks. Based on disguising the warring factions as one another certainly made for an original attempt at adding play value to the toys. The problem was not the idea, but rather the execution. Most of the added armor and clothing elements just didn’t
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Will and I got together for a short review of some Micro Force figures. They’re a neat and fun little product, if a bit odd. Some folks won’t care for the prevalence of ninjas, but hey, it was movie related merchandise. And I can forgive it because SKULL HEADED NINJA! Also, I goofed up and identified Sgt. Stone as Lt.
Read moreThe original Interrogator is one of the gems of the latter years of the Real American Hero era. He had all the hallmarks of what made the early Cobra agents interesting and menacing. Though he was a driver of one of the most ridiculous GI Joe vehicles, the figure was wonderful. Mysterious, imposing and well designed, he was a favorite
Read moreby KansasBrawler For the longest time, there was one gaping hole in the Cobra ranks—a Viper who specialized in jungle warfare. A case could be made that the Range Viper filled that hole, but they really didn’t look the part. The Night Viper looked the part, but at the same time, its specialty was strictly defined as a night ops
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