Action Pilot Astronaut (1994)
In 1994, I was so excited to be a GI Joe collector. Everything seemed to be perfect from the standpoint of collecting both current and older toys. In my area, flea markets and antique stores were plentiful and Joes could be had cheaply (even at garage sales!). In Toys R Us, Walmart and other stores, new releases were easy to find. Any hey–the latest issue of Tomart’s featured a 30th Anniversary salute line that would include not only homages to the original 12 inch figures, but also 3 & 3/4 inch adapted versions of the classics. Of course, things would come crashing down fairly quickly in terms of Joe’s immediate future. But for a while, it was a pretty glorious time to be a collector. On the top of my want list for the newly revealed 30th Salute line was the Original Action Team boxed set. Two exclusive decos (the pilot and sailor) were included, as well as a new mold and exclusive vehicle: the astronaut and space capsule.
The set is a remarkably accurate adaptation of the original toy. From the way the window opens, to the interior details, and even GI Joe logo embedded on its end, the capsule is a nicely engineered bit of fun. It’s too bad that Hasbro couldn’t take advantage of more of the 60s and 70s toys within the 30th salute. I can imagine that a Four Star Jeep would have been quite a thing to see at this size, particularly since we didn’t get a real Jeep in the modern line.
The astronaut mold resurfaced in 2005 (with a new head) in a comic pack, as Flash. It made sense considering the storyline, but fans decried the opportunity to remake a much-requested figure like Flash. After all, he got the shaft in the Stars and Stripes set as well.
I’ve got one of these with a Canadian flag. It’s a little different.
I recall seeing this on a holiday trip to TRU in late 1994. I thought it looked cool, but didn’t have the cash to get it. The sets were cheap for a long time in the aftermarket, though, so that’s how I eventually got it.
I see 1994 and sets like this as the beginning of the “collector” market. These were the pre-cursors and then POTFII in 1995 fueled the craze and brought us to where we are today.
I see nothing wrong with the Joes going into space. Joe first did that in the 60’s with the action astronaut
This capsule isn’t the most useful item, but man is it nostalgic! I was fascinated by rockets as a kid, and I’d see tiny space capsules in museums and wonder how people really went into space in them. Even if it’s a collector-oriented display piece, this is a neat toy with a pretty good generic astronaut figure.
30th stuff was neat. Wish they had done more. Action Soldiers of the World would’ve been awesome. But that was the writing was on the wall about GI JOE’s future, I think. 1994 seemed like a decrease in overall product from 1993.
I thought it was a nice figure with a nice idea behind it. Note that 1994 was the 25th anniversary of the 1969 Moon landing too.