I’ll say this about the classic style comic packs. I loved ’em, warts and all. For someone who grew up following the comic, they were a dream come true. Seeing figures representing characters from the pages of the comic was something my ten year old self always wanted to see. My favorites of the bunch were the Cobra troopers. Red
Read moreSome Joe fans seem to have a fascination with seeing the original thirteen Joe team figures done in the style of the day. I count myself as one of them. As crazy as it sounds, I must admit I would loved to have seen a 1993 interpretation of Grand Slam. Sadly, it was not to be. As the vintage line
Read moreStep into the kinda-wayback machine with me to the era of Spy Troops. So much has happened in the Joe brand since 2003 that this fairly recent era seems almost a distant memory. Imagine a time in this not too long ago past when Joe product was readily available at retail. And in two packs at that. Neo Viper Commander
Read moreHere’s a character for whom fans demanded a land based version for years. Spy Troops series answered the call in a fashion, although not to most fans’ total satisfaction. That would have to wait until the next year’s Toys R Us exclusive VAMP release. Previous versions of Torpedo depicted him in a wet suit, naturally. After all, he’s a Navy
Read moreI really miss my old local mall, and Kay-Bee Toy Store in particular. An odd thing to say, since much of their product was overpriced and then artifically marked down with phony-baloney looking price stickers. If memory serves, I believe they lost a class-action lawsuit about that particularly bad business practice. But I still have a soft spot for the
Read moreShadow Vipers are described on the file card as infiltration and espionage specialists, but come on, we all know this is still the Astro-Viper, of the Cobra astronaut corps. Also according to the file card, they cover themselves in powder in order to pass undetected during infiltration. Really? So that’s not a space-based EVA pack on his back? I assume
Read moreI really thought that the 2000’s Joe series was going to take off. Ultimately, I was wrong. But what made me think it would have succeeded? Well, Hasbro had successfully reinvigorated Transformers in the 2000’s for a new generation with new toy lines, why couldn’t they do the same with Joe? The new line had a comic book from Devil’s Due and
Read moreOne thing that I really admire about the Joe line over the years is the fact that Hasbro sometimes goes back to a figure and takes a second stab at it to improve upon what’s come before. It’s been happening since the second series in 1983, and has been part of the evolution of the line’s style. From swivel arms,
Read moreJinx, being one of the handful of female Joe characters, has naturally become a fan favorite. Strong opinions and great expectations seem to follow fan favorites like Monday follows Sunday. A figure like the 1987 Jinx, which was so simple in terms of design (red pajamas) would seem to be a welcome candidate for a redesign. At the very least,
Read moreWho do you think would be the least likely member of Tiger Force, the Joes’ jungle specialist team? How about a guy who drives a huge gantry that launches a space shuttle. Right. Wow, the color scheme rivals something out of Funskool. First he was saddled with a baby blue outfit, and now this. Although when you think about it,
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