My first Major Bludd figure came to me as part of my first GI Joe Christmas in 1983. That year, I was given a couple of three packs, one of which included the Major, as well as Snow Job and Doc. The Cobra Missile Command HQ was also a present that year. After that round of gifts, Star Wars was
Read moreAvalanche is I think the most stylish of the Battle Force 2000 members. Maybe it’s the white and silver uniform, but to me he has the cleanest look on the team. Like his teammates, he’s equipped with an odd helmet. His is certainly the biggest of the group. Perhaps there’s lots of high tech gadgetry built into it, the sort
Read moreHere’s one for all you fans of figure recipes. Let’s see who went into making Rumblerstein. Footloose gave his head, Crankcase loaned his helmet. Heavy Metal bestowed his arms, torso, and weapon, and Bazooka provided his waist and legs. Wow. This patchwork figure begs the question: was the R/C Crossfire a rush job, or was the figure a last minute
Read moreOdd is an appropriate one word descriptive term for Sneak Peek. It’s quite an unassuming figure. The sculpt is on the chunky side, both in the face and torso. The overall design seems like it would be more applicable to another laser trooper, with its padded upper body. The accessories are another source of oddness. While the idea of a
Read moreWhile Lanard’s Corps line borrowed elements from GI Joe, the company has also produced a share of figures that, while odd, are their own unique creations. Witness other lines like the STAR Force sub-line’s crazily inventive Space Cowboys or the heavily sought after Bio-Wing fighters. The main Corps line itself worked in a little strangeness when an assortment of sports
Read moreIceberg was the opposite of Snow Job, accessory-wise. Where the Joe team’s first arctic trooper came equipped with snow traveling gear, Iceberg has nothing. Not even a pair of snow shoes. He did get a rifle, and a handily colored white one at that. I’ve often wondered why Snow Job didn’t get a white rifle, or at least one wrapped
Read moreThere are so many ’82-83 Joes that to me seem so iconic, I have a hard time deciding which one would be my choice to be the definitive early figure. Sometimes I think it’s Grunt, other times it’s Flash or Clutch, or even Snake Eyes. Then again, it could be Rock ‘N Roll. I guess I’ll never decide. Even though
Read moreSpearhead and Max are a weird, inexplicable pair. First, there’s the weird, inexplicable colors. Spearhead wears the orangiest of camo patterns. I don’t know what alien planet’s vegetation he’s meant to blend into, but he’s certainly not bland. Even his backpack is orange. Was somebody colorblind at Hasbro? The fit of accessories was an important feature in the small Joe
Read moreFinally, I’m covering a Joe astronaut figure that wasn’t first a Star Brigade member. The mold did get repainted to death for the later astronaut sub-line, but I find this original version to be the best. Like other 1989 GI Joes, his interest for me lies in his accessories. I recall seeing this figure listed on the back of 1990
Read moreI had always thought that this figure was a villain, but upon looking at his bio card, he’s apparently not. He certainly has a villainous look about him, and a strongly German World War II era uniform. The eyepatch takes his appearance one step further into the “bad guy” arena. But not so, as the character’s background is in NATO
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