Another figure in the saga of the lost naming rights issues. Double Clutch, huh? Not Lance “Clutch” Steinberg or even Cpl. Clutch? Suppose that would have to wait for the later convention version. When I first saw the name Double Clutch, I thought it might be a new character, or even possibly a clone. Just kidding. I find a lot
Read moreI’m not afraid to say that I am a fan of gimmicks. There’s an added element of fun when an action figure can do something more than to be placed into different poses. Whether it’s light-up, projectile firing, water squirting, spring-loaded punching, color-changing or limb-swapping, I’m down for all of it. Other than the Lunartix aliens and the monumentally unusable Golobulus, I
Read moreMan, I really miss the o-ring. I don’t want to sound like a dinosaur whose only interest is in the old construction, or who pines only for a rigid return to the old 80’s style. I realize that time marches on, especially in the toy world. The old Joes, as great as they are, just wouldn’t stand up to today’s
Read moreHave I mentioned before that the 25th anniversary series both frustrates and inspires? Articulation, fit and proportion issues were balanced with innovations that would be improved upon in the modern line. For me, the accessories were the most solid aspect of the figures. Whether harnesses, backpacks or weapons, I was impressed. The designers improved on many of the old weapon
Read moreI only have memories of a few of the 1987 vehicles. I stopped buying Joes early that year, and the only ’87 vehicle I picked up was the Sky Sweeper. Yeah, not the best choice of a vehicle to go out of the line. I did look through the year’s catalog, and thought that the Cobra Sea Ray looked interesting.
Read moreImagine making the Steel Brigade cool. I wouldn’t have thought the old create your own Joe figure to be high on Hasbro’s make list, but obviously someone had a soft spot for the old mail-in. The figure has been done in a way that pays homage to the original while putting a bit of a new spin on it. That’s
Read moreToday I got a message from Dave of the Flag Points podcast. He said, “You should review a Joe micro figure!” Well, believe it or not, I don’t have any on hand. So he sent a pic. Seeing the tiny little guy in front of the original figure made me think of the old Marx toy soldiers (the progenitors of the
Read moreI can’t lie, I think this is Airman John, the pilot character in Remco’s GI Joe wannabe, American Defense, but I can’t be sure. The mold was repurposed many times for the line and its offshoots. Just off the top of my head, Remco also produced US Forces, American Force and US Military using the same group of molds. There
Read moreThe Renegades cartoon really grew on me. At first, I thought the designs were odd, but that opinion was based on a few drawings posted online. Once I saw the animation itself, I found myself liking the new style. It was something different. The same goes for the storyline and characters. It wasn’t a rehash of what had come before,
Read moreTalk about frustrating. How can a toyline go from presenting a pack of great, seldom seen army builder remakes (with all their accessories present to boot) to an abominable set like the Heavy Assault Squad? Whatever the excuse was: limited molds, rushed schedule, etc., I would have rather seen some of the Python Patrol set peppered into later offerings. The
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