No, it’s not the infamous Star Wars bootleg, but a second version of the former Headhunters leader. My, how times change. A character who was once a drug kingpin changed to a smuggler and thief in just one decade. I wonder if what was once an up-front bad guy for the brand was deemed a touchy subject during the early
Read moreHey, wait a second, I hear you say. Didn’t you just cover this guy a couple months back? Yes, I did, but this is a recolor. That’s right, the Moray came in two flavors for 2002. The same thing happened for much of the first series of the relaunch, actually. While the other holds a place of distinction for me
Read moreThere weren’t too many laser-focused homage type figures in the first series of Joe’s 2002 relaunch. Old faves like Duke, Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander and Destro incorporated some elements of their former selves, but also diverged in new, and sometimes interesting ways. The Moray took cues from the vintage Eels, but injected a modern style that continues to impress me.
Read moreFirefly, what more can be said about the man? He’s been in almost every version of GI Joe from the 80s till today. He’s been a plain old mystery man, and he’s been a ninja with ties to Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. I think I preferred him as the mystery man who made select appearances. It’s kind of like
Read moreWhere the first Wet-Suit figure looked like a sport diver to me, this one goes for an all-out science fiction/comic book influenced garb. Par for the course with the 2002 series, to be sure, as the first series’ packaging was heavily inspired by a more graphic design scheme than the fully painted packaging deco of the 1980s and 1990s. At
Read moreWhen you think of Destro, the image of the stoic silver mask and red collared black jacket probably are the first things that come to mind. You may also think of wrist rockets, and maybe a cool backpack case filled with weaponry. How would you feel about a Destro figure if most of those iconic elements were reinterpreted? Although the
Read moreMy interest in toy collecting has something of a historian slant to it. I find the behind the scenes stories of creation, production, and even cancellation to be fascinating. With GI Joe, those stories are being unearthed constantly thanks to the efforts of some seriously dedicated fans and collectors. It seems like every toy line has that mythical final series
Read moreIn remembering back to the time of the new GI Joe 2002 series, there was a clamor by fans for the well known classic characters of the 80s. Most folks also wanted to see their favorites decked out in their old duds as well. Flint obliges, although he’s more than a little odd looking, like some other figures from later
Read moreWhenever a new version of a GI Joe toy line is released, you can’t hit the toy aisles without running into a Duke figure. Love him or hate him, the team’s top sergeant is ubiquitous. Heck, the guy can get offed five minutes into a feature film and still get prominent place on the movie poster. That’s staying power. It’s
Read moreDusty had one of the most easily recognizable designs in the vintage era, with his all-over desert camo and distinctive helmet with cloth attachment. The new sculpt era, for all its perceived issues, got quite a few things right, especially in terms of character selection. Sure, the poster boys Duke and Snake Eyes were present, but many other familiar Joes
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