Keeping with a figure focus on arctic operatives, here’s Cold Front, and he strikes me as one of those Joe figures you only sort of remember. And that’s a shame, as the figure is very interesting. I must confess that my figure is incomplete. That teensy tiny microphone was missing from the version I acquired years ago, and I’ve never
Read more
I can’t believe I missed so many arctic Joes in my time away from the toys in the late 80s. The regular troops, vehicles and drivers were all beefed up. Blizzard stands out as a favorite. Blizzard is chock full of accessories, including skis, ice shoes, two weapons, a backpack and helmet. This alone would be enough to draw one’s
Read more
Imagine my surprise when coming back to GI Joe collecting in 1991 and discovering that a member of the Oktober Guard had been released as a GI Joe figure. Red Star, though not one of the original members I remembered from the Marvel comic in the 1980s, nonetheless represented an element of the GI Joe mythos that I never though
Read more
I often wonder why Hasbro didn’t take more opportunities to throw in bad puns with code names. I know the obvious thought goes to Sgt. Slaughter, but that’s not a proper pun, just a colorful alliteration. No, I’m talking about putting some thought of relationship into the character’s rank and surname. This is the kind of stuff you begin to
Read more
The Sonic Fighters repaints are an interesting lot. Straddling the years of 1990 and 1991, they seem to be of two worlds. Based on older molds, the figures bring back memories of what came before. Equipped with enormous noise-making backpacks and a few strange color choices, they serve as a kind of herald of what was to come. Gimmicks, sub-teams
Read more
Who’d have thought that Kamakura, Snake Eyes’ green garbed apprentice would show up wearing electric blue? But that’s what you get with Sigma 6; it zigs just when you think it will zag. Since his introduction to the GI Joe mythos, Kamakura has been the victim of both odd color choices and weird gimmicks. Remember the lemon-headed, sword-drawing figure? If
Read more
I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating as many times as possible: the Sigma 6 years of GI Joe get undeserved short shrift. The common excuse for entertainments that fail often revolve around either the public at large not “getting it” or the product being ahead of its time. I think the latter applies in this case.
Read more
I initially had a bit of trouble deciding which of the 1997 figure multi-packs to pick up. Having seen preliminary photos in Tomarts and Previews, I was excited to have the chance to pick up new versions of classic molds. What ended up on shelves not only differed in terms of paint jobs, but molds as well. The arctic team
Read more
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
Read more
By KansasBrawler FSS 3.0 Muskrat is kind of a big deal for me since he’s about the only member of the lineup I wasn’t exposed to as a kid. Yes, I had Battle Corps Muskrat growing up, but that guy is so bizarre, looking back, I don’t know if I ever used him as Muskrat. He was usually a cyborg
Read more