It’s amazing to consider just how many GI Joe figures that still resonate with collectors were part of the 1985 assortment. I’ve often wondered how much of our affection for the year’s toys can be attributed to the Sunbow animated series. When I see this first version of Dusty, I’m reminded of two things: the card art and the cartoon
Read moreI wasn’t fortunate enough to have a USS Flagg as a kid, so I have no nostalgic memories for Keel Haul, unless you count looking at the Flagg in the 1985 catalog for hours upon hours. Keel Haul encompasses what I think is one of the great strengths of the Real American Hero era: the driver. It’s ironic to consider
Read moreIt’s been a while since a Funskool India figure graced this blog. Okay, okay, it’s really only been a week, but this was an exciting pick up for me. This is one figure that I have been trying to track down for some time. I had originally attempted to pick it up online a few years back, but due to
Read moreMuch was made of Night Force this year, with the convention exclusive set focusing on the popular GI Joe sub-team. Believe it or not, Night Force got a little bit of love during the second o-ring era. First there was a two-pack during the Spy Troops series, then a second set within Valor vs. Venom. Gung Ho is an interesting
Read moreWhat separated the 80s GI Joe from the myriad of other less successful toys to inhabit that most awesome of decades? For me, it was the way that Hasbro went above and beyond to create a mythology to go along with the toys. First, with the comic and later the Sunbow animated series, the Joe team was fleshed out beyond
Read moreI’ve talked about my fondness for Marvel comic issue number two a few times in the course of this blog. It held a special place for me as a kid because I had a coloring book based on the issue. Someday I hope to track down a copy of it. The comic issue was a favorite for a couple of
Read moreTime for more Double Duty, the 12 inch line that gave kids more bang for their buck, with double the missions and equipment. This time, Joe is taking on an assignment of the mountain climbing and sniper variety. That’s one of the things I find fascinating about this short lived series: the juxtaposition of two sort-of-related military missions. This one
Read moreThough the Funskool GI Joes consisted of a lot of straight remakes of domestic US figures, there were also plenty of oddities mixed in. Near the end of the run, things got really weird. Remember the very literally accessorized Windmill? This Grunt falls somewhere along a less crazy line in terms of his look, although he’s still equipped with one
Read moreBefore I started this blog, Battle Force 2000 and I had kind of a weird relationship. The last GI Joe figure that I bought as a kid was a member of BF2K, Knockdown to be exact. He didn’t leave the greatest impression on me, and my days as a kid collector of Joes ended with a whimper. I think in
Read moreThe Desert Patrol Squad six pack was a decent enough set (aside from the horrific Dusty) that presented a nicely unified look, as well as a new GI Joe sub-team. The 1991 Snake Eyes mold is one of my favorites, but with the patterned pants contrasted against the dark torso and boots, it really looks like the team’s premiere ninja
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