By Past Nastification 1987 was a great year for GI Joe. It arguably gave us the last wave of strong characters (or it could be that this was the last year I was solidly into toys). Among these characters was Psyche-Out, the team’s deceptive warfare specialist. That figure was classic, but its lime green quilted short sleeve shirt, could have
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When I look at some of the new sculpt era figures in relation to where the small Joe figure style would go, I can see something of a progression. Now hear me out before you grab your torches and pitchforks. Although it wasn’t the first Joe line to feature it, the use of removable belts, holsters and other flexible gear
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It’s the debut of a new video feature for the site: That’s How I Found It. In this series, I’ll be focusing on toys and other miscellanea in their natural state. No clean-up or restorations, just used stuff as it’s been found. For the first edition, it’s the GI Joe Night Striker, part of the Night Force series of vehicles.
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The Toys R Us exclusive Night Force multipack was an odd duck, particularly in comparison to its 80s predecessor. Re-imagined as a squad clad in darkly patterned uniforms, it was a much more cohesive looking group than the original. It was nice however to see the set appear as an exclusive at the same retailer where it originated. Remember when
Read moreOh man, I gotta run to Toys R Us 26 years ago and get some of these! And the prices are so reasonable! Now where did I put that flux capacitor…
Read moreDoes a team of night operatives really need a flamethrower trooper? Wouldn’t a huge spout of flame negate all those efforts toward dark camouflage? I know, I know, it’s only a toyline. I should relax and try not to think too much, but honestly, when you write about this crap every day, you kind of can’t help it. Charbroil has
Read moreJust one year after his debut, Lt. Falcon was back. I admit that in 1987, I thought the figure was pretty amazing, with its realistic green beret look, and stoic face sculpt. The accessories were very nice as well, inclusing a two-part backpack, and a great new shotgun mold that a GI Joe figure could actually hold. In a year
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 moreNight Force was quite well represented in the 2000’s era, appearing in a couple of army builder waves as well as a Toys R Us multi-pack. This Flint hails from the latter, and I like his inclusion in the group. He’s a prominent command member of the GI Joe team, and I always find him useful in a leadership role.
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
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