Big Brawler (2003)
Big Brawler seems to inspire me, so today, it’s another Joe A Day haiku. Enjoy. Variant Brawler. His force, a tiger’s fury. Why orange hair, bro?
Read moreTag: Store Exclusive
Storm Shadow (2004 Operation Avalanche)
I recently picked up this figure, one of the last I needed to complete my new sculpt collection. By the way, is there a true consensus among GI Joe collectors on what to call all the various post-Real American Hero era lines? We collectors like to categorize and label these things, don’t we? I suppose it helps to give them
Read moreAir-Viper (2009)
Should a Cobra pilot really be considered an army builder? I know the answer is yes in the common sense, as a generic trooper type of which Cobra may employ hundreds. But as a collector, is it at all useful to pack them with infantry types when the pilot is for the most part useless without his signature vehicle? The
Read moreLamprey (2009)
Sometimes I can be a little harsh when it comes to the 25th anniversary figures. It’s just that some of the figures ended up a little less than stellar, thanks to parts reuse and the like. I tend to be more of a fan of the o-ring style, but I still pick up the modern figures as well. However as
Read moreChief Torpedo (2004)
The original Torpedo is a classic of the early years of the Real American Hero era. He’s a great figure, but outside of an underwater setting, his usefulness is limited. The Sunbow cartoon often had Torpedo running about in white t-shirt and jeans; not the most battle-ready of outfits, but more at home in a land battle than a wet
Read moreCobra Infantry Trooper (2004)
If you were collecting the early 2000s GI Joe lines, there wasn’t much competition to pick up whatever you wanted. Sometimes there was a bit of a shortage of army builders, or of a variant here and there. For the most part though, it was generally clear sailing to pick up entire waves in one go. That changed with the
Read moreCobra Driver (2008)
It’s been a while since I’ve dedicated a week to that most essential of vestments: the pant. Throughout the history of human civilization, covering one’s lower extremeties has been a necessity. And throughout that time, there has also been a need among humankind to dress to impress. From ancient times to the modern age, pants have made the man (and
Read moreRoadblock (2004)
Funny enough that one of my favorite Roadblock figures was released in the Valor vs Venom era. Looking back at those last few years of the relaunch series, I find myself missing the idea of Toys R Us exclusive figure packs. Even though the sets were repaints, and many had issues, it was still nice to know that a major
Read moreDial-Tone (1986 Special Mission: Brazil)
Store exclusives. Often times the bane of a collector’s existence. The experience of looking for an exclusive can be frustrating. Sometimes the store gets the item once or twice and it’s gobbled up before you can get there. That stinks. Sometimes the store in question isn’t located within a reasonable distance. That really stinks. Unfortunately, my hometown didn’t have a
Read moreRoadblock (2002 Sound Attack)
I feel the urge from time to time to present figures that I feel just haven’t gotten their due. I like finding figures that have been overlooked among the hundreds of other GI Joes released throughout the years. There are I feel quite a few unheralded greats hiding among their more well known and well liked compatriots. Indeed, greatness can
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