Another Duke? Of course. Would you expect more than a couple weeks to go by without one? After all, we’re up to about 475 versions. If I continue the blog for another twenty five years, I might be able to cover them all. This one is another follow up to the infamous Action Attack version that was colloquially known as
Read morePoor 1984 Roadblock. Stuck with a weird shaped head, comparatively scrawny arms and a barrel chest. As a figure, he was hardly a match for his tough looking card art intepretation, but I suppose for a 1984 Joe, he didn’t fare too badly. After all, even the hulking Gung Ho was decidedly less bulky in 1983 than his media tie-in
Read moreKamakura had quite a bit of exposure during the 2000s relaunch line. In just three years, he had three small figure releases, plus a 12 inch figure. His first version, the dreaded banana headed, Action Attack monstrosity, stands as one of the downright goofiest figures of the era. This one succeeded it, and improved upon its unfortunately masked predecessor. Included
Read moreIn my childhood toy universe, Wild Weasel was the Boba Fett of GI Joe. He was a mysterious masked man of few words, and his reputation preceded him. Cobra Commander could always depend on him to accomplish his missions. As a figure, he was never far from the cockpit of his Rattler. Funny that an homage to the original Wild
Read moreIt’s good to see a ninja not sticking to one rigorous color scheme over his career. After all, white can get pretty boring after a while. Just look at the movie Storm Shadow. After just one film, he started to add some color blocking to his outfit. You gotta love a ninja with a little style. Released in the Ninja
Read moreI used to customize action figures quite a bit. I’d love to do some again, but I just can’t find the time these days (wonder why?) As a customizer, I wasn’t averse to doing a little sculpting work to bring a base figure in line with the look I wanted. Sometimes, however, I just didn’t want to go through the
Read moreA while back I talked about the famous early 80s tan repaints of Grunt and Clutch. Here’s another continuation of the venerable desert repaint theme, along with a bit of new sculpt era Frankensteining. Duke was a member of one of three Walmart exclusive Valor Vs. Venom two packs. Each pack had an urban camo Cobra and a desert tan
Read moreIt’s the sixth day, and sort of relating to six geese a laying is this exclusive six pack, with which Hasbro and Toys R Us laid an egg back in 2005. The “greenshirt” concept in modern GI Joe is something of a mismatch, considering the team’s nature as a group of highly trained specialists. From the beginning of the Real
Read moreNo, it’s not the same Vypra who drove a repainted Stinger in 1998, but this figure does use the same mold. What a difference a change in paint apps can make. Though the Jinx mold isn’t one of my favorites, the decoration on this figure provides a lot of new interest. The detailed patterning is amazing. I hadn’t noticed it
Read moreHow dedicated am I to showcasing figures from all corners of the GI Joe world? How about Action Attack Duke. Sure, I could have passed him up, but I think looking at a loathed toy can provide a little perspective. For those who don’t care to feast their eyes upon him, turn back now and wait for tomorrow’s entry. But
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