It’s Terron–the Beast from Beyond! If the GI Joe brand lacked one element during its first generation of toys, it was an enemy. Sure, the concept of the original military line was meant to be open-ended–that’s what GI Joe himself was. But the nature of boys’ play almost always involves an antagonist. I see this in my own son, as
Read moreOf all the GI Joe toys I had as a kid, the Falcon glider was at once one of the most fun and frustrating. Made of foam, not the most robust of construction materials, the Joes’ glider didn’t last through many adventures. Within days of its purchase, I had made some hasty (and not quite aerodynamic) repairs to the vertical
Read moreSometimes collectors bellyache when toy makers remold and repaint figures and vehicles. The situation is understandable, from both sides of the equation. The toy manufacturer is, after all, in business to turn a profit. This often results in cost cutting measures to ensure the most bang for their buck. Collectors sometimes get frustrated when an item is repainted and re-purposed
Read moreJust an image tonight. Let the spacey goodness wash over you.
Read moreAlpine is one of those characters that fans always seem to want to see when new iterations of the Real American Hero figures are produced. The 25th Anniversary version is a prime example, as fans clamor for the toy. That may be have been due in part to his elusiveness at retail, but nostalgic memories of the 1985 version surely
Read moreBy KansasBrawler I’ve never been much of an army-builder. I’ve never really seen the point of assembling large quantities of identical looking figures. Intellectually, I understand the appeal…there have been some great shots in Joe dio-stories of Cobra Commander addressing a massive group of all the Cobra specialties before his big scheme takes off. Even Rob’s army-building post from a
Read moreApologies for the less than pristine figure, but that’s how these guys are often found. The Viper Pilot is of course the standard original Cobra trooper mold, with a silver sigil in place of red. Something about the silver paint used for the chest emblem just doesn’t hold up to play over the years. Viper Pilots certainly got their share
Read moreNo, it’s not the CORPS! attempt at creating an anti-drug mascot. Instead, we have another of the Construction series figures. This time, it’s a surveyor. The code name is appropriate, I think. I didn’t even realize these civilan offshoots of Lanard’s me-too 3 & 3/4 inch action figure line even had code names until I found some packaged samples at
Read moreTime for another Geewunner creation. This one is the largest and most impressive set we’ve yet covered, and is based on one of the early 80s classics. My original SHARC logged many hours in my family swimming pool during the summer of ’84. By the end of the year, its stickers had been chlorine bleached pretty badly. I didn’t care.
Read moreNo, it’s not an exclusive brick version of the long forgotten GI Joe barber, it’s the pilot of the WHALE. Unfortunately for 80s nostalgists, that impressive watercraft was not rendered in the Kre-O format. Instead, Cutter commander the Thunderwave Jet Boat, a moderately sized and fun vehicle in its own right. The boat didn’t really have a corollary in the
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