1987–the year presented more whacked out Cobra characters per capita than any previous year. While the 3 3/4″ Joe line started out mostly as a military line, the weird Cobra characters started coming in 1983 and got progressively weirder through the next few years. Cases in point: Destro, Zartan, Tomax/Xamot and Serpentor. I can handle an arms dealer with a
Read moreOkay, I talked about Big Brawler, and at the time I thought he had the worst Joe code name. I still think he does. It’s generic and ridiculous at the same time. When looking through candidates to write about next, Skidmark’s name struck me as the best unintended double-entendre code name. Make up your own joke here… Skidmark, in collector
Read moreWhat is the one specialty you’d think wouldn’t be represented in a military toy line like GI Joe? How about a reporter? This is Scoop, the Joe team’s combat information specialist. Field reporters have been no strangers to American combat ops. However one wouldn’t expect it in a covert outfit like GI Joe. Scoop was part of the late 80’s
Read moreRepaints. If you ask collectors about things that bother them about their hobby, it’s a word that often comes up. Many see them as a cheap way for toy manufacturers to get a new toy on the shelves with little added expense. Take figure A, slap a different color of paint on him and presto-change-o! you have Figure B. I
Read moreLifeline is the Joe team’s Rescue Trooper (sounds better than medic I guess). He’s actually the vintage line’s second medic. The first was Doc, released in 1983. What I find most interesting note about Lifeline is his portrayal as a pacifist in the comics and cartoon. However, his action figure included a pistol, and his card art prominently showed him
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The Joes’ original Hostile Environment specialist hails from the second great improvement year in the line–1985, when Hasbro added neck ball articulation. In 1983, when they introduced a bicep swivel, it was emblazoned on the packaging as “Swivel-Arm Battle Grip.” I don’t know why they didn’t use they same kind of ballyhoo for the neck ball. I think “Head-Nod Battle
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