I can’t say it enough–the 1984 Storm Shadow mold is iconic. No matter how many times Hasbro reused it, even as recently as 2004, it still resonated coolness. That says a lot about the designers of the era, to have created something timeless. And it’s not a kitsch factor for me–just good design. The Ninja Viper, a 1992 mail-in offer,
Read moreIf you weren’t paying attention to Joe in 1994 (and a lot of collectors weren’t) you might have missed the fact that a four armed alien bounty hunter with dreadlocks and a Transformer namesake was part of the GI Joe line. Yeah. The Star Brigade concept was a bit outlandish for a military group like the Joes, but still made
Read moreAs a kid, I always wanted an update of Major Bludd. Unfortunately that didn’t happen until the Sonic Fighters sub line, which was released at a time when I didn’t much care anymore. I still enjoyed his new version, although it would have been nice to see the mold in his trademark colors rather than blue. Until that actually happened
Read moreCobra’s Night Creeper forces have been around since 1990. Say what you will about ninjas, this force of technological ninjas is an original concept–at least they’re not Arashikage. Design-wise, the group presents a unique look for being based upon the ninja archetype. Merging armor, stealth gear and powered weapons seems like a natural evolution for the famed assassins. Any military
Read moreThe saga of the Payload figure is one of sadness and missed opportunity. When the Star Brigade line was launched (no pun intended) in 1993, early pictures and even the back of the packages depicted a Payload figure using the original 1987 mold. For me, this was an exciting prospect, as I never had the Defiant or Crusader, and therefore
Read moreGather round all ye Joe fans and let Uncle Joe A Day tell you a story of the dark days of the mid to late 90’s. They were dark times indeed. With nary a small Joe on a shelf, wandering bands of collectors were forced to venture into the wilderness of flea markets, garage sales and swap meets to stifle
Read moreDial Tone is a fan favorite who’s gotten a lot of play among Joe fans in the last year. His exclusion from the 25th anniversary line was remedied when the Collectors Club released him as 2011’s membership figure. Even better, he was also released carded at the con, and included in the new Mission Brazil set. I think his original
Read moreAs the 90’s dawned on the vintage Joe toy line, things were taking a stronger turn towards sci-fi elements. This is particularly the case with Cobra. Decimator and his vehicle, the Hammerhead are a case of Cobra vehicle and driver design meshing perfectly. The design of the figure’s helmet takes the vehicle name literally, as it resembles a hammerhead shark’s
Read moreIn the 90’s, the Half Price Store, a discount department store chain, was a treasure trove for recent Joe releases. There were always a couple of bins that had the last series of Joes for $3 each. I kick myself for not buying more than I did, especially Sonic Fighters Viper — I could’ve had an army! During one of
Read moreMutt was my favorite Joe in 1984. Yes, even more than the ubiquitous Storm Shadow. ’84 was a year in which the Joe line went in exciting new directions with accessories. Mutt was impressive for not only having an animal sidekick, but also a cool MAC 10, nightstick, muzzle (for himself!) and new helmet. He had a cool military police
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