Bazooka wasn’t a popular character with me as a kid. The cartoon version was a goofball, and the figure just didn’t capture my imagination. Most of the Joes I received as a kid collector came from infrequent trips to the toy store, or special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. The only other avenue I had for collecting was through
Read moreI find myself much more interested in this figure than many others of his time. Everything seems to come together. Maybe the original BAT design lends itself well to the highly detailed modern style, or the non-human characteristics just allow for the collector eye to be more forgiving than with the fully human subjects in thw early days of the
Read moreHawk’s 1986 redesign was one of my favorite figures as a kid, edging out other greats from 1986. I suppose I liked him based on his comic appearances, despite the fact that the action figure didn’t resemble the comic Hawk in hair color. Not a huge deal to me as a kid, because I was also a cartoon fan. Yes,
Read moreCobra Commander with a cape? Fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Only the truly motivated world conquering megalomaniacs among us would dress up to this level of snickerdoodlery. The man was flashy enough with his double breasted fascist business suit with matching hood, but to add a cape, not to mention one festooned with gold cobra finery, just shows a new level of
Read moreFemale figures don’t sell. If you’ve been collecting action figures for a minute, and have ever read or heard and interview with a toy company rep, be it Hasbro, Mattel, Toy Biz or others, you’re familiar with the mantra. Conventional wisdom states that its true. Until I had a child, I had my doubts, but having perspective beyond an adult
Read moreI’ve not felt like really army building any of the Kre-O Cobras until this fellow came along. An odd thing to say, considering that Hasbro’s beautifully simple brick homage to the Real American Hero era figures has already brought several iconic Cobra troop types, from the standard “blueshirt” trooper to the Eels to the ever-popular Crimson Guard. Heck, I wasn’t
Read moreWhat should we call these nameless movie troopers? Blueish-grey camo shirts? Some folks don’t think the small Joes should incorporate nameless troops, as it goes against the outfit’s origin as a team of highly skilled specialists. I don’t mind the concept at all, and I rather enjoy the flexibility that a generic figure can provide. As a kid, I had
Read moreby KansasBrawler It seems like one figure in every wave manages to completely blow the doors off the hinges and showcases just what Hasbro can really do and why the Joe line is still the best 3 ¾” (okay, closer to 4” or 4 ½” these days) action figure line currently on the shelves. What makes Pursuit of Cobra Low-Light
Read moreby KansasBrawler The Slaughter’s Marauders sub-team was a big part of my childhood. Between the two of us, my brother and I had the entire group, which was pretty unusual. Plus, it allowed me to get access to some figures (like Mutt & Junkyard) who I liked from the cartoon but missed the original releases. However, the choices Hasbro made
Read moreAll black Snake Eyes figures are things of beauty to me. There’s something great about the simplicity of that first figure from 1982, clad in just one cast shade of black plastic. Through the years, there have only been a handful of figures to go this route, one of which I’ve covered here before. The Target exclusive Rescue Mission boxed
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