1991 GI Joe Product Catalog: Part 2
Okay, so the bland cover hawking DIC’s animated series and a page of 1991 role play items (one of which wasn’t even pictured) didn’t seem to inspire much confidence in where this catalog was heading. At least the figure pages will give us some shots of all the newest characters, right? Well, some of them. Only nine of the new figures in the main line are pictured. A cursory look at some of the cardbacks from the time show that some versions pictured eleven of the year’s figures on the cross-sell, while others depicted all seventeen. Snake Eyes, Mercer, Cobra Commander and others not seen must not have been available for the photo shoot, and it all makes me wonder if they were part of a later wave. I was buying the figures at the time, but I can’t recall what was available and when. Anyone have more info on this? Whatever the case, the fact that we didn’t get to see everybody that’s coming was a letdown. On the positive side, this is the first time that the figures are posed in a diorama setting since the 1985 catalog.
The Sonic Fighters sub-team gets its own page, and yet again, some of the figures are MIA. Hey, at least we knew that the Super Sonic Fighters were coming soon. Looking at cardbacks and other catalogs again, I don’t see the regular Sonic Fighters listed in the 1990 catalog, and yojoe.com suggests they were part of the 1990 series. I don’t see cross-sells for Sonic Fighters on the main line cardbacks, so maybe these were at retail ahead of the ’91 line and are classified as 1990. Again, I’ve got a faulty memory on these things, and maybe the big brains in our midst can answer the question. Sonic Fighters–1990 or 1991? It’s the burning question of our time!
Come back tomorrow, as we look at more figures that weren’t quite ready for prime time. We’ll also see a vehicle that’s motorized. Will it be as cool as the MOBAT? Will we see an actual photo of it? I can’t wait to find out!
I don’t know about any release oddities for sure. But, anecdotally, the figures with launching pieces were much more common for a long time. Much of the timing of ’90’s and ’91’s is less than definitive.
”G.I.Joe Product Catalogs, from 1982 -1986 were about the only exciting years , referring to the G. I. Joe/Cobra action figures/vehicles, that brought enjoyment/excitement to all Joe fan’s eyes. After 1987, things started to get really” Dullsville” after that.”
The issue with placement of the Sonic Fighters was they came out sometime around November 1990, leading to issues with where to classify it since it wasn’t as close to Xmas as prior early releases (Dreadnoks, Falcon et al). If I remember correctly what I read, wave I of 1993 Battle Corps came out around Thanksgiving 1992. It would appear the Super Sonic Fighters came out in a similar position in 1991.
Notice who’s missing from the above picture from 1991: Snake Eyes, B.A.T., red mask Cobra Commander, Mercer, Tracer, Grunt. They came out later in the year. It was just two-thirds of the line packaged with most of 1990’s figures as the usual holdovers.
Guides are wrong as far as Sonic Fighters go. Why? Because Sonic Fighters show the regular 1991 figures on their card backs. If they had merely showed 1990 figures, then I’d buy the late 1990 series release argument.
Battleforce 2000 is another annoyance, as guides list the vehicles as part of 1987…but I’d like someone to prove they found the vehicles before 1988. The figures appeared single carded in late 1987, but by all accounts I’ve heard the team vehicles didn’t appear until early 1988 along with 2-pack releases of the figures.
in 1993, Waves 1 and 2 of Battle Corps were in stores by Christmas, along with the Ice Snake and Mudbuster, possibly Ninja Force wave 2, as well. But there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind they are 1993 series.
Re: BF2000, that’s what I heard- single figures within the last few months of 1987, vehicles in early 1988 sometime, two-pack figures sometime in 1988.
Can’t ‘prove’ it, but my brother and I got single carded BF2000 figures AND a couple vehicles each for x-mas presents in 1987. Not only that, but we even got some earlier in December as “early” x-mas gifts and secret Santa stuff at school. I remember it was ’87 because I was in 7th grade at the time.
Snake Eyes, B.A.T., red mask Cobra Commander, Mercer, Tracer, Grunt, those 5 and the black/blue Snake Eyes with the big grappling hooker launcher backpack were a later wave in the Fall.
The Sonic Fighters have all 6 guys pictured, it’s just the Super Sonic Fighters not shown but they were the next year after Sonic Fighters: “Coming Soon”. Sonic Fighters late 1990, Super Sonic Fighters late 1991.
ALL the figures you’ve shown were available in the UK and EU in 1991…we always got ‘new stuff’ a year or more later on than you guys…For me, 1990/1 were the final hurrah of the brand as was…these final years harked back to the quality of imaginative design that the earlier years consisted of, after 91 it was practically rubbish warming the pegs…
Seriously, no Super Sonic Puppy for Law? 🙁
Actually, this made sense. Poor Order if it had to be anywhere near sonic weapons.