The international figures are a source of fascination for many Joe collectors. The mysterious and sometimes weird repaints take something familiar to us American collectors and make it refreshingly new. I didn’t know much about them until I saw them in a publication (a magazine I believe it was called) in the dark days before the internet. Back then, those
Read moreThe first Joe vehicle I bought was the Falcon glider. I had received $10 from my grandmother for my birthday and so on the way home, I bade my parents to take me to Montgomery Wards so I could spend the tenner that was burning a hole in my little pocket. After hemming and hawing far longer than any nine
Read moreWhat happens when plans to bring the Rocky Balboa character into the Joe line falls through? You get the inexplicable Cobra trainer who looks like a boxer. I don’t know if that’s truly the case, but what else would explain Hasbro giving Cobra a character that looks like a boxer if they weren’t going to make a Joe of the
Read moreThis version of Steeler serves for me as a reminder of the disappointment that was the 2007 convention exclusives. The set, titled Tanks for the Memories had members of the original Joe team as its focus along with–guess what–tanks. The Collectors Club intended the centerpieces of the set to be a set of Joe and Cobra–guess what–tanks. Unfortunately, the vintage
Read moreBet you didn’t think you’d see another snow ninja after Bushido, New York’s own snow ninja. Well, here we have the Night Creepers snow ninja, a sub group of a specialty trooper. Apparently in the late 90’s, Cobra was so hard up for troopers that they were letting their ninjas sub-contract. This figure was part of the Cobra Polar Assault
Read moreSo, the GI Joe Renegades animated series. I think I’ll stay well away from pontificating about it. I can say for me the whole enterprise, including the release of figures based on it, wasn’t of much interest. But hey, the figures are out now, so what are they like? Well, for being based on an animated series, this Snake Eyes
Read moreThe 2000 and 2001 series were interesting in that they utilized vintage molds with some paint application processes previously unseen on Joe figures. Those two years presented figures with a new kind of swirled colored plastic to approximate camo, and they also made use of paint washes. Washes are generally used in modeling to convey shadow and bring out deep
Read moreToday is a very special day; three years ago today I married the most lovely and wonderful woman in the world. So what’s that got to do with a Joe blog? And aren’t you stretching the concept of your blog a bit with this one? That’s not a Joe product! Chill out, I’ll get to that. Anyway, my wonderful wife
Read moreBet you didn’t know Beachhead had a Ranger buddy who dressed just like him. Well, at least that was the story Hasbro made up to explain this Beachhead repaint and driver of the Splitfire vehicle. His file card art is very different from the final figure, which makes me wonder if it was intended to be a new figure (or
Read moreIs that ninja sporting an M-16? Why yes he is. Ninjas don’t carry automatic rifles. You wanna tell him that? Go right ahead. What vintage 3 3/4″ fan doesn’t love the ’84 Storm Shadow mold? I don’t care how many times it was repainted, I still think the figure is awesome and represents the style that made the 80’s Joes
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