One of the more imposing Cobra figures released during the relaunched small Joe era, the revamped Iron Grenadier was an instant favorite with me. I didn’t have any attachment to the 80s version, as it was available first during the time I had dropped out of toy collecting. Maybe that’s the reason I accepted this figure so readily. Whatever the
Read moreWhat csn I say about Marvel’s GI Joe issue 21 that hasn’t already been said by minds wiser than mine? Nothing much, except to relate my own experience with the legendary comic. I picked up the issue at my regular 1984 comic book haunt, 7-11. I had picked up a few issues of the Marvel comic by that point, but
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by KansasBrawler In my opinion, the Cobra Armored Assault set was probably the best one out of the first wave of Kre-O product. It came with a great classic Joe character, a cool Cobra vehicle and a pair of Cobra blueshirts. While I’ve used the blueshirts on with a couple of other sets, I have yet to talk about the
Read moreThe 2002 Alley Viper was available in two fun flavors. At the time of their release, I picked up just a few. Although army building had gained popularity in the early 2000s, I didn’t feel obligated to track down dozens of copies of the same. I did however place a focus on making up squads of Cobra troops. For a
Read moreGI Joe has a long history of astronaut tie-in toys, dating back to 1966. It only stands to reason, as the 1960s were the space decade. Just a few years after the introduction of the moveable fighting man, Hasbro produced a space capsule and astronaut set. Later iterations were more fanciful, and by the 1990s, the small scale GI Joe
Read moreThe Valor vs. Venom years saw some of the most prolific release in volume of GI Joe figures. I bought every single one of them, even the special discount store offerings. Why? I suppose I was making up for lost time as a collector. Having been buying Joes again first-hand for just a few years as an adult at the
Read moreby KansasBrawler Hands down, the figure I was most looking forward to out of the Defense of Cobra Island set was the Alley Viper. I have fond memories of that orange and blue urban assault trooper and Hasbro really ran with the ball there. However, and this surprises me most of all, that version of the Alley Viper didn’t make
Read moreThe multi-pack figure concept has been a huge part of the Lanard CORPS! marketing strategy for most of its history. A cursory search for carded figures often turns up three packs, eight packs and even twenty-four packs. Yep, at one point, you could buy twenty-four CORPS! figures in one fell swoop. Amazing. The line continues to throw numerous repackagings at
Read moreby KansasBrawler Figures like Cutter are what really killed me about the 25th Anniversary line. I loved Cutter growing up (though my only version was the really awesome D.E.F. version). The figure I had was great and reading his filecard, I found out he and I shared a birthplace. That was really awesome to my kid brain and it’s still
Read moreWith all the focus on the Crimson Guard as an elite force of Cobra soldiers, it’s a bit surprising that the group didn’t get another official officer figure until this Toys R Us exclusive. Part of the Senior Ranking Officer sets, it’s a flashier repaint of the 25th Anniversary CG mold. The same year saw the release of a silver
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