Leatherneck (2001)
Leatherneck? Really? Though I generally enjoyed the 2001 series of figures, this one strikes me as quite a lazy attempt at creating something new. Just one year before, the entire ’92 Duke mold was re-released. To repurpose the top half, slap on a new head, and give him Roadblock’s pants just makes me wonder if they really even cared on this one. Calling it Leatherneck makes even less sense.
To look at the figure, one would think it was meant to be a newly created generic character along the lines of a greenshirt. In fact, that might be the most useful purpose for this guy. Give him whatever code name you want. I’ve got a good name for him–Dukeblock.
I have the Zartan from the same period. I mean i have the S.A.W viper with Zartans head
He looks more like the Channing Tatum Duke than any other figure from the vintage era. By unhappy accident, of course.
I generally (or often have) state(d) that the 2000-2001 RAHC years were among my favorite years as a fan/ collector. The largely “green” GIJoe figures overall made for a very nice cohesive looking set in itself, not to mention A LOT of the ORIGINAL gear being right at retail, too. (Example, “Doubleblast” was an upgrade to my well-used ’84 Roadblock, and the first time I had the big machine gun with the entire long barrel intact!)
Does anyone happen to know of a picture online of the complete 2000 and/or 2001 RAHC figures and vehicles together? (I’ve seen the trees, in a sense, and would like to see the forest 😉 )
Leatherneck here didn’t get much of the love I had for these years, however. First, I agree, it’s NOT Leatherneck. I really dig the torso/ Duke vest, best part of that figure. Past that, I haven’t cared much for those Duke arms from the original figure, and I didn’t like them here. The skinny Duke pants really did not “match” the more detailed and muscular torso that sat on top of them.
I dug getting the Duke Rifle and knife with this figure, though, as my original ’92 Duke accessories disintegrated like a candy bar.
This Leatherneck got cannibalized for his vest here, the arms and head were too light toned to match up with anything else.
@ Scott. Check out halfbattle.com.You’ll find those pics you were looking for.As for this figure, I think you’re being unduly harsh. I like it. Who cares what Hasbro says his name is? 🙂
Figure could’ve been anybody, maybe it should’ve been Grunt. I assume they wanted to two Marines in a pack and had no old Leatherneck molds, so they made this guy to go with Gung-Ho. I bet they based the head on a Hasbro employee.
I wish they were still making the ARAHC. The skin tones were closer to vintage, the heads weren’t tiny, the chests didn’t crack mysteriously (comic pack figures have that problem). But vintage collectors were tossed aside, we can only expect fan creations to fill our o-ring wants now.
I’d plan on getting two of them, one for customs use. I’ve used a head to replace the one atop the loose 1993 mail-away Major Altitude, to give him a distinct face. I would then give the rifle and knife to the 2000 Duke, since he didn’t come with anything aside from his helmet. I’ve seen customizers use this head for both RAH-style Barrel Roll and Blackout customs.
A nice “combat Hawk”…maybe. But not our Leatherneck!
😉
By the time of wave IV the line was dead. Too many of the same figure and colors. The arahc had some great figures. But guys like this lessened the impact of high quality repaints like duke and sidetrack.
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