Long Arm (2008)
I may not be at JoeCon, but that won’t stop me from remembering past sets. I’ll try not to be too much of an old curmudgeon.
Time and again its been said about many a 90’s figure: repaint this guy in a decent color and you’ll get a great figure. The Collectors Club was doing just that with some of its con sets.
I still lament the fact that the old construction style is gone. I know it’s cliched to say, but the latest sets, based on the modern style, just don’t hold a lot of excitement for me. With recent cons, I’ve gone from thinking: what will the theme be, and what old molds will be reinvigorated, to what popular group will get a modern interpretation? Granted, the Joes from the set that included Long Arm weren’t new characters, but they also weren’t a group that one would quickly think of. That’s what I think has been missing from the last few con sets.
But let’s look at the figure itself. Long Arm’s original color scheme was never a big issue for me. But this repaint really revitalizes the mold, especially with its painted details. The contrasting paint scheme brings out the padded elements of the bomb squad suit. You also can’t go wrong with a full helmet Joe, especially one who’s not a pilot of some sort. The full helmeted Joe figures, mostly astronauts and pilots, made for a distinctive look. Long Arm’s additional contrasting paint scheme brings out details previously lost in a mass of orange plastic.
The figure also gets an amazing accessory complement. The bomb squad robot and IED case are fantastic and well thought out inclusions, and the modern rifle also adds a nice updated element to the figure. Absolutely one of my favorite con exclusive figures.
I never thought this repaint made this fig that much better, I like both versions equally.
Don’t forget the uniqueness of the bomb robot he comes with–it was to come with a never-released Sigma Six version of Short-Fuze.
I was about to ask where the robot came from. I really enjoyed the one that came with Tunnel Rat, but I had a feeling it wasn’t unique to him.
It also came with the ROC Tripwire from the Wal-Mart Outpost Defender reissue.
Is that head sculpt an homage to Brendan Fraser, or a moussed-up Tom Hanks?
I want to like this figure but the hands ruin him. Too bad as this should be one of the great figures of the modern era. But like so many others he is still flawed.
How do the hands ruin him? because they are mostly bare?
It’s my understanding that some bomb disposal people don’t wear gloves because if what they are working on detonates, odds are their fingers are done for, gloves or not. They’d rather keep the manual dexterity than have near-worthless protection of gloves.
This is what it was all about. I normaly prefer new characters to repaints every time but this is a classic reworking.
Agreed on all counts. Long Arm’s helmet should have been used for ’89 Countdown since that figure’s helmet sucked eggs. The paint work and accessory on this guy makes him worthy of a single card release. I hope he gets a 25th style version in the near future.
I wish hasbro brought back o-ring figures. Though I have a sizeable collection of moden era, o-ring figures have a certain charm that can’t be denied. You could put this guy along with your vintage display, and he’d fit right in!
A great mold!
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