Mutt & Junkyard (2008)
The 25th anniversary series mainly appealed to me as a way to obtain some of the old card art without paying out the wazoo for them. Card art was probably as big a factor for me in what made GI Joe stand out from other toy lines as the figures themselves. The individual portraits were eye-catching and held the promise of the action that was to come when you’d open the package, and Mutt was one of my favorites.
Mutt quickly became one of my favorite figures when I picked him up in 1984. I had first seen him in the Marvel comic, and liked both his look and personality. Junkyard seemed to really have a mind of his own in that first issue, an interesting departure for the expected K-9 and handler relationship.
Mutt has thunderous thighs. They’re really distracting, compared to the rest of the figure, and made what could have been a great new version of the old figure somewhat of a disappointment. The rest of the figure is very nicely done, and most all of the old elements are well represented in the new style. I’m particularly glad to see his vest made in a way that fits well without being too bulky. His gloved left hand, one of the coolest elements of the old figure, even gets an improvement with more detail and a swivel wrist.
Mutt was always a great figure as far as accessories, and this one is as well. The original Mutt’s helmet and muzzle were a great combo, but the muzzle was bulky when attached around the helmet. The new version remedies that by incorporating a snap-on muzzle that can also easily slide down to reveal the figure’s face. The classic MAC-10 is given a great new update. That weapon was one of my favorites in the old line, and the added detail makes it a standout again. Mutt is almost as cool as his old card art.
I remeber back in the day, my Mother bought a Zarana [she was a shelfwarmer to rival Crystal ball in my area] for my sister and a Flak viper for my Brother so they could play Joes with me. I dont remeber how but i managed to wind up with a V1 Mutt & Junkyard when i was 7 [in 1993] Anyway. There was always a huge fight between my little brother and sister over who got to be Junkyard. They cared more about the dog than anything else.
I have since managed to replace my V1 Mutt but he is missing Junkyard. At the moment he’s having to make do with a horribly miscast dog from a dollar store set of soldiers
I’ve always loved Mutt and Junkyard. My only version growing up with the Slaughter’s Marauders version, but it really sold me on the character and the figure. The filecard was excellently written and made him seem really cool and adept. I’d not noticed his big thighs until you pointed it out, but it’s true, however I don’t know if it breaks the figure for me as much as it does you. I really liked that they took everything cool about the original Mutt and Junkyard and cranked it up to 11–from the great dog training glove and his vest to Junkyard himself. The detailing is great and he’s a great update to a classic favorite of mine.
I got this figure (my first Mutt and Junkyard) a year or so after it came out, at a TJ Maxx. I don’t mind the thighs at all, I’m just glad I was able to get it for $4.99.
Mutt and Junkyard were the first figure/pet sidekick combination in the line’s history and remain my favorites in this category. Hasbro did a great job updating the ’84 original to the modern style, right down to the accessories. Easily one of the highlights in the 25th Anniversary series.
When it comes to card art, it doesn’t get any better than vintage style. I wish Hasbro had kept it going for good, especially in wake of current hideous packaging such as the Retaliation cards. Going without file cards is absurd when you consider how integral they were to the vintage line’s success. In fact, I strongly recommend picking up old full cards off eBay to go with any new classic figure updates such as Mutt since the quality of the 25th line cart art barely matches the vintage material.
@Clutch My Mothers favorite animal handler is Croc master [i think thats because her favorite Bond film is Octopussy which has a crocodile boat in it]
my Dad dropped out of highschool at the age of15 with a low literacy level but he managed to become an aircraft mechanic. He never expressed much interest in reading but he used to love reading the Joe file cards and telling me all about the different weapons and hardware mentioned and how they worked.
I wonder how many parents have been confused by the Retaliation card art? If a kid asks their parents to pick up a Roadblock then Mum and or Dad are going to pick up the card wwhich has Roadblocks portrait. Wonder if there were any 7 year olds who wanted a Roadblock for their birthday present only to get Lady Jaye instead? Not that i have anything wrong with Lady Jaye its just that young boys arnt too keen on toys of girls.
Cool action figure!
Version1 looked meaner somehow!
@Skymate – I might have a spare V1 Junkyard somewhere in a parts bin but no collar or lead…
@Dekkard
Thats awfully kind of you but you dont need to go to that much trouble
@Skymate – no worries – probably not worth the trans-global shipping 🙂
@Dekkard
Thanks anyway. It would be a bit much just for a little toy dog [especially from the other side of the world] I’ll find a replacement. Local swapmeets this weekend. I always manage to find stuff there.
Not a bad looking figure and as usual, the best part is Junkyard.