Sgt. Stalker (2004)
Stalker is one of the Joes who I think becomes too hemmed in by his original design. Sure, the first figure was iconic, but after a while it’s nice to see something different. He has had a few redesigns over the years, but Hasbro still seems to go back the all-camo well with Stalker. While I enjoyed the deviaton of the second version’s tundra ranger look, it was obviously too environment specific for regular use.
That changed with the new sculpt era. The first new Stalker of the period was outfitted in a high collared field jacket that gave him a new sort of dashing look. This version takes that concept and turns it into a more functional, less bulky uniform.
The sculpt, along with many others of the time, falls short in a few areas. Proportions are problematic in spots, particularly the small head and hands. He’s also victim of thunder thighs, though I shouldn’t complain too much, as big legs continued to show up even in the 25th anniversary line. I wonder why that happens? Is it a production or a design problem? Who knows? By the way, it takes a real badass to rock a man purse.
That’s no man-purse if it hangs from the waist. I think the head could’ve used a little more sizing up, and the yellow on the arms is a bad color idea. His head was later used for the 2006 DTC Joe Colton.
The yellow alone ruins it for me. Otherwise, the purse could be viewed as a pouch or something you’d see sculpted on a backpack. The worst thing about the new sculpt era are those wacky proportions.
I wonder why the proportions were a big problem? Was it on the designer’s part? Or something else?
Bad sculpt.
Seems like a Talking Battle Commander update to me (without the big pack). They added the cliches of the era, fore-arm guards, the open collared jacket, two-tone pants and pointless GI JOE logo.
In terms of not straying from his original designs, Stalker usually wears a beret, if not that then one of those caps, but usually a beret even if he has 3 feet dreadlocks. A hatless Stalker would be something to see.
This release had those rubbery fore-arms for better or worse.
Also they later used his head in “white face” for JOE COLTON.