After almost three years of daily GI Joe blogging, I’ve decided that a format change is in order. While I’ve enjoyed traveling the breadth and depth of the brand, things have gotten a bit stale for me. I felt like I needed a more dynamic focus, and wanted to look at my favorite toy line from a new perspective. At
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Forest Fox, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is a utility attack vehicle set for the G.I. Joe team. In its primary mode, the Forest Fox is a general-purpose attack vehicle that seats two figures in the cab, with standing room for more in the back. It’s
Read moreby KansasBrawler The Slaughter’s Marauders sub-team was a big part of my childhood. Between the two of us, my brother and I had the entire group, which was pretty unusual. Plus, it allowed me to get access to some figures (like Mutt & Junkyard) who I liked from the cartoon but missed the original releases. However, the choices Hasbro made
Read moreThe silent weapons master of Ninja Force is also the most talkative member of the group. It’s not the last time the team would play the irony card. Witness Bushido, the samurai helmeted snow ninja. No matter what you think of the Ninja Force concept, props must be given for the first year’s eclectic mix of personalities, uniform design and
Read moreAll black Snake Eyes figures are things of beauty to me. There’s something great about the simplicity of that first figure from 1982, clad in just one cast shade of black plastic. Through the years, there have only been a handful of figures to go this route, one of which I’ve covered here before. The Target exclusive Rescue Mission boxed
Read moreIn 2014, the year of GI Joe’s 50th anniversary, what sort of figures are being released to pay tribute to the brand’s 1960s origins? Well, none to speak of. In fact, the only homage toys celebrating the first generation of Joes, outside of a Collectors Club convention exclusive offering, are Kreons based on 1970s figures. More than a bit of
Read moreKamakura had quite a bit of exposure during the 2000s relaunch line. In just three years, he had three small figure releases, plus a 12 inch figure. His first version, the dreaded banana headed, Action Attack monstrosity, stands as one of the downright goofiest figures of the era. This one succeeded it, and improved upon its unfortunately masked predecessor. Included
Read moreThe Kre-O love train just keeps rolling on. In the midst of so much angst about the status of the GI Joe brand, these little guys (and now gals) are tiny bricky bits of happiness. The overt cheeriness of the Lego-esque Joe world is a welcome counterpoint to all the doom, gloom and outright speculation about GI Joe’s future. Wave
Read moreby KansasBrawler Every time a new wave comes around, there’s a dangerous temptation to name a new figure the best version of its character ever. During the Pursuit of Cobra line, Hasbro had this tendency to make an amazing version of a figure in one wave and then just a couple waves down the line make something even more amazing.
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Depth Ray, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is part of the tradition of small G.I. Joe submarines such as 1984’s SHARC, Barracuda from 1992, and the Polar Shark from the Rise of Cobra film of 2009. In its primary mode, the Depth Ray is a submarine
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