Tollbooth (1985)

When you think of GI Joe, you usually think of epic batttles, bullets (or lasers if you’re watching the cartoon) flying and heroic daring-do. There’s also a part of every military organization (or any organization) that does its job day-in day-out outside of the spotlight and glory. I’m talking about support personnel. For every person in the field, there’s ten more in support roles; making sure equipment is in good repair, people get paid, supplies are available and transportation is possible.

Tollbooth’s specialty is the latter. He’s a combat engineer and the driver of the Joes’ bridgelayer vehicle. When fighting forces need a clear path over an insurmountable obstacle, they call in the combat engineers to either clear the way or make a way over it. Among their many roles are construction of roads and bridges, clearing and laying of mine fields and building of defensive structures.

As such, Toolbooth has a sort of military construction worker look. First off, no Village People jokes, please. I think his hard hat’s bright orange color would make him an easy target. But hey, this is GI Joe. It’s okay. This is another of the early style of slim, less detailed molds, and doesn’t have the ball jointed head of other ’85 figures. The only accessory included was a large sledgehammer.

For those in the US celebrating Labor Day, it’s important  to remember the people behind the scenes doing the jobs that we don’t always think about; the ones that allow us all to go safely and easily about our daily routines.