For me, if there’s a posterboy for goofball Joes, it’s this version of Muskrat. Yeah, I know there’s the cult of Crystal Ball, and even the Esoteric Order of Big Brawler, but those guys are also fringe weirdos for other reasons. Musky here is an everyman’s fool. The poor guy just looks damn goofy, and it’s not purely due to
Read more1985’s Airtight was the first figure I posted one year ago. He represented for me the strangeness that’s been a part of the small GI Joe line since early on in the Real American Hero line. While some have decried the use of bright colors near the end of the RAH run, I still posit that electric hues on Joe
Read moreIt’s been one year with this crazy idea of mine. I can’t believe I’m still at it. I can’t believe people read it. To celebrate the occasion, I thought I’d make a little more work for myself, and record a podcast with some friends and readers of the blog. Thanks to all who responded and to those who were able
Read moreBlack Out is one of my absolute favorite figures and characters of the new sculpt era. The 3 & 3/4 inch figure, which I’ve covered before, is as another Man in Black might say “a victim of the time.” That figure, while it isn’t without a host of issues common to the era, still intrigues me thanks to an interesting
Read moreI know what you’re thinking: another Snake Eyes–Yeesh! Well, hold fast your rage for a moment, as this is a Snakes for the ages. Okay well, maybe not quite, but it is impressive for its time. Would you believe that some of the great advances that came with the 25th anniversary series had their roots in the overlooked and often
Read moreI’m really excited to share this figure with you today. It’s the kind of later Joe figure that makes me smile. The bright primary colors of some of the 90’s figures spark some kind of basic joy for me. Maybe it’s the superhero comic fan in me. Whatever the case, I’m fascinated with the Mega Marines figures. The combination of
Read moreWhy do some villains have to look like utter fools? Was it something in their childhood that twisted their psyches like creeper vines, choking out not only the decency in their hearts, but also their ability to dress themselves appropriately? Take a look at Headman here, and tell me that any of his henchmen aren’t laughing every time he enters
Read moreThis may be unpopular to say, but the 1992 version of Ace is my favorite o-ring iteration of the Joe team’s quintessential jet pilot. Don’t get me wrong, I also have a soft spot for his original 1983 mold. But for me that figure is so closely tied to his vehicle that he seems out of place if he’s not
Read moreI won’t say too much about the Hall of Fame figures’ articulation; there isn’t much to say. With Barbie cartilage elbow and knee joints that moved about three clicks, the toys were hardly up to the standards of their forefathers in terms of movement. The series appealed to me mostly on the level of costume design. The first series for
Read moreFlint was another figure that I obtained back in the day via a trade with a grade school friend. Unfortunately, I can’t recall what or who I traded to get him. I do know that he was complete initially, but I soon lost his shotgun. Even sans weapon, Flint quickly became one of my favorite Joes, and was in a
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