Now, before you roll your eyes at the name, consider the figure before you. As a Lanard CORPS! character, one might expect something along the lines of a GI Joe of the 80s. Speaking of which, although this figure was released in the late 90s, it carries a real 80s vibe in terms of its modeling. The o-ring CORPS! figures
Read moreThis is the third mold of the BAT leader namesake that began first as a robot in the 90s and then later became a cyborg. This time, he’s a cyborg again. Can you tell? I found the design to be a bit chilling for a child’s toy, considering the exposed face and truly robotic looking body. Maybe I’m just sensitive
Read moreWhat 80s or 90s kid doesn’t love a little ninja in their lives? There’s got to be some reason for the appeal of them, beyond the pop cultural soup from which their popularity sprang in the 1980s. Is it the mystery of their origins, or some interest in their abilities to blend in and silently move about? Are any of
Read moreSo, three years, three Airtight figures. Do I sense a pattern? Yeah, it’s a bit lame, but I like to call back to that first JAD figure post. It was a simpler time… Someone asked once why I chose Airtight as my first subject, and my answer was that he kind of distilled for me what drew me into the
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It’s a little late in coming, but the annual podcast is now live. It also finally has a title. My Yearbook however bears little resemblance to the Marvel Comics concept, as I neither recap what’s come before or tease to the future. I just don’t have the time, folks. I wonder why? I’d like to thank everyone who participated: Dak
Read moreAs the old commercial said: here it is–the USS Flagg. Arguably the grandest playset ever made, and at least the biggest, the Flagg was the toy I think every kid in 1985 pined for the most. How could you not, based on this picture? The USS Flagg is impressive, if only considering its place in toy history, and the monumental
Read moreby KansasBrawler If you had told me during the 25th Anniversary line that the most fun I’d be having with the G.I. Joe line five years later would be a Hasbro in-house version of Lego, I would have stared at you in complete dumbfoundedness. While I’ve always loved Legos, I’ve never really thought licensed products and Lego go well together.
Read moreIt’s time for the Special Missions and Contenders! The next page of the ’85 catalog showcases the meat and potatoes of GI Joe vehicles. From jets to helicopters boats to battle platforms, they’re all here. The vertical design of the section makes for a dynamic showcase. The new rides get the most attention with inserts that call out detail and
Read moreThe small and medium vehicles (here dubbed the combat and battle series) get the spotlight in the next page of the 1985 catalog. Like the other sections, there’s a mix of old and new, and the Joes and Cobras are again cast about on the surface of a toy planet that mixes elements of Death Valley and Mars. It must
Read moreContinuing on with 1985’s GI Joe product catalog, it’s the bevy of battlefield stations, accessories, weapons and vehicles. Hasbro really had a hit with these small price point items. For me, the battle stations and accessories have been a reminder of the days of Marx toy soldiers and playsets. The accessories allowed a kid to build a battlefield on a
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