Arctic Trooper (Code Name: Snow Job)
What a winter it’s been here at JAD HQ! With snow storms, ice storms, sleet, freezing rain, graupel (look it up) and many, many snow days for the kids, Mother Nature has served up a winter that takes me back to my youth. We’re no strangers to snow in these parts, but it seems as the decades have gone by, the white stuff just hasn’t been falling as regularly as I remember. In the 80s, winter was the time to bust out Hoth Luke, Leia, Han, and all the nameless Rebels to battle Wampas and AT-ATs. Well, until 1983, when Snow Job and the Polar Battle Bear joined the fight.
Snow Job is one of the most impressively accessorized Joes in the line. With skis, poles, rifle and back pack that stores most of his gear, he’s mission-ready right out of the package. His overall look (including the beard) is a natural follow-on from older snow Joes of the 60s and 70s. Hasbro even took the homages a step further with the 25th anniversary and gave the Snow Job figure an AT logo on his sidearm holster as well as a figure-sized Pocket Patrol Pack.
I thought my Snow Job figure was a decent white until I posed him in the freshly driven snow outside the HQ. I think it gives him character, although I’m a little embarrassed at the shade of his backpack. Yikes! I’m reminded of a Zappa lyric about yellow snow when I look at it now. I really should find a clear white copy of the accessory or give it a peroxide bath whenever the sun comes back out.
”1983 Combo: Snow Job/The Polar Battle Bear Skimobile were a pair No One could not resist owning during the 2nd year of G.I.JOE (1983).”
whats this about a peroxide bath to lighten the color? Elaborate please!
Just look up peroxide yellowing on YouTube and you’ll find many different approaches. Basically it involves putting figures in peroxide and setting them in the sun or UV light for a few hours, depending on the severity of yellowing. Some say it can make plastic brittle or remove tampos, so proceed at your own risk. Oh and always wear appropriate PPE. Safety first!
like CRH says, “Safetyishournumbawonpriority!” Thanks for the info, just looked it up……seems like a tricky trade off making the plastic alot more brittle. Might be easier to just get a new figure in some cases.
An all time favorite. I missed getting the orange carded Action Force version and he wasn’t carried over into the GI Joe carded Action Force line like some of the Cobras were (I found an Orange Card Scarlett the day I bought my first Joe carded figure Alpine)
The Snowcat box taunted me by showing him front and back so he was number one on my wants list of pre US85 Joes. Spirit, and later US absentee Lowlight, got recoloured UK versions but not Snow Job.
We didn’t get the late 90s TRU figures (the Blizzard substitution still annoys me) here in the UK, and internet shopping wasn’t what it is now, so my first ownership was via the 2 pack Whiteout version in 2000 which I secured probably through a cross atlantic Transformers trade.
Fab figure
Funny how almost everyone in the cartoon was using Snow Job’s laser gun. That thing got around.
Other Joes had skis but only Snow Job got ski poles. What’s up with that?
Well, ski poles werent exactly the most exciting accessory lol. either you shoot or you scoot!