By Past Nastification There are figures that I like which defy my own guidelines. For example, I largely dislike ninja figures, but yet I find the Shadow Ninja figures fun. I don’t even like the original versions of those figures. But cloudy plastic holds an inexplicable appeal. So, we know I’m not a big ninja fan. What about Head-to-Toe repaints?
Read more
There isn’t enough Mutt & Junkyard in our lives. Consider that he only had two distinct molds during the Real American Hero era, one release in the new sculpt period, and a single figure during the 25th anniversary series. He’s one of the most memorable 80s Joes, yet he hasn’t been as heavily exposed as many teammates. Heck, just look
Read more
By KansasBrawler Every team needs a communications expert and considering Battle Force 2000 was the Joe’s experimental weapons team, it made sense that they get their own communications expert so he can test out any experimental communications gear. His timing for joining Battle Force 2000 was kind of crappy, though, as he was released a year after the rest of
Read more
I am not ashamed to say that I love the Dino Hunters. I’m not taking about an ironic or hipster love, but a straightforward nerdy adult who collects toys love. And there’s not much of a nostalgia angle to it either, since my childhood Joe years were 1982-1987. No, the Dino Hunters set came around when I was in full
Read more
The Hall of Fame talking Duke was pretty impressive for its day. Although sound chip toys were all over during the 90s, most didn’t offer the kind of randomization feature included with this figure. Hasbro must have been quite confident in its potential as is featured a full page spread in the 1993 catalog. They hooked me with the toy,
Read more
By the end of the Real American Hero era, the blueprint concept had become an afterthought. Rather than being printed on the back of the instruction sheet as a dedicated item, some were stuck on the first page and others left off entirely (I’m looking at you, Cobra Rat!) While it’s a shame to see the idea watered down, I
Read more
General Hawk returned to the pegs in 1991, and his look was one of the most significant departures from established lore. After all, he was first an artillery colonel, then a field equipped general. Neither too out of the ordinary. ’91 saw him adopt a full-on Rocketman-like flightsuit and jet pack. Yikes! Never one to ride a desk, Hawk was
Read more
Lift-Ticket made his way into the modern era along with the amazing Eaglehawk helicopter, part of the Retaliation toy line. Of course, neither the vehicle or driver appeared in the film, but that’s not a bit deal. At least we got a new version of the classic Tomahawk and a nicely accessorized pilot out of the deal. Time has really
Read more
By KansasBrawler For me to like an international figure, it has to be a pretty big departure from its American counterpart. That’s why I’ve always been interested in Python Patrol Airborne and Python Patrol Ripcord and am absolutely fascinated by the international Sky Patrol figures. There’s one other international figure that has strangely caught my attention over the years— the
Read more
The 1991 international catalog is a great source of the kind of diorama setups that the US pack-in catalogs had moved away from. There’s something compelling about these toys in a simulated environment. There’s an artistry that’s missing from straight studio shots against plain backgrounds. For me, the dio catalogs evoke memories of Toho kaiju films, with their painstakingly detailed
Read more