“Cobra has unleashed a crushing blow to the earth, dumping tons of hazardous toxic sludge into the environment in their quest for world domination. GI Joe and Cobra are armed with all new, sophisticated water launching armaments with exciting color-change Eco-suits! Even now the future of the earth hangs in the balance!” Such was the story of the Eco Warriors,
Read moreGI Joes were produced in many countries across the world. Argentina, Brazil and the UK just to name a few. One of the most prolific and longest running producers outside of the US was India. The Funskool company released figures from the 80’s through the 2000’s. In the beginning, there were straight releases identical to their US counterparts. As the
Read moreThe 90’s Joes often catch flak for their outrageous color schemes, wonky gimmicks and myriad sub-lines. There’s no denying the shift from subdued traditional military colors as the 80’s ended and the 90’s rolled on, and Hasbro’s throw-gimmick-at-wall-and-see-what-sticks mentality didn’t always succeed. However not everything from the time is all bad for the collectors who like their figures more realistic
Read moreNo this isn’t a custom action figure from Friday the 13th Part 17: Jason Goes to Alaska. It’s Frostbite, from the 1993 Battle Corps series. 1993 was one of the most prolific years for Joe releases. By this time, the line had been broken up into so many different sub-groups, it could make your head spin. Battle Corps was the
Read moreThe 2009 GI Joe movie gave rise to what I feel is a mixture of lackluster (most of the Dukes), downright fugly (Cover Girl) and a few interesting figures. The movie line carried over the weaknesses in the film’s costume design. That is, most of the Joes in the film were outfitted with similar uniforms. One of the biggest strengths
Read moreThe GI Joe collectors convention. So much to say, so little time. The annual gathering of Joe collectors of all stripes is for me sometimes equal parts fun and frustration. Most of the frustration from being unable to attend each year, as well as the high cost of the exclusive figures and vehicles offered there. The price for admission to
Read moreI’m not afraid to say it–I love the 90’s Joes as much as the earlier figures. Detractors of the era talk about the color schemes, departure from pure military style and overabundance of action features. I prefer to dwell on the positives; color schemes, departure from military style and action features. This release of the Cobra Alley Viper epitomizes the
Read moreOkay, I talked about Big Brawler, and at the time I thought he had the worst Joe code name. I still think he does. It’s generic and ridiculous at the same time. When looking through candidates to write about next, Skidmark’s name struck me as the best unintended double-entendre code name. Make up your own joke here… Skidmark, in collector
Read moreWhat is the one specialty you’d think wouldn’t be represented in a military toy line like GI Joe? How about a reporter? This is Scoop, the Joe team’s combat information specialist. Field reporters have been no strangers to American combat ops. However one wouldn’t expect it in a covert outfit like GI Joe. Scoop was part of the late 80’s
Read moreWhy do I find clear action figures so fascinating? Is it because you can see all of the inner structures, like the visible man model from grade school science class? Or is it because it looks like candy? The Electric Eel looks like it’s made from an apple Jolly Rancher. Mmmmm, apple Jolly Rancher… Maybe I shouldn’t be writing on
Read more