Here’s the first offering of the Real American Hero line in the JC Penney Christmas Catalog. I find these catalog shots fascinating for several reasons: the often missing or incorrectly assembled vehicles, custom made diorama elements, and non-Hasbro accessories. This setup looks quite hastily assembled in comparison to later gorgeous displays featured in 1983 and 1984. First off, the GI
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One of the most unique aspects of the GI Joe series since its inception in the 1960s has been its attention to minute detail and mundane accessories. Sure, every fighting soldier needs a uniform, helmet and weaponry, but they also require the necessities of food, shelter and supplies. From items like canteens and mess kits in the 60s to tents
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Hasbro’s 80s and 90s GI Joes were no strangers to animal companionship. Wait, that didn’t sound appropriate. I meant animal partners. Okay, not good either. Animal sidekicks. That’s better, I think. From Freedom to Lamont, the small Joes have had a great history of being paired with members of the animal kingdom. I wonder how much of that is a
Read morePoor Dee-Jay, stuck as an extra member of the less than popular Battle Force 2000. To further add to his misery, the guy debuted and died in the same comic issue. And don’t get me started about his funky boots. Possibly the explanation for his boots lies in BF2K’s mission as a testing ground for future weapons. Somewhere in 1986,
Read moreNow I can finally be an official pilot for that shuttle I picked up at the flea market! Thankfully, this thing kinda fits my pinky finger. Now my Sgt. Slaughter figure won’t berate me every time I try to fly the Crusader around my living room. I feel like a kid who got a cool Cracker Jacks prize–back when that
Read moreBy KansasBrawler I’ve never had any special affinity for Recondo. I never had him growing up so I don’t have any real memories of him and by the time Pursuit of Cobra Recondo came out, I’d only had the Assault on Cobra Island Recondo for a short time and he really hadn’t made an impression on me. Honestly, the strongest
Read moreAction Man in the 90s became a catch-all character, working in both the spy arena as well as sports themes. I suppose that shouldn’t be too surprising, as the UK’s cousin to GI Joe also delved into sports with a footballer and cricketer. In the 90s, sports were all about extremes, and this figure showcases the decade’s focus on out-there
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What could be a better 80s comics nostalgia blast than a GI Joe comic cover released as part of Marvel’s 25th Anniversary back in 1986? The special portrait covers still stand as some of my favorite Marvel covers, and even the Joe comic got in on the act. Judging by the illustration style, I think it’s done by Mike Zeck,
Read moreAs a kid, I had only Flash (my first Joe figure) and Snake Eyes in the straight arm format. Both figures were well loved by little me. Flash’s right thumb breaking off (a side effect of putting his laser rifle in his hand a lot). Snake Eyes often accompanied me on trips to visit relatives (there weren’t a lot of
Read moreThat’s a mouthful, huh? I wanted to be able to differentiate from the other Cobra Commander figures released as part of the Retaliation line. I was actually surprised to see the Commander as a driver figure. It’s kind of an oddity, considering that named command level Cobras have usually been paired with smaller vehicles, like Serpentor and Overlord in the
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