Heavy Duty has been saddled with the label of Replacement Roadblock for some time. I’ve never thought of him in that way. My initial introduction to the character came from the original 1991 figure, which was still available when I came back to Joes as a collector. I simply saw him as his specialty described, rather than another Roadblock Sure,
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By KansasBrawler It’s taken me a while, but I now finally get to talk about something unusual from the 25th Anniversary line: a Duke figure that I didn’t regret getting. Yes, Resolute Duke was a 25th Anniversary line figure, but the Resolute sub-branding means I tend to place him with his Resolute brothers and sisters rather than the 25th Anniversary
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It’s not often that a turkey of an action figure, particularly one of the knock-off variety, transcends its own weirdness and circles back around to being cool. It’s also rare to find a knock-off figure that shows some kind of care (albeit offbeat and/or misguided) went into its production. Both are the case with the Power Commandos figures, which appeared
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By KansasBrawler I know a lot of people weren’t totally sold on Rise of Cobra’s interpretation of Cobra Commander. From an action figure standpoint, I’m right along with you. That figure wasn’t the greatest. What really confused me was that Cobra Commander came out in the first wave of figures, yet he barely showed up in the movie that way.
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By Past Nastification Junkyard and Freedom are the First Animals of ARAH GI Joe. Introduced in 1984, they were Hasbro’s first non-human figures in the line. As animal companions/accessories to Mutt and Spirit, respectively, they added world-building value to the Joe universe. Junkyard represented Mutt utilizing a trained working canine, whereas Freedom represented Spirit violating federal laws by keeping an
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It’s a bonus Nice Pants Week mashup with Power of Packaging! Zarana’s pants have always fascinated and confused me. Now before you think I’m some kind of weirdo, I don’t mean it in that way. I’ve just thought that both the rip in the side of the figure’s left thigh, along with the strange two-part sock/boot were strange. Is the
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Destro has always been a clothes horse and a man unafraid to outfit himself in outlandish outerwear. From his original 1980s look to the gold masked swashbuckler during his Iron Grenadier days to the infamous leopard print number, Destro stands out from the crowd. If I didn’t know better, I would think this figure started life in the Indiana Jones
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Yoga fire! Dhalsim is certainly unique among GI Joe figures, and yes this is a GI Joe figure, at least in terms of official branding. Just check out the smallish logo on the packaging. I was all-in for the StreetFighter figures, particularly the characters made up of entirely new parts. While others like Ryu and Ken were disappointing, others were
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Sightline, first released as part of the 2015 Toy R Us exclusives, was a new character based on Gary Head, noted Joe historian who passed away in 2014. This year, Joe Declassified has produced a limited o-ring version of the figure. The exclusive has been making the rounds to various Joe events throughout the year. The JAD crew attended Assembly
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Hi-Tech encapsulates most of what I enjoy about the eight inch Sigma 6 figures. A large, durable toy (especially in kid-sized hands) as well as multiple, modular accessories with sensible action features. Finally, a funky, stylized look that injected freshness into a brand that had been rejuvenating the themes and styles of previous decades. I really, really like Sigma 6.
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