Kamakura had quite a bit of exposure during the 2000s relaunch line. In just three years, he had three small figure releases, plus a 12 inch figure. His first version, the dreaded banana headed, Action Attack monstrosity, stands as one of the downright goofiest figures of the era. This one succeeded it, and improved upon its unfortunately masked predecessor. Included
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Depth Ray, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is part of the tradition of small G.I. Joe submarines such as 1984’s SHARC, Barracuda from 1992, and the Polar Shark from the Rise of Cobra film of 2009. In its primary mode, the Depth Ray is a submarine
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Venom Striker, available as part of the second series of BTR sets in limited release in 2004, shares the name and a number of design cues with the Venom Striker from the Valor vs. Venom main toy line released in the same year. In its primary mode, the Venom Striker is a quad ATV
Read moreby Twitziller Sharing a name with both a small, futuristic one-seat helicopter that appeared in two different versions in 1990, and a desert-camouflaged re-release of the Dragonfly helicopter in 2000, the Locust is the main Joe aircraft of the BTR line. In its primary mode, the Locust is a small helicopter, resembling a Joe version of Cobra’s 1983 FANG. The
Read moreRob here first, with just a quick note. I’m proud to be bringing to you the beginning of a new series of entries by Twitziller. Today, we begin with TZ’s intro to the series, but be on the lookout for the first BTR-Ticle soon, with more to come in the future. But enough of my yakkin’–let’s boogie! It’s in our
Read moreIt’s good to see a ninja not sticking to one rigorous color scheme over his career. After all, white can get pretty boring after a while. Just look at the movie Storm Shadow. After just one film, he started to add some color blocking to his outfit. You gotta love a ninja with a little style. Released in the Ninja
Read moreHey, wait a second, I hear you say. Didn’t you just cover this guy a couple months back? Yes, I did, but this is a recolor. That’s right, the Moray came in two flavors for 2002. The same thing happened for much of the first series of the relaunch, actually. While the other holds a place of distinction for me
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Many of the o-ring style comic packs had head issues. The Joes in particular seemed to get the short end of the cranium stick. I’ve wondered if the smaller heads were a design choice, or the result of a manufacturing issue. After all, the newly designed figures of the era had more delicate sculpting and generally smaller heads. I hate
Read moreI’ve wondered about the 2001 GI Joes, with their odd renamings and new head sculpts. Remolds of Roadblock, Torpedo and even Duke were turned into new or different characters. Some of it I’m sure was due to rights issues with names, like Shockwave, whose moniker Hasbro also couldn’t apply to its Transformers brand. Creating new Joes was at least a
Read moreWhat is not to like about the original Stalker figure? I’ve covered it before, and I still hold it up as one of my favorite GI Joe figures, even among later offerings of the 80s and 90s. I think that, of all the original thirteen 1982-83 Joes, his figure stands out as truly unique. It also is the most iconic
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