How many boxes of cereal would you buy as an adult collector in order to capture an exclusive figure? Would you have downed five boxes of Fruit Brute to get a free Membros figure? Come on, don’t be shy. If you’re a toy collector, you know you’ve done it, especially if you were collecting the Star Wars Power of the
Read moreAh, Robo-JOE. Is there any more lovable a loser to come out of the waning years of the Real American Hero era? Crazy idea, funky execution. Conceptually, I love it. The bright color and paint splatter is just a bonus. Maybe someday he’ll give Bulletman a run for his money in the annals of legendary GI Joe goofballs. If you
Read moreThe second year of Eco Warriors figures took things into an interesting direction with its Joe team figures. From a squad of three specifically environmentally themed operatives, year two brought the comparatively plain specialties of firefighter and deep water specialist. Both however functioned well within the concept. As much as I liked Barbecue back in 1985, his specialty seemed a
Read moreThe Sonic Fighter figures get a bad rap, don’t they? I mean, what’s the big deal with the colors or the backpacks? Don’t most world military forces accessorize in gold and wear seven foot tall backpacks? I’ve actually covered this fella a few years ago, but for some reason, I left his most important accessory out of the photo. Witness
Read moreI’m sure most Joe collectors (and toy collectors active in the 90s) remember the saga of Recalled Roadblock and his Deadly Spinning Launcher of Death and Dismemberment. The thing apparently didn’t pass muster back then, the story being it either broke easily or was too powerful, so the powers that be recalled it. Was it because Hasbro didn’t want kids
Read more1994 was a bittersweet year for this GI Joe collector. While the 30th anniversary salute was a fun tribute to the brand, the Real American Hero line also came to an end. Having just come back to collecting Joe in 1991, I was disappointed to see it exit when it did. The last mail-in of the first small Joe era,
Read moreEvery year around this time, stores of all types set up their Halloween displays, and one standby within them are costumes. It’s an amazing thing to think about, actually. As time has passed, and the old five and dime stores gave way to retail chains, the seasonal Halloween section has somehow survived. I find this quite refreshing in a world
Read moreWhat better monster to cover on Halloweek than…a mega monster? And a Pay-Doh flinging one at that? It’s the Monstro-Viper!
Read moreEver get a new shirt that you really like, and can’t wait to wear it somewhere friends and family can see, and hopefully tell you how much they like it too? If that was Grunt in 1997, he’s probably still waiting for his shirt compliments. He’ll probably be waiting another seventeen years. After his pants change debacle in 1991, he
Read moreThe European exclusive Tiger Force figures are an odd lot when held up against their domestic teammates. While there’s no argument that many of the US Tiger Force team would stand out like sore thumbs in the jungle, they were downright subdued when compared to the fellas from overseas. At first glance, you’d think old T-Rat had stolen the pants
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