Surprising that it took a few years to get round to another version of the Crimson Guard. Then again, probably not surprising, as the fascination with the elite troops I think is largely part of the older collector consciousness. I don’t recall my friends and I being overly enamored with the original Crimson Guard back in the day. As a
Read moreAs the RAH line wore on into the 90’s, the vehicle molds changed from multi-part model kits to simpler, one piece bodies with a few snap-on wheels, etc. The general style also changed to a chunkier and more sci-fi oriented style. If the original focus of the line’s aesthetic was 10 minutes into the future, the later vehicles mashed the
Read moreThe second iteration of the now overused AWE Striker was the lone vehicle of the Eco Warrior Joes. It would have been nice to see a more enclosed vehicle, like the APC or the Warthog, but the Joes don’t care about getting sprayed with toxic goo on the battlefield. Ultimately, this version of the venerable Striker mold functions well as
Read moreYou may think I’m crazy, or that I simply have no taste, when it comes to my appreciation of the more strikingly colored 90’s GI Joes and Cobras. Considering how many of them that I’ve already covered, I should probably pace myself. I wouldn’t want to run out of them too soon, and be forced to write about more 1982
Read moreAs the Joe team’s second undercover operations specialist, Mace looks more the part of police officer than soldier. That’s due to his original planned designation to be part of the second series of the Drug Elimination Force, or DEF. Like his teammates for that assortment, he came equipped with a decidedly cover blowing accessory, the helmet mounted missile launcher. Whereas
Read moreWhat’s even cooler than sharks with frickin’ lasers attached to their heads? How about robotic sharks with frickin’ missiles in their mouths? Whereas the ’85 Eels were the embodiment of the early RAH line’s quasi-realistic military with a sprinkling of adventure, the later Eels evidenced the toy for the sake of toy sensibility of the line’s final years. In place of grey, black and
Read moreIn the 90’s, I frequented the Half Price Store as part of my regular action figure hunting rounds. The store was a sort of close-out seller, much like Big Lots. Back in the early to mid 90’s, they regularly closed out Hasbro and other toy makers’ stock from the previous year. I can still picture the large deep bins holding
Read moreSo Flint finally got out from under Duke’s smirking shadow, and was assigned to head up the Eco Warriors. He’s not the first person I would think of to lead the group. Airtight would have been my first choice, but he’s not a top tier character like Flint. The file card doesn’t make any ado about specialized hazmat training to
Read moreLike all of the ’97 Bronze Bomber figures, paint applications are at a minimum. The lack of detail color really strikes me with this figure, since the Strato-Viper mold is so full of detail. The mold origin also hinders my ability to see this as anything but a repainted Strato. Of all the Joe pilot molds used in the ’97
Read moreIs it bad marketing to create a character with a name that’s unpronounceable for most westerners? It’s almost as crazy as something from a Star Wars novel. Anyway, I can’t figure out how to say the name, so I’ll just call him TJ from here on out. Sounds cool, and it reminds of TJ Hooker. Man, that was a great
Read more