What happens when a survivalist’s best pair of jeans fall into a vat of radioactive sludge? He joins the GI Joe Eco Warriors, of course. Then he dons his official OSHA Inspector yellow hard hat and takes to US military bases, scouring them for negligent and willful violations of proper HAZCOM and HAZWOPER protocols. Outback used to spend his time in
Read moreWhile Shipwreck gets a lot of attention as the Joe team’s resident sailor, Topside seems relegated to being a bit player. It’s a shame that he’s not more well-known because he’s a colorful alternative to Shipwreck’s iconic, yet stereotypical, sailor look. He’s one of my favorite Joes from 1990, even though I’m not a big fan of the naval characters. Bright
Read moreOh brother, another New York ninja. Banzai is the team’s Rising Sun ninja. I have no earthly idea what that is, but he is wearing a mask that incorporates rising sun iconography, so maybe that’s it. Probably not-it just looks badass. I do wish the mask had been painted red and white, but I digress. The file card refers to him
Read moreThe presence and popularity of the 1986 Viper within Joe fandom goes without saying. The updated faceless Cobra trooper appeared more battle ready than the previous ’82-83 blueshirt, and is many a fan’s favorite army builder. The design continues to resonate into the most recent toyline. The 1994 Battle Corps figures were rife with re-dos and repaints of previously released
Read moreComic book heroes can be fickle fashionistas. Even the tried and true bigwigs like Superman and Spider-Man have had their fair share of wardrobe changes over the years. Some second string heroes like Marvel’s Wasp and Wonder Man seemed to change their outfits as often as most of us change our socks, many times only appearing in a single issue.
Read moreGliders, gliders, gliders. The soaring, looping, gliding vehicles made appearances at the beginning and end of the Real American Hero line. I had the Falcon glider as a kid, and it was loads of fun–while it lasted. Even though the glider itself bit the dust after many breakages and careful scotch tape repairs, the exclusive pilot (the legendary tan Grunt) remained. The exclusive
Read moreThink to yourself, which of the original Joes would be most likely to appear in a squad of space-borne fighters? Flash? Grand Slam? Nope. How about a machine gunner and ex-surfer. Hey, maybe that’s why they picked him. Aren’t surfers stereotypically spacey? Yeah, that’s grasping at straws. Maybe Rock N Roll was picked because of his unique look. His blonde
Read moreStalker has the distinction of being one of the Joes to see both the beginning and end of the Real American Hero line. The line really looked like it was heading back to its military beginnings with some of the 1994 offerings. Over the course of the RAH run, Stalker has had two types of looks: the beret-wearing Ranger and the
Read moreIn 1992, the sub-group mania begun the previous year continued, as two new groups appeared on toy shelves, the Drug Elimination Force and Ninja Force. Like the other groups, each one featured both packaging and action features different from the main line releases. The Ninja Force burst on the GI Joe scene with shockingly bright hot pink packaging, “real ninja action” and soft
Read moreSo here’s yet another version of the Joe team’s top sergeant. Duke garners mixed feelings amongst collectors, whether they consider themselves fans of the comic, the cartoon or even just the figures. Some can’t stand him and consider him a usurper of Hawk in the comics. I’ve never really had a big problem with Duke, and I don’t necessarily see his presence
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