With the GI Joe relaunch in 2002, the o-ring style originated in the 80s made a limited comeback. In just the first two years, the classic Viper mold (well, most of it–more on that in a minute) had been revisited five times in the mass market, and once (okay, twice if you count the fuschia fiasco) as a Collectors’ Club
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Hey kids, it’s another Kre-O minifigure. I can’t resist, they’re so darn photogenic. Besides, can you really complain about about an homage to ’84 Zartan? Especially one that carries an alternate head on its own special little handle. Weird, I know, but somehow it makes sense. All of the hallmarks of Zartan’s outfit are well represented. There’s the always amazing
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By KansasBrawler Sometimes it feels like Hasbro makes figure decisions just to spite me, or more accurately, my wallet. The 25th Anniversary Firefly figure was good, but then they released aneven better one in a comic pack with a different take on Storm Shadow just a few months later. Don’t get me wrong, I like the original Firefly, but had
Read moreThe Medi-Vipers, in the Marvel comics, were the kind of troops that made for great ancillary detail among the well-known Joes and Cobras. I had wanted a figure version since I first saw them. Though the design was obvious and the old style doctor’s reflector on the head was a bit out of date, the concept was brilliantly simple. I’m
Read moreHere’s an intriguing concept, personal bodyguards for Cobra Commander. I thought he already had them in the Crimson Guard? Anyway, this figure is a mashup in need of a little more mashing. The Range Viper head sculpt I find to be one of the oddest in the RAH line. Is the top of the helmet supposed to resemble exposed brain?
Read moreHow many GI Joe figures can you think of that have a tail? Okay, outside of animal sidekicks, I mean. And the aliens or mutant monsters of the 90’s. I honestly had forgotten that Swamp Rat had a tail until I pulled him out of his slumber at the bottom of a plastic storage tote. I’ve got to get a
Read moreAs a kid, I found the Tele-Viper to be a very lame Cobra troop. Some of my feeling was based on the sculpt, which was both plain and odd looking. Some was based on the specialty (how cool could a communication trooper be?). Some was based on the accessories (was that a Wham-O Air Blaster he was carrying) and some
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 moreWhat can I write that hasn’t been said about the Dreadnoks, some of the most iconic, colorful and well remembered GI Joe villains of the Real American Hero era? Heck, I’d venture to say they’re some of the most remembered villains of any 80’s property. At least more remembered than the likes Mon*Star, Buttons McBoomBoom, Hun-Dred or Darkstorm. I can
Read moreIn a recent episode of Flag Points, we spoke to former GI Joe marketer Kirk Bozigian about what he felt made the line great during the 80’s, and what could be done to return it to its former glory. Kirk said that in his day, the toyline was marketed in a way that made it seem bigger than in was.
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