Some toys are I think unfairly ridiculed. I’ve always been a fan of the underdog and the misfit, and GI Joe has had its share of goofballs and weirdos. I dig them all. I really dig Crystal Ball. As a horror fan, how could I not? He looks straight out of Hollywood’s version of Transylvania. What’s so bad about Crystal
Read moreFor me, zombies just don’t hold the same sway that the classic monsters command. Guys like Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Mummy, and Creature from the Black Lagoon are true personalities. Each has either a compelling backstory, or a driving purpose to them. Zombies work well as nameless horde type of threat, but there’s only so many times that stor
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 moreAs the GI Joe Kre-O series goes on, it seems that more and more of the blind bag figures get really interesting multi-part builds as an element of their accessory complement. The Tele-Viper’s backpack and scanner make good use of some small parts to suggest the original equipment fairly well. That’s some of the beauty of this line to me;
Read moreby KansasBrawler From the original SNAKE to the Joe Armor-Bot to the Deviant and Steel Marauader, battle mechs have always shown up in the Joe line, and I’m absolutely fine with that. I’ve always thought that they were a cool concept and it fit well with the Joe line’s slightly futuristic military vibe. Considering how long mechs have been in
Read moreI love clear plastic toys. I can’t really explain it, other than to say there’s some intrinsic coolness to the look. Along with chromed parts or a light-up feature, if I see a toy made of the wondrous material, I’ll probably buy it. My fascination with the stuff probably stems from a purchase of Remco’s Crystar back in 1983. Although
Read moreAccessories were absolutely insane during the Pursuit of Cobra line. I can’t recall getting as many interesting pieces of kit per figure since the multi-part figures of 1990. The Shock Trooper is all about options. There are different ways to display him in terms of both his defensive and offensive accoutrements. There’s a three part helmet, several traditional ranged weapons,
Read moreby KansasBrawler When the Pursuit of Cobra line was first revealed at Joe Con in 2009, I was stoked. First of all, I was getting the information first-hand at the panels. Usually I just had to read the after action reports from the various Joe sites out there. Secondly, what they were doing was a great way to keep the
Read moreHaving been a child in the 70s, I probably should have more memories about mid 70s toys than I do. I have vague memories of getting a Mego Planet of the Apes Dr. Zaius for Christmas, and I do remember having an Evel Knievel stunt set. Unfortunately, I have little to no memory of GI Joe in the 70s. I was
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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