A while back, Kirk Bozigian was a guest on Flag Points, and mentioned that the Hasbro Battleship Kre-O sets were basically GI Joe. Looks like someone at Hasbro listened to him. He’s also mentioned several times that kids need to be interested in GI Joe to make the brand the big success it once was. I agree wholeheartedly, and as
Read moreStore exclusives. Often times the bane of a collector’s existence. The experience of looking for an exclusive can be frustrating. Sometimes the store gets the item once or twice and it’s gobbled up before you can get there. That stinks. Sometimes the store in question isn’t located within a reasonable distance. That really stinks. Unfortunately, my hometown didn’t have a
Read moreDid I mention before that the original Zarana figure was fugly beyond belief? Maybe that was intentional but probably not, since the card art portrayed a more attractive face. I suppose she just ended up with one of those ugly 80’s female action figure heads. Zartan’s little sis was subject to the same issues years later with this figure. When Zarana
Read moreI’ve been flying my freak flag when it comes to the 90’s GI Joe toys since, well, the 90’s. It was the era in which I dove back into collecting, so the time still holds a certain fascination for me. I particularly remember the early 90’s toy treasure trove that was the Half Price Store. The GI Joe assortments from
Read moreFirefly is one of those classic figures whose original look was never done justice in the modern lines. The 25th anniversary versions had issues with the chest harness, and changed up the main weapon. The Pursuit of Cobra Firefly, while an interesting new take and a very detailed figure, obviously wasn’t meant to emulate the 1984 version. Along comes Retaliation,
Read moreIt’s been a long while since I covered a figure from Action Force, the UK’s sort-of cousin of GI Joe. The initial years of that line shared a construction style similar to Kenner’s vintage Star Wars line. Five points of articulation were common, as was a more pliable plastic. The figures have a completely different feel from the domestic GI Joe line,
Read moreI remember this figure being a real oddity and a little hard to find for a bit when it first was released. Of course, that’s relative considering that the 2000’S series seemed to be more readily available than the more modern assortments have been, and there weren’t too many other collectors (at least in my area) to compete with at the
Read moreRounding out the wonderful Sky Patrol sub-group is Altitude, the team’s recon scout. There are other GI Joes with a focus on recon, but Altitude must be the most unique. Possessing a photographic memory and excellent artistic abilities, he combines the two to create detailed drawings of his reconnaissance targets. Like other Sky Patrol members, Altitude possesses a very unique
Read moreI feel the urge from time to time to present figures that I feel just haven’t gotten their due. I like finding figures that have been overlooked among the hundreds of other GI Joes released throughout the years. There are I feel quite a few unheralded greats hiding among their more well known and well liked compatriots. Indeed, greatness can
Read moreNo, it’s not the title of a TV show in which a former baseball slugger and the computer from “2001: A Space Odyssey” team up to solve crimes. But if I had my way, it would be. The story of the relaunch of GI Joe goes that it was intended originally as a vehicle line. I think that’s apparent in
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