Well, here it is folks, the original Cobra trooper. It’s taken a while. I’ve covered the weird and the wild over the last year and a half, but somehow this guy hadn’t fallen under my gaze till now. Wait a minute, isn’t the code name Cobra? Not according to the file card. Although, the early file cards were odd in
Read moreWho would’ve thought that the words memorable character and DIC GI Joe could co-exist in a sentence? They can to me, thanks to this guy. The series was crawling with lukewarm characters, due to some pretty pedestrian writing and voice acting. There were exceptions of course, and Metal-Head was one of them. Now, I have to explain that memorable doesn’t
Read moreThis figure as a concept is a nice change-up from the usual idea of what a GI Joe combat medic does. While Stretcher is a medic, and can patch up wounded troops, he is primarily known for transporting them from the field of battle. A flying platform is a nice piece of equipment to have in accomplishing that task. This
Read moreOut of all the 80’s Dreadnoks, I think Monkeywrench most resembles a regular biker gang hooligan. He doesn’t have any new wave hairstyle, funky glasses or armor plated jeans. Instead, he’s decided to accessorize with patches and bandanas. In the end, he’s not too wild looking, just a long haired dude in jeans, vest and grenade bandolier. Okay, forget what
Read moreSalvo was one of the last GI Joe characters I would have expected when the DTC line was going. With assortments that included much requested new sculpt Cobras like a basic trooper and Crimson Guard, I thought the Joes would be represented with similarly demanded individuals. It’s not that I don’t like Salvo; I think the original is one of
Read moreOver the years, Storm Shadow’s action figures have usually been outfitted in some form of his classic all-white white ninja pajamas. When the Resolute animation came along, he was given something of a redesign, but the result was still a mostly white clad ninja. Enter the 2009 comic packs, which were branded with a Resolute logo and packed with a
Read moreHow’s this for an improvement over a Cobra driver that’s as fondly remembered as any in the line? I don’t dislike the original HISS tank’s driver, but I’ve also felt like it was missing something. For an early line figure, it was impressive, but even as a kid, my excitement for it quickly faded. Maybe it was the big honkin’
Read moreThere was a time when electronics didn’t have as large a presence on the battlefield. There was a time when radios were about as sophisticated as communications got for ground troops. It should have been no surprise that among the GI Joe team of the 80’s and 90’s, the computer specialist position was mainly filled by one man: Mainframe. While
Read moreThe Real American Hero era GI Joe characters lend themselves well to the 12 inch format. The distinctive uniforms and bold concepts of both the heroes and villains are a natural for the larger scale. Details that add personality at the smaller size can be expanded upon in new ways. Wild Bill has always been known for his tendency to
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Backblast is equipped with an impressive weapon that is also unfortunately one of the most difficult to get a figure to hold while maintaining its balance. I hate to harp here, but I feel you must share my pain in getting this guy posed for a photo. I try not to use figure stands in my shots, so there’s a
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