As much furor as we’ve seen in the Joe fandom from the reduced articulation of the new movie figures, it pales in comparison to the epic T-crotch hissy fit of 2002. I still find it amazing that Hasbro so quickly did an about-face on the articulation of the GI Joe relaunch back then. It’s interesting to remember the angst about the
Read moreI thought in honor of Father’s Day, I’d cover a figure that’s not only the father of all subsequent GI Joe figures, but also the father of all toys that could be considered “action figures”. I don’t pretend to know 1/100th of what’s known of the history of the original GI Joe, but that doesn’t keep me from appreciating its
Read moreWhile I wasn’t the biggest fan of the 25th anniversary line, with its hit and miss updates of vintage figures, I did find a few figures that really struck my fancy. Most of the figures I enjoyed were either new characters or designs that hadn’t been a part of the RAH line. The rehashing of old figures into new articulation
Read moreAnyone up for an intense baseball analogy today? No? Well, too bad, because here’s Hardball, the Joe team’s grenadier. The baseball references are so thick here, its hard to see much else in the midst of them. He’s wearing a jersey and cap. Fine, no big deal. His name sounds suspiciously similar to that of the supposed inventor of baseball.
Read moreDuring the Joe A Day podcast special, one of the readers brought up last year’s Nice Pants theme week. While I’m not quite ready to dig up that old chestnut, I was drawn hypnotically to another movie figure’s dungarees while sifting through my storage bins. Sgt. Stone made a controversial appearance (to me, at least) in the Rise of Cobra.
Read moreFor me, if there’s a posterboy for goofball Joes, it’s this version of Muskrat. Yeah, I know there’s the cult of Crystal Ball, and even the Esoteric Order of Big Brawler, but those guys are also fringe weirdos for other reasons. Musky here is an everyman’s fool. The poor guy just looks damn goofy, and it’s not purely due to
Read more1985’s Airtight was the first figure I posted one year ago. He represented for me the strangeness that’s been a part of the small GI Joe line since early on in the Real American Hero line. While some have decried the use of bright colors near the end of the RAH run, I still posit that electric hues on Joe
Read moreI know what you’re thinking: another Snake Eyes–Yeesh! Well, hold fast your rage for a moment, as this is a Snakes for the ages. Okay well, maybe not quite, but it is impressive for its time. Would you believe that some of the great advances that came with the 25th anniversary series had their roots in the overlooked and often
Read moreI’m really excited to share this figure with you today. It’s the kind of later Joe figure that makes me smile. The bright primary colors of some of the 90’s figures spark some kind of basic joy for me. Maybe it’s the superhero comic fan in me. Whatever the case, I’m fascinated with the Mega Marines figures. The combination of
Read moreThis may be unpopular to say, but the 1992 version of Ace is my favorite o-ring iteration of the Joe team’s quintessential jet pilot. Don’t get me wrong, I also have a soft spot for his original 1983 mold. But for me that figure is so closely tied to his vehicle that he seems out of place if he’s not
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