By Past Nastification Why is a Flash Gordon figure here- on a GI Joe website? Because it’s pointless to ignore such a beautifully sculpted 1:18 scale figure that easily could have been used as a civilian back in early 80’s, that’s why! Introduced by Mattel in 1979, Dr. Zarkov is the only Flash Gordon figure which could pass as Joe-compatible,
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Imagine a time when a few toy lines were so popular that other manufacturers created product not only to capitalize on the popularity of superstar toys, but also advertised them as being compatible with their competitors. Remco was very good at adapting existing properties into lines that could “work with” other popular series. Sgt. Rock was a prime choice to
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By Past Nastification A few military themed toylines, such as Remco’s Sgt. Rock and Mego’s Eagle Force arrived just ahead of GI Joe A Real American Hero. Another toyline arriving in 1982 alongside or immediately after GI Joe was Porto Play’s Military One line. Working under the assumption that a toyline would take a year to go from first inspiration
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The title of this entry is a little unwieldy, no? However I thought it important to convey as much information about the figure as possible in the heading, as there’s a lot to unpack. Lanard, makers of the perennial GI Joe me-too line The CORPS! are no stranger to knocking off whatever may come along in the toy aisle or
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By Past Nastification This is the HR-14, the Rapid Deployment Force version of the Tonka Hand Commander Turbo Prop. Like the RDF figures, it’s a simple repaint of an already existing Tonka Play People vehicle to make a military version, sold to ride the GI Joe wave. Or, at least that’s what I believe it to be. I talked about
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Lanard’s Ultra CORPS! series of twelve inch figures has had something for almost everyone. If you’re into straight military style outfits and accessories, you’re covered. If you like the adventure side of things, that’s an option as well. If the modern army and character vibe of 1980s GI Joe floats your boat, the line includes a variety of them also.
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By Past Nastification Some of you hate Coke and love Pepsi… or vice-versa. I respect that. As someone who simply appreciates sugar-laden carbonated liquids for the delicious empty calorie beverages they are, I’m happy to drink either one. In terms of holding a larger spot in the public’s nostalgic heart, it’s hard to not see Coke as the winner. Pepsi
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Hey, it’s the Big Game today here in the US–not that I really care, since my hometown team, in typical fashion, whizzed it down their leg in their first playoff game. Anyway, I came across the following comic when perusing auctions a while back and was amazed to see a familiar name in the issue of NFL Super Pro. And
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By Past Nastification The Adventure People predated GI Joe’s A Real American Hero 1982 rollout by several years. They provided great “civilian” figures for the Joes to rescue. As best I can find, this figure’s name is Jeff, from the 1977 TV Action Team news van playset. In 2017, it’s unbelievable that a toy company once thought that an action
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The Big Jim series from Mattel is endlessly interesting to me. What started out in in the 70s as a toyline in a pure adventure/sports vein morphed into a spy series full of crazy characters (with some package art provided by Jack Kirby!) and continued well into the 80s with heavy sci-fi elements. If you dig into its history, you’ll
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