The 2005 convention marked my first experience attending a JoeCon. Located in Minneapolis, it was within a reasonable driving distance from home, and the set theme had really piqued my interest. The black, red and gold of the Iron Grenadiers looked amazing, and the prospect of a new IG villain, General Mayhem, was great. I find the reveal of the
Read moreRemember when convention exclusive vehicles’ secondary market prices didn’t reach instananeous and stratospheric heights? Up until a few years ago, one could initially pick up many JoeCon items for a 20 to 30 percent mark-up. Some items from those days, like this Dreadnok Cycle, weren’t all that popular at their time of release. Today, many of the attendee exclusives seem
Read moreby Twitziller While it is commonly considered to be part of the second series of Built To Rule G.I. Joe sets, it’s a little fuzzier than that. While it was released in 2004, the Rising Tide, along with the Cobra Sand Snake, saw a wider distribution than the true series 2 sets, which were released only in a limited area
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Forest Fox, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is a utility attack vehicle set for the G.I. Joe team. In its primary mode, the Forest Fox is a general-purpose attack vehicle that seats two figures in the cab, with standing room for more in the back. It’s
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Sledgehammer, available as part of the second series of BTR sets in limited release in 2004, is a new design with a new name. In its primary mode, the Sledgehammer is a low-slung one-person mini-tank with working treads, an armored body, and a dual missile launcher with an articulated “remote” swivel mechanism. The Sledgehammer
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Night Prowler is the first of two micro sets offered in the second series of BTR in 2004. Like other second series sets, the figure is no longer visible through a clear window on the front of the box. In its primary mode, the Night Prowler is an armed go-kart or perhaps an attack
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Depth Ray, available as part of the first series of BTR sets released in 2003, is part of the tradition of small G.I. Joe submarines such as 1984’s SHARC, Barracuda from 1992, and the Polar Shark from the Rise of Cobra film of 2009. In its primary mode, the Depth Ray is a submarine
Read moreby Twitziller The Built to Rule Venom Striker, available as part of the second series of BTR sets in limited release in 2004, shares the name and a number of design cues with the Venom Striker from the Valor vs. Venom main toy line released in the same year. In its primary mode, the Venom Striker is a quad ATV
Read moreI’ve covered the legendary Funskool Super Cop figure in the past. Legendary, you say? Well, I believe he is. In fact, I think he dwells in that ratified atmosphere of greatness previously inhabited only by the likes of Big Brawler and Chinese Major Bludd. A highway patrolman who accessorizes with fur gauntlets is a bad man in my book. Super
Read moreIf my nine year old self could have seen this toy, I think my head would have exploded. There were quite a few characters, locations, vehicles in the Sunbow toon that I had wished to see on toy shelves, but this one would probably have topped my list. The MASS Device mini-series still stands out in my mind as my
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