I never had the interest to pick up this figure as a kid. Something about it just didn’t appeal to me. I think it may have been the head. It always seemed overly large. Maybe that’s just due to size of the hat. That thing is like a tent sitting on top of his head. I like the figure now,
Read moreAs the RAH line wore on into the 90’s, the vehicle molds changed from multi-part model kits to simpler, one piece bodies with a few snap-on wheels, etc. The general style also changed to a chunkier and more sci-fi oriented style. If the original focus of the line’s aesthetic was 10 minutes into the future, the later vehicles mashed the
Read moreThe second iteration of the now overused AWE Striker was the lone vehicle of the Eco Warrior Joes. It would have been nice to see a more enclosed vehicle, like the APC or the Warthog, but the Joes don’t care about getting sprayed with toxic goo on the battlefield. Ultimately, this version of the venerable Striker mold functions well as
Read moreLeave it to Destro to finally give us an enemy trooper who wears sensible pants. I wouldn’t think that tank drivers would normally wear khakis, but then again their boss is known for odd fashion choices. The Ferret sports one of the most incredible helmets in all the line. Looking like a cross between a Roman and Cylon Centurion, it
Read moreYou may think I’m crazy, or that I simply have no taste, when it comes to my appreciation of the more strikingly colored 90’s GI Joes and Cobras. Considering how many of them that I’ve already covered, I should probably pace myself. I wouldn’t want to run out of them too soon, and be forced to write about more 1982
Read moreAs the Joe team’s second undercover operations specialist, Mace looks more the part of police officer than soldier. That’s due to his original planned designation to be part of the second series of the Drug Elimination Force, or DEF. Like his teammates for that assortment, he came equipped with a decidedly cover blowing accessory, the helmet mounted missile launcher. Whereas
Read moreIs the ’86 Viper mold so popular that collectors will buy it in any flavor? Maybe so, unless the lower half has been replaced with BAT legs. Even then, the right color combo could cause a stir. Just look at the 2002 Crimson Strike Team Viper. The first ever repaint of the Viper is, at the very least, interesting. The
Read moreVarujan “Taurus” Ayvazyan or just Taurus to his friends, is a good example of the economic reuse of parts. As a member of the Slaughter’s Renegades set from the 2006 GI Joe convention, he used the same body mold as his teammates, Red Dog and Mercer. The original torso and leg mold belonged to Clutch, from the oft-ridiculed Mega Marines
Read moreWhat’s even cooler than sharks with frickin’ lasers attached to their heads? How about robotic sharks with frickin’ missiles in their mouths? Whereas the ’85 Eels were the embodiment of the early RAH line’s quasi-realistic military with a sprinkling of adventure, the later Eels evidenced the toy for the sake of toy sensibility of the line’s final years. In place of grey, black and
Read moreWhat can I write that hasn’t been said about the Dreadnoks, some of the most iconic, colorful and well remembered GI Joe villains of the Real American Hero era? Heck, I’d venture to say they’re some of the most remembered villains of any 80’s property. At least more remembered than the likes Mon*Star, Buttons McBoomBoom, Hun-Dred or Darkstorm. I can
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