It seems no major Cobra player was safe from the swift pen of redesign and sub-team reallocation at the end of the first Real American Hero line. If they weren’t being placed into robotic spacesuits, they were painted in bright hues or transplanted as ninjas. Such is the case with Zartan. I really can’t fault them for sticking to the
Read moreWhat happens when a survivalist’s best pair of jeans fall into a vat of radioactive sludge? He joins the GI Joe Eco Warriors, of course. Then he dons his official OSHA Inspector yellow hard hat and takes to US military bases, scouring them for negligent and willful violations of proper HAZCOM and HAZWOPER protocols. Outback used to spend his time in
Read moreIf you asked ten year old me who my favorite Joe figure was, I probably would have said the name of the latest figure I had gotten. Yeah, even back then I could find something to like about each one. For a while around Christmas 1983, Airborne was my favorite. ’83 was the year that I really got into Joes,
Read moreBlowtorch was one of the first figures of 1984 that I was excited–and I mean really excited–to get. I was also excited to find out what the figure’s code name was. At the time, I hadn’t yet bought any vehicles or accessories for the year and thus didn’t know any code names for the new figures. After all, it was
Read moreWhile Shipwreck gets a lot of attention as the Joe team’s resident sailor, Topside seems relegated to being a bit player. It’s a shame that he’s not more well-known because he’s a colorful alternative to Shipwreck’s iconic, yet stereotypical, sailor look. He’s one of my favorite Joes from 1990, even though I’m not a big fan of the naval characters. Bright
Read moreHoly cow! It’s the Sarge without a tank top and whistle! And he’s wearing a removable hat to boot! Awesome! With this figure, Sgt. Slaughter finally looked more like a Joe than a wrestler. His military look brings to mind his few appearances in the Marvel comic, in which he was outfitted in simple camo fatigues, and was also shown
Read moreButt-ugly. That’s the shortest and most apt description I can think up for this figure. Most of it just doesn’t work for me. From the lack of paint details, to the Lord Dread meets Doc Terror helmet, it’s bland yet ugly at the same time. And the face–yikes! Now I know why the helmet obscures it. Hot Seat has the ugliest 3
Read moreAs redesigned Joes go, Rock & Roll is one of my favorites. The mold manages to take what was iconic about the original figure and create something that’s more than just a change of color. Though the old crossed bandoliers are gone, the look is replicated with straps on the chest and waist. The later 80’s more sizable chest and
Read moreOh brother, another New York ninja. Banzai is the team’s Rising Sun ninja. I have no earthly idea what that is, but he is wearing a mask that incorporates rising sun iconography, so maybe that’s it. Probably not-it just looks badass. I do wish the mask had been painted red and white, but I digress. The file card refers to him
Read moreThe presence and popularity of the 1986 Viper within Joe fandom goes without saying. The updated faceless Cobra trooper appeared more battle ready than the previous ’82-83 blueshirt, and is many a fan’s favorite army builder. The design continues to resonate into the most recent toyline. The 1994 Battle Corps figures were rife with re-dos and repaints of previously released
Read more