Dial Tone (1994)
Dial Tone is a fan favorite who’s gotten a lot of play among Joe fans in the last year. His exclusion from the 25th anniversary line was remedied when the Collectors Club released him as 2011’s membership figure. Even better, he was also released carded at the con, and included in the new Mission Brazil set.
I think his original figure is one of the reasons he remains such an iconic Joe character. The utilitarian outfit combined with cool radio gear made for an interesting and fun figure. It also didn’t hurt that he was released three times during the vintage line, thus staying in collectors’ consciousness.
The 1994 Battle Corps version treads a line that a few other figures in the final vintage wave also managed. It seemed that the line was being pulled back from the fanciful sub groups and bright colors (yellow weapons notwithstanding) of the previous few years. 1994’s Flint, Shipwreck, Lifeline and Stalker also showed a tendency back to a more military style. The word is that 1995’s intended direction would have been even more geared back to the small Joe line’s roots.
Even though it’s made up of mostly reused parts (the head, chest and helmet are new), this figure still grabs my attention. The new helmet and chest piece presumably replace the need for the original’s cumbersome communications backpack. Such miniaturization may not have been believable in 1994, but it certainly works now. And hey, even though it’s yellow, he’s still toting his trusty original rifle. Cool.
Some of the 1994 figures were also shorted on paint apps. Dial Tone for instance has a variant which is missing the green chest highlights. Also, the head sculpt looks like he could be a character from Hasbro’s C.O.P.S. line. Maybe it’s the mustache.
I love the rich sapphire blue color used on this figure.
Color is a big determining factor for me on whether I really like a figure. It’s got to be more than just green for me.
This is my favorite version of Dial-Tone. The original figure plus his file card painted him as a weenie, but this version made him more macho. The only negative to this figure was the card art.
The comic installments running in the club newsletter has been doing a great job of reevaluating the ’86 Dial-Tone. No lameness there anymore. This and the four others ’94 BC you mentioned were the highlights of that final year. I love the original Dial-Tone figure and believe this version would rock in the ’86 version’s colors. I’m thinking black helmet with silver goggles and chest piece, plus tan, silver, black, and green accenting the uniform just like his predecessor. That would rock! It truly has been a great year for Dial-Tone and I thank both Hasbro and the fans for all the love he’s received.
Looks more like an update Tele-Viper design, at least from above the waist.
I never had this figure, but it looks pretty good. by 1994 I was only buying a few Joes and vehicles since many of them were supid looking…