Dusty (2002)

Dusty had one of the most easily recognizable designs in the vintage era, with his all-over desert camo and distinctive helmet with cloth attachment.

The new sculpt era, for all its perceived issues, got quite a few things right, especially in terms of character selection. Sure, the poster boys Duke and Snake Eyes were present, but many other familiar Joes got a chance to shine as well. Flint, Stalker, Wet Suit, Wild Bill and even Nunchuk showed up in year one. Dusty made an early appearance and managed to stick around through the end of the era with Valor vs. Venom and a second mold.

Many of the initial figures’ accessories of the time skirted the line between old and new. There were holdover molds from the Real American Hero days alongside newly created weapons and harnesses. For the most part, everything  matched up well, the only down side being the sudden Sound Attack carbunkles that sprouted from some vintage weapon molds.

Though he’s got a bit of a small head, the figure overall is a well done modern take on the old design. Taking a classic in a slightly new direction sometimes risks raising the ire of hardcore collectors, but this version acquits itself well with new features. The plastic coat piece at the waist inhibits sitting somewhat, but allows for a design of which the old o-ring molds weren’t capable. Dusty’s harness was reused a few times during the period, and it’s thin enough to not add too much bulk to his torso. Was the new sculpt era the real proving ground for today’s removable web gear?