Rock ‘N Roll (1983)
There are so many ’82-83 Joes that to me seem so iconic, I have a hard time deciding which one would be my choice to be the definitive early figure. Sometimes I think it’s Grunt, other times it’s Flash or Clutch, or even Snake Eyes. Then again, it could be Rock ‘N Roll. I guess I’ll never decide.
Even though those first few Joes were made up of so many common parts, some individuality was still worked into the assortment. Whether it was differences in uniform and detail color, accessory complement, or a special torso mold, each figure had its own little touches to stand out from the others. Rock ‘N Roll got the best of all three.
As a kid, I don’t think I realized right away that his uniform was a deeper shade of green than teammates like Grunt. Perhaps I just wasn’t too observant. I did take notice of his mold differences, notably the crossed bandoliers. I know that Grunt showed up on a lot of early packaging as a kind of “face” of GI Joe, but Rock ‘N Roll had a more instantly recognizable appearance. There was no mistaking the guy as military, but that touch of individuality spoke to me as something much more interesting than the green plastic army men of old.
He also came equipped with the coolest rifle of all the orignal team, and it had two pieces! Of course, I lost the bipod early on. I also broke his thumb fairly quickly in an attempt to hold the rifle with the stock tucked under the arm. It didn’t help that the first RnR I acquired was a straight arm. Live and learn.
Let me guess–this is a new one you later got. (Also, is that an accessory pack helmet?….)
It’s funny, but I always thought that the color of the uniforms was an almost darker gray–then again, it could be the lighting.
I love the original Rock ‘N Roll. It’s very difficult to choose one Joe from the Thirteen Founders, but Rock ‘N Roll would be up there among the top five. He has an awesome look and his file card makes him the most likeable guy around. I always thought of his colors as being closer to Grand Slam, somewhat more gray than green as Acer noted.
The blond beard gives him lots of character. Gotta love the machine gunner in any squad as well. I did lose the tripod early on as most kids of the era, but what a great figure! Rock ‘N Roll always took part in my missions and I dug his portrayal in the comic. I usually paired him up with Zap. With the firepower these two guys packed, my Joes were practically unbeatable!
@Acer
Definitely an AP helm!
Great figure! Iconic G.I.JOE member, since early comics (Hot potato)!
“Hot Potato” made me a fan of the guy. One of the first great RNR stories.
This Rock n Roll was my very first GIJoe figure and I still love it. There was magic in the Original 13 from 1982!!
I love the original 13.Rock ‘N’ Roll was a definite favorite.That machine gun of his was iconic. At least the accessory pack helmet is a green color (maybe forest?) Speaking of those,I always wondered why Hasbro just didn’t stick to the original accessory colors,I didn’t like the greys and browns and odd greens of the early packs, but the light blues and reds of the latter packs was just ridiculous!