Sgt. Topson (2009)
The 25th anniversary series began (with Pilot Scarlett) the modern line’s fascination with homages to vintage foreign release figures. The collectors club picked up the ball and ran with it in 2009’s attendee exclusives. 2011’s con set also offered up some non-US subjects. As a collector who embraces the odd and unusual, I find them to be nice additions. It was a natural fit to make modern versions of the Argentine group, and they make nice stand-ins for the original figures, especially for the budget-minded collector.
The original Argentina figures based on the 1983 Joe molds were quite nice for the time, featuring some dramatically different color schemes and camo from the typical US Joe releases. The style of the original figure is well represented here using a mixture of modern Snake Eyes and Airborne parts. They even thoughtfully included the ’84 Firefly phone, just like the original.
A civilian militia helping the GI Joe team is an interesting concept. But Sgt. Topson’s file card out and out states that the Joe team is even made up of local militia. That’s news to me. Does the Joe team call in local militia when necessary? If so, does the Department of Defense know about this? The whole idea strikes me as more than a little odd.
On a side note, picturing Hawk radioing in for local paramilitary help kind of reminds me of Buckaroo Banzai calling in the Blue Blaze Irregulars. Then again, I’m weird like that.
This guy looks like a new version of Outback or perhaps Snow Job in a non-Arctic outfit. I could see them appealing more to collectors this way instead of being marketed as a generic character movie tie-in. Nice use of the 25th Anniversary stuff. Now if only those damned helmets could stay on like the originals did. The helmets are the greatest fail out of all these new, post o-ring era innovations.
Your mentioning of Buckaroo Banzai absolutely made my day!
Collecting Joes readily available to me has the tendency to prove difficult enough, so I have often tried to look on with regards to the international variety. That said, I must admit that I really liked the look of the figures in this set in particular. If I were to ever miraculously find a great deal on them I certainly wouldn’t pass it up.
Is this an original head, or reuse?!?
It’s a reuse from Rock n Roll
Sorry, didn’t receive notification of your reply! (‘Cause apparently I didn’t sign up to do so for this post).
This looks SO MUCH better than the Rock n’ Roll paint job. Wow.