I make a lot of bones about the quality of GI Joe packaging from the 60s through the 90s. The 2000s relaunched series had its share of interesting marketing material, but the patterns of retail had changed in ways that precluded the need for large swaths of card art and cross-sell imagery. The Cobra Flight Pod goes way back, and
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Dealer catalogs can be a trove of fascinating images. This page from 1987 showcases the LCV and Devilfish, each in detailed diorama fashion. When placed in such an interesting environment and lit dramatically, even the goofy LCV is lent an air of greater realism. The Devilfish of course needs no such help. Image via orangeslime.com
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One of the more impressive of the late 1980s vehicles, the Rolling Thunder is a real beast. It’s too bad we didn’t see it in an animated series. It would have made a great focal point vehicle for the Joes. It’s certainly not as unwieldy as the General.
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The Ghost Hawk (yeah, I have a hard time calling it that) was originally one of the upgraded classic vehicle designs of the 25th anniversary series. I was impressed by the improvements made in the detail and fit/finish of it. The mold has become something of a workhorse since then, appearing in modified form for the Pursuit of Cobra line
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Lanard’s CORPS! line has been prolific in its selection of vehicles. If you need to beef up your land, sea or air forces on the cheap, it’s a go-to source. From jeeps to transports and tanks, the series’ armor has had its share or unique offerings. The Amphibious Recoil Vehicle (what a colorful name) is a fighting vehicle along the
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By KansasBrawler With the main set covered, it’s now time to move onto the souvenirs from Joe Con 2016. This is the first time I’ve been able to cover these pieces in a series of con reviews since the Crimson Strike Team set, since I was actually able to attend. For Sky Patrol vehicles, the GIJCC picked one vehicle that
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The hits just kept on coming in 1987. If the figures that year veered further into pulpy and weird directions (particularly on the Cobra side) the vehicles followed suit. That’s not to say they weren’t fun toys. On the contrary, the rides on this dealer catalog page are some of my faves from the post-86 era. You don’t get much
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You may have noticed that the last week has featured more than the usual amount of non-figure reviews from me. That's due entirely to the Great JAD HQ Flood of 2017. My collection is now in a packed-away holding pattern and the photo setup needs to be relocated until insurance takes care of base repairs. Hang tight!Thanks to the regular
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Wrapping up the SDCC version of the Danger at the Docks set, here’s the Cobra Night Raft. If you’re a vintage 80s Joe fan, you’ll remember this vehicle as famously featuring Firefly on its packaging. I don’t think there’s a more iconic pairing of figure and vehicle from the era. Here, the raft is matched up with the Cobra Eel.
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By Past Nastification Imagine taking the rough shape of a stealth bomber and squeezing it down to hold a crew of one. Add on a strange rotating “tail”. Now go crazy and deck it out with four cannons and six bombs/rockets. Congratulations, you’ve just made a Tigerhawk. Introduced in a grey camouflage pattern and then a tan camouflage pattern, the
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