The Power of Packaging: 1986 Low-Light
Low-Light is one of the stand-out figures of 1986. From his unique accessories to his sleek and functional uniform, he was one of the coolest releases of the year. The card art again speaks for itself, showcasing a great figure design. It also makes what’s basically a single-color figure dynamic. While I’ll always prefer the original background explosion, this is an example of the digital version meshing perfectly with the character.
One of my all time favorite figures!
”Timid,Shy/Afraid no more.Low-light is a G.I.Joe.”
Thank you for posting both sides of this card. I have always preferred the computer pixels way more than the explosions. I am sure that the reason for that was, because I started collecting the figures, and some vehicles around 1987. That was because my family was poor before the late 1980’s. So me and my bro we only had a few toys on birthdays, and Christmas. We had four Transformers, and some GoBots, that we had to imagined that they were Transformers characters. And mostly cheap toys, and some Matchbox toy cars. The only thing from G.I. Joe that I had at that time, was Blowtorch’s flamethrower backpack from the accessory pack #3, that I had found at some park, I think. And maybe the flamethrower, I don’t remember. So when I started collecting G.I. Joe, the background explosions had already been replaced a year earlier. And the pixels became the standard background for every year afterwards. So I guess that is the reason why the pixels became so normal to me. When ever I saw the before 1986 figures artwork with the background explosions in some places, and in the back of the 1986 figures cards, those just looked weird to me. As for this figure, I have always been fan of this mold, even if it seems a little bit chubby. I only wish that Hasbro had done a winter, or arctic(which ever one is the white snow camo uniform) repaint of this awesome mold. It’s too bad that they never made such a repaint of Low-Light. I think it would have worked. Especially since he is a sniper. Instead they gave us a Low-Light figure with non blonde hair, and a beard in 1991. What were they thinking?
Low light is one oif my all time favorite figs also. An arctic low light is a great idea!
One of my all time favourites…or favorites… 😉
Sadly, Hasbro UK never released the guy on UK or EU shores, well, not to the best of my knowledge…which is great shame as he was one of the best figures they made that year. I’m surprised he came along in 85/6, I thought he was a Class of 87/8 Guy in the line ups…We always got figures a year or two later in Europe and the only way I ever saw this figure was upon the cardback of one of the accessory packs…Shame. I did eventually own the original but sold him off along with the rest of my ARAH era stuff years back…Glad to say I do own the POC version which, whilst his vest and arm articulation impedes posability, is still a great figure…and yup, straight out of the baggy I lost the tinsy tiny bullet!
I got my first Low Light in the spring of ’86 at the old Shadeland Ave. Children’s Palace in Indianapolis on our way home from a state park. The card artwork was what sold me on him versus the other new stuff they had.
I loved his gear and his look. (My original figure didn’t have the red shoulder pauldron painted, so he was even more grey.) I ruined the top loops on his uzi trying to attach it to his leg. Managed to do it, but not without permanent damage to the accessory.
Do you still have that figure? And if you do, would you be interested in selling it?
Did anyone as a kid notice or ever read the side description of whats included with the figures? I know I did.
I love that tiny print, I took in everything on the packages, but it seems like the plastic bubble would take the print layer away when I opened it, leaving only partially readable information or none!
It may be out there, but I have often wanted to have that source of accessory information available to read, is it out there?
If Outback is Chuck Norris, Lowlight is definitely Rutger Hauer, no? Love the figure and art and accessories.