1988 Charbroil - Around The Web

There are figures that you would never guess have some popularity.  Charbroil is one of them.  To me, he is a mostly forgotten member of the relatively ignored class of 1988.  Yet, there's a ton of content about him out there.  I suspect some of this is just that his name is easily searched.  But, also, flamethrowers are a fun subset to photograph since they can do something or be in environments that are different than your classic guy in casual fatigues.

As you might have also surmised, I'm suffering from some writer's block.  I just haven't had time to really look at my collection or get any photographs.  I've also packed most of my vehicles away as I'm getting ready to move, again.  So, I'm going to use a few of the Around the Web and Random Photo posts that I have in my drafts.  I have over 450 of them.  So, there's plenty to hold me over until the bug bites me and I can churn out something worth saying.

The upside with finding hidden gems like Charbroil is that the roster of creators reads like a who's-who of ancient Joe posters.  Many of them are no longer active.  But, it doesn't mean their accounts aren't filled with amazing work from the glory years of G.I. Joe Instagram.  So, take some time to check the links and let me know your favorite in the comments below.

1988 Charbroil Profile

1988 Charbroil by evilface

1988 Charbroil by g.i._ussr

1988 Charbroil by joerizzo2025

1988 Charbroil by corpscommandercody

1988 Charbroil by thedustinmccoy

1988 Charbroil by HCC788

1988 Charbroil by silentinterlude

1988 Charbroil by evilface

1988 Charbroil by formbx257

1988 Charbroil by gijoe_c4_panama

1988 Charbroil by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1988 Charbroil by nostalkid

1988 Charbroil by gi_jokers

1988 Charbroil by sparkysworkshop

1988 Charbroil by edwin_80s

1988 Charbroil by therealsuperman73

1988 Charbroil by kushviper

1988 Charbroil by backyardjoes

1988 Charbroil by heroeamericano

1988 Charbroil by viper_space

1988 Charbroil by plasticbattles

1990 Sonic Fighter Law - Around The Web

1990 introduced new subsets to the Joe line.  The Sonic Fighters were a higher priced, premium figure.  The selling point was a huge backpack that made a bunch of primitive electronic sounds.  For 1990, the tech was fine.  Now, it seems painfully dated.  The figures also included extra weapons...most of which made no real sense with the figures.  But, the figures themselves were repaints of earlier molds.  And, all of them were solid designs.  You can argue that Law is the best of the set.  But, there's a couple of other figures who also have a legit claim to the crown.  

The upside is that there's some decent content featuring the 1990 Law out there.  Check out the content below and enjoy seeing this Law in action.

1990 Law Profile

1990 Law by thedustinmccoy

1990 Law by atticagazette

1990 Law by gijoecollector

1990 Law by fosilru

1990 Law by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1990 Law by cobra_florence

1990 Law by evilface

1990 Law by gen_liederkranz

1990 Law by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1990 Law by relinqueshed1979

1990 Law by Offc0ur5e

1997 Cobra Commander - Random Photos of the Day

A decade after the debut of the 1987 Cobra Commander, Hasbro released a repaint.  Originally, the figure in the 1997 Cobra Command set was supposed to be the 1983 Cobra Commander mold.  It was supposed to be a helmeted version of the classic character but in the color scheme of the 1984 Hooded mail away.  It would have finally gotten collectors a Cobra blue version of the faction's titular leader.  (A gap that still exists today!)  But, mold shenanigans reared their head and Hasbro could not locate the original Cobra Commander mold.  (It had been used as recently as 1994, even!)  So, they went with the less popular 1987 mold.  Instead of the metallic silver of the original, though, Hasbro kept the Cobra blue with gold highlight motif.  And, collectors were gifted the 1997 Cobra Commander.

I looked at this figure almost 8 years ago.  But, at the time, I really didn't have much to say about him.  The profile was a rush job as, I still hadn't really found a great use for the figure.  Since then, I've found value in the 1997 Cobra Commander.  The color scheme is classic.  And, between factory customs and the Pulse era releases, there are now more options for classically blue Cobras who can match up with a properly colored Cobra Commander.  So, I've had more occasion to use the 1997 figure in my photos.

The real story of this figure is the intricacy of the paint masks.  Against the dark blue, the figure features gold, red and black details.  The layering of gold and red on the chest is especially impressive.  Hasbro really worked hard to deliver high quality paint jobs on the 1997 and 1998 figures.  After that, the retail masks got more sparse while the finely detailed molds became the domain of premium priced convention figures.  The main reason the 1997 and 1998 series have held up so well is due to the complex paint masks that give even bland character designs and base colors tremendous additional depth.

It's amazing how much of a difference the air hose on the figure's head makes.  Sans this accessory, the head is bland and strikingly plain.  The hose adds a tremendous amount of detail.  But, the hose was not included with the 1997 figure.  So, you have to take one from a 1987 or 2001 figure to make the 1997 figure whole.  The mouth hole, though, is shortened on this version.  So, the hose is a precarious fit at best.  And, it isn't practical to actually use the figure with the hose attached as it will just fall off and get lost in the weeds, forever.

I miss the days when Hasbro would take weird chances with figures.  They missed way more than they hit.  But, when they did hit, like with this Cobra Commander, the results were spectacular.  The first couple of waves of the Super7 ReAction+ line were too staid and predictable for me.  I'm glad that they deviated a bit with some weird repaints as SDCC exclusives.  I assume the lack of previews of future waves was just due to the uncertainty of...everything.  I'm holding out hope that they start to get a little more daring and can come up with some weird combos of mold and parts that creates an unexpected classic like this 1997 release.

2022 Cobra Officer - Around The Web

It was great to get an updated Cobra Officer in 2022.  But, the figure really had some problems.  Aside from wonky eyes, the figure's knee won't bend all the way.  It's a sad fate for a figure that should have been a solid contender for one of the best updates of the Pulse era.  Today, you don't see this figure as often as you'd think.  You're still more likely to see a vintage Cobra Officer in various photos than you are this newer version.  Even today, you can buy all of these figures that you want for less than original retail.  It's one of those things you'd have never guessed: especially if you lived through the army builder craze of the early 2000's.  So, stop by and check out those who do use the 2022 Cobra Officer.

2022 Cobra Officer Profile

2022 Cobra Officer by gen_liederkranz

2022 Cobra Officer by atwooddan

2022 Cobra Officer by dashiellrfairborne

2022 Cobra Officer by viperwilson

2022 Cobra Officer at ToyHabits.com

2022 Cobra Officer by offc0ur5e

2022 Cobra Officer by viperwilson

2022 Cobra Officer by gijoe_guy

2022 Cobra Officer by viper_space

2022 Cobra Officer by toysorceress

2017 Sightline - Random Photos of the Day

Back in 2017, Red Laser Army produced the Sightline figure.  For quite a while, the figure was the toast of the collecting world.  The combination of being an homage to a well liked collector and also a visually distinctive figure added up to a release that skyrocketed on the secondary market...even though it wasn't supposed to be sold.  8 years later, the figure remains extremely high priced.  Some of the militancy around selling the figure has, sadly, subsided.  But, at the same time, Sightlines have gotten much more sporadic in their appearance.  

There was a time when Joe creators love the figure and used it whenever they could.  Slowly, though, Sightline has fallen in popularity.  These days, you rarely see Sightline used in any capacity.  Part of that is just that we're so far removed from the figure's release that many newer creators don't own the figure.  But, even for people who have had him for a while, Sightline remains a rare sight.  I don't use him nearly as often as I should.  He's a figure I see in the drawer, want to use, but can never think of the perfect scenario for him.  I may try to rectify that in the future.  But, I say it about many figures: few of whom ever return to their former glory.

The reality is that Sightline is one of the most popular figure profiles on this site.  He was widely viewed upon publication and, every so often, gets a nice bump in views.  Usually, this is due to someone else using the figure and having many newer collectors ask about Sightline and why the figure matters to so many.  It's a good way to gauge if there's discussion about the figure or character occurring, somewhere.

In recent years, many other classic Joe molds have been painted up in the "Sightline" color scheme of grey cammo and red accents.  None of them capture the pure joy of the original figure, though.  I don't think of 2017 as being that long ago.  But, in terms of the Joe world, it was an unrecognizable time.  Prices hadn't risen and there wasn't the professional dealer class who artificially inflates the market.  Figures were made for fun because Hasbro didn't care about the brand at all.  Really, it was a good time.  

Seeing Sightline out and about, though, helps bring some of that feeling back.  I don't think of this figure as a "rare collectible" that requires me to wear plastic gloves if I want to handle him.  No.  I think of a fellow collector (Wowboy) offering me his figure in the spirit of the Sightline project.  I think of all the fun I had talking about this figure with other collectors.  And, I remember old message boards full of great collectors who are long gone and all the awesome discoveries and discussions that could be had.  In that spirit, here's Sightline doing what Sightline was intended to do: be a fun and unique part of a Joe collection.