1991 Ozone - Around The Web

Ozone has the misfortune of being a member of two subsets that were very unpopular in the early days of the online collecting community.  That lead to his solid mold and cool helmet being mostly ignored for many years.  Fortunately, these days, Eco Warriors and Star Brigade are much better liked among the collector set.  That's lead to a bit of a reckoning for the characters that comprised those series of figures.

And, today, you can find some decent content featuring the original paint job on the mold.  The Eco Warriors Ozone is a panoply of solid colors.  Few figures in the line look like him.  And, that really makes him stand out.  There's content in the links below that spans back a decade.  There's creators who are long gone from the community.  But, their work lives on.  So, check it out.

Ozone Profile

Ozone at the Dragon Fortress

Ozone by doksewage

Ozone by Pegwarmers

Ozone by rumble alley toys

Ozone by actionforcedk

Ozone by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

Ozone by kiers.customs

Ozone by thedragonfortress

Ozone by misanthropic_git

Ozone by thedustinmccoy

Ozone by corpscommandercody

Ozone by kitbashjoe

Ozone by knowingthebattle

Ozone by slipstream80

1991 Badger - Around The Web

As the 1990's dawned, the Joe line changed.  Specifically, the vehicles.  The number of vehicles and playsets in the line was greatly reduced.  And, the pseudo-model kit aesthetic of the releases changed into more more molded pieces.  The result is a less iconic class of vehicles that still function as solid toys.  Lost in the shuffle is the 1991 Badger.

The Badger is a fun little attack vehicle.  The spring loaded missile launcher isn't over-done.  It can work as a cannon or a launcher.  The driver is protected by a roll cage.  And, the front and back feature some nice detailing.  In short, it's a worthy successor to the '80's classics.

Like most 1990's vehicles, though, it's pretty rare to see the Badger in use.  I found a few solid photos.  So, take some time to check them all out.

1991 Badger Profile

1991 Badger by  thedustinmccoy

1991 Badger Toy Commercial by 3DJoes.com

1991 Badger by pygmygorilla

1991 Badger by halfthebattletimmer

1991 Badger by gijoe_pty

1991 Badger by dawghaus_

1991 Badger by ptytoys2021

1991 Badger by crimsonguardjay1

1991 Badger by formbx257

1991 Badger by gijoe_pty

1991 Crimson Guard Immortal

My friend, RTG of the Attica Gazette, has long observed that the vintage Joe line tended to run in three year intervals.  After three years, the line would take on a slightly different shape than the previous three years.  The blocks are 1982-1984, 1985-1987, 1988-1990, 1991-1993 and 1994 (which would have set the tone for the 1995 line for sure and probably into 1996 had that happened).  One of the demarcation lines is 1991.  And, the figures from that year have a different tone than those from 1990.  1990 was more muted in terms of color and Hasbro oversaturated figures with accessories.  1990 could be swapped with 1986 and no one would be the wiser.  But, in 1991, Hasbro changed their approach.  The 1991 series features brighter colors, larger and fewer accessories and, of course, the advent of the spring loaded weapons.  Lost in all of this, though, was a single anachronistic release: the 1991 Crimson Guard Immortal.  

The Immortal stands out among the 1991 figures because he is a throwback.  The figure features classic colors, a smaller, sleeker design and monochrome accessories that make him seem like he was released in the heady 1980's and not the dawn of a new decade.  When you look at the roster of 1991 Cobras, the CGI stands out.  His crimson, silver and black look dull compared to the oranges, greens, purples and yellows of his contemporaries.  His sculpting is tighter and more compact.  He lacks the technical accoutrements that adorn the uniforms of his brethren.  If you didn't know any better and found a lot of 1991 figures, you'd think the CGI to be a figure from the prior decade rather than a brand new release for that production year.  

There's no official story on this figure came to be.  We don't know if he was a design that kicked around for a while and finally found a slot in 1991.  Or, if he was specifically designed for that timeframe to bring the Crimson Guards back into the Joe pantheon.  But, the fact that he was so closely tied to the coloring of the original Crimson Guard from 1985 was a feature unique to the 1991 release year.  You are hard pressed to find any two other versions of a Cobra character that better complement each other while retaining the same, fundamental look as do the 1985 Crimson Guard and the 1991 Crimson Guard Immortal.  It was an obvious homage in a year that introduced a drastic change to the look and feel of Joe figures from the 3 prior years.

It has always amazed me that the Crimson Guard Immortal isn't more popular.  In the early days of collecting, collectors were loathe to venture beyond 1987 for any figures.  But, they made a few exceptions.  (1988 Hit and Run, etc.)  Despite that, the 1991 Crimson Guard never caught any fire among collectors.  Everyone appreciates it.  But, it's extremely rare to find a collector who has more CGI's than he would 1985 Crimson Guards.  The CGI is an afterthought.  The wonky accessories and brittle construction are factors in the figure's obscurity.  But, everything else about the CGI suggest it should be among the most desired Cobra figures from the 1990's.  

My first introduction to the CGI came via some early pictures on Evilface's old site.  These photos pre-dated the digital camera age.  He took some photos of his Cobra army out in the rain.  And, riding the back of one of the Hiss Tanks were two Crimson Guard Immortals. (IIRC, he mentioned, in the captions, that he "only" had 5 of them.)   At the time, no one used figures made after 1989 in any Joe content.  And, if you did, it wasn't Cobra army builders who were the focus.  So, seeing these figures being used as basic Cobras was novel.  The next major usage of them that I recall was the old Cobra Command Online site.  He was known for his massive Cobra dioramas.  He had purchased over 100 sets of the 1998 Cobra Infantry.  And, his show of force photos became the standard bearer for the army building craze that dominated the hobby during the early 2000's.  (You'll still see some of his photos floating around.  But, the attribution to him is long lost.)  In some of his early pics, Crimson Guard Immortals stood in places of prominence as Cobra Commander's personal guards.  The hallmark of the photos, though, was that the CGI's were given the accessory complement from the 1985 Crimson Guard.

Despite these early appearances, though, it was the 1985 Crimson Guard that ascended into prominence.  With that version readily available (but, sure, expensive!) collectors let the CGI slip into obscurity.  Part of this was just due to the fact that Crimson Guard Immortals didn't become readily available until well into the 2000's.  If you looked for them between 1999 and 2003 or so, you just didn't find very many.  The kids who had them hadn't liquidated their collections, yet.  As they did so, though, the CGI's became acquirable.  By then, though, the 1985 Crimson Guard had taken hold and was going to remain the de facto standard for any Crimson Guard charater.

The CGI features weapons that were designed as a "finger-flick" accessory.  First introduced in 1990, these are weapons designed to "shoot" their projectiles by a person flicking the butt of the missile that protrudes from the end of the launcher.  That motion will set the missile into flight.  Only a handful of figures feature these types of accessories.  And, it's obvious that Hasbro simply decided to cut out the middle man and introduce spring loaded weapons to the line that fired larger projectiles rather than rely on kids to figure out an esoteric gimmick.  It does help place the CGI or, at least his weapons, as an earlier design since it wasn't intended for the spring loaded treatment.

The entire CGI accessory complement is an exercise in fantastic engineering that resulted in a lackluster toy.  The figure includes 6 missiles, a backpack, two guns and an ammo belt.  The idea is that they all combine into an amalgamation that gives the character some serious firepower.  The practicality, though, is that the ammo belt doesn't stay attached, the missiles flop all over the place and the two guns are just weird.  If you can find spare '85 CG accessories, that's the way to go in order to make the CGI usable.  I suspect that his bizarre weapons play a part in his lack of popularity.  It's tough to get the figure to hold his gear in any way that looks great.  And, the awkward ammo belt and missiles make it easy for a well placed figure to either fall over, or just lose some gear before you snap a photo.  

I always had great intentions when it came to the Crimson Guard Immortal.  One of my earliest photos taken in the summer of 2000 was of the 1993 Cobra Commander flanked by my two Crimson Guard Immortals.  It was a grainy photo taken with a disposable camera as digital cameras were still super expensive at the time.  I had plans for the Commander to have a mighty army.  But, that just never came to be.  Over time, I lost focus on the CGI.  And, once the Funskool version became available in 2001, it simply made more sense to buy extras of those for $4 each rather than try to find additional Immortals.  I was able to find a couple at a toy store in Phoenix.  At the time, they were still of the "anything made in the '90's is bad and no one wants it" mindset.  And, I acquired a ton of '90's army builders for a song from them.  

Since then, though, he CGI has been largely absent from my photography.  A big part of this was that all the o-rings in my 1991 Cobra drawer went bad.  So, for a long time, none of my figures could stand up.  And, when taking the one photo for the 2012 profile of this figure, I managed to snap the figure's crotch.  So, I've been loathe to take the figures out for some fun.  Again, I can substitute the Funskool version to good enough affect and not have to worry about breakage.  Each time I look at my CGI contingent, though, I lament that they are used more often.  Now, I've fixed all the o-rings and know to be cautious with the figures.  I'm not sure if they'll start appearing more often.  But, they make great background filler for shots of Cobra hierarchy.

As a kid, I viewed the Crimson Guards as the third best fighters in Cobra.  The best CG's were recruited into the Eels.  And, the best Eels became Snow Serpents.  But, as my Cobra Troopers wore out, the Crimson Guard figures became the de facto ground troops for my Cobra army.  (It helped that we had three of them!)  Despite them being so prominent in my childhood play, the functional CG's didn't carry forward into adult collecting.  Now, I like the idea of the Crimson Guard moreso than I like using the actual figures.  I just can't see dress uniformed guys in red being front line troops.  I see them more as the political class on Cobra Island who creates lots of drama just because they can.  This lead to my Crimson Guard Rebellion story line in the mid 2000's where the CG's were rounded up and mostly destroyed after they tried to assassinate Cobra Commander.  That's been long enough ago, though, that the CG's are back to their old shenanigans.

The CGI, though, gives me that more functional combat Crimson Guard.  While their coloring doesn't make a lot of sense for the battlefield, they look really cool.  And, their heavier armor is more conducive to combat than the classic CG.  They work very well with the various crimson and red Hiss Tanks.  And, are a good match for the 2004 ASP and the SMS.  I do have a display shelf full of crimson vehicles as well as Tomax and Xamot.  I need to get some museum putty for their feet.  But, once I have a way to get the figures to stand, reliably, I can see my CGI's simply joining this shelf where they can be permanently enjoyed.  I think that's a better fate for them than sitting in a drawer, hoping I'll have the temerity to actually accessorize them all and get them out for some photos.  Finishing up my display case should be a priority for me this year.

In terms of the paint job, the Crimson Guard Immortal features just three colors: silver, red and black.  It is the application of those colors that gives the figure its powerful look.  Instead of concentrating the colors in specific areas, they gave the design layering that makes the figure appear far more intricate than the three base hues would suggest.  Each arm features all three colors.  The head does, too.  And, the figure's chest is the same.  The crotch also has details across the spectrum.  It's only the legs where the silver disappears.  The utilization of all three colors over so many body parts gives the figure a depth far beyond what you'd expect.  It allows the CGI to perfectly complement the 1985 Crimson Guard while also standing out as something slightly different.  It's a subtle trick with the paint applications that Hasbro didn't use all that often.  But, in this case, the three color limit is perfect for the figure.  

The Crimson Guard Immortal mold has a long and sordid history.  He was released by Hasbro for just one year in 1991.  The standard figure was released in Europe, too.  However, there is also a very rare European variant figure that uses the 1990 Rock Viper head.  This figure was heavily faked in the early 2010's.  So, be cautious if you're after one.  His weapons were also colored in grey and given to the European General Hawk figure.  At some point in the timeline, the CGI was supposed to be sent to Brazil.  There, Flagelo appeared in promotional catalogs and even on cardbacks.  But, this figure was never released in Brazil.  In 1993, the figure's head was used on the Create a Cobra mail away figure.  In 2001, Funskool released a highly anticipated version that was similar to the Hasbro coloring.  It was one of the most popular Funskool releases of that era and remains relatively available today.  Hasbro recalled the mold, though, in 2003 and promptly used it as the pack in figure for the KB Toys CAT Tank.  This dud lingered online for years and was clearanced out.  Large lots of overstock figures were available from Asia for another decade, too.  Finally, the figure's entire body was used on the lame 2005 Convention Destro figure.  Different factory custom makers have teased CGI's for years.  Black Major did release the heads as part of his Crimson Guard figures in the early 2020's.  But, the entire figure has yet to appear from the factory custom market.

To say there's untapped potential in the CGI mold is an understatement.  Of the army building molds that haven't been redone by factory custom makers, I'd argue that the CGI is the most prominent figure who is missing.  There's a dozen or more excellent repaints that could be extracted from the mold.  And, there's dozens more that are niche or interesting that have appeared in concept artwork over the years.  The limited popularity of the original figure makes me question the market for some of these great ideas, though.  The CGI exists in the perfect world of matching his previous figure and remaining true to the designs of his concept.  Straying from that is only going to diminish usefulness, even if the resulting figure is spectacular.  So, while I'd love a Dreadnok Skyhawk colored CGI, I'm not going to pay $30 for one.  And, I don't think it's going to be a figure that would permeate the community beyond a quick, superficial layer.

Over the years, Crimson Guard Immortals have experienced some heavy rises and falls in terms of pricing.  In the late 1990's, they were far less desirable than a 1985 Crimson Guard and you could get them cheap...if you could find them.  That scarcity lead to a time in the early 2000's when CGI's outpaced their 1985 brethren in terms of pricing.  For a while, they scratched at nearly $35 for a mint and complete figure.  But, as the Joe world cratered in the late '00's, the CGI's went with it.  And, they, once again, dipped below the 1985 figure in terms of pricing and popularity.  The only difference was that, now, you could actually find some if you wanted an army.  

Now, CGI's remain underappreciated.  You can get mint figures for $10-$15: which seems cheap.  As you add accessories, the price goes up.  But, mint and complete with filecard figures tend to run in the $25 range.  Which, again, doesn't seem bad for a figure that has a brittle crotch, easily rubbed paint and a plethora of small, easily lost accessories.  Other 1991 army builders are substantially more expensive.  But, 1991 figure availability is weird and uneven.  The fact that Immortal is available is good.  During my heyday, that simply wasn't the case.  Otherwise, I'd have a LOT more of them.  The upside is that factory custom Crimson Guard accessories are now available.  So, you have some nice options to upgrade your loose figures.  This profile proved to me, though, that the figure's quality still isn't enough to get the figure a lot of use in my collection.  I love the look of him.  But, I just don't use them at all.  Their fragility is a big part of that.  But, I need to make it a point to move the Crimson Guard Immortal into a position of greater importance in my Joe collection.

1991 BAT - Random Photos of the Day

Last week, I pulled out my drawer of 1991 Cobras.  I wanted to get some photos of the Crimson Guard Immortal.  But, all 7 of my figures had a bad o-ring.  When looking through the 1991 Cobra drawer, I found that most of the army builders had loose o-rings.  My collection is from multiple sources and spans three decades of acquisitions.  So, finding such a concentration of bad o-rings made me wonder if there was something about 1991 figures.  It's weird, though, in that my Joes from that year are all still good.  And, the Cobra characters stored in the same drawer seemed to be OK.  It was just the army builders.  So, I spent an hour or so changing out all the bad o-rings and that got me on a 1991 Cobra kick.

The BAT has been a long favorite of mine.  When I got my first one back in the late 1990's, I viewed him as the new generation of named Cobra pilot who made his name flying the Firebat.  Slowly, this idea faded away and the BAT just became the robot he was meant to be.  All of this, though, is odd as I am NOT a fan of the BAT character.  I think they are a poor replacement for the horrors of war.  The notion of replacing humans with robots was just a way to sanitize the Joe cartoon.  Plus, I never found the 1986 BAT all that cool of a figure.

The 1991, though, is a different story.  The sleeker design and amazing orange and green color combo make for a striking figure.  From the minute I saw him, I was hooked.  And, I slowly built up a small army of the figure just due to the great colors.  Bizarrely, though, I'm not a huge fan of this color on other figures.  I was greatly looking forward to a 1986 BAT using the 1991 colors.  But, when a factory custom of this became available, I was underwhelmed.  Turns out, it's the combo of colors and mold that make the 1991 BAT so compelling.  

I don't use these figures as much as I should.  There was a short time where I paired them with Flak Vipers.  I really liked that combo.  But, I stopped doing it after just a couple of integrated photo shoots.  I need to get some ideas for the BAT going now that my contingent have good o-rings and will stand up to be posed.  Until then, here's some random photos of the BAT to tide us all over.

1991 Snow Serpent

There is a very valid argument to be made that the 1985 Snow Serpent is the single best G.I. Joe figure that Hasbro ever made.  6 years later, Hasbro revisited the Snow Serpent character and produced a second version.  Behind the legacy of the 1985, this new Snow Serpent had a tough path to collector acceptance.  But, Hasbro really did come through with the design.  And, they gave us something completely different than the heavily equipped '85.  This new Snow Serpent was sleeker, faster and more nimble.  His gear was more high tech.  But, he included the weapons of destruction that rivaled the original.  The long shadow of the version 1 Snow Serpent, though, remains hard for this later update to escape.  And, while I find the 1991 Snow Serpent to be an excellent figure in its own right, sometimes you just can't overcome your predecessors.

I should start with a couple of caveats.  First, I'm a big fan of the 1991 Snow Serpent mold and actually prefer it to the 1985.  But, secondly, the 1991 coloring of this mold is the worst of its three uses.  Both the 1993 repaint and the 1998 Toys R Us exclusive figures are superior to this 1991 palette.  The 1993 mail away is striking in its bold use of color.  The 1998 goes the opposite way and makes for a perfect arctic figure by using colors that blend into a snowy environment.  This 1991 is somewhere in the middle.  He's got enough color to be noticeable.  But, he's still too muted to be a "realistic" (whatever that means) figure.  

My preference for the 1991 design is rooted in practicality.  Even as a kid, I saw the 1985 Snow Serpents as "long siege" troopers.  They were equipped to dig in and take a while to achieve their objective.  As a kid, I built stories around this.  Now, though, the reality of Cobra being a terrorist organization  makes the sleeker design of the 1991 more practical.  These guys could swoop in fast, cripple or destroy a location and jet out before any reinforcements could arrive.  Their speed meant that smaller numbers could inflict the necessary amount of damage.  And, they could escape before anyone really could understand what had happened.

The figure's design showcases this.  He doesn't appear as bulky as the 1985.  But, the 1991 still has amazing sculpting.  The figure's head has goggles that realistically protrude away from the covered face.  They separate a hat on his head and the facemask that protect anonymity.  The figure's chest, though, has a deep pattern to denote a heavy jacket: necessary in the cold temperatures.  His gloves feature the same texturing.  This helps tie the whole package together.  The figure looks like a cold weather operative.  But, he doesn't appear to be as weighed down as the original design.  This newer version has more freedom to move in his uniform and can handle the deft maneuvering required for his snowboard.

One little detail I love about this figure are the two scarf ends that are tied behind the figure's back.  These flowing pieces of cloth are specifically detailed on the card art.  While their movement is lost on the actual figure, the sculpting is still there.  Both strands are etched on the figure's back.  It's a dumb little detail that really doesn't matter all that much or add anything to the figure.  But, Hasbro took the time to add it as a way to distinguish the Snow Serpent.  Little things like this were the difference between Hasbro figures and everyone who has come since.  They cared about little things like this and took the time and expense to add them to figures.  It didn't goose the sales of Snow Serpents.  But, it did affect the perception of the line's overall quality.  Parents felt better about spending money on Joe toys because they were high quality and worth the price.

1991 figures are decked out in gear.  Hasbro upped the accessory complements of the 1990 and 1991 assortments: likely in an attempt to make the toys feel like a really good value.  In 1992, the accessory count dropped.  And, the spring loaded missile launcher became a requirement for all retail figures.  The Snow Serpent, though, got the best of both worlds.  He includes a ton of gear.  But, he also got a spring loaded missile launcher that mounted on his backpack.  Snow Serpent was one of the transitional figures from 1991 that got the earliest spring mounted accessories.  Being among the first meant that the weapon is far less ostentatious than the spring loaded gear would later become.  You can see it being an integrated part of the more traditional gear instead of an add on.  And, because of this, the spring loaded launcher works for the Snow Serpent.

The engineering showcased on Snow Serpent's gear, though, is the real story of the figure.  The backpack is the focal point.  It features tabs to which the hoses that attach to the weapons affix.  There is the attachment of the missile launcher to the pack via a hole on the top.  This allows the launcher to swivel as far around as you want it to.  And, finally, the coup de gras: the Snow Serpent includes a rocket powered snowboard.  This piece is big enough to hold the figure and has some nice details.  It also attaches to the backpack so the Snow Serpent can carry all of his gear on his pack...just like the 1985 original.  

I can, reliably, sort out G.I. Joe weapons by vintage or repaint era without error with just two exceptions: the 1991 Snow Serpent rifle and pistol and the 1998 versions of the same.  The white plastic makes it difficult to differentiate them.  I believe there is a plastic difference you can feel when you have both in hand.  But, I'm loathe to rely upon it for weapons I've acquired outside of figures.  As I once had a mighty army of 1993 Snow Serpents, I spend decades acquiring rifles and pistols from the other releases to outfit the 1993s.  I succeeded in doing so.  But, I really have no idea how many of the weapons are 1991 vs. 1998.  At some point, I should just work it out and find the actual tell of the difference between the two.  But, as the 1998s are likely to exist in much lower numbers than the 1991, I'm not sure the exercise is really worth it.

The availability of 1991 figures is something I'd like to know more about.  It seems there were different assortments and some figures from the year were more difficult to find than others.  This Snow Serpent seems one of the easier figures to find.  In the late 1990's, he was about the only 1991 figure you could find in abundance.  And, even today, he is much more available than a figure like the Desert Scorpion.  The 1991 assortment only shipped for one year before the line got a soft reboot in 1992.  So, the production was truncated.  (This is one reason why so many 1991 molds ended up being released in other countries, too.)  If you have more info or even anecdotes from the time about the way the 1991 figures shipped, please drop it into the comments.

The Snow Serpent mold was used just the three times.  The 1991 original, the 1993 mail away and the 1998 remake were the only appearances of the mold.  There was a planned use in 1995.  A new Snow Serpent was going to be included with the Battle Station.  It was a weird mish-mash of the 1993 and 1998 designs.  Really, it would be the worst of the Snow Serpents, were it released.  But, it would also be the priciest as inclusion in a high priced 1995 playset would have meant low production numbers and limited collector penetration.  About half of the 1991 assortment appeared in other countries.  But, the Snow Serpent was not among them. You can argue that more uses of this mold would have created strong figures.  But, the 1998 was about as close to a perfect repaint as we saw in the 1998-2006 timeframe.  So, you can't fault Hasbro for not using it more.  

You can get all the mint and complete 1991 Snow Serpents you want for slightly under $20.  If you drop even one of the accessories, the price starts to plummet.  High quality figures with no gear can be had for $8 with ease.  As 1991 army builders go, that's a pretty good price.  And, as Joe figures go, in general, that's a pretty good price.  The 1991 Snow Serpent just doesn't have the cachet of the 1985.  Or, really, even his later repaints.  So, it's a good figure to acquire and, maybe, even army build a little bit.  But, let's be frank.  If you wanted to army build this figure, you would have.  And, the fact that you haven't isn't a function of his obscurity.  It's a function of the fact that this is the worst version of the Snow Serpent ever produced.  But, the worst Snow Serpent is still better than the best of several Joe years.  So, you do owe it to yourself to have at least one of these guys.  They're fun to have around.  Even if all of the other versions of the character are better.

Rarities - Unproduced Brazilian Figures

While Estrela produced around 150 total figures in their exclusive Comandos Em Acao line, they  had intended for there to be more.  In the 1990's, Estrela showcased 5 figures in various forms that ended up never getting released.  These figures not only appeared as cross sells on various cardbacks, but even appeared in catalogs used to sell the products.  The 5 figures were all 1991 releases from Hasbro.  The figures were: Grunt, Crimson Guard Immortal, Mercer, Tracker and Cobra Commander.  (Their names in Brazil would have been Arsenal, Flagelo, Desertor, Correnteza and Tirano.)

Hasbro's 1991 figures were one of the rare years that didn't see a second year of release.  This was due to Hasbro trying to reboot the line in 1992 with familiar characters.  So, 1991 molds became common sights in later repaint lines and international releases.  You'll note that all of the figures that appear in the Estrela promotional material shown below are Hasbro made figures and not the Estrela figures.  So, this marketing propaganda was made prior to Estrela having their own wares to photograph.  

You'll often find international guides that list these figures as being available in Brazil.  But, many of these were from the early days of collecting before it was determined that these figures never saw production.  One early guide even features a few Hasbro figures in the placeholders for these names.  And, one thing that's constant in the Joe line is that mistakes and errors from the early collecting years are often repeated and rarely corrected.

Below are two promo photos.  One features just the 5 cancelled figures.  The other shows them interspersed with some other figures that were released in Brazil.  Seeing them all in one shot suggests to me that they were planned as a new wave at one point.  But, the entire wave was halted.  Maybe Hasbro didn't send the molds for whatever reason.  Or, it could have just been that Estrela determined they didn't want another wave.  These figures would have appeared closer to the end of the Comandos Em Acao line.  And, this was the time when Estrela was starting to move away from the standard carded figures that had defined their line and towards the themed subsets of figures that featured bigger cards and more gimmicks.

It's interesting to note that all 5 of these unproduced figures from Estrela did, later, appear as exclusive Funskool releases.  So, Hasbro did recoup more of their cost as they moved the molds around the world.  And, the molds weren't in an unusable state for Esrela.  But, the reasons for these figures being cancelled in Brazil remain lost.  

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll - Around The Web

The Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll is one of those figures that, on the surface, seems bad.  But, upon a deeper review, it's a surprisingly good figure.  The base colors are amazing.  The orange is a lot of fun, too.  His gear is excellently sculpted and should be more popular.  In total, he's an underappreciated gem from later in the line.  Here's some of the best of him from around the web.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Rock and Roll Profile

1991 Rock and Roll by corpscommandercody

1991 Rock and Roll by thedragonfortress

1991 Rock and Roll by ronnie_trickshot

1991 Rock and Roll by slipstream80

1991 Rock and Roll by thedustinmccoy

1991 Rock and Roll by 1990s_gi_joes

Funskool Rock and Roll - Rarities

1991 Rock and Roll by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1991 Rock and Roll by sintechness

1991 Rock and Roll by relena_warcraft

1991 Rock and Roll by ptytoys2021

1991 Rock and Roll by 73larebear

1991 Mercer - Around The Web

I was very surprised to find this is the first content I've made on the 1991 Mercer figure in 20 years.  He's a figure I greatly enjoy.  And, I thought I used him quite a bit.  But, it turns out that he's mostly in the background of photos.  He's rarely the focal point.  I probably need to change that.  The figure's colors and mold are easy to match up with vehicles and other figures.  So, he can be used in a variety of ways.  I just need to explore it a little more.

The upside is that lots of other people use to great effect.  So, check out all the links below to see some fun stuff utilizing one of the better 1991 figure releases.

1991 Mercer Profile

1991 Mercer at Nekoman's Viper Pit

1991 Mercer by thedustinmccoy

1991 Mercer at JoeBattleLines.com

1991 Mercer by gi_joeisthere

1991 Mercer by andrey_collector

1991 Mercer by JoeADay.com

1991 Mercer by gijoe_pty

1991 Mercer by u.n.i.t._gijoe

1991 Mercer by yotothejoe

1991 Lifeline (Rice Krispies Mail Away) - Around The Web

This figure hearkens back to the good old days of food tie ins.  You could eat some cereal and send away for a "free" G.I. Joe figure.  Six to eight weeks later, you'd get a little cardboard box in the mail with the figure inside.  There was no greater feeling than seeing that little mailer with your name on it.  Especially when you knew what was in there.  

This Lifeline isn't seen all that often.  Most people use the more common (and probably better) 1986 retail version of the figure.  The subtle nuance of this variant, though, speaks to the morals of the company who sponsored his creation as well as the economics of toys into the early 1990's.  

Sadly, the days of promotional items like this are long gone.  It's been replaced, though, by the proliferation of online sellers.  My kids know that Amazon or Wal Mart boxes can mean new toys.  So, they get the same feeling.  It's just in a different form that is much more efficient.  Still, it's fun to remember coming home from a two week summer vacation and finding a mailer box or two strewn among the accumulated mail that the postman used to slide through the slot in our front door every day.  

So, check out the sparse content I could find on this mail away Lifeline and enjoy the nostalgic rush.

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline Profile

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by gijoe_for_fun

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by Slipsteam80

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline at JoeADay.com

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline at Toys From the Past

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by thedustinmccoy

Rarities - 1991 Pre Production Eco Warriors Flint (Commercial)

If you watch the toy commercials that aired during the vintage Joe days, you will find that they are chock full of pre-production and alternate paint job figures.  Usually, this was a function of the fact that the commercials had to be shot before the actual production figures were available.  

Below is the 1991 Eco Warriors Flint who appeared in the 1991 Eco Warriors commercial.  The figure is actually shown with the backpack and water gun that was included with Ozone.  The colors match Flint quite well.  It was not uncommon to see Joe figures with incorrect accessories in commercials or in catalog photography.  This was likely just a function of the producers having to make their best guesses as to which figures should have which gear.  

The most interesting feature of this pre-production figure, though, is that the visor on Flint's helmet is painted a light blue.  It's a small change that makes an incredible difference in the appearance of the figure.  Oddly, with the visor painted, Flint's head looks similar to the 1991 Snow Serpent.  But, it's almost certain that the missing paint application on the helmet was nothing more than a cost-cutting move.  

If you watch the Eco Warriors commercial closely, you'll notice that the Cesspool that is used is also a pre-production design.  It's still pretty similar to the production figure, though.  There is also, though, a weird Duke figure that is nothing like any production Duke.  The Duke also appeared in other contemporary commercials.  A few years ago, someone tried to fake the Duke and pass it off as the one used in the commercial.  But, it was sniffed out as a fraud by the community.  But, the fact that we didn't see a production Duke until 1992 which had similar coloring, it makes you wonder if Duke was planned for a 1991 release and got pushed back.  Or, if Hasbro just wanted to promote the Duke character even though they didn't have a figure of him available at retail.  (Hasbro has stated that, for their Star Wars line, they can not put any figure on a box that they haven't released to retail.  But, it's unclear if that's a general law or something specific to the Star Wars license.)  But, it's a weird Duke that stuck around for a while before the 1992 Duke figure became available.

The second image is from the 1991 Toy Fair catalog.  It also features Flint with the painted visor.  You'll also note that he is now pictured with his correctly colored pack that matches production.  But, he has a green version of his stand alone rifle.  This weapon was never actually released in green.  Which is too bad.  I think the green gear is a better fit.  But, it also didn't provide any contrast.  And, Flint decked out in all green and yellow gear makes the gear hard to spot.  The blue offsets his base colors better.  So, these updated colors likely made for better retail presentation on the shelves of the time. 

I'm a fan of the Eco Warriors Flint, in general.  Had the figure been released with the painted visor on his helmet, I would be even more of a fan.  That little paint application makes a huge difference in the appearance of the figure.  It's really a shame it didn't make to the production release.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Major Bludd

I have looked at this sculpt for Major Bludd before.  In fact, I have reviewed every single use of the body and head that was ever released anywhere in the world with one exception: the original that started it all.  All of the subsequent derivatives of this Super Sonic Fighters Major Bludd were done up in the classic brown from Major Bludd's debut look in 1983.  But, this 1990's Sonic Bludd brought a new color scheme to the character and updated him to a much more useful and interesting look.  It doesn't hurt that he's also in some very classic Cobra base colors that allows him to be a prominent member of an updated Cobra High Command.

An interesting point about this figure relates to its colors.  The blue and yellow are a nice blend of colors that works not only for Bludd, but for figures in general.  As this Major Bludd appeared in the cartoon, too, his look was exported around the world.  In India, Funskool had released a brown Major Bludd for several years that was based on the original Hasbro figure from 1983.  However, around 1993, Funskool repainted the 1983 Major Bludd mold in a blue and yellow color scheme.  It was likely that this was done to match the toy to the colors that appeared in the cartoon.  (The cartoon was airing in India during this time.)  So, you can spend way too much money to get a version of Major Bludd in this color scheme, but on his original mold.  Hasbro was keen to ensure that certain characters matched media releases.  So, Funskool updating an original mold into a new color scheme to match the cartoon was rather unique in the Joe world.

The figure itself does get maligned for the overabundance of grenades that are sculpted onto the figure's body.  There's way too many of them, for sure.  They can hinder the ability of the figure to fit inside certain vehicle cockpits.  Aside from that, though, the rest of the figure is just amazing.  Bludd carries over the dog tags from his original figure.  And, his overall harness and suit combo really do fit with Bludd as a jet pack user.  Which, at its core, is what this figure really is.  This is Bludd's flight suit as he soars among the clouds.  No one uses this figure in that regard.  But, it is the reason that this version of Bludd exists.

Situated among the '90's releases of Cobra Commander, Destro and Firefly, this Bludd fits perfectly.  The color palettes of these later figures all mesh well.  The bulkier sculpts give the early characters more heft and make them more posable with 1990's Joe figures.  You don't often see the 1990's Cobra High Command pics, though.  That iconography is reserved for the early 1980's figures.  And, the missing Baroness also makes the later team look incomplete.  But, Bludd, et al, really work either in the original swivel head versions from the early 80's or the ball headed updates from the early 90's.

Major Bludd's accessories are...well...terrible.  He has the oversized sonic jet pack.  Of the sonic packs, his being a jet pack probably makes the most sense.  So, I can forgive that.  His other gear...not so much.  He includes a yellow rifle that's one of the worst designed weapons in the line.  It seems like it was intended to be part of a vehicle and would attach to a gun port.  Instead, it was repurposed for this figure.  He then includes an odd "sonic disruptor cannon".  It's a two handed weapon (making it rather unique in the Joe line) with a not terrible design.  As a throw in, it's not bad.  But, when Bludd's main weapon is so terrible, the disruptor cannon becomes less acceptable.  The card artwork, though, clearly shows Bludd wielding the pistol that would, ultimately, be included with the Air Devil.  This would have been a better weapon for sure.  And, I would love to know how Bludd came to include his yellow rifle instead of the superior Air Devil design.

I acquired my first version of this figure back in 1999.  I bought a lot of 1990 and 1991 figures.  It was about 50 mint and complete with filecard figures.  I paid well under $100 for the lot since no one liked '90's figures back then.  When the lot arrived, most of the figures were bagged with their correct gear and filecards.  A few, though, weren't.  This Major Bludd was one of them.  Instead, he was holding a 1990 Rock Viper pistol.  While I knew this wasn't meant to be his weapon, that pistol just kind of stuck with this Major Bludd.  And, through the years, I've used that Rock Viper weapon more with various repaints of the Bludd mold than I have with actual Rock Vipers.  Even today, I'm more inclined to pose this Major Bludd figure with that Rock Viper pistol than I am to give it to the actual Rock Viper.

This Bludd has often found use in my collection.  But, it was almost always the later, brown paint jobs.  You can find the blue figure in a few very early pictures on the site.  He was almost always paired with the 1993 Firefly.  I saw the figure as a new character, though.  So, he was rarely used as Bludd.  Those days, though, are gone.  And, now, I see this as a great way to have Major Bludd interact with later Cobra characters and army builders.  The bulkier sculpt is more in line with his contemporary releases.  And, Bludd looks great among the stalwart Cobras from the latter half of the line's history.  

So, one of the subtle points of contention about the Super Sonic Fighters relates to their release year.  YoJoe put them as 1991 releases.  And, for that reason, they were considered to be 1991 figures for decades.  Recently, though, 3DJoes.com reclassified the series as a 1992 release.  Personally, I'm not sold on this change.  The Super Sonic Fighters feature only other 1991 released on their cardbacks.  But, I'm not privy to the internal paperwork and other documentation that other well reasoned collectors used to come to their conclusion.  The reality is that the idea of a yearly wave of Joes went out the window with the advent of subsets in the 1990's.  (And, could be argued back as far as the Battle Force 2000 figures being 1987 or 1988 releases.)  So, while the main carded line did have a set year of release, the subsets were phased in as the year progressed.  And, it's entirely possible that a set was a very late release one year and was meant as a main retail alternative for the subsequent release year.  In the end, you'll see this figure labelled as either a 1991 or a 1992 release.  For now, either will do.  As older guides fall out of favor, 1992 may become the de facto standard.  Personally, old habits die hard.  And, I've had this figure and his brethren in my 1991 drawers since 1999.  Rather than move them, I'll just continue to call this a 1991 release: knowing full well that it could change at some point in the future.

This Major Bludd mold debuted in 1991.  The head was then used around 1994 for the Chinese Major Bludd.  In very late 2000, the entire figure was repainted in brown and released as part of the ARAHC line.  This figure was shipped with the Rock Viper and was an international pegwarmer of near epic proportion.  Hasbro then, oddly, shipped the mold off to India.  In 2002, Funskool released Major Bludd based on the ARAHC figure: just in a lighter brown.  This is the end of the mold.  So, really, there's two brown versions and this one blue version.  Both are excellent.  And, since we got the mold in classic Bludd colors, there's not really any reason  for another coloring to exist.

The Sonic Fighters figures had limited release windows.  While there were plenty on the shelves during their release year, they were just released during that short time.  So, today, you don't find these figures with the same frequency as their contemporary standard carded figures.  During the price surge between 2018 and 2021, this Major Bludd climbed as high as $40 for a mint and complete figure.  So, dealers still try to sell them for that price.  But, you can get a mint an complete figure for around $15 in the current market.  If you're willing to sacrifice completeness, you can get the figure for under $8.  So, that makes this figure a worthwhile addition to any collection.

European Exclusive Rock Viper - Spring Loaded Accessories

Back in 2017, I published one of the most popular posts in the history of the site.  It was a write up on a series of late run European Exclusive Spring Loaded Accessory figures.  The figures in the set are incredibly obscure.  And, most of the interest in them stems from carded samples.  You rarely see loose figures offered for sale: mostly because they're not easy to find and sellers usually don't get interest in them since few collectors know of their existence.  The figures are the same as the more common, North American versions.  But, they include many exclusive accessories.  My personal favorites, though, are the lime green and maroon versions of the 1991 Snake Eyes' accessories that were included with the European Exclusive Rock Viper.

We don't really know why these alternate weapon figures exist.  There's no real reason for Hasbro to have mixed up the gear in low production run colors and release them only in Europe.   Later releases of the figures in the set all featured their original gear.  So, the molds weren't even all that mixed up.  But, the existence of these exclusive accessories gives collectors another obscure and sometimes mundane obsession to seek.  

Rock Vipers have three major flaws.  The most commonly known is that their crotch is insanely brittle.  Even in the early days of collecting when mint and complete figures were a dime a dozen, it was well known that Rock Viper crotches were a ticking timebomb that would snap with even one poorly planned movement.  The second is that the standard Rock Viper's comically large rifle was a thumb breaker.  And, Rock Vipers from the US and Canada would often have snapped thumbs from usage of that weapon.  The third flaw has become more apparent in recent years.  And, that is that the cream colored base color of the Rock Viper's body is very susceptible to yellowing and other discoloration.  You will see the yellowing form from heat and light exposure.  And, it's now so ubiquitous that many newer collectors don't have a good idea of the cream colored base that is necessary for a mint Rock Viper figure.

Personally, I've always been fond of the Rock Viper.  In the late 1990s, when I built the bulk of my collection, they weren't easy to find.  They became more ubiquitous in later years.  But, by the time I was ready to build up my army of them, they had gotten pricier than I was willing to go.  If you look back at some photos taken on  the site between 2000 and 2003, you'll see the American Rock Viper appear rather frequently.  After the Python Patrol release, though, my 1990 figures seldom came out of their drawer.  And, the photos I took of the figure for this profile were my first Rock Viper photos since 2003.  The combination of specific specialty, fragile parts and intricate gear setup made for a figure that simply didn't appear all that often when I was putting together a scene.  

For some, the figure's mustache is an issue.  It makes the figure's face too distinctive for him to really be an army builder.  I don't much mind it, though.  But, I've never had more than two high quality Rock Vipers in my collection at any given time.  So, I never had a dozen mustachioed faces staring blankly at me when I open the 1990 Cobra drawer.  Had I a larger army, my opinion of his distinctive visage might be different.  But, I do like that Cobra had at least a bit of differences in the looks of their rank and file.  While the comic quickly moved on from the very Nazi-esque Cobra origin of the first 9 issues or so, the figures released remained very true to those darker comic book roots.

When it comes to my preferred gear for the figure, though, I have to go with the North American release.  The Rock Viper's backpack with the grappling hook holster and rope spindle is one of the better designs in the line.  While I get the appeal of a spring loaded firing mechanism for a larger grappling hook, the reality is that the smaller, more realistic gear from the 1990 figure is superior.  For weapons, though, the green Uzi wins.  The Rock Viper's rifle is too large.  (Though, it fitting into the figure's backpack is a cool looking feature.)  The pistol is nice, though.  The Uzi is bizarre and a far cry from that of the 1988 Iron Grenadier or, even, the original Snake Eyes.  But, it's still a fun weapon.  And, the green is a far superior color to the North American red from Snake Eyes.  I enjoy using the green weapon with 1991 Bats and both the Desert Snake Eyes from 2004 and his similar cousin from the 2005 HAS set.  

I've been on a weird accessory kick for a couple of years.  I've been looking for oddball, alternate coloring of Joe accessories that were released in other lines.  I've picked up outlandish amalgamations that appeared in knock off releases.  I've even explored working gear from the Action Force precursor to Joe repaints.  All of these have given me ways to expand my collection.  But, also, they offer more depth to photos.  The gear works well with Joe figures.  And, that is something that's not always easy to do.  I don't find even the Hasbro gear from the JvC or Anniversary era to really match vintage figures.  So, having an opportunity to find offbeat gear that works with many vintage molds is great.  It's only been in the past couple of years that this gear has gotten expensive.  Prior to this, you could get the Joe adjacent gear for cheap.  But, this Euro gear has always been pricier than things like Lucky Bell.  And, it's not easy to find...especially as the market has exploded.

The Rock Viper figure was just made by Hasbro.  The 1990 figures didn't seem to make their way to India (while the 1991 molds did) and Hasbro released just two Rock Vipers, the 1990 and the 2003 Python Patrol repaint.  The head was used on another European exclusive: the alternate head Crimson Guard Immortal.  The 1991 Snake Eyes gear was released with that figure and in exclusive colors with 2 European releases.  Both the Rock Viper and Undertow feature the backpack and hook in exclusive colors.  The gun, though, was also available in gold and was included with the Night Fighter Guile figure.  The Rock Viper legs were, for some reason, used on the 2008 Headhunter Stormtrooper and are part of the reason that figure isn't much cared for today.  (And, also, the legs were used on  the 1994 Metal Head - thanks to bc barnes 11 in the comments!)

These European Rock Viper figures are not cheap.  But, at the same time, they are vastly cheaper than other European exclusives like the Action Force repaints or the Tiger Force figures.  There may be small differences between the actual Hasbro figures released in North America and those released in Europe.  But, they are so small that few would even notice if they did exist.  This green and maroon gear isn't common.  European collectors will often have a couple.  But, you don't see them for sale with the frequency of other European exclusive figures.  You'll probably pay over $100 for a mint and complete figure.  The value, though, is all in the gear.  If you can find just the gear, you might be able to get it in  the $70 range.  It's a lot for obscure colors on gear that isn't usually considered among the line's best offerings.  If you ask among forums frequented by European collectors, you'll probably find this gear much more quickly than looking on for sale sites.  For most collectors, that's not something that's worth their time.  I, though, love oddball color variants on obscure items.  So, this Rock Viper gear is right up my alley.

1991 Cloudburst - Around The Web

Cloudburst is one of those figures that would have made for an excellent repaint.  But, even his original figure has some merit.  The sculpt is solid and the colors do work within the context of his release.  He's a pretty obscure release.  Which leads to a dearth of content available about the figure.  But, there's some fun stuff that you can find below.

1991 Cloudburst Profile

1991 Cloudburst by thedustinmccoy

1991 Cloudburst by Flint

1991 Cloudburst by Slipstream80

1991 Cloudburst at JoePedia

1991 Cloudburst at JoeADay.com

1991 Cloudburst at The Dragon Fortress

1991 Air Commandos by Formbx257

1991 Sci Fi - Around The Web

The 1991 Sci Fi is a rather popular figure.  Really, he solves for pretty much all of the criticisms of the 1986 debut figure.  This later redesign features a removable helmet, smaller rifle and an overall sculpt that is less bulky than the original.  In all, the figure is a strong update to a character who isn't all that high on most collectors' lists.

There's some nice content featuring the figure out there, though.  For many collectors, the figure is their laser trooper.  And, all the figure's gear allows for some cool posing.  You'll see a bunch of these in the photos and content below.

1991 Sci Fi Profile

1991 Sci Fi by viper_space

1991 Sci Fi by evilface

1991 Sci Fi by TunnelRat

1991 Sci Fi by gijoe_c4_panama

1991 Sci Fi by albafica

1991 Sci Fi by Slipstream80

1991 Sci Fi by gvilla74

1991 Sci Fi by cowledcollector