2007 Convention Zap (Raphael "Zap" Melendez)

Zap is an iconic figure.  You can argue the point.  But, everyone recognizes the original shoulder strap torso from 1982 as Zap's.  It is referred to as the "Zap" torso.  It's the least favorite of everyone when it comes to the original torsos.  But, it's Zap's: first and foremost.  Scrap Iron is also an iconic figure.  His overalls are a unique look from a classically colored villain from the line's formative years.  So, the combination of the two characters shouldn't make a figure that is able to stand on its own.  Yet, in 2007, there was a convention release of the Zap character that did just that.  And, it actually managed to pull off a pretty nifty new look for a classic character that also didn't tread on the torso's original use on Scrap Iron.

2007 featured the most ambitious convention set.  As it was the ARAH theme's 25th anniversary, the club forewent their mostly army builder formula and produced a set that was almost 1/2 Joes.  And, they used mostly unique parts.  (Though, the parts were relatively familiar as most had appeared on Comic Pack figures or in Toys R Us exclusive sets in the few years prior.)  It was a risky strategy.  But, it proved out as the set sold better than most of its predecessors.  And, within a few weeks of the convention, select characters from the set were selling for premiums.  It helped that most of the figures were fairly well done.  They featured thoughtful parts selection along with solid paint applications.  For many, the Joe side of the set was their personal favorite set the club produced.  

One of the reasons was that the colors used for the set weren't ones that were overly common in the vintage or repaint era.  This Zap perfectly showcases that with his leathery brown jacket and greyish-green pants.  These were visually interesting color palettes that didn't have precedence in the line.  The uniqueness made the figures stand out.  As the set was classic characters, many of whom were the only other use of Comic Pack era heads, collectors felt they weren't treading on beaten tropes like many prior sets.  Zap features a tamed cammo pattern that works due to the sparseness.  Rock and Roll and Grunt both had cammo patterns that were overkill.  And, they contrast the earnest simplicity of Zap's less ostentatious design.

At one point, I had multiples of all the figures in the 2007 convention set.  But, when it was time to purge my collection, few of them were able to make the cut as the best uses of their parts, mold or character.  I regret getting rid of figures like Sgt. Clay More and Doc.  They were very good figures.  And, I can't really explain why they didn't cut the mustard during that dark time in my collecting life.  This Zap, though, did survive.  And, again, I'm not really sure why.  I suspect it was because he was selling so cheaply that it simply wasn't worth my time to try and liquidate him.  But, I'm glad he was able to outlast the cull.  I still enjoy his colors.  And, I've always like Zap as a character.  This figure is a nice way to be able to use him with other early molds and not have be out of place like his 1991 Super Sonic Fighters release.  

I don't mind the Scrap Iron torso.  I think the overalls work for the Zap character.  They seem like something an antiquated bazooka man would wear.  It helps that they are nicely colored and even feature gold painted buckles.  Zap's torso, alone, features five distinct colors.  And, they are all done in a way that work with each other and the rest of the figure.  I'm sure this is personal preference.  But, I do find the colors to be eye-pleasing.  And, they work well on the chosen parts, too.

But, I've also found that when I go to use this figure, he's often still out of place.  The complexity of the convention paint jobs is too much of a stark contrast with the simplicity of many early vintage figures.  So, the later releases really only good among their peers.  This isn't bad since Hasbro remade so many swivel head figures during the Repaint Era.  And, this Zap even pairs well with the Pulse era figures from the 2020's.  So, that gives him more options for use.  I often see this guy sitting in his case with many other figures from the early 2000's.  And, I think to get him out for a photo shoot.  But, I then end up not doing it as I can't come up with any ideas for him.  I'll have to work on that as we go forward as this is a figure that I should showcase more often.  He's very well done and worthy of more use.

One of the sad realities of Joe in the 2000's was copyrights had lapsed.  So, this figure isn't, actually, Zap.  It's Raphael "Zap" Melendez.  It's one of the many silly convolutions Hasbro had to take to keep the characters in circulation.  But, almost 20 years removed from this figure's release and he's known by the more colloquial Zap name.  You know it's Zap.  I know it's Zap.  But, the lawyers can argue that it's not a copyright infringement on whatever IP squatter hoarded up expired names.  These names were more of an issue during the release years with some collectors becoming legitimately worked up that they had to appear in this manner.  That childishness seems to have dissipated in the ensuing decades.  But, it's a reminder that Joe collectors of the early 2000's could be petulant children over very stupid trivialities.  

This Zap is a hodge-podge of parts.  The head is from the 2004 Comic Pack Zap.  It's among the better Comic Pack heads and definitely looks more like Zap than his head from 1982.  The torso is from Scrap Iron.  His arms are from Thunder.  Many people aren't fans of these arms.  But, I'm quite fond of them as they look decent and provide some heft on older molds.  The legs are from Snow Job.  And, the waist is from Mutt.  The Mutt and Scrap Iron parts are from the 2004 era recasts that Hasbro made to release those figures in Toys R Us sets.  But, the overall parts combo works pretty well.  And, the different waist and legs really help Zap stand on his own and separate from the legacy of Scrap Iron.  

Zap's gear isn't great.  His only rifle is a grey version of a JvC era compact rifle.  It's actually a pretty good weapon.  It just doesn't really go with Zap.  The club tried to approximate Zap's necessary bazooka with a Sgt. Savage era spring loaded launcher.  The club tried to make Sgt. Savage accessories happen in 2007 and 2008.  The success was...mixed.  Some worked well enough.  But, most seemed out of place.  Even the Savage weapons that were originally intended for inclusion with the unproduced 1995 figures were designed with much larger parts in mind than the pre 1985 parts used on this Zap.  So, you have some really expensive accessories that didn't mesh with their figures.  And, Zap's overall accessory complement is pretty weak.  Fortunately, 1997 Zap or Short Fuze accessories work on this figure very well.  And, if you can get past the missing eye piece, the 2022 Duke Bazooka is another nice match for this Zap.  It sucks to have to go to the aftermarket to get meaningful accessories for a premium figure.  But, at least there are some nice options available for Zap.

As 2007 convention figures go, this Zap is pretty cheap.  While other figures from this set have crossed $300, Zap can be had for about $60.  Dealers still try to get $120 or more.  But, the time of this figure has passed.  The 2007 convention set had a moment in the sun.  And, some figures have remained very popular and still command stupid prices.  But, Zap is among the least popular members of this set...even if he's among the best figures.  So, you can get him cheaper if you have the patience to wait out the market.  I don't know if I'll go so far as to say this is the best swivel head Zap.  It's tough to beat the original.  And, the Funskool variants are all so much better.  But, this is a good figure.  Sadly, he's just not a $10, casual acquisition these days to find out.

2007 Convention Clutch - Around The Web

The 2007 convention set took a big chance by including a large contingent of Joe characters instead of being army builder focused.  This seemed to be a minor hit at the time.  But, shortly after release, all of the Joe characters from the main set were readily available for under their per figure cost if you had bought a complete set from the club.  It remained that way for a while.  But, slowly, the Joes started to dry up.  And, certain characters began to climb the price charts.  After the explosion that began in 2018 and had rocket fuel thrown upon it by the 2020 collectibles bubble, all the 2007 convention figures have gotten stupidly expensive.

That's made this Clutch out of reach for many collectors.  That's kind of too bad as it's a great rendition of Clutch.  But, this figure also has some deficiencies that would make me hesitant to spend $100 or more on him.  

While it took me a while to track down some decent content on this guy, there is some cool stuff to see in the links below.  You'll find some reviews written upon the figure's release as well as some photos just published this year.  

2007 Clutch Profile

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch by Scarrviper

2007 Convention set review at General's Joes Reborn

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch at Action Force.dk

2007 Clutch by gen_liederkranz

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch by alpha1creative

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

2007 IG-88

In 1995, the release of the new POTF II figures to retail re-ignited my passion for Star Wars.  As I was still in school, I didn't have a ton of money.  But, every now and then, I'd treat myself to a vintage Star Wars figure or two.  Among the first figs I bought in the summer of 1995 was an IG-88 figure.  While I hadn't really loved the figure as a kid, the character had grown on me over the years.  So, I wanted to acquire a loose version of him.  I found one (along with a vintage Boba Fett) at the Vintage Phoenix store in Bloomington, Indiana.  I dropped way more money than I should have to buy them both (Ebay wasn't a thing, yet.) and set them on my shelf where they would, eventually, be joined by other figures that made their way into my possession.

As Hasbro released more and more new figures in the POTF II line, it seemed just a matter of time until IG-88 joined them.  1996, though, proved to be a frustrating time to collect Star Wars.  The 1995 releases were sold out pretty much everywhere.  The later cases including Boba Fett, Lando and the Luke X-Wing Pilot had not really saturated the market.  The 1st few months of 1996 were a barren wasteland of empty pegs.  Then, suddenly, in the spring, new waves shipped to retail.  These would quickly sell out for a while.  But, slowly, pegwarmers began to appear.  By May, stores were packed to the gills with Luke Dagobah and Han Hoth figures.  They were the only two figures on the shelves.  And, there were TONS of them.  As more figures were announced, it started to seem as if they'd never get to retail.  But, as August turned to September, stores started ordering more figures and new wave after new wave started to appear.

In October of 1996, I went to the local Wal Mart in my college town to get the oil changed in my van before I drove to my cousin's wedding.  While waiting, I wandered over the toy aisle and was greeted by rows and rows of the newly released Shadows of the Empire 2 figure packs.  1/2 of which were the Boba Fett/IG-88 pack.  I quickly bought one, opened him in the van before I left and then kept him under the seat in the back of the van until I returned home on Sunday.  This new IG-88 seemed vastly superior to the vintage figure.  Though, in reality, they were very similar.  But, I was satisfied to have the character in an ugraded form.  A few years later, though, Hasbro released another updated IG-88.  This one was an upgrade.  Though, the figure still wasn't perfect.  In 2007, though, more than a decade since my original hunt for an IG-88, Hasbro released a "definitive" version of the character on a vintage styled cardback.  This new release was tall, lanky, well detailed and very much a figure that made the prior renditions of the character obsolete.

At long last, I had the definitive IG-88 I had always wanted.  And, I quickly kind of forgot about him.  In the next couple of years, I managed to find updated versions of all 6 bounty hunters: which was kind of a thing for me.  But, the figure faded into the background as I lost a bit of interest in all action figures in the early 2010's.  I put my Star Wars figures away when I moved in early 2013 and didn't pull them out again until my kids were finally old enough to start playing with them.  When I did this, though, I did put this IG-88 aside.  He was fragile, which worried me.  But, also, he was a figure I wanted to keep nice.  So, he joined the animated Boba Fett, Admiral Raddus, Indiana Jones, Kit Fisto and a few other select figures in a special case that the boys were supposed to play with.

Sadly, my copy of this version of IG-88 still got broken.  I found him hidden in a pile of figures in my office: right arm snapped off.  After a quick interrogation of the kids, the middle boy came clean that he had broken it one night.  It's somewhat funny, though.  Back in the 1980's, my brother broke the right arm of his IG-88 figure.  I used that one armed figure for years, though.  (Being a droid allowed this to happen.)  So, my now broken figure is a weird mnemonic device that recalls my childhood memories of IG-88.  And, frankly, I'm glad the figure got a bit of playtime before falling apart.

Like all Star Wars figures of his era, this IG-88 isn't worth much.  He was cheap and available at the time and hasn't really caught fire like many other figures that were released in lower numbers in subsequent years.  IG-11's appearance in the Mandalorian helped bring this model of droid to the forefront of the minds of a new generation of fans.  And, my boys got me an IG-11 shirt for Christmas.  So, the figure has value to me for that reason.  Plus, this IG-88 also shows what Hasbro can do.  My kids love the detail and articulation on the figure.  But, the figure isn't designed to withstand rough play.  The 5 POA figures hold up much better.  But, my kids are now of an age where they are asking for articulation.  There just isn't much at retail for them to acquire.

Luke Skywalker - Yavin Ceremony (2007)

As a young child growing up in the original Star Wars era, I found the toys of Luke Skywalker problematic.  The only Luke that was available for the first two years of my young playing days was the Tatooine Luke with the sculpted lightsaber on his right arm.  For the instances where Luke needed a sabre, this was perfect.  But, for me, Luke having a blaster made far more sense.  It was not until 1980 and the Empire Strikes Back that I was able to get a Luke who included both a blaster he could hold and a separate lightsaber.  With this figure in hand, Luke and Han embarked on epic adventures.

As I got older, the fact that a lot of time passed between Star Wars and Empire became more obvious to me.  During this undocumented time, Han, Luke and Leia must have had spectacular adventures as they evaded the Empire.  The Luke of this era would not have really been aware of his Jedi powers and would have been closer to the character he would have become had he left Yavin IV with Han rather than blowing up the Death Star.  That era, though, was not really explored if you didn't read EU books (which I did not).  But, it seemed a time that was full of great stories that showed Luke's growth from the kid on the trench run to a full flight commander just a couple of years later.

I watched the Star Wars Holiday Special when it aired on TV.  I remember as my parents knew it was on and we had to hurriedly leave the Glendale Mall in Indianapolis to make it home in time to see the show.  While I have distinct memories of seeing Han and Chewie in person, I don't recall seeing the cartoon.  It could be that we got home too late to see that part and missed it.  Or, I simply forgot about it because of seeing the real characters on the screen.  When I found the cartoon in the late 1990's, it was the first appearance of Boba Fett that initially got my attention.  But, Luke's look was also interesting.  It was obviously based on Luke's appearance at the end of A New Hope and put him on par with Han as a swashbuckling adventurer rather than the Jedi he would later become.

When Star Wars returned to retail in 1995, the Ceremonial Luke was one of my most desired new figures.  When he was finally released in 1997, I had to get him.  And, Hasbro's first attempt at the character was one of their better efforts of that time and the first Star Wars figure to appear on this site back in 2000.  In the POTFII era, that Ceremonial Luke was a highlight and remains one of the few figures I have left from that time.  This new version from a decade later, though, showcases all of the advances that Hasbro made during that interval.  The sculpting is better, the figure is more in scale and the accessories and articulation are simply spectacular.

After I saw Rogue One on its release night, I was stoked about Star Wars.  I started buying figures again.  I scoured online sites and started getting up to speed on many of the items I'd missed over the years when I was focused 100% on Joe.  But, when I was gearing this profile up for publication, I realized that it's been a really long time since I've looked at a Star Wars figure.  It's been about that long since I bought one at retail.  I haven't bought any of the new vintage collection figures because I haven't been able to actually find any of the characters that interest me.  Now, I get lambasted for this by "serious" Star Wars collectors who only order online from places that guarantee condition, etc.  But, my interest in Star Wars is relative to the ease with which I can collect it.  Buying cases online takes the fun out of it.  And, searching to NEVER find anything is equally appalling.  So, I've spent no money on Star Wars for nearly two years.

The truth is, Hasbro couldn't care less.  One collector spending $200 per year is irrelevant to them.  The big thing, though, is that I have three boys who are of the age when action figures should be drawing them into a property.  They have no interest in Star Wars toys, either.  Losing a generation should concern both Hasbro and Disney.  Though, if Hasbro gives up the Star Wars license (I'll believe it when I see it, though.), they have no reason to care about the future.  The point for me, though, is that the joy of collecting is gone from Star Wars.  It's an adult oriented, go through the motions hobby with a few joyous clearance finds.  That's a far cry from my burgeoning adult collector days in the late 1990's when Star Wars ruled retail. 

So, in looking back at this figure, I recall a more fun time of Star Wars collecting.  The prequels were over and collectors were settling into an era of no new media, but overwhelming retail support for the Star Wars property.  Every month, it seemed, new waves of figures were being released.  And due to the strong sales, it wasn't really hard to find anything.  It was fun because collecting wasn't hard.  You could get the toys you wanted in the quantities you wanted.  But, all things must end.  And, I find myself, once again, at the end of the line for my Star Wars enthusiasm.  It's possible my oldest boy will take up the mantle.  But, his interest in Star Wars is less toy driven.  So, he may love the property, but never actually play with any action figures.  Again, it's something very different from what I'm used to.  But, that's OK and I'm at a point where if Star Wars figure collecting becomes a relic of my past, I'm OK with that, too.

Like many of Luke's 30th Anniversary brethren, this figure is now worthless.  You can still get carded figures for about what you'd have paid at retail in 2007.  In lots or with patience, you can get them for even less.  To the best of my knowledge, Luke in this outfit has never been released on a vintage cardback.  (Though, one is coming soon if it's not out already.)  I'd actually buy that.  But, this figure is good enough for me.  It's not perfect.  But, few Star Wars figures actually are and Hasbro continues to improve certain characters and figures in increments that leaves you with you many close but not quite perfect releases of the same character.

2007 McQuarrie Signature Series Stormtrooper

Ralph McQuarrie was the artist that George Lucas used to help visualize the Star Wars universe.  Many of his concept paintings filled books and helped to increase interest in the ideas behind what we saw on screen.  Naturally, as the Star Wars line was searching for new characters upon which to draw for figure inspiration, it eventually found the McQuarrie concepts fertile ground.  In 2003, a McQuarrie Stormtrooper figure was released to great fanfare.  It was a huge success.  That paved the way for an expanded slate of McQuarrie offerings in the 30th Anniversary Collection that shipped in 2007.  Many McQuarrie designs made their way to plastic action figures.  Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca and Boba Fett were among the artist's renditions that graced retail shelves.  Hasbro also decided to re-release the 2003 Stormtrooper mold.  Instead of a straight re-release, though, the figure got an updated paint job and was included in the standard figures line.

This figure was sculpted and first released in 2003 as part of the Fan's Choice promotion.  When you consider the era in which he was designed, the figure is quite well done.  He features articulation at the shoulder, elbow, one(?!?) wrist, head, hips and waist.  His knees are not articulated, which limits his movement.  When he was re-released in 2007 in the Thirtieth Anniversary Collection, the sculpting and accessories remained the same, but the paint applications were upgraded.  Unfortunately, the 30th Anniversary figure line brought super articulation to the Star Wars mainstream.  Even boring, collector themed figures were given far more articulation than they could ever need.  So, this sculpt, despite being just 4 years old at the time, was dated from the moment it hit the shelf.

As a figure who would stand on display, this trooper isn't bad.  He can be posed in a few ways that are kind of fun.  But, the complete lack of lower body articulation is really limiting.  By the time this figure was re-released in 2007, super articulated Clone and Storm troopers were standard price retail releases.  You could get this figure or a super articulated movie accurate Stormtrooper for the same price.  So, the figure seemed somewhat lazy.  A new lower body probably could have been cost justified and would have been a welcome upgrade.  But, the fact that the figure still pretty much sold out on sight tells you that extra money spent on a new design would have just been profit that Hasbro flushed down the drain.  Considering the wide array of obscure characters who did get excellently done figures in that time period, I like to think that the money saved on this trooper was spent on something else we would never have otherwise gotten.

As a kid, I bought a few packs of the Star Wars Topps trading cards.  I mostly remember the Empire Strikes Back cards as I bought a few "rack packs" because there were scenes from the Hoth Battle peeking through the cellophane packaging.  In these packs, though, were special artwork cards that showed some of the concept art from the Star Wars universe.  At the time, I really didn't understand these cards as they showed items that were different from the movie.  (I was 6.)  But, this was my first exposure to the concepts that grew into the big screen world I loved so much.  As Star Wars became more of a cultural phenomenon in the 1990's, I was able to see more of McQuarrie's work.  It opened up the Star Wars universe in a lot of ways and was a visual representation that there was more to the universe than we saw on screen.

Looking at this figure, there is a lot going on.  The Stormtroopers still have the standard blasters that would define them.  (But, look at the size of that holster!)  In addition, though, they have a shield and a lightsaber.  Since we have seen lightsabers cutting through blast door level metal in the Star Wars universe in the time since this drawing was made, the notion of a shield to defend oneself in a lightsaber duel seems foolhardy.  But, it does tie the trooper to more of a knight theme and would have made them decent adversaries for Jedi had the universe included them as enemies in great numbers.  The shield itself does feature blast marks rather than sword cuts.  So, it might have been envisioned as a means to protect against enemy fire rather than an opposing swordsman.

Unfortunately for me, whenever I see this trooper wielding his sword, I don't think of it as a traditional Star Wars lightsaber.  Instead, I see the policeman and police robot from Futurama who ignite laser swords and then use them to beat upon suspects with the swords functioning as batons.  So, I see this trooper clubbing someone on the head rather than slicing off an limb.  Even thinking about it makes me laugh.  I don't associate that image with any other lightsaber wielding Star Wars character.  Just this trooper and I don't really know why.

Other than that, I found this figure somewhat disappointing.  There was a time when I wanted to army build these guys and have them patrol the corridors of some unseen playset that I was sure Hasbro would, eventually, release.  After getting one figure, though, the lack of articulation made him more interesting as a collector piece rather than a toy I wished to acquire en masse.  As an homage to what could have been, this figure is excellent.  The sculpting is true to the artwork and the gear is an interesting ensemble.  But, his value is limited beyond that.  Were Hasbro to ever release a fully super articulated version of him, I'd probably buy one.  But, the higher prices of such figures these days and my general downturn in army building tendencies would likely limit him to just one.  So, I'm pretty content with this figure as the sole representative of the character in my collection.

The 2003 McQuarrie Stormtrooper was fairly hard to find at retail.  The leftover "Attack of the Clones" figures clogged the shelves and the lower, non movie year production runs left many army builders short of their desired goals for the figure.  Its repaint and release in 2007 was a welcome relief.  Even in the swarms of retail figures that bombarded stores in 2007, though, the McQuarrie Stormtrooper was a rare find.  They were very popular and the McQuarrie figures tended to sell out  quickly.  This lead to high aftermarket pricing, even while the figure was shipping.  But, time heals most over-inflated prices.  Today, both the 2003 and 2007 figures can be had, MOC for around $7.  (Note that most dealers will ask at least $15 and they will sell them at that price.  Patience is the key with figures like this.)  If you can find them in lots, you can get them for 1/2 that.  Loose figures tend to sell around the same price, just because there is less selection.  But, you will find loose army building lots where you can get the figures for $2 or $3 each.  It's a paltry sum to pay for a figure of this quality.  It's a conversation starter with any collection and that's worth paying, basically, retail price for something that's 10 to 14 years old.

2007 Animated Debut Boba Fett

In early 1999, I worked for a start up insurance company.  One of the perks was that I was the entire IT department at the time.  For those old enough to remember, 1999 was still the age of dial up for most internet users.  Lots of people had access to higher speeds at work, but were limited in their browsing habits.  In the spring of that year, someone posted the first clips of the animated portion of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.  At the time, the Holiday Special was kind of a unicorn which was traded via copied VHS tapes.  There was no YouTube and video on the internet was small and difficult to download.  The clips were broken into small file sizes so that they were easier for dial up customers to get.  A few friends of mine were desperate to see the clips and set out downloading them.  I was able, though, to get all the clips at work through the high speed internet.  I then burned them onto a CD and mailed them to those friends: allowing them to get the quicker than trying to download themselves.  How far we've come.

The Star Wars Holiday Special is terrible.  Really, it's not even one of those things that's so bad it's good.  It's just awful.  (I remember my parents rushing us out of the mall that night, though, so we could get home to watch it.)  But, the animated cartoon brought about several cool things.  The best, though, was the debut of Boba Fett.  He was still a mysterious bad ass.  But, his appearance was drastically different than what we would see in "The Empire Strikes Back" because he, you know, did something.

The animation for the cartoon is not good.  And, the story isn't much better.  But, the real value is the hint at the story between the stories.  You know that several years passed after "A New Hope" before Empire.  In those years, Luke Skywalker was not a Jedi nor really understood the force.  He obviously had some self discovered capabilities.  But, he was still that 19 year old kid who had just left Tatooine.  As such, I've always imaged that he, Han and Chewbacca would have had some interesting adventures in the intervening years.  Seeing Luke in his ceremonial outfit in the cartoon is cool and helps foster the notion that he likely spent some years emulating Han Solo's approach to life rather than that of a Jedi.  I think there's fertile ground for storytelling here.  And, the fact that you could bring in characters like Boba Fett who were contemporaries, but not really utilized in the original trilogy just adds to the potential.

The figure itself is pretty solid.  There are a full 14 points of articulation.  While not quite "super articulated" as some figures of the era were, he's pretty close.  The figure is, at its core, a repaint of the 2004 Vintage Collection Boba Fett figure, so you expect some high quality design based on the high price point figure that comprises his base.  Hasbro created new forearms for this figure as well as a new waist.  The arms, though, have a limitation.  The molded plastic hoses that connect from the elbow to the forearm are too short.  They hinder some movements of the arm and make it impossible to pose the figure drawing the pistol from his holster on his waist.  It is the waist that makes the figure, though, since he now sports a nifty holster to hold his animated style pistol.  He completed with the a forked staff that shot powerful energy in the cartoon.  It looks decent enough and is a fun homage to a forgotten element of Star Wars lore.

If you look at the colors of this Fett, you can see stylistic similarities to Jango Fett.  As this character debuted decades before Jango's creation, it's possible that these colors were a basis for Jango's appearance.  Or, it could be coincidence.  Like most Star Wars characters, we'd expect an evolution of Fett's appearance.  However, having it change so drastically in such a short time is likely just due to the concept not being finalized when the animation was done.  We know the early concepts of Boba Fett were in all white armor.  This version has paler colors.  The final, film version was more brightly colored and detailed.  Having toys of different eras of Boba Fett is fun and keeps the character fresher than just getting the same colors in different poses.

I've never really been able to wrap my brain around why Lucasfilm never pursued animation as a viable story telling avenue.  The late 1970's were the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons and a Star Wars themed entry would have likely been hugely popular in an era where the only non movie year media most people had access to were the Kenner toys.  It seems like a large misfire on Lucas' part.  Though, to be fair, the company wasn't as large then as they would be by the time "Return of the Jedi" was released.  So, they may not have had the resources to handle both production of new films and an animation division.  But, I can't help but feel that my childhood would have been much better had their been Star Wars cartoons available every Saturday morning.

Like most Star Wars figures of this era, Boba Fett isn't worth much more than retail.  You can get carded figures quite easily for under $12.  Dealers will often charge twice that amount for impatient buyers.  But, the figure is readily available for cheaper.  Considering the figure is now 10 years old and cost $7 at retail, that's not much of a mark up.  The figure was re-released in a Droid Factory two pack as a Wal Mart exclusive in 2009.  That release seems a bit harder to find, but the figure appears to, basically, be the same.  Back in 2007, the 30th Anniversary Collection figures were heavily shipped.  Local stores had pegs and pegs of them, with Wal Mart actually having both a preponderance of an aisle dedicated to figures as well as an entire endcap.  Figures from all waves sold briskly and stock was replenished often.  This figure tended to be among the first sell outs from restocks.  But, he was certainly not hard to find and was readily available to anyone who looked for him even casually.

2007 Zap - Convention Exclusive

In 2004, Hasbro dropped a new version of Zap into a late run comic pack. The figure was the same basic, green body that everyone was pretty sick of by the 4th quarter of '04. That figure became clearance fodder throughout the country even though the new head was fairly well done and was a nice representation of how Zap appeared in the early issues of the Marvel comic. The head mold went dormant and was not brought back to retail until 2007 as part of the convention set. This Zap, though, brought an entire new life to a character and shows how the combination of two iconic figures with totally new colors can create an amazing new figure that doesn't tread on the ground broken by any of the figure parts from which it is made.

The original Zap mold was well traveled with releases in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Europe and India. In 1997, Hasbro got the mold back and released it in the Stars and Stripes set. But, that mold did not return with the debut of this new Zap head mold. The Scrap Iron body is also well traveled with uses in the US and India. But, it has only been used for Scrap Iron and in colors that are some shade of blue. As such, the combination of the head and body molds offered in the unique convention color scheme really brings the mold of Zap to life. You don't see Scrap Iron when you look at the figure. Instead, you see an obscure homage to Zap's original design with the overalls. The new figure looks more like Zap than even the vintage Zap and, to me, creates the definitive version of the figure.

This version of Zap's accessories...well...suck. He features some Sgt. Savage spring loaded weapons and a small machine gun. The gun is OK, even if it is out of character for Zap. The spring loaded weapons, though, are pretty much an unforgivable mistake on an otherwise great figure. There's aren't many bazookas in the vintage line, but Zap's original weapon still holds some relevance and is such an iconic piece that it's hard to view Zap without it. The great thing, though, is that the '97 Zap's accessories are a perfect fit in terms of colors with this new Zap figure. The dark green bazooka and dark green and black backpack mesh perfectly with this figure and look like they were intended for this color scheme. Outfitting the convention Zap with these fairly easy to find accessories is a great way to make this figure a traditional Zap figure and solves the accessory issue in a creative and unique way.

This mold combination works well. It was the only time that the character was released in this configuration. The Zap head originally appeared in a comic pack on a fairly lame figure. So, getting it again on a better body with more paint applications was a welcome treat. Like most convention figures, though, once the mold has appeared in a Club offering, it is rare to ever see it again. It is unlikely we'll ever get another Zap in any form. But, this figure gives Zap fans something different that is very useful with both repaint era figures as well as vintage Joes.

Typically, high quality Joe figures from Convention sets haven't seen great appreciation on the second hand market. Such was the case with Zap. Within a few weeks of the convention, Zaps could be had for as little as $10 each. For a figure like this, that's insanely cheap. Now, more than a year removed from this figure's release, Zap remains an remarkable bargain. He simply hasn't seen any appreciation on the secondary market and is a perfect example of how collectors simply don't reward ingenuity in the Joe line. I find this a great update to the Zap character and this is a figure that is well worth owning. It fits with classic vehicles while not being too out there. But, I've found that I'm in the minority on this point.

2007 Convention Exclusive Grand Slam

Of all the convention sets that Master Collector has released, I hold the 2007 version in the highest regard. Sure, there are individual figures in other sets that are better than pretty much all the figures in 2007. But, as a whole, the set delivered across the board. What really enhanced the set, though, was the convention attendee figures. In years prior, the attendee figures had been OK, but nothing that set the collecting world on fire. That changed in 2007 with the release of Steeler/Rip It and Grand Slam/Starduster. These 4 figures helped fill out the set and filled many gaps in the remakes of the vintage figures.

The Grand Slam figure is nothing short of excellent. Using obscure parts and colored in the traditional silver with a base green that is a cross between vintage olive drab and Action Force Green, the figure is an excellent example of what could have been done with the multitude of vintage molds that were available to Hasbro during the early to mid 2000's. The figure is a great update to the Grand Slam character using more modern parts, but is still in line with the character's original appearance. He is the perfect update and an exemplary showcase of how the entire repaint era should have been approached.

The accessories for this figure were excellent. Aside from the jet pack, the figure included a flame plume that was originally molded for a Boba Fett figure in the early 2000's. It turns out, this item fit into the holes sculpted onto the JUMP almost two decades earlier. So, it was a logical fit for this figure set. Grand Slam also included a recolored helmet from the 2006 Lady Jaye figure. It is an acceptable choice for flight gear. But, the fit is only so-so. It's a small issue, though, as the general appearance of the figure makes up for any shortcomings and the appearance of the JUMP was a tremendously welcome surprise for the collecting world.

For many collectors, the 2007 convention set was the swan song for the ARAH style Joes. (Sure, Master Collector came out with ARAH sytle sets in 2008 and 2010, but this set seemed to be a celebration of the end when it was debuted.) The Anniversary figures were showing up at retail and bringing in a large contingent of modern toy collectors who had only a slight connection to Joe. The result was a drastic change in the collecting community...much moreso than even the dichotomy that erupted in 2002 over the JvC style figures. For that reason, the 2007 Con set has held a place of importance in my collection. It marked the last real time that collecting was about my generation and the type of figures that I enjoyed. After this, Hasbro was basically only interested in the new breed of collector and we dinosaurs were left behind.

The 2007 Jet Pack Troopers quickly became insanely popular on the aftermarket.  Within a week of the convention, the figures were selling as high as $150 each!.  In time, those prices dropped to around $100 or so.  They stay around that level, with some occasional dips, due to the low supply and high demand for Grand Slam and Starduster. These days, the figures are very difficult to find and do not appear with much frequency on the market. If you time your purchase right, you can get deals. But, the general scarcity and still high collector interest in these figures has left them very expensive to acquire. Had I not gotten a set during the days of the Convention in 2007, it's unlikely that I would have ever owned them. As a $35 figure, Grand Slam is pretty cool and worthy of acquisition. As a $85 figure, he is much less so. But, this is a both a character and figure that didn't get much due from Hasbro and having a high quality version is nice. It's a shame that these guys weren't offered to a broader audience for cheaper prices, though.

2007 Clutch - Convention Exclusive

When the repaint era began in 1997, there was much promise of what collectors could expect.  As the years passed, though, collectors were largely disappointed with the offerings from Hasbro.  Sure, there were some winners.  But, for the most part, the figures released were either boring or outright bad.  This trend continued in the Convention sets.  There were some good ideas and a few great figures.  But, for the money, the sets often failed to deliver across the board.  In 2007, though, Master Collector really came through.  Rather than release their Cobra centric set as was the standard, they instead offered a large amount of classic Joe characters recreated from a variety of different molds.  Some were bad.  Some were good.  And a few, like Clutch, are a perfect update to the character and have become required versions for any collector.

As a character, Clutch is as memorable as they come.  For whatever reason, the character seemed to click with Larry Hama and he made Clutch a mainstay in the comic.  From a figure standpoint, though, the character didn't get much love.  The original figure is one of the highlights of the original 13 Joes.  The 1984 desert repaint was cool, but still the same mold.  Clutch then did not appear for another nine years.  When he did return, it was as a bright, neon orange member of the Mega Marines.  In the repaint era, Clutch did not appear until 2004.  The comic pack figure used a new head on a Mace body.  The result was a large and clunky figure that left much to be desired.  In 2007, though, Master Collector reused the comic pack head and combined it with a Pathfinder chest to create this figure.  The result is something that is true to Clutch's character (the Manny's Mean Machines logo on the back of his jacket is a nice touch) but still a nice update of the figure with more modern parts.  The Thunder arms and Duke legs even still work with the torso from 1990.

Accessory wise, Clutch is armed with weapons done in the standard Convention grey color.  He includes a version of the V2 Low-Light's gun and the rifle from the 1992 Shockwave figure.  There is, of course, the requisite clear stand as well.  The guns are nice.  But, Clutch's role is to drive the VAMP.  So, just the figure is enough to fill most of the figure's roles.  (It would have been nice for him to include a helmet, though.)  The figure is a good match for the VAMP that was released at the convention.  But, he also works well with the 2004 VAMP repaint or even the vintage version.

The result is a figure that has become my default modern Clutch.  Sure, when displaying 1984 and earlier figures, the vintage Clutch is the only choice.  But, I like the character to be available with remakes of other classics like Snake Eyes, Stalker, Hawk, Steeler or Rock and Roll.  This Clutch can drive his VAMP.  But, he also looks good in some of the later vehicle releases.  He has been seen as part of the crew for both the Mauler and Night Rhino on my display shelves.  The basic green and black fits as a general purpose vehicle driver and stays true to the military roots of the 1982 characters.

To me, this is what the comic packs and other releases during the repaint should have been about.  I think the comic packs tried.  (And even did produce some great great figures.)  But, they largely fell short with obscure colors, less than stellar mold choices and terrible accessories.  The 2007 Tanks for the Memories convention set did a nice job of putting together new figures and creating something rather collectible.  Not all of the colors were great for the mold choices.  But, they did give something different for many characters that expanded their use into more modern displays.

After the 2007 convention, prices for figures in the exclusive 15 figure set started to rise.  Slowly, the characters climbed over $20 or more.  Then, though, demand simply died.  Despite the high quality of the releases, collectors lost interest with the set.  Prices plummeted to as low as $7 or $8 per figure.  For the collectors of the time, it was a great price at which to pick up a few Convention exclusives.  Now, though, the demand has caught up again.  Today, Clutch figures sell in the $15-$20 range.  But, the lower supply can tempt impatient buyers into purchases for nearly twice those amounts.  So, it pays to look around and take your time when after a figure like this.  I feel this is a great version of Clutch that is on par with the original figure in terms of quality.  It can stand proudly as the character among figures made after 1984.  It takes nothing away from the original, but is true to the character and is a great upgrade.  If only more convention figures had been designed with those characteristics in mind.

2007 Lt. Clay Moore (Convention Exclusive)

There are bad convention figures. There are good convention figures. And, every now and then, there are great convention figures. Lt. Clay Moore definitely falls into the last category. He is a unique character made of parts that fit well together and are perfectly painted. He is something completely different from most of the other Cobras we've seen over the years and stands as one of the most visually distinctive Cobra villains.

Back in 2004, I discovered the Street Fighter Movie Edition Balrog figure. For those unfamiliar with this guy, he uses the head seen on this Lt. Clay Moore and Salvo's body. His shirt is white and he has blue pants. The result is a figure that looks like a new Cobra villain. Unfortunately, these Movie Balrogs are rather hard to find. Shortly after I acquired one, the price skyrocketed to upwards of $50 for a MOC sample. If you could find a loose version, he was still going to run you close to $30. When I had the figure in hand, though, I realized that his coloring wasn't perfect and the overall presentation wasn't as great as I had anticipated. So, while the character became a player in my collection, the figure ended up on a bunk inside the prison of my Joe HQ out in the garage. He still lies there today.

The minute I saw this figure, I knew that I had found a worthy replacement for that Movie Balrog. Lt. Clay Moore uses Balrog's head and the coloring and uniform make him a perfect fit for the role I had always envisioned Balrog holding. So, this figure became Balrog in my collection. (I'm not a fan of Lt. Clay Moore. I guess it's some homage to an insignificant cartoon character. But, I have a Claymore figure already and naming this one something so similar is redundant. So, the Balrog name has stuck and I only refer to this figure as Balrog.)

Lt. Clay Moore uses the head first seen on the 1993 Balrog figure. That head was used again in 1995 for the Street Fighter Movie Balrog. This use of the head is notable, though, for the fact that it is not molded in black plastic. The skin coloring is painted on. To cut costs, Master Collector casts all their heads in one color and then paints them. It is cheaper than using multiple plastic colors. This practice failed miserably with Red Dog in 2006. But, it works much better on Clay Moore and the Doc figure. The body was originally used in 1994 as Ice Cream Soldier. But, it is more famously known for its use as the Shock Viper versions that were released in 2002. But, since it had been 5 years since this body mold had appeared, its use was welcomed. Personally, I would still like to see a new Shock viper version released that had the grey body base as was shown at the 2002 Joe Convention. I think that figure, properly painted with enough details, would make a great corps of troopers for Clay Moore to command. Beyond that, though, the mold is probably done. Clay Moore is strong enough that he finally realized this mold's full potential.

Clay Moore's accessories aren't great. He features a blue helmet originally used for some of the new sculpt figures. It works well and adds a nice dimension to Clay Moore's look. He is equally useful without it, though. His weapons are the real failure. He includes a large machine gun that was originally designed for the Sgt. Savage line. It is cool enough. But, as Sgt. Savage was a larger scale than Joe figures, the weapon is a bit oversized. Clay Moore also includes a spring loaded missile launcher. I don't know what possessed Master Collector to use spring loaded accessories in their convention sets. Collectors have never liked these and they probably helped knock down this sets' popularity a notch. As such, the best option to accessorize Clay Moore is a visit to Marauder Inc. Most of the photos below feature the figure with a Marauder weapon as his true accessories are so lame.

The 2007 Convention set should have been a winner. In included a few army builders that were a mold that had never been previously released as well as a great mix of high profile, named characters that were all done in awesome new mold mold combinations and given near perfect colors. Yet, the set was largely stagnated on the aftermarket. In the months after the convention, you could buy just about every figure from the set, mint and complete, for under $11. While collectors went nuts for the Grand Slam/Starduster and Steeler/Rip It figures: they largely ignored the incredible figures that comprised the main set. Since then, things have changed a bit and Clay Moores can now be had in the $15 range. Really, for a figure of this quality that was produced in these quantities, that's abnormally low. Much of the price atrophy can be attributed to the large number of collectors who went to the 25th Anniversary convention and hoped to recoup their costs by selling their sets on the aftermarket. The glut over saturated the market right as the demand for ARAH style figures dropped precipitously. The result is that anyone who missed this figure can still get one for a fair price. At the current cost, there is no reason for any collector to not have this figure in their collection. It is one of the highlights of the modern era ARAH style figure releases and brings some much needed diversity to the Cobra ranks.

2007 Steeler - Convention Exclusive

Much has been made of the demise of the promised convention Mauler tanks. At the time, they were a neat surprise that excited many collectors. Their cancellation prompted anger, disappointment and resentment. But, in their wake, the two figures who were included with the tanks have been largely ignored. Sure, there was the usual chatter around the time of the convention. But, these tank drivers were quickly overshadowed by the Grand Slam/Starduster set and its meteoric aftermarket price rise. However, collectors were quietly given a real gem. The convention Steeler is probably the best version of the character ever released and is a microcosm of the 2007 convention figures as a whole.

As a character, Steeler has been someone that I wanted to use, but never really could as his figures didn't really fit with the others in my collection. Of the original 13 Joes, Steeler and Clutch have the 2 molds that are easiest to integrate with figures from later years. But, neither of them really made the transition into my modern "use" collection. The comic pack Steeler was OK, but just OK. It was oddly proportioned and the colors really didn't do anything for me. This figure, though, solves all those problems. The mold is more natural looking and better fits with figures from all years. The colors are richly textured and the layers of brown, tan, black and green with silver highlights just makes for a figure that blends perfectly with a variety of collector favorites. The helmet lets you know that this is Steeler and the view finder is even in red: a subtle homage to the UK Action Force Steeler. The one downside is the figure's gloves. The hands are not quite flesh colored, but too close to it. As such, they look jaundiced rather than leathery. It's a small complaint, but something to note. The figure also includes 2 weapons: grey versions of Low-Light's uzi and a sub machine gun from the Sgt. Savage line. While the uzi is a throwback to the original figure, the version included is actually a larger version that was cast from the original mold. So, neither of Steeler's gun are all that great as they are a bit large for the figure. But, it's easy to get black uzis these days, so that problem is easily solved.

The 2007 convention figures offered collectors something that had been promised for many years but simply never delivered: great updates to classic characters where the new designs are on par or better than the original figures. This set was not a complete hit (none of them have been except for the Crimson Strike Set and it only had 4 figures....) but it was the most ambitious convention set to date and really upped the ante in terms of future expectations. Of the figures, Grand Slam, Starduster, Clutch and Steeler are the best versions ever released of these characters. Rock and Roll, Grunt, Rip It and Zap are perfect updates that used unique and different parts. While I still like some other versions of these characters better, these figures were all welcome additions and were more innovative than any of the figures we saw in the retail comic packs. Doc and Lt. Claymoore were great new additions and featured distinguishing combinations of parts and colors. In all, the entire set was a fulfillment of the promise that the comic packs failed to deliver: the classics redone in ways that were true to the character but different enough to be more relevant. It's a pity it took this long to see such realization of a concept that seems so simple.

I'll be honest, I really didn't care about the cancellation of the Maulers. Sure, the Mauler is a fan favorite mold that is fairly expensive on the second hand market. So, it's inclusion in the modern releases makes perfect sense. But, to me, the Mauler has never lived up to the hype. It's a neat looking toy, but was never much fun to play with. It only holds 4 figures and 2 of those are hidden in the cockpit and the other two barely fit onto the footholds on the turret. It takes up a lot of space and doesn't have nearly the play value of something much goofier like the Havoc. So, not seeing these new tanks produced didn't really matter to me since I would not have ever integrated them into my collection anyways. However, the manner in which the whole fiasco was handled was rather odd. It is well known that the Hasbro had the Mauler on its radar back in 1997. But, it couldn't happen then due to bad/missing molds. So, how could anyone think that a full decade later, that situation would have improved? Especially when you consider that some of the players involved in 1997 are still around and were involved in this. While fans got excited about the tanks, the resulting disappointment by their cancellation more than offset that. Had just the drivers been available at the con, no one would have really cared. Some might have asked why these two figures were chosen, but most wouldn't have much cared since the figures, in and of themselves, are nicely done. Then, had the tanks been able to come to fruition, they could have been a nice surprise for the collecting world near the end of 2007. If the tanks ended up cancelled, then fandom would be none the wiser and Master Collector would not have taken yet another HUGE public relations and credibility hit.

As a mold, this figure works well. It uses the body from the 1989 Dogfight figure and the head from the comic pack Steeler. (Only with blonde hair this time.) Neither of these molds have been used previously on any figure other than their original releases. As such, the figure appears fresh and is a great update to the Steeler character. The Dogfight jacket is reminiscent of the jacket that Heavy Metal wears and it adds a level of consistency to the classic Joe tank drivers. This Steeler also shows that it is still possible to create great figures from ARAH molds...figures that are the best representations of a character in 25 years. As such, it's hard to really accept the rhetoric that the original molds are "wearing out" or "there isn't much left" when you see figures like Steeler, Grand Slam, Clutch, Doc and Starduster from the 2007 convention season. It shows there is still a wealth of untapped potential in the hundreds of vintage molds and shows that just a little ingenuity can still create some iconic looks for our classic characters.

For whatever reason, the 2007 convention attendee exclusive figures have captured the attention of collectors like never before. The Grand Slam and Starduster exclusives are still selling for nearly $100 per figure. At first, this Steeler and the Rip It figure weren't all that popular. They didn't sell out at the convention, but at $80 for the figure and the tank, I could see how collectors would be a bit hesitant. However, after the tanks were cancelled, collectors got a bit nervous, especially as Master Collector hinted that stock was running low. As such, panic set in and the remaining Steelers and Rip Its sold out quickly. But, it seems that these figures aren't as popular as the jet pack troopers as Steelers are currently selling for around $25 each. (Rip Its, though, are at least double that!) That's about what they cost originally, so this figure isn't seeing the aftermarket interest that the JUMP figures have. With only 500 of these figures made, though, I don't see that remaining the case. Long term, these figures will dry up and become rather hard to find. As this is the best version of Steeler, I think there will continue to be demand for the figure for a long time so now really is the best time to add one to your collection.