2020 Night Force Snake Armor - Black Major

I do not like the Snake armor.  I hated it as a kid and it has been completely and utterly irrelevant to me for over 40 years.  But, one of the things that helps us grow as people it to take another look at something we dislike and try to understand why we dislike and if the circumstances around that dislike warrant another evaluation of our opinion.  It's something good to do with political views, social conventions and even the people in and around your life.  So, when Black Major produced Snake Armors in 2020, I saw an opportunity to pick one up and see if my childhood bias against the toy held up.  In this case, I'm actually looking at a Night Force version of the Snake armor.  I'm not sure why there's a Night Force version.  But, it was cheap and included a Stormshadow repaint I wanted.  And, the base colors are Cobra enough that it solved my need for a sample of the Snake that would help determine if I've been wrong for the last 4 decades.

The Snake came out in 1983.  It was a cheap toy that was meant to fill the price gap between a figure and base vehicle.  At the time, Hasbro ensured Joe toys existed within price points so that G.I. Joe toys were a possibility for any level of gift giver.  And, because of this, my brothers and I got no less than 3 Snakes between birthdays and Christmas in the fall of 1983.  By that point, I was completely engrossed in G.I. Joe and they were the only toys I really played with. So, ostensibly, any Joe toy would have been an awesome addition to my toy room.  But, Snakes were not.  From the get go, I found them useless.  The last thing I wanted was a suit that limited articulation on my figures.  I could easily imagine some force shield that offered all the power of a Snake without limiting my ability to pose the figures any way I wanted.  But, the most damning aspect of the toy was that, in order to use it, it took a figure out of rotation.  Someone had to be inside the suit for the thing to work.

So, now we get the crux of the issue.  Pretty much anyone reading this would say, "What about the exoskeleton included with the Snake that allowed it to be set without a figure?!?".  Usually, this would be prefaced or ended with the word dummy.  (Or, your expletive of choice.)  But, we'll save that.  Because, you see, I didn't know about the exo skeleton piece.  In all three of our Snakes, that little part was tossed with the leftover sprues.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it was the zeal of opening something new.  Or, I was just a moron who missed it.  But, I didn't know this part existed for a many years.  So, this is the part where you call me a dummy.  

But, to be fair, this was not the end of the Snake for me.  In time, certain Cobra figures got broken.  Even as a kid, I could not abide by figures with broken crotches or thumbs.  So, when a Cobra Officer was damaged, it made perfect sense for him to slide into the Snake as the operator.  This allowed me to use the Snake.  But, it also didn't cost me a figure since someone already broken was no longer considered part of my actual collection.  But, even with this addition of a figure, I found the Snake lacking.  Like the MANTA, the Snake didn't stay together all that well when you actually played with it.  And, the lack of poseability still killed it.  In short, the Snake couldn't manage to find a way into my adventures.

In 1984, I started buying the Joe comic.  In short order, I found a local comic book shop and started buying back issues of the Joe issues.   Eventually, I came across issue #19.  Here, Dr. Venom put Kwinn and Snake Eyes into the Snakes and had them attack the G.I. Joe Headquarters.  I had a few problems with this issue.  First, Dr. Venom kept referring the Hiss Tank being "Cobra blue".  As the Hiss was canonically black, I found this a glaring error.  Second, it didn't make sense to me that Kwinn and Snake Eyes would have their bodies controlled, but still have clear enough minds to shoot the locks on the suit.  Finally, it was self defeating to have these invincible suits who could be cracked open by a guy who somehow managed to get a remote controlled machine gun to fire manually.  The upside, though, was that the terrible suits were proven very ineffective.  And, in my mind, my dislike of Snakes as a toy and a concept were codified in the comic forever.

But, at its core, my dislike of the Snake went deeper.  Generally, I was not a fan of robots.  For some reason, I never got the robot bug.  This manifested itself in 1986 when I found the BAT a fairly lame toy and character.  BATs were fun for about 4 minutes before Sgt. Slaughter would slip behind them, shoot them in the back and watch them burst into flame...rendering them absolutely useless.  I was shocked to find my friends and even random kids at the store who LOVED BATs.  I didn't get the fascination with robots.  And, I still don't.  I see collectors going ga-ga over mechs and things and I simply don't understand the appeal.  But, to me, the humanity of the characters was a driving force in my play.  So, even in my days of playing with Star Wars figures, I rarely found the robots interesting.  Monsters and aliens could be given personality.  But, I just didn't click with robots.  And, to this day, I find anything that heavily features robots to be kind of boring.

The Black Major Snakes are very well done.  They are of high quality and display nicely.  The paint masks are crisp and the rainbow of colors allow even curmudgeons like myself to find something of interest.  Snake accessories tended to break on the vintage toys.  With the Black Major figures, the risk is still there.  But, the attachments fit snugly and work very well with the arms.  The parts fit together without falling apart.  And, even with the exo skeleton inside, the toy stands and functions just fine.  

There are tons of Black Major paint variants of Snakes available.  A few colors were even metallicized and you can get shining versions that look like Christmas ornaments if you are so inclined.  The original Snake had an interesting life.  Hasbro released the white version in 1983.  Then, in 1985, they repainted it into a blue version.  I have no idea why the Snake got this treatment when other, far better vehicles in the price point did not.  But, the blue Snake exists and is somewhat rare.  In Europe, Palitoy released a red Snake named the Escape Armor for the Red Shadows.  Of course, it's highly desirable and expensive.  Funskool finally released the Snake in the 1990's.  There are various hues, the most famous being a gray version.  Again, this is hard to find and you'll pay a premium for one.  So, for a crappy, crappy toy, there are tons of variants out there.  Yet, there are only two Flight Pods and one real coloring for the CLAW....

Black Major Snakes dried up pretty quickly.  While you can still find them, the initial assortment sold out far faster than I would have thought.  All this proves is that my take on the Snake is the minority opinion in the community and the design is generally well liked.  Less desirable colors of the Snake are still available in the $12 range.  But, some of the most desirable colors almost never appear for sale and will command a premium.  For me, it was easy to get one like this Night Force version because it was more about having one Snake to review than having the right colors.  If you're a Snake fan, that might not be the case.  

2020 Killer Moth - Spinmaster Batman Line

 Growing up, I only read Marvel Comics.  I'm really not sure why this is.  I had cut my teeth on Superfriends in the late '70's and early '80's.  But, Marvel published G.I. Joe.  And, by buying that title monthly, I was exposed to the Marvel titles of the day.  So, I guess it was just destined that I'd eventually find my way to the Avengers (West Coast was preferred though!), Spider Man and a few other hero titles.  I simply never ventured into the DC side of the business.  I remember the kids around the block having an issue of Batman where a criminal falls/jumps off a building and dies.  He then goes to hell with a giant spider in it.  That fascinated me.  But, not enough to jump on the DC bandwagon.  I didn't hate DC.  I just was more comfortable with Marvel.  

Though the years, not much changed.  I left comic super hero books behind in the '80's.  (Aside from a short run of McFarlane Spider Man titles.)  I liked Marvel heroes.  But, not enough to actually get interested in any of the Marvel movies or TV shows.  My youngest son, though, eventually took a liking to Batman.  And, due to the Lego use of the Batman character, he was enthralled with Lego Batman toys.  Even this year, he got a large Lego Batman set that he put together first thing Christmas day.  

Early in 2020, though, I came across a new line of Batman action figures made by Spinmaster.  Slowly, I got slightly interested in them.  The articulation looked good.  And, there were enough characters in the first wave to make it interesting.  Plus, they were $8 each.  In this day and age, no quality 3 3/4 or 4 inch figure line is sold at that price.  I showed them to my son.  But, he had little interest.  Lego still dominated his world.  As the poo-storm that was 2020 raged on, the line felt like something I should introduce to my boys.  I bought a couple of figures over the summer, when the toy aisles were emptying in case there wasn't stock for Christmas.  Once I had the first couple of figures, I did some digging online and found the next wave of figures coming.  There was no Harley Quinn, Penguin, Two-Face or Bane.  Instead, there was a villain I'd never really heard of: Killer Moth.  The figure was a galling palette of bright colors...exactly the type of thing that I had to find.

If you follow this blog, you know that I enjoy neon G.I. Joe figures.  While they are seeing an uptick of interest these days from younger collectors, I've been on board the neon train since the figures were at retail.  All too many action figure lines for kids try to be "gritty and real!" and feature tons of dark, drab colors.  Even the Disney era Star Wars films fell into this trap.  This leads all the figures to appear the same at retail.  You buy the same boring thing over and over.  Even among the Batman line, you see the traditional greys, blues and blacks with sparing flashes of color.  That's why this Killer Moth so appealed to me.  The bright orange, purple, green and red all recalled the visually exciting action figures from my youth and the 1990's when I started collecting.  (Look at the both the vintage Joe and Kenner Star Wars line and you'll see lots of bright colors.  Way more than you probably remember.)  

In the end, 2020 turned into a nice Batman Christmas at our house.  I picked up about 20 figures from this line due to the availability and price point.  I really wanted to get the same number of Star Wars figures.  But, there simply were not that many to be had.  Even perusing Amazon and online versions of brick and mortar retailers, there were just a few figures from the Star Wars line that my kids had any interest in.  (One of them will appear on May 4th, though.)  The thing is, in that 20 figures, there were just 3 versions of Batman, two Jokers and three Robins (I liked the Robin releases and my kids like him from Teen Titans Go!.)  There was a nice cadre of lesser known Bat-Villains to serve as foils for the heros.  Killer Moth, Firefly and Talon are fun toys that, normally, would have only appeared as a line died it's death from obscurity.  Instead, my boys get to have fun with some adventures with lesser known characters.  And, in case they want something more traditional, there is still a Joker, Catwoman and Killer Croc to fill out their adventures.

Upon opening them, my boys loved them.  The figures moved easily, had vehicles with which to interact and were in scale with the cheap military and Star Wars figures they also received for Christmas.  The volume of Batman figures allowed each boy to have their own version or two of the titular character.  But, the quantity of villains also gave each of them several figures who could fight Batman, Robin and Batwoman.  I like the figures for the same reasons.  They are toys in ways that most other retail options for action figures are not.  Within minutes of opening their figures, my boys had already divided the Robins and Batmen into Batman 1, Batman 2, Robin 1, Robin 2, etc. and played with each other for hours.  They got a Batcave as well and they worked out elaborate scenarios where the supervillains defeated the military only to face Batman.  Fun, fun times.

In general, my kids haven't been into action figures.  Lego, of course, has dominated their childhood.  But, early in 2020, I let them play with my Star Wars figures from the mid 2000's.  If you know these figures, they are among the best Hasbro ever released.  I figured them a fad.  But, they kept playing with them, building bases and, generally, establishing stories and universes that reminded me of my childhood.  This Batman line allows me to bring some other elements into Star Wars play.  The figures are compatible.  And, while Batman fighting Darth Vader seems ridiculous to an adult like me, it gives my boys the world building possibilities that I often desired as a kid.  I'm glad to see the Batman line has plans through 2021 and hope it rivals the old Kenner line in terms of longevity.  (And, I want to see a Machine Gun Joker in Spinmaster form, too.)  So far, the line has some good vehicles, a playset and a bunch of cheaper vehicles that are really just forms to get deluxe style figures into the mix.  But, having items that can interact with figures really helps keep interest up.  So, I'm looking forward to the rest of what 2021 has to offer.

The Batman line is fun because it's somewhat collectible.  There is a companion line of DC Comics figures anchored by Superman.  But, Wal Mart didn't carry it in 2020, it only had a couple of waves and the ancillary characters were pretty hard to find.  Both lines are compatible.  Along with the standard releases, though, Spinmaster included notions of "Rare" figures and "Super Rare" figures.  These were a combination of repaints or special chase figures like all golden plastic variants.  These were shortpacked in cases.  But, due to the volume of figures that shipped, it wasn't impossible to find most of the variant figures in the Batman line.  Killer Moth didn't have a variant.  But, the variant figures from the wave were often there when I found Killer Moths at retail.  (I don't go to stores in the morning.  These were all after work finds implying they had been on the shelves for some time.)  The chase figures are fun when they are something you can find.  Most companies err by making the chase figures too hard to track down and they become scalper fodder.  When they are available enough, the resellers skip them and collectors have the joy of finding something oddball.

These figures are well articulated.  The move at the head, should, elbow, hip and knees.  They don't spin at the waist.  But, the increased aesthetic of that missing articulation works out well.  The figures are somewhat comical with large feet and hands.  But, that allows them to hold gear and also stand without too much trouble.  Even the flimsy sculpts of Catwoman and Batwoman move well and allow for full posability.  Modern Star Wars figures often have stiff joints and will break before some of them will move.  None of the Spinmaster figures I own have suffered from that and they seem like better toys, even if they are not better collectibles.

The Batman line includes, mostly, three accessories with each figure.  Several of the accessories are included among several figures, though often in different colors.  The 2020 Batman figures also had most figures as part of individual themes.  This means that most figures have an accessory color variant.  And, this variant is completely impossible to determine without opening the package.  This version of Killer Moth included an orange gun, blue money case and a dark blue batarang.  The alternate version lacks the batarang and the case is silver and the gun is green.  Both figures also have removable "moth wings".  The accessories, frankly, aren't great.  They are somewhat comical and oversized.  But, they also work because there are few action figure lines that have playful gear that's both bizarre and brightly colored.  The gun works well enough with Killer Moth.  The money case is interesting.  But, it's also kind of lame since it has bills flowing out of it.  In general, the gear with these figures is fun.  But, it's not the realistic type thing you see with Star Wars or G.I. Joe figures.  It's more like larger sized Imaginext gear.

So far, Killer Moth has only shipped in Wave 2 of the 2020 Batman releases.  It's possible he could reappear in a 2021 wave.  But, it's also likely that, if he does, he'll have at least a slight repaint.  If you were looking at retail stores during the time when Wave 2 was shipping, it wasn't hard to find a Killer Moth.  But, once that wave got through the system in the early fall, the figure has been absent from retail.  As such, you'll pay around $12-$15 for a carded Killer Moth today.  I have no insight into the long term collectibility of the Spinmaster line.  Personally, I hope it's wildly successful and goes on a run to rival the Kenner Batman lines from the late 1980's and early 1990's.  But, 30 years later, most of those figures are pretty much worthless.  But, $12 isn't a lot to pay for a high quality action figure made in 2020.  (Most retail figures of this scale are around that price.)  So, even at the higher pricing, this is a figure that's worthwhile.  He's visually fun and is a good toy.  As a parent, there aren't enough action figures that are good toys.  So, that just makes this Killer Moth all that much better.

2020 Bonecrusher - Black Major Exclusive

 In 2018, it was amazing to see the 1985 Snake Eyes mold resurrected and repainted into some new and interesting characters.  In 2019, a new set of Snake Eyes repaints started to feel a bit repetitive.  So, when it was announced that there would be 9 more new Snake Eyes figures in 2020, I didn't hold out hope for anything that would really interest.  Boy, was I wrong.  Among the series released included a solid desert Snake Eyes, an Action Force green Snake Eyes, an all grey Snake Eyes and one special figure that I hold as the single best release in all of 2020: Bonecrusher.

Red Laser has attempted skull face paint applications on figures.  And, they turned out remarkably well.  Black Major upped the ante on this idea and churned out a Snake Eyes decked out in solid skeleton print.  The reality is that the figure is far less recognizable as Snake Eyes in this configuration and the mold works well as a new character.  The paint applications are a step up from what's been previously done with factory customs and show that there is still much untapped potential for even molds that have been exhausted.  

Like most kids who played with Joe figures in the 1980's, I kitbashed new characters together out of parts of older, broken or damaged figures.  With these characters, I expanded my Joe world in many new directions.  As my time playing with toys came to end, though, I felt a need to also end the stories of many of my childhood favorites.  Some died.  But, most got to go on one last epic adventure before they disappeared into boxes in the closet for the next 5 to 7 years.  Most of these stories are lost to time.  But, a few remain with me.  One that does is an adventure that was close to the last chapter of my childhood playtime.  Here, three of my most favored characters came together for one last mission before the youngest was sent off to near certain death as he faced one of the most dangerous adversaries the world had ever seen.

My youngest brother was friends with a family that lived around the block from us.  Their boys were all younger than I was.  But, our parents became friends and we spent a lot of time at their house.  They had tons and tons of toys.  But, they didn't really care for them.  Each time we'd go over, I'd find new figures and vehicles in their basement.  While others played Nintendo, I'd dig out a pile of accessory less figures and have a battle royale among them.  While I always wanted a Joe to win, it didn't make much sense when Duke had to battle He Man.  So, I created a tournament where a winner fought until he either died or all the available opponents had been killed.  Sometimes, there would be a weapon for two lying around.  But, in these fights, characters met terrible demises as they were tossed off buildings, chopped to pieces or fried to a crisp.  These little asides, though, lead to a deeper idea in my Joe world.

Cobra had used assassins since Stormshadow.  But, hiring in outside killers meant that they could have ties to Joes that would render those contractors corruptible.  Cobra needed to develop their own cadre of murderers.  So, they built an assassins school in the mountains of Europe.  Here, young men were trained in the arts of infiltration, stealth and murder.  As the cadets neared graduation, they would join into underground killing tournaments held in basements of ancient European cities.  Here, fighters from around the world would test their mettle in various combat tournaments.  Most of these fights were done to appease gamblers.  But, for the fighters, it was a way to prove their worth.  The fights were regulated to a degree.  But, once fighters reached a certain level, the only way to make real money was to start participating in death matches.  Here, the best of the best would rise out and find riches as governments and terrorists vied for their services.  And, it was here that Cobra's initial trainees began to establish themselves as a force.

But, just as Cobra Commander was starting to count his riches for contracting these men out to the highest bidder, something went wrong.  Cobra lost all communication with their assassin school.  When they finally arrived to see what was wrong, they found all the trainees and instructors dead...save one.  This assassin, who was the prodigy among his peers, had killed them all and disappeared.  Cobra, of course, figured they could contain this.  But, they were unable to track the assassin down.  They didn't worry too much...until a few minor world governmental officials started being killed.  The assassin even managed to kill a couple of high ranking Cobras.  These assassinations attracted the attention of the world's various security agencies.  But, the Joes were not involved.  At least, they weren't until Destro contacted the Joe leader and asked for a favor.

Cobra needed the assassin killed so that he didn't turn their customers against them.  The Joe team agreed, though, because the assassin had managed to even kill multiple congresspeople.  The Joe's needed the assassin stopped at all costs.  The logical choice for the mission was Snake Eyes.  But, Snake Eyes also could not be used.  The American government couldn't take the hit if one of their top operatives failed.  They needed deniability.  So, the Joe team looked to one of my factions of characters that I had designed in my childhood: Mongoose.

Mongoose is a cliched name.  But, for a time, he was a central character to my Joe world.  I created a team of 4 characters who were a nearly invincible strike team.  They took on all the hairiest missions.  But, finally, their elder leader died during a mission.  Two members of the team, Mongoose and Blaster, felt that his death was the result of poor leadership decisions.  They became disillusioned and slowly drifted from the team and the Joes in general.  At the time of the assassin's rise, Mongoose and Blaster were shells of their former selves who roamed various trouble spots in the world, hoping to lend a hand.  The third member of their team, who had risen to be one of the highest ranking Joes, went in search of them to ask a favor in bringing in the assassin.  He found them.  But, they had no interest in rejoining the team.  And, Mongoose understood that it was a suicide mission and he was chosen because he was expendable.  They asked their former friend to help in a mission in their current land.  He agreed to do so.  For a brief moment, their original chemistry reformed and they forgot some of the baggage that now stood between them.  Upon successful completion, Mongoose agreed to go after the assassin...with the caveat that if he was successful, no other favors would ever be asked of him again.  This was agreed and Mongoose went off in search of the killer.

Soon enough, Mongoose crossed paths with the assassin.  At this point, he learned his name: Nimrod.  Nimrod was chosen as I read something at the time that associated the name with a great warrior.  (The real legend is, of course, more complicated.)  The two fought, but left in a draw.  Mongoose then began his hunt for Nimrod's home in the Rocky Mountains.  During his search, Nimrod killed more politicians, wealthy industrialists and global activists.  A worldwide hunt was set for Nimrod and intelligence agencies around the globe set rewards for his death.

Finally, Mongoose and Nimrod met at his mountain lair.  They ate a meal together and then decided they would fight to the death with only their swords.  Mongoose attempted to negotiate that if Nimrod won, he would give up his assassinations of world figures and retire to the backwoods wars of out of the way nations to sate his bloodlust.  Nimrod took this as a sign of weakness and refused.  The two then fought for three days.  They could clash, rest, hide, ambush and fight again.  Twice, Nimrod thought he had killed Mongoose.  And, on the second occasion, he had even confirmed the blood on his sword from a successful stabbing.  Mongoose, though, was only superficially wounded.  He used this, though, to lure Nimrod into a small indent in the rocks.  Here, there would be no escape as long as both men were alive.  

Nimrod fought calmly at first.  But, the tight space hindered his movement.  Slowly, he began to lose control...especially as Mongoose fought overly well for a man who was as gravely wounded as Nimrod thought him to be.  In a moment, Nimrod's sword hit a rock wall, leaving a second of exposure.  And, in this instant, Mongoose stabbed him through the heart.  Nimrod fell without a word and simply died.  Mongoose beheaded the body, buried it on the rocks and left it on the mountain.  He returned to the Joe team, told them the deed was done and then left to return to his life in the shadows.  He would never again appear for the Joes.

This Bonecrusher figure finally, after many years, fills in the gap for Nimrod.  As a kid, I played out the scenario using a crappy kitbash figure that had a Stormshadow sword.  The Mongoose figure, though, was always a Snake Eyes head and chest.  (I actually created him because my 1985 Snake Eyes's thumb broke and once I changed the all black arms, the figure could no longer be Snake Eyes.  When I replaced the Snake Eyes, though, I was so afraid I'd break him that I rarely used him and Mongoose remained my de facto version of the character for a while.)  Over the years, he had some other parts.  But, the final figure used Beach Head legs and a right arm from Thunder and left arm from Beach Head.  I know this because you can see the actual figure from my childhood below.  He wears a Jedi cloak from the 1999 Episode I accessory set.  But, that was a later addition to hide his mismatched arms.  Now, with Bonecrusher, he finally has a worthy figure to represent his final adversary.

Sadly, though, Bonecrusher figures have an issue.  The swivels are pretty loose on them.  So, they are tough to pose and, as you'll see in the photos below, the arms tend to bend out without any provocation at all.  Other than that, though, these figures are excellent quality.  The paints masks are tight, they can hold their weapons and the rest of the construction is fine.  It seems the arms for all Snake Eyes in this final series have this issue with looseness.  It was not a problem on the earlier series of Snake Eyes repaints, though.  For display, you can get around the issue for sure.  But, photos take a bit more time to set up.

Gearwise, Bonecrusher includes remakes of all of the 1985 Snake Eyes gear.  The Uzi and sword, though, are a creamy white that looks like bone.  Having a sword made of bone or ivory, though, is foolhardy.  But, the color fits well with the figure.  It's easy enough to swap out his gear for black versions available with other Snake Eyes repaints from this series, too.  There is a wolf that also has bones painted onto the body.  As with all the Black Major remakes of the 1985 Snake Eyes backpack, the sword does not fit into the slots.  They are just too small.  You can hang the sword into them in various ways.  But, they are all precarious.  Again, for display, it's fine.  But, it makes it hard to move the figure around with the sword affixed to his pack.  

Bonecrusher's are available right now.  You'll pay about $24 for one.  But, you can get them cheaper in various promotional sales or buying them as part of a set.  Supposedly, the series of figures that included Bonecrusher marked the retirement of the 1985 Snake Eyes mold.  With at least 30 repaints, that's probably good.  But, I stand by my statement that this Bonecrusher was the best figure released in 2020 and is a design that's going to hold up well in the future.  Getting a figure that could represent a character from the final days of my childhood play is important to me.  And, it fills out the last real gap to bring my childhood imagination to life.  I'd have paid a premium for that.  But, this Bonecrusher holds up under scrutiny from all collectors.  It's just a good figure and is a design that shows modern ideas can work quite well on vintage Joe molds.

The Top 10 - 2020

 So, 2020 was a weird year.  It was bizarre in that Joe was popular, but also not.  Items that, historically, collectors showed interest in were simply ignored.  Yet, common items that no one would ever care about now get massive attention.  And, in all this, the most popular post in the site's history debuted this year.  Yes, there is a new number one post in this site's long life.  And, you'll never guess what it is.

With that, here's the top 10 posts of 2020 on the site.

10. European Force Tonnerre

The European Force figures have always been solid performers during Rarities Month.  This year, I focused on the one figure that I see the least: Tonnerre.  This orange repaint is weird and odd and lots of fun.  I'd love to someday own one.  Until then, though, Rarities write ups like this one will have to suffice for me.

9. 2006 Viper

Army builders are always popular.  This Viper Pit set, though, has turned into a dud due to the poor quality of the figures.  Despite that, this figure got a lot of page views just due to the Viper name and the fact that it's been 14 years since he was released.  

8. Black Major Cobra De Aco

Black Major figures tend to perform well.  Especially when you consider that I can't promote the profiles of them in many of the largest social media groups.  Despite this blackout, people find the write ups of the figures.  Other Joe bloggers report the same.  The De Aco is a famous figure in its own right and people were interested to see how the Black Major release compared to one of the first foreign figures to really capture the community's attention.

7. 2020 Retro Hiss Tank

This isn't really a surprise.  A classic and iconic vehicle re-offered at retail for the first time in a long time was certain to draw in viewers.  Naturally, you see video reviews from large toy sites that have massively more numbers as they pull in the retail only collector crowd.  But, even Joe collectors wanted to see this one and it dropped into the top profiles of the year.

6.  1987 Fast Draw

I never considered Fast Draw an overly popular character.  But, his profile garnered a lot of attention.  It wasn't the time of year or anything.  In fact, the two profiles the surround Fast Draw (1984 Chameleon and 1997 Ace) were among the lowest performing posts of the year.  So, the popularity is entirely attributable to the Fast Draw figure.

5.  Sgt. Savage P-40 Warhawk

The Warhawk is an incredibly obscure item of which most fans had little recollection.  So, it getting a prominent post attracted viewers.  Some loved the design.  Others hated it.  But, the reality is that Sgt. Savage toys are almost as forgotten as G.I. Joe Extreme and it's getting rarer and rarer to see them in any capacity. 

4. Terror on the Tundra Mail Away Promo

I don't look at a lot of paperwork.  But, little items like this Terror on the Tundra promo tend to be popular.  Most collectors have these things lying around.  But, they aren't something that they take the time to look at.  And, now that some of the items in them have reached astronomical prices, it's interesting to look back at what you could have bought when they were released.

3.  Rarities - Later Series Lucky Bell Power Commandos

While I had a good crop of Rarities posts this year, only two really broke through.  This look at the later series of Power Commandos, though, was the most popular Rarities post of the year.  Again, this showcased a bunch of figures that most collectors were not aware of and, in many cases, had never seen.

There still lots about this line I don't know.  But, there will be at least one more new post for Rarities month in 2021 that relates to the Power Commandos, though.

2.  2006 Operation Flaming Moth Range Viper

The Flaming Moth figures have been left behind by collectors.  Those of us around at the time of their release remember the acidic taste of the Club's disdain for us upon the figure's release.  And, we also remember the figures being clearance fodder for years as the club struggled to move them.  But, 14 years later, these figures have become obscure.  So, this profile hit a nerve with the generation of collectors who don't have bitter memories of how truly awful the G.I. Joe club really was.

Despite this figure being the 2nd most popular post of the year, it was viewed more than 2,000 fewer times than the number 1.

1. 1984 Manta

I know, I can't believe it either.  But, the Manta is the most popular post in the site's history.  And, it wasn't due to a viral moment or a spike in popularity in a social media group.  No.  The Manta's rise to the top was simply a sustained excellence over the year.  Even 8 months after it's original publication date, the Manta was still among the weekly leaders in site hits.  It never had a huge surge of visitors.  It's just steadily performed for months.  (If you scroll to the bottom of any page on the site, you'll see the top 5 posts visited in the past week and the MANTA was almost always there in 2020.)  And, in September, it overcame the Rarities post about the unproduced Cobra Island Infiltrate set to become the most viewed post since I returned in 2015.

I can't explain why.  Manta's don't seem all that popular.  The photos for it weren't out of the ordinary.  There's just something about the Manta that's kept it consistently drawing viewers since it first appeared.

So, that's it for 2020.  It was a hell of a year.  Let's hope 2021 is less eventful on all fronts.  I've got some fun stuff ahead for the new year.  Aside from Joe, I'm going to take a look at Spinmaster Batman figures, some new Star Wars releases and, or course, tons of Joe items.  I'll be back to my regular cadence next week and already have the posts mapped out into April.

As always, thanks for spending time here, reading my stuff and leaving your thoughts in the comments.  I appreciate all of you!

2020 "Retro" Hiss Tank

Back in April, I looked at the "Retro" Bespin Luke Skywalker.  This figure fits the retro moniker because it's in the exact style of vintage Kenner Star Wars figures and, to the untrained eye, is a near exact copy from a figure created 40 years earlier.  At the time, I mentioned that G.I. Joe would also see a retro series of figures this year.  Lo and behold, those figures dropped.  And, if you had any glimmer of hope that they would be vintage Joes, you were sorely disappointed to find the releases nothing more than anniversary style rehashes from recent years.  So, that made the figures an easy skip for me.  But, there was a catch.  Hasbro also dropped two vehicles in the assortment.  The Joe vehicle, an AWE Striker is an easy skip.  Vintage AWE Strikers are a dime a dozen.  The mold was then repainted ad naseum in the 2000's.  And, in 2008, Hasbro modded the vehicle for anniversary figures.  I bought that version because it was cheap.  The other vehicle released for 2020, though, was a Hiss Tank.  While I really don't need another Hiss Tank that's actually more expensive than loose, vintage Hiss Tanks, I also decided that getting a crisp vehicle was kind of worth it.  Especially since I'll be able to sell the Driver in a year or two for at least half, and maybe the full retail price of the tank.  But, for now, I have my first new Hiss at retail since 2004.

The calling card of the Retro collection is the packaging.  This is odd, though, as the figures have only vintage style cardbacks.  The massive bubbles help to visually separate them from anything resembling real vintage Joes.  The vehicles, though, are complete throwbacks.  You get the standard, vintage box art.  The back shows the toy and has the Driver's file card.  While not an exact replica of the 1983 tank's packaging, this 2020 rendition is close enough and will scratch any itch a pent up adult has in regards to re-living their childhood for the few minutes it takes to buy the toy and put it together.

This Hiss is not the vintage Hiss Tank.  During the anniversary era, Hasbro either modded the existing Hiss Tank mold, or created a new one.  This is the mold used by this 2020 release.  It is problematic for vintage Joe collectors since the foot pegs are too small for vintage figures and the cockpit has been modified to fit anniversary figures with their weird proportions.  The upside, though, is the vintage figures still fit into the cockpit.  So, that helps keep this tank useful for those of us who refuse to move on from Joe's classic designs.  The lack of useful footpegs is annoying.  But, I always used my Hiss Tanks as weapons with just the driver and gunner.  They were rarely employed in moving troops around.  Plus, vintage Hiss tanks are cheap enough if you want to place some classic Cobras in a small display.

In 1999 and 2000, I wanted an army of Hiss Tanks.  There were some grainy Polaroids of big collections online at the time and seeing four or five Hiss Tanks (a HUGE collection at the time!) together was enticing.  Slowly, I picked up a few and got a small army together.  Then, in late 2000, came the announcement that the Hiss would be returning to retail as the Hiss III.  Priced at $10.00 with a figure, this was a deal.  I planned to buy several.  I found them at my local store in early 2001 and bought...one.  Once in hand, my excitement over more Hiss Tanks faded.  Sure, they're awesome.  But, after a couple, the returns diminish.  And, as the vehicle has been released in various forms since then, you can get a nice Hiss army without even repeating a release.

I got my first Hiss Tank for Christmas in 1983.  Nearly 37 years later, I'm able to buy another one at retail.  I'm not sure if that's great or kind of sad.  Not seeing Joe vehicles really progress for nearly four decades isn't a great look for the Hasbro design teams.  (Though, there are a couple of really nice DTC era vehicles that command premium prices today.)  Personally, I'd have far preferred a new Hiss II just because that mold is less common and has more potential.  Way back in the early days of online Joedom, someone made mention that for all we knew, some new item with a vague description in a retailers inventory system was a 1988 Warthog repainted and renamed as a new Hiss version.  I would not hate that and would probably buy a couple.  All of which is a roundabout way of saying that Hasbro could expand Cobra's armor divisions if they wanted to.  But, for now, the "retro" theme probably limits them in some capacity to truly explore.

Which brings to this vehicle itself.  Really, it's just the same Hiss we've seen multiple times.  It's all black, has a clear canopy and stickers.  There's nothing to really distinguish it from a 1983 Hiss if you're looking at a display from afar.  Aside from the foot peg changes and cockpit update, nothing about the Hiss has changed.  That familiarity is good and is exactly what Hasbro was going for in this release.  While vintage collectors didn't get much in the way of color diversity with Hiss releases, the anniversary line did produce some new Hiss colors.  I would not at all mind a few repaints of this vehicle.  As I do think that a desert Hiss and another arctic Hiss would have some demand.  But, an all black rehash of the classic is what collectors seemed to want and the quick sell outs around the country indicate that we're speaking with our wallets and should expect more rehashes instead of anything that deviates from a reproduction of an existing design.

In the 2000's timeline, vehicles came pre-assembled.  Most of this was a function of the window box packaging that was the marketing gimmick of that time.  Parents would know exactly what they were buying and no assembly was required.  You still see this today on many toys that don't have a collector influence.  This 2020 Hiss, though, came unassembled in the box.  While the tank only has a few parts (two treads, two wheels, tow hook, body, canopy and gun turret) it was still nice to put a Hiss together again.  The gun turret, though, did come pre-assembled.  So, there was less delicate work to be done on that front.  One of the joys of vintage Joes was taking all the parts out and putting them together into a cool toy.  That was fun to do...even if it's a one time thing.  And, now that my Hiss is assembled, it's not coming apart again.

One thing I noticed about the Hiss as I took it out of the box and put it together was show crisp and shiny and clean all the parts were.  Nearly four decades of grime, dust and oils take their toll on even nicely maintained vintage Hiss Tanks.  So, seeing one pop out of the package was nice.  You'll note in my photos that I'm missing many stickers on the Tank.  I'm not a big sticker guy.  Even as a kid, I rarely put on any more than the bare minimum of stickers.  In most cases, I felt they were either overkill or could limit some far flung adventure I had in the back of my mind.  At some point, I may add on some additional Cobra logos or the 788 banner.  But, for now, I'm keeping the tank relatively sleek and unadorned with superfluous sticker application.

The Hiss Tank includes a driver.  Based on the classic 1983 Hiss Driver, the figure is in anniversary style.  This means that all the limitations of those figures that were present in 2007 and still present in 2016 have been carried over to these 2020 figures.  If you like anniversary figures, then this guy won't bother you.  He'll sit in a box for me until it's time to trade or sell him.  I expect I'll be able to trade him for one or two of the Black Major Hiss Driver repaints that are planned to drop in 2021.  So, the figure has value to me for that reason alone.  He hearkens back to the original Hiss Driver, though, and that helps maintain the "retro" aesthetic.

The Hiss Tanks first hit retail in early fall of 2020.  At first, they were hard to find.  And, as Wal Mart cancelled online orders, collectors feared that the Hiss Tanks would go the way of the Target Cobra Troopers and sell for seven or eight times retail on Ebay.  And, for a while, the tanks got a huge aftermarket markup.  Slowly, though, more stock hit.  These were quickly cleared out by fly by night scalpers looking to make a quick buck.  But, in the final week or two of October 2020, Hiss Tanks saturated the market.  Collectors reported finding 20 or more stocked at a time.  And, aftermarket prices plummeted.  As of this writing, it's actually harder to find AWE Strikers in the store than it is Hiss Tanks.  If you want a Hiss, buy it now as many collectors have access to extras that they'll pass to you for cost and shipping.

Maybe Wal Mart ordered more of the Cobra army builder.  We don't really know.  But, it's also likely that once this mass stocking is over, Hiss Tanks will get scarce again.  And, it's entirely possible that by early 2021, frustrated collectors will be overpaying for these items once again.  One thing we've seen with collector targeted vehicle releases in both Star Wars and G.I. Joe is that they tend to perform better on the aftermarket than even figures.  Everyone can find room for one more figure.  But, finding room for vehicles and playsets is harder.  So, you see more people skip those entirely, or just buy the one they want for their collection with none to stash for future trades.  At $25, this thing has gotten substantially more expensive in recent years.  But, stores charge those prices because they know collectors will pay it.  And, we are.  So, retail's gauge on our price tolerance is spot on.  Gone are the days of Hasbro selling toys for cheap.  There is a "collector tax" on items like this Hiss that reap big profits for Hasbro and Wal Mart.  And, we're all too eager to pay it if it means classic toys recycled for another retail go around.

On some level, I hope that the retro vehicles continue.  While I dearly miss vintage Joe figures, I also resigned myself back in 2010 that I'd never see them at retail again.  But, having a chance at some vehicles is nice.  And, while I'll probably skip a Skystriker, I won't let any Rattler repaint or new Tomahawk pass me by again.  We know there is at least one more item coming...a new FANG.  It's not enough to excite me.  But, it's a good bet there's a Joe vehicle to accompany it.  If it's a Skyhawk, I might buy one.  If it's another Armadillo, though, I'll let that collect dust at my local store.  I wish the first two entries to this line had been more imaginative than the AWE Striker and Hiss Tank.  But, everything starts somewhere.  And, while I have no expectations for the long term potential of this line, I'll also take advantage of items like this Hiss that give me a less brittle and newer made item to round out my photos.

2020 Bespin Luke Skywalker - Retro Collection

In 2019, Hasbro shocked the Star Wars community with the announcement of 6 Kenner styled figure releases.  These figures looked like the vintage Kenner designs and had matching cardbacks.  They were a Target exclusive for retail sales that were marketed around Father's Day.  But, were also available to online dealers later in the year.  Initially, collectors were skeptical about them.  All of the tired arguments about having them "devaluing" vintage figures were thrown around.  But, when they were actually released, the retail stores sold out of them quickly and collectors generally loved them.  (Sure, there were gripes about the Retro sticker and the "weathering" of the cardbacks.)  Hasbro decided to follow up that success with 6 additional "Empire Strikes Back" themed figures for 2020.  This time, they are a Wal Mart exclusive.  With a bit of luck, I found the end cap containing the figures.  And, for the first time in 40 years, I acquired a Bespin Luke Skywalker figure.

I've told stories of my grandparents and their spoiling me before.  Of course, my memories of this figure also begin with them in the summer of 1980.  I spent a week or two at their home that year.  And, like always, my grandmother spoiled me rotten with daily trips to the various retail stores in Dayton, Ohio.  During these trips, I found many figures.  Lando stands out to me as I remember opening him beside the bed in my grandparent's room.  I found the Snow Trooper at a Best Store, too.  I'm not sure, though, when I found the Bespin Luke Skywalker.  It may have been with my grandparents.  Or, it may not have been.  My first remaining memory of the figure, though, pertains to another piece of my youth, the next door neighbors who lived by us at the time.

Growing up, our next door neighbors and my family were close.  They had two girls who were both older than I was.  One was three or four years my senior while the other was about 18 months older.  Growing up, we were inseparable.  Each morning, we'd meet up outside and play in one of our yards.  By the time G.I. Joe came out, though, the age difference was starting to show and I have no association of Joe to them other than the day they were playing their new "Purple Rain" album in the front yard when I was stuck inside, sick, with my new Zartan figure.  But, I have two, specific, memories of them with Star Wars figures, and the Luke Bespin figure is involved in both.

The first was in the summer of 1980, when I first owned this figure.  As he was my favorite, I tended to take him everywhere.  I was playing outside with him when the girls came out to ride bikes.  I decided to ride one of their bikes down the sidewalk.  The bike had a basket on the front.  So, I put my complete Luke into it, thinking it safe while I rode.  But, somehow, Luke's saber managed to slide under one of the weaves in the basket.  When I stopped riding, it was gone!  We all walked up and down the sidewalk until we found it.  Relieved that it was once again in my possession, I checked the basket to see how it managed to fit under one of the tight weaves.  There were just a few places where it did.  So, it was an incredible stroke of bad luck for the saber to fall out.  Fortunately, being rather young, I was only allowed to ride my bike a short distance.  So, there wasn't too much sidewalk to search to find the missing weapon.

The second memory occurred at least one year later.  By then, my Luke's lightsaber was long lost.  But, one afternoon, the girls came back from an outing with their parents.  They had each purchased one new Star Wars figure.  This was odd as they had never bought a figure before.  But, they had each chosen one for a present.  One of the figures was the Luke Bespin.  We went out to the sandbox in their backyard and built a huge tunnel system to use with the figures.  I was insanely jealous of their lightsaber as it was my most wanted accessory.  Within a couple of days, though, their interest in the figures faded away.  I asked if I could have their lightsaber.  But, they had lost theirs, too.  They said it might be in the sandbox.  I went out and dug through it a bit, but with no luck.  Over the next few days, I'd hop our back fence and sneak into their yard to dig in the sandbox a bit more.  I never found the saber and the yellow weapon with this 2020 figure is the first lightsaber of that color I've owned in almost 40 years.

I skipped over the first wave of Retro figures.  I thought they were neat.  But, none of the original figures really sparked that nostalgic flow.  While I had all of them growing up, I didn't feel the need to track the figures down.  I figured I might buy them if I saw them.  But, I never saw them.  With this second wave, though, more nostalgia did hit.  Originally, I wanted Boba Fett because...well...Boba Fett and Lando as I associated him with my grandmother.  Seeing this Bespin Luke, though, brought back the memories of my old neighbors.  We were inseparable for years.  But, as we got older, the age difference began to drift us apart.  Before that really asserted itself, though, they moved away in the summer of 1985.  Their parents would show up at our house from time to time when they were in town on business.  But, I only saw my friends once more in the summer of 1989.  There's a picture of that meeting somewhere in my mother's house.  The story doesn't have a happy ending as both girls ultimately found drugs, poverty, homelessness and even prison.  But, the memories of playing as kids is something I haven't often revisited.  This figure has brought back a rush of childhood events that I hadn't had occasion to remember in quite a while.

One of the reasons I wanted to talk about these Star Wars Retro Collection figures was because we've all seen the Wal Mart listings for a "Retro" series of G.I. Joe figures coming later this year.  We don't know if they will be full on reproductions of vintage Joes.  Or, if they'll be anniversary style figures in retro like packaging.  Either way, a large segment of the Joe world will be disappointed.  We know the price point on those is $13...which is more in line with a more modern figure style in vintage packaging like the Star Wars Vintage Collection.  However, vintage Joes would require 18 individual pieces as well as metal rivets and an o-ring to produce a figure.  The labor to construct it would be higher than a 5 points of articulation vintage Star Wars figure.  So, the price point really doesn't give us any clues.  At some level, I'm hopeful for vintage Joes.  But, Hasbro slammed the door shut pretty hard on classic Joe figures in the early 2010's.  Sure, things change.  But, I'd also like the figures to be anniversary style so I don't have to bother with them.  Regardless of which figure style they are, though, I hope that things like the Retro sticker and faux shelf wear are avoided since they are detrimental to the overall visual experience of the product.

As a kid, vintage Star Wars figures were amazing.  Kenner improved their sculpting as the years went on.  And, at the time of his release, this Luke Bespin was about the most amazing action figure you could get.  Gone were the crappy telescoping lightsabers.  This Luke had a saber that could be shared with others and it did not render his right hand unable to hold a blaster.  But, looking back at this figure now, it's a pretty sorry toy.  Star Wars figures were fun because we had nothing better.  G.I. Joe came along and it was better.  In 1983, it was a LOT better.  And, with the advent of Joe, I had no need for Star Wars toys.  One of the great legacies of the Joe line is the trove of knockoffs it inspired.  But, the overall quality of the G.I. Joe line in terms of construction, posability, accessories and vehicles simply overwhelmed all comers...Star Wars included.  One of the reasons that I've never really gone back to the vintage Star Wars line is because they were rendered obsolete by G.I. Joe.  What nostalgia I had for them was appeased in the 1995 and later Star Wars line that offered far better sculpting and, ultimately, super articulation.  This Bespin Luke is antiquated at best.  Seeing him now, I associate this figure with the crappy toys from the 1950's that my Dad would show me from time to time.  I couldn't understand how kids found those appealing.  Action figures have moved so far ahead of original figures that they are now that dated.  I guess that's good.  But, it was a stark revelation to me when I brought this guy home.

These Retro figures will be an interesting collectible as time goes on.  If Hasbro were to continue releasing 6 figures per year, they could milk a decade and a half just remaking the classic Kenner line.  But, I doubt that will happen.  At some point, the line will suffer from a lack of major characters and the vintage nostalgia train will run out.  We don't really know how many of these were made.  Wal Mart's initial stocking was a pre-packaged end cap with 4 to 6 sets of figures included.  There are over 5,000 Wal Mart stores in the US.  So, that's 20,000 - 30,000 of each figure just assuming every Wal Mart gets one end cap.  (They won't, though.)  Target never restocked their 2019 offerings after Father's Day of that year.  But, online vendors did get stock and additional figures showed up in Europe in 2020.  Wal Mart's online orders haven't shipped yet, either.  So, it's likely we'll see these again in some form...whether additional Wal Mart stockings on standard retail shelves, online or as part of some other release in the future.

In the pandemic where few people are shopping, my local Wal Mart sold out of these in less than 2 days.  (And, it's a Wal Mart where collectibles often hang around for a while.)  So, there's huge demand for these figures. For me, key releases will be must buys...provided I don't have to jump through hoops to get them.  I'd love a Luke Jedi or even an Amanaman.  But, I'm past my days of having great in interest in vintage Star Wars figures.  Figures like this Luke Bespin that have associated memories are great.  (I'd probably have tracked down an Obi Wan Kenobi had it been part of Wave 1 for this reason.)  But, vintage Star Wars figures are still easy to find.  Even carded figures collect dust at every collectible shop in town.  But, few mint and complete figures can be had with a cardback for $10.  So, the Retro figures maintain that appeal.  For me, this is a fun product that hearkens back to childhood and the time of the original releases.  So, it's worth it.  Within a few weeks, we'll know more about the retro G.I. Joes and will see if they spark the fire.

How Are You Doing?

So, the world's a bit of a different place than it was just a couple of weeks ago. It's weird to see both how quickly everything changed and also the degree to which society was affected.  Those who are fortunate enough to have not lost their employment find themselves at home.  Store shelves are far barer than anyone who doesn't live in the path of hurricanes has ever seen.  Those of us with kids find them home, too, and having to now fill the role of both parent and teacher.  I know that my professional life has intensified, too, with more demands as a business tries to alter its course to survive the current landscape.  In short, it's a time of immense stress for pretty much everyone.

Personally, I try to manage my stress through my hobby.  I'm successful in this at times.  And, fail miserably in others.  Looking around online, I'm seeing a few different themes emerge.  Guys who are home now are spending some time with their collections.  Collectors are digging through forgotten bins and breaking out old favorites for photos or playing with their kids.  I'm also seeing, though, that my web traffic is way down.  Yet, my engagement on some other media sites is way up.  This is a sign that people are venturing into the unexplored corners of their walled gardens.  But, not yet leaving them for a real adventure.

As for Joes, you're seeing people who have been laid off starting to sell their collections.  Anyone who was around in 2008 through 2010 knows how quickly Joes turn worthless in a rough economic time.  Savvy collectors are starting to sell down their high value duplicates before the market tanks.  I've seen more Gold Head Steel Brigades for sale in the past week than I have the past year.  But, the prices are still artificially high.  We'll see how that plays out in two or three months.  But, history isn't a rosy guide in this arena.

More importantly, though, how are all of you doing?  Where are you finding respite in trying times?  I never thought I'd see the day where getting a pack of toilet paper was a good day or that I'd get excited finding a standalone freezer at Home Depot.  But, here we are.  The collecting community has weathered tough storms before.  It will shrink and there will be many, many sad stories of collectors who are forced out and will, likely, never return.  I don't wish that upon anyone and hope that all of you who stop by are doing well.

As for me, I'm doing fine.  Life is stressful and that will take a toll.  I have several months of content mostly done and will keep going.  I'm not finding much time for new items.  I'm only taking one or two new photos per month.  But, I also expect that will change in the summer since there's far less to do during that time of year.  For now, I'll continue on as I have...if only for my own sanity.  So, stay safe and stay well.