1991 Eco Warriors Cesspool

Eco Warriors are a series whose time has finally come.  Through the late 1990's and early 2000's, Eco Warriors were generally loathed and often found themselves as the butt of jokes.  As the 2010's started, though, younger collectors started to come online.  And, with their addition to the Joe collecting ranks, brightly colored figures from the 1990's started to gain a bit of popularity.  In the 2020's, there are strong contingents of collectors who focus on the 1990's and appreciate figures like the Eco Warriors to a greater degree than the Joes who preceded them.  Some characters have even become essential parts of a collection.  One example is the Eco Warriors Cesspool figure from 1991.

My introduction to Cesspool was in the comic.  Here, Larry Hama started out using Cesspool as an archetype of the corrupt CEO.  Basically, he was Cobra Commander with an army of corporate sycophants instead of assault troopers.  But, he was decidedly evil.  Then, he had an accident with his toxic waste and was turned into a caricature of himself.  In this role, he thought he was Cobra Commander and acted like him in various scenarios.  Eventually, he got his comeuppance.  But, he served a major role for a few comic issues to promote the new line of Eco Warrior toys.

Once you get to 1987, the named Cobras really start to lose their media presence.  The non-army building Cobras who came later struggled to find a place in the comic as Larry Hama always went back to his mainstays.  There's nothing wrong with this.  And, the nice side effect has been that collectors have had relatively blank slate figures from the line's later years with which they can create their own Cobra characters.  Some figures have found solid life among the collector set.  And, Cesspool is one of them.  He's now a staple of most collections and even die hards from the 1980's see the value in his design and character.

Cesspool was one of the earlier figures I acquired during my early collecting years.  I picked one up in a lot of 1990 and 1991 figures that were all mint and complete with filecard.  I paid under $2 per figure for the lot as no one liked 1990's figures at that time and the competition for these later collections was minimal.  Once in hand, I found various uses for the figure.  He piloted the Hurricane for a bit.  Then, he was a close advisor of the Commander.  Then, he just became a stand alone villain.  There are enough Eco Warrior Cobras for Cesspool to have his own little army.  He's then one of many Cobra generals who are responsible for various parts of Cobra's empire.  He's not a guy to cross.  But, he's also someone who lacks the power to actually challenge the Commander's authority in any meaningful way.

Cesspool's gear is also part of his appeal.  His helmet includes a separate breather piece that is often missing.  But, when included, it adds a solid dimension to Cesspool's helmeted appearance.  He then includes a golden chainsaw.  I'm not sure of the practicality of this weapon.  But, it looks cool and is something that an outlandish villain like Cesspool would carry.  The figure is rounded out by the requisite water squirting weapon, hose and tank backpack that were released with all the Eco Warriors in various colors.  The gear fits the character and the figure.  While the water squirting apparatus isn't a great visual offering, it has great practicality is was a pretty nifty idea to include as an enticement to spend more for an Eco Warriors figure.

Cesspool's mold got some use.  The original release was just produced by Hasbro.  They quickly shipped the mold to Brazil.  There, Estrela released a Cesspool repaint in brighter blue named Poluicao.  Then, the used the parts for two different figures in the Patrulha Do Ar subset.  Cesspool's body was used for the Abutre Negro (Black Vulture) figure.  Then, his head was famously used for the Escorpiao Voador (Flying Scorpion) figure.  The head is cast with black skin and has become a fan favorite character.  The mold never appeared again.  I'd have loved a Funskool version.  But, it was not to be.  Cesspool is the type of character that would even work in the 2020's Hasbro o-ring releases as most fans accept the character and would gladly buy up a new version.

As Cesspool's popularity has increased, so has his pricing.  The helmet breather is often missing and complete figures tend to command a premium.  There's not a ton of selection available at any given time.  So, you'll pay between $35 and $50 for a mint and complete Cesspool.  Figures missing just the breather, though, will still fetch $25-$30.  You can get a figure alone for around $10.  So, Cesspool will cost you in pretty much any form.  The upside is that the figure's head is amazing and you can get use from him sans helmet.  So, a budget minded figure isn't a terrible option.  Cesspool would be high on my list of post 1987 figures to appear in Hasbro's new line.  He's a great villain, a cool sculpt and a character who is far more popular than he was even a decade ago.  I don't know if it will ever happen.  But, Cesspool is a figure from the 1990's who could pull off a popular, current and successful re-release.

Diorama - Secret of the Ooze

In the fall of 2001, I took these pics out in the yard.  I hadn't really brought out the Toxo Vipers in over a year and I wanted to showcase them more.  Plus, it was always good to use Cesspool.  I had the idea of finding the Toxo Zombie as a deceased Toxo Viper and it gave me chance to finally get some photos of that figure, too.

This was the first real fall I'd seen in 4 years and it re-affirmed that season as my favorite.  These pics are 15 years old, now.  The entire vintage Joe line could have been released with room to spare in that time.  Sadly, these figures are all gone from my collection.  At the time, no one cared about them and you could get them cheap.  Now, they are much harder to find.

1991 Eco Warriors Cesspool - Around The Web!

I hadn't planned on posting anything today.  But, a leap year is a once in four year event and figured I'd take advantage of that.

Cesspool is a solid character and even better figure.  He gets denigrated a bit for being in the Eco Warriors subset.  But, that's really unfair as he's one of the better Cobras created after the 1980's.  Here's some of the best content around the web for the character.

Cesspool Profile

Poluicao - Brazilian Exclusive Cesspool Profile

Cesspool at JoeDios.com

Cesspool at JoeBattleLines.com

Cesspool at JoeADay.com

Eco Warriors at IceBreakers HQ

Cesspool Video Review

1991 Cesspool - Eco Warriors

Eco Warriors are not the most popular Joe subset.  Really, far from it.  But, over the past 15 years, Eco Warriors have turned from a joke into something that most collectors can at least appreciate on some level.  The grim realities of the modern world have made chemical and biological warfare front page news rather than politically correct environmentalism.  As such, Eco Warriors have found a niche in the Joe world.  The bright colors of many of the Joes and Cobras from the set, though, still make them difficult to use.  However, the Cobra leader of the Eco Warriors has found a home in many collections.  The high quality and acceptable colors of Cesspool have given him a status in the Joe world not achieved by other members of his subset.  As such, he is worth a detailed look.

While I basically quit buying Joe toys in early 1988, I still purchased the comic book on a regular basis.  I kept up with the comic through almost the entire run: missing about 6 months in 1989.  One of the comics from the '90's that most stands out to me was the Cesspool/Eco Warriors story arc.  While it was somewhat over the top, my lasting memory is the bony fingers of a Toxo-Viper  protruding from the ooze after his skin was dissolved away after falling into a vat of toxic sludge.  The notion of working with chemicals capable of eating a man alive was a macabre vision of how terrible Cobra could be.

The center of that story was Cesspool.  A pre-Enron evil corporate titan who mutated himself into a maniacal super villain after being exposed to toxic waste.  Re-reading the story, Cesspool largely seemed to be a throw away character designed to sell toys.  But, the roots of a useful Cobra character are here.  Taking away some of the "toxic sludge made me crazy" angle, you are left with just the type of individual that Cobra would welcome into their ranks.  Cesspool was a highly successful businessman, even if he had no scruples.  Really, that's no different than Cobra Commander's origins.  Cesspool had the ability to create weapons and was also adept at making profit.  Both of these fit with Cobra's stated goals throughout the Marvel comic run and the vintage filecards.  As such, you have a character who really fits with Cobra and is very easy to integrate, even if you don't have an interest in the Eco Warriors angle.

Oddly, Cesspool's filename is that of a real Hasbro executive that oversaw the G.I. Joe division at the time.  Today, a corporate executive affixing their name to a character who was an evil businessperson would invite a real life SEC investigation.  In 1991, that threat was less so.  But, it is odd to see a real person's name attached to a Cobra character.  Many Joes had real life filenames and even likenesses.  But, it was rare for a Cobra and is another interesting footnote to the Cesspool character.

Originally, I used Cesspool as a Cobra pilot.  The helmet is just perfect for an evil aviator.  Plus, inside a Cobra aircraft, Cesspool's colors weren't as garish.  However, shortly after I acquired my first Cesspool, I abandoned this plan.  I found that I liked the figure enough for him to have other responsibilities.  So, I found other Cobra pilots and used Cesspool more for his intended specialty.  The well done sculpt combined with the characterization kept the figure around and allowed him to remain a player in my collection.

The Cesspool mold is one of the better sculpting jobs you will see in the vintage Joe line.  One arm is molded chain mail and he has adornments that frame the sculpted Cobra logo on his chest.  The legs are well done and combine well with the torso.  The entire mold is finely detailed.  The real attraction, though, is the head.  Cesspool features a molded on scar to showcase the damage done by his plasmatox.  This facial scarring was made all the more poignant by the sliver of red paint inserted into it.  You can really see how deep this scar must run and it is a perfect way to bring to light the damage described on the figure's filecard.  After Cesspool, Hasbro stepped up their facial sculpting, especially with damaged figures.  You can see it on the Toxo Zombie and the unproduced 1995 Dr. Mindbender figures.

Cesspool's accessories are well done, to a point.  He includes the terrible water launchers that were standard with all Eco Warriors.  However, the pack and weapon aren't as bad as I remembered.  The gun is actually somewhat in scale for the figure.  The pack, while quaint by today's standards, was a sharp piece of toy engineering in 1991.  Having water shooting weapons paired with figures who changed color when hit with said water is actually a feature that can have some uses.  Cesspool's real value lies in his helmet.  It fits perfectly on his head.  The helmet is complete with a removable re breather (which is often lost) that gives it a much more refined look than many single piece helmets.  Cesspool also includes a golden chainsaw.  It is oversized and nowhere near as detailed as that from Buzzer.  But, it is definitely unique to Cesspool and helps characterize him.

The Cesspool mold was just used this one time in the U.S.  The mold, though, became quite popular in Brazil.  Estrela used the mold on three different figures in their line: two of whom are among the most famous foreign Cobra ever released.  Estrela released five unique Forca Eco figures.  Four of them were Brazilian exclusive Frankensteins of various figures.  The fifth was a straight repaint of Cesspool named Poluicao.  The truly exciting use of the mold, though, came in the Patrulha do Ar (Sky Patrol) subset. Here, the Cesspool body was colored in black, given a Caucasian Dee Jay head and renamed Abutre Negro (Black Vulture).  Not to be outdone, though, Cesspool's head was made African American and slapped on a combo of Recoil and Scoop and named the Escorpiao Voador (Cobra Flying Scorpion).  These two figures take the Cesspool mold and show how proper repainting and slight part modification can make a figure mold completely unrecognizable and amazingly new.  After the Brazilian releases, the mold disappeared.  None of the Sky Patrol or Eco Warriors molds from Brazil ever appeared again in the U.S.  It is too bad as a modern repaint of Cesspool could have been amazing.  But, collectors are left with enough to track down that they can't feel the mold was wasted by Hasbro.

At one time, my entire Cobra world centered around their development of biological and chemical weapons.  Figures like Cesspool, Letal and Corrosao were staples of my Cobra army.  Legions of Toxo Vipers followed them on their quest to build bigger and more fearsome weapons.  Now, though, those days are gone.  While I still appreciate figures like Cesspool for his quality, he is no longer the focus of my Cobra collection.  Now, my focus remains on more of the classic, pre 1986 Cobras rather than the more technological villains who came in the line's later years.  As such, Cesspool's star has faded.  He is now securely packed away with other figure's from his year.  Some day, I could see him appearing on display.  But only if the space available to me has already allowed for all of the 1985 and earlier items to be prominently showcased.  But, Cesspool still has that nostalgic tinge to him.

Cesspool figures have gotten somewhat popular in recent years.  The lower production run, high quality of the figure, greater world importance on chemical warfare and his uses on the Brazilian figures have given him some cachet in the collecting world.  Today, mint and complete with filecard Cesspools can run over $15.  That's fairly pricey for a figure that was once considered terrible.  But, he is worth the price.  This is a great figure with a distinct look.  His coloring is acceptable within the Cobra ranks and he fills a specialty that any modern terrorist organization would consider among the most important weapons in their arsenal.  Not bad for something conjured up 22 years ago.

Poluicao - Brazilian Exclusive Cesspool

Few Joe collectors care about the Eco Warriors. For many collectors, they mark the definitive beginning of the downfall of the vintage line. For all the hatred spewed their way, though, the Eco Warriors line actually features some nicely detailed sculpts and solid ideas...even if they were horribly colored. Eco fans, though, have several ways to build their collections. There were Eco Warriors released in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, two other figures were to join the ranks and were released in Eco colors even though the subset had been cancelled. The most interesting Eco subset, though, comes from Brazil. There, Estrela released 5 unique Eco Warrior figures under the Forca Eco banner. There were three exclusive Joes and 1 exclusive Cobra. The fifth figure, and subject of this profile, was just a repaint of the American leader of the Cobra Eco Warriors: Cesspool.

Poluicao is just a straight up repainted Cesspool figure. While he appears similar to the American figure at first, he is, in all actuality, just as significant a repaint as is the more popular Corrosao with the exception of Corrosao's race change. But, no cares about Poluicao as most see him as Cesspool and will simply buy an American Cesspool should they want the character in their collection. Poluicao is cast in a lighter, baby blue and features maroon details. He is neither better nor worse than the American Cesspool, in my opinion. But, he is different. Depending upon the situation, I'll switch out the figures. Sometimes the darker uniform is nice, other times the lighter uniform just looks better. I somewhat like the baby blue version of the figure better as I think it fits the Cesspool character.

Due to the chemical damage done to his body, I've always figured Cesspool would be a little...odd. As such, wearing a powder blue uniform would fit his personality. It would lead to subordinates questioning his sanity and maybe even giggling behind his back. This would give Cesspool the chance to physically attack these men and prove his toughness. It would also sate his intense desire for violence. It is this personality that allows a man like Cesspool to so utterly destroy the earth. He simply cares about no one and nothing. As such, he enjoys his polluting binges as they may do irreparable harm to the planet. In his own twisted mind, this is what makes Cesspool immortal.

The reality of the Brazilian figures is that they are rare. In comparison to American figures produced at the same time, Estrela produced much smaller production runs. On top of that, most of those figures are still in Brazil. As such, there are really very few of these figures available to modern, American Joe collectors. However, I recently acquired this figure MOC for $1.00. Even after shipping, the figure was less than $6.00. Why? The answer is multi-faceted and gives much insight into the buying power and size of the Joe collecting world.

First off, Joe collectors are not like those of other lines where everyone is pretty much a completist. In fact, Joe is somewhat rare in that very few of even the hard core collectors would fit the definition of completist. As such, popular figures that are readily available continually sell for higher prices than rarer figures that don't have any following. These Brazilian figures are a prime example. While everyone wants a Flying Scorpion, Abutre Negro, Ar Puro, Marujo, Relampago or Gatilho, most collectors will pass over other, contemporary figures from these and ignore them all together. The result is that many hard to find Brazilian figures are actually cheaper to acquire than most of the more popular army builders that clutter online auction sites every day.

Secondly, the Joe market is so small that one single entity is capable of influencing the price of an entire group of figures. The Brazilian Eco Warriors are a case in point. In the late '90's and early '00's a dealer was able to acquire a huge quantity of the Forca Eco figures on the cheap from Argentina. These were imported to the US and then sold off very slowly for a few years. Complete sets of the Forca Eco figures were an Ebay staple for a long time. Slowly, though, the Corrosao figures disappeared. Then, the Biomassa figures followed. These were the more popular figures and they sold out first. But, the single dealer was able to bring so many of these figures over to the US that the demand for them was not just sated, it was quashed. The reality of that happening shows that the Joe world is rather small since a single collector can dictate the supply and price of specific figures. It's an interesting thing to consider: especially in light of how many collectors clamour for small runs of retailer exclusive products. With the numbers we seem to have, even a small run would likely end up a retail disaster.

You must be careful with Brazilian Forca Eco figures. When I opened my Poluicao, his water launcher was sweating in the bubble. This was not due to humidity. It was due to the degradation of the soft plastic used to construct the water launcher hose. Poluicao's helmet also exhibited some deterioration as well as it was tacky to the touch. Years ago, I experienced this problem with the helmets of Flying Scorpion and Biomassa figures. In the half a decade that's passed since then, the problem has only gotten worse. To paraphrase Adam Pawlus, "these things are toys that are not meant to last forever". Estrela produced these toys with cheap materials and we are now seeing the results. Estrela probably never foresaw that their Joes would still be written about in a worldwide forum 15 years after their release. As such, the money saved by the cheap plastic was probably a smart decision at the time. Now, though, this leaves collectors in a quandary.

The reality of the situation is that these are plastic toys and they are going to deteriorate in time. And, frankly, there is nothing that anyone can do about it. You might be able to slow it down, but you can't stop it forever. Some Star Wars figures produced in the late 70's and early 80's have this problem. It seems to be the softer plastics that go first. As such, we don't see it as much in the American Joe world...yet. These Brazilian figures are the harbringers of things to come. That nice AFA 85 Flying Scorpion you have stashed in a dry, cool, dark closet is not going to stay that way forever. At some point, you are going to pull it out and find a mass of black goo. It won't be through any fault of your own, it is simply what these materials were designed to do. It's likely that most of us won't live long enough to see this happen to most of our figures, but it is something to be aware of and on the lookout for as time passes.

If you want a Poluicao, they can be had...cheap. I've seen many sell for under $5 MOC in the past two years. But, they don't appear every day. In fact, it could take months before one appears for sale. But, when it does, no one cares and you can cheaply add this figure to your collection. That is not true of most other Brazilian figures. I've found that situations like this where you can greatly diversify your collection through cheap international figures are an opportunity that you can not pass by. The add depth to a collection, even when they are simply different takes on existing characters.