The Rankings - 1984

1984 is an interesting Joe year.  It's considered a classic with some of the best figures ever released.  But, the 1984 lineup is very transitional.  About half the figures are in line with 1983 releases while the other half take a leap forward and give us the precursors of what the line would become in 1985.  It's going to be a tough year to rank as it contains some of my personal favorites, consensus icons and, one of the worst releases Hasbro ever created.  So, we'll jump in 1984 and see where this ends up.

#20. Deep Six

Yeah, it couldn't be anyone else.  This Deep Six sucks.  But, to be fair, he features an original head (which was intended to be the Alpine Trooper head that was going to be used with the Scrap Iron body) and an ambitious action feature.  I'm not going to convince myself that Deep Six is a good figure or toy.  But, he has all the hallmarks of a G.I. Joe figure and had the same care put into his design as did Stormshadow.  He loses due to articulation.  But, there are elements of quality to him that keep him above some figures from later years.

#19. Clutch and Stinger Driver (tie)

It's unfair to really include these guys in the 1984 lineup since they were both repaints of earlier figures.  But, in the case of each figure, the repaint was amazing.  Both are substantially different from their original releases while still maintaining the overall quality of the earlier design.  You can argue that both the 1984 repaints are even better than the original paint jobs.  They appear this low, though, because they were earlier sculpts and the other 1984 figures also brought new colors to the line.  It's not fair they are so low.  But, that's a testament to the quality of the overall year.

#17. Duke

At his core, Duke is a 1983 figure design.  He uses the classic helmet, reuses gear from prior figures and even recycles parts from earlier releases.  Design wise, he fits with the 1983 Team.  Because of that, his overall rank suffers for 1984.  His release year contemporaries brought more to the table.  Duke seemed like a pure throwback instead of something new.  His colors are nice.  But, they were more muted when compared against the other 1984's.  Then, he's got the goofy head.  In reality, Duke works as a figure.  He's just not one of the stronger releases in his year.

#16. Hooded Cobra Commander

An iconic look ranked this low?  Well, yeah.  Cobra Commander suffers from a lot of what ails Duke, Clutch and the Stinger driver.  The new head and the darker blue color make for a fantastic figure.  He just didn't offer anything new or revolutionary to the 1984 lineup.  The low ranking is more a function of him being mostly a repaint instead of an all new figure. 

#15. Roadblock

Roadblock is another 1983 throwback.  His body is a little beefier.  And, the reused parts do limit him.  His accessories push him up the list.  The machine gun, tri-pod and backpack all work in concert to produce a great toy.  His colors are nice.  If taken against the line as a whole, Roadblock would perform well.  He just can't outperform his fellow class of 1984.

#14. Copperhead

I'm not really sure if Copperhead should be this high.  He gets solid marks for bringing so much color to the Joe line.  And, he features a bulkier sculpt to showcase his size, too.  The fact that the figure persevered and remains somewhat popular despite him not getting any characterization is a testament to this figure's overall design.  So, he gets ahead of Roadblock even though Roadblock is a lot more useful.

#13. Scrap Iron

Scrap Iron started his life as a Joe Alpine Trooper.  At some point, he was converted to Scrap Iron.  The colors are great.  But, the head is weak.  It really doesn't fit with the rest of the figure.  It being designed later in the process explains the difference.  He gets some higher marks, though, for his gear.  The missile table was inspired and gave Scrap Iron value over just his figure.

#12.Wild Weasel

I don't like the Wild Weasel figure.  The reason for that is that I saw the artistic rendition of him in the comics in the summer of 1984.  So, I had months of waiting for him and anticipating him before we got him in October of that year.  And, the figure just didn't live up.  I thought the helmet was too big and there was too much red.  But, in the 42 years since his release, he's grown on me.  And, the design as a pilot is pretty strong.  

#11.Cutter

So, this one photo from 2008 is the only time I can ever find that I used the 1984 Cutter.  Back in 2013, one of my sons crawled into a storage room and opened up a drawer of 1984 Joes and managed to break my Cutter's crotch.  So, I haven't had one to really use in more than a decade and a half.  Despite that, the original design is pretty good.  The life vest gave him added bulk without making him too big.  The sculpted baseball cap also worked really well and brought a new look to the Joe line.  His colors are strong and different.  So, he's right in the middle of the year's lineup.

#10. Firefly

The first controversy in the list.  How could Firefly, one  of the line's iconic figures, only be the 10th best figure from his release year?!?  The answer lies is two parts.  First, Firefly is another 1983 style figure.  His head is the perfect size for the classic helmets.  Secondly, though, is that Firefly doesn't get any paint details that accentuate the amazing sculpting that Hasbro did for his body.  While Firefly is still visually interesting, he also lacks something because his grenades, pouches and pistol all blend into a seamless see of two toned grey.  Firefly's cool as hell.  But, his overall design didn't do much to move the Joe line forwards.  

#09.  Ripcord

As a figure, Ripcord is kind of bland.  But, his cammo is more dramatic than Firefly's.  The rest of the figure doesn't have much going for it.  What it does have, though, is some of the best gear ever released.  No parachute rig that came after was able to live up to the innovation of Ripcord's parachute pack and airmask.  With his gear attached, he's an amazing figure.  I had mine wear his mask even on ground missions because it just looked so cool.  

#08. Thunder

Apparently, I'm a Thunder fan.  While he's very much a 1983 throwback, he works on many different levels.  He included new helmet gear that elevated the standard helmet.  The rest of him, though, is well sculpted.  I've always loved his chest sculpt.  They layers of brown, green and black work as a visual treat.  So, I find Thunder a better piece of design than some of the more iconic figures from this year.

#07. Recondo

Recondo isn't perfect.  But, he is a great looking jungle trooper.  His muted base color allows his painted details to stand out.  The green hat is a perfect topper, too.  Recondo features a strong face sculpt to boot.  He only includes two accessories.  His backpack is one of the better pieces from the line's early years.  It's big enough to showcase all the details while not being overbearing like many of the packs from 1987 and beyond.  His rifle can be tough to pose.  But, it does look really good with Recondo...to the point where Recondo looks weird with any other weapon.  Recondo showed what Hasbro could do now that they had a couple of years under their belt.

#06.  Spirit

Like Recondo, Spirit showed what the Joe line could be.  His stern face is an understated element of the figure that helps define his character.  The molded hair piece, though, was a leap forward in design.  It opened the doors to more variety for heads.  We wouldn't see it that often.  But, Spirit allowed the 1984 lineup to look quite different from the previous years.  On top of that, he included another new addition to 1984: an animal companion.  Freedom wasn't a terribly useful accessory.  But, he was an element that set the Joe line apart.  The rest of Spirit's gear really only works  for Spirit.  That's a double edged sword, for sure.  But, shows that accessory integration is essential for any successful action  figure line.

#05.Stormshadow

The top 5 is where it starts to get dicey.  It's very possible that, if I were to revisit these rankings in 2028, that Stormshadow might end up #2 on the list.  For now, though, he rests at number 5.  Really, though, that's only because those above him are so good.  As a figure, Stormshadow isn't all that groundbreaking.  Sure, he introduced the ninjas mythos to Joe.  But, his sculpt is somewhat basic and hearkens back to 1983.  He excels, though, in the accessory department.  His backpack is a masterclass of engineering.  It was, likely, the most intricate accessory that existed in the 3 3/4" scale at the time.  The complete package remains iconic.  

#04.Blowtorch

Blowtorch gets high marks for his striking colors and his amazing gear.  I've always kind of lumped Ripcord and Blowtorch together because they both had air masks.  But, it is Blowtorch's design, where his mask is integrated into the figure itself, that is more memorable to me.  It's a stronger feat of engineering and something that Hasbro hadn't fully worked out when they were taking promo photos of the 1984 figures.  In addition, Blowtorch proved that bright, vivid colors could work perfectly in the proper setting.  You can see the fiery yellow and red and instantly know Blowtorch's specialty.  On top of everything else, his flamethrower and backpack integrated, too.  His suit is full of small details.  He's just a figure that defines his year while expanding the look of Joe into new areas.

#03.Mutt

Mutt is overly high.  He's among my favorite figures and is a guy to whom I hold great deference.  But, as an action figure,  he's amazing.  Mutt showed that brighter, more powerful greens could still work on a G.I. Joe.  And, his accent colors give him visual depth.  He also brought the first, real animal character to the line.  Junkyard became a fan favorite.  And, there are still collectors who prefer the dog to the man.  The rest of Mutt's gear is also great.  He might have the best pistol Hasbro ever created.  And, his muzzle/helmet combo gave him a talking point.  Without the muzzle, Mutt features a riveting head sculpt...including unexplained scars: a rarity for a good guy.  Mutt is just a complete package of a figure and is one who's always going to rank high with me.

#02. Baroness

I'm surprised I ended up with Baroness this high.  But, she is light years ahead of Scarlett and, certainly, Cover Girl in terms of female sculpting.  Her separate hair piece was inspired and gave an excellent approximation of longer hair.  The eyeglasses were perfectly proportioned and gave her a distinct look.

The only bad thing about the Baroness is that Hasbro then went backwards in female figure design after her release.  Lady Jaye is a step down.  Zarana does an OK job of replicating the Baroness design aesthetic.  But, the bad face sculpts keep her lower than the Baroness.  Jinx didn't have a face at all.  And, then we didn't see another female figure until the 1993 Scarlett.

The Baroness seems passe, now.  We got tons of repaints of her in the 2000's and even factory customs.  But, she remains Hasbro's best work for a female figure.  Her only detriment is her terrible rifle.  But, that's inconsequential when the rest of the figure design is so well done.  For her, the lack of color works as the all black ensemble conveys her affiliation and allows to match up with any of Cobra hierarchy where she may choose to lay her allegiance.

#01. Zartan

This should not be a surprise.  Zartan brings so much to the Joe line that he has to hold the top spot on this list.  The color changing gimmick is the least interesting thing about Zartan.  But, it's a big part of my kids loved him.  The character is just, generally, bizarre.  And, with little explanation as to why, kid's imaginations could run wild.  The oddball chest armor that held a heat sensing sticker added to the mystique.  And, his hood was an extension of the hair pieces used for Spirit and Baroness.  

To top it off, Zartan included great accessories.  His backpack held an alternate face.  Today, action figures include alternate heads for collectors.  But, in 1984, we got to play with a bearded weirdo who was disguising the most visually distinctive villain in the G.I. Joe line.  If that wasn't enough, his pistol rivals Mutt's for the top spot in terms of Hasbro's efforts.  

Zartan showed what the Joe line could be and firmly cemented it as military fantasy.  The illusion of the line being about green army guys was forever shattered and there was a full decade of future releases that were a function of that early decision.  

All in all, the 1984 line has a strong case for the best year of Joe releases.  There's just so much here and it's all packed into just 20 figures.  I'm sure everyone's list differs just based on your personal experiences.  But, I'd love to hear about your top figures from this year and why they are important to you.

The Rankings - 1983 Original 13

Everybody loves rankings, right?  There's no better way to start a pointless argument than to rank items that hold unique, special places to each collector.  Once upon a time, I tried to write up a completely objective ranking of the original 13 Joe figures.  But, even with the stated goal of erasing childhood nostalgia from the equation, the list was pretty much my personal favorites with a few guys bumped up a spot or two.  So, why bother with any of that pretext?  Instead, I'm going with a straight ranking of my favorite figures: starting with the original 13.  I'm only using swivel arm versions as I don't collect straight arms.  And, I'll do the "new" 1983 figures some other time.  I'm not sure I'll get to every year because I'll get bored of it long before I would ever endeavor to slog through all the 1993 releases.  But, I'm going to start with the year that's sure to elicit some opinions.  

The thing is, there are no wrong opinions about these figures.  If Short Fuse holds dear, core memories for you, that's a story worth telling in the comments.  The point of this isn't to challenge your beliefs.  Instead, it's to memorialize mine and prompt a modicum of discussion.  So, on with the show....

#13 - Short Fuse

I just can't get into Short Fuse.  He was never a player in my collection.  He didn't have much of a characterization in the comic other than being an annoying hot head.  And, his weapon wasn't conducive to childhood play.  But, really, he's kind of boring.  His chests harness isn't the greatest design.  But, he's also in a green that's similar to other figures.  So, you don't really feel like you're getting anything special with this figure.  Zap is a better use of the mold.  Hawk is a better use of the head.  I know we had one when I was a kid.  But, mostly, I remember him from the fact that I noticed his mortar mold changed and it was also knocked off by, I think, Galoob for some of their action figure lines.  That's not much of a legacy.

#12 - Grunt

I'm not a Grunt fan.  Never have been.  I've always found him to be boring.  To be fair, I missed the silver knife on his chest...a feature that captivated me when we got a Tan Grunt in 1983.  But, I still see this guy as just a basic infantryman.  His M-16 never clicked with me, either.  It broke thumbs in 1982.  I did love his backpack.  I gave it to Clutch so I didn't waste it on Grunt.  There's not much too him and he lacks the skills to really set himself apart from his more specialized team mates.  At some point in late 1982 or early 1983, we buried a bunch of Joes behind some bricks that lined the stairs up the hill in our front yard.  I remember pulling a well worn Grunt and Stalker out of the space a few years later.  That's about the extent of his use.  He and Short Fuse remain my least used figures of the original series of Joes.

#11 - Hawk

Let's face two facts.  Visually, Grunt is a better figure than Hawk.  And, the debut figure of Joe's leader kind of sucks.  But, I give Hawk the edge over Grunt due to the silver trim dominating the figure.  It gives him a more commanding presence.  And, the over abundance of silver does give Hawk a defining look.  There's not much else going on here, though.  So, he ranks pretty low.  I snapped the thumb of my 1982 Hawk when I tried to give him a Battle Gear M-16.  After that, the character disappeared until the amazing 1986 upgrade came around.  Hawk looks good.  But, if I want to use Hawk, I'll almost never choose this figure.

#10 - Grand Slam

Grand Slam and Flash  share the same mold.  The darker green on Grand Slam is a definite downgrade over the brighter green that Flash uses.  As a kid, we only had a straight arm Grand Slam.  The Silver Pads version was my Grand Slam.  I used him as a derivative of Flash, though.  The lack of accessories drops Grand Slam down a bit.  But, this figure does get a lot more use from me now.  Mostly, that's due to the fact that Grand Slam has remained pretty obscure over the years.  And, he's a guy who holds a certain, undeserved reputation for being rarer than other figures.  This is a function of the Silver Pads version.  But, photos with this original Grand Slam tend to do well since people don't see him all that often.  I definitely use this guy more than this low ranking would suggest.

#09 - Breaker

Breaker was my first Joe.  It pains me to rank him this low.  But, Breaker kind of marks a point in the line where every figure from here on out is pretty strong.  I ended up ranking him lower because there's not a lot of paint on him and he lacks a firearm.  That's made up for by his strong accessories, though.  His communications headset might be my favorite single accessory from the original 13.  And, it was a staple of my Joe world: even long after Breaker had fallen apart.  He's a mainstay in my HQ: helming the computer console.  And, I even use him as the second passenger in the VAMP.  Breaker remains a nostalgic favorite.  And, his low rank is just indicative of how strong the first wave of Joes was.

#08 - Snake Eyes

Yeah, I get it.  The "all black" was a design choice.  But, it's also limiting on this figure.  And, the 1997 and later repaints that added just one or two paint applications showed that just a little bit of color would break this guy up and make for a better figure.  But, Snake Eyes also features some unique parts.  The bomb on his leg is a feature that's really ignored and speaks to the figure's intentions of being a commando instead of a super human ninja.  His gear was also pretty strong.  The Uzi is synonymous with Snake Eyes and remains a mainstay of the character to this day.  There is something about the all black appearance of the original design that is lost when you paint up some details.  But, were this figure not super popular and somewhat expensive, he'd have little reason to be used over the later repaints of this mold.

#07 - Zap

My youngest brother got a Zap when he went to visit my grandparents in early 1983.  Before the figure came home, both Zap's thumbs were broken.  So, Zap wasn't a part of our childhood collection.  But, he's a figure whose importance grew as an adult collector.  Very early on in my collecting journey, I got obsessed over Zap.  So, he was among the only early figures I sought out to add to my collection in 1999-2000.  He didn't disappoint.  His unique color and strong gear add up to a fun figure.  Were mine not suffering from a snapped o-ring and stuck back screw, I'd use him in photos much more often.  No later homage to this original Zap was able to live up to this original version. (Though, the Super Sonic Fighters Zap is among the better character upgrades Hasbro ever did.)  The swivel arm version remains expensive due to the ubiquity of snapped thumbs.  But, he's worth having around.

#06 - Steeler

If you were missing just one of the original 13 figures back in 1982 and 1983, it was probably Steeler.  Being the driver of the line's most expensive vehicle meant he was often absent from otherwise complete collections.  Steeler features a unique chest piece.  That alone makes him useful.  But, he's also a great match for the Mauler and Slugger, giving him some versatility among later vehicles that was often lacking from his contemporaries.  His binocular helmet attachment was neat and gave him more visual distinction.  And, he even included an Uzi, something also unique to him as a vehicle driver.  I use Steeler more than most of the other original 13 figures.  Though, that's also because I have a spare that's easily accessible.  But, he's deserving of his spot.

#05 - Scarlett

Scarlett's a tough one.  From a sheer design standpoint, she might be the second best figure in the original lineup.  Her sculpt is amazingly detailed.  And, that's often glossed over.  Her unique color really stood out among the sea of Green that was the original wave.  And, it allowed her to evolve with the line and remain complementary with figures that were released years later.  It's tough to find a Scarlett that hasn't discolored.  And, that really limits her.  And, the 2003 repaint of this mold was better.  Even the 1997 is strong, though, it's very different from the 1982 coloring.  So, her lower ranking here is a function of those later figures being more interesting than the first design.

#04 - Clutch

Clutch was my favorite Joe right from the get go.  His unique chest with the holstered pistol was a drawing point.  I gave him a visor, Stalker's gun and Grunt's backpack to make him the most badass fighter the Joes would ever see.  Years later, even a straight arm Clutch retained relevance in my collection because he was so well done.  He's at home when he's behind the wheel of any early Joe vehicle.  And, you can use him sans vehicle as well.  I still refer to this head sculpt as the "Clutch" head as I feel he owned the design the best and made it his own.

#03 - Stalker

Stalker stands out due to his cammo pattern.  It was a unique look among the original figures.  And, it gave him depth beyond the reuse of the standard grenade and knife torso.  His head also featured a sculpted head covering with his green beret.  It made the figure a quick favorite.  The prominence of the character in the comic helped hold him over and made Stalker among the more popular characters in the line.  Stalker had a ton of great character updates.  (I'll maintain the '89 Stalker is one of the best updates any character ever got.)  But, none of them treaded over this original version.  Even today, an original Stalker can intermingle with figures from all years and not look out of place.  I wish the Comic Pack versions had been better.  But, we have the 1997 figure, which might be even better than the 1983.  Any way you look at it, though, the combo of figure and character puts Stalker near the top.

#02 - Flash

Flash is the best designed figure of the original 13.  He features a nice shade of green on his base layer.  He is then accentuated by a brilliant red chest, leg and arm pads.  These give him a startling appearance among his peers.  Were that not enough, though, the entirety of the red is outlined by a silver trim.  All of these colors carry over to his back, too.  In short, the sculpting was miles ahead of what other toy lines were doing.  And, then, Hasbro gave us the real kicker: his accessories.  Flash got the standard helmet.  But, you really get the impression that the standard clear visor was actually designed for Flash first and then ported to other figures.  His backpack is an intricate mess of technology.  And, it all culminates in a laser rifle that can plug into the pack.  The combo of sculpting, color and gear makes Flash tough to beat.  In fact, he should be number 1.  But, he's beat out for one simple reason that you'll see next.

#01 - Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll isn't the best figure among the original 13.  But, he's the one I use the most.  Part of it is that his simplicity works for his specialty.  But, he also features a unique torso and an amazing weapon.  I happen like the character, too.  I remember Rock and Roll as the crazed madman from "Hot Potato" in the first issue of the comic.  But, he later became a bit more mellow.  And, this made him interesting.  He was supposed to be "replaced" by Roadblock.  But, he stayed on the team and remained an integral part of the story until the very end.  The gold bullets really make Rock and Roll stand out.  And, it gives him more bulk, even if he's the same size as the rest of his friends.  I use this figure constantly.  I bought a spare just so I could use him more often.  It happened to the mail away version, which was a nice surprise.  (Things like that used to happen all the time.)  So, Rock and Roll gets my top spot just because he's a guy who resonates with me and gets used all the time.  It's no more complicated than that.

So, there you have it.  That's my ranking of the first 13 G.I. Joe figures.  What are you thoughts?  The great theme of the Joe line is that was designed to appeal to every kid.  So, different parts grabbed then attention of different kids as the time.  I have plans to continue this series.  It won't be chronological.  But, you'll see them pop up and we can discuss some of the different years and how the figures stack up.

2004 Comic Pack Double Clutch - Around The Web

One one hand, it seems like this 2004 Double Clutch should be a commonly used figure.  He's a solid update to a classic character.  The figure is both common and cheap.  And, Double Clutch fits with a wide array of figures from the entire line's history.  Instead, he's an obscure version  of a beloved character that appears infrequently at best.  Much of this is due to the fact that the mold isn't great.  Double Clutch is somewhat awkwardly designed and his parts make him appear barrel chested.  

The other thing that doesn't help Double Clutch is that he lacks a signature vehicle.  The 2004 VAMP seems like an obvious choice for him.  But, because the VAMP was built for skinny 1982 figures and Double Clutch uses the bulkier parts from 1993, he's not a great fit with the classic jeep.  Double Clutch really needed a repainted Mudbuster or Badger to operate.  With this, the figure would have had a more noble purpose and likely would have found more use.

So, here's a bit of content about this figure that I could find.

2004 Clutch Profile

Unproduced "Small Head" Clutch

2004 Clutch by Otto the Otter

2004 Clutch at Joe Battle Lines

2004 Clutch by sintechness

2004 Clutch by fantasyactionfigures

2004 Clutch by doksewage

2004 Clutch by ftwten

2004 Clutch by doksewage

1983 Clutch

It's really difficult to comprehend just how innovative the original Joe line was as a retail product.  It's not just the quality of the toys that stands out.  But, the manner in which the design team packaged and priced the toys was nothing short of novel.  One of the most compelling innovations was the inclusion of exclusive vehicle drivers in their vehicles.  I'm not sure if G.I. Joe was the first brand to do such a thing.  But, Kenner had not done it for Star Wars...instead opting to sell all figures individually.  Hasbro, though, created a slew of exclusive figures to operate their vehicles.  And, if you wanted Hawk, Grand Slam, Steeler or Clutch, you had to buy a vehicle to get them.  While the figures shared parts with carded figures it was Steeler and Clutch who featured original chest pieces that were not available anywhere other than on the vehicle drivers.

My affinity for Clutch began on the very first day that I saw a G.I. Joe figure in hand.  It was my younger brother's birthday in October of 1982.  On that day, he got an amazing amount of figures and vehicles...including some doubles.  On that day, I learned that Joe gear was compatible across figures.  And, very quickly, I took Grunt's backpack, Stalker's gun and a visor from, probably, Grand Slam and gave it all to Clutch.  I now had the ultimate figure.  I used this supercharged Clutch as my go-to figure for several weeks.  Finally, at Christmas, I opened my very own VAMP that was under the tree and I had a Clutch to call my own.  

That figure, though, didn't last too long.  Not because of breakage.  But, because Return of the Jedi toys appeared in the spring of 1983.  Joe was dropped in favor of my long running Star War obsession.  In July of 1983, though, I discovered the new addition of swivel arm battle grip.  This opened a whole new world to me.  And, with that one little change, Star Wars was forever second fiddle to Joe in our house.  But, this also meant that any straight armed Joes were relegated to a junk box.  But, this didn't really hold true for Clutch.  Since he was a vehicle driver, I could still make him work as the driver of the VAMP.  So, he was the only straight arm to remain viable.  In fact, he still got use as late as 1987 as my childhood Joe days ended.  

One thing I didn't have, though, was a swivel arm Clutch.  If you read my first write up on this guy from January of 2000, I note that I still didn't have a swivel arm Clutch.  In all my acquisitions of the late 1990's, a swivel Clutch was never among the scores of other original 13 figures I acquired.  It was not until 2004 that one came my way.  At the time, I had joined a start up company.  There were just two of us.  We were squatting in some office space of my boss's old colleague.  As part of our agreement, I'd help out their IT guy with some issues.  He was my age and we shared many interests.  He had a Star Wars figure in his office and it opened up conversations about toys we still had.  One day, he brought in a bag full of G.I. Joe figures and playsets.  He wanted to raise a bit of cash.  So, I sold most of them for him on JoeCustoms.com.  In this baggie was a near perfect swivel arm Clutch.  I told him I was interested in it and would buy it from him.  He set it aside as I awaited some money from items I was also selling.  When, the money for his items arrived, though, he gifted me the Clutch for helping him sell the other parts.  It is the very Clutch you see in the photos below and the only one I still own today.  

When I examine why G.I. Joe toys matter so much to me, it is stories like this stand out.  The toys are a pneumonic device for me to recall events of my life.  I have great recall from my childhood.  A big part of that is because I'm able to associate memories with Joe toys.  For other people, it may be music, TV or other pop culture influences that remind them of bygone days.  For me, it's G.I. Joe toys.  Those memories also extend into my adulthood.  I don't remember sitting in that hot server room with a wire storage rack on the back wall because the networking error of the day was so compelling.  I remember it because my friend and I would talk about old toys, cartoons and comic books.  I used to get Amazon deliveries at the office.  (Amazon sold inventory for Toys R Us, back then.)  With each box, we'd look at the items and recall childhood memories from the various repainted figures.  That was over 20 years ago.  But, the memories are vivid because of their association with Joe and Star Wars.

Among my childhood friend group, Clutch was the most memorable character.  I have a friend who can still recite the final stanza of Clutch's filecard.  It was that impactful.  Clutch's popularity was a function of him being the driver of the most popular and coolest vehicle from 1982, the most distinctive figure and a really fun character from the comic.  Clutch is also the closest of the vintage figures to the iconic "G.I. Joe" from the '60's.  The bearded head was an obvious homage to the guy who started it all.  But, Clutch's black hair really cemented the tribute to the line's origins.

Aside from his uniquely sculpted torso, Clutch also features some extra color on his chest.  7 of the original 13 figures featured three colors on their torso.  Clutch was one.  Aside from the black holster and green base, Clutch also has brown padding near his shoulders and protecting the zipper on his jacket.  It adds a nice layer of depth to Clutch's appearance and helps him stand out from his peers.  The color also accentuates Clutch's collar.  Most of the original Joes were wearing slight turtlenecks.  Clutch appears to be wearing a hoodie: just without the hood on the back.  It raises up to and you can see it protecting his neck since the VAMP doesn't have a windshield.  

Clutch is criminally underutilized.  He and Steeler feature the least used chest pieces of the original 13 figures.  Clutch was released in his original form in 1982 with the swivel arm update coming in 1983.  While he was originally only packaged with the VAMP, Clutch would become a mail away in later years.  Hasbro repainted him in tan as the driver of the VAMP Mark II in 1984. And, then, the mold was done as far as Hasbro was concerned.  While the VAMP travelled all over the world for exclusive uses in Europe, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and India, Clutch didn't really travel with it.  A Tan Clutch was included with the Takara VAMP.  But, there was no exclusive Clutch to accompany the South American or European VAMP releases.  In the 1990's, Clutch did appear in India, though.  He is one of the most obscure figures to get a full Funskool release.  But, he and Hawk are also the only Funskool characters to be exclusive to vehicle releases.  (All other Funskool vehicle drivers were random figures inserted into the box and not meant to be specific to their vehicle.)  There are tons of Funskool Clutch variants.  Some are great and others are pretty close to the Hasbro figure.  Clutch didn't appear after his early Funskool years, though.

This left Clutch as a forgotten mold.  And, as I'd argue that his chest piece was the best of the original figures, that seemed a shame.  For years, customizers used Clutch's chest to great effect on original designs for both Joes and Cobras.  It was not until 2018, though, that Clutch's chest would finally reappear.  Red Laser Army recreated the piece and used it on a variety of figures.  In some ways, the uses didn't create great figures.  But, in other ways, we finally got some variety that showed the piece's potential.  What we didn't get, though, was a Clutch to match all the various VAMP colors that are available.  You could have credibly created half a dozen Clutch repaints before even stealing his chest for other characters.  (Like a repainted General using his torso to match up with Hawk's appearance in G.I. Joe #16.)  Not getting a Clutch is an omission that couldn't get corrected as Red Laser lost the molds after the 2018 series and wasn't able to continue his work. 

As original 13 figures go, Clutch is surprisingly affordable.  High quality loose figures can be had for under $15.  And, mint and complete with filecard figures sell for around $25.  Clutch not having a visor or exclusive weapon really helps keep the price down.  And, the ubiquity of the figure shows just how many VAMPs Hasbro produced in the line's infancy.  The production numbers that show the volume of vehicles versus carded figures for at least the 1982 line is out there, somewhere.  It would be interesting to see how Clutch's production numbers compare to, say, Stalker or Scarlett.  But, for a major character who didn't get an iconic sculpting upgrade for a decade, it's surprising to see Clutch remain an acquirable piece for any collection.  

Rarities - Mail Away 1983 Grand Slam, Hawk and Clutch

In the summer of 2001, a random seller posted a few bagged 1983 G.I. Joe figures who were packed with redback filecards.  They had a small stock of them.  They were offered at $5 and bought out instantly.  I managed to get a Clutch and Hawk, but missed out on the Grand Slam.  The seller said they had more.  But, due to the quick sell out, decided to do more research on the value of the items.  Within a few weeks, some additional bagged figures appeared.  They were higher priced, though still offered for sums that seem ridiculously cheap these days.  Some collectors bought a few.  But, mostly they sat around as the collecting world wasn't really interested in them.

Over the years, the supply of the figures never really dried up.  You could always find them.  But, there were never enough to really drop prices too far.  For a very long time, you could get the bagged versions for about the same price as a loose, mint and complete figure of the same character.  Grand Slam was usually higher priced, though, as he included the filecard from the Silver Pads Grand Slam.  And, in those early days, many collectors didn't make a distinction between the redback versions of filecards or those cut from a box.  

The reason for this is that a ton of overstock of these figures have been found.  You'll even see a "barn" find where entire cases of the figures were discovered and put into the collecting community.  During the years close to the finds, the figures would get cheap.  Now, they have gotten more expensive.  While there are plenty of them out there, they are still more scarce than standard loose figures.  And, many collectors in the early days simply opened the bags up because it was a cheaper option to get high quality vehicle drivers.

The most interesting aspect of the figures is that you get a red Grand Slam with a Silver Pads Grand Slam filecard.  The photo for the Silver Pads figure was all new and created as a JUMP exclusive when the figure was added in 1983.  So, it's not like they destroyed the original artwork.  So, the appearance of the Silver Pads art is weird.  But, it's likely that Hasbro had it more ready to go since it was newer.  As collectability goes, this filecard is the most noteworthy just because it has the juxtaposition of figure and artwork.

The reality is that these three figures are not rare.  There are tons of them out there due to the various finds over the years.  People still pay premiums for them.  But, usually, the prices for these three figures remain far below bagged samples of other 1983 mail away and catalog figures.  So, at least there's no inequity there.  Once upon a time, it was easier and about the same price to simply buy one of these bagged figures and open it to get a mint and complete with filecard figure of the three included in the set.  That's no longer the case.  

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

1984 Vamp Mark II - Around The Web

Back in 1984, I had a fleeting glimpse of the new catalog.  There were few items that really burned into my mind.  But, one of them was the VAMP Mark II.  Mostly, I remembered it because I had loved the original VAMP.  And, while my VAMP was still in decent shape, the thought of getting a new one was really exciting.  Once in hand, though, the VAMP Mark II had some issues.  The lack of gun really hindered its adoption in my collection.  And, in short order, the VAMP Mark II was actually in worse shape than my older and more battle worn VAMP.  

Today, though, I appreciate both designs.  The VAMP is still more used.  But, I do enjoy getting the VAMP Mark II out from time to time.  It photographs well and does work with a variety of different figures.  There's some good content featuring the VAMP Mark II out there.  So, be sure to check out the posts below.

Vamp Mark II Profile

Vamp Mark II by dreadnokdread

Vamp Mark II by masterbungle

VAMP Mark II by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

VAMP Mark II by gi_joe_for_fun

VAMP Mark II by sintechness

VAMP Mark II by gen_liederkranz

VAMP Mark II at 3DJoes.com

VAMP Mark II by evilface

VAMP Mark II by thedustinmccoy

VAMP Mark II at JoePedia

VAMP Mark II by 3rd_wave_sabotage

Rarities - 1993 Mega Marines Toy Fare Catalog Pre-Production Figures

Back in the days before the internet, toy companies sold their wares at Toy Fair each year.  Smaller brands would seek out retail partners.  While, the big companies would put together impressive solicitations designed to wow their partners at the huge, national retailers of the day.  In 1993, Hasbro's catalog featured the full Joe line.  But, as the catalog was put together before the figures were in production, it contains a large number of pre-production figures that feature differences from their retail release.   

Below is the page for the Mega Marines.  There's a few, fun little differences you can spot among the figures.  Starting from left to right, you first see the original Mega Viper.  This figure features a slightly green face shield instead of the retail yellow.  You'll notice the odd purple color of his gun, too.  This color was never used in production.  But, it matches the figure quite well.  I always wonder what would have caused a change like this.  Instead of getting weapons that matched his purple trim, the Mega Viper received accessories that matched his yellow instead.  To me, that would see like a personal preference/coin flip type decision.  But, knowing Hasbro of the day, it was very likely a conscious decision that was made to make the figures more attractive to buyers.

The Joe side of the page features the biggest differences.  Aside from the fact that the figures have been given random accessories that Hasbro likely just had lying around, there is one major change from the retail figure.  You'll notice that in this photo, Clutch still has his goggles and Mirage's eyes are uncovered.  Originally, these goggles were meant for Clutch.  (See this Rarities post from 2016.)  And, they appear on the figure in the solicitation photos.  

Again, this would be an interesting piece of trivia to track down.  Why were the goggles changed from one figure to another.  Mirage's head looks bare without them.  But, that's a function of the fact that we've always seen the figure with the goggles.  Had he not included them, it wouldn't seem so out of place.  And, Clutch's specialty as the driver makes more sense for a goggled head.  But, this reasoning is probably lost to time.

The whole diorama is action packed.  Hasbro did similar things for Street Fighter and the DEF.  And, those pages also feature some interesting early takes on the toys that were ultimately released.  As far as this page goes, though, the figures frozen in the plastic blocks got a lot of attention when this image first surfaced.  Many thought they might be unproduced figures.  But, they are likely just production figures painted white for use in this display.  But, really, the idea of people frozen in ice is a bit macabre for a child's toy solicitation.  But, the intended audience was adult buyers.  And, there are monsters in the toyline.  So, I can see this just being a fun modeling session for the photographer.

Old Hasbro print pieces are chock full of pre-production and prototype toys.  They are a treasure mine of original intentions and also provide the provenance for many pre-production and VSP figures that survive to this day.  As I'm a Mega Marines fan, this layout is really cool to me.  But, even if the Mega Marines aren't your thing, the earlier designs for the toys are a valuable part of Joe history.