1985 Footloose - Random Photos of the Day II

Footloose was the first 1985 figure I purchased in February of that year.  (I got Airtight at the same time, though.)  He was just so cool.  He had amazing gear, strong colors and a design that seemed like a substantial upgrade over the 1984 figures.  Footloose quickly became a staple of my adventures.  He would wait inside the Hovercraft until it landed and then emerge to devastate the Cobras in his way.  I even made up a little song for him when he jumped into battle.  He was one of the most important figures in my collection.  Sadly, though, I then broke his rifle.  Once that happened, Footloose's value to me plummeted.  I took the figure apart and used his parts on many of my customs of that era who represented new characters in my collection.  

As a collector, I ensured I acquired a couple of Footloose figures.  They were in good shape.  And, now, I'm afraid to put his rifle into his right hand for fear of breaking the thumb.  I should work on it.  Mainly because I don't feel I've ever gotten a good photo of Footloose.  I've tried many different situations for Footloose.  But, none of them ever really capture my childhood essence of the figure.  I've seen many other people adequately capture just how cool Footloose is.  But, I've never been able to do it.  So, here's my latest attempts to make Footloose look great.  I still don't feel I've captured him, though.  I'll keep trying.

1985 Footloose - Random Photos Of The Day

I take a lot of Joe photos.  Through the years, I've taken, literally, thousands of them.  I use them for profiles.  And, after those are done, I'll use them for an Around the Web feature.  And, then, well, after that, I have no real outlet for the new pictures.  I post them to Instagram (which has a great Joe community!).  But, Instagram is designed to be a fire and forget app and a week after something's posted, it disappears, never to resurface again.  So, I'm going to start up a Random Photos of the Day feature.  On weekends, I'll toss up some pics of figures that have used up their other feature allotment.  They will be new pictures, or alternate angles of old shoots.  It's for nothing else than than that.  Maybe I'll have little write ups, maybe not.  I don't really know.

For now, enjoy some photos of the 1985 Footloose:

1985 Footloose - Around the Web

Footloose and Airtight were the first two 1985 figures I acquired.  Seeing a classic infantryman with the full complement of excellent gear which Footloose included was enough to get me to bypass many of the other figures that were on the shelf.  I've never regretted that early acquisition as the figure is of exceptional quality and design.  He remains a staple of my collection and a figure who I enjoy having around, even in multiples.  Here's the best of Footloose from around the web:

Footloose Profile

Plastirama Footloose Profile

Footloose Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Footloose at JoeDios.com 1

Footloose at JoeADay.com

Footloose at JoeDios.com 2

Footloose Video Review 1

Footloose at JoeDios.com 3

Footloose Video Review 2

Footloose at JoeDios.com 4

Footloose Video Review 3

Footloose at JoeDios.com 5

Coyote - Argentine Exclusive Footloose

There are many examples of foreign Joe figures out there in the market.  Some are rare and pricey.  Some are rare and cheap.  Some are easy to find and stupidly expensive.  And, some are easy to find and really cheap.  It's the full gamut.  While I appreciate all of the foreign exclusive G.I. Joe repaints, I have found that it is the Plastirama series of figures from Argentina that hold the most interest to me as a subset.  This is mostly due to the number of swivel arm figures produced that is small enough to track down without too much hassle, but also large enough that you don't complete the series in a couple of weeks.  The series features some great, original figures and characters as well as a full complement of slightly repainted American characters.  Since most of the molds used fall within my sweet spot of 1983 - 1985, I find the whole set provides a great deal of collecting satisfaction.

Footloose was one of the first two newly released figures I acquired back in the February of 1985.  The figure's strong mold, great colors and amazing accessories really worked for me and made the figure one of my favorites.  But, I had upgraded my American Footloose as one of the first priorities when I returned to collecting in the late 1990's.  Having a chance to get a new take on the figure was something I hoped would happen during the early days of the Joe relaunch.  When that did not occur, I found that Footloose had two South American releases in Brazil and Argentina.  On top of that, the Plastirama figure from Argentina, named Coyote, was actually readily available for about the same cost as a mint, complete American Footloose.  With that, I had a new version of Footloose in my collection.

As a figure, Coyote is well done.  He follows the basic tenants of the Footloose figure, but uses slightly darker hues for the greens on his uniform.  He has a few accouterments painted differently than the American figure.  But, on quick glance, is basically the same figure.  Side by side, though, the differences come out.  The red insignia on Footloose's left arm is gone, but the greens and browns are shades lower than the American version.  The darker colors give the figure some greater depth than the American release.  The figure appears more combat ready.  It is a good look for the character and helps give me greater opportunities to use the mold.  Overall, the paint applications on this figure are well done.  Many Plastirama figures can have sloppy paint.  But, Coyote's don't appear to have this problem to the extent of other figures.  It all helps to shape a high quality release that is worthy of carrying the legacy of a classic 1985 mold.

Coyote includes the full complement of Footloose accessories.  His pack is substantially darker than the American version.  The M-16 and rocket launcher, though, are pretty much the same as the American accessories.  (There are slight variations to color and texture of the two due to the different plastic make up.  But, they are black.)  He also includes the unique helmet.  The foliage on the top of the helmet, though, isn't painted in the same detail as the American figure.  It still has the paint application to keep the two toned look.  But, it isn't as sharp as that of the American figure.

One of the things I most enjoy about foreign Joe collecting is getting new versions of childhood favorites.  Figures like Coyote, Risco and Muralha give a chance to relive the joy of getting Flint, Footloose and Alpine for the first time.  The foreign versions offer something slightly different without being so different that they lose their nostalgic appeal.  That allows me to use a figure like Coyote as Footloose.  It's just a different take on the character that keeps him from getting stale from using his one version all the time.  That is the value I find in figures like this and is the reason why foreign Joe collecting has been such an important part of my Joe collecting world.

Footloose saw substantial release around the world.  He was used in the U.S. for Footloose with his head being adopted for Claymore and Rumbler.  From there, the mold was sent to South America where it was released in both Argentina and Brazil.  The mold seems to have died in South America, though, as it never appeared again.  Both the Plastirama and Estrela figures, though, are similar to the American figure.  So, Footloose is definitely a mold with untapped potential.  Seeing the figure in a more desert theme or as a member of Night Force would have been an excellent addition to the Footloose pantheon.  But, neither the mold nor the character resurfaced during the repaint era.  So, collectors are left with another example of a mold with untapped potential.

Coyotes are moderately difficult to find. A large number of them were brought to the United States when the large overstock of Plastirama figures was found around 2000. But, the quantities were much smaller than those of the wave that included Satan and Ninja-Ku. So, Coyote tended to disappear rather quickly. Today, you see a few of them up for sale every year, usually carded. The prices fluctuate greatly, though, with some carded figures selling for over $50 and others resting in the $25 range. Even at these prices, the figure has merit. The different colors are more pleasing than those of the American figure and add some nice diversity to a collection. He's hard enough to find that not everyone has him, so he definitely adds some diversity to an American collection.  I have found the figure well worth owning and he is a way to appreciate Footloose all over again.

1985 Footloose

Back in the early days of the site during my profile of Airtight, I related the story of the first two 1985 figures I added to my collection. Now, years later, I realize the folly of my choices and would certainly, given the chance again, have picked very different figures as my first purchase for that year. However, hindsight is 20/20. Back then, I was the happiest kid in the world when I brought home Airtight and the figure I'm profiling today: Footloose.

When I first got Footloose, he instantly became my favorite figure. He led all the troops off the Whale, scaled mountains with Alpine, and commanded any armored vehicles I had. I just loved his look. He was a bit bulkier than the other '83 and '84 figures I had, plus he had the added head articulation. He became the one figure that all my friends grew to hate. I made this guy such a great, powerful soldier that none of them liked playing with me when Footloose was a member of my team. Of course, that didn't matter to me. He was the figure I was going to use. Even if that meant that I had to come up with some rather creative rules whenever my friends and I chose up our figure teams. He was just too much. In fact, I came up with some lame song that he sang every time he came into battle.

I still remember early adventures from the spring of '85. I would take Footloose, Alpine, a couple of older Joes and my new Crimson Guard and Eel figures out to front of my parents house. There they had a small hill with a concrete walkway that divided the yard in two. The walkway had about 4 steps near the beginning to compensate for the hill. This was the same place my brother and I had played extensively back in late '82 when he got his first Joe figures. More than once, during my adventures, I would dig up a remnant of those autumn days from a few years earlier. Of course, that became part of the fun. I took Footloose's helmet off of him (I always thought he looked bad with it on.) and had him hiding in the reeds down by the "river". As Alpine climbed the hill to take out the Cobra stronghold, Footloose would cover him and keep the Cobras from killing his friend. There were variations on this theme, but Footloose was always the central infantry man who did the dirty work. Even after I got Flint, the first figure I really, really wanted, Footloose remained the great fighter that I had made him to be. Not even his less than stellar appearance in the comic was enough for him to fall out of my favor.

Around early 1986, my original Footloose's gun broke. This spelled the end for that figure and I took him apart and created my first "custom" figures. Fortunately, Footloose was still available at retail so I bought another one. This figure survived for another year or so before I noticed that his thumb was starting to crack. As Footloose was no longer available at retail, I packed my figure away so I didn't risk further breakage. It was here he stayed until a few years ago when I pulled out all my old figures and upgraded or replaced them. At that time, though, I was busy adding new figures to my collection and didn't have time for old favorites. All the new Footlooses I acquired just went into the '85 drawer. When I moved back to Indiana, though, I stayed at my parents' house for a couple of months until I could find a place of my own. While back here, I was reminded of many of these early adventures and the figures I used as a child. This got me thinking and when I got my collection back out, I dug out a Footloose. Almost immediately, I was reminded of why I had liked him all those years ago. Now, I think he will regain at least part of his former glory. I haven't had one for so long that he is like a new figure to me. This always bodes well for any figure in my collection.

Just a quick side note. Footloose is another old character we would have seen make a reappearance in the 1995 Battle Rangers line. He was slated to be released along with Flint, the Baroness and Dr. Mindbender. He would have been cast in a great military green with a molded hat similar to the '93 Bazooka's. He would also have utilized the '93 Duke's arms, waist, and legs. The only prototype of Footloose that I have seen did not have the arms and legs attached. For that reason, I don't think he made it as far in the production process as the other three mentioned Battle Rangers members. Perhaps, one day I'll track one of these prototypes down. He is really the last one I'm after. When I do, you can be sure you will see him here.

The Footloose mold saw pretty good use around the world. After he was released in the US, the mold was sent to Argentina where a figure in similar colors was released as Coyote. From there, the mold went on Brazil. There, Footloose was released in colors similar to the American figure and then again in Slaughters Marauders colors. The final release of the figure occurred when those Brazilian Slaughters Marauders figures were packaged up and imported to the US. After that, Footloose's mold has never been used again. It is likely that the mold died in Brazil and is now long gone. Really, that's too bad as Footloose is a character and figure that most collectors would like to see return in some form. The mold could be repainted for a variety of environments and collectors would welcome some diversity for the character.

Footlooses are pretty easy to find. In fact, even mint and complete, this guy is insanely available. Now, over 15 years after his release, people just don't like the figure. While lots of people have favorites that aren't Flint and Snake Eyes, they rarely choose Footloose as the figure they like. Really, it's unexplainable. Footloose tends to have brittle thumbs and his accessories had lots of interacting pieces that made them prone to breakage as well. I guess it's just because this guy didn't have the characterizations of other '85's that makes him what he is today. That is a nice thing, though. Often a good, solid infantry soldier will cost you a lot of money. As that isn't the case with Footloose, he can be used and used without the fear that his loss or destruction would cause financial hardship. That's the way Joes should be.

Footloose may be hokey. You may hate his character. The fact is, I like the figure. What do you think?