Rarities - Unproduced 1988 Tiger Force Figures

Since the early days of online collecting, we've known that the Tiger Force team underwent drastic changes between the time of it's retail solicitation and actual production.  Tiger Force Ripcord was a staple of late 1990's and early 2000's customizers.  And, even Hasbro got in on the action when  they released a Wreckage figure in 2003 that was an homage to the unproduced Sabretooth.

The reasons for some of the changes are almost certainly just a function of available molds.  Ripcord and Recondo were both in production in South America around 1988.  So, it's unlikely that Hasbro had the parts to make them.  Recondo ended up being produced by Estrela simply because he and the Tiger Fly mold were both in Brazil at the time.  

We'll start with the original concept for the single carded figure team.

Only three of the six figures shown ended up being released in the production set.  (Dusty, Lifeline and Duke)  The retail set would end up including 7 figures.  Instead of Sabretooth, Recondo and Ripcord, the set included Tripwire, Roadblock, Flint and Bazooka.  The Toy Fair solicitation explicitly mentions it's a 6-man squad.  So, the change to a 7 figure team is odd.  Especially since 7 would not divide equally into a case assortment.  I can't find details on how the actual Tiger Force figure cases broke down.  But, a figure (or figures!) were either overpacked or shortpacked in order to fit the 7 man team into a case.

Another interesting aspect is the gear shown with the figures.  Since the figures are hand painted mock ups, the gear is all from original figures.  Duke's is correct.  But, everyone else is holding some gear from one of the other figures in the set.  This is likely just a photographer either having fun or simply not knowing which gear went with whom and doing their best to match it up.  The oddballs, though, are Dusty & Ripcord.  Ripcord is holding Frostbite's rifle.  While Frostbite did end up in Tiger Force, he wasn't shown (nor was the Tiger Cat) in this Toy Fair catalog.  For some reason, Dusty is using Falcon's gear.  Falcon never appeared in Tiger Force and wasn't part of these designs.  So, how his gear ended up in the photo is anyone's guess.

In looking at the figures, themselves, Duke, Lifeline and Dusty ended with production figures that are starkly close to these early mock ups.  I'll argue that the production Tiger Force Recondo is better than this planned carded release with the brown shirt.  Sabretooth and Ripcord are the two, though, that are most interesting to me.  

First is just the fact that both are solid paint jobs.  Sabretooth is remarkably detailed.  And, the colors used on him are rich and vibrant.  You realize what a pale imitation Wreckage actually was when you see this mock up in better detail.  I can't help but wonder how fans would view Sabretooth had he been released.  While we associate that mold only with Firefly today, that is largely a function of the fact that Hasbro released it as Firefly at least 8 times in the repaint era.  Had Sabretooth been released, an entire generation of Joe fans who came of age in the late 1980's would only associate that mold with Sabretooth.  

Ripcord features a rich brown lower body and what appears to be an olive upper body.  His helmet features the paint job that was, eventually, used on the Tiger Force Roadblock helmet.  Had this Ripcord been released, it would be interesting to see which was preferred among collectors.  While the original Ripcord is an iconic look, this Tiger Force version was less Tiger Force and more just an alternate look for the character that used more color.  I'm not sure which would be my preferred look for the character.  But, there's no doubt this Tiger Force version would have been well loved by collectors.  It's a shame Hasbro wasn't able to get a version of him into the Pulse assortment since they had already recast the Ripcord mold.

There's another fun little appearance on the photo for the Tiger Shark.  While the Dusty figure appears in the turret, you'll see what appears to be a yellow painted Torpedo driving the vehicle.  This is the figure's only appearance.  The catalog is clear that "Figure sold separately."  So, there's barely even a reference to the figure's existence in his own time.  It's doubtful Torpedo made it this far in the process for Tiger Force.  But, it's possible that the Tiger Shark was, in its infancy, planned to include a figure just like the Water Moccasin from four years prior.  The appearance is one of those oddball cameos that would occur more frequently in later toy commercials but was very rare in pre-production solicitation and marketing material.

Here's a different angle of the original Recondo.  Flint ended up getting a color scheme that was reminiscent of this Recondo.  Though, the Flint uses a darker brown and a lighter green for his torso and legs, respectively.  I still prefer the production Recondo to this version.  But, the brown would have been an interesting take on a desert Recondo.  So, I wouldn't have hated this version had it come to be.

Next up is the Tiger Rat.  You can kind of see the figure that would become Skystriker in the cockpit.  It's notable that the accompanying text to the Tiger Rat says that it includes the pilot "Thunder".  Skystriker would use the Thunder head, helmet and headgear.  So, the original intent, at least, was not to create a new character for the Tiger Rat.

Lastly, we have the Tiger Fly.  Here, you can see the unproduced Tiger Force Wild Bill.  Wild Bill's omission is a function  of reverse mold availability.  While Ripcord was stuck in Brazil and couldn't be added to the carded assortment cases, Wild Bill was likely in Asia, unable to be packaged with the Brazilian made Tiger Fly.  So, the logistics dictated that Recondo become the Tiger Fly pilot.  (I guess both he and Wild Bill have mustaches and wear hats....)  The original color scheme for Recondo was changed to match up the color scheme that was planned for this Wild Bill.  

Aside from all the changes to this set and the various fun it's sparked from all the unproduced elements of it, Tiger Force also caused a fundamental change in how Joes were made in Brazil.  As my friend Attica Gazette points out, prior to the release of the Tiger Force Recondo, all the figures made in Brazil featured a more sunburnt skin tone.  It's a hallmark of the early Estrela line and makes the figures recognizable.  However, after Estrela had to make a Recondo with a skin tone that matched that of the other figures in the Tiger Force set, all of their subsequent figures used the skin tone that was more in line with Hasbro's colors.  It sucked one of the unique elements of the Estrela line away.  We don't know if Hasbro mandated this change on all new figures going forward.  Or, if Estrela simply went with it because the color was now readily available.  Regardless, that's one of the unintended legacies of Tiger Force.

1991 Lifeline (Rice Krispies Mail Away) - Around The Web

This figure hearkens back to the good old days of food tie ins.  You could eat some cereal and send away for a "free" G.I. Joe figure.  Six to eight weeks later, you'd get a little cardboard box in the mail with the figure inside.  There was no greater feeling than seeing that little mailer with your name on it.  Especially when you knew what was in there.  

This Lifeline isn't seen all that often.  Most people use the more common (and probably better) 1986 retail version of the figure.  The subtle nuance of this variant, though, speaks to the morals of the company who sponsored his creation as well as the economics of toys into the early 1990's.  

Sadly, the days of promotional items like this are long gone.  It's been replaced, though, by the proliferation of online sellers.  My kids know that Amazon or Wal Mart boxes can mean new toys.  So, they get the same feeling.  It's just in a different form that is much more efficient.  Still, it's fun to remember coming home from a two week summer vacation and finding a mailer box or two strewn among the accumulated mail that the postman used to slide through the slot in our front door every day.  

So, check out the sparse content I could find on this mail away Lifeline and enjoy the nostalgic rush.

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline Profile

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by gijoe_for_fun

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by Slipsteam80

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline at JoeADay.com

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline at Toys From the Past

1991 Rice Krispies Lifeline by thedustinmccoy

Top 10 Spring Loaded Accessories

Starting in 1991, Hasbro began to move the standard Joe accessories in a different direction.  Instead of leaving them the static pieces from 1982, they began to incorporate more action into the toys.  At first, it was simple kid interaction where you could flick a missile.  But, soon, it evolved into a series of spring loaded action features that allowed for kids to have their figures interact through propulsion.  While I title this article spring loaded accessories, that's just because the spring loaded pieces dominate Hasbro's offerings.  But, there are a few other gimmicks in the 1990's that are worthy of inclusion as they added interactive elements to G.I. Joe action figures without forcing the figures to be something incompatible with what came before.

So, you will not see Ninja Force on this list as those features were limited to the figures.  You won't see Sky Patrol, either, as the parachutes only worked with proper preparation and was designed as a stand alone toy that was commandeered for Sky Patrol.  This list covers 1991 through 1994 as those were the years when the action feature accessories were dominate.  And, while older collectors tend to revile this gear, the reality is that there are some amazing toys in here that are both tons of fun to play with while also being in line with the look and feel of the Joe line from the decade prior.

10. 1994 Lifeline Grappling Hook

I'm a sucker for grappling hooks.  As a kid, I loved them.  But, I never got any that actually worked.  So, things like Alpine's grappling gun were left to imagination.  Which, was fine.  But, there were times it would have been cool to have actual hooks that could shoot up and grip something.  Enter the 1994 Lifeline.  His grappling launcher is huge and his two pronged hook is, too.  But, you can tie a rope to it and shoot it at rocks, walls or plants and it might actually stick: just like the real thing.  That's  enough for me to view it as an essential accessory.

09. 1991 Eco Warriors Squirt Guns

Among the first of the action feature weapons are the Eco Warriors squirt packs and guns.  Instead of using a spring for their action, these packs can draw up and hold water that is then expelled from the nozzle of the gun when you press on the soft plastic container that is held in place by a harder plastic frame.  For Eco Warriors, this made perfect sense.  And, the water was used in conjunction with the figures as they would change colors when water of hot or cold temperature hit the special paint on the bodies.  The self contained squirt gun was a solid design.  The guns are pretty large, but not so much that they aren't usable.  But, the weapons are very useful and a lot of fun to have around.

08. 1992 Duke Bronco Launcher

So, this toy is dumb, stupid, lame and incredibly fun for any kid in 1992.  Who wouldn't want a missile launcher that a figure can ride?!?  This piece is an integral part of the 1992 Duke's card artwork.  And, it translates very well into the actual toy.  The only downside is that the brown tripod is made of plastic that has turned to glass.  I literally had one crumble to dust, yes, dust, in a box of other launcher parts.  I didn't know what all the dirt was until I found one intact foot.  The one in the photo below spidered all those while lines just from me gently trying to insert the peg into it.  So, using it today isn't overly practical.  But, man, this is just a stupid idea that made for an iconic piece for Duke.

07. 1992 Destro Disc Launcher

The 1992 Destro disc launcher is another one of those ideas that actually kind of works as a toy.  It's similar to Scrap Iron's missile table.  But, this one shoots discs.  The fact that they actually shoot, though, helps sell the idea of the weapon.  The disc launcher looks like something a comic book supervillain would use.  And, Destro is as close to that trope as the G.I. Joe line tends to get.  So, it's a perfect match of character and weapon.

06. 1992 Firefly Top Spinner

This spinner is also ridiculous.  But, as a toy, it works well.  You can set up a bunch of figures on a hard floor and let the ripcord fly.  The top can then knock over the figures.  Hours of fun!

05. 1991 Cobra Commander Drone

So, this thing is either a radio controlled surveillance drone or a buzz bomb depending on which part of the card you read.  But, any way you look at it, this is a little drone with a spring loaded launcher.  The drone is laminated plastic with cardboard pieces.  It's a neat little idea that worked out.  The launcher features a powerful spring.  It is mounted on a bi-pod and is meant as a stationary weapon.  The idea of a drone was rather innovative back in 1991.  So, it's inclusion is akin to things like the JUMP showing up in 1982.  

04. 1992 Eel Robo Shark

Full disclosure: I don't much care for the robo-shark.  In general, I think robots are dumb.  And these things are a pain in the ass for anyone who, like me, tends to army build 1992 or Funskool Eels.  The sharks are huge, sharp and just a pain to store away.  With that Andy Rooney moment past me, though, what kid in 1992 would not have loved a robot shark with a moving tail that shoots a missile out of its mouth?!?  This is the exact type of over the top ridiculousness that Cobra would have created in their descent into super-villainy.  

And, to top it off, the toy is amazing.  It's full of detail.  The tail moves and the mouth opens.  And, it can then shoot a spring loaded missile out of the creature's mouth.  To top it all off, the shark is also a backpack that affixes to the Eel to be used underwater!  Really, this has a case to be number 1.  But, what's a list without some controversy?  And, personally, I find the Flak Viper's missile backpack to be much more useful than the robo-shark.  But, I'm an adult who was in college when this came out.  If I'd have gotten it when I was 9, there's a good chance this is my favorite toy ever created.  So, if you're going to refute me in the placement of this piece, come with some good anecdotes of how it fit into your play and was a major part of your childhood. :)

03. 1992 Cutter Grappling Hook

I'm kind of cheating as there are two grappling hooks on this list.  But, as I said for Lifeline, I'm a sucker for grappling hooks.  As a kid, I used them not just as tools used to scale mountains, walls or buildings.  They were also Batarang type weapons that could be used to apprehend and tie up villains.  I'd use them between vehicles to either tether boats or even just capture an enemy vehicle that was about to outrun the good guys.  For me, the grappling hook was my irrational childhood dream toy because I got one when I was about 9 and it locked in the idea of a hook on a rope that could be used as a tool in most any situation.

I rank Cutter's hook higher for a couple of reasons.  It came first.  So, it has that going for it.  But, more importantly, Cutter's hook has four prongs.  This made it much more likely to actually catch onto something.  I have memories of being a kid and tossing Alpine's grappling hooks into a pile of rocks.  When the figure went to use it, the hook wouldn't catch anything and it would slip out, sending Alpine to his doom.  I had weird rules where if a rope didn't catch, then the Joes couldn't use it.  (I actually had a little, metal four pronged hook that was attached to a long length of white string.  I used this since it worked more often than the Hasbro toys.)  Cutter's hook is comically large.  But, that's what makes it fun.  If the hook hit anyone, it would kill them.  But, honestly, that's a plus in my book.  

In doing this article, I noticed that the tripod for Cutter's launcher looks the same as that included with the 1992 Duke.  The white plastic isn't nearly as brittle as the brown, though.  

02. 1994 Star Brigade Cobra Commander Suction Cup Walker

The 1994 Star Brigade Cobra Commander includes this oddball harness that's attached to a suction cup walker.  It actually works, though.  And, that alone makes it the 2nd best action accessory in the line.  It's a marvel of engineering and also a fun toy.  It's like those old wall walkers you got for birthday prizes except that it's high quality and a lot of fun.  Everyone should have one of these.

01. 1992 DEF Mutt Net Launcher

You really can't go wrong with this contraption.  It is a massive net launcher.  The launcher is fairly large.  But, it stands by itself and looks like something that would launch nets.  The best part is that the included net is massive.  It's large enough to cover an entire figure with plenty left over.  The four corners of the net are anchored.  The top two are attached to the firing missiles and the bottom two corners have weighted balls to hold down the net.  The net is perfect as a stand alone toy and the launcher just adds more play value.  The only downside is that the weight of the four anchors limits how far the launcher can shoot the net.  But, of all the action play features that Hasbro released, this is the best.

Here is a video from corpscommandercody showing the net in action.

This list is my own.  And, while all of these have their merits, I'm sure you have opinions of ones I overlooked, deliberately omitted or just plain ignored.  So, please let me know your favorites.  These were not the toys of my childhood.  So, my appreciation of them is based on what I think I would have liked as a kid and, more importantly, what I really like now.  So, seeing how kids of the day actually felt about them and which were their favorites is definitely something I'd like to hear about.  

2004 Anti - Venom Sgt. Lifeline

If you follow G.I. Joe's resurgence in the 2000's, you can see a progression.  In 2000 and 2001, Hasbro discovered there was a nostalgic market for figures.  In 2002, they re-imagined the brand, put a bunch of resources into it and found a general market for their toys.  In 2003, the Joe brand hit it's second stride.  The figures were drastically improved, produced in abundance and hit the market just at the right time.  In 2004, Hasbro kept up the improved designs.  But, retail interest was cooling.  By 2005, Hasbro knew the end was near and the innovation and quality of the releases began to slide.  The last retail releases where ghosts of the toys released only two years earlier.  Nearly 20 years later, though, some of these figures have held up better than others while some that were somewhat ignored have found new life among more recent to the hobby collectors.  The Anti Venom set, though, found some interest fairly quickly.  Within a couple of years, they were about the only Toys R Us figures that sold above retail.  And, in the years since, the Anti Venom figures have gotten expensive.  The Lifeline figure that was included with the set features a great mold and awesome accessories.  But, it's hard to see him as Lifelin.

The Anti-Venom set has held up pretty well over the years.  Of all the Toys R Us exclusive G.I. Joe figures, the Anti-Venom has the strongest lineup top to bottom.  While there are individual figures in other sets that are way better than the best AV figure, no other sets hold up as well when taken as a hole.  Part of this is that the AV set included almost all the original accessories for the figures that were included.  This little detail alone is enough to elevate the set over the anonymous weapons that dominated the Night Force, Desert, Greenshits, Winter Ops and HAS sets.  But, the figure molds in the set were also, at the time, not heavily overused.  Roadblock, Barricade, Mutt and Charbroil were all the first time we had seen those molds return.  Duke was overdone.  And, Stretcher hadn't appeared with his original head.  So, the set seemed fresher than many of the releases that brought the same molds we had just seen back again.

It seems that this figure went through many machinations before the actual production figure was settled upon. Early in the development stages of the Anti-Venom set, the figures were to be cast in a dark blue hue. This color was too close to Cobra's traditional look. But, of the figures that were designed in that design, the Lifeline figure had the head from the 2002 Side Track instead of the Stretcher head. From this design, the Anti-Venom morphed to a lighter blue color scheme. This was less traditionally Cobra, but wasn't a great color on most of the figures. In this set, though, Lifeline had an African-American Stretcher head and may have been planned to be Stretcher instead of Lifeline. Finally, Hasbro settled on the tan and green version for production. The head was painted in caucasian skin tones and made Sgt. Lifeline instead of Stretcher.  Sadly, the production head was painted in flesh paint instead of molded in flesh colored plastic like the pre-production figures were.  With the plastic heads available in different colors, you really see how much better they are than painted skin tones on a figure's head.

For me, it's always useful to have a medic who is in field colors.  While red medics are great, I have always liked to have some diversity so that the medics who tag along on missions aren't brightly colored give aways to the Cobras looking to kill the Joes.  This Lifeline works for that.  But, even in that capacity, I don't use the figure all that much.  I still see this mold as Stretcher.  So, it's tough to shake that notion and see this figure as anything too different.  But, Lifeline features an abundance of paint applications and a nice complement of colors that aren't really seen outside of the Anti Venom set and the 2005 HAS figures that used the same upper bodies as the 2004 AV figures.

This Lifeline includes all of Stretcher's gear.  Just like the 2001 Side Track, this 2004 figure is enhanced by including the full array of gear meant for the figure mold.  The one thing that the Anti-Venom set did better than any other set (save the 2003 Python Patrol) is that it included the original gear meant for the figures.  So, we got Barricade's proper rifle, Roadblock's array of 1984 weapons and Charbroil's flamethrower and pack.  With Lifeline, we got the sled, windshield, control stick, backpack, antenna, flare gun, hose and the tiny communicator that, did it not connect to a hose, would be a $40 accessory.  The windshield this time around is black, giving it a different appearance than the clear shielded versions that were previously released.  Lifeline was the only figure in the set to not include a Steel Brigade helmet adorned with his name.  The hat on the figure's head precluded the helmet's usefulness.  So, he was the lone figure to omit it: and is better for it as he's not anonymized by the uniformity of the helmets.

The Stretcher mold saw a bit of use in the modern Joe line. Despite only appearing in 1990 during the vintage years, Hasbro liked the mold and brought it back in the 2000's. In 2002, the entire body and full accessory complement was used on the Side Track figure from Wave V of the A Real American Hero Collection. This figure, though, featured a new, caucasian head and got a different name. This version of the mold with another character change and the caucasian head was released in 2004. At the end of 2004, the head appeared again, only modified for a desert theme, in the Toys R Us exclusive Desert Patrol set.  Sadly, we never got a proper Stretcher repaint.  And, it seems a bit out of place to have Lifeline wearing his uniform and using his gear.  I didn't like that Stretcher was erased as his character was strong and there was simply no reason for Side Track to exist in 2002 nor was there any reason that this Lifeline could not have used the full 1994 Lifeline mold.  

It does appear that the fervor for the Anti-Venom set is starting to subside.  While dealers will ask (and sometimes get!) $60-$80 for a mint and complete figure, the going market rate is about $20.  You can get just the figures for 1/2 of that price, too.  Lifeline's probably among the less desired Anti-Venom figures.  So, that plays a role.  And, you will wait a while before find a high quality, complete sample sold at market prices.  But, you will find them, eventually.  If you're missing the set, it's probably still easier to buy a carded set and open it.  The tape will turn yellow with time and the package will come apart.  So, you get the pleasure of knowing you aren't destroying something that time will eradicate, anyways.  In the end, though, you don't need this figure.  Stretcher is better and either the 1986 or 1994 Lifeline figures are way better renditions of the character.  And, even the Tiger Force figure from 1988 is a more useful combat appearance than this 2004 figure.  I'd never pay the going rate for him.  But, I also don't have to make that call since I got him at retail.  So, my opinion of the figure may not match the approach that others wish to take with this Lifeline.

1988 Tiger Force Lifeline

In 1988, I was done with toys.  I did buy a Tiger Force Roadblock, Hardball and Hit and Run.  All of them were bought very early in the year, probably January or February.  After that, though, I was done and didn't buy another Joe until the summer of 1990.  My younger brothers, though, continued to acquire new Joes.  And, they ended up getting most of the 1988 lineup before the year was said and done.  It is likely that my younger brother got the Tiger Force Lifeline around the same time that I got the Tiger Force Roadblock.  I have some memories of stealing some time to play with the figure.  So, it probably entered our home early in the year before my interests fully turned elsewhere.

Right out of the gate with my acquisition of the 1986 Lifeline in the early part of that year, the character simply didn't exist.  While Lifeline had a fun little run in a few comics, he didn't make much of an impact.  His figure, though, did.  I quickly made Lifeline an army builder.  Here, he could die or exist in multiples.  It was a good way to make use of a figure that was awesome while not tying him into a character that had some limitations.  I explained away the red uniform with the idea that even Cobra had some rules and they would not shoot anyone dressed in red as they were a medic.  However, if the Joes were going on a secret mission or infiltration, the red would give away the rest of the team.  So, these missions would go sans medical support.  When Tiger Force Lifeline appeared, though, I had a solution.

The Tiger Force figure became my "field medic" who could travel with an elite unit in the field.  The risk was that the medic could be killed.  But, that was an acceptable risk since the more valuable field troopers could get medical care in the field.  The higher odds of completing a mission were well worth the loss of a few additional medics.  And, this also explained the pistol.  I had always envisioned the 1986 Lifeline's pistol as a flare gun.  The large size just didn't work as a regular pistol.  With the Tiger Force version, though, the figure had need for a weapon.  So, the pistol was just that.  I didn't have the medics as combatants, per se.  But, they could defend themselves and any wounded soldier they were tending.

One of the things that makes no sense on Lifeline is that he's both wearing sunglasses and also has a pair of same colored goggles on his head.  This redundant eyewear seems to be a thing in 1986 since the Viper also featured random goggles to cover his visored eyes.  The upside, though, is that it makes the helmet look cooler since it has more details.  And, I do like Lifeline's glasses since they allow for anonymity and make the figure more believable as an army builder.   

Lifeline features a relatively subtle Tiger Force color scheme.  While his shirt is yellow, it has enough orange in it to make it drastically darker than the yellow used on Lightfoot.  His pants, though, are a nice pea green.  They are a near match for the same green color used in Night Force that debuted later in the year.  The offsetting grey and brown highlights and details work very well with both the yellow and green.  While the figure is probably too bright for some, I find it a workable look for a solid mold.  

Lifeline's gear is rather spectacular.  The Tiger Force version includes all the gear from the 1986 original.  The gear is mostly recolored with the pistol now being black.  The case is a nice green color.  The mask remains black while the silver radio back from the original is now also cast in black.  The ensemble perfectly matches the new colors on the figure.  I always felt that Lifeline's air mask was the best mask in the line.  And, for years, it was a staple of every pilot figure that helmed the Skystriker, Dragonfly or Skyhawk.  Having a second shot at it with Tiger Force was well worth the price of a figure.

1988 brought about the first real repaint wave with Tiger Force.  While Hasbro had repainted molds since 1983, they had always been one or two figures here and there.  Hasbro had also introduced new sub sets as part of the 1987 line.  While the Renegades and Cobra La were one off single packs, the introduction of Battle Force 2000 brought about the first notion of a themed sub group.  But, Battle Force 2000 were all new figures.  The advent of Tiger Force in 1988 married the themed sub group to repaints of original figures.  Tiger Force included a large number of classic characters and brought back Roadblock, Duke and Flint for a generation of kids who still saw reruns of the cartoon but had no way to acquire figures of the major players on their TV screen.  

Later in 1988, Hasbro would double down with the Toys R Us exclusive Night Force figures.  From there, the repaint train had fully left the station.  1989 saw both Python Patrol and Slaughter's Marauders.  1990 cooled it a bit as Sky Patrol was the only subset.  And, while the bodies of all the figures were reused molds from prior years, each of the figures included a new, unique head and brand new accessories.  The remaining four years of the Joe line all included subsets.  And, they were always a mix of new figures and some repaints.  The Joe line of the 1990's has a reputation of being subset heavy.  And, from 1992 through 1994, it is.  But, the value of repaints and how they could make good profits for Hasbro started in 1988 and the future sets owe their legacy to Tiger Force.

I've already said that I was done with toys in 1988.  But, the truth is that it was not by choice.  I didn't organically outgrow action figures.  Instead, I bowed to peer pressure and hid my toys away to be more acceptable for my age.  I got into baseball cards in very late 1987.  And, I was keen to buy a ton of cards in 1988.  But, the summer of 1988 was very dry with a drought hitting my area.  So, lawn mowing was not as lucrative as it had been the prior year.  With money a bit tighter, I was less likely to branch out and spend some money on a toy.  (I was able to bike to a toy store or two where I could have them by myself.)  So, I spent my money on baseball cards.

But, as 1988 progressed, I lost more and more interest in G.I. Joe.  Not having the figures available to me lessened my enthusiasm for the product.  And, for a few months in late 1988, I even stopped buying the Joe comic that had been a monthly purchase since 1984.  After a few months, though, I got back into the comic.  But, I have an odd gap of a few issues even in my comic collection today from the late 1988 issues from when other pursuits grabbed my attention and money for a bit.  By early 1989, I had figured out how to balance my still flickering interest in Joe with other, more age appropriate hobbies.  But, again, the money to support sports cards, Nintendo games, comics and toys was just not something I was prepared for, yet.  That would change in 1990.  But, those are stories for coming weeks.  The biggest takeaway from 1988 was that a forced break did nearly end my interest in the property.

Lifeline had three uses from Hasbro.  The original 1986 red version also saw release in 1991 in the same colors, but with new legs.  This Tiger Force repaint was release as the filling in the sandwich in 1988.  However, there are also two international versions of Lifeline that were also based on the Tiger Force coloring.  In Brazil, a nearly identical color scheme to the Hasbro figure was released as Paramedico.  This is a fun release for the slight color differences as well as the card art that has the "RESCUE" on the medical case changed to "SOCORRO", even though the actual case remains unchanged.  Funskool released a Lifeline figure for many years.  There are a variety of variants for Lifeline.  But, they are all loosely based on the Tiger Force color scheme.  Funskool Lifeline was sold by US dealers for many years.  But, people now drastically overpay for the common versions from the early 2000's.  Hasbro never got the Lifeline mold back.  They released the character twice in the Repaint Era.  But, each time, he had a different mold.  There's lots of Lifeline variants to track down.  But, really, there are just Tiger Force derivatives and the red uniform.  The mold could have used another repaint.  But, you can't really say that it was wasted.

Tiger Force Lifelines are odd to price.  The figure is actually very common and you can find a ton of them at any given time.  But, he is often incomplete.  And, the figure's crotch is notoriously brittle and snaps often.  Dealers routinely sell mint and complete with filecard figures in the $50 range.  There's a good amount of them available in the open market, too.  But, most of the mint and complete with filecard figures will reach nearly $50 at open pricing, too.  It's rare to see such an alignment between dealer and market prices.  However, where it gets weirder is that you can find complete figures around $20, too.  They're not as common as the $50 sales.  But, about 30% of the figures you find go cheap.  So, take your time to find a Tiger Force Lifeline as deals are out there.

1994 Lifeline - Around The Web

The 1994 Lifeline is a great update to a classic character.  The colors remain true to the original version and the sculpt matches the specialty.  The figure's gear is perfect for a medical trooper.  In short, he's just great.  Despite this, the figure is incredibly obscure and remains a hidden gem among the line's final releases.  I bought this figure at retail and loved him from the start.  Yet, even I take him for granted and don't use him nearly enough.  There's a smattering of content on the figure available.  So, here's the best I could find of him from around the web.

1994 Lifeline Profile

Lifeline by Scarrviper

Lifeline by metalheadviper333

Lifeline by nightforcetunnelrat

Lifeline at JoeADay.com

Lifeline by thedustinmccoy

Lifeline at Mike's Collection

Lifeline by Flint

1986 Lifeline - Around the Web

While Doc was the Joe's Doctor, Lifeline was their first medic.  His red outfit screamed his specialty.  But, the solid figure design and amazing gear cemented him as one of the highlights of the 1986 releases.  The figure still holds up today.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

Lifeline Profile

Rice Krispies Lifeline Profile

Lifeline at When it Was Cool

Lifeline at 3DJoes.com

Lifeline by clairmontgeorge

Lifeline by rebelpelicano through G.I. Joe Nation

Rarities - 2004 Desert Patrol Set (Convention Prototypes)

At the 2004 G.I. Joe convention, Hasbro showcased some upcoming Toys R Us exclusive sets.  One such set was the Desert Patrol.  This five figure set showed some promise.  It included the long missing 1991 Snake Eyes figure as well as a spiffy looking version of Stalker and Ambush.  (Though, with Low Light's head.  Tunnel Rat and the odd hybrid figure that would be named Dusty weren't all that exciting.  But, it was enough to get collectors interested.

When the set finally showed up at TRU in 4th quarter of 2004, there were a couple of small differences in the actually released figures.  In addition to Gung Ho being added to the set, the Ambush figure went from a solid cammo pattern (like Stalker) to a combo of the agave green and desert colors that matched Dusty, Tunnel Rat and Snake Eyes.  It took a solid set and turned it into a dud.  But, overall retail sales of the set were strong as Christmas of 2004 saw TRU sell out of most of its exclusive Joe products.  (That the set only had around 16,000 total units produced also helped.)

Today, the production set has actually gotten somewhat hard to find.  There is a ridiculously hard to find set of unreleased Desert Patrol figures, too.  But, these photos from the 2004 San Diego Comic Con show a set that still had promise before Hasbro made it worse.  This was a theme in 2004 and really carried into 2005 as the line died at retail.  The DTC offerings that used ARAH molds turned the tide a little bit.  But, it was too late.

You'll note that the photos below have a combo of what appears to be production figures as well as hand painted samples.  I am not aware of any full cammo Ambush figures actually making their way into the collecting world.  The version below could be hand painted or it could be production.  I can't tell from the old photos.  But, it is a massive upgrade over the figure that was actually released.  With the "final" Joe convention occurring this weekend, it's kind of sad to look back at a time when a convention meant seeing lots of cool, new stuff.

Rarities - Funskool Calcium Sandoz Figures

Funskool is notorious for producing their figures for a variety of corporate tie ins.  As they are owned by a rubber company who makes its fortune in tires, they have a bit different approach to product tie ins that a major American toy company may have.  In many ways, Funskool's corporate partnerships in the 1990's and early 2000's were reminiscent of Hasbro's and Kenner's from the 1970's and 1980's.  Along with Pepsodent, Complan and TV marketing deals, Funskool also worked with Calcium Valdoz for a series of figures based on G.I. Joe molds.

I'm not sure what Calcium Sandoz is.  It's a supplement of some sort that was discontinued in the UK in 2015.  But, in an effort to get children in India to take it, the company that produced the product worked with Funskool to offer some G.I. Joe figures as a promotional opportunity.  The figures were different from classic Funskool releases in two ways.  First, most of the figures are unique color schemes to the Calcium Sandoz premium.  But, more interestingly, all of the figures have a new pair of straight arms on them.  Below you can see some samples of the figures and the exclusive color schemes that go with them.

Hydro Viper:

The Hydro Viper is one of the best recolors of the line.  This blue version would be a great crew-member on a Moray.  The terrible arms, though, mostly ruin what should be a classic repaint.  It's too bad that this color scheme was never offered with the swivel arms on the standard cardback.

You can see a sample of Stormshadow in the photo below.  He is missing the classic cammo pattern from the 1988 mold.

Funskool Calcium Sandoz Stormshadow Figures

You see that the arms are not the original Hasbro molds for straight arms.  For some reason, these figures were all given these new arms.  This is odd as the copyright for these figures is from 2003: a timeframe when we know that Funskool was still producing carded G.I. Joe figures and had full access to the original molds.  Below you can see a Captain Grid Iron figure with the exclusive coloring as well as the back of the insert card showing not only Grid Iron's bio, but the copyright date, too.  Also note that his colors are drastically different than the carded figure variants.

Funskool Calcium Sandoz Captain Grid Iron Figure

Funskool Calcium Sandoz Captain Grid Iron Insert & Bio

There are a lot of different figures in the set.  I'm not sure of the entire roster.  I have included the figures of whom I am aware in this post.  But, please let me know of additional figures in the comments below.

Blaster:

Here you will see Blaster with a body colored like the "Vehicle Driver" Blaster that was found bagged inside of specific vehicles in the early 2000's.  It's appearance here actually helps us understand how such a variant came to appear in vehicles.  But, this figure also uses the color scheme from the 2001 Funskool General Hawk.

Deep Six:

Deep Six is colored very similarly to the single carded figure.  There are some variants on this figure with plastic that's more translucent or opaque.

Desert Scorpion:

This Desert Scorpion is an interesting combo.  He has unique lower arms that are still the straight arms.  The figure's general base colors are similar to the single carded figure.  But, the figure lacks highlights and has some color differences such as the color of the figure's head/antenna.

Star Brigade Sci Fi:

Again, Sci Fi has unique lower arms.  But, the figure is colored almost identically to the single carded version of the figure.

Lifeline:

Lifeline uses base colors similar to the carded figure.  But, this version is missing all the paint applications.  The Funskool Lifeline has very intricate paint masks an their absence here makes the figure look unfinished.

Psyche Out:

Like Blaster, this Psyche Out is in the colors of the mysterious "Vehicle Drivers" set.  But, this version has the terrible straight arms.  This color scheme for Psyche Out, but with the swivel arms, has been found in Funskool Halibna and Maldova promotional figures, too.

Big Boa:

Big Boa is blue.  As a figure, this is probably his best base coloring.  The head is also more silver than the grey version from the single carded figure.

The Calcium Sandoz figures have gotten to be stupidly expensive.  Bagged versions can run upwards of $500.  But, like most foreign Joes, these guys were easier to find just a couple of years ago.  And, now, many characters have all but disappeared.  However, as these were 2000's era releases, it's likely that there are more of them out there that will show up as kids from that time start looking to liquidate some toys. Until then, though, these guys are hard to find and expensive.

1991 Lifeline - Rice Krispies Mail Away

In the early 1990's, the Kellog's cereal company wanted to do a G.I. Joe promotion.  They tied it to their Rice Krispies brand of cereal.  The result was a mail away offer where you could get a "free" G.I. Joe figure if you ate enough cereal.  The figure offered was an exclusive version of Lifeline.  The figure was based on the 1986 figure and colored the exact same way.  But, there is a major mold difference.  Gone are the original legs from the 1986 figure.  They were replaced with the legs from the 1985 Frostbite figure.  The created an unique variant of Lifeline and an interesting modification for modern collectors to track down.

Kellog's had an aversion to guns.  As a company, they didn't want to promote guns on any of their promotions.  Why they chose to partner with a military themed toy line, then, seems rather odd.  But, Hasbro was game to accommodate Kellog's wishes. So, they offered a medic figure as the premium.  And, they modified to the parts used so that the gun and knife on the legs of the original Lifeline were now gone.  This was the only reason for the parts change in the figure's construction.  A few years later, Kellog's aversion to weapons appeared again.  In 1996, Kellog's offered an amazing (for the time!) Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise figure as a promotion for their Fruit Loops cereal.  The figure was sculpted to hold a two-handed blaster based on the Stormtrooper rifle.  But, Kellog's would not allow the weapon to be used.  So, Hasbro nixed the blaster and the figure just came with a helmet.  Finally, in 1998, the blaster appeared with a Princess Leia figure.  The Han Stormtrooper was a figure that I was happy to finally get in 1996.  So, when I see this Lifeline, I associate him with that Stormtrooper figure and it always brings a smile to my face.

Lifeline's purpose in my collection has mostly been as a nameless, faceless army builder.  The non-descript head with the molded helmet and green glasses helps fit his aesthetic into that role.  So, having a slightly different version of the figure isn't a bad thing.  I've always seen Lifeline as a field medic: often in the line of fire when trying to save a fallen comrade.  So, having him not be a character was conducive to the purpose I found for the figure.  There would be times when the medics would perish when trying to reach their victims.  Other times, they would be force to fight as Cobra overran their position.  But, mostly, they were guys doing a job that was extremely dangerous and very unrewarding.  I had more than a few medic characters who struggled with the fact that so many men they tried to save ended up dying.  It was a simple fact that medics were doomed to witness the final moments of life for many of the wounded to whom they tended. 

In 1991, it wouldn't have been out of the ordinary for there to have been a box or two of Rice Krispies in the house.  It was a cereal my family ate.  And, as there were three boys in the house then, we ate a lot of cereal.  I'd like to think that if I'd seen this figure being offered as a mail away, I'd have remembered it...even if I wouldn't have sent away for it.  But, as I already had a good Lifeline, it's possible that I did see the premium and simply ignored it since it was for a figure I already owned.  Either way, this isn't a figure that was ever overly enticing since I had the original figure and that version was solid.  But, I miss the days when cereal boxes would have decent mail away toys.  The fun of sending away for something and then pining for weeks while you waited for it to come was a right of passage for any kid of this era. 

Aside from the mold change, this Lifeline version also came with fewer accessories.  Obviously, the pistol from the 1986 was missing.  But, more importantly, the oxygen mask from the original figure was also absent.  To me, the mask is what makes Lifeline and it's one of my favorite accessories in the entire Joe line.  Seeing Lifeline without it makes the figure seem far lesser to me.  I'll buy a beat up Lifeline with a mask over a perfect figure with no mask.  The mail away version only included the white medical case and the silver backpack.  This gear is decent enough.  If I had no knowledge of the 1986 figure when I acquired this version, I would think the gear solid.  But, knowing there are accessories that are not included makes this figure seem cheap.  It should be noted this figure also has no filecard.  He was just bagged.  While it's almost guaranteed that any filecard that would have been included would have been identical to the 1986 text, the fact that it's missing makes this Lifeline even more of an oddball.

The Lifeline mold got good use.  Hasbro released him in 1986 and then this 1991 variant.  In 1988, the original mold was colored in Tiger Force colors and released on a single card in that subset.  The mold went to Brazil where Estrela released the Tiger Force Lifeline as Paramedico.  After that, the mold went to India.  There, Funskool released several variants of the figure in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  The basic premise was based on the Tiger Force release.  But, the colors are much brighter.  There are various color variants of the Funskool Lifeline, with some being rather hard to find.  After that, the mold disappeared.  Hasbro was good at getting medical themed figures into the early 2000's Joe repaints.  But, they were Stretcher and the 1994 Lifeline molds.  It would have been cool to see one more repaint of this figure, just because all of the other versions are rather extreme in color.  But, I'm also just fine with the uses we did get of the mold.

Massive amounts of overstock mail away Lifeline's found their way into the collecting world.  As such, a mint and complete figure will run you about $5.  You can still get bagged versions for under $10 and there are even sellers who offer them in bulk.  At these prices, there's no excuse for a collector to not own a high quality version of this figure.  One thing we've learned through the years, though, is that, eventually, common bagged overstock will get absorbed.  Bagged Steel Brigades used to sit unsold for $5.  Interrogator/Major Altitude packs were practically given away.  Even the multitude of common figures from the Hasbro Canada find have pretty much disappeared.  Some day, that will happen to the Lifeline figures, too.  It's doubtful it will anytime soon.  But, there's really no scenario where these figures get more common and cheaper than they are today.  So, if you want one, act now.

For me, this figure is an inferior version of the original Lifeline.  And, since even the originals remain relatively cheap, there's no compelling reason to get this figure (other than to "complete" a collection) over the original.  As a piece that tells an interesting story of the line, the figure has merit.  But, the value ends there.  The unadorned legs and lack of air mask leave this figure as lesser than the original.  But, I am a sucker for offbeat, slight variants.  So, that's why I have the figure.  The nice thing is that he remains cheap.  That alone is enough to warrant this figure a second look if he's missing from your collection.