Rarities - Unproduced Alternate Head 1983 Zap

One of the great laments among collectors is that the heads from the original 13 Joes were too repetitive and did not match the look of the characters from the comic.  In the Marvel series, each character had some distinctive look that allowed the reader to differentiate the characters when they appeared on the printed page.  But, the actual action figures reused parts and Hawk, Short Fuse, Steeler and Flash used the same head, Breaker, Rock and Roll and Clutch used the same head and Zap, Grunt and Grand Slam also used the same head.  Hasbro did their best to differentiate the characters by using different paint colors on the hair.  But, in the end, the figures had a sameness that simply was inferior to their comic book appearance.

It seems, though, that Hasbro had a plan to rectify this in 1983.  Originally, Hasbro planned to release a few of the swivel arm versions of the original 13 Joes with newly updated heads.  These would be unique to the figures and give the full line of 9 carded Joes all with distinct heads.  The heads got so far into the process of design that full production loose figures and even carded samples exist.  For some reason, though, Hasbro abandoned the idea.  And, the swivel arm figures kept the heads from their straight arm debut.  

Zap was one of the figures who was intended to get a new head.  Instead of the experienced Grunt head, he got a younger look that was given a Zorro mustache to give Zap real panache.  You can see the head in the photos below.

As a modern collector who was introduced to the concept of alternate heads as an adult, I don't find them all that interesting.  I think the alternate head loses something for the character.  But, a big part of that is that I'm conditioned to think of the original 13 as parts-sharing cohesion.  And, my only exposure to the alternate head is online photos.  They look weird to me because I had spent over 30 years "knowing" what a Zap figure looked like.  Once you get past that bias, you can see that the heads have merit.  While this Zap head isn't perfect.  It's an  upgrade over the repainted, grumpy old man head that he shared with Grunt and Grand Slam.  

The reality is, as a kid, the new head would have been enough for me to want the figure again.  I'd have noticed the difference and annoyingly explained to my mom that the figures were different and I needed another Zap.  So, the ploy would have worked.  (And, we had very few swivel arm versions of original 13 characters.)  I'm not sure if it would have scaled to masses of other kids.  But, the sheer volume of Joe toys sold really make you wonder why these heads weren't used.  

Hasbro spent all the money to develop them and get them to full production status.  These aren't hand painted samples.  So, all the expense had been absorbed by the line.  And, some 1983 figures were still in production as late as 1985.  Hasbro could easily have sold them in high enough volume to recoup the costs.  Imagine the "Original Adventure Team" mail away.  I ignored it as it was figures I already had.  But, think about it with a marketing caption of "All new heads!".  I'd have saved up my money and sent away for it.  Just think if the Palitoy, Takara or, even Funskool versions of these figures had featured the alternate heads.  Hasbro had plenty of opportunity to recoup the costs.  Maybe the logistics were just too much to match up the new heads with the pre-existing bodies.  But, it seems that these heads not seeing full production runs was a matter of choice rather than opportunity.

_____Update_____

Some good info on one of the comments that indicates these were planned for a 1984 release.  The card forts (specifically on the swivel arm battle grip logo) indicate the cards were 1984's.  Which, really raises the possibility that, had these been released, it would have been a shorter 1984 run and swivel arm figures would exist with both heads.  That does, though, cement the fact that, had these been released, they'd command a premium over the original head.

Since this figure's original discovery, many more have surfaced.  There are loose and carded versions out there.  Like most rarities, once one of them is finally revealed, many others come out of the woodwork.  It's like people keep  them hidden to prevent anyone from knowing about the item.  But, once it gets out, everyone pulls theirs out of hiding so they can get the street cred of owing the rare piece.  It's dumb.  But, that's how the Joe world has always worked.

Seeing items like this makes me think of how the Joe world would have changed had these been released.  For many of the earliest years, collectors often considered straight arms and swivel arms of the original 13 interchangeable.  Had these heads been used, that would not have been the case.  Would it have made the original heads or the new heads the more desirable piece?  I suspect the new heads would have made many of the swivel arm figures more desirable for kids.  Which would have translated to greater collector interest as they became adults.

Since many of the original 13 swivel arm figures are already expensive, I don't know if having new heads would have driven the prices higher.  It would have, though, lead to thousands of ancient message board posts from someone who had a "rare variant" of a swivel Zap with the straight arm head.  Those would have been insufferable.  But, the heads would have been a net positive for the line.  It's a shame they didn't happen and no one's gotten the full story as to why they were abandoned when they were so close to production.

Rarities - Unproduced 1997 Stars & Stripes Set

The 1997 Toys R Us G.I. Joe releases were a mess.  The extent to which they were botched is really difficult to comprehend.  Hasbro's plans for the line were both drastically different and more grandiose than what actually transpired.  But, all the signs of a looming iceberg were there.  And, it's never more evident than with the early images of what Hasbro intended for the Stars and Stripes set.

The Stars and Stripes set was supposed to be the flagship product in Joe's triumphant return to retail.  It was going to include 8 of the original 9 carded figures that had started the line just 15 years prior.  (Fun fact.  There's been almost twice as much time that's passed since the release of this set in 1997 as had passed between the Joe line's debut in 1982 and this set's production in 1997!)  The plan was to use all original molds of the figures.  But, to repaint them into a more "modern" interpretation.  Some of this was a response to the collectors of the day who claimed they wanted "gritty and realistic" figures.  But, really, it was a way for Hasbro to massively update the looks of the original Joes.

The idea was sound.  But, the execution was, well, a problem.  All of the Hasbro Joe team from the vintage days had been let go by Hasbro in 1994.  And, the brand had been taken over by former Kenner employees who had been placed in charge of the action figure division.  Their lack of experience with the Joe brand lead to a comedy of errors that just multiplied as the product got closer to production.  But, we'll start with the basics.

Below you will see two images of the original plans for the Stars & Stripes set.  You'll see some figures that look familiar to their production designs as well as some molds that were missing from the production set.  .  

The first image is the image that is actually on the back of the production Stars & Stripes box.  It is incredibly different from the figures inside the window when you turned the box over.  As someone whose first exposure to this product was when they found it on a Toys R Us shelf in 1997, this was weirdly confusing.  The two figures using the 1986 Hawk head (Breaker and Rock and Roll) were obviously out of place in the set.  Not only were they nothing like their vintage counterparts, they didn't fit the aesthetic of the set, at all.  Also missing from the set was Flash.  You can argue that Flash is the most interesting figure from the initial lineup of retail figures.  He was gone.  And, in  his stead, was a figure not shown on the box-back: Grunt.

The choice to originally exclude Grunt is a weird one.  While I'm not a Grunt fan, Grunt was the face of the Joe line for the first couple of years.  If you mention G.I. Joe to a non-fan who grew up in the early '80's, it's pretty likely that their first association with the name is Grunt's cardback image.  It was the brand's calling card.  There's no indication of why Grunt was the original odd man out in the set.  But, his inclusion was a far better choice than adding a 3rd oddball 1986 Hawk/Roadblock mashup repaint to the set.

Aside from the mold fiasco, just looking at this set, you see some other glaring issues that should have been above Hasbro in 1997.  The second photo below is from a 1997 Tomart's magazine where they announced G.I. Joe's return to retail.  It appears to be a different photo shoot of the Stars & Stripes set with a few, key differences from the production box back.  But, many of the figures are the same, too.  We'll go through each figure one by one and review all the chaos that's going on.

Scarlett

Scarlett is the least interesting figure in these images.  This is because she's pretty close to the production figure actually released in 1997.  The purple is more muted and darker.  And, her jumpsuit is more brown.  But, you see all the painted details on her mold.  She is still a repainted 1983 figure in this shot.  But, she's pretty close to the figure in the box.  

Breaker

Here, we have our first major deviation.  The Breaker in both photos isn't the classic figure.  But, it's a close-enough amalgamation.  The figure in both photos uses Clutch's head.  This is close as he and Breaker share the same head in 1982/1983.  But, the black hair makes it Clutch rather than Breaker.  The figure features a tan shirt.  This would have been a great addition to the set.  Adding a 3rd tan Joe to the original 13 would have been a nice homage to Clutch and Grunt.  The darker green pants offset him, nicely, too.  This color scheme would appear on some later figures and in factory customs.  Just on not on this parts configuration.  Breaker's gear shows his iconic headset.  But, for some reason, he doesn't have a helmet.  It's a terrible, aesthetic choice as it makes the figure look incomplete.  The production figure, that used 1986 Hawk and Roadblock parts, did include a helmet.  But, it didn't include the headset.  On top of that, this photographed figure includes Airborne's rifle while the production figure ended up including accessories from the 1982/83 Flash.

Short Fuse

Short Fuse is weird.  The figure in both photos actually features Grunt's torso instead of the classic Short Fuse design.  He has no cammo on his chest.  But, his legs are done in an intricate pattern.  The colors on his legs are very close to the production paint job that ended up on Stalker.  The production Short Fuse used the correct chest for the figure.  And, he didn't have any cammo pattern on him aside from a slight spray on his legs.  You'll note the figure used for the sample is a repainted straight arm Short Fuse.  The Tomart's photo features him wearing a 1985 Lady Jaye backpack.  While the box back shows him with the correct backpack.  

Snake Eyes

In the Tomart's photo, the Snake Eyes is actually an Action Force Stalker figure.  Hasbro had a ton of overstock Action Force figures and both Stalker and Quarrel were dumped as early '90's convention exclusives.  So, Hasbro had spare figures lying around.  His unaltered inclusion is an interesting choice.  It shows that Hasbro always had intention of adding painted details to the 1997 Snake Eyes figure.  Hasbro's original plan was that the 1982/83 Snake Eyes was going to be included in the boxed set and the 1985 Snake Eyes mold was going to be included in the 3 figure pack with Stormshadow and Lady Jaye.  When the '85 mold wasn't available, they went with two '82/'83 figures instead.  Both heavily used grey as the highlight color: reminiscent of the European Stalker figure.

On the box back, Snake Eyes is posed with is back to the photographer.  It's an odd pose for the most popular character in the set.  It doesn't appear that the figure in this photograph is the Action Force Stalker.  But, it's difficult to tell.  The figure is also wearing a backpack.  It's difficult for me to see.  But, it looks like a Zap/Short Fuse backpack painted all black.  It's just an odd choice to see Snake Eyes with a pack.  And, not featuring him prominently was an interesting design choice.

Zap

Zap appears to have been two very different figures in the different photos.  In the Tomart's photo, Zap is a swivel arm figure.  Instead of the solid color with some overspray paint job that ended up on the production figure, he features the paint job that was, eventually, used on Grunt.  His legs are not painted, though.  And, appear very close to the colors of the production figure.  He is wearing his backpack and is the only figure to be wearing a visor.

On the box back, the Zap figure is very different.  He's heavily obscured by the figures in front on him.  But, he's a repainted straight arm figure.  Worst of all, he has two broken thumbs!  Hasbro actually put a broken toy on the back of the packaging!  Aside from that, the figure features a helmet with cammo paint.  Hasbro never painted up an original helmet.  Zap's entire body, including his legs, are done in the same cammo pattern.  It is not a pattern that was actually used in the set.  But, most importantly, Zap has painted on facial hair.  It's at least a goatee and might be a full beard.  The facial hair would have been a new paint application and made for an interesting take on Zap.  Sadly, it was not to be.

Stalker

The Stalker figure in the two photos appears to be the same.  He's even in nearly the same pose between the two photos.  He's wearing a Zap/Short Fuse backpack in the Tomart's photo.  The production Stalker toned down the tan portion of the cammo.  And, it ended up using a darker green base.  The actual colors for Stalker's cammo are pretty close to what appears on Short Fuse's legs.  But, the figure in these early photos is a decent representation of what the production figure ended up being.  

Flash

Flash is the biggest what-if in this set.  Hasbro was never able to reproduce the classic Flash mold: despite collector calls for it to return for a decade after the Star & Stripes set's release.  Flash's entire character was pulled from the set and replaced with Grunt.  However, Flash's laser rifle was, baffingly, included with the Breaker figure in the set.  Flash is a repainted swivel arm figure and it appears it's the same figure in both photos.  The darker green base and yellow pads were a strong update for Flash's look.  I'm not sure they would have supplanted his original red pads as his iconic look.  But, it would have been nice to have another Flash version.  On  the box back, Flash is wearing the only visor.  Though, in the Tomart's photo, the visor is given to Zap.) The fact that factory customs have failed to deliver this Flash version  is another glaring omission.  It seems like such an easy win for a figure.  And, I'll opine that Flash's absence from this set is the greatest loss in the changes from concept to production.

Rock and Roll

The final figure in the set was Rock and Roll.  We all know that the terrible 1986 Roadblock/General Hawk mashup figure that was released as Rock and Roll in this set happens to have a very rare, race changing variant.  But, the real story is that Rock and Roll was supposed to use his original mold for the character.  The figure featured in both photos is a repainted straight arm.  He is armed with  the 1986 Roadblock's machine gun.  This gets weird because the production figure ended up using the 1986 Roadblock body but included the 1982/83 Rock and Roll's M-60 and bi-pod.  The figure is wearing the Lady Jaye backpack on the box back.  But, not in the Tomart's photo.  

Rock and Roll would have rivaled Stalker and Scarlett as the best repaint in the set.  His black shirt, cammo pants and updated bullet strap paint job would have made a striking figure.  Personally, I lament his absence the most just because Rock and Roll is a figure that I use way more often than Flash.  The upside is that the 2018 Hollowpoint figure from Red Laser Army is based on this 1997 Rock and Roll and is a good enough representation of the planned paint job.  

From the box back, you can see examples of all the shortcuts that Hasbro took when creating the 1997 lineup.  Granted, it was a low production run line that was sold only at Toys R Us.  But, the vintage Hasbro team would never have created such a lackluster presentation for their packaging.  It's sad that missing molds did in so much of the plans for 1997.  1983 Cobra Commander, Destro, Rock and Roll, Flash and Breaker would have been much more beloved than the figures we got.  And, a repainted 1985 Snake Eyes might have been the character's definitive appearance in toy form.  But, none of that happened.  Instead, we have ghosts of the plans that live on in early photos like these.

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.

2007 Convention Zap (Raphael "Zap" Melendez)

Zap is an iconic figure.  You can argue the point.  But, everyone recognizes the original shoulder strap torso from 1982 as Zap's.  It is referred to as the "Zap" torso.  It's the least favorite of everyone when it comes to the original torsos.  But, it's Zap's: first and foremost.  Scrap Iron is also an iconic figure.  His overalls are a unique look from a classically colored villain from the line's formative years.  So, the combination of the two characters shouldn't make a figure that is able to stand on its own.  Yet, in 2007, there was a convention release of the Zap character that did just that.  And, it actually managed to pull off a pretty nifty new look for a classic character that also didn't tread on the torso's original use on Scrap Iron.

2007 featured the most ambitious convention set.  As it was the ARAH theme's 25th anniversary, the club forewent their mostly army builder formula and produced a set that was almost 1/2 Joes.  And, they used mostly unique parts.  (Though, the parts were relatively familiar as most had appeared on Comic Pack figures or in Toys R Us exclusive sets in the few years prior.)  It was a risky strategy.  But, it proved out as the set sold better than most of its predecessors.  And, within a few weeks of the convention, select characters from the set were selling for premiums.  It helped that most of the figures were fairly well done.  They featured thoughtful parts selection along with solid paint applications.  For many, the Joe side of the set was their personal favorite set the club produced.  

One of the reasons was that the colors used for the set weren't ones that were overly common in the vintage or repaint era.  This Zap perfectly showcases that with his leathery brown jacket and greyish-green pants.  These were visually interesting color palettes that didn't have precedence in the line.  The uniqueness made the figures stand out.  As the set was classic characters, many of whom were the only other use of Comic Pack era heads, collectors felt they weren't treading on beaten tropes like many prior sets.  Zap features a tamed cammo pattern that works due to the sparseness.  Rock and Roll and Grunt both had cammo patterns that were overkill.  And, they contrast the earnest simplicity of Zap's less ostentatious design.

At one point, I had multiples of all the figures in the 2007 convention set.  But, when it was time to purge my collection, few of them were able to make the cut as the best uses of their parts, mold or character.  I regret getting rid of figures like Sgt. Clay More and Doc.  They were very good figures.  And, I can't really explain why they didn't cut the mustard during that dark time in my collecting life.  This Zap, though, did survive.  And, again, I'm not really sure why.  I suspect it was because he was selling so cheaply that it simply wasn't worth my time to try and liquidate him.  But, I'm glad he was able to outlast the cull.  I still enjoy his colors.  And, I've always like Zap as a character.  This figure is a nice way to be able to use him with other early molds and not have be out of place like his 1991 Super Sonic Fighters release.  

I don't mind the Scrap Iron torso.  I think the overalls work for the Zap character.  They seem like something an antiquated bazooka man would wear.  It helps that they are nicely colored and even feature gold painted buckles.  Zap's torso, alone, features five distinct colors.  And, they are all done in a way that work with each other and the rest of the figure.  I'm sure this is personal preference.  But, I do find the colors to be eye-pleasing.  And, they work well on the chosen parts, too.

But, I've also found that when I go to use this figure, he's often still out of place.  The complexity of the convention paint jobs is too much of a stark contrast with the simplicity of many early vintage figures.  So, the later releases really only good among their peers.  This isn't bad since Hasbro remade so many swivel head figures during the Repaint Era.  And, this Zap even pairs well with the Pulse era figures from the 2020's.  So, that gives him more options for use.  I often see this guy sitting in his case with many other figures from the early 2000's.  And, I think to get him out for a photo shoot.  But, I then end up not doing it as I can't come up with any ideas for him.  I'll have to work on that as we go forward as this is a figure that I should showcase more often.  He's very well done and worthy of more use.

One of the sad realities of Joe in the 2000's was copyrights had lapsed.  So, this figure isn't, actually, Zap.  It's Raphael "Zap" Melendez.  It's one of the many silly convolutions Hasbro had to take to keep the characters in circulation.  But, almost 20 years removed from this figure's release and he's known by the more colloquial Zap name.  You know it's Zap.  I know it's Zap.  But, the lawyers can argue that it's not a copyright infringement on whatever IP squatter hoarded up expired names.  These names were more of an issue during the release years with some collectors becoming legitimately worked up that they had to appear in this manner.  That childishness seems to have dissipated in the ensuing decades.  But, it's a reminder that Joe collectors of the early 2000's could be petulant children over very stupid trivialities.  

This Zap is a hodge-podge of parts.  The head is from the 2004 Comic Pack Zap.  It's among the better Comic Pack heads and definitely looks more like Zap than his head from 1982.  The torso is from Scrap Iron.  His arms are from Thunder.  Many people aren't fans of these arms.  But, I'm quite fond of them as they look decent and provide some heft on older molds.  The legs are from Snow Job.  And, the waist is from Mutt.  The Mutt and Scrap Iron parts are from the 2004 era recasts that Hasbro made to release those figures in Toys R Us sets.  But, the overall parts combo works pretty well.  And, the different waist and legs really help Zap stand on his own and separate from the legacy of Scrap Iron.  

Zap's gear isn't great.  His only rifle is a grey version of a JvC era compact rifle.  It's actually a pretty good weapon.  It just doesn't really go with Zap.  The club tried to approximate Zap's necessary bazooka with a Sgt. Savage era spring loaded launcher.  The club tried to make Sgt. Savage accessories happen in 2007 and 2008.  The success was...mixed.  Some worked well enough.  But, most seemed out of place.  Even the Savage weapons that were originally intended for inclusion with the unproduced 1995 figures were designed with much larger parts in mind than the pre 1985 parts used on this Zap.  So, you have some really expensive accessories that didn't mesh with their figures.  And, Zap's overall accessory complement is pretty weak.  Fortunately, 1997 Zap or Short Fuze accessories work on this figure very well.  And, if you can get past the missing eye piece, the 2022 Duke Bazooka is another nice match for this Zap.  It sucks to have to go to the aftermarket to get meaningful accessories for a premium figure.  But, at least there are some nice options available for Zap.

As 2007 convention figures go, this Zap is pretty cheap.  While other figures from this set have crossed $300, Zap can be had for about $60.  Dealers still try to get $120 or more.  But, the time of this figure has passed.  The 2007 convention set had a moment in the sun.  And, some figures have remained very popular and still command stupid prices.  But, Zap is among the least popular members of this set...even if he's among the best figures.  So, you can get him cheaper if you have the patience to wait out the market.  I don't know if I'll go so far as to say this is the best swivel head Zap.  It's tough to beat the original.  And, the Funskool variants are all so much better.  But, this is a good figure.  Sadly, he's just not a $10, casual acquisition these days to find out.

1983 Battle Gear #1

After Christmas of 1982, I owned four G.I. Joe figures.  But, between Snake Eyes, Clutch, Hawk and Breaker, I had just one gun.  Three of the four figures did not include weapons.  This greatly limited my play options.  I went so far as to find an HO-scale coupler for train cars that kind of looked like a pistol and used it for Breaker.  I desperately wanted additional accessories so that all my figures could not only have at least one weapon, but even a choice of some of my favorite weapon designs.  My wishes came true one day when we were in Buffalo, visiting my grandparents.  We were there for a short trip early in the year.  We hadn't taken many toys, confirming the trip was shorter than our normal week.  But, when out shopping, I found a new pack of G.I. Joe accessories at a local store.  It was the original Battle Gear pack.

The pack was cheap enough that my mother bought one for both my younger brother and I.  With these weapons, I now had the ability to give Clutch a visor as well as offering a spare Uzi to Breaker.  I could choose any weapons I wanted for Hawk and Clutch, too.  Of course, Clutch got Stalker's M-32.  But, I also added some accessories to the VAMP.  The new Breaker headset would fit behind the seat with the wire tucked into the seam between the seat and the bottom of the vehicle.  So, this allowed for anyone riding shotgun in the VAMP to be able to communicate with the rest of the team.  I also placed a spare Uzi on the same spot.  This way, the VAMP had a backup small arm if it crashed or just ran out of gas.  Hawk, well, I learned a hard lesson with him.  I tried to get Grunt's M-16 into his hands and it immediately snapped his thumb.  That was the end of that Hawk figure.  And, it's part of what pushed me back to Star Wars figures as 1983 crept on.  

The odd thing about the Battle Gear pack was that the accessories were colored differently from those included with figures.  The weapons themselves are a lighter grey color than the original gear.  Even in 1983, I could easily tell the difference between the Battle Gear and original weapons.  But, the weapons are close enough in color to be useful.  The visors are identical to the originals, though.  The helmets and backpacks, though, were very different.  The helmets were dark brown and did not match any figure.  The packs, though, were worse.  They were a tan color.  Again, they matched no figures until the 1983 Falcon Glider Grunt was released.  There was no explanation for the color changes.  In fact, the 1983 promo catalog showed original gear in the set.  So, the color change was a later decision that was never explained.  

The 1983 Battle Gear set includes every accessory from the 1982 line.  There are 4 visors, two Uzis and even Snake Eyes' ammo pack.  There were three exceptions, though.  Short Fuze's mortar and stand were omitted as was Zap's bazooka.  These three pieces would later show up in white in the 1984 Battle Gear set.  But, again, there was no explanation as to why they weren't included.  It was made weirder by the fact that their shared backpack was included with the 1983 set.  The fact that both those accessories underwent design changes could explain it.  But, both the 1982 Snake Eyes Uzi and Stalker M-32 are different from the 1983 releases of both accessories.  So, other weapons were modified, too.  The exclusion of these weapons remains a mystery nearly 40 years later.

The biggest new feature of the Battle Gear set is the battle stands.  These little rectangles of plastic brought a whole new element to Joe collecting.  The stands allowed kids to pose their figures and stand them up in any pose they desired.  The Battle Gear included two stands.  Starting in 1984, differently colored stands would be included with several small playsets.  By 1993, every figure included a stand on their weapon tree.  This ingenious idea allowed kids to display figures.  But, it also allowed them to put their toys away on a shelf using vertical space and keeping their gear on.  

In the early days of Joe collecting, the ubiquity of 1983 Battle Gear weapons allowed customizers to accessorize their creations with great aplomb.  They were free to paint, slice up and otherwise modify the Battle Gear weapons without worrying about their original accessories.  For dealers, though, the 1983 Battle Gear provided a great way to bilk unsuspecting collectors out of their hard earned money by offering them as original gear with original 13 figures.  Even today, you'll see many seller "mistake" Battle Gear weapons for the original.  But, the colors are blatantly different and there's no excuse for any mistakes by a seller.  

The value to a collector today is that this Battle Gear is an excellent option to properly outfit factory custom figures.  Many of Red Laser Army's figures are obvious homages to various foreign and unproduced characters from the Joe line's earliest days.  They, though, lacked gear that was a perfect match for them.  Battle Gear allows you to give these characters the weapons they deserve.  And, while the 1983 helmets and packs aren't great for many figures, the weapons are a great way to update the homages.  Having some cheap alternatives for that purpose is a definite plus.

Back in the early 2000's, before people got stupid with Joe prices, it was relatively easy to put together a small team of original 13 figures in a tan style.  With Grunt, Clutch and Doc bodies, you could make a tan Breaker, Hawk and Stalker.  If you were handy with a little paint, you could put together a decent Snake Eyes, too.  And, the Battle Gear weapons are a perfect match for this set.  To this day, I store my Tan Grunt with the Battle Gear backpack and M-16 since they are so closely aligned in color to the figure.  The tan works with Scarlett, too, as a way to better accessorize her.

For me, the real value of the Battle Gear came many years after its initial release.  In 1986 and 1987, I often had third faction terrorists or freedom fighters (really, they're the same thing just with different marketing depending upon which side they battle against) who would interject into the Joe vs. Cobra conflict.  My favorite was having them drive up to a ceremony in the A-Team van, open the door and pop out with small sub machine guns and mow down the dignitaries in attendance.  As small weapons were not overly common in the Joe line (and, most of the ones that did exist were in use by their original owners!) the Battle Gear Uzis were a great means of making these civilian fighters a more formidable force.  I'd toss in some of the larger rifles, too, as part of their getaway plan.  

My other random memory of the Battle Gear weapons comes on a cold winter's day, probably in either 1984 or 1985.  It was a Sunday and I had been playing with my Joes in the garage.  (It was warmer in there than outside, but still counted as outside play.)  I picked them all up and took them in.  A few hours later, right before dinner, I went back out to put away some bikes or balls and happened to find a Battle Gear M-60 on the floor.  It wasn't part of my team that had been in the garage that day.  And, it was a neat find as we didn't have a regular Rock and Roll and this Battle Gear version was the only copy of his weapon in our possession.  I took the weapon inside.  Really, though, it's not finding the weapon that was memorable.  Instead, it was the feeling I had as I picked it up off the floor.  For some reason, I got an overwhelming feeling of sadness that it was Sunday night and I was back to school on Monday.  To this day, I get the same feeling on some Sunday afternoons as the sun goes down.  Every time I do, I think back to that day in the garage, finding Rock and Roll's gun and then being saddened by the fact that my fun was over and it was back to work early the following morning.

You'll see some dealers command premiums for various accessories in this set.  The Uzi tends to command the highest price and sells for around $7, even as dealers ask double that.  But, the real value in the set is the visors.  As such, you'll usually find sets that are sold sans visors.  A whole loose set with no visors will run about $20.  On their own, though, visors sell for around $20.  So, getting the visors, too, will be expensive.  You can get carded sets in the $85 range.  Which, with 4 visors is a little lower than the loose price.  For just the weapons, the price is probably decent.  Original Uzis aren't easy to find and this is a cheap way to get them.  My only real lament is that the other Battle Gear packs in subsequent years didn't follow the close coloring of the originals like this first attempt at additional accessories did.

Rarities - JC Penny Breaker, Zap, Short Fuze 3 Pack

When the Joe line launched in 1982, catalog sales were still a dominant retail force.  For a toy line to maximize sales, it had to offer some form of product that was more conducive to mail away sales.  JC Penny picked up the Joe line for its Christmas catalog in 1982.  Below, you can see the catalog page with all the Joe offerings.  Here, the retailer offered several different three packs of figures.  The most famous it the set of Cobras due to the exclusive accessories.  But, there were Joe three packs, too.  Oddly, Stalker, Snake Eyes and Scarlett were offered together...long before we really knew about their connection.  But, in this case, here is the set that featured Breaker, Zap and Short Fuze.

The figures arrived in a box featuring the assortment number of 6195.  Each figure was individually bubbled and attached to their red back filecard.  The only way to remove the figure was to leave a scar from the bubble on the filecard back.  

The figures themselves are not distinguishable from the standard carded Joes of the day.  Zap does have an accessory variant, though, that will be discussed later.  The fact that the figures were packed with their gear in the bubbles made for a tight fit as both Zap and Short Fuze included the largest accessories in the original 13 lineup.

Of important note is that this Zap included either a B1 or a B2 bazooka.  The only other appearance of the B1 variant was in the JC Penny Cobra Trooper pack that was released in the same catalog.  This makes the B1 bazooka more common than the A1 exclusive in the Cobra set.  But, it's still a tough item to find.  And, it can be used to complete a legit JC Penney Zap figure.  Be sure to check out this list of Zap bazooka variants.

Below are the filecards for the figures.

There are a few items of note on the filecards.  First, is the assortment number.  It is 6195, which matches the assortment on the box and from the catalog.  This identifies the figures as being from the JC Penny set.  Second, you see that each filecard still included the flag point.

The JC Penny offerings are an interesting historical piece to remind us of the demise of the catalog sales model business.  The Internet has consumed all that business these days.  And, retailers like Penny's are just holding on for dear life and hoping that consumers still find value in a brick and mortar presence.  Finding Joes from these old mail away sets still in attached to their cards is nearly impossible these days.  And, even just the loose filecards with the flag points cut away will command substantial premiums.

1983 Zap - Random Photos of the Day

The 1983 Zap is a fun figure.  His brighter green helps him stand out among the original 13 Joes.  And, his antiquated weapon actually works in the context of the Joe team.  He wasn't a figure that I really had when I was a kid.  Both his thumbs broke on a straight arm version within hours of his opening.  But, I've kept this figure intact for two decades and still enjoy him more than most of the early Joe figures.

Sadly, the brittleness of Zap has lead to his extreme expense in modern times.  Before he was a $100+ figure, I had a lot of fun getting him out for photo shoots.  These days, though, I'm more careful as a simple slip would cost me way more than this figure is worth to replace.  So, the 1997 Zap has become the proxy for this original figure.  But, here's some pics of him back when the figure was still a reasonable acquisition.

1991 Super Sonic Fighters Zap - Around The Web

The 1991 Super Sonic Fighters Zap is an example of how an original character should be updated.  The figure is easy to see as Zap.  But, he's also updated in a dramatic way that helps him blend with later figure releases.  He is excellently colored and includes a pretty solid array of weaponry.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1991 Zap Profile

Zap by scarrviper

1991 Zap by thedustinmccoy

Zap by jogunwarrior

Zap by Slipstream80

Zap at Half the Battle

Zap by HCC788

Rarities - 1997 Stars and Stripes Rock and Roll Skin Color Variant

Originally, the 1997 series of figures was planned to include a repainted Breaker and a repainted 1983 Rock and Roll figure.  Handpainted samples were shown on the back of the Star and Stripes set.  But, the molds for those figures were "lost".  Hasbro resorted to some quick replacements and both characters were released in 1997 as repaints of the 1986 Roadblock body with different heads.  Somewhere along the way, though, there was a miscommunication.  Somehow, Rock and Roll was given black skin.  This may have been a holdover from the Roadblock color templates that were used.  But, a good amount of the mis-painted figures were packaged into Stars and Stripes sets and sold in Toys R Us stores across the country.

Today, this variant is rather tough to find and is worth a couple of hundred dollars.  But, in 1997, the figure was findable.  Anecdotally, collectors of the era estimated that about 1 in 30 Stars and Stripes sets had the variant.  As the production run for the set was believed to be around 30,000 sets, that would place 1,000 Rock and Roll variants into the collecting community.  Of course, that "back of the napkin" estimate could be wildly off.  But, the variant was quickly discovered by collectors of the time.  However, the figures weren't overly desirable and you could easily trade a spare 1997 Alley Viper straight up for one. 

The variant set that includes this Rock and Roll also contains a significant Breaker variant.  But, since it's just a color hue change, no one cares about it and it lacks the cachet and value of the Rock and Roll.  It was extremely rare for Hasbro to race change a figure mold in the US.  So, in the cases where it did occur (either intentionally or by accident) the resulting figures have found great collector interest.  You used to be able to find sealed Stars and Stripes sets with the variant figures in mislabeled online sales and could get deals.  But, it's been more than a decade since those dried up and this figure is now well known and accordingly priced in the community.  It's safe to say that almost all of the variants ended in collector hands due to the rapid identity and communication of the variant.  But, it's still one of the rarest and most significant retail variants in the history of the G.I. Joe line.