Death Trooper Profile
Death Trooper at JediTempleArchives
Death Trooper Video
Death Trooper at Figureoftheday
Death Trooper at JediBusiness
Death Trooper at Come See Toys
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Rogue One Death Trooper Black Series - Around the Web
Rogue One remains one of my favorite Star Wars films. It has held up to repeat viewings, so far, in ways that the Prequels have not. The characters from the film were solid designs and are the only Disney era characters I collect. The 3 3/4 Black Series Death Trooper is one of the best Star Wars figures I've ever come across. It's screen accurate enough. It has a ton of gear. There's ample articulation. And, the joints move with a fluidity I've never before seen on super articulated Star Wars figures. In short, it's probably my favorite Star Wars figure of the past decade. And, it's going to be returning to retail in the resurgence of the Vintage Collection in 2018. This guy got some press upon his release. But, the 6" figure took most of the thunder. Here's the best I can find on this guy from around the web.
Death Trooper Profile
Death Trooper at JediTempleArchives
Death Trooper Video
Death Trooper at Figureoftheday
Death Trooper at JediBusiness
Death Trooper at Come See Toys
Death Trooper Profile
Death Trooper at JediTempleArchives
Death Trooper Video
Death Trooper at Figureoftheday
Death Trooper at JediBusiness
Death Trooper at Come See Toys
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
2004 Urban Assault Firefly
At the 2003 Convention, Hasbro announced that Toys R Us would carry a six pack of Cobra Troopers as their 1st Quarter, 2004 exclusive. This gave collectors great hope that Hasbro finally understood army building and that future TRU sets would be the army building bonanzas of which collectors had always dreamed. When the first news of the 2nd TRU exclusive set leaked, a Cobra Urban Strike set, collectors imagined six urban specific army builders: maybe Alley Vipers and Headhunters with no characters to be seen. Then, the specifics of the set came out. It had three army builders and three named Cobra characters. Immediately, collectors were angered over the poor character assortment and many wrote the set off due to Scrap Iron, Stormshadow and the focus of this profile: Firefly.
This, though, was a mistake. The 2004 Urban Strike set was actually extremely well done. The army builders in the set were all great. The Stormshadow was a cool paint job: but of a bad mold. It was good to see Scrap Iron again. But, the lack of accessories and too similar to the vintage coloring didn't do him any favors. Firefly, though, was the class of the set. But, because collectors were burned out on Firefly after Hasbro had used the mold too many times, the amazing figure that was included for the Firefly character was largely ignored. So, the Urban Strike set languished. It was even discounted from $20 to $15 in Toys R Us stores. This was the first real sign that the Joe line was already in trouble after a tremendous 2003 and was a harbinger of the line's impending decline into cancellation over the next year.
As for Firefly, though, Hasbro dropped a convention quality figure into a retail release. While the TRU sets were mostly known for poor accessories, the level of paint application was, usually, pretty strong. This Firefly, though, includes his full array of gear. And, on top of that, he features a full seven colors on the figure mold. The selling feature is that Firefly's base is Cobra blue. It's the only Firefly ever released with blue as part of his color scheme. This immediately allows him to better integrate with classic Cobra Troopers and Officers. He also heavily utilizes grey and black. So, you have an homage to his original release, too. The figure is adorned with rich brown details that make his straps and pouches appear to be leather. It's a subtle feature that makes the mold pop even more than it did before. You can fully see the details of the Firefly mold that even the vintage version left unpainted. Toss in some white, flesh, silver and red and you see the amount of color that Hasbro used to give this figure a chance to be appreciated by collectors.
The figure might be taken as a little busy by some. There is a lot going on with the overall coloring and camo. The real black mark against this Firefly, though, was that it was too much, too quickly. But, almost 14 years after his release, I find that this is pretty much my go to version of Firefly if I'm not using the vintage version. He meshes well with many Cobra army builders and even looks good among the vintage Cobra hierarchy. The full complement of gear also gives a sense of legitimacy to the figure. In short, it feels that Hasbro gave Firefly his due with this release, even if other figures in the set were shortchanged on paint applications or accessories.
For me, this figure wins on a couple of points. First, it's a great look for Firefly. If Hasbro had to repaint a character nearly 10 times, I'm glad they offered at least a couple of versions that were of great quality. Secondly, though, 2002 through 2004 was a pretty good time to be a Joe fan. You could walk into Toys R Us stores and find the Joe exclusives without too much trouble. The sets were readily available online, too, for collectors who didn't live near a TRU store. And, while a lot of the releases weren't Hasbro's best work, there were a lot of good figures that did see release. Hasbro was releasing over 100 figures per year back then. So, it was very easy to find something that appealed to every collector. In some ways, Hasbro's attempts to be all things to all collectors backfired. But, when they took a more focused approach in the anniversary era, the results were actually weaker than they had been in the early 2000's.
Like all the Urban Strike figures, Firefly has an unreleased variant. The unproduced Firefly uses more red as a basic camo color. In the grand scheme, it's a vastly inferior figure to the one that was actually released. What was once a common variant to find, though, has gotten rather tough to track down and overly pricey. It's not a great figure to own. But, if you're looking for something different that will set a Firefly collection apart: it's definitely something that's different and relatively rare.
Hasbro used the Firefly mold too many times. In their zeal to capitalize on a fan favorite character for whom they had the mold, they gave us too much of a good thing. The 1998 version was an awesome repaint since it moved Firefly into an environmental theme. The 2000 figure was less great. The cammo was good. But, the bare hands and paint wipes didn't do him any favors in the long term. The 2002 version is so terrible that it's fun. The 2003 Convention figures are excellent. But, are hard to find and will cost you quite a bit of money. The Tiger Force Wreckage figure is interesting and a cheap way to get another Firefly in a different scheme. The 2005 Crimson version is just this Urban figure with the blue replaced with red. And, the 2005 Comic Pack figure has a pretty good argument as the best overall Firefly figure of all time. In between that, there is also a Funskool release and all the slight variants that accompany any vintage Funskool figure. Collectors have their pick of Firefly figures. I think this version is great. But, realistically, can only rank it as the third best Firefly figure. But, it is nice to have a Cobra blue version that can blend with more classic Cobra troopers.
Urban Firefly figures have gotten somewhat tough to find. Dealers routinely get between $10 and $15 for a mint and complete figure. You don't fine too many open market sales. But, that's because the figure doesn't generate much interest in that regard. If you can find such an opportunity, you might pick up this figure for under $5. Hasbro's overuse of the mold rendered this version superfluous and pretty much killed any aftermarket demand for the figure. That means, though, that a patient collector can get an excellent Firefly figure (maybe the best) for a pittance. I never scoff at quality figures that are cheap.
This, though, was a mistake. The 2004 Urban Strike set was actually extremely well done. The army builders in the set were all great. The Stormshadow was a cool paint job: but of a bad mold. It was good to see Scrap Iron again. But, the lack of accessories and too similar to the vintage coloring didn't do him any favors. Firefly, though, was the class of the set. But, because collectors were burned out on Firefly after Hasbro had used the mold too many times, the amazing figure that was included for the Firefly character was largely ignored. So, the Urban Strike set languished. It was even discounted from $20 to $15 in Toys R Us stores. This was the first real sign that the Joe line was already in trouble after a tremendous 2003 and was a harbinger of the line's impending decline into cancellation over the next year.
As for Firefly, though, Hasbro dropped a convention quality figure into a retail release. While the TRU sets were mostly known for poor accessories, the level of paint application was, usually, pretty strong. This Firefly, though, includes his full array of gear. And, on top of that, he features a full seven colors on the figure mold. The selling feature is that Firefly's base is Cobra blue. It's the only Firefly ever released with blue as part of his color scheme. This immediately allows him to better integrate with classic Cobra Troopers and Officers. He also heavily utilizes grey and black. So, you have an homage to his original release, too. The figure is adorned with rich brown details that make his straps and pouches appear to be leather. It's a subtle feature that makes the mold pop even more than it did before. You can fully see the details of the Firefly mold that even the vintage version left unpainted. Toss in some white, flesh, silver and red and you see the amount of color that Hasbro used to give this figure a chance to be appreciated by collectors.
The figure might be taken as a little busy by some. There is a lot going on with the overall coloring and camo. The real black mark against this Firefly, though, was that it was too much, too quickly. But, almost 14 years after his release, I find that this is pretty much my go to version of Firefly if I'm not using the vintage version. He meshes well with many Cobra army builders and even looks good among the vintage Cobra hierarchy. The full complement of gear also gives a sense of legitimacy to the figure. In short, it feels that Hasbro gave Firefly his due with this release, even if other figures in the set were shortchanged on paint applications or accessories.
For me, this figure wins on a couple of points. First, it's a great look for Firefly. If Hasbro had to repaint a character nearly 10 times, I'm glad they offered at least a couple of versions that were of great quality. Secondly, though, 2002 through 2004 was a pretty good time to be a Joe fan. You could walk into Toys R Us stores and find the Joe exclusives without too much trouble. The sets were readily available online, too, for collectors who didn't live near a TRU store. And, while a lot of the releases weren't Hasbro's best work, there were a lot of good figures that did see release. Hasbro was releasing over 100 figures per year back then. So, it was very easy to find something that appealed to every collector. In some ways, Hasbro's attempts to be all things to all collectors backfired. But, when they took a more focused approach in the anniversary era, the results were actually weaker than they had been in the early 2000's.
Like all the Urban Strike figures, Firefly has an unreleased variant. The unproduced Firefly uses more red as a basic camo color. In the grand scheme, it's a vastly inferior figure to the one that was actually released. What was once a common variant to find, though, has gotten rather tough to track down and overly pricey. It's not a great figure to own. But, if you're looking for something different that will set a Firefly collection apart: it's definitely something that's different and relatively rare.
Hasbro used the Firefly mold too many times. In their zeal to capitalize on a fan favorite character for whom they had the mold, they gave us too much of a good thing. The 1998 version was an awesome repaint since it moved Firefly into an environmental theme. The 2000 figure was less great. The cammo was good. But, the bare hands and paint wipes didn't do him any favors in the long term. The 2002 version is so terrible that it's fun. The 2003 Convention figures are excellent. But, are hard to find and will cost you quite a bit of money. The Tiger Force Wreckage figure is interesting and a cheap way to get another Firefly in a different scheme. The 2005 Crimson version is just this Urban figure with the blue replaced with red. And, the 2005 Comic Pack figure has a pretty good argument as the best overall Firefly figure of all time. In between that, there is also a Funskool release and all the slight variants that accompany any vintage Funskool figure. Collectors have their pick of Firefly figures. I think this version is great. But, realistically, can only rank it as the third best Firefly figure. But, it is nice to have a Cobra blue version that can blend with more classic Cobra troopers.
Urban Firefly figures have gotten somewhat tough to find. Dealers routinely get between $10 and $15 for a mint and complete figure. You don't fine too many open market sales. But, that's because the figure doesn't generate much interest in that regard. If you can find such an opportunity, you might pick up this figure for under $5. Hasbro's overuse of the mold rendered this version superfluous and pretty much killed any aftermarket demand for the figure. That means, though, that a patient collector can get an excellent Firefly figure (maybe the best) for a pittance. I never scoff at quality figures that are cheap.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
1986 Wet Suit - Around the Web
The 1986 Wet Suit mold has been used a great many times in the history of the Joe line. However, it's been 15 years since I've looked at the mold. The original remains the classic view of the Wet Suit character. Even though many of the later colorings of this mold were probably better. He's fairly popular among collectors. Here's the best I found of him from around the web.
1986 Wet Suit Profile
Wet Suit at JoeBattleLines.com
Wet Suit Card Art at JoeADay.com
Wet Suit Video Profile 1
Wet Suit Dio
Wet Suit at JoePedia
Wet Suit Video Profile 2
1986 Wet Suit Profile
Wet Suit at JoeBattleLines.com
Wet Suit Card Art at JoeADay.com
Wet Suit Video Profile 1
Wet Suit Dio
Wet Suit at JoePedia
Wet Suit Video Profile 2
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
1983 FANG
The 1982 Joe toys were amazing. They brought a level of detail and play-ability that surpassed even the Star Wars toys of the era. But, 1983 was even better. Joe got a Headquarters, attack helicopter and fighter jet. Cobra got its first vehicles, too, putting them more on par with Joe as an enemy. While most of the toys of that year are iconic, the Cobra FANG was a release that simply never clicked with me. It may have been that I wanted too much out of a cheap release. Or, I just had back luck with a single poor quality version. But, as a kid, the FANG was the one vehicle from 1983 (aside from the gliders) that didn't really resonate with me. It couldn't hold a candle to the Dragonfly or Skystriker and didn't include a unique pilot. In short, it lacked the defining features that set apart something like the Hiss Tank.
But, the FANG has taken on new significance to me as an adult collector. I didn't much care for the FANG as a kid. I found that it was too flimsy. The missiles always fell off when you played with it. And, the overly exposed pilot was too easy a target for the Joes. It had no place for a figure's accessories while they flew it. And, the pilot didn't stick into the cockpit all that securely and the figure flying the FANG would often fall out when performing the most basic of kid maneuvers. So, the FANG got relatively little use. But, now, the FANG has all the hallmarks of classic Cobra vehicles. It fits perfectly with the Hiss Tank, Rattler and Stinger. In short, it's classic Cobra. So, for that reason alone, I re-examined my dislike of the FANG and found some value in it.
My only real childhood memory of the FANG is also one of the reasons why I've dismissed it through the years. In the late summer of 1983, a friend around the block had most of the new Joe toys. Among them were the FANG, Major Bludd and Destro. One day, the FANG grabbed my interest. I don't recall which of the 2 aforementioned figures I had as the pilot of copter. But, whichever it was, I placed his pistol into the cockpit by the figure's feet. At one point, playing on the sidewalk that bordered the driveway, I had the FANG perform a maneuver and the pistol fell out into the tall grass. My friend was, naturally, upset. And, I spent what seemed like hours (it was probably only a few minutes.) combing the grass until I found the missing pistol. At that moment, the FANG became worthless to me.
My younger brother would get a FANG for his birthday a couple of months later. But, as I had purchased the Dragonfly before the FANG arrived into our house, I had almost no interest in such a basic toy. The Dragonfly was infinitely better. I had a few battles here and there between the two. But, the FANG missiles were always a hassle and I ended up abandoning most air to air combat scenarios as they weren't all that much to play out. The FANG remained in our toy room where, eventually, the rotor blades broke off and the skids were cracked. It was never replaced and remained a ghost in boxes of broken Joe toys until 2003 when I finally tossed a bunch of my broken vehicles that were beyond salvage. Even the Sears Dreadnok FANG (which my brother got for Christmas in 1986) fell apart quickly and really had no place in my play patterns.
And, so, the FANG became a forgotten element of Joe for me. I liked the way the FANGs were used in issue #30 of the comic. I always thought it odd that the FANGs were referred to as SNAP helicopters. The FANG had been out for over a year and a half at that point and even appeared in the comic several times. It was a silly error that still bugs me to this day. But, not even those printed adventures were enough to gain the FANG prominence in my collection. Even as an adult collector, that bias lingered and the FANG was never a target for my acquisitions. Now, though, I have more of a collecting focus on pre-1985 Joe offerings since those were the prime childhood years that drove my love for the franchise. That moved the FANG back into focus. But, never enough for me to seriously hunt one down. Now that I have one, though, I appreciate it much more. I like it as a venue for the Viper Pilot since the Viper Glider is a piece of junk.
The FANG has some decent display elements since the pilot is completely exposed. (A hallmark of Cobra vehicles. They must have hated their drivers/pilots.) This allows for the display of a figure. And, the skids hold two figures on foot pegs. So, you can display some additional figures along with the pilot. And, the FANG doesn't have a huge footprint if you position the rotor to be parallel with the FANG's body. So, it's display to space ratio is pretty cool. It has classic Cobra colors that complement the early Cobra figures, too. In short, as a collector piece, the FANG succeeds despite the failings I found in it as a toy.
The FANG is actually quite brittle. It also has some easily lost and broken pieces. The fact that it's still so cheap suggests that a lot of them were made and, despite all the issues, a ton made it to the collecting world. The FANG missiles never stayed on well for me. But, they are large and bright. So, neither they nor the bomb are really difficult to find. The rotors do tend to break off. Once that happens, there's no salvaging the victim. The real bugger on this vehicle is the engine cover. It is the most often missing piece. And, the little tabs that hold it in place are easily broken. So, finding a mint engine cover can be frustrating. I'd like to say the engine cover doesn't matter much. But, the red color helps break up the grey and black on the copter's backside and is a welcome visual diversion. Of course, you'll notice that my FANG is stripped down. I have the parts somewhere. I just don't know where. Hopefully, they'll show up some time this summer as I clean out more boxes.
Hasbro released the FANG in 1983 and then repainted it in the Sears Exclusive Dreadnok Sets in 1986. After that, the mold was done in the U.S. However, the FANG saw extensive life as an international release. Repackaged FANGs were sold in Europe and Japan. Exclusive FANGs were released in both Brazil and in India. In fact, Funskool was shipping the FANG into the early 2000's. Hasbro resculpted the FANG in the late 2000's and released in colors also reminiscent of the original. Despite all these releases, though, the international versions were essentially the same as the American release. So, there's lots to buy if you are a FANG collector. But, the looses versions don't bring a great deal of diversity to a collection.
Dealers will sell mint and complete with blueprints FANGs in the $30 range. With a little looking, you can get them for 1/2 that: especially if you are willing to buy several of them at once. Incomplete, the copters can be had for under $10. But, the missiles, bomb and, especially, the engine cover will set you back quite a bit more. The real issue is the shipping. The large rotor blades require the FANG to be shipped in larger boxes: adding to the price. So, the best deals are local ones where shipping can be avoided.
Now, I have a FANG. It's nice to have it among the early Cobra vehicles and figures as it fits them so well. But, I don't see a need to build an army of them and I don't really foresee my general feelings on the FANG changing all that much. I appreciate the copter for what it is and understand why many collectors love it so much. But, I see limitations that are leftovers from childhood memories. That's a powerful force for a toy to overcome: especially when the line is as vast as the Joe line is. There's so many more toys that I find cooler and more fun to own. But, this FANG was there in my Joe infancy. So, good or bad, that carries some nostalgic value. I can't see the vehicle without thinking of that fall day where the gun fell from the cockpit. That reminds of the climbing tree in that old front yard and all the fun times we had there. I guess that makes this FANG more valuable than I had given it credit for.
But, the FANG has taken on new significance to me as an adult collector. I didn't much care for the FANG as a kid. I found that it was too flimsy. The missiles always fell off when you played with it. And, the overly exposed pilot was too easy a target for the Joes. It had no place for a figure's accessories while they flew it. And, the pilot didn't stick into the cockpit all that securely and the figure flying the FANG would often fall out when performing the most basic of kid maneuvers. So, the FANG got relatively little use. But, now, the FANG has all the hallmarks of classic Cobra vehicles. It fits perfectly with the Hiss Tank, Rattler and Stinger. In short, it's classic Cobra. So, for that reason alone, I re-examined my dislike of the FANG and found some value in it.
My only real childhood memory of the FANG is also one of the reasons why I've dismissed it through the years. In the late summer of 1983, a friend around the block had most of the new Joe toys. Among them were the FANG, Major Bludd and Destro. One day, the FANG grabbed my interest. I don't recall which of the 2 aforementioned figures I had as the pilot of copter. But, whichever it was, I placed his pistol into the cockpit by the figure's feet. At one point, playing on the sidewalk that bordered the driveway, I had the FANG perform a maneuver and the pistol fell out into the tall grass. My friend was, naturally, upset. And, I spent what seemed like hours (it was probably only a few minutes.) combing the grass until I found the missing pistol. At that moment, the FANG became worthless to me.
My younger brother would get a FANG for his birthday a couple of months later. But, as I had purchased the Dragonfly before the FANG arrived into our house, I had almost no interest in such a basic toy. The Dragonfly was infinitely better. I had a few battles here and there between the two. But, the FANG missiles were always a hassle and I ended up abandoning most air to air combat scenarios as they weren't all that much to play out. The FANG remained in our toy room where, eventually, the rotor blades broke off and the skids were cracked. It was never replaced and remained a ghost in boxes of broken Joe toys until 2003 when I finally tossed a bunch of my broken vehicles that were beyond salvage. Even the Sears Dreadnok FANG (which my brother got for Christmas in 1986) fell apart quickly and really had no place in my play patterns.
And, so, the FANG became a forgotten element of Joe for me. I liked the way the FANGs were used in issue #30 of the comic. I always thought it odd that the FANGs were referred to as SNAP helicopters. The FANG had been out for over a year and a half at that point and even appeared in the comic several times. It was a silly error that still bugs me to this day. But, not even those printed adventures were enough to gain the FANG prominence in my collection. Even as an adult collector, that bias lingered and the FANG was never a target for my acquisitions. Now, though, I have more of a collecting focus on pre-1985 Joe offerings since those were the prime childhood years that drove my love for the franchise. That moved the FANG back into focus. But, never enough for me to seriously hunt one down. Now that I have one, though, I appreciate it much more. I like it as a venue for the Viper Pilot since the Viper Glider is a piece of junk.
The FANG has some decent display elements since the pilot is completely exposed. (A hallmark of Cobra vehicles. They must have hated their drivers/pilots.) This allows for the display of a figure. And, the skids hold two figures on foot pegs. So, you can display some additional figures along with the pilot. And, the FANG doesn't have a huge footprint if you position the rotor to be parallel with the FANG's body. So, it's display to space ratio is pretty cool. It has classic Cobra colors that complement the early Cobra figures, too. In short, as a collector piece, the FANG succeeds despite the failings I found in it as a toy.
The FANG is actually quite brittle. It also has some easily lost and broken pieces. The fact that it's still so cheap suggests that a lot of them were made and, despite all the issues, a ton made it to the collecting world. The FANG missiles never stayed on well for me. But, they are large and bright. So, neither they nor the bomb are really difficult to find. The rotors do tend to break off. Once that happens, there's no salvaging the victim. The real bugger on this vehicle is the engine cover. It is the most often missing piece. And, the little tabs that hold it in place are easily broken. So, finding a mint engine cover can be frustrating. I'd like to say the engine cover doesn't matter much. But, the red color helps break up the grey and black on the copter's backside and is a welcome visual diversion. Of course, you'll notice that my FANG is stripped down. I have the parts somewhere. I just don't know where. Hopefully, they'll show up some time this summer as I clean out more boxes.
Hasbro released the FANG in 1983 and then repainted it in the Sears Exclusive Dreadnok Sets in 1986. After that, the mold was done in the U.S. However, the FANG saw extensive life as an international release. Repackaged FANGs were sold in Europe and Japan. Exclusive FANGs were released in both Brazil and in India. In fact, Funskool was shipping the FANG into the early 2000's. Hasbro resculpted the FANG in the late 2000's and released in colors also reminiscent of the original. Despite all these releases, though, the international versions were essentially the same as the American release. So, there's lots to buy if you are a FANG collector. But, the looses versions don't bring a great deal of diversity to a collection.
Dealers will sell mint and complete with blueprints FANGs in the $30 range. With a little looking, you can get them for 1/2 that: especially if you are willing to buy several of them at once. Incomplete, the copters can be had for under $10. But, the missiles, bomb and, especially, the engine cover will set you back quite a bit more. The real issue is the shipping. The large rotor blades require the FANG to be shipped in larger boxes: adding to the price. So, the best deals are local ones where shipping can be avoided.
Now, I have a FANG. It's nice to have it among the early Cobra vehicles and figures as it fits them so well. But, I don't see a need to build an army of them and I don't really foresee my general feelings on the FANG changing all that much. I appreciate the copter for what it is and understand why many collectors love it so much. But, I see limitations that are leftovers from childhood memories. That's a powerful force for a toy to overcome: especially when the line is as vast as the Joe line is. There's so many more toys that I find cooler and more fun to own. But, this FANG was there in my Joe infancy. So, good or bad, that carries some nostalgic value. I can't see the vehicle without thinking of that fall day where the gun fell from the cockpit. That reminds of the climbing tree in that old front yard and all the fun times we had there. I guess that makes this FANG more valuable than I had given it credit for.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
1992 Toxo Zombie Around the Web
So, it turns out that people seem to like Zombies these days. Caught up in that cultural zeitgeist is the 1992 Toxo Zombie figure. Back in the late 1990's and early 2000's, this figure was pretty much a joke. Collectors hated the fact that it even existed. Now, though, the Toxo Zombie figure is rather popular. Just looking at the sheer volume of content below, you can see that the figure has become a staple of many people's collections. It is a favorite of photographers and the Toxo Zombie often appears on various online communities. Here's some of my favorite content on the Toxo Zombie from around the web:
Toxo Zombie Profile
Toxo Zombie at ARAH Gallery
Toxo Zombie Pre Production at YoJoe.com
Toxo Zombie at JoeADay.com
Toxo Zombie by OldBaldysToyChest
Toxo Zombie by JamietheTeleViper
Toxo Zombie by ScarrViper
Toxo Zombie at 3DJoes.com
Toxo Zombie Halloween at JoeADay.com
Secret of the Ooze Dio
Toxo Zombie by Outrider
Toxo Zombie at Half The Battle
Toxo Zombies at JoeDios
Toxo Zombie by b33jb
Toxo Zombie Returns at JoeADay.com (He really likes the Toxo Zombie!)
Toxo Zombie by kaboomtoys
Toxo Zombies by total_madness_customs
Toxo Zombie Profile
Toxo Zombie at ARAH Gallery
Toxo Zombie Pre Production at YoJoe.com
Toxo Zombie at JoeADay.com
Toxo Zombie by OldBaldysToyChest
Toxo Zombie by JamietheTeleViper
Toxo Zombie by ScarrViper
Toxo Zombie at 3DJoes.com
Toxo Zombie Halloween at JoeADay.com
Secret of the Ooze Dio
Toxo Zombie by Outrider
Toxo Zombie at Half The Battle
Toxo Zombies at JoeDios
Toxo Zombie by b33jb
Toxo Zombie Returns at JoeADay.com (He really likes the Toxo Zombie!)
Toxo Zombie by kaboomtoys
Toxo Zombies by total_madness_customs
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
1989 Darklon
I was pretty much out of Joe toys in 1988. I still followed the comic, though. And, as such, was familiar with Destro's new Iron Grenadiers faction. My younger brother got an Iron Grenadier figure and I was enthralled with its design. But, it wasn't enough to entice me back to toys. As 1989 dawned, I kept Joe at arm's length. I still bought the comic and read it. But, the stories didn't speak to me in the same way that the earlier issues had. I didn't like the splintering of Cobra and the fact that Destro had gone out on his own. The 1988 through 1990 comic story lines became a string of largely forgettable arcs for me. Among these stories was the introduction of Darklon: a distant relative of Destro's who didn't seem to serve much purpose.
The Darklon figure is interesting. If you start at the head and work your way down, it takes a while for the issues to come to light. The figure's head is strong enough. The helmet is odd and weird. But, that's not bad and it fits the Cobra theme. His painted, reddish eyes beneath the mask are a spectacular touch that give the head far more depth. As you move to the figure's torso, the green and black remain quite strong. Sure, the traditional military colors are more a fit for a Joe. But, Cobra needed some green and Darklon brings it. From the waist up, this is really a figure everyone should love. But, the design completely goes off the rails starting at the figure's waist. It's red. And, not a cool, crimson red that would tie to Cobra. No, it's an off red that simply looks out of place everywhere. Add to that brown highlights and a golden cluster of grenades on his right boot and you've suddenly got one hot mess of an action figure.
Fittingly, Darklon doesn't see much press these days. He's a rare participant in Joe photos and isn't often seen on any favorite figure lists. He's just so odd that he doesn't resonate with collectors. While his Evader vehicle is a nice match for the Iron Grenadier vehicles, the figure is not. Darklon simply doesn't match up with any of Destro's other compatriots. That leaves Darklon without a real purpose. He's not cool enough to stand on his own. But, he's so different from other Iron Grenadiers that he doesn't match with them, either. In the comic, Darklon was selling the Python Patrol technology to Cobra. If you look at his filecard, you can see that the artists had him in a more python-esque theme with his shirt pattern. If that had found it's way to the figure, you might have more collectors who viewed Darklon as a Python Patrol member or leader. But, as he was released, he doesn't work in that capacity, either.
Personally, I have no use for Darklon. As the figure isn't that good, I have little reason to find a place for him. And, since I was out of Joe in 1989, I have no nostalgic sentiment attached to the character. I've found the Bronze Bomber version of Darklon to be somewhat useful. But, even that figure couldn't survive my collection downsizing of the early 2010's. So, Darklon becomes a figure I own for completion's sake and little other reason. His weird gun is kind of fun. But, it's also so bizarre that it's tough to take it too seriously. And, it really looks like Darklon's weapon and that makes it difficult to attach the gun to other figures. So, Darklon languishes in obscurity, even for me.
As a character, Darklon is all but forgotten. He is as a figure, as well. Hasbro never reused the Darklon mold. They thought so little of it, they sold it Olmec Toys in the mid 1990's. Olmec found value in the mold when Hasbro did not. They released what is probably the best Darklon figure in their 1997-ish Bronze Bombers set. Crazeblaze, a full repaint of the Darklon mold in dark purple (almost black) and tan is easily a far better figure to represent Darklon in any collection. If that weren't enough, there is a "good guy" figure in the set who utilizes Darklon's body mold in grey and blue. He's a great match for a Snow Serpent and can work with a simple Darklon headswap...assuming you can find a cheap Bronze Bomber with which to work. The mold died with Olmec as they ran into legal problems and was, likely, sold for scrap. Darklon did see two releases in the anniversary line. One a convention exclusive and the other a club exclusive. Both figures are overly expensive and not great alternatives when you consider what else you could get with that kind of money.
Dealers sell mint, complete with filecard Darklons in the $16 range. But, left to the open market, you can get them for just a hair under $10. Sacrifice the filecard, and you can get them for $6. You can still get mint in bubble figures for around $12, too. For a figure that's susceptible to paint wear and breakage, that's not a terrible price. But, Darklon is a terrible figure. So, he's never going to be overly popular and will pretty much remain the lost member of the Iron Grenadier fraternity. The upside is that you can add a bizarre enemy figure to your collection for peanuts. The downside, though, is that you have a figure that really doesn't fit anywhere.
The Darklon figure is interesting. If you start at the head and work your way down, it takes a while for the issues to come to light. The figure's head is strong enough. The helmet is odd and weird. But, that's not bad and it fits the Cobra theme. His painted, reddish eyes beneath the mask are a spectacular touch that give the head far more depth. As you move to the figure's torso, the green and black remain quite strong. Sure, the traditional military colors are more a fit for a Joe. But, Cobra needed some green and Darklon brings it. From the waist up, this is really a figure everyone should love. But, the design completely goes off the rails starting at the figure's waist. It's red. And, not a cool, crimson red that would tie to Cobra. No, it's an off red that simply looks out of place everywhere. Add to that brown highlights and a golden cluster of grenades on his right boot and you've suddenly got one hot mess of an action figure.
Fittingly, Darklon doesn't see much press these days. He's a rare participant in Joe photos and isn't often seen on any favorite figure lists. He's just so odd that he doesn't resonate with collectors. While his Evader vehicle is a nice match for the Iron Grenadier vehicles, the figure is not. Darklon simply doesn't match up with any of Destro's other compatriots. That leaves Darklon without a real purpose. He's not cool enough to stand on his own. But, he's so different from other Iron Grenadiers that he doesn't match with them, either. In the comic, Darklon was selling the Python Patrol technology to Cobra. If you look at his filecard, you can see that the artists had him in a more python-esque theme with his shirt pattern. If that had found it's way to the figure, you might have more collectors who viewed Darklon as a Python Patrol member or leader. But, as he was released, he doesn't work in that capacity, either.
Personally, I have no use for Darklon. As the figure isn't that good, I have little reason to find a place for him. And, since I was out of Joe in 1989, I have no nostalgic sentiment attached to the character. I've found the Bronze Bomber version of Darklon to be somewhat useful. But, even that figure couldn't survive my collection downsizing of the early 2010's. So, Darklon becomes a figure I own for completion's sake and little other reason. His weird gun is kind of fun. But, it's also so bizarre that it's tough to take it too seriously. And, it really looks like Darklon's weapon and that makes it difficult to attach the gun to other figures. So, Darklon languishes in obscurity, even for me.
As a character, Darklon is all but forgotten. He is as a figure, as well. Hasbro never reused the Darklon mold. They thought so little of it, they sold it Olmec Toys in the mid 1990's. Olmec found value in the mold when Hasbro did not. They released what is probably the best Darklon figure in their 1997-ish Bronze Bombers set. Crazeblaze, a full repaint of the Darklon mold in dark purple (almost black) and tan is easily a far better figure to represent Darklon in any collection. If that weren't enough, there is a "good guy" figure in the set who utilizes Darklon's body mold in grey and blue. He's a great match for a Snow Serpent and can work with a simple Darklon headswap...assuming you can find a cheap Bronze Bomber with which to work. The mold died with Olmec as they ran into legal problems and was, likely, sold for scrap. Darklon did see two releases in the anniversary line. One a convention exclusive and the other a club exclusive. Both figures are overly expensive and not great alternatives when you consider what else you could get with that kind of money.
Dealers sell mint, complete with filecard Darklons in the $16 range. But, left to the open market, you can get them for just a hair under $10. Sacrifice the filecard, and you can get them for $6. You can still get mint in bubble figures for around $12, too. For a figure that's susceptible to paint wear and breakage, that's not a terrible price. But, Darklon is a terrible figure. So, he's never going to be overly popular and will pretty much remain the lost member of the Iron Grenadier fraternity. The upside is that you can add a bizarre enemy figure to your collection for peanuts. The downside, though, is that you have a figure that really doesn't fit anywhere.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
1989 Gnawgahyde - Around the Web
Gnawgahyde was released after my time. But, among the Dreadnoks released after 1985, I think he's the best. It's an incredibly detailed mold and includes amazing accessories. He's a favorite of Joe photo collectors and he appears in quite a bot of content out here on the character. Here's some of what I found on him around the web.
Gnawgahyde Profile
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 1
Gnawgahyde at JoeBattleLines.com
Gnawgahyde PreProduction at YoJoe.com
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 2
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 3
Gnawgahyde at Wikipedia
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 4
Gnawgahyde Video Review
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 5
Gnawgahyde at HalftheBattle.com
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 6
Gnawgahyde at JoeWiki
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 7
Gnawgahyde Profile
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 1
Gnawgahyde at JoeBattleLines.com
Gnawgahyde PreProduction at YoJoe.com
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 2
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 3
Gnawgahyde at Wikipedia
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 4
Gnawgahyde Video Review
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 5
Gnawgahyde at HalftheBattle.com
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 6
Gnawgahyde at JoeWiki
Gnawgahyde at JoeDios.com 7
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
1993 Flak Viper
In the fall of 2001, I planned to profile this figure. I even went so far as to take him outside with the 1997 Rage on a crisp autumn day and took a couple of photos of him. You can see him in the background of a couple of other figures I profiled around that time. For some reason, though, I never got around to writing the profile of the figure. I acquired a few other figures around that time who got my attention. Then, I got really sick for a couple of weeks as the year ended. As the photo session drifted further out of sight, so did the desire to profile this figure.
In the mid 2000's I had occasion to acquire a couple of new versions of this figure. Even then, though, the timing never seemed right. A few years later, I began to purge my collection and trim it down. Among the figures who were let go were all my Flak Vipers. (For some reason, at the time, I was only keeping the best coloring of any mold. So, I got rid of tons of excellent repaints since there was at least one "definitive" version that I retained.) I grew to regret that decision and have been slowly rebuilding my neon army. While this Flak Viper is hardly anyone's favorite, there's something about the bright orange offset against the green base that makes for a stupidly fun to own.
There were a couple of figures that I simply never saw at retail during my 1990's trips to the toy store. I'd stumble across a freshly stocked case of Joes at various stores from time to time. But, in every instance, some common figures were already gone. The two who stick out to me the most are the Alley Viper and the Flak Viper. For a couple of years, those two characters mocked me from every cardback I owned. The Flak Viper, especially, looked like an awesome figure. The fact that I could not find one was overly frustrating. So, when I returned to Joe, finding a Flak Viper was an early priority. It was also fairly easy. While '92 Joes were overly common at the time, there was no competition for lots containing them and most of them contained a Flak Viper. In short order, I had a small army of blue and green 1992 Flak Vipers and a single version of this 1993 repainted Flak Viper.
If you look back at that Flak Viper profile I wrote in 1999, I twice call this 1993 figure terrible. And, at the time, I was about the only person who actually liked neon Joes! But, when I wrote that, I only had one, incomplete 1993 Flak Viper figure. It took a couple of years and couple more acquisitions for me to fully appreciate the orange and green goodness that Hasbro offered collectors in 1993. Sure, this figure uses orange as the primary color to offset the base green and grey of the Flak Viper. But, this works for a couple of reasons. First, bright orange figures are a lot of fun. I don't care if you disagree with me because, if you do on this point, you are wrong. :) Second, since the base colors are identical to the 1992 Flak Viper, this version does work well as a different rank or specialty within the Flak Viper corps. Finally, the bright colors do work with some of the vehicles of the 1990's and having a gunner type figure available for the crews is a nice addition to the Cobra army.
But, if we're real for a minute, this figure is not good. The 1992 is light years ahead of this orange version. And, the 2004 Nullifier simply makes both vintage versions obsolete. (The desert version is also pretty good, though very environmentally specific.) Orange, green and grey are not, exactly, complementary colors and the figure is a mish-mash of contrasting brightness. The orange accessories are probably worse than of the colors from the weapon trees that dominate 1993 and 1994 figure releases. But, it is that terribleness that drives my fondness for this figure. You would never see a figure released at retail like this in the 2000's. (One of the charms of Funskool was that they did, though.) Now that collectors dominate the Joe market, fun figures made just for kids are non-existent. As the collector base has aged and kids of the '90's have become a larger part of the fandom, we've seen some homages to neon figures. But, they are done with an eye towards either realism (to the degree it can be) or as straight homages to subsets that the general collecting world finds more palatable when compared against the worst the vintage line had to offer. That's a good thing since the crazy diversity of the vintage line was what made it so much fun. But, we're not, yet, to a point where a figure like this Flak Viper could come out without being accompanied by tremendous collector backlash.
I do wonder what the Hasbro design sessions were like in those days. I'm guessing that many of the brighter colors were mandated based on focus group feedback. (Hasbro loved focus groups.) I can see the designers having to concede which of their creations would have to have the bright colors infused into them. Some choices were likely made out of necessity. And, in cases where we got a brightly colored 1993 repaint of a solid 1992 figure mold, I assume that those were concessions to avoid the brightness on a newly created mold.
1993 and 1994 brought some construction changes to the Joe line. Torsos got bigger and bulkier. It was a way to move the line more towards other action figure stalwarts of the time. In the case of the Flak Viper, though, the larger body works. Seeing the massive missile launcher that the Flak Vipers wear on their backs, you conclude that they must be big and strong. The overly large rifle also adds to the premise that Flak Vipers are larger than your average Cobra Trooper. Through the years, I've attempted a couple of customs using Flak Viper parts. Even the large chest works well with heads from earlier in the '90's. There are some really nice custom Flak Vipers out there. But, they are few and far between since so few people really focus on the line's final years as a source of parts.
The Flak Viper's gear isn't great. Setting aside the fact that it's cast in bright orange plastic, the figure doesn't include all that much. The rifle is interesting. But, it's a little big. I'm not sure how more Flak Vipers don't have snapped thumbs as the rifle features a very thick handle. Even the softer hands of the 2000's era figures is stretched when holding the rifle. The missile launching pack is kind of cool. If it were a little smaller, it would be within the realm of Joe reason. But, the pack had to accommodate the spring loaded firing mechanisms which necessitated the size. The beauty is that the figure works well without the pack. But, if you're going full on neon army, you might as well push the absurd and have the brightly colored figures wearing back-breaking missile launchers on their backs.
For me, this figure's use is limited. There's not a lot of situations that call for an orange and green trooper carrying massive missiles on his back. Despite that, though, I'm fascinated by this figure and want many, many more of them. It might be a simple relic of not being able to find this figure at retail. It could just be the fact that the figure isn't commonly army built so having several of them stands out in photos. They are good matches for the Nitro Viper and Detonator and those are among my favorite late release items. I could have terrible taste. All are equally likely. But, I like this Flak Viper and will buy all I can find for reasonable prices.
For a very long time, this Flak Viper repaint was cheap. He was never overly easy to find. But, those who did have him didn't care about him. Even into the late 2000's, it was pretty much the same price to get a loose mint figure and a carded figure. Now, pricing is more uneven. Dealers will get as much as $18 for a mint and complete with filecard figure. Yet, on the open market, carded versions of the figure sell for around $15. While the supply isn't as great as an army builder would like, you can get mint and complete figures for just under $10. Missing their gear, the figures can be had for under 1/2 that, too. As with most figures from the line's later years: the perceived dealer rarity far outweighs the actual market desire. So, with patience, you can still get a decently priced Flak Viper army. It may just take a while.
In the mid 2000's I had occasion to acquire a couple of new versions of this figure. Even then, though, the timing never seemed right. A few years later, I began to purge my collection and trim it down. Among the figures who were let go were all my Flak Vipers. (For some reason, at the time, I was only keeping the best coloring of any mold. So, I got rid of tons of excellent repaints since there was at least one "definitive" version that I retained.) I grew to regret that decision and have been slowly rebuilding my neon army. While this Flak Viper is hardly anyone's favorite, there's something about the bright orange offset against the green base that makes for a stupidly fun to own.
There were a couple of figures that I simply never saw at retail during my 1990's trips to the toy store. I'd stumble across a freshly stocked case of Joes at various stores from time to time. But, in every instance, some common figures were already gone. The two who stick out to me the most are the Alley Viper and the Flak Viper. For a couple of years, those two characters mocked me from every cardback I owned. The Flak Viper, especially, looked like an awesome figure. The fact that I could not find one was overly frustrating. So, when I returned to Joe, finding a Flak Viper was an early priority. It was also fairly easy. While '92 Joes were overly common at the time, there was no competition for lots containing them and most of them contained a Flak Viper. In short order, I had a small army of blue and green 1992 Flak Vipers and a single version of this 1993 repainted Flak Viper.
If you look back at that Flak Viper profile I wrote in 1999, I twice call this 1993 figure terrible. And, at the time, I was about the only person who actually liked neon Joes! But, when I wrote that, I only had one, incomplete 1993 Flak Viper figure. It took a couple of years and couple more acquisitions for me to fully appreciate the orange and green goodness that Hasbro offered collectors in 1993. Sure, this figure uses orange as the primary color to offset the base green and grey of the Flak Viper. But, this works for a couple of reasons. First, bright orange figures are a lot of fun. I don't care if you disagree with me because, if you do on this point, you are wrong. :) Second, since the base colors are identical to the 1992 Flak Viper, this version does work well as a different rank or specialty within the Flak Viper corps. Finally, the bright colors do work with some of the vehicles of the 1990's and having a gunner type figure available for the crews is a nice addition to the Cobra army.
But, if we're real for a minute, this figure is not good. The 1992 is light years ahead of this orange version. And, the 2004 Nullifier simply makes both vintage versions obsolete. (The desert version is also pretty good, though very environmentally specific.) Orange, green and grey are not, exactly, complementary colors and the figure is a mish-mash of contrasting brightness. The orange accessories are probably worse than of the colors from the weapon trees that dominate 1993 and 1994 figure releases. But, it is that terribleness that drives my fondness for this figure. You would never see a figure released at retail like this in the 2000's. (One of the charms of Funskool was that they did, though.) Now that collectors dominate the Joe market, fun figures made just for kids are non-existent. As the collector base has aged and kids of the '90's have become a larger part of the fandom, we've seen some homages to neon figures. But, they are done with an eye towards either realism (to the degree it can be) or as straight homages to subsets that the general collecting world finds more palatable when compared against the worst the vintage line had to offer. That's a good thing since the crazy diversity of the vintage line was what made it so much fun. But, we're not, yet, to a point where a figure like this Flak Viper could come out without being accompanied by tremendous collector backlash.
I do wonder what the Hasbro design sessions were like in those days. I'm guessing that many of the brighter colors were mandated based on focus group feedback. (Hasbro loved focus groups.) I can see the designers having to concede which of their creations would have to have the bright colors infused into them. Some choices were likely made out of necessity. And, in cases where we got a brightly colored 1993 repaint of a solid 1992 figure mold, I assume that those were concessions to avoid the brightness on a newly created mold.
1993 and 1994 brought some construction changes to the Joe line. Torsos got bigger and bulkier. It was a way to move the line more towards other action figure stalwarts of the time. In the case of the Flak Viper, though, the larger body works. Seeing the massive missile launcher that the Flak Vipers wear on their backs, you conclude that they must be big and strong. The overly large rifle also adds to the premise that Flak Vipers are larger than your average Cobra Trooper. Through the years, I've attempted a couple of customs using Flak Viper parts. Even the large chest works well with heads from earlier in the '90's. There are some really nice custom Flak Vipers out there. But, they are few and far between since so few people really focus on the line's final years as a source of parts.
The Flak Viper's gear isn't great. Setting aside the fact that it's cast in bright orange plastic, the figure doesn't include all that much. The rifle is interesting. But, it's a little big. I'm not sure how more Flak Vipers don't have snapped thumbs as the rifle features a very thick handle. Even the softer hands of the 2000's era figures is stretched when holding the rifle. The missile launching pack is kind of cool. If it were a little smaller, it would be within the realm of Joe reason. But, the pack had to accommodate the spring loaded firing mechanisms which necessitated the size. The beauty is that the figure works well without the pack. But, if you're going full on neon army, you might as well push the absurd and have the brightly colored figures wearing back-breaking missile launchers on their backs.
For me, this figure's use is limited. There's not a lot of situations that call for an orange and green trooper carrying massive missiles on his back. Despite that, though, I'm fascinated by this figure and want many, many more of them. It might be a simple relic of not being able to find this figure at retail. It could just be the fact that the figure isn't commonly army built so having several of them stands out in photos. They are good matches for the Nitro Viper and Detonator and those are among my favorite late release items. I could have terrible taste. All are equally likely. But, I like this Flak Viper and will buy all I can find for reasonable prices.
For a very long time, this Flak Viper repaint was cheap. He was never overly easy to find. But, those who did have him didn't care about him. Even into the late 2000's, it was pretty much the same price to get a loose mint figure and a carded figure. Now, pricing is more uneven. Dealers will get as much as $18 for a mint and complete with filecard figure. Yet, on the open market, carded versions of the figure sell for around $15. While the supply isn't as great as an army builder would like, you can get mint and complete figures for just under $10. Missing their gear, the figures can be had for under 1/2 that, too. As with most figures from the line's later years: the perceived dealer rarity far outweighs the actual market desire. So, with patience, you can still get a decently priced Flak Viper army. It may just take a while.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
1988 Tiger Force Roadblock - Around the Web
The 1988 Tiger Force Roadblock was one of the final figures I bought as a kid. I found him very early in the year. And, I simply could not pass up a chance to get new Roadblock gear since my brothers had completely broken and lost all of the accessories for our 1984 version. (I had even tried to glue the barrel back to the gun to salvage the weapon!) He's probably the first figure I bought for his gear. By 1992, accessories would be the primary reason I'd buy a figure at retail.
Tiger Force is an incredibly popular subset of Joe collecting. And, Roadblock is a very popular character. But, the Tiger Force Roadblock figure is generally maligned and forgotten. Here's the best of him from around the web.
1988 Tiger Force Roadblock Profile
Tiger Force Roadblock Instagram 01
Tiger Force Roadblock at JoeADay.com
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 02
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 03
Tiger Force Roadblock Video Review
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 04
Tiger Force is an incredibly popular subset of Joe collecting. And, Roadblock is a very popular character. But, the Tiger Force Roadblock figure is generally maligned and forgotten. Here's the best of him from around the web.
1988 Tiger Force Roadblock Profile
Tiger Force Roadblock Instagram 01
Tiger Force Roadblock at JoeADay.com
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 02
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 03
Tiger Force Roadblock Video Review
Tiger Force Roadblock on Instagram 04
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