Funskool Beach Head

As my collection has grown, I find that my preferences for figures changes.  While I once held the figures from my childhood in the highest esteem, I am now more open to their flaws.  And, as such, I've discovered that some of my childhood favorites are simply no longer even considered as candidates for photos or profiles.  Many later acquisitions, though, have held up better.  But, even figures I first acquired in the 1990's have suffered from my expanding roster of figure options.  It doesn't mean these old favorites are bad.  I just like other options better.  This became very evident to me, though, when I recently commented on a photo of the Funskool Beach Head figure.  This figure has now been in my collection for so long that I consider him a staple who feels as if he's always been there.  And, in a fleeting moment as I typed, I realized that the Funskool Beach Head, in his lime green glory, has completely and utterly replaced the 1986 Beach Head as the de facto version of the character in my collection.  As my profile of that figure from 2014 is dated and sparse, it gave rise to an opportunity to revisit a figure that, truly, has become one of my favorites in the long and vast history of the Joe line.

We first have to look at the history of the Funskool Beach Head in general.  He is one of the earliest Funskool offerings, dating to at least 1995 and maybe even earlier.  From the beginning, though, the figure was not colored like the American release.  This is rather odd.  We know that Hasbro was very adamant in maintaining consistent looks for certain characters.  This is why the oddly colored Funskool releases in the early days were accompanied by other variants of the figure that were more in line with the original coloring.  Only characters that Hasbro no longer cared about were left to be fully "Funskooled" with bright colors.  Beach Head doesn't seem a candidate for this treatment since he was prominent in the early cartoon and was always a collector favorite.  But, you can also make an argument that his departure from the more muted greens of the Hasbro release are less a change than something like a bright yellow and blue Major Bludd.  Early Beach Heads had some darker green base colors.  But, they were offset with a bright yellow vest with matching blood red highlights and head.  These monsters are rare and expensive.  So, in contrast, the lime green variants that came later seem more in line with the U.S. figure.  

Once the lime green figure came to be, they were released for a long time.  During the years preceding 2001 or so, Funskool produced tons of minor variants of the figure.  There are brown eyebrows, black eyebrows, dark grey highlights, light grey highlights, black hands, green hands and various colors of vests, blue cammo and brown pants.  If that's not enough, there are black guns, light grey guns, dark grey guns, dark green backpacks, black backpacks, lime green backpacks and hard and soft satchels.  It's probably impossible to document all the combos any more.  But, there are dozens of variants.  But, when Funskool imports to the U.S. began at toy dealers in 2001, Beach Head had been out of production for a while.  A few lucky collectors were able to find old bagged samples as vehicle drivers in the influx of Funskool vehicles of the day.  But, generally, Beach Head was out of circulation and hard to find.  But, in 2002, Funskool brought back a few old favorites.  Along with Flint, Airtight, Scrap Iron, Zarana, Buzzer and Ripper, Beach Head returned to production.  Between 2002 and 2003, there are, again, many slight coloring variants.  In 2003, Hasbro got the mold back.  And, thus ended one of Funskool's most popular, enduring and iconic figures.  

So, now, we revert back to before all that happened: to 1986.  In this year, Hasbro released Beach Head.  The figure quickly became a favorite of all my Joe collecting friends.  He was kind of like Snake Eyes with the masked head.  But, he had very militaristic gear and definitely filled a different role than the Joe's silent icon ever would.  And, he became one of my favorite figures, too.  He and Leatherneck formed a team that lead many adventures in my room, my grandparents' backyard or the front steps of my grandfather's home in Buffalo.  He went everywhere and was a vital part of my collection.  Until he wasn't.  One reason is that I left a Leatherneck figure in the hemlock bushes next to those limestone steps in Buffalo.  I didn't get a new one for a year.  Another reason is that I broke Beach Head's ammo pack and I hated breaking accessories.  I then used the figure as pieces for new, custom characters.  Eventually, I replaced both Beach Head and Leatherneck and had solid versions to use.  But, by then, the 1987's were overtaking my collection and Beach Head kind of fell away.  As an adult, I was slow to take the figure back up.  He was a figure that looked cool.  But, I had lots of newer options that filled the same purpose when I went to take photos.

In very early 2002, long before Funskool announced the figure would return to production, I was able to trade for a bagged vehicle driver Funskool Beach Head.  He arrived in my mailbox one snowy Saturday and the figure immediately captured my attention.  The lime green was just as striking as I had imagined (there were few photos of the figure online in those days) and he was everything I wanted in a foreign repaint.  Suddenly, I found this figure appearing in some of my photos...photos that would never have included the American figure.  The brighter colors popped against dark backgrounds.  But, at the same time, the general overall hues worked.  He wasn't the Funskool Wild Bill, all decked out in orange.  He had the basics that allowed him to be useful along with more traditional Joe figures.  But, he had added visual appeal that garnered attention when he was showcased.  When the carded Beach Heads were released a few months later, I picked up a couple to get both his gear but also a carded sample of a classic character.  In the ensuing years, I acquired a few more and now have half a dozen samples here that remain a hallmark of my photo repertoire.  

Because of all that, I now view the Funskool lime green version as the default for Beach Head.  I rarely even consider the U.S. figure at all any more.  It's an interesting phenomenon as it speaks to the changing nature of being a collector.  I've owned this figure for nearly 20 years.  In that time, I've taken thousands of Joe photos.  And, I've easily spent more time on the hobby in that time than I did between 1986 and 1987: when the American Beach Head would have been at his apex.  But, the more exuberant green has turned the Funskool figure into my main vision of the Beach Head character.  When I see the Classified Beach Head as an homage figure, I first think that the color is wrong.  Then, I remember that the lime green I associate with the character is actually his foreign variant.  It's weird.  But, it also is normal.

My main interest in the figure is the striking visual he represents when placed in various photos or when combined with other figures.  But, also, the more vibrant Funskool colors allow for me to really appreciate all of the subtle details on Beach Head's mold.  His red shoulder really stands out.  And, the lighter browns and blues that comprise his legs also seem to be better offset against the brighter color.  In short, he's just more fun to look at.  And, because of that, this Beach Head has found a very valuable place among my most used figures.  He drives vehicles, sits in the background or dominates a photo.  I have a couple just so I can display in different locations all at once.  While he may not hold this presence over other collectors, he does to me.  And, so, for that reason, he is Beach Head in my collection.

The upside to Funskool was that they included all of Beach Head's original gear.  The Russian figures and the 2002/2003 re-releases all include a dark green backpack.  It's tough to see at times.  But, it's definitely green and also allows you to better see the details of Beach Head's pack.  The rifle included with the Funskool figure is lighter in color than the Hasbro release.  There are versions that can be darker and tougher to differentiate.  But, the later releases are visually distinctive and can be flimsy at times.  Beach Head's ammo pack is also brittle.  It will snap if you toss it over the figure's chest too many times.  And, it's not unheard of to find dried out ones that have already snapped while still on the card.  So, the Funskool accessories really aren't better than the 1986 Hasbro versions.  But, they are easier and cheaper to acquire...kind of.

Beach Head got the standard two year release by Hasbro.  He then disappeared.  A huge number of 1986 molds were released in Brazil.  But, Beach Head was not among them.  As he appeared early in the Funskool line, though, there's more than enough to collect.  You could probably find 100 Beach Head variants if you looked long enough.  And, much of his mold was also used on the Funskool Skydiver figure, offering you some additional parts colors to play with.  Funskool returned Beach Head to Hasbro in 2003, though.  Collectors wanted the figure, even though he was readily and cheaply available from US importers.  In 2004, the club released a Tiger Force Beach Head.  The figure is interesting and actually looks great next to the Funskool version.  Sadly, this figure didn't include Beach Head's original gear.  Which, was odd since the Dreadnoks who had also been recalled from India and were first used in this set did have their original weapon molds.  In 2004, Hasbro dropped Beach Head into the Toys R Us exclusive Night Force set.  Again, his original gear was gone.  And, that was the end.  A desert Beach Head would have been cool.  As would have an Arctic Beach Head.  So, there's still life in the mold since he's such a popular character.  Perhaps we'll see him from Pulse.  But, that will likely be either a 1986 homage or a cartoon appearance color scheme.  (Which, would be OK.)

Funskool Beach Head pricing is based on the variant.  Some bagged vehicle drivers just missing the gloves will fetch $300 or more.  But, the reality is that carded figures from the 2002 - 2004 production runs (including a widely available Russian exclusive) were heavily imported.  Collectors bought up the figure in droves due to the classic gear and the fact that, at the time, American Beach Heads were substantially more expensive than the $4 that a carded Funskool version would set you back.  Tons of collectors bought the Funskool figure just for the gear and used it on their American figures.  Now, that popularity has lead to a more common and easy to find Funskool offering.  Carded Beach Heads remain common.  But, they will run you between $30 and $50 depending upon various nuances or impatient buyers.  Loose figures are harder to find and still command a premium.  You'll probably spend $20 or more to get a mint and complete version.  But, seeing as how American Beach Heads appear to be $50 loose figures these days, even the carded price is a palatable option.