Funskool Ripper

In the early 2000's, Funskool was churning out G.I. Joe figures.  The series was very popular in India.  And, American dealers had found a willing collecting audience in the U.S., Canada, Europe and other countries.  Alongside their standard releases, Funskool was producing 4 or 5 new figures each year.  In 2002, though, Funskool decided to bring back some out of production favorites.  Despite early lists featuring names like Firefly, the reality was that Flint, Buzzer, Scrap Iron, Beach Head, Airtight and Zarana were among the older releases who were given new life.  Naturally, collectors gobbled these up with gusto.  There was one oddball release, though.  While the other figures were widely available, the Funskool Ripper only showed up in smaller quantities.  This made him both somewhat desirable, but also a great insight into how Funskool produced their Joe figures.

Retailers in India could get pretty much any Funskool figure made if they ordered at least a day's worth of production.  At the time, that was around 3,500 figures.  So, if someone wanted a new run of Beach Head and was willing to pony up the cash for 3,500 of them, Beach Head was going to happen.  Supposedly, a retailer in India wanted Ripper to come back.  They commissioned the production run of him and he was almost exclusively sold by them in India.  However, there were a few leftover cases from the production run that select American dealers were able to acquire.  So, Ripper came over in smaller quantities, originally, than most other figures.  And, were it not for some sales and then the Russian overstock figures, Funskool Rippers would likely be much harder to find today.

The calling card of the Funskool Ripper is the vibrant blue colors that are used.  His pants are a much deeper blue than those on the Hasbro release.  And, the blue and green spots on his shirt are more appealing and bold than his original base.  Funskool blues, though, are very prone to discoloration.  And, most blue Funskool figures from the '80's and '90's are nearly impossible to find without some color degradation.  So far, though, the Russian Rippers and those made in 2002 have held up fairly well and the blue hues remain radiant.  We'll see how the next decade goes, though.  As the Hasbro figure is prone to discoloration, too, it's nice to get a vibrant Ripper but also a bit worrisome as the figure ages.

Like most Funskool figures, Ripper features his full complement of original accessories.  The Funskool versions, though, are flimsier than those made by Hasbro.  The pack and hose are difficult to attach together due to the quality of the materials.  But, as Ripper's gear is an integral part of his character, it's essential that Funskool included it.  As a kid, I always wanted more Ripper rifles to give to other figures.  But, as the Funskool figures started to make Ripper weapons more available, I realized that the bladed firearm is really iconic to Ripper and looks out of place with other figures.  It's perfect for Ripper, though.

For me, though, Ripper is kind of a bland character.  Ignorant thugs have their place.  And, in certain cases, can be useful.  But a moron who just likes to destroy things has limited uses.  You can't trust him on missions as was proven in Issue #30 when he wanted to destroy Skystrikers and thwarted Cobra Commander's plans.  Hired muscle is useful.  But, when they can't even control their most primal urges, those people become liabilities that I wouldn't see the Commander keeping around.  So, the figure got its most use as random street criminals or civilians who were caught in the crossfire between Joe and Cobra.

Funskool Ripper has dozens upon dozens of variants.  The most famous is the purple shirt and glasses version that was available on early Funskool cards.  Mint loose figures of this variant fetch amazingly high prices.  But, the real challenge is tracking down all the slight color variations that exist on the Ripper's who were based on the Hasbro colors.  There are variant hues of blue, green and red.  All of which appear randomly on figures.  Some weird combos were only available as vehicle drivers.  Others changed through the various productions of Ripper.  And, some are probably rarer than the purple version.  Funskool returned Ripper to Hasbro in 2003 and the club used it on a rather banal Ripper repaint in 2004 and then he was released with a new head in a comic pack in 2005.  Neither of these figures is as good as the original or the standard Funskool.  But, Ripper got more life from his mold than it probably deserved.

Funskool Rippers remain cheap when compared to their contemporary releases.  Lots of them were available.  And, his appearance in the Russian sets helps ease the supply of Rippers to this day.  You can still get carded versions for $20-$25.  And, that's probably overpriced.  But, there's few non-dealer options to acquire one for the going market rate.  The price is still pretty ridiculous when you consider how many Funskool Rippers were imported and concentrated in the collector market.  But, modern collectors have forgotten cheap Funskool and have no idea that these figures were available all over the internet for $4 each not that long ago.  As high quality Hasbro Ripper's still only sell for around $20, too, it's up to each person to determine where there money is better spent.  Funskool blue plastic is notorious for discoloring.  But, so is the Hasbro plastic from 1985.  At the end of the day, it's a toss up.  But, personally, I'm fond of the brighter colors on this Ripper and find him useful.  He pops in photos, even if the character is somewhat dim.  In this market, you can do a lot worse than a $20 Dreadnok.  So, the Funskool Ripper is probably a decent value, even at his inflated prices.