1993 Street Fighter II Blanka

I returned to collecting as a college student in the mid 1990's.  While I dabbled a bit between 1992 and 1994, I didn't really start looking for Joe figures in earnest until 1995.  By then, most of the figures were gone from retail stores.  You could find some here and there at Targets, Wal Marts or K-Marts.  Toys R Us, though, usually had the largest stock.  While they'd still get straggler cases of 1993 or 1994 Battle Corps from time to time, most of their stock was unsold figures from prior years.  These were dominated by Shadow Ninjas, Armor Tech Star Brigade, Ninja Force and the Street Fighter figures that were, for some reason, incorporated into the Joe line.  I stared at these figures dozens of times as a young 20 something collector who had to be choosy with his figure purchases.  I only partook of one figure: a Ninja Force Night Creeper.  Many times, though, I perused the Street Fighter figures.  Some had black accessories, which was always a reason to buy a figure.  Well, almost always.  I simply couldn't reconcile the Street Fighter name in the Joe line.  And, oddball figures like Blanka just made it worse.  

As I got deeper into the collecting well, this attitude didn't much change.  Even in my heyday of buying lots of 1993 figures, I rarely found Street Fighter figures among the collections.  As I had no affinity for the Street Fighter franchise, the figures held zero appeal to me.  As I continued collecting into the 2000's, I still felt the same.  Around 2015, though, my opinions started to change.  I appreciate oddball G.I. Joe figures more than most people.  And, the Street Fighter line was full of them.  And, they were figures I had never owned.  But, at the time, my priorities were more on rebuilding the collection I had sold away a few years prior.  So, I ignored Street Fighter figures as I built out my ranks of other figures who had been banished a few years earlier.  By the time I started looking at Street Fighter figures, I was shocked to find that not only had they gotten harder to find, they were also now substantially more expensive that I would have ever imagined.  With all things Joe, though, patience pays off.  And, a cheap Blanka figure fell into my lap.  With it, I found that I was both correct in my assessment of these figures from 1995, but also correct in my current stance that the figures are well worth collecting.

I really don't know what to do with Blanka.  But, he works in the context of the Mega Marines and even the Lunartix.  I see him as an experiment of Dr. Mindbender's that went awry.  Blanka was meant to be an enhanced human with super strength, etc.  But, it didn't work and the green monstrosity was the ensuing result.  The colors work well with other 1993 figures and that allows for the Blanka figure to have some use.  I do like the green color.  And, it mixes well with the figure's purple gear.  I've found that he is often used in context with some of the Ninja Force as I tend to see him as an edged weapon specialist.  It's not a huge use for the figure.  But, it keeps the figure around and allows me to appreciate the colorful visuals the figure offers.

Blanka's most famous use was as the head for the 2008 convention Hotwire figure.  It was an odd release and looks bizarre.  But, it kind of works.  The rest of the Blanka figure is reused from the 1988 Road Pig.  The figure is also available with blue skin as the driver of the Beast Blaster.  And, there's another Blanka in the Street Fighter Movie line that features this same head as well as a new body.  Due to the green skin, it's difficult to see this figure and Road Pig as so similar.  So, that shows a good reuse of some existing parts.  

Blanka's accessories are just OK.  His gear is purple.  But, purple is a great accent color with green, so the combo works really well.  He includes a 1988 Shockwave knife, 1992 Destro rifle, 1990 Rock Viper rifle as well as the requisite missiles and spring loaded launcher.  The main draw of the accessories, though, is that Blanka includes a grappling hook and rope that can be used in conjunction with the launcher.  The weapons aren't my favorites.  But, I do find the knife to be a good accessory for the character.  

Street Fighter figures went from worthless to desired.  Even a decade ago, you could buy carded lots of the figure for a few bucks each.  Single carded figures would sell for $10, if they sold at all.  Now, though, much of the Street Fighter stock has dried up.  And, demand has increased not only from old collectors finally acquiescing and acquiring these figures to complete their collections, but also from Street Fighter fans who have found the series and buy it for its nostalgic bent.  As 2021 winds down, though, you're starting to see waning interest.  While loose, mint and complete figures were selling for $20 or more with regularity at the end of 2020, they now sit unsold for $10-$12.  Dealers sell an appalling amount of carded figures for $70 and even some loose figures for $30.  But, this is becoming less common.  So, it could be that Blanka's time has passed, again.  Which isn't a bad thing.  This guy is an oddball.  And, usually, I like oddball figures.  But, the biases of my younger days still hold and I don't find that many uses for Blanka these days.