2001 HQ Rock and Roll - Random Photos of the Day

I had plans for a different profile, today.  It was about 40% ready to go.  Or, so I thought.  I sat down to finish it and discovered that I had a lot more to write about than I had realized.  And, rather than post it without any narrative of how I use the figure, I decided to postpone that one until January so I have time to do it right.  This has become a theme as I have several profiles of figures I really enjoy in the same state.  I have them started.  But, haven't finished them as I feel I have a lot more to say about the figure.  So, they should get 2026 off to a strong start.

In the meantime, I decided to post some photos of this 2001/2002 Rock and Roll/Flint.  Confused?  Yeah, this figure is a mess.  And, it all started when Hasbro couldn't find the 1989 Rock and Roll mold they had recently recalled from Funskool.  So, this HQ figure was supposed to a 1989 Rock and Roll repaint.  Which might have been OK.  Instead, it is a 1994 Flint repaint that is...just OK.  

The base colors green, dark brown and grey make this figure, basically, a vintage Night Force figure.  He uses the same palette and is the only figure released in the 2000's to feature this color scheme.  In writing this right now, it dawns on me that I need to appropriate this figure as the driver of the Night Rhino instead of the crappy Dusty/Dialtone mash up that discolors the instant it's exposed to air.  You'd have a real Night Force vehicle driven by a real Night Force figure.  When it warms up, again, I'll have to match them up and see how that works out.

Until then, this figure is one of the stronger releases of his era.  The colors are different.  And, they work well on the mold.  The biggest issue is that this figure was designed with a helmet back in 1994.  But, this 2001 version doesn't include one.  I just tried out a 1994 helmet on this 2001 version a couple of days ago.  The result isn't as bad as I thought.  While colors that match the green, brown or grey on the released figure would be better, the tan and black helmet from 1994 doesn't look terrible.  It adds quite a lot to the figure.  And, seeing the body with the intended helmet allows you fully appreciate what the sculptors were going for back in the 1990's.

This figure was packed with a G.I. Joe HQ that was a repainted 1991 HQ.  It was a Toys R Us exclusive and released in different packaging in 2001 and 2002.  It was not popular among collectors of the day.  You'd be hard pressed to find any photos of it in use.  It's one of those disappearing releases from that era that simply vanished due to collector disinterest.  The only reason this figure isn't impossible to find is because massive amounts of overstock were available from Asian sellers in the mid 2000's.  You could get lots of 5 of them for under $10 shipped.  It was a deal.  Some dealers brought over a few and resold them for a couple of bucks each.  Collectors bought some lots to customize.  And, that's made this figure much more possible to find.  

And, frankly, he's worth tracking down.  The colors are nice and Flint should be in Night Force.  This mold is a better match for the 1987 and 1988 repaints than the 1985 Flint mold would be.  And, the colors coincide with the vintage design.  As he's not expensive, he's a worthwhile addition to your collection.  He's a guy I don't use that often.  But, I probably should.  And, if the Night Rhino thing works out, he might see a lot more use.

1983 Silver Pads Grand Slam - Around The Web

Silver Pads Grand Slam remains one of those figures who still carries an aura about him.  It's not an easy figure to find in mint condition.  And, while he's not the most important character in the Joe world, the figure transcends that and remains desirable.  As such, there's some decent content using the figure that's out there.  The striking colors and general rarity make for fun photos.  So, check them out!

Silver Pads Grand Slam Profile - 2000

Silver Pads Grand Slam Profile - 2023

1982 JUMP Profile

Silver Pads Grand Slam Mail Away Overstock

Silver Pads Grand Slam by 00zxcvb

Silver Pads Grand Slam by thedustinmccoy

Silver Pads Grand Slam by gen_liederkranz

Silver Pads Grand Slam by Night Force Tunnel Rat

Silver Pads Grand Slam by doksewage

Silver Pads Grand Slam by steelbrigade

Silver Pads Grand Slam by Night Force Tunnel Rat

Silver Pads Grand Slam by flatline54

Silver Pads Grand Slam by steelbrigade

Silver Pads Grand Slam by doksewage

Silver Pads Grand Slam by gijoe_guy

Silver Pads Grand Slam by steelbrigade

Silver Pads Grand Slam by still_a_big_kid

Silver Pads Grand Slam by evilface

Silver Pads Grand Slam by ftwten

2016 Desert Viper - Red Laser Army

In 1997, Hasbro produced their first Repaint Era (1997 - 2010) Viper update.  The figure was the harbinger of many Vipers to come.  Between 1997 and 2006, Hasbro released no less than 12 repaints of the highly popular mold.  In those releases, Hasbro managed to make a green Viper that (kind of) worked for forest and jungle environments.  Beyond that, though, the rest of the figures were almost entirely amalgamations of typical Cobra colors.  Lost in the sea of banality that were the two toned Hasbro repaints was the fact that the Vipers were never offered in any environmentally themed color schemes.  The 2006 Viper Pit was the perfect (and last!) chance for Hasbro to finally get Vipers into standard colors that could support Cobra's more specialized troopers.  But, they failed to deliver.  About a decade later, though, some new Vipers finally appeared.  Made by Red Laser Army, these figures filled some nice gaps in the Joe line but have also fallen into incredible obscurity.

Red Laser launched with some pretty standard color schemes.  Most of the Vipers were meant to mimic some classic Cobra paint schemes.  The figures were heavy on hues of grey, red, black and some blue.  Among the releases, though, was a straight up desert repaint of the Viper.  Clad in tan with a brown vest, this figure was a simplistic repaint that gave Cobra some effective desert fighters.  In the vintage Joe line, Cobra just the Desert Scorpion figures.  While a great figure, it's a highly specialized mold from a year that makes him a tough figure to acquire in multiples.  In 2009 or so, the first factory custom Cobra Troopers appeared.  Among the first flavors to appear were some desert Troopers.  These finally gave Cobra a force to battle against the multitude of desert colored Joe figures.

The addition of the Viper to the Cobra desert ranks offered not only another option for a desert enemy but a nice bridge between the early Cobra Trooper and the Desert Scorpion figure from 1991.  I've long felt that the backbone of Cobra's army (be in the Trooper or the Viper mold) would have environmentally themed uniforms so they could be effectively deployed in habitats around the world.  Desert Scorpions would still be the specialists who dominated the operations in that theatre.  But, they would be supported by standard Vipers wearing appropriate colors.  Not everyone shares this view, of course.  So, your mileage on the themed Vipers may vary.  But, if you're going to get a dozen color schemes on a mold, at least a couple should cover some of the major environments in which armies tend to operate.  

In 2022 or so, the Black Major introduced a new factory custom Viper mold.  Quickly, this was repainted into dozens of color schemes.  Some were standard Cobra colors.  Some were amazingly different.  And, some are just oddball.  But, now, there are finally Vipers for all seasons.  The Black Major figures, though, do not feature the removable helmet.  Among his repaints are some desert themed figures.  They are different from this Red Laser Army figure.  But, they scratch the itch that any new collector may have for desert themed army builders.  And, as of 2025, they are more readily available and easier to find.

The quality on  this figure is high.  The plastic is good.  The joints are tight.  And, the paint masks are as crisp as any vintage Hasbro figure.  The thumbs, though, are somewhat rigid.  And, the large handles of the Viper rifle make posing the figure with the weapon in his hands a tricky proposition.  I felt that the thumbs would snap when I slipped the stock behind the figure's forearm.  But, 8 years later, they are still intact.  The helmets are also an incredibly tight fit to the figure's head.  So much so that I can barely remove some of them that I've put on.  But, the tightness allows the helmeted figure to appear to be a vintage style Viper head.  It's very difficult to tell that the helmet is removable until you look closely.

The other thing that Red Laser Army brought back to the Viper was the 1986 style paint masks.  Starting in 2002, the retail repaints of the Viper mold skimped on paint masks.  And, that lack of detailing greatly hindered some figures that could have been really nice figures.  The most noticeable impact of the paint masks, though, is that they make this figure appear more in line with vintage Joes.  One of the features of various Joe eras is that they have unique looks in terms of the paint used and the manner in which masks are applied.  This desert Viper is able to bridge some of these eras because the classic paint application hearkens back to the vintage timeline.

One unique aspect of the first wave of Red Laser Army Vipers is that racial variants exist.  They are not just heads, since the figures have bare arms.  So, even helmeted, you can have diversity in your Viper ranks.  You will see two versions in the photos below.  This is another homage to Hasbro's diversity attempts of the early 2000's in the army building sets of that time.  Sadly, the skin tone variants were phased out for later RLA Viper repaints.  But, this desert figure (and some of his contemporary Viper paint jobs) has at least two skin/hair color variants.

These Vipers included three accessories.  The unique release is the removable helmet.  Hasbro never made this accessory.  So, it is all new and only available on the Red Laser Army releases.  The figure then includes a black facsimile of the classic 1986 Viper backpack.  The hallmark, of course, is the return of the 1986 Viper rifle.  This was missing from every Hasbro release after the 1989 Python Patrol Viper included a black version.  The RLA rifle is grey.  But, it's a darker grey than the vintage Hasbro releases.  It's also made of a more rigid plastic that has a distinct feel and sound when it's handled.  All of the RLA vipers included the same rifle. It's return, though, helped spark interest in these figures as the missing original gun was one of collector's biggest gripes about the 2000's era Hasbro Viper releases.

There are quite a few paint jobs of the Red Laser Army Viper figures.  Aside from the army builders that started it all, there were some private runs of figures that are fairly hard to find as well as the mold's inclusion in the "full" set of RLA figures.  There's more than a dozen repaints of the RLA figures that are available.  Some are very similar to others.  And, some of the obscure paint references didn't translate all that well to the Viper sculpt.  But, there are also some gems.  I find the desert to be my personal favorite.  But, as I was living in the desert at the time, the usefulness of the figure to me was likely greater than it was for most other collectors.  

Pricing on these figures is tough.  All the early Red Laser Army Viper repaints sit unsold in the $40 range.  So, their value is well below that.  If you can find some left to the open market, they're about $20 figures.  Which, frankly, seems low for such high quality releases that had so little permeation into the collector community.  But, the dark ages of factory customs that occurred between 2012 and 2017 is filled with some obscure, but high quality figure releases that are all but forgotten by the collecting world.  Many, though, are definitely worth tracking down.  You just have to spend a little bit of time trying to find them.

2003 Inferno BAT - Around The Web II

The Inferno BAT is a figure that's found a solid life in the collecting world.  It's a character that's been ported into various new Joe lines and also been recreated by factory custom makers.  He's become the rare "bright" figure who is acceptable to the general collector base.  

The combination of striking colors and translucent plastic makes for a fun figure that's easy to photograph.  So, you'll find some good content using the figure.  And, this one runs back quite a bit in time to see some more obscure photos.  

2003 Inferno BAT Profile

2003 Inferno BAT Pre-Production Figures

2003 Inferno BAT Around The Web (2019)

2003 Inferno BAT by doksewage

2003 Inferno BAT By Outrider

2003 Inferno BAT by thedustinmccoy

2003 Inferno BAT by gen_liederkranz

2003 Inferno BAT by yorktownjoe

2003 Inferno BAT by darth_beotch

2003 Inferno BAT by zubtoys

2003 Inferno BAT by gijoe_barcelona

2003 Inferno BAT by evilface

1992 Talking Battle Commanders General Hawk

The 1996-1998 G.I. Joe community was made up, almost exclusively, of guys whose childhood Joe years were 1982 through 1985.  You'd see collectors of that era expand their notion of Joe until about 1987.  But, that was a clear demarcation line.  The only time you'd see figures made after this date was for a slate of standard customs.  You'd see a couple of later figures used to make the Oktober Guard.  You'd see a Street Fighter figure used to make the khaki shorts Kwinn.  And, you'd see the Talking Battle Commander Hawk head used to make some, usually villainous general who was looking to take the Joes down from the inside.

The reason this trope was ubiquitous was due to the overall design and quality of the figure's head sculpt.  Aside from the obscuring sunglasses, Hawk's head has a stern look that doesn't denote experience as much as it implies that the person behind the countenance is a huge dick.  More importantly, to collectors of that early era, Hawk was only defined by his 1986 figure.  There were no future Hawk figures to any of those guys.  So, breaking the 1992 figure apart to make up some fictional take on the "Jugglers" was the only acceptable acknowledgement that Hasbro had kept the character in circulation in the 1990's.  

The singular calling card of this General Hawk is his skin tone.  Hasbro went with a sunburnt face and hands for the fleshtone.  It is the only figure in the vintage line with this skin tone.  There's no explanation as to why Hasbro modified their standard flesh colors.  But, it makes this Hawk stand out among his peers.  The skin color is a match for the maroon and tan that comprises the bulk of the figure's color.  It still, though, stands out and makes you wonder what happened to the Hawk character instead of just blending with the rest of the uniform coloring.  It's an odd feature for the figure and is really the most famous discussion point around him.

The figure's base colors are also seldom seen in the Joe line.  The combination of a maroon jacket with golden highlights is a bold choice.  Pairing it with tan pants and offsetting it with some black details wasn't something you'd think would work.  But, the colors are complementary and do create a memorable visual of the figure.  I do think the colors allow this Hawk to blend into the background too easily.  And, he's difficult to pair with other figures who also accentuate his color palette.  More often, Hawk clashes with figures that are both his contemporaries and precedents.  The golden highlights and gear are meant as a way to make the figure appear to be a leader.  But, the gold doesn't improve the figure's regal standing and leaves Hawk as more of an odd man out than the leader that was denoted by his 1986 and, even, 1991 figures.

The overall sculpting of this figure is interesting.  As a standalone piece, the parts fit together, perfectly.  The puffy jacket, tall boots and rectangular head all work together to form a symmetric representation of a person.  When you compare this guy to other figures of his time, though, you start to see that he appears to be a bit out of proportion.  This was accentuated when Hasbro started using his pieces in conjunction with earlier sculpted parts during the 2000's.  It became apparent that this Hawk's legs were too long and his upper body too bulky.  It allows the figure to work on his own.  But, makes him harder to set up with other figures in the line.  His oversized accessories (especially the pistol!) exacerbate this.  And, when you take the weird skin, offbeat base colors, the elongated parts and the comical weapons, you're left with a figure that's never caught on with the collector base.

The Talking Battle Commanders were another gimmick in Hasbro's ever expanding arsenal as the line limped towards cancellation.  The oversized backpacks and electronics were a way to drive up the retail price and put a G.I. Joe item into the $5-$10 price category.  Historically, this level was where you found small vehicles that defined the line.  Many collector favorites exist due to this desired price point.  By the early 1990's, though, vehicles were passe.  And, Hasbro needed something that appeared to be special to justify the higher price tag.  The TBC figures seemed to sell in the $6-$8 range at various retail stores.  They weren't great sellers and the concept was discontinued for 1993.  Large quantities of them made their way to overstock stores of the era for around a $5 price tag.  All of these were high for what you got.  As I was an adult by the time these appeared at retail, the sway of electronic components in a G.I. Joe figure was lost on me.  I'd be curious to hear from younger collectors, though, to see if it was a salient selling point for them and made them want figures like this over the standard retail line that was about 1/2 the price.

The TBC Hawk included some solid accessories.  There is, of course, the massive electronic backpack.  There is a golden antenna that attaches to the top of it.  The talking backpack is screwed on with more fasteners than are worth removing.  They are annoying.  But, once the pack is taken off, you can get down to the essentials.  The figure also includes two golden weapons.  Gold is a rare accessory color.  In some contexts, it worked great.  For Hawk, though, the gold is somewhat distracting.  The color meshes with the figure, though.  It just makes the gear more difficult to port to other figures.  There is an oversized revolver that has a sight on top.  Somehow, the size works with this Hawk, though.  It is the only weapon I tend to use with this mold.  There is also a rifle.  I actually really enjoy this rifle.  It was released ad naseum in silver during the early 2000's and remains my de facto weapon for the 2000 Dusty and all the Mirage repaints from 2002 and 2003.  

This mold ended up with a good life. After the vintage release, it made a surprise appearance in 2000.  Hasbro then released it again in 2002, after they could not find the 1986 Hawk mold but still wanted to release the character.  In 2004, the mold was used for two of the three figures in a convention "Changing Zartan" set.  It was just weird and remains an obscure and unpopular release.  Starting in 2004, Hawks legs started to get used on comic pack figures including Clayton Abernathy and Stalker.  In 2005, the legs and arms were used along with some newly sculpted 1986 Hawk parts to make another Comic Pack Hawk.  Hasbro's infatuation with the parts in the 2000's further soured collectors on the mold.  And, it's taken nearly 25 years for you to start seeing sentiment that the various flavors of this General Hawk are worthwhile figures.

It's recently been discovered that this mold was also planned for a 1994 release.  It would have been included with a machine gun nest that ended up being released as the Battle Bunker in the Sgt. Savage line.  The figure would have used a grey base color and featured bright green highlights.  It would have been a solid repaint.  We don't know if Hasbro would have sculpted a new back piece for the figure or not.  But, grey Joes are few and far between.  So, had this figure been released, it would have been somewhat distinctive.  Personally, I'd still hold the 2002 color scheme as the best release of the mold...even if the 1994 repaint had happened.  But, it's interesting to know that Hasbro wanted to get more use from this mold during the vintage era.

In the end, I want to tell you that I like this figure.  On paper, I should.  He's bizarre enough and obscure enough to be the type of guy that's right up my alley.  But, he's not.  This is a figure that I only acquired because a fellow collector was liquidating his collection and happened to have his cheap as a toss in with a group of figures I actually wanted.  I've only ever taken photos of him, deliberately.  He doesn't work with other figures well enough to warrant appearances outside of shots meant to showcase him.  And, if I want to use the look of this character, both the 2000 and 2002 figures are far better ways to get the head sculpt into a photo.  I simply don't see this guy as Hawk.  His introduction to me as the nameless, shadowy general who has authority over the Joe team is the characterization of him that's stuck with me.  The figure just doesn't have the overall quality to overcome that early association and stand on its own.

The Talking Battle Commander Hawk is not popular.  As such, he remains an incredibly cheap figure to acquire.  While dealers will sell mint and complete figures in the $15 range, you can actually still get carded figures for under $20.  You can still find high quality figures on the open market and can buy them for about $8.  These days, that's about as cheap as you find any vintage Joe.  For that price, it's worth it to have a version of the figure lying around.  The later repaints are better.  But, when you can find something cheap like this Hawk is, you take advantage and add him.  The weird color scheme is well worth the paltry price and gives your collection a weird example of the Joe team's leader.

2004 Urban Assault Night Creeper - Random Photos of the Day

Time has been very kind to the 2004 Urban Assault set.  The blue,  black and silver figures have held up overtly well.  They seem more an example of how Hasbro could get it "right" back in the early 2000's.  Sure, the Stormshadow is still one of the worst versions of the character.  But, every other figure in the set seems to be appreciated, today.

While the Nullifier remains my favorite figure from the set, the Night Creeper has always fascinated me.  My introduction to the Night Creeper was in the comic.  And, it was years later before I acquired the 1990 figure on which the comic character was based.  The figure didn't quite live up to the comic portrayal.  But, it was really close.  In 1998, the Polar Assault version of the Night Creeper showed me more of what the mold could be.  But, the environmentally specific paint job limited him...especially as I lived in a desert at the time.

But, this 2004 Night Creeper might be the best of all.  It is a near perfect Cobra coloring with enough flair to stand apart from other figures of his era.  The cammo can be overkill.  But, it also adds depth that the figure utilizes well.  His gear was the weak spot.  But, it still made sense for a ninja.  Despite my enjoyment of the design, though, I don't use this guy all that often.  I was surprised to find, though, that I had a ton of unpublished photos of him.  Some of these are 8 years old.  It turns out he is a figure I use with a bit of frequency.  But, I never think of when it's time to write something up.

So, take a look at the photos below where I attempt to showcase my appreciate of the figure.  There's still something about him that makes him cooler than I can ever properly capture in a photo.  And, I  like to use him as something more than a simple ninja who bridges the classic '80's ninjas and the more elaborate Ninja Force of the line's final years.  

1993 Cobra Commander - Around The Web

As a kid, I didn't really have a Cobra Commander figure for a long time.  My originals got beaten up.  And, I used our three Hooded versions as Cobra gunners in the Hiss Tank and Asp.  It wasn't until the 1987 version came along that I had a childhood version of the Commander.  He worked well enough.  But, the lack of a solid Commander figure lead to my view of Cobra as an organization.  To me, the Commander was an elected position within Cobra.  And, it was a position that changed.  Some guys would aspire to the position.  Others, like Destro, turned it down to retain his own interests.   I'd never really thought about why the Commander wasn't a huge part of my childhood when it came to figures.  

The 1993 version remains my preferred Cobra Commander.  He's perfect in most situations.  He looks great with any figures after the 1984 swivel heads.  He was a perfect update to the character.  I'm among the few who really appreciate this figure, though.  He's among the least used Cobra Commander figures.  Below, you'll find some content on him that I've saved over the years.  I'm sure there's more out there.  But, it's tough to find and buried by horrid algorithms that have rendered much of the Joe community completely useless.

1993 Cobra Commander Profile - 2000

1993 Cobra Commander Profile - 2016

1993 Cobra Commander by dru.bu_86

1993 Cobra Commander on Reddit

1993 Cobra Commander by toysandtomfoolery

1993 Cobra Commander by HCC78

1993 Cobra Commander by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1993 Cobra Commander by toysandtomfoolery

1993 Cobra Commander by codename.steve

1993 Cobra Commander by misteriouscollector

1993 Cobra Commander by go.joes.go

2002 Gift Set Firefly - Random Photos of the Day

 Between 1998 and 2005, there were too many Fireflies.  Hasbro repainted the mold every chance they got.  The thing is, though, most of the repaints were pretty good.  And, 20+ years later, it's nice to have a rainbow of Firefly figures to choose from.  Among all the Cobra blue, grey, black and unproduced homage Firefly figures, we also got something completely weird: the 2002 Gift Set Firefly.

There's no reason for this figure to exist.  But, I'm glad it does.  We get Firefly in a red color that isn't crimson and, really, isn't even all that Cobra.  It's bright and vibrant.  He's offset by a greyish-blue hue that's used to color in his details.  If that weren't enough, he's wearing gold boots.  But, the best part is that his head is a poo-brown mask.  If this sounds a bit ridiculous, that's because it is. 

But, somehow, this figure works.  It works because Hasbro didn't do enough offbeat stuff during the repaint era.  And, it works because, after tons of great repaints, good molds also need to exist in far out colors that are non-sensical for the character.  It gives the line some life when it everyone wanted it to be "super duper pooper scooper serious".  

I really enjoy using this figure.  He's an interesting substitute for the multitudes of Firefly figures you normally see.  If I had to rank Firefly figures, this one would be in the bottom two: maybe even the worst Firefly.  Despite that, it's a fun figure to have around, if only to brighten up a collection that may take itself too seriously.

2023 Fail Safe - Around The Web

I had grandiose plans for a more ambitious post today.  But, life and really cold weather intervened.  So, I dip into the 600+ drafts for something that's close to ready.  And, all this Fail Safe content just called to me.  Hard to believe it's been almost three years since the Skystriker was shipped.  Been four years since it was announced.  And, while the plane, itself, has all but disappeared from online content, a few figures from the set do continue to appear with frequency.  

Fail Safe is one such figure.  You'll see a ton of great uses of him in the photos below.  (I had just one photo ready to go.  But, don't see me getting him out for any more in the near future.)  He's a solid figure.  The quality is iffy.  But, the visual is pretty strong.  For a premium set figure, he's not terrible.  And, I'm glad he's still hanging on in the community.

2023 Fail Safe Profile

2023 Fail Safe by flatline54

2023 Fail Safe by joe_hunter73

2023 Fail Safe by gen_liederkrantz

2023 Fail Safe by darth beotch

2023 Fail Safe by Dok Sewage

2023 Fail Safe by evilface

2023 Fail Safe by viper_space

2023 Fail Safe by flatline54

2023 Fail Safe by doksewage

2023 Fail Safe by yo_joe_it

1993 Frostbite - Random Photos of the Day

Last year was a great snow year.  We get a ton of snow that lingered for over a week.  During that time, I took hundreds of photos...getting many figures outside in the snow that I've always wanted to photograph in that environment.  Some were just normal figures that looked great against the white background.  Others, like the 1993 Frostbite, are meant for the snow.  And, I took advantage of that to get several different photo shoots using the figure.

I found the 1993 Frostbite at a KB Toy Store in the mid 1990's.  They had, Backblast and Keel Haul: figures I had never seen anywhere else at retail.  From the moment I opened the figure, I found this updated Frostbite a more than worthy successor to the original.  The design just spoke to me.  He was the exact type of figure I was interested in during my early adult foray into toy collecting.  And, to this day, he holds a special place for that reason.  So, check out the photos below as I await the weather this year to see if we get another great week of snow photos.

1994 Metal Head - Around The Web II

The 1994 Metal Head is one of those figures that I just like.  I use him way more often than his popularity should suggest.  But, his colors and sculpt make for a great combo.  The silver, purple and black work perfectly together.  And, his head sculpt is one of the most distinctive in the line's history.  The figure doesn't have the bulk of some other 1994 releases, either.  So, it blends nicely with earlier figures from the line.

On top of that, this Metal Head was one of the few Cobras I was able to find at retail back in the mid 1990's.  So, he's been around a while and I have a nostalgic attachment to him.  That's lead to a profile, an Around The Web from 2017 and even a Random Photos of the day post.  So, I've used him quite a bit.  So, here's some more content on him that you can peruse.  

1994 Metal Head Profile

1994 Metal Head Random Photos of the Day

1994 Metal Head Around the Web (2017)

1994 Metal Head at Nekoman's Viper Pit

1994 Metal Head by fun_time_at_serpentors_lair

1994 Metal Head by HCC788

1994 Metal Head by viper_space

1994 Metal Head by gijoekorea

1994 Metal Head by toysandtomfoolery

1994 Action Sailor

Twenty five years ago, today, I wrote about the second version of the 1994 Action Sailor.  The orange wetsuit made for a compelling figure.  In that profile, though, I also showcased the original, single boxed version of the figure that wore a black wetsuit.  This original Action Sailor is less visually interesting than his repaint.  But, the Sailor is the final member of the Action Series quartet that I've profiled and is a vital piece of Joe history.

As part of G.I. Joe's 30th anniversary, Hasbro rolled out a solid lineup of commemorative products.  They heavily focused on the burgeoning 12" figures as it was a space that was growing and was a direct homage to Joe's 12" origins.  There were some 3 3/4" products, too.  The crown jewel was supposed to be the 3 3/4" Joseph Colton figure.  And, collectors bought that in such numbers that he remains an easy and cheap acquisition to this day.  The retail throwbacks, though, were 4 individually boxed figures that were imitations of early 12" Joe figures.  The Soldier, Marine, Pilot and Sailor all came in individual boxes with artwork meant to evoke those first 12" figures.  There was also a boxed set with some paint variations and a new Astronaut figure to round out the product line.  

The entire point of these figures was to draw in the emerging adult collector market.  By 1994, adults were enough of a market that targeting products to them made sense.  Kids would buy up the rest.  And, by 1995, with the return of the Star Wars line to retail, the notion of a collector friendly toy line became mainstream.  In the case of the 30th Anniversary Joes, though, the appeal to adults meant higher prices, special packaging and extra accessories.  On some level it worked.  But, on  another, it failed.  The 30th Anniversary figures were bought up.  But, most were left boxed and unwanted.  When the failed to take off on the secondary market, disappointed 12" collectors liquidated them, often for below the original retail price.  And, even in 2025, the figures remain common and affordable.

I do have one memory of seeing the 30th Anniversary boxed set of 5 figures at a Toys R Us on a busy day right before Christmas in 1994.  It was a big set that was expensive.  For someone who was working in a deli for 10 days to raise enough money to survive the entire next semester without working again, it was just too much.  So, I bought some other carded Joes that day that were more affordable.  I don't remember much about the set: other than knowing it existed.  And, I forgot about it until 1999 or so.  At that point, I became obsessed with the Action Series figures.  They were cheap at the time ($5 for less for a boxed figure) and very available.  No one wanted them.  So, for a few weeks, I snatched up multiples of most of the figures with intentions of army building them.  Once I had a few in my collection, though, my interest in the figures cooled.  This was both a combination of them no longer being new and also a result of my finding the figures not as exciting as I had hoped one I had them in hand.  So, my quick obsession turned into a memory as I moved on to other areas of collecting.

In 2000, I had my first pool.  So, divers were a priority.  By then, though, the notion of using the Action Sailor had somewhat passed.  I was high on the 1998 Diver set.  And, they were my focus for army building diver figures.  I did get the Action Sailors out.  And, one of the very few photos I have of the waterfall that fell into that first pool features both versions of the 1994 Action Sailor.  In 2001, no one really photographed the figure.  (Not too many people photographed Joes, in general as digital cameras were just becoming a thing.)  So, I wanted to take a chance to showcase the figure and that it was cool.  

When I opened my first version of this figure, I found him odd.  There was something about the figure that seemed...off.  Sure, the design was an homage to a frogman from the 1960's.  But, that was fine.  It was the actual figure, though, that felt a bit out of place.  Part of that is the scuffed up mask.  This was an intentional choice by Hasbro.  (Originally, the mask was going to be orange and the figure appears that way in  the 1994 Toy Fair Catalog.)  And, it makes every figure appear to be worn.  It was disconcerting to see on a figure fresh from his box.  The gear didn't help.  It is awkward to attach the figure's hose.  It fits great once it's in place.  But, getting it there is more of a hassle than it should be.  The sled and backpack, though, also felt cheap.  They were hollow.  This was a hallmark of a knockoff line trying to save pennies rather than G.I. Joe where quality was the calling card of the brand.  

The Action Sailor has ended up being my least used member of the Action Series.  I've rarely used him in photos.  When I do get him out, he provides some visual interest since you don't often see the figure used in Joe photography.  But, it's difficult to find a setting where his appearance makes sense.  His gear and sculpt really require him to be used in water.  His retro design and coloring, though, makes him a tough match for later Joe vehicles that are contemporary to his release.  He can work on the Whale.  But, even there, he feels like a relic.  The lack of characterization means he's perfect for army building.  Again, though, there are other diver figures in the line who are also prime for army building and include better gear with more intricate colors.  

The Action Sailor's sculpt is an excellent example of where less is more.  At first blush, the figure sculpt appears bland.  But, once you get past the all back obfuscation of the sculpted details, you realize that there's a little bit going on with the Sailor's mold.  It is, easily, the best sculpt of the 5 Action Series figures.  The figure has straps that suggest they hold his air tanks in place.  (The Action Marine is missing anything to hold his pack to his body.)  There is a silver zipper on the front of the wetsuit.  His dive belt features weights and is far more intricate than other belts on his series mates.  The final detail is a shin knife sculpted on the figure's right foot.  It's a small detail.  But, everything adds up to make the Sailor more intricate that he, at first, appears to be.  

The Action Sailor's gear is interesting, useful and ridiculous.  To start with, all of his gear is bright blue.  Wearing it gives the Sailor more visual depth.  The orange Action Sailor does include black accessories.  But, putting the black gear on the all black body simply washes the figure out and makes the gear difficult to discern.  So, the blue gear is better on the single boxed figure.  The figure includes a good amount of gear.  There is an air tank backpack.  To this, attaches a hose that wraps around the figure's head.  It features a pin that plugs into the Sailor's face to affix the hose in place.  The figure also includes two flippers and a flashlight that are similar to those from the 1986 Wet Suit.  His features a long spear gun.  As spear guns go, it's the weakest design in a line that is full of far better renditions of this underwater weapon.  It works with the figure.  But, overall, it's weak.  The package is rounded out by the requisite spring loaded missile launcher and missile.  The oversized accessory that was used to justify the higher retail price is a sea sled.  It's the lamest of the additional set pieces included with the four figures.  It looks cheap and out of place among Joe accessories.  Again, there are many sea sled like accessories in the line.  And, they are all better than this one.  But, it's big, blue and hard to miss.  So, it was used to justify a higher retail price tag.

The Action Sailor was used twice.  Both were in 1994 and were, basically, concurrent releases.  The black version  was available as a single figure in a box.  And, the orange repaint was available as part of the 5 figure gift set.  The mold didn't reappear again.  In the late '90's, a company made some keychains that were based on the Action Series figure molds.  You can find both orange and black Action Sailor keychains.  When they were a $2 novelty, the keychains could have some value.  But, you're far better off tracking down the actual figures.  It's certain that Hasbro had the Action Series molds in the early 2000's.  But, the Sailor never reappeared.  That's probably not a bad thing since we got plenty of better diver sculpts, characters, colors and gear from the figures that Hasbro released instead.  

None of the Action Series figures are popular.  And, they all exist in massive quantities.  (It's likely they are more common than any other 1994 G.I. Joe releases.)  This combination leaves you with a very cheap to acquire figure, these days.  While dealers will ask an average of $25 for a loose, mint and complete figure, you can buy all the boxed figures you want for around $17, each.  That's the only way to go.  And, if you want to get a lot of all four of the 30th Anniversary boxed figures, you can often lower the overall price to well under $15 per figure.  It's a paltry sum for a Joe figure.  So, there's no reason that price or availability is a barrier to owning the Action Sailor.  Desire, though, likely is the reason you don't have one.  Every diver figure in the line is better than the Action Sailor.  His value is as both an homage and an oddity.  Outside of that, there's little reason to bother with the character.  

2019 Night Force Snake Eyes - Black Major Exclusive

I've looked at two of the many flavors of the Black Major V2 Snake Eyes figures already.  There isn't much to say about a mold that was criminally underused and is now the exact opposite.  But, sometimes, a figure hits you in a way you weren't expecting.  I'm not a huge fan of the vintage Night Force subset.  To me, all the figures look the same.  Having one or two in the Night Force colors is really cool.  But, having 12 of them is just a boring, banal team that really flies in the face of what Joe is supposed to be.  But, it remains the most popular vintage Joe subset and really is something that needed a few more members.  Especially when you consider that Snake Eyes was not part of the original team.  Fortunately, Black Major corrected that in 2019.

On the one hand, Snake Eyes' absence from Night Force in non-sensical.  Of any Joe, Snake Eyes seems the singular, logical choice to either lead the team or at least be part of it.  I can only imagine what the pricing would be today had the 1985 Snake Eyes mold gotten its only repaint in the 1988 or 1989 Toys R Us exclusive Night Force sets.  But, his omission has more to do with the peculiarities of his release years and their lack of overlap with the TRU sets.  I actually have to give Hasbro credit for not including Snake Eyes in the 2004 Night Force set since Snake Eyes was overused at the time.  Though, the 1989 Snake Eyes mold in 2004 Night Force green might have been pretty cool.

The 1985 Snake Eyes holds a prominent place in my collection.  In 1985, I was reading the Joe comic and was well versed in Snake Eyes being the most prominent character.  His new figure personified everything that kids of that era wanted Snake Eyes to be.  He was still a commando at heart.  But, now had a ninja element, too, so he could battle the best Cobra figure ever released in the 1984 Stormshadow.  As such, to me, the 1985 sculpt is Snake Eyes.  Even moreso than his 1982 original design.  The placement of this figure at such a prominent point of my childhood blinded me to the obvious weaknesses in the figure's design, though.

As Black Major repainted the mold in a variety of colors, my blinders to the sculpt began to fade away.  I would now see that the head is a little bizarre, with the sculpted mouth.  The figure also has a little pooch in his stomach.  These flaws, though, were offset by finally seeing the mold painted in a way that accentuated the details that made us all fall in love with the figure back in 1985.  So, I still hold 1985 Snake Eyes repaints in higher regard than they might deserve.  There's something about this mold that remains magical due to its prominent placement during my childhood.  It's helpful to understand those old feelings and how they shape my view of toys based on the classic figure.  And, it's why I try to stay out of very valid debates about how good this figure actually is.  To me, I can't have a rational debate over a toy that was so central in my formative years.

It's interesting to me that I've owned a version of the 1985 Snake Eyes for 40 years, now.  Despite that, I still don't feel I've ever adequately appreciated the figure.  It always seems like I can not do anything that lives up to the greatness of this mold.  Photos don't do it justice.  Paint jobs make it better, but it still seems like there's more to be done.  This is legacy that is hanging on from childhood.  The result of these inadequacies is that I don't use 1985 Snake Eyes figures as often as I should.  He'd work great in many photos.  But, I end up taking one of the repaint era figures based on the 1991 or 1983 Snake Eyes instead.  With those figures, I never worry about capturing the essence of the figure in a perfect way.  With the 1985 mold, I want to do that.  And, I've scrapped many photos and writings about the 1985 mold for that very reason.

This Night Force version of the figure got a bit of use for a while.  I loved the added colors on the character.  But, since then, the figure has stagnated.  I haven't taken a photo of him in years.  Other Snake Eyes colorings have grabbed my attention and are more likely to be used.  And, I'm not sure why that is.  I still really enjoy this color scheme on the mold.  But, it suffers from the general malaise that I feel towards using this classic look for Snake Eyes.  I'll choose other Snake Eyes costumes long before I turn to the '85.  In some ways, I should rectify that.  The '85 is still my preferred look for Snake Eyes.  And, using some of these older Black Major colors does give photos more flair.  It's supposed to rain tomorrow.  Maybe, I'll take this figure down to the creek and try to find a cool spot for a showcase.  

Aside from one detail, this Snake Eyes uses colors that are callbacks to the vintage Night Force figures.  The black base and grey pants match up with the standard motif of the vintage era.  And, the green highlights hearken back to the Toys R Us figures using that color, too.  None of the colors on the Snake Eyes are an exact match for the vintage figures, though.  He's one of those guys who looks good on his own.  But, if you posed him with the '88 or '89 figures, you'd notice that his coloring is off.  The main difference, though, is the red visor.  The red is somewhat of an homage to the red highlights used on Night Force vehicles and isn't a feature of the vintage figures.  It actually kind of works for me, though.  It gives the Snake Eyes more visual distinction from his other figures.  And, it also allows you to use this as an alternate look for Snake Eyes rather than just a Night Force addition.

My favorite element of this Snake Eyes is his accessory color.  While the figure includes the full complement of 1985 Snake Eyes gear (backpack, Uzi, sword and wolf), it is the base, brown color of the figure's gear that is most striking.  The rich hue isn't often seen.  And, while it may not make sense for a sword or firearm, it looks cool.  I'm a sucker for oddball accessory colors.  And, this Snake Eyes pulls it off with aplomb.  (There's tons of Black Major Snake Eyes gear available in more standard colors, now, should you want to give the figure more traditional weapon colors.)  The brown is a nice offset to the black and green base.  It complements the figure's coloring and gives him even more pizazz.  

The Night Force Snake Eyes is of decent quality.  In 2020, the Snake Eyes mold began to wear out.  And, some of the later paint jobs tend to have loose arms.  But, that doesn't affect this Night Force version.  The backpack mold, though, has a flaw that prevents the sword from fitting into the slots.  It's annoying as it renders one of the better features of Snake Eyes' accessories moot.  You can awkwardly slide it in, sideways.  But, it's precarious, at best.  Aside from this, though, the figure is solid and works very well with vintage figures.

When this figure was first released, he was only available to those who purchased an entire 9 figure set of Snake Eyes repaints.  After that, a few select figures were raffled off.  And, a few were sold on auction sites.  Those figures started over $100 and continued to sell for $70+ for quite some time.  By the fall of 2019, though, the figure had fallen in price and you could get one under $30 at online auction sites.  As with all Black Major figures, future pricing is tough.  Were there fewer Night Force Snake Eyes figures made than the other repaints that were released at the same time?  Will collectors continue to want this particular paint job when there are, literally, at least 18* others to choose from?  If you like the figure and find it at a price you like, snatch it up.  The one constant is that after factory customs sell out, they get harder to find.  So, even if the figure drops in price, tracking one down might be worth the extra bucks today.

*I started writing this profile in April of 2020.  I just got around to finishing it, more than 5 years later.  Now, there's dozens of '85 Snake Eyes repaints available.  Some are great.  Some are bad.  And, some are weird.  But, there's something for everyone.  This Night Force version sits, unsold, at $40.  And, his contemporaries seem to have settled in the $25-$30 range.  That's a good starting point should you want to buy this Snake Eyes in 2025.