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.

Funskool Lady Jaye - Around The Web

There are many different Funskool Lady Jaye figures.  Some are more interesting than others.  My version  of the figure isn't too far off from the Hasbro release.  Her colors are a bit brighter.  And, most noticeably, her face paint application is poor.  So, it's not much of a difference from the 1985 Lady Jaye.  But, I've always liked Funskool figures and appreciate foreign releases with slight nuanced differences from the Hasbro figure.

There's not a ton of content on this figure out there since she's not all that common.  Heck, the photos you see below were taken 8 years apart.  I don't even use her that often.  The figure is definitely one you don't see often enough.  So, take a look at what little I could find.  

Funskool Lady Jaye Profile

Funskool Lady Jaye by kushviper

Funskool Lady Jaye by v1per_p1ilot

Funskool Lady Jaye by toysjoy357

Funskool Lady Jaye by aicrtm

Funskool Lady Jaye by ogtoys

Funskool Lady Jaye by v1per_p1lot

Alado - Plastirama Crazylegs (Argentina)

Crazylegs is not a figure that mattered to me during my childhood.  In fact, I kind of hated the figure because, before I saw the figure in stores, I assumed that a new parachute figure would be even better than the 1984 Ripcord.  That didn't turn out to be the case.  Crazylegs was such a disappointment that I never used the figure at the time of his release.  A few years later, though, Crazylegs was one of a very figures available to me.  And, in this capacity, he found a new niche that suited the figure.  It was far from his airborne trooper roots and was something I made up to fill a need I had in my Joe world.  

One of the halllmarks of the Joe line was improvement.  Each year, Hasbro improved the quality of their figures or the innovation of their gear.  It's a weird concept because Hasbro wasn't really chasing anyone in the marketplace.  And, no toy lines were competing behind the Joe line, trying to unseat it, either.  (Transformers and He-Man occupied very different spaces than Joe.)  So, getting a figure like Crazylegs where he was a huge step down from a figure released 3 years earlier was a disappointment.  The weird parachute rigging didn't make for a useful figure when Crazylegs was fully accessories.  and, while you have to give Hasbro points for trying something different, the reality is that Crazylegs' parachute is light years behind the rig designed for Ripcord.  

So, Crazylegs wasn't used.  His gun, though, was.  To me, Crazylegs' rifle was the closest approximation of the Cobra weapon from the cartoon.  So, I used the weapon with various Cobras.  But, I never found it a good fit.  So, instead, the weapon found its way to other Joe figures whose gear had been lost or broken.  Even with the removable stock long lost to the sea of junk in our toy room, Crazylegs' rifle was useful to have around. In the late 1990's, I co-opted the rifle for Sneak Peek.  I viewed this figure as a "commander" who lead the nameless legions who supported the Joes.  For some reason, I liked the way the rifle looked with him.  And, to this day, you'll find photos or Sneak Peek with Crazylegs' rifle on this site.

Now, I do appreciate the Crazylegs sculpt for what it is.  He is a nicely detailed figure.  And, the Night Force version has given me a useful version of it to blend with other figures in my collection.  I did make up a character of a "Sessions Officer" that you can read about in my 1987 Crazylegs profile.  But, these days, I mostly use him as intended, just in the background of a helicopter or other aircraft photo.  The red is useful for photography.  And, since I didn't overuse him in my childhood, there are few legacy memories associated with the figure.

There were just two post 1985 figure molds released in Argentina.  Sgto. Slaughter is the first.  And, Alado is the second.  Alado uses a 1987 mold and is the latest mold to be used in Argentina.  It does appear that Plastirama had more figures planned.  Alado's cardback shows Flint and BBQ as upcoming releases.  Neither was ever released in Argentina.  Though, both figures did show up in Brazil.  There's no real explanation as to why Crazylegs and Sgt. Slaughter were the sole late run mold representatives in the Plastirama line.  When you look at the catalog of 1986 and 1987 molds that were produced by Estrela, it's robust.  While I, personally, would have preferred a cheap way to get a slightly repainted Sci Fi or BAT, you can't fault Plastirama for their mold selections.

Alado is 100% based on the 1987 Crazylegs figure.  He used the grey base with red highlights.  But, the Plastirama Alado has some drastic color differences that make him easy to spot.  They also, though, make him a less useful figure than the other Crazylegs colorings that exist.  Alado uses a darker grey as the base color for his pants and shirt.  His gloves are a darker shade of tan.  The overall paint details on the fine, black paint are softer.  And, his skin color is more peach than that of Crazylegs.  The biggest difference, though, is the overall red color that was used.  It is not glossy.  So, Crazylegs' helmet and chest are very dull.  It's a weird look as flat colors were rare in the vintage Joe line.  The red on Alado's torso is also different than that on his waist and arms.  It makes Alado look like his a custom rather than a real release.  The final photo below shows Alado alongside a Hasbro Crazylegs.  But, sadly, the photo doesn't do the differences in the red colorings real justice.  And, Alado is much more recognizable in hand than the photos in the profile suggest.

Crazylegs traveled the world.  The timing of his appearances is odd, too.  Hasbro used the mold in 1987 and 1988.  Along with the original red version, Hasbro produced an exclusive Night Force version in 1988.  Shortly after that, the figure appeared in both Brazil and Argentina.  Both of the South American figures are named Alado.  And, both are very similar to the 1987 Crazylegs figure.  These figures had to start production after the Night Force run of figures.  So, they are, likely, 1989 releases at the earliest.  If that weren't enough, the Crazylegs mold then showed up in India.  Funskool produced a red suited Crazylegs whose real calling card is his red parachute.  They also used his head on the Skydiver figure.  So, Crazylegs fans have a lot to track down.  

Crazylegs was not among the molds that Funskool returned to Hasbro in 2003.  He was not among the 2009 Funskool update figures, either, though.  So, it's likely that Funskool had the mold but chose not to release Crazylegs when they tried to drum up interest in the Joe brand when the movie debuted in India.  The character was forgotten in the early 2000's.  But, eventually, he did appear in the Anniversary sculpt era.  And, he's even been ported over to the Classified scale in the 2020's.  Crazylegs is one of those guys who had no place in the community for the first 10 years or so of online Joe discussion.  But, he was able to move up the ladder and become a solid 3rd tier character.  And, I'm still not sure how that happened.

You can acquire an Alado figure in three ways.  The first is the standard carded figure.  You can also find Alado in a C.O.P.S. box.  There's no guarantee you'll get his accessories inside the box, though.  C.O.P.S. boxes are full of random parts and it's common to get Battlefield Accessories or Pac-Rats in them in lieu of the figure's gear.  You can also find Alados on Jhony Quest cards.  He will be packaged with the Jhony Quest figure...which uses parts from the Power Commandos.  Jhony Quest Alados are likely to have his full complement of gear, though.  Both the C.O.P.S. and Jhony Quest items tend to have collectability that is only partially related to the G.I. Joe figure that's included.  So, you'll pay a premium for these alternate packaging releases versus a standard, MOC Alado figure.

Once upon a time, Alado figures were easy to find and wouldn't cost you $5 for a MOC figure.  Now, you don't see the figures all that often.  And, dealers are able to get high prices for them.  You'll see figures sell in  the $70+ range for a carded figure.  You'll probably pay about $30 for a mint and complete figure.  But, that's an even tougher find.  Of the Crazylegs figures available, the Plastirama Alado is the weakest.  And, if you're not a huge fan of the character or the figure, is worth skipping.  Just get a 1987 or a Night Force figure to experience the mold.  It's a shame that Crazylegs only really exists in the two color schemes.  The Night Force figure, though, might be the perfect rendition of the character.  So, any new paint jobs would be vying for second place.  I'd still have loved to have seen something more on the Crazylegs sculpt...just since it's do well done.  But, that never happened.

The Plastirama Alado figure on the left vs. the Hasbro 1987 Crazylegs figure on the right.

2004 Unproduced White Pants Night Force Flint

You all know that Flint is my favorite figure in the Joe line.  I spend way too much time trying to find little, nuanced releases of Flint that I can add to my collection.  And, while there are a lot of figures that are based on the 1985 coloring, there aren't too many Flints that fall outside his main motif.  You have the 1988 Tiger Force version.  And, then the 2004 Night Force version.  And, that's it.  Well, almost.  There is one more main variant of Flint.  And, that is this unproduced version of the 2004 Night Force figure.  It's not materially different from the production figure with the exception of the figure's pants color.  Instead of the retail version's black pants, this pre-production figure features white pants.  This should create a lesser figure.  But, in a lot of ways, the white pants version of Flint is more interesting than the production figure and offers one of the few alternatives for a Flint figure in the vintage line.

I can't really argue that the white pants on these pre-production Night Force figures are better than the black pants that were used on the production versions.  They aren't.  The black is a better match for the hunter green of the upper bodies and is more true to the vision of Night Force than the white pants would have been.  What the white pants variants do offer, though, is a visual contrast.  As a production figure, they would not have worked.  But, as pre-production variants, they do.  These aren't supposed to be better than the production samples.  And, the white pants bring a different visual to this Flint while also not making any sense within the context of his release.  So, you can see why Hasbro changed them from white to black.  

For me, I just like having alternate looks for Flint.  From the waist up, the production and pre-production figures are essentially identical.  But, when the figures are out and about, the white pants and black pants differences are enough to make both useful.  The golden belt buckle really pops on the white pants figure.  And, that sticks out, to me.  As such, you'll see the white pants figure appear more often in the background of photos here than you do the production figure.  Much of that is the element of scarcity and the fact that you don't often see the alternate figures used these days.  The white pants get people to double take and question why the figure looks different.  It's a petty use.  But, it's one of the reasons I enjoy the figure.  And, were the white pants version  the production release and the black pants the pre-production figure, I'm sure I'd use the black pants version in a similar vein.

The Night Force set was one of the more intricate retail releases of the early 2000's.  The figures featured convention level paint masks and color combos.  These features would be stripped away as the sets matured and Hasbro tried to squeeze every last penny out of them.  And, the poor accessory complement included with the Night Force set was also a harbinger of the cheapness to come.  But, as just figures, the Night Force set features convention quality paint masks.  This Flint features at least 8 different colors.  That's more than most vintage figures would receive.  And, it shows that Hasbro invested money when they developed the Night Force set.

Night Force gear was bad.  And, Flint's accessories from the set were no exception.  He included a hodge-podge of common weapons that would appear over and over again during his era.  For some reason, Flint got a near complete set of Firefly's gear...missing only the backpack cover.  The upside is that this gear is easy to find.  So, equipping one of the pre-production figures with it isn't difficult or expensive.  But, the weapons make no sense and are so tied to Firefly that it's tough to see anyone, especially an iconic Joe character, using them.  Funskool had the full array of Flint accessories.  But, those never saw another Hasbro release.  So, there's no telling what happened to them between the end of the Funskool production run in 2003 and the appearance of this figure in 2004.  

So, that leaves you searching for proper gear for Flint.  In the photos below, you'll see some different options.  As I often lost Flint's shotgun back in my childhood days, I often had to find alternate gear for even the vintage figure.  My two go-to's were the sub machine gun from the 1985 Night Landing and the charcoal Ripcord rifle from the Tactical Battle Platform.  But, I've tried many other weapons with this Flint and found that many look really nice with him.  When a figure is as nicely done as Flint, the accessories are just an adornment that enhances an already amazing design.

The alternate, Asian figures that dominated discussion forums in late 2004 and early 2005 have faded into the obscure recesses of the Joe world.  Many of those who bought up every variant as it appeared are no longer active in the community.  Newer collectors who came aboard during the Anniversary era have no real recollection of these figures or their widespread and cheap availability.  Now, most of the alternate, Asian figures are stupidly expensive and seldom seen.  It's too bad.  As, the alternate looks were often a fun way to differentiate a photo or spark conversation in a forum.  Now, they are the domain of well-heeled collectors who have financial interest in downplaying just how common the figures actually are.  

With the Toys R Us exclusive sets, Hasbro started out by offering new looks for classic sub teams.  The first three sets were Tiger Force, Python Patrol and Night Force.  None of the TRU sets featured figures in color schemes that were homages or even matches for the original members of those sub teams.  Instead, Hasbro tried something different.  The Tiger Force featured some European inspired blues and oranges.  Python Patrol offered figures that were better matches for Python Patrol vehicles.  Night Force just went in an entirely new direction.  The figures didn't match vintage Night Force figures.  Nor did they match Night Force vehicles.  And, this was good.  The original Night Force figures are bland and mostly two tone in green and black.  The 2004 set offered a more complex look for some figures.  You can't really make this Flint the leader of a faction of 1988 and 1989 Night Force figures.  But, he does look great as a stand alone figure when mixed with other 1997-2010 releases.  

And, this works.  Within just a few months of the Night Force set's release, I was already noting how the figures worked very well as, well, figures.  The Night Force theme was less important to the overall, long term success of set.  It was more of a marketing term to get Joe fans interested than it was a continuation of a team from 15 years prior.  And, that's part of the reason that Night Force (and, really, all of the 2003 and 2004 Toys R Us sets) has held up so well.  It was about as big a chance as the Hasbro of the early 2000's was willing to take.  It was enough to make the set memorable and allowed the figures to find lives of their own.  

You can't discuss the 2000's era repaints without touching upon how crappy the plastic is and how likely it is to discolor.  The Night Force figures, with their dark hues, have been mostly immune from those plights.  These white pants figures, though, are susceptible to discoloration.  The white will take on a yellow hue, even on properly stored figures.  There's nothing you can do to stop it.  You can just slow it down a bit.  It's a sad legacy of early 2000's Hasbro that their plastics were so poor.  All of the toy lines from this time suffer from easy discoloration.  And, that would discourage me from splurging on a mint piece.  Eventually, time catches up with the materials and they will decay.  Yellowing figures are a personal pet peeve.  They bother me over other afflictions.  I'll take paint wear and loose joints every time over an otherwise mint figure that features a tinge of yellow.  Others have different tolerances.  And, for many Joe figures, discoloration is so common that newer collectors don't really know what a mint figure is supposed to look like.  It's something to be aware of with figures like this Flint.

It's time to break some hearts.  Between 2005 and 2007, this figure was pretty easy to find.  He'd go unsold on Ebay for under $5.  You could buy a complete set of 6 alternate Night Force figures (including the Night Force Tracker!) for $60.  And, they sat and sat and sat.  You could get one whenever you wanted.  Slowly, though, the stock got absorbed.  Once it was gone, no one cared for a while.  Around 2015/2016, you started to see old timers talking about how the once common alternate Asian figures had turned scarce.  Then, in 2018 or so, prices started spiking.  In 2020, these Flint figures sold between $75 and $100.  Really, that's way too much.  And, for such an uninteresting variant, there's really no bang for that kind of scratch.  But, the market is stupid and filled with new collectors who don't really understand how common figures like this really are.  It will correct soon enough.  Until then, I'm glad I was able to get figures like this when they were cheap.  And, I'm sad that this figure is one of the few that I have remaining.  

1986 Beach Head - Random Photos of the Day

Beach Head is who he is.  The original figure is a classic with a super fragile crotch.  Hasbro made a few repaints of him in the 2000's.  Now, there's factory customs featuring the mold.  And, they proved there was a lot of life in the Beach Head mold.  The real version of Beach Head, though, is the lime green Funskool version.  To this day, this 1986 figure seems bland to me because I view the Funskool figure as the default version of the character.

This doesn't take away from the original paint job's quality.  Beach Head remains one of the line's better overall figures.  The different aqua green color that is offset by the black vest and brown, camo pants works way better than the words describing it would indicate.  And, the figure's intricate details and perfect accessory complement complete the package for one of the highlights of the class of 1986.

Due to the ubiquity of the Funskool version in my collection, though, I rarely get this original figure out for photos.  When I want Beach Head, I'll go with the brighter version.  So, my usage of the Hasbro figure is deliberate.  And, you'll see that in the photos below where Beach Head is paired with his contemporaries for a specific look.

2001 Manimal Iguanus

So, back in 2016, I said that Iguanus would be up for a profile in 2019.  It was three years between Slythor and Warwolf's profile.  So, why not wait another three years for Iguanus?  Well, it's been 9 years, now.  Which,...damn.  But, I had occasion to take out the Manimals when it snowed in early January.  And, upon getting out Iguanus, I discovered, again, that the Manimals are really not bad toys at all.  They might be bad G.I. Joe concepts.  But, as toys and design pieces of engineering, they are quite something.

In his helmeted mode, Iguanus is pretty cool looking.  He's kind of like a space knight with a weird snake face on his chest.  His bulk and build denote he's an alien.  When he transforms, though, the reptilian head is quite amazing.  It has a tongue hidden inside.  (The Manimal designers were big on tongues.)  With the head and teeth exposed, Iguanus looks like a mutated experiment for Croc Master to tame.  The alligator inspired head is full of cracks and crevices and features raised nostrils and sunken eyes.  It's a monster that's familiar enough to rise primal fear in humans.  

The rest of the figure follows suit with lots of sculpted details.  The coloring is basic with just two shades of blue that are offset by silver highlights.  But, the look really works.  The 2001 Manimal color schemes were changed from the planned 1994 figures: ostensibly to preserve the value of the few 1994 Manimal samples that exist.  In Iguanus's case, the 1994 figure was a very dark blue/black base color with more gray highlights.  The 2001 color scheme is an improvement with one exception: the 1994 figure had yellow eyes.  (Well, some production figures did.  But, the Toy Fair spread sample did not.)  They are a creepy feature that would have worked on the 2001 repaint.  But, the red is scary enough that it's not a feature worth lamenting for too long.

My main takeaway from Iguanus and his Manimal brethren is that they are good toys.  They're really fun.  And, if you're not hung up on a make believe vision of what G.I. Joe actually is, you can find some use for the figures.  They're really fun to pose and photograph.  The quality is excellent and the transforming features are cheesy entertainment.  I'll never really tire of seeing a Manimal "eating" a Joe or Cobra.  It's difficult to pull off in any convincing manner in a photo.  But, the larger size of the Manimals makes it work.  They're never going to be among my favorite figures.  But, they are something worth owning and can really add a kooky element of fun  to anyone's collection.

The Manimals use construction more similar to that of Sgt. Savage than to the vintage Joe line.  Their legs are cut joints that were coming en vogue in the mid 1990's.  This makes them hard to pose, especially in seated positions.  But, the joints move fluidly and the figure has a strong amount of articulation.  Iguanus's hands are similar to those of vintage Joes.  Other Manimals have enclosed hands so their weapons must be inserted from above.  Iguanus does not, though.  And, his approach to accessories is more in line with vintage Joe figures: meaning he can use a wider array of existing gear should you want to take that route.  

My one beef with Warwolf and Iguanus is that they both feature a mouthful of brilliant white teeth.  I don't take umbrage with the notion of the design.  In fact, the gaping mouths are one of the most compelling selling points of these figures.  But, when two of the three characters in the subset feature the same, basic design element, the overall impact of the innovation is lessened.  On some level, it would have made sense for one of the other three Manimal molds to have been substituted for either Warwolf of Iguanus to make each figure in the individual waves more unique.  When posed together, you really notice the similarity between the two figures.  And, I would have appreciated a ZigZag or Vortex with his bird-flipping alien much more.  At this point, I'll take what we got.  But, it makes you wonder how the figures were apportioned to each wave and what thought process went into the choices.

If you really want to get to brass tacks, the Manimals failed three times.  A fourth time, they never even got started.  But, any way you slice it, Manimals were retail poison.  The original wave was cancelled in 1994 before it got off the ground.  This KB wave sat around for years and, even at clearance prices, was tough to move in a time when every Joe was flying off the shelves.  The second wave of 3 figures for KB were cancelled and never released.  A couple of years later, Funskool looked at the Manimal molds and thought about using them.  But, determined the figures were too "devilish" for them to proceed.  Some guy tried to bootleg the Manimals from the Funskool acquired molds.  An American dealer even solicited them on their website.  There are samples out there.  But, the figures were never produced.

It's hard to believe that these figures came out in 2001.  I remember buying them from KB Toys online arm.  At $9.99 per figure, they were a tough pill to swallow.  You could still buy 1998 3-packs of figures at Toys R Us stores for the same price.  But, a KB executive was a big G.I. Joe and wanted something special for an exclusive.  The Manimals fit the bill.  I want to believe that the 1995 Battle Corps Rangers figure molds did not exist in a state that was capable of sustaining a production run.  And, that would explain why they were not considered for the promotion.  At the time, the Manimals felt like a wasted slot for a Joe release.  Nearly 25 years later, I'm glad we got them.  

I think the failure of the KB Manimals, though, was simply timing.  Collectors weren't ready for Manimals or other, less traditional subsets of the Joe line.  Back in 2001, even something like Ninja Force would have failed.  And, Eco Warriors were nearly a slur in the community.  But, things have changed.  And, I think the Manimals would find a much more welcoming consumer base would they have re-emerged in the 2020's.  Collectors are more mature.  And, interesting ideas that are good toys would be a welcome deviation from much of what passes for collector oriented items in this decade.  We'll never know, though.  Manimals aren't going to return in their transforming state.  And, without that detail, there's no real reason for them to exist.

Iguanus includes two accessories.  One, a bladed weapon, is unique to him.  The other uses the same mold as one of the weapons included with Warwolf.  Iguanus' weapons, though, are silver.  He's the only of the three to feature silver accessories.  It's likely a way to simply differentiate the reused accessory mold between the 2 figures who included it.  But, it's a nice way to make the figure seem a bit more unique.  The gear isn't great.  And, were I to stumble across some loose pieces of it sitting in shoe box at a garage sale, I wouldn't even identify it as a G.I. Joe accessory.  With the Manimals, though, the gear looks good.  But, it's not a great fit for other figures.

The KB Manimals got caught in the pricing surge that the Joe line experienced since 2018.  What were, once, below retail price figures have now become somewhat pricey.  But, a lot of that is just due to the limited supply of them available.  You'll pay between $50 and $70 for a carded Manimal.  If you can find a loose figure, they'll run you about $30.  But, the only people selling them are dealers who are waiting out impatient collectors.  In reality, these figures don't have that type of value.  And, you'll find deals if you have the patience to wait them out.  But, you could be waiting a long time.  I've been saying for several years now that Joe prices are artificially high due to limited supply.  Nothing has compelled collectors to sell.  So, maybe they just...won't?  I don't think that will happen.  But, it's now going to take a 2008 type event to put the supply back into the market.  So, every collector has to make choices as to what they're willing to overpay for and what they're willing to skip.  It's a tough call each time.  A figure like Iguanus is harder than it should be.  You don't need Manimal figures in your Joe collection.  But, man, is this figure worth owning should you want to go that route.

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness - Around the Web

The 2005 Imperial Processional set is just weird.  It's got a bizarre amalgamation figure who operates as an army builder, offbeat colors and throne that's barely enough to lift a figure off the floor.  But, it kind of works.  2000's Joe was so banal that anything that took even a remote chance remains a bit more interesting, today.  

This Baroness figure used to be the most unique look for the mold.  But, Lady Jaye Toys rendered this figure moot with their dozens of Baroness mold repaints in the past two years.  This figure does have the alternate head.  But, I'm not sure it's better.  

Regardless, check out the content on her, below.  You'll  find a nice mix of items written upon her release as well as more modern takes on the figure.  I have a real profile that will drop on Halloween.  It should be pretty easy to guess which figure it is.

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness Profile

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by atwooddan

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by yovalleyjoe

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by gen_liederkranz

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by gi_joe_y2k

2005 Imperial Procession Set Review at General's Joes Reborn

2005 Imperial Procession Set Review at Joe Battle Lines

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by gi_joe_y2k

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by rexglewis1982

2005 Imperial Processional Baroness by yovalleyjoe

2017 Cobra Soldado - Around The Web

When the first factory custom Cobra Troopers appeared, there was one, single design that I wanted to see: an homage to the Brazilian Cobra Soldado.  The brighter blue on that figure was always visually distinctive and appealing.  It's a rare situation where the different color was still a perfect match for Joe figures.  Finally, in 2017, we got the first Soldado release.  The blue isn't a 100% match for the real figure from Brazil.  But, it works well enough.  And, it remains one of my favorite Cobra Trooper repaints.

The two best early Brazilian repaints were the Cobra De Aco and the Soldado.  (Though, Athena is pretty good, too.)  But, they were both straight arms.  Making them useless as toys.  While we're still waiting for a proper, swivel arm De Aco, this 2017 figure finally gave us a swivel arm Cobra Soldado.  I've never understood the appeal of straight arm figures.  I find them useless and don't even collect them.  So, having a swivel arm Soldado finally gave me the enemy force I'd been craving to battle against my later Brazilian Joes.

There's not a ton of content on this figure out there.  Like most of the late 2010's factory customs, the content of his release era has been buried by the algorithms and few people still use him.  Some of the photos are of later edition Soldados who came out in the 2020's.  They are equally nice.  After checking these guys out, let me know in the comments which repaint of the Cobra Trooper is your personal favorite.

2017 Cobra Soldado Profile

2017 Cobra Soldado by gen_liederkranz

2017 Cobra Soldado by cyko_9

2017 Cobra Soldado by Nekoman

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

2017 Cobra Soldado by hobieshinobi

2017 Cobra Soldado by slipstream80

2017 Cobra Soldado by sintechness

1984 Chameleon - Around The Web

The Chameleon is both a toy that is essential to Zartan and one that is completely inconsequential to your enjoyment of the Zartan figure.  It's something that's great to have and really completes Zartan as a toy.  But, Zartan is also so good that he can be an iconic collection piece, even if you don't have the swamp skier.  It's a weird juxtaposition.  

The upside is that there's lots of content on the Chameleon and Zartan out there.  Many people use them effectively and make some fun stuff.  

1984 Chameleon Profile

1984 Chameleon by backyardjoes

1984 Chameleon by cobra_rules_cybertron

1984 Chameleon by Prince Adam

1984 Chameleon by keithmccleary

1984 Chameleon by gijoe_nation

1984 Chameleon by cobra_rules_cybertron

1984 Chameleon by yotothejoe

1984 Chameleon by keithmccleary

1984 Chameleon by codename.steve

1984 Chameleon by cobra_rules_cybertron

1984 Chameleon by gijoe_for_fun

1984 Chameleon by viper_space

1984 Chameleon by codename.steve

2017 Commando (Red Laser Army) Around the Web

Red Laser Army was a great combination of ambitious and obscure.  They were willing to take big swings on large sets of figures.  And, many of them were dedicated to G.I. Joe ephemera that was buried in the deepest recesses of collectordom.  The Commando figure is based on a sticker set from 1982 that featured a gloveless Snake Eyes wearing green and camo instead of his trademark black.  The figure was one of the highlights of the 2017 Red Laser Army figure set.  It quickly found a strong life among the creators of the time.  It's hard to fathom that this figure was released 8 years ago.  And, much of the content that once featured Commando have fallen into the abyss of social media.  I was able to find some solid content featuring the figure.  

Commando remains a great figure.  It's a perfect look for an alternate Snake Eyes.  The figure works well with other Red Laser Army figures, too.  You do still see Commando from time to time.  He's more common than most of his 2017 classmates.  But, even my use of him has diminished in recent years.  Most of the photos below are a couple of years old, at least.  I should try to use him and other Red Laser Army figures more frequently.  Until then, enjoy the content below.

Commando Profile

Commando at Attica Gazette

Commando by billykessler

Commando y gen_liederkranz

Commando by Slipstream80

Commando by viper_space

Commando by kickstart_joe

Commando by gen_liederkranz

Commando by darth_beotch

Commando by gijoe_manila_ph

Commando by specialmissionforce

Commando by kickstart_joe

2005 Comic Pack Serpentor - Random Photos of the Day

Serpentor is one of those figures who only has one look.  Every one of his figures has been in his standard, regal armor design.  Sure, the colors have changed...a bit.  But, Serpentor doesn't really have a figure in a look other than one derived from his 1986 debut.  

Serpentor is also a figure, though, who doesn't really need another look.  Attempts to modernize him fall flat.  And, sometimes, the regal emperor's regalia is all a character needs to convey his purpose.  Granted, I wouldn't say no to a debut inspired, shirtless Serpentor.  He and Dr. Mindbender would be twinsies.  I actually hope Super7 gets around to a Serpentor like that.  But, I'm not going to hold my breath.

This 2005 Serpentor is probably the worst of his three o-ring versions.  But, that's a misnomer because all of Serpentor's colorings are great.  This one is just different.  The removable helmet actually works for this figure, too.  The soft pastels are a nice alternate look for Serpentor and give him a less regal and less imposing feel than the golden and black based figures that preceded this release.

I'd really love to do more with this figure.  But, I sold all my spares during my purge.  And, the lone sample I have left is starting to show fraying and wear around the arm holes on his cape.  So, I don't get this guy out much, any longer.  The biggest argument for newer Serpentor figures is that the old ones are all brittle and easy to damage.  Heck, even this figure is now 20 years old.  But, the Super7 Serpentors, so far, haven't really done much to inspire my acquisition of them.  Maybe that will change if they do something fun or interesting with the character.  Until then, I have this 2005 figure for the sparse times I may feel the need to bring the Serpentor character out for a photo shoot.

Funskool Red Dog - Around the Web

The Funskool Red Dog debuted nearly 24 years ago.  During that time, I've been constantly flummoxed by the figure's complete lack of popularity.  Even back in 2001, when the figure was available from every guy with an Amex card for $4, few collectors really wanted to get one.  This made no sense to me for several reasons.  First, the Renegades were supposed to be popular.  In subsequent years, it became apparent that their popularity was very overstated.  Second, the Red Dog is a pretty drastic recolor from the Hasbro figure.  He features a different skin tone that fundamentally changes Red Dog's appearance.  Figures like that tended to be very popular.  Finally, the figure included a nice cadre of accessories.  Along with a black version of Red Dog's pistol, you also got a Recalled Roadblock machine gun.  For collectors who liked rare weapons, the Red Dog was a chance to get a mold that was pretty scarce in the U.S.

Despite this, the figure never took off.  And, today, that lack of popularity has made this figure relatively expensive.  Too expensive for a casual pickup for sure.  So, you see this figure even less than you used to.  Which is too bad as this is one of my favorite early 2000's releases.  So, I continue to use this figure far more often that most others.  Despite this, the figure rarely elicits much response.  It seems that most collectors are just blase about this figure and don't much care about it.  

Funskool Red Dog Profile

Funskool Red Dog by dantedmc37

Funskool Red Dog variants by Funskool Rony

Funskool Red Dog by gen_liederkranz

Funskool Red Dog by relena_warcraft

Funskool Red Dog by viper_space

Funskool Red Dog by bad warrant officer

Funskool class of 2001 by Funskool Rony

Funskool Red Dog by kushviper

Funskool Red Dog by relena_warcraft

1993 Roadblock

In 1992, Hasbro did a soft reboot of the Joe line.  They didn't carry forward most of the 1991 series.  And, the 1992 lineup featured an array of top characters.  Almost all of them were excellent updates to the character while still holding some basic traits that were key to the figure's persona.  A full 75% of the basic retail line was heavy hitter characters from the line's heyday.  Among them was a new version of Roadblock.  This new design gave Roadblock the heft that was appropriate for his character.  And, created the best Roadblock figure released up until that time.  In 1993, the sculpt got a repaint.  This update incorporated some brighter colors.  But, they also really accentuated the mold and created an alternate look for Roadblock that's somewhat obscure.

The sculpting on this figure is extremely solid.  The main thing is that Roadblock is bulky.  The character is supposed to be a massive person.  And, this sculpt really gets that across.  Hasbro loved really short sleeves in the '90's.  On Roadblock, they are a design feature that allows his arms to appear larger and more muscular.  But, the real achievement is the head sculpt.  Roadblock's head is the best for the character.  It shows the determination you'd expect from Roadblock.  His furled brow shows that this a character of intensity.  And, as a final bonus, Roadblock features a golden earring.  It helps sell the head sculpt as something just slightly more interesting than what knock off toy lines would do.  The head was also used on both Star Brigade Roadblock versions.  So, it's appeared more than any other Roadblock head and earned its way to the de facto standard for the Roadblock character.

As I hunted down the scraps of the Joe line available at retail stores in the mid 1990's, there were figures who taunted me from the cardbacks of figures I was able to find.  This Roadblock was one of them.  Roadblock was a childhood favorite character from the comic.  I never liked the 1986 version.  And, my 1984 version had been devastated by broken parts and accessories.  So, a new version of the character was something to which I looked forward.  But, like many 1993 releases, Roadblock was simply gone from retail. I never saw one.  And, it was not until I was an adult collector that I was able to finally track down a 1992 version.  With it, I had a Roadblock that was befitting the character I had come to enjoy.  Roadblock quickly filled in as the missing machine gunner in my various photos.  He was the perfect match for the '90's figures that I had come to enjoy.  And, he was also a nice fit with '85 and later figures, too.

The downside to this late acquisition date is that I have no childhood memories of this figure.  Nor do I have associations of memories for when I found him at retail while I was in college.  The first version of the mold to come into my collection was during my heavy acquisition days of the early internet.  He was among a large lot of contemporary figures that just showed up in the mail one day.  The upside, though, is that this figure has always seemed "new" to me.  He was the last version of Roadblock to appear in my collection.  So, I can never really use him enough.  And, more than 25 years since his appearance in my collection, this sculpt remains my preferred Roadblock appearance.

The 1993 coloring is striking.  The dark blue shirt juxtaposed against the neon green highlights makes for a compelling color palette.  The black highlights and details help give the entire visual package some depth.  I'm not a huge fan of the light blue pants.  But, they do work well enough against the figure's dark upper half. The main thing is that the color work and are visually interesting.  This figure pops in photos and has the added benefit of being seldom used by other in the community.  So, his appearance always stands out.  Despite relatively few paint applications, Roadblock makes the most of them and features far more layered coloring than many of his 1993 contemporaries.  I suspect that the mold reuse allowed for a higher paint application budget.  So, the figure didn't get the two-tone treatment that was reserved for many brand newly sculpted parts that debuted in 1993. 

Roadblock's accessories are both good and terrible.  They're terrible because he doesn't include a heavy machine that defines his character.  It's an odd omission.  Especially, since there was a tree in use that featured the overly large 1992 Gung Ho machine gun that would have worked for Roadblock's specialty.  But, if the figure wasn't going to include his "ma deuce", then Hasbro at least chose a weapon tree with solid accessories.  Roadblock got the tree with Hit and Run's rifle and knife, Bullhorn's rifle and Shockwave's pistol.  There is the required spring loaded launcher and missiles, too.  The accessories may not make sense for Roadblock, but it's good gear that's useful for many other figures.  And, it was cast in black plastic.  Making it a solid release, all around.  

My most liked aspect of this figure, though, is how well he meshes with other 1993 releases.  Through the end of the vintage line, Hasbro was intent on producing toys that looked great when posed together.  The real reason was that it made the walls of retail figures on sale at you favorite store look good and prevented the figures from all blending together.  The result is that Roadblock looks amazing when posed with his contemporaries.  You can set him with Mega Marines, Eco Warriors, Star Brigade and even Ninja Force and the figure blends right in.  It's a line cohesion that was lost after the vintage years.  And, with toys not really mattering at retail any longer, it's unlikely we'll ever see anything like it again.  Even the various kickstarter lines fail at this and produce too many toys that look alike in terms of colors.  It's not about boldness just to be bold.  It's finding a way to make strong, bright and powerful colors work together with bland tans, blacks and greys.  In 1993, Hasbro was still doing this.  And, the line meshes perfectly well together.  That makes figures like this Roadblock even more useful since he's a perfect companion for so many of his release year brethren.

This Roadblock mold ended up with plenty of uses.  The sculpt debuted in 1992.  In 1993, some 1992 figures were released with new accessories.  So, you can find 1992 Roadblocks on 1992 or 1993 cardbacks.  Then, the coloring shifted to the paint job that's the subject of this profile in 1993.  Hasbro sent the mold to Funskool where it was released in India for many years.  The upside being that the Funskool figure included the discontinued 1992 machine gun.  Hasbro got the mold back from Funskool in 2003 and released Roadblock repaints in 2004 and 2005.  Every version of this mold is useful, fun and great for the character.  You have solidly vintage paint jobs, fun neon paint jobs and very useful, muted paint jobs.  There's something for everyone with this sculpt.

The 1993 Roadblock isn't a terribly common figure to find.  All of the 1993 repaints of 1992 molds tend to be less common than the other, new figures for the year.  It's much easier to find a 1993 Star Brigade Roadblock than it this repaint.  This leads to insane dealer pricing where some ask for up to $45 for a mint and complete figure.  These don't tend to sell, though.  Just the figure seems to sell in the $17 range.  And, the accessories aren't too hard to track down or expensive on their own.  The high price is a function of the limited supply.  And, you don't see this figure being used all that often.  So, it's not popularity driving his pricetag.  I'm torn as to whether the 1992 or 1993 figure is better.  But, that's mostly moot since the 2004 Anti Venom and 2005 HAS repaints are superior to both the vintage colorings.  But, this 1993 is the most fun version of this Roadblock sculpt.  And, that's worth something.