1988 Skidmark

There are jokes in the Joe line that are subtle.  There are jokes that are not.  Then, there is Skidmark.  One some level, I can see some well meaning adults not getting the double entendre of this chosen code name.  But, knowing some of the juvenile antics behind some other Joe characters, there is just no way that the Joe team didn't know what they were doing when they submitted the name for clearance.  But, Skidmark was approved for release.  And, Joe collectors were given a 4th grade joke for all time.  

Released with the amazing Desert Fox in 1988, Skidmark appears, at first glance to be one of the many poorly designed late 1980's era vehicle drivers.  Just a figure that was dropped into an obscure and unimportant slot with little thought or care as to his design.  The bright orange juxtaposed against the dark and light greens tie him closely with terrible figures like Windmill.  Skidmark is just another in a run of drivers who no longer match the quality of their vehicles...or, does he?

So, here's the thing: Skidmark is a pretty great sculpt.  He's got multilayered texture and features ribbing on his arms that is unique to his design.  His torso is well detailed with clear purpose.  He's got a weird micro-shotgun molded onto his legs.  He even has dual throwing knives sculpted beneath his right wrist.  From a pure design standpoint, Skidmark might be the most detailed figure released in all of 1988.  All of that is lost, though, with the color choices.  So, you have this oddball that features sculpting on par with any of the classic, high quality vehicle drivers from '82 through '85 while also featuring colors that put him closer to bright '90's rehashes.

Skidmark's head is a bit non-descript.  The goggles hide his countenance and take away the individualism that is inherent for the Joe faction.  In a different world, Skidmark's head would make for a useful Cobra.  And, that's part of what dooms the figure.  Even those who can get past the colors often find the head to be limiting to greater purpose for Skidmark.  Joe fans love some masked good guys.  But, generally, guys who hide their faces are left to Cobra  It's only the scarcity of them on the Joe side that makes them interesting.  And, guys like Skidmark who hide behind opaque goggles seem less like renegade individuals and more like nameless posers whose death you don't mind.  When you toss in the crappy codename, you have a figure that's easy to leave behind.  

Skidmark's colors are both great and baffling.  Hasbro fell in love with orange in 1988.  Spearhead and Skystriker feature the color painted on.  But, Skidmark and Windmill both use orange plastic to create the color palette for their figures.  Orange often works on action figures.  But, when it's used to offset pea and hunter green colors, it can seem a bit out of place.  And, that's the thing with Skidmark.  His other colors are a deep, pine colored green that offsets the orange vest and a pea green on his legs that is almost identical to the green color used on Night Force figures.  In short, Skidmark should be a really great figure.  He just falls apart.  And, this coming from someone who really likes brightly colored Joes.  I think a big part of his failure is the orange helmet.  Were it a different color, the orange would be more confined to Skidmark's vest and would seem more realistic.   (You'll note that the helmet was yellow on the Desert Fox box artwork and on the pre-production figure.  I'm not sure that would have been an improvement.)  Through the years, Skidmark customs are one of the staples that many collectors undertake.  Most, though, still fall short.  So, the potential isn't as easy to realize as it would appear.

We had a Skidmark in 1988.  My younger brother got a Desert Fox at some point.  It is a great vehicle.  And, it joins the Bridge Layer as a vehicle who mysteriously disappeared from my collection.  I had no inclination to sell either of them.  And, I had nice, mint versions of both in the mid 2000's.  But, both are now gone with no trail of their fate.  I played a bit with the Desert Fox when no one else was home.  But, Skidmark wasn't a figure that mattered.  I didn't like him from the get go.  And, it wasn't just the colors that were a problem.  Something about him seemed off.  And, as such, I can recall with specificity some adventures featuring the Desert Fox.  But, Skidmark features in none of them.

While Skidmark was released just the one time by Hasbro, the mold did have another use.  Around 1997, the Skidmark mold was one of many acquired by Olmec Toys and released in their Bronze Bombers line.  There are two figures that use the Skidmark body.  One is cast in purple and the other in a very nice tan.  Both figures feature a solid black paint mask to accentuate the details on the mold.  They are a great example of different coloring saving a mold.  Sadly, they are tough to find and relatively expensive, now.  So, the notion of mix and matching the various releases to make the ultimate Skidmark isn't really feasible.  

Skidmarks are about $5 figures.  Even dealers have given up and will fail to sell them for $8.  There's just no interest in the figure.  And, to make matters worse, Skidmark is fairly common.  High numbers of Desert Foxes were produced.  And, tons of bubbled overstock Skidmark figures made their way into the collector market in the early 2000's.  So, if you want the figure or just want one to customize, the price is right to add one to your collection.  But, you'll note that my figure is badly worn.  I have no inclination to fix this...even at a low price.  I just can't muster up any enthusiasm to acquire a better copy.  On some level, I should get a nice and save this one to customize when I retire.  But, even that seems like time and money better spent on other pursuits.  Hopefully, your opinion of the figure is better and he has some relevance to you.  And, if he does, at least spares and duplicates are cheap.

2003 Funskool Incinerator - Random Photos of the Day

The Incinerator is a pretty good figure.  Sure, his specialty is obscure and difficult to use.  But, in the context of an evil flame thrower, his look is just about perfect.  In 2003, Funskool produced their own version of the character.  He is incredibly similar to the Hasbro version.  As such, the two are great companions.  The Funskool version breaks up an army of Hasbro figures and vice-versa.

Every U.S. based dealer under the sun sold Incinerators for $4 each or less.  Despite this widespread availability, though, collectors largely yawned at the release.  And, today, the figure is somewhat hard to find.  And, you'll pay a bit of a premium for him.  At $4, this figure was a must buy and even small armies made sense.  At today's insane pricing, he's best left as an oddity that sits on the shelf.  

I do enjoy photographing him, though.  The Incinerators, in general, are a lot of fun to take out and use.  They are visually powerful and aren't a figure that lot of people use...especially at any scale.  Adding the Funskool version to the mix just gives the photos that much extra oomph.  

His gear is kind of fun.  The bright green backpack offsets the orange, nicely.  The blue gun makes no sense.  But, bright orange, oval headed flamethrowers don't make sense, either.  And, it's so "Funskool" that it's perfect.  Enjoy the photos below as something different today.

2018 Red Laser Army Redmack

I've talked about the rare second series of Plastirama figures many times.  I've looked at them both as rarities and as factory custom releases.  The thing about that series of 6 (yes, 6!!!!) figures is that the four good guys (Redmack, Shimik, Manleh and Topson) all look like they could easily have been transitional Hasbro figures made between 1982 and 1983.  They would have introduced some color to the mostly green 1982 lineup while still staying loyal to the construction and parts limitations of the original 13 Joe figures.  (Glenda and the Cobra Mortal using chrome parts make them less integrated to the aesthetic of the original 13.)  It is within this context that I find the most interest among these Argentine characters.  I can see them as early Joes.  Maybe they didn't make the cut.  Or, maybe they were wiped out by Cobra back when they were a more fanatical and cultish organization ruled by a mass murderer.  It wasn't something that I really had to ponder too deeply prior to 2018, though, as the original figures from Argentina were straight arm, often off conditioned and brittle and, most importantly, stupidly expensive.  Fortunately, Red Laser Army solved these issues with his release of Redmack, Topson,  Manleh and Shimik in 2018.

Redmack was the member of the 2nd series of Plastirama figures in which I had the least interest.  He didn't really resonate with me.  I felt that Manleh was the most intriguing.  Glenda was a visual treat.  Shimik had the most drastic look to blend with traditional, Hasbro Joes.  Topson and Redmack, though, were just kind of...there.  I saw them like I saw Short Fuse.  They were figures who were part of a small team.  But, they didn't really bring anything to the team that wasn't already offered by other, cooler figures.  Upon my acquisition of this Red Laser Army Redmack, though, I started to see more value in the figure.  The browns are different than anything that exists on swivel head Joes.  And, the offsetting aqua-green highlights really set him off as more visually distinctive than most of his contemporaries.  With that, I found that Redmack had some value in photos and as an ancillary character to have in the background.

I didn't really see him as a machine gunner, though.  Early Joes have that position covered with Rock and Roll and Roadblock.  Redmack is redundant in that regard.  But, his colors necessitate him having some purpose.  When I found that Battle Gear Breaker gear looked good on him, I went in that direction in some photos.  But, I also outfit Shimik with comms gear.  So, I now had two characters who were redundant to Breaker.  So, for now, I have no idea what Redmack's real role actually is.  I'll probably just continue to use him as a utility player who can take on any position or specialty as a photo necessitates.  It's not bad to have some figures who aren't pigeon-holed into their specialties.  It's in that context that Redmack will have the most value.

I've always been fascinated by how foreign exclusive figures came to be.  Were they abandoned Hasbro designs?  How much latitude did licensees have to make changes or all new characters?  These are questions that are likely to go unanswered.  (And, if they are ever answered, it will be someone conveniently "remembering" 40 year old details to coincide with the paycheck of a book that will sell a few thousand self published copies to desperate collectors who are unlikely to scrutinize the claims the book makes....)  But, seeing so many exclusive characters in one short produced series makes you wonder what the circumstances of their release and low production numbers actually were.

If you look at Redmack's card artwork, it looks nothing like the figure.  While the character is angrily pointing his M-60 at the sky, you see that Redmack's original design used the Short Fuse/Zap torso.  This kind of makes sense since all 4 of the characters who were released used the same grenade and knife chest.  It makes you wonder why the change was made and if the artwork or figure was designed first.  You'll also note that he has a mustache and appears to be darker in complexion than the blonde headed figure actually is.  Plastirama took a chance by altering the skin color of Manleh and Shimik.  I wish they had done the same with Redmack.  He and Topson took no chances with the head paint.  And, as such, just look like alternate uniforms for Breaker and Short Fuse.  Maybe that's not bad.  But, seeing such similarity on two heads in a series that also featured Shimik and Manleh is disappointing.

2018 Red Laser Army figures are fairly decent quality.  But, they aren't without issues.  You'll notice that my Redmack's upper right arm isn't glued together.  Small quality issues like these aren't unheard of with Red Laser figures from this series.  So, be sure to check photos of any figure you are about to acquire.  Otherwise, the figures are very nice.  Redmack is odd in that his shirtcuffs are flesh painted.  The original figure wasn't like this.  I'm not sure how they ended up this way.  But, it does take away from Redmack's visual to see this paint application.  The plastic is good quality, though.  And, unlike the 2017 series, the 2018 figures can hold weapons with no fear of thumb breakage.  

My biggest gripe about the 2018 Red Laser Army series was the relative lack of accessories.  Redmack suffers for this.  While he does include his M-60 and bi-pod like the original figure, that's all he includes.  1982 Joe heads that were designed for helmets need helmets.  Without them, it just looks like you have an incomplete figure.  Redmack not having a helmet really limits him because all you can see if the Hawk/Short Fuse head.  A brown helmet gives him some cover and diminishes some of the imposter syndrome.  Fortunately, it's easy to find 1983 Battle Gear brown helmets.  And, they are a pretty good replacement to use with Redmack.  With just the weapons included with them, the RLA homages are less impressive.  It's not great to need to alternate gear to make a figure worthwhile.  But, the upside to all the RLA figures is that many of them are nice matches for otherwise useless Battle Gear accessories.  So, you can make Redmack more useful with some cheap and easy to find upgrades.

As a character, Redmack is fairly limited.  There are expensive Convention releases of the character in the 25th Anniversary figure format.  There are two vintage Redmacks.  The original debuted in Argentina where Plastirama released him.  Shortly thereafter, the figure was moved to Venezuela where Rubiplas also released him.  The Rubiplas version features slight color alterations and includes a brown Doc helmet.  Both of those figures are straight arms, though.  Red Laser Army released the only swivel version in 2018.  And, that's all you have in regards to the character and his unique look.  

Redmack figures have dried up.  It was pretty easy to find them for 5 years or so after their release.  They were expensive.  But, they were available.  Now, though, it's tough to find him or any of the other RLA homage figures.  The upside, though, is that the market is starting to freefall.  Even before recent months, though, Redmacks were about $30 figures.  Considering new releases for factory customs run $24, $30 doesn't seem ridiculous.  But, now, I'd absolutely wait out the market.  Supply is going explode in the next 12 months.  And, just like what happened back in 2009-2012, prices will swiftly adjust: downward.  In the meantime, you aren't missing much by not having this figure.  Glenda never getting a factory custom leaves your Plastirama team incomplete.  And, outside of an oddity, Redmack isn't really a necessary addition to any collection.  

1993 Star Brigade Invader - Around The Web

The Invader isn't a great vehicle.  But, it's about the only Cobra space vehicle that is easy to photograph.  So, despite being something no one talks about, it finds itself getting quite a bit of use. So, traipse through the links below to see some cool interpretations of the Invader and good ways for it to be useful to a collection.

1993 Star Brigade Invader

1993 Star Brigade Invader by gen_liederkranz

1993 Star Brigade Invader by mpjoes

1993 Star Brigade Invader by thedragonfortress

1993 Star Brigade Invader by gijoeboss

1993 Star Brigade Invader by slipstream80

1993 Star Brigade Invader by yojoe_collectibles

1993 Star Brigade Invader by gen_liederkranz

1993 Star Brigade Invader by Dragon Fortress

1993 Star Brigade Invader by yojoe_collectibles

1993 Star Brigade Invader by thedustinmccoy

1993 Star Brigade Invader by gijoeboss

1992 Stormshadow - Ninja Force

Ninja Force is a bit of a tough nut to crack for me.  The figures have really grown on me over the years.  The mold designs and colors are all top notch.  But, old biases and disappointments from finding them on the shelves back at the time of their release also linger.  My main retail letdowns, though, were the 1993 series of Ninja Force.  The debut year of 1992 was long gone.  And, it's been from these 1992 figures that much of my renewed interest in the figures has sprung.  Most of the figures in the line were sculpts I had ignored.  So, upon finding them again, I was floored at how well done the figures tended to be.  But, in the end, the figures are still defined by their spring loaded action gimmicks.  And, that really costs some figures that should have been amazing...such as this 1992 Stormshadow.

I was out of Joe collecting in 1992.  But, I was still religiously reading the comics.  Really, a lot of the plot from that era just blends together for me, now.  I should go back and re-read the last 50 or so issues, just to re-familiarize myself with the happenings.  But, at the time, I did think that some of the Ninja Force designs were pretty cool.  I thought Slice would be a great toy.  But, on my one trip to Toys R Us in December of that year, I was too focused on some other familiar names and bought Destro, Gung Ho and General Flagg instead of anyone else.  This cycle repeated when I started buying up collections of figures in the late 1990's.  I'd focus on lots with figures I liked (back then, you had the luxury of being choosey) and I'd skip many lots that were heavy on Ninja Force figures.

Eventually, by chance, I acquired all the Ninja Force figures.  I bought way too many lots of 1992 figures when I was after Flak Vipers, Eels and Headhunters.  So, in time, I picked up this Stormshadow.  And, promptly, tossed him into a drawer and never looked at him again.  I was so blase about the figure that I didn't even realize that the 1997 Stormshadow (a figure I liked) was an homage to this 1992 figure.  And, it was only in the mid 2000's that I realized that collectors actually had a fondness for this color scheme on Stormshadow, even if they still hated the actual figure mold.  But, the mold's uses in 2000 and 2002 brought some spotlight to the sculpt and helped normalize it among the more hardcore collectors who comprised the community in the early 2000's.  

I remain steadfast in my belief that Stormshadow only works as a Cobra.  He's necessary as a foil to Snake Eyes.  Without the ying to Snake Eyes' yang, the Joe team's ninja/commando/superhero is just too overpowered.  He lacks the worthy adversary that can keep him from just killing Cobra Commander at any point and ending the whole, pointless conflict.  As I've grown older, I'm also more leery of redemption arcs.  While there's some value in the entire notion, the reality is that you really can't rehab a truly terrible villain.  Once someone will corrupt their morals to follow a dark path, their actions can't be erased by later good deeds.  Stormshadow slashed Gung Ho.  While the physical wounds would heal, every time Gung Ho saw the sword slash scar on his back, he's not be as forgiving of Stormshadow as a new ally.  Sure, you can find some conflict in that story.  But, the entire notion of the anti-hero and the redeemed bad guy have lead us to moral uncertainty where society is unable to grasp that, in real life, bad guys are bad guys and are not to be trusted...especially with power.  

While this figure uses just three basic colors (black, white and gold), the visual that they create is stark and memorable.  You have the white upper body that blends into the black midsection before spotting into white, again for the figure's lower third.  The transitional splotches work really well.  And, it's all offset by the golden highlights painted on the figure's torso.  Stormshadow's arms turn black...allowing for the figure's hands to be unpainted black.  This reduces paint wear.  But, it's also an example of how cost cutting on paint applications can be done in such a way to be un-noticeable.  Stormshadow has no paint applications on his lower arms.  Hasbro designed the figure, though, to make this paint savings appear as part of the overall design.  Stormshadow is no worse for not having paint applications because the blending was so well done.  When you compare this to the cost cutting moves of the 2020's era Hasbro, it's appalling apparent the difference in design skill and approach.  Today's Hasbro isn't afraid of making a stupid looking arm to save a few fractions of a penny.  The vintage Hasbro team did it in a way that no consumer would notice.  And, that's a big reason why the original Joe line resonates so much, even 40+ years after its debut.

I'll go out on a limb and say that if this Stormshadow mold used traditional construction, it would have surpassed even the 1988 version in the collector zeitgeist.  The figure is amazingly detailed and the headsculpt is an even better execution of the design that was introduced on the '88 release.  The body is detailed enough to be interesting.  Much moreso than the blander '88.  But, it's not overdone.  The figure suffers from an oversized torso that's designed to hold the spring loaded action feature that was the hallmark of the entire Ninja Force series.  Sans this feature, the figure would be better proportioned and more in line with other vintage figures.  It's a shame the figure has the action feature as it dominates an otherwise excellent Stormshadow figure.

The 1992 Ninja Force figures actually look amazing when all displayed together.  The color theory used to create the entire series works very well.  Again, this was all intentional on Hasbro's part.  How figures looked when displayed together on retail shelves was of utmost importance.  And, seeing all the first series Ninja Force figures together creates a sum greater than the value of the parts.  The 1993 series is similarly constructed.  And, once you see it with a full set, you realize how visually impactful all the colors can really be.

Stormshadow included three accessories.  The first is the standard black battle stand.  From there, he includes two, white bladed weapons.  He has a long, thin white sword.  It is in scale with the figure and is more lithe than most of the other swords in the Ninja Force line.  The final accessory is my personal favorite.  It's a white scythe with a spiked handle end.  While you can debate the practicality of a weapon like this in real life, it's a really cool weapon.  It's also small enough to be easily wielded by any figure.  It's is somewhat of a legacy weapon, too.  The original Stormshadow included distinctive accessories that helped define the figure.  The 1988 figure included the unique bow and claw.  This 1992 figure has the scythe that carries on that tradition.  And, even with just two weapons, Stormshadow has originality that hearkens back to his origins.

This Stormshadow mold was used too many times.  While Stormshadow didn't get a 1993 repaint, the entire mold was reused for T'Gin Zu.  Hasbro then gave the body parts a new head and used released it for two versions of Ken Masters in the Street Fighter II subset.  Stormshadow returned in 1994 when the mold was used in the Shadow Ninjas set.  In 2000, Hasbro decided to release a new Stormshadow using this mold in the first wave of the ARAHC series.  The mold returned as a Red Ninja in the BJ's set in 2002.  It was planned for inclusion in the ill-fated 2003 Wal Mart parachute figure set.  Plenty of the unproduced figures made their way to the collecting community, too.  In 2004, the mold was finally retired after it was released in the Urban Strike set.  It's worth noting that there are two unproduced variants of Stormshadow from this set: both of which were also heavily imported from Asia by collectors of the early 2000's.  So, there's plenty of this mold available.  

If all that's not enough, though, this figure's paint design is homaged on several other figures.  The first is the 1997 Stormshadow.  The coloring then appears on some anniversary figures.  And, in the 2020's, Black Major had co-opted the colors and released them on several different bodies.  So, if you like the way this figure looks, but not the actual parts which were used, there are alternatives to get the visual appearance into your collection, too.

The upside to this Ninja Force Stormshadow is that he remains cheap.  While dealers will fail to get $30 for a mint and complete figure, you can get really nice versions for around $12.  Just the figure will run you slightly more than half of that.  But, I recommend getting the figure's gear because it complements him so well and is only a slight premium from the loose figure.  Be sure to watch out for discoloration on the white plastic.  And, look out for loose o-rings as they are extremely difficult to replace and will require you to slit the figure's glue apart to fix it.  For the money, this is a worthwhile acquisition, though.  It's a neat look for Stormshadow, even if the actual toy is lacking.  But, standing on the shelf, that's less of an issue than it was in the days when everyone used their new figures for photos, dios or other showcases.

Funskool Tunnel Rat - Around The Web

The prices on this figure are still dumb.  I'll just open with that statement.  Because, it seems everyone has forgotten that Funskool figures were widely available in the US and every collector who was active during the early 2000's had all the Funskool figures they could ever want.  But, memories are short.

Not a ton of people use this figure.  But, there's some fun stuff out there showcasing him.  The bright colors are a hallmark of Funskool but also create a really nice visually distinctive toy.  I really miss Funskool.  It's been over 15 years since they've made G.I. Joe figures.  So, I don't think we're ever going to see the line return.  But, it was fun while it lasted.

Funskool Tunnel Rat Profile

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by The Dragon Fortress

Funskool Tunnel Rat by Funskool Rony

Funskool Tunnel Rat by Toy Gyani

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by The Dragon Fortress

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by codenameflint

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

G.I. Joe #36 - Marvel Comics

I had bought just 9 other G.I. Joe comic books when issue #36 came out.  And, even with that limited experience, my initial thoughts about #36 were pretty much, "what the heck is this?!?".  There was something off about the book.  From the different artwork and perspective on the cover to some of the artistic choices in the book itself, #36 stood out as something different.  In looking back at it, now, the differences are less obvious.  But, at the time, this issue was a departure from those that had come before it.  (Though, to be fair, the artwork in #35 also stands out as something different.)  Hidden inside the issue, though, is a plethora of toy introductions, foreshadowing of upcoming, major plotlines and some closure of the "Zartan" arc that began about a year earlier.

The issue's cover is distinctive as it heavily features a pale cranberry red background.  This color hadn't been seen on a G.I. Joe cover since #8.  It was a dramatic splash of color to offset the dark Cobra blue and olive drab of the Hovercraft.  The perspective of the cover flows from left to right.  It's reminiscent of the #29 cover which also featured the Hovercraft: just in a a different role.  There's a lot of action packed into just a few items.  And, the Rattler, Hovercraft and ASP all convey aspects of the story.  Comic covers were never meant to be 100% representations of what was inside the book.  Instead, they were a composite to give the feel of an issue.  And, the #36 cover delivers on that.

The book opens with a strong portrait of Cutter, Deep Six and Doc.  This version of Deep Six, wearing standard clothing instead of his bulky dive suit, is actually how I think of the character.  He appeared more in  the comic in this outfit than that of his actual "action" figure.  Yet, we never got a toy version of Deep Six that was anywhere close to this above water look.  It really seemed that Larry Hama liked the Deep Six character.  He played significant roles in several comic issues.  And, he got more comic time than many of the standard carded figures that were released through 1984.  And, while we got a nearly perfect update to the Deep Six undersea diver in 1989, we never did get a way to represent the character out of the water.  Topside is the closest representation.  And, the "crewman" Deep Six was a staple of late 1990's and early 2000's customizers.  It's one of the missing figures that I'd gladly buy in the ReAction+ line just because it's never been done.

This issue went on sale in March of 1985.  It has a few notable debuts.  It is the first time we see Cobra hydrofoils that were based on the Moray design.  They are Cobra blue, though.  At the end of the issue, we see the debut of the USS Flagg.  (Though, it's not really noted as being significant.)  The odd thing is that this also marks the debut of the MMS.  For some reason, the MMS didn't appear in G.I. Joe #1.  (I don't think the FLAK did, either.)  And, it wasn't until this issue, four years later, that the 1982 toy finally appeared in a comic panel.  It got to blow up a Rattler and was then destroyed in the fiery aftermath.  The most notable debut, though, is the notion of a "Sea Rattler" and their white-clad pilots.  In the early days of online collecting, the white Rattler pilot was an oft requested new figure should the Joe line return.  The line did return.  But, we never actually got this white Rattler pilot.  In an alternate reality, there would have been a #36 Comic Pack with the proper Deep Six, the Rattler Pilot and one of Fred's "thugs" or a "Rubber Mask" Snake Eyes.

This issue spins three central plots.  The two aquatic adventures are intertwined, but also separate.  The destruction of the G.I. Jane was done to pave the way for the USS Flagg to appear later that summer.  The land battle at the atoll was a somewhat self contained story that had no bearing on the overall except for a throwaway line as the Cobras watched the Joe triumphantly depart.  A Cobra Trooper mentions the larger Gulf operations as foreshadowing for that summer's primary plot.  The Snake Eyes/Scarlett plot, though, was another step forward in converting G.I.  Joe into the Snake Eyes story.  

The Hovercraft arc is interesting because the Joes pretty much decimate the Cobras.  But, the real takeaway is that the good guys are always smarter than the bad guys.  It's a trope that's all too easy.  But, as a kid, seeing the good guys blow up the capable, but not quite smart enough bad guys was a lot of fun.  The crew of Torpedo and Snow Job is kind of random.  It seems like this is a last ditch effort to show off some '83 characters as their figures would have been selling through for the last time.  Seeing Torpedo on the Whale triggered another memory for me.  I had a standard crew for my Whale.  Cutter and Shipwreck manned the helm.  BBQ sat behind them as the requisite firefighter.  But, Torpedo always manned the hidden recon sled underneath the Whale.  I never remembered he was there when I was a kid.  So, I had forgotten about his involvement on every Whale mission I undertook during my childhood heyday.  

The Jane arc balances out the Whale story since Cutter, Deep Six and Doc lose.  While they destroy the Rattlers (it was still a bit jarring to see pilots and others die in the comic when I was 11), the Jane is also destroyed.  The Joes hadn't lost a piece of equipment of that size since the pre-fab HQ was blown to bits back in #19.  I suspect this was done to remove the Jane and bring in the USS Flagg whose toy would appear on retail shelves later in the year.  When taken in that context, the Jane's demise seems kind of cheap.  But, as a kid, the story was pretty intense.

The Snake Eyes/Scarlett story line is also pretty good.  It features Fred along with a group of Cobra goons.  These generic guys appeared a few times in the early issues.  This might have been their final comic appearance.  They are '30's mobster archetypes.  But, they work in conveying that they're bad guys and dangerous.  Scarlett and Snake Eyes dispatch them.  Seeing them all killed with impunity is, again, kind of jarring.  But, they were foils to show the capability of the protagonists.  The culmination is that Fred "dies" by falling off the ferry into the cold water.  (He lives, of course.)  But, the big reveal is that Snake Eyes's face is so horrid that Fred loses his mind upon seeing it.
 

One enduring memory associated with this issue is the carton that says "Snax" on it.  It appears in one of the integral panels to the Snake Eyes/Fred story.  It seems a silly thing to fixate upon.  But, my friend down street always thought this spelling of the word and its appearance in  the comic was hilarious.  Even when we were in high school, he'd mention Snax from time to time and we'd chuckle.  I remember this issue, specifically, for this reason.  It's that one weird thing that makes this issue matter to me.  We all have weird pneumonic devices that recall certain aspects of childhood.  For me, it's "Snax".

The main thing that bothered me about this issue, though, was some of the internal artwork.  Look at the faces and body positions in the panel posted below.  The grotesque mouth poses seemed out of place.  In looking at the creative team, the entire issue was penciled by 4 different people.  So, that may explain some of the oddities among the pages.  I did love the guns that were drawn in this issue, though.  Until the end of my childhood collecting days, I wanted weapons that matched up with those wielded by Fred and his minions in this issue.  

Early Joe comics aren't worth much.  They were printed in massive volumes.  And, many copies survived through to today.  In pretty good condition, this is a $5 or $6 book.  Of course, graded copies will cost more, especially the 9's and 10's.  But, just a couple of years ago, all the non-key Joe comics were about $1 or $2 purchases.  The pandemic pricing destroyed comics, too, I guess.  I'm not sure I'd pay $5 for this issue.  But, comics from the '80's seem like they should be cheap.  The fact that they're over 40 years old isn't as much of an issue as it was when looking at items from the 1940s back in the 1980's.  These '80s items were produced in unfathomable numbers and lack any real sense of rarity.  Even with a strong childhood connection to the comics, I haven't been compelled to finish my original Marvel run.  I'm not missing many.  (I was pretty thorough when I was a kid.)  But, maybe it will become a focus now that my desire to find any unowned figures is pretty much at a dead end, too.  Rereading these old issues is fun because you do find some new stuff when looking at it for the first time in 2 decades.  But, the real value is remembering stupid things like "Snax" and fondly recalling those bygone days when such things were fresh and funny.

1986 Dialtone - Random Photos of the Day

Dialtone remains a personal favorite of mine.  Ever since my younger brother found him sitting on a random shelf at Target and got our first 1986 figure, I've felt that Dialtone was a figure I missed out on.  I've never been able to overcome that initial disappointment.  So, to this day, I use the figure way more than I should.  And, it's nearly impossible for me to express how much I like the figure.  I can't have a rational discussion about him.

So, here's a bunch of 1986 Dialtone figures taken over the years.  My favorite is the last one where he's in the Hum-Vee.  I miss those cheapo, generic military toys you used to be able to find at Toys R Us and, for a short while, Amazon.  They were a great way to expand the Joe line.  After that non-sequitur, enjoy the photos below. 

1993 Iceberg

Sometimes, a simple little change can be all the difference between a figure that is loved and one that is ignored.  The 1993 Iceberg isn't a figure you see all that often.  He's a definite downgrade from the 1986 character debut.  And, the figure's calling card of bright yellow highlights definitely hurt his appeal.  But, when you look at the original card art, you see that Iceberg was originally meant to look a bit different.  And, had those original coloring choices been followed, this version of Iceberg would be much more accepted in the collecting world today.  

If you look at Iceberg's card artwork, the figure should be amazing.  The details on the mold really pop.  His bullets are golden instead of yellow and all of his details are clearly visible.  The most important difference, though, is that the character's mask and gloves and details are green instead of bright yellow.  We can argue about whether green really works in the arctic.  But, the green highlights really look much better than the bright yellow. The figure on the card art would have some vehement fans.  The released figure, though, does not.  Many 1993 and 1994 figures seemed to have changes like this from the art colors.  Some may have been due to cost cutting and others may have been choices to brighten up a retail assortment.  But, in almost every case, the card art showcases a figures superior to the actual toy.

This is a shame as the yellow obfuscates a fairly decent Iceberg sculpt.  The chest has some heft to showcase the bulk of the cold weather coat and gear.  But, the sculpting of the ammo belt, powder horn, grenades, hoodie collar and fur accents on the gloves all show that Hasbro was still more than capable of making great toys in 1993.  Sadly, the yellow is a tough sell and really takes away from the quality of the mold.  It takes a figure that might be among the better 1993 releases and relegates him to near the bottom of that year's popularity.  Despite the classic character, solid gear and great sculpt, Iceberg languishes in obscurity: overshadowed by not only his original figure, but other cold weather figures like Snow Storm and Frostbite who were his contemporaries.  

My only real memory associated with this version of Iceberg comes from a random lot of figures I bought off Ebay back in 1999 or so.  In it was a figure with this Iceberg's head painted olive green atop a 1990 Big Ben body.  As lazy customs go, it wasn't bad.  My main takeaway, though, was how well the head was painted.  It was only after scratching at it a bit that I could tell the painting was done by a steady handed person instead of a factory.  I bought the lot because it was dirt cheap and included a bunch of accessories as well as a full Night Viper body with a Laser Viper head.  Back in those early collecting days, you could find lots like that no one wanted because they were "ruined" figures from later molds.  I still have the parts sitting in a box buried in a basement closet.  Someday, I might put the head to a different use.  

Aside from the yellow highlights, Iceberg also features some brown painted snowflake designs that are meant as cammo or just eye-filler.  I get the idea of snowflakes.  And, really, they kind of work as a means of breaking up the otherwise very brightly colored body.  They look, though, like the bullet hole stickers you'd see on model kits of the era.  So, when I look at the figure, I think he got shot up in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.  It makes me chuckle and prevents me from taking the figure too seriously.  But, if I put that association out of my head, you can see what the designers were going for.  And, they did succeed in making the figure more visually interesting than he would otherwise be.

Iceberg's gear is about as good as it gets for 1993.  As far as I know, Iceberg's weapon tree was unique to him.  It included resculpted versions of the 1988 Blizzard's rifle and pistol.  These were great throwbacks to earlier arctic themed figures.  Iceberg also included a machete from Muskrat and a knife from Hit and Run.  There is the requisite missile launcher, missiles and battle stand.  Iceberg also includes a snowboard.  This unique accessory puts him over the top for 1993 figures because Iceberg has something to interact with.  The "jet-powered" snowboard was an idea that Hasbro used often.  There's jet powered skis, missiles and snowboards throughout the line.  The absolute bonkers notion of such an item wasn't important to kids.  It was just fun.  The snowboard also has a variant where the G.I. Joe logon on the underside can be printed in both directions.  It's small, but something to look for. 

This Iceberg was also released in Brazil.  The Estrela made figure is named Pantano and is a nearly identical paint job to the Hasbro release.  Pantano is noteworthy for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, Pantano was also the name of the Python Patrol Copperhead that was released in Brazil.  The characters aren't related.  But, seeing the same name twice is fun.  Secondly, Pantano is a Cobra.  The masked face made for an easy affiliation swap.  And, Pantano joins many late run Brazilian figures who switched allegiances for their Estrela debuts.  Finally, Pantano's card artwork removes the green coloring from the figures's head and replaces it with yellow to more closely match the actual toy.  The artwork was also updated to remove the snowboard that wasn't included with Pantano.  The mold wasn't used again.  It's pretty likely that Hasbro had access to the mold in the 2000's.  And, while I'd have loved to have seen it in the Winter Operations set in 2005, the reality is that we're probably better off with the mold just having been used the two times.

Dealers will ask anywhere between $10 and $25 for mint and complete versions of this figure.  With the full set of accessories and filecard, the figure seems to be worth about $10.  Carded versions are higher priced than I would have thought, though.  They top out around $35...which seems high for an unliked figure from a late run year.  But, the once plentiful carded 1993 and 1994 Joes have heavily dried up.  So, you're paying a premium for low supply.  I'm not sure I'd drop $10 on this guy.  He's a neat look at what Hasbro was still capable of doing in 1993.  But, he's also a showcase of some wrong decisions from that era, too.  I've gotten out into the snow for some pics.  But, really, I'd much rather use the other cold weather figures from that era instead.  They just work better than the yellow highlights you see on this Iceberg.

1985 Torch - Around The Web

It's pretty non-controversial to say that Torch is the least popular of the original 3 Dreadnoks.  And, you'll see that played out in the content below.  Instead of seeing Torch as the main focus in many of the photos, you'll actually see him in the background.  He's integral to the theme of the 3 Dreadnoks.  But, he's rarely the focal point of the action.  He's just kind of there.  But, he's also conspicuous in his absence.

Some of Torch's obscurity is elevated by the fact that he did not appear in the repaint era.  Buzzer, Ripper and Road Pig were available from Funskool during the early 2000's.  And, starting in 2004, Buzzer and Ripper became available as convention figures and, eventually, a retail release. Zanzibar, Road Pig and even Thrasher would get releases during this time.  And, there were convention figures meant to emulate Gnawgahyde.  Torch, though, was left behind.  It's likely because his mold was gone.  He did get one of the better figures in the JvC style of releases, though.  But, as everyone has forgotten that those figures even exist, it didn't help his popularity.

Torch did get 4 distinct figures, overall.  He has variants released in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.  But, all three figures are pretty much the same as his Hasbro release.  So, there's no even the cachet of a rare foreign coloring (like the Red Buzzer or Purple Ripper from India) to bump his status among collectors.  

So, he remains the lost Dreadnok.  But, because the full set of original 3 Dreadnoks remains so popular, there's tons of content on him out there.  He's just rarely the full subject of the photo.  But, you can clearly see the value of the figure within the context of his original team.

1985 Torch Profile

Comic #30 Profile

1985 Torch at the Attica Gazette

1985 Torch by thedustinmccoy

1985 Torch by joesandtoys

1985 Torch by 73larebear

1985 Torch by u.n.i.t._gijoe

1985 Torch at Joe A Day.com

1985 Torch by cobra_rules_cybertron

1985 Torch by themexicangriswolds

1985 Torch by viper_space

1985 Torch by gi_joeisthere

1985 Torch by gijoe_c4_panama

1985 Torch by powervsdreams2000

1985 Torch by mrmikevinthepit

1985 Torch by Evilface

1985 Torch by thedustinmccoy

Gatilho - Brazilian Exclusive Python Patrol Airborne

Gatilho has been part of my collection for over 20 years.  In that time, he has been a major player, minor annoyance and, now, part of my core collection that defines my Joe experience.  I no longer really think of the figure as a foreign exclusive.  Instead, he's just another option when I'm looking to staff the villains in photos or displays.  He's more a part of the Python Patrol to me than even Copperhead or the Viper.  I just see him in this role as a major character whose origin in South America is one of the lesser aspects of his character.  And, as I've found Python Patrol to be a fun subset to build out, Gatilho takes on importance beyond being a foreign oddity and has become a key component of one of my favorite one-off sets in my collection.

At this point in my collecting life, foreign exclusives have been part of my Joe experience for so long that I really don't have the appreciation for them that they probably warrant. It is amazing that the world has changed to a point where acquiring decades old toys that were exclusively released on other continents is commonplace.  Figures like the Brazilian Gatilho were once nearly impossible find.  Now, they are relatively common and most collectors have easy access to the figure, though they may be priced somewhat higher.  We have knowledge of foreign releases and access to their home markets that allow anyone to add foreign figures like this to their collections.  That expansion of the Joe world has been a heavy driver of the brand's momentum for over 20 years, now.  Fan clubs, factory customs and licensed partners have all delved into the foreign Joe mythos.  And, it's been only possible because there is so much information about non-Hasbro releases available.  

Gatilho is pretty much what he's supposed to be.  He's a weird villain wearing a Python Patrol uniform.  His base is solidly military...a leftover from his Airborne roots.  But, the colors are non-sensical in any form aside from membership in Python Patrol.  The green, yellow and black is a visual treat, though.  And, I'd have enjoyed this figure quite a bit had I owned him as a kid.  As a collector, though, I appreciate that he brings the one element that was always missing from Python Patrol: named characters.  Python Patrol was an army builder's panacea.  But, a team with no leader didn't make sense.  And, in the pre-factory custom world, Gatilho was the perfect choice to lead teams of Python army builders into action.

Gatilho has some limitations, too.  His yellow waists makes him appear that he's wearing yellow underwear on the outside of his uniform.  It's somewhat distracting.  It does break up the figure's look.  But, not in a good way.  His kneepads are also unpainted.  A quick application of black paint here would really help set the figure out.  The busy camo pattern makes Gatilho's legs disappear.  Black kneepads would help to break this up and give you a visual resting point on the figure.  The rest of the colors are an odd mish-mash.  But, they are true to the Python Patrol visuals.  Really, it's amazing how well Gatilho and Relampago match up to the Hasbro Python Patrol figures.  It's this consistency that makes the Brazilian duo so useful.  They look like they are intended to match the Hasbro sub-team.

Back in 2003, I wrote up a whole backstory for this figure.  And, had I not written it down, I'd have no recollection of it.  I have less need for a complex and intricate origin for every character these days.  Now, I just see Gatilho as a guy who leads some similarly dressed Cobras into battle.  There's not much thought put into him beyond that.  He might ride a motorcycle or a helicopter.  But, those are just tools and not part of his character.  I like the figure because he looks cool and is a perfect match for one of my favorite Cobra Trooper recolors.  And, 20 years after his acquisition, that's enough.  I like using him and I take advantage of that when I can.  

Gatilho includes two accessories, but both are unique to this figure. The helmet is a yellow version of Airborne's original helmet, but with the molded goggles painted black. This additional splash of color helps to mute the bright yellow and gives the helmet far more character than was exhibited on the American Airborne. The figure also includes a charcoal colored version of Ripcord's rifle. This coloring is similar to the weapon included with the Tactical Battle Platform in the U.S. But, it has a glossier finish. Due to the figure's brittle thumbs and the rifle's large handle, though, I have never actually placed the weapon in the figure's hands. Instead, I use other, smaller handled weapons or have Gatilho posed like he appears in the photos below where he holds the rifle by the barrel or handle in a resting position rather than being ready to fire. The accessories fit the figure, but are not all that great. Having the helmet is worthwhile as the helmetless figure is a bit boring. But, there are other alternatives to Gatilho's weapon that allow for the budget conscious collector to skip that unique accessory and outfit him with something from the spare guns bin.

The Airborne mold was released several times.  Hasbro released Airborne in 1983.  He was available on a card and bagged as well.  His torso and accessories were then used for the first version of the Steel Brigade figure.  Then, the mold went to South America.  (This is why the Steel Brigade was changed to the Duke torso and also why Starduster was switched to Duke's torso since Recondo was also sent away.)  Airborne was released in colors based off his US figure in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.  The final release of the mold appears to have been this Gatilho.  But, foreign timelines are fuzzy.  In the early 2000's, there were people in Argentina who claimed to have access to the Airborne mold and could make exclusive figures.  No one took them up on the offer.  (Which, was probably wise!)  But, it implied that the Airborne mold existed at that time.  It was just not in Hasbro's control.  If this was true or if the mold might still exist are unknown.  Factory Custom maker Black Major released an Airborne torso on his Steel Brigade figures in 2017.  But, he never used the torso on another figure, despite the possibilities.  Airborne remains an underrepresented figure in terms of untapped potential for repaints of the mold.  But, it's unlikely to ever come to be.

While the Airborne mold was used quite a bit, I feel it was never really fully exploited.  The Argentine, Mexican and Brazilian versions of the character all have nuances from the Hasbro figure.  But, at their core, they are the same central theme based on the character's original appearance.  The Steel Brigade usage of the torso was good.  But, you have to find what is now one of the rarest Hasbro figures in the line's history to use on a custom to make use of the solid green color.  Fail Safe brought back the Airborne helmet in 2023.  And, it would have been awesome to have seen a drastic Airborne recolor to accompany Ripcord released some time after the Skystriker dropped.  I feel there's a lot of potential left in the Airborne mold that could be used for a definitive version of the character.  I don't think we'll ever see it, though.

In the grand scheme of things, this figure is rare. The brittle Brazilian plastic, lower overall production numbers and language barriers to its native release country all add up to a figure that does not exist in great quantities. But, despite all that, the figure is still very much available from South American Joe sellers and can even be found from American dealers with some frequency. Gatilho is still, though, a $80 - $100 figure if you want a mint, complete with filecard version. (You can get them cheaper if you can find an American seller with the figure, but that takes quite a bit of patience.)  That's pricey for the Joe line. It is up to each collector to determine if this figure brings that kind of value to their collection. Personally, I find Gatilho and Relampago necessary members of my collection due to the holes they fill in the Python Patrol subset.  But, if Python Patrol isn't a division of interest, then the value each figure brings to a collection diminishes.