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.
