There are figures that you would never guess have some popularity. Charbroil is one of them. To me, he is a mostly forgotten member of the relatively ignored class of 1988. Yet, there's a ton of content about him out there. I suspect some of this is just that his name is easily searched. But, also, flamethrowers are a fun subset to photograph since they can do something or be in environments that are different than your classic guy in casual fatigues.
As you might have also surmised, I'm suffering from some writer's block. I just haven't had time to really look at my collection or get any photographs. I've also packed most of my vehicles away as I'm getting ready to move, again. So, I'm going to use a few of the Around the Web and Random Photo posts that I have in my drafts. I have over 450 of them. So, there's plenty to hold me over until the bug bites me and I can churn out something worth saying.
The upside with finding hidden gems like Charbroil is that the roster of creators reads like a who's-who of ancient Joe posters. Many of them are no longer active. But, it doesn't mean their accounts aren't filled with amazing work from the glory years of G.I. Joe Instagram. So, take some time to check the links and let me know your favorite in the comments below.
1988 Charbroil by joerizzo2025
1988 Charbroil by corpscommandercody
1988 Charbroil by thedustinmccoy
1988 Charbroil by silentinterlude
1988 Charbroil by gijoe_c4_panama
1988 Charbroil by fun_time_at_serpentorslair
1988 Charbroil by sparkysworkshop
1988 Charbroil by therealsuperman73
1988 Charbroil by backyardjoes
1988 Charbroil by heroeamericano
1988 Charbroil by plasticbattles
I tend to agree with the overall sentiment of your profile... there's nothing especially off-putting about the figure, but there's nothing about him that makes him a must-have, either. I feel like he's best left manning the support guns on some 1988-era vehicle...he's a solid-enough figure who will probably never be a superstar in anyone's collection. And that's fine ..not every figure can be a showstopper.
ReplyDeleteI've never liked his gear, though. Aside from the helmet, all of his stuff is just so unnecessarily big. Everything is a lot more reasonably sized on the card art, which looks much better to me. Speaking of the card art, it's a shame that the production figure doesn't feature those hoses from the helmet. Since I've never seen any evidence of a preproduction version of the actual figure with those hoses, I assume that it was an addition that the artist popped in there...they look great.
I would argue that the Night Force version is worth tracking down (with his helmet). Even if you don't use him as Charbroil, there's something about that figure that sparks my imagination and makes him seem like fertile ground for creating a new character (maybe some shady mercenary or even a Star Brigade-esque bad guy). If you can afford him, the Night Force version is a solid pick-up.
I want to want this guy...but he's light brown with yellow and red highlights. He's a walking hot dog! I guess that's appropriate given his name.
ReplyDeleteHere's my burning question (pun intended), what is the proper orientation on Charbroil's backpack? Which side points up?
ReplyDeleteIf you take the card art as the official word, then the side with the little antenna-like protrusion would be the one that faces up. That also allows for the flamethrower tube to hook up for a right-handed orientation (as well as possible, anyway...even under the best of conditions, that tube is just too thick to be useful - especially if you have the variant made of stiffer plastic). Hasbro does get bonus points for sculpting in the tube detail on the backpack to make it look like it continues on. I bet it would look great to have that little section of the backpack painted black.
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