Rarities - 1989 Deep Six (Unproduced Diving Shoes)

The 1989 Deep Six is not a beloved figure.  He is, though, a pretty great figure for his specialty.  He was the perfect blend of 1989 modernity that defined the Joe line and old-timey diving suits that every kid in the '80's knew from the Fisher Price figure that came with the orange octopus.  Originally, though, the figure was supposed to include even more gear than he did.  Along with all his production pieces, Deep Six was also going to include two diving shoes that attached to his feet.  You can see them in the catalog image below.

It's certain that these shoes were removed for cost cutting reasons.  They really offered nothing to the figure.  And, Deep Six included a nice amount of gear, even without them.  And, no kid was making a purchase decision on Deep Six based on whether or not he included some weighted shoes.  They were small pieces that would have been easily lost.  So, much like Mainframe's computer stand from 1986, the accessories were entirely superfluous and didn't really affect the overall impression of the figure were they removed.

If you look very closely at Deep Six's card artwork, you can just barely see the shoes.  Hasbro was deft in their editing, though.  And, the bottom of Deep Six's feet are cut off by the edges of the card.  Knowing the shoes were axed and this would have just been a matter of cropping the photo slightly differently, it's tough to see the feet being so close to the edge as anything other than intentional.  

It's always interesting to see items like this.  We know that the cost to develop an accessory is the biggest part of the overall expense.  But, even in the late '80's, Hasbro was making at least 150,000-200,000 of their least popular figures.  So, saving a few pennies on a figure could add up across the whole line...even if Hasbro had incurred the cost to make the parts.  The shoes appearing in a promo catalog with production level figures, though, tells you they were a late strike from the figure's complement of gear.  While I would love for their to be a complicated back story as to why these pieces were chosen for elimination, the truth is that it is certain to be nothing more than financial.  And, decisions like that are both boring and depressing while also driving home that, to the Hasbro guys, the Joe line was, at the end of the day, a job.  

Rarities - Rubiplas Fang II (Venezuela)

There is a fairly direct line between exclusive G.I. Joe toys produced by the Plastirama toy company in Argentina in the 1980s and those also produced by the Rubiplas toy company in Venezuela.  Most collectors know about the Venezuelan Cobra Mortal exclusive who is all white instead of red, chrome and black like the Argentinian release.  But, Rubiplas produced a robust line of G.I. Joe figures and vehicles, all of which are exclusive to Venezuela.

Below is a FANG II produced by Rubiplas.  This toy was likely released in the early 1990's.  It's possible there was an accomopanying line of figures that are less known that accompanied this toy.  (For example, the 1989 Snake Eyes was also released by Rubiplas around this time.)  But, it is interesting to see an exclusive vehicle produced for the Venezuelan market.

Rubiplas releases are the most difficult foreign exclusives to acquire.  (Yes, there are individual items from other countries rarer than Rubiplas toys.  But, overall, you can get samples of Funskool, Estrela, Plastirama and even Nilco more easily than you can find Rubiplas items.)  For a brief window in the mid 2010's, there were a few avenues to acquire the items directly from Venezuela.  But, as Venezuela has faced political crises, many of those doors have closed.  As such, you'll pay a premium for any Rubiplas release.

Generally, the Rubiplas vehicles are based on the Hasbro color schemes.  (There are a couple of notable exceptions like the Thunder Machine.)  But, there are the traditional shading and hue differences in the plastic colors.  But, to most collectors, the differences on these vehicles are slight and would be difficult to notice.  So, these items are more interesting as an obscure something to have from a different continent.

Rarities - Mail Away 1983 Grand Slam, Hawk and Clutch

In the summer of 2001, a random seller posted a few bagged 1983 G.I. Joe figures who were packed with redback filecards.  They had a small stock of them.  They were offered at $5 and bought out instantly.  I managed to get a Clutch and Hawk, but missed out on the Grand Slam.  The seller said they had more.  But, due to the quick sell out, decided to do more research on the value of the items.  Within a few weeks, some additional bagged figures appeared.  They were higher priced, though still offered for sums that seem ridiculously cheap these days.  Some collectors bought a few.  But, mostly they sat around as the collecting world wasn't really interested in them.

Over the years, the supply of the figures never really dried up.  You could always find them.  But, there were never enough to really drop prices too far.  For a very long time, you could get the bagged versions for about the same price as a loose, mint and complete figure of the same character.  Grand Slam was usually higher priced, though, as he included the filecard from the Silver Pads Grand Slam.  And, in those early days, many collectors didn't make a distinction between the redback versions of filecards or those cut from a box.  

The reason for this is that a ton of overstock of these figures have been found.  You'll even see a "barn" find where entire cases of the figures were discovered and put into the collecting community.  During the years close to the finds, the figures would get cheap.  Now, they have gotten more expensive.  While there are plenty of them out there, they are still more scarce than standard loose figures.  And, many collectors in the early days simply opened the bags up because it was a cheaper option to get high quality vehicle drivers.

The most interesting aspect of the figures is that you get a red Grand Slam with a Silver Pads Grand Slam filecard.  The photo for the Silver Pads figure was all new and created as a JUMP exclusive when the figure was added in 1983.  So, it's not like they destroyed the original artwork.  So, the appearance of the Silver Pads art is weird.  But, it's likely that Hasbro had it more ready to go since it was newer.  As collectability goes, this filecard is the most noteworthy just because it has the juxtaposition of figure and artwork.

The reality is that these three figures are not rare.  There are tons of them out there due to the various finds over the years.  People still pay premiums for them.  But, usually, the prices for these three figures remain far below bagged samples of other 1983 mail away and catalog figures.  So, at least there's no inequity there.  Once upon a time, it was easier and about the same price to simply buy one of these bagged figures and open it to get a mint and complete with filecard figure of the three included in the set.  That's no longer the case.  

Rarities - Unproduced Brazilian Figures

While Estrela produced around 150 total figures in their exclusive Comandos Em Acao line, they  had intended for there to be more.  In the 1990's, Estrela showcased 5 figures in various forms that ended up never getting released.  These figures not only appeared as cross sells on various cardbacks, but even appeared in catalogs used to sell the products.  The 5 figures were all 1991 releases from Hasbro.  The figures were: Grunt, Crimson Guard Immortal, Mercer, Tracker and Cobra Commander.  (Their names in Brazil would have been Arsenal, Flagelo, Desertor, Correnteza and Tirano.)

Hasbro's 1991 figures were one of the rare years that didn't see a second year of release.  This was due to Hasbro trying to reboot the line in 1992 with familiar characters.  So, 1991 molds became common sights in later repaint lines and international releases.  You'll note that all of the figures that appear in the Estrela promotional material shown below are Hasbro made figures and not the Estrela figures.  So, this marketing propaganda was made prior to Estrela having their own wares to photograph.  

You'll often find international guides that list these figures as being available in Brazil.  But, many of these were from the early days of collecting before it was determined that these figures never saw production.  One early guide even features a few Hasbro figures in the placeholders for these names.  And, one thing that's constant in the Joe line is that mistakes and errors from the early collecting years are often repeated and rarely corrected.

Below are two promo photos.  One features just the 5 cancelled figures.  The other shows them interspersed with some other figures that were released in Brazil.  Seeing them all in one shot suggests to me that they were planned as a new wave at one point.  But, the entire wave was halted.  Maybe Hasbro didn't send the molds for whatever reason.  Or, it could have just been that Estrela determined they didn't want another wave.  These figures would have appeared closer to the end of the Comandos Em Acao line.  And, this was the time when Estrela was starting to move away from the standard carded figures that had defined their line and towards the themed subsets of figures that featured bigger cards and more gimmicks.

It's interesting to note that all 5 of these unproduced figures from Estrela did, later, appear as exclusive Funskool releases.  So, Hasbro did recoup more of their cost as they moved the molds around the world.  And, the molds weren't in an unusable state for Esrela.  But, the reasons for these figures being cancelled in Brazil remain lost.  

Rarities - Pre-Production 1987 Knockdown

BattleForce 2000 was a late 1987 release.  The figures were among the final ones I acquired when I was a kid.  But, the actual products were meant for wide release in 1988.  So, they first appeared in the 1988 Toy Fair catalog.  The figures in that publication, though, feature a lot of differences.  Knockdown is the most notable.  Below, you'll see some of the photos featuring the pre-production figure.  

You'll note an even more barrel torso with a rounded collar.  I'm not sure if the chest piece is just a repurposed piece from another figure like Payload.  (The Secto Viper in the 1988 catalog is just a repainted Payload.)  The effect when his helmet was fully affixed  made Knockdown's uniform look more like it was a single, unified piece instead of a helmet on top of a jumpsuit. 

In the photos, you can see paint wear on the front of Knockdown's helmet.  So, it wasn't anywhere near production level for these promos.  You can see the wear in both photos.  So, Hasbro reused this piece time and again.  It's doubtful anyone thought the photos could be blown up and scrutinized by someone at thirty five or more years in the future.  But, it's an interesting detail to see in official photography that was meant to sell the toys to retailers.

I actually like this pre-production design for Knockdown more than I do his actual production pieces.  The helmet seems more like a part of his overall uniform instead of just a head piece.  It gives the figure more cohesion than was present in the final form.   I'm not sure why he was changed.  But, it does appear that the figure underwent more refinement in the final months before his release.  And, we ended up with the production figure that had a very different look.

Rarities - 1993 Night Creeper Unproduced Weapons

The 1993 Night Creeper figure is the only Ninja Force figure that I actually bought at retail.  I didn't, though, buy him for his weapons.  I just bought him because I was desperate to add something to my collection after several failed trips to Toys R Us.  And, he looked the most palatable of all the bad options.

What I did not notice, though, was that the weapons on his card artwork did not match the weapon tree that was included with the figure.  Instead, the Night Creeper is drawn with weapons that ultimately released with the 1993 Slice figure.  No real mention of this change is made.  In fact, both weapons are called out on the Night Creeper's filecard.  Oddly, there is also a cape mentioned.  Meaning, this figure had a cape pretty far into his design process.  But, it was eliminated even before his Toy Fair debut.

Below you will see photos from the 1993 Toy Fair catalog and the 1993 Ninja Force toy commercial that featured the upcoming Ninja Force figures.  The Night Creeper is clearly photographed holding the light blue versions of the Slice accessories.  They match the two in his hands on the card artwork.  It is notable because the tree that included these weapons was fairly uncommon.  So, you don't often see these weapons used with Ninja Force figures even though they are among the best accessories that sub-line produced.

The change in accessories kind of makes sense.  While I'd have loved for the Night Creeper to include the Slice weapons, this is a function of the fact that I army build the figure and the Slice gear looks better in photos.  Upon their introduction in 1990, the Night Creeper were sold as archers.  The original figure included an awesome crossbow.  So, switching the Night Creeper over to a weapon tree with a bow to match their original release at least makes some kind of sense.  

In the Toy Fair catalog, Ninja Force is noted as including 7 figures in the wave.  The photo, though, only shows 6.  A seventh, Stormshadow, appears atop the Ninja Lightning motorcycle...likely as a placeholder for the T'Gin Tzu that  would use his mold.  The missing figure is Slice.  So, it's probable that Slice was the final addition to the 1993 Ninja Force lineup.  (He is numbered 7 in the set and the only repaint released in the 1993 carded series.)  And, when looking for something to make Slice more memorable, giving him the more distinctive weapon tree made some logical sense.  

It's pretty likely that someone out there has copies of the unproduced Night  Creeper weapon trees.  There may even be some people who picked up Hasbro overstock who have a bunch of alternate trees sitting in a box in their basement: not realizing what's actually there.  But, they are a fairly lost element of the late run line.  

Rarities & Oddities Month - 2025

I'm putting together Rarities Month for this year.  And, I don't really have much left.  The last few years have been a seller's market in the Joe world.  We've seen fewer and fewer items change hands.  Guys are holding onto things as they acquire them.  20 years ago, people would buy a rare item, hold it for a while and then sell it to buy another rare item.  Now, they just hold onto everything and keep acquiring.  It makes for a stagnant market.  So, we don't have the deluge of rare and oddball items hitting the marketplace.  Those that do, though, are often hidden in private uber-groups of select, well heeled collectors so that people like me don't make the information public.  So, this year is going to focus on some different aspects of the hobby.  There's going to be some pre-production photography, catalog imagery and other ephemera.  So, stop by throughout the month and check it out.

1984 MANTA - Around the Web

The MANTA is the most viewed page on this site.  It's not even close.  It's been viewed more than 5 times more often than the 2nd most popular post.  Even now, this profile consistently pops up in the top 5 of the week, 5 years since it was first published.  I have ZERO idea as to why this is.  Is the MANTA really that popular?  Or, is it just a weird coincidence where that post happens to have a couple of fans who use it as a launching pad into the site?  The reference data for the site offers no clues.  So, I can not explain why the MANTA gets so much traffic.

All this aside, the MANTA is one of those things that, as a kid, I hated.  It was kind of a crappy toy.  It looked neat.  But, when you tried to play with it, the thing fell apart if an eyelash brushed against it.  As an adult collector, though, it's impossible to look at the MANTA other than a singular feat of toy design and engineering.  The fact that that it could be broken down and put into a backpack is just amazing.  And, the combination of plastic and vinyl to create a reasonable looking sail is inspired.  

There's a lot of good content on the MANTA out there.  And, you'll notice a lot of different names among the creators this time around.  Hopefully, you'll discover someone new who does some cool stuff that you'll enjoy.  So, enjoy this MANTA content.  And, I'll continue to puzzle over why the MANTA is the single most popular spotlight I've ever done.

1984 MANTA Profile

1984 MANTA by RTG

1984 MANTA by gen_liederkranz

1984 MANTA by gijoe_c4_panama

1984 MANTA by clutch_rules

1984 MANTA by HCC788

1984 MANTA blueprints at Joe A Day.com

1984 MANTA by 80stoyattic

1984 MANTA by evilface

1984 MANTA by flatline 54

1984 MANTA by chaplainjoepod

1984 MANTA by matemylar

1984 MANTA by animalvaders

1984 MANTA by sintechness

1986 STUN

The 1986 Cobra STUN  is a stupid, stupid vehicle.  It is terrible in so many ways.  I'll enumerate many of them later on.  But, all of that is, largely, irrelevant.  Why?  Because, the STUN is a fun toy.  And, that's all that it was really about.  G.I. Joe wasn't about fundamental military realism.  (Despite what douchy Facebook "Joe Bros" want to believe.)  It was about really fun toys that kids would love to play with.  And, the STUN delivered on that premise.  Many of things that made it a rolling death trap were also the features that were the most fun to me when I was a kid.  Even then, we realized the sheer ridiculousness of the design.  But, we could forgive it due to how much play value was packed into the STUN.

The STUN features the classic Cobra colors of black and red.  It's a perfect match for many Cobra vehicles from the classic era and seamlessly blends with Hiss Tanks, Stingers, CATs and Adders.  And, as such, it's also a strong match for Vipers, Crimson Guards and even the Motor Viper who is its intended driver.  The aesthetic and scale are different from the aforementioned toys, though.  The STUN was definitely a product of the 1986 release year.  But, it works perfectly with figures released along side it.  Even with the colors, the STUN doesn't get as easy a pass as some other vehicles do, though.  I get the reasons why.  But, for me, the memories and importance of the STUN far outweigh any concerns about the vehicle's viability.

I first acquired the STUN in the summer of 1986. We went to the local Children's Palace store that was, literally, right next door to the local Toys R Us.  There, they had STUNs stacked in a huge display on the floor.  There were tons and tons of them.  I bought one and it immediately became the backbone of my Cobra mechanized legions.  The HISS Tank had been around for a while.  And, it was kind of stale.  The Thunder Machine was a newer acquisition.  And, it was a key component of every Cobra attack that deployed against the bases I set up in my room.  But, the Thunder Machine had limitations since it had just one gun.  And, while it was impressive and deadly against infantry, the Thunder Machine wasn't as effective against more powerful Joe armor.  The STUN solved for this.  I envisioned the larger cannons as being able to easily take out more powerful Joe vehicles.  And, they were still small enough to work against infantry troops, too.

The STUNs real power, though, was that it was fast.  It was, in fact, the fastest vehicle in my entire collection.  This was imperative because the STUN needed speed to offset the design limitations that left the crew so exposed.  It would speed around the battlefield, outrunning the ability of infantry troops to track it with their weapons.  Lumbering Maulers were no match for the STUNs which could surround and disable them.  The only vehicle I had which could match up against the STUN was the HAVOC.  At the time, the HAVOC had only been in  my collection for a month or so.  So, I was wont to make it as important as possible.  The comic had an issue where the HAVOC was a foil to the Thunder Machine.  But, I found the STUN a more worth adversary.  STUNs could take out HAVOCs and vice-versa.  And, since each vehicle required a full crew and had a rear gunner station, there were exponentially more play possibilities than I could have with any other two vehicles in my collection at the time.  

My STUN had a standard crew.  The Motor Viper took the main driver seat.  These guys were nuts.  They had to be in order to operate such a death trap that ensured instant death for the driver in most of the missions it would undertake.  In 1987, the Accessory Pack version of the '86 Viper's rifle would join the Motor Viper to give the STUN extra firepower.  The front gun pods were manned by '84 Hooded Cobra Commander figures.  We had three of them.  Some had broken thumbs or crotches.  But, I could overlook those for guys who just sat in gunner pods.  I had always used the Hooded CC's as Cobra gunners in the Hiss Tanks and ASP.  So, this was just an extension of their existing duties.  In the back gunner chair was my '86 Viper whose thumb had broken.  I had snapped him early in his life.  (Which was rare for me in 1986.)  So, I had replaced the figure with another one.  The broken thumb figure was perfect for the rear gunner chair.  I could outfit the STUN with more figures if the need arose.  But, this configuration would invade Joe bases for the remainder of my childhood playing days.

I've written about my childhood room before.  It was an addition that was attached to an existing bedroom.  I had tons of space.  But, the entrance was a hallway that stepped down into my room.  This hallway was a perfect runway for a Cobra attack.  The Joe base would be beneath the step.  And, against the step, I would build the security perimeter for the base.  I would have the Bridge Layer bridge be the only ramp down the step.  And, I'd have various ladders from old Fisher Price toys set up for the men to climb over the barrier.  I'd set up old broken vehicles, TIE Fighter wings and rusting TONKA fire trucks as the remainder of the barrier.  Among the gaps I'd place things like the Outpost Defender, Checkpoint Alpha and the smaller Battlefield Accessory sets with sandbags and walls.  Figures would man these areas with key figures occupying other spaces.  

Cobra would attack by coming down the hallway.  They'd have legions of STUNS, Hiss Tanks and the Thunder Machine.  (The Thunder Machine was an army building vehicle like the STUNs and Hiss Tanks...even though we only had one of each.)  It was the STUNs, though, that did the damage.  They'd zoom around the battlefield, outrunning the fire from the positions.  The heavy cannons would knock down the barriers or blow holes through the defenses.  The stationary emplacements would get destroyed.  My key Joes, often occupying individual spaces instead of the playsets, would be the ones to take out a STUN or two.  But, since they'd mostly do this by killing the Motor Viper who was driving, the high speed vehicles would then crash into the defenses, often opening the door for Cobra Infantry to advance through towards the actual base.

As the front line fell apart, the heavy Joe vehicles would come out.  Here, they'd engage with the STUNs with success that varied on my mood.  For me, Joe was always the underdog.  They were outmanned and outgunned by Cobra.  So, their victories were never guaranteed.  They'd often sustain losses, too.  But, I could have different figures become the major heroes of the day.  And, I could have Cobra "lose" while still completing their objective like capturing key Joes or simply acquiring intel from a breached base.  As the STUNs would roll down the bridge over the stair, they'd encounter far more individual troops.  Here, the massive wheels on the STUN became another weapon.  STUNs moving an incredibly high speeds would run over Joes in the melee.  It was a fear tactic and an effective additional weapon the STUNs could wield.  And, due to this, the STUNs were the most dangerous adversary the Joes could face.

This all sounds like STUNs were unstoppable.  But, here's where we get into the ludicrous limitations of the STUN itself.  The STUNs front features a rounded gun pod.  They slant upwards...towards the driver.  So, the Joes would just have to target their fire onto the front of the STUN.  While the small arms couldn't penetrate the armor to kill the gunners, the bullets would be deflected directly at the driver.  So, Motor Vipers were pretty easy to kill.  They had no protection and were the highest point of the vehicle.  As soon as the driver was hit, the STUN would go out of control.  At their high travel speeds, the resulting crash would kill the remainder of the crew and destroy the vehicle.  It would also take out anything it hit.  Sometimes, that was the Joe defenses.  Other times, it was another Cobra vehicle.

These limitations prevented the STUNs from being a game changer.  Even a couple of guys with minimum weapons could take one out because the driver was so vulnerable.  The STUNs main danger was en masse.  While individual STUNs could be taken out quickly, a large group of them could inflict massive damage before they could all be neutralized.  So, Cobra would send in a wave of STUNs who would do passes at the defenses  until all the STUNs were gone.  Then, the more stable Hiss Tanks and Thunder Machines would come in and handle the remainder of the battle. It made the STUN a super valuable part of my Cobra army.  But, it also prevented it from making Cobra too powerful.

In addition to this flaw, the STUNs gun pods can open.  While this gave the STUN a great zone of fire for its main weapons, it also slowed the vehicle down.  And, with the pods open, the Motor Viper was still brutally exposed.  Slower moving STUNs were easy targets, especially with the exposed driver.  The flailing gun pods also made the three wheeled STUNs unstable.  So, they couldn't turn with the precision that the drivers were used to.  This would also result in crashes.  These would, often, be less devastating events and the driver or gunners could survive.  This is why the Motor Vipers got the rifles.  They needed heavy weapons to assist in the battle when their STUN was disabled by a foolish gunner who opened his pod at an inopportune time.

STUNs were also a useful transport for Cobra hierarchy.  Here, the STUN wasn't an attack vehicle.  But, instead, a manner for key Cobras to quickly move between fortified Cobra positions and secret bases.  These adventures with the STUN were less frequent.  But, they showed the versatility of the STUN.  Cobra lacked any aircraft that could hold more than one passenger in addition to the pilot.  And, those planes were large, brittle or unwieldy.  So, for me, land transport was the only real option for Cobra high command to travel between bases.  The STUN could hold 4 of them with no issues.  And, if I wanted, could even take a few more on the foot pegs.  (Again, accuracy be damned.)  So, the STUN had an additional purpose that made it useful, even when it wasn't just a fast attack vehicle taking out a base.

You can't talk about the STUN without discussing the flags.  These two pieces are problematic because the slim plastic hasn't aged well.  The flags have become brittle and prone to breakage over the past 40 years.  On top of that, the flags were positioned on the vehicle in such a way that typical kid storage in a toy box would have bent them over and snapped them even back in the '80's.  On top of that, the engine covers can also be brittle.  But, they are more likely to be lost due to their smaller size.  The rear gun can also be missing as it was also rather small.  But, if it was properly affixed, it was harder to remove.  It's not hard to find a STUN that's complete with the exception of the flags.  But, the flags are a premium piece, now.  You'll see an alarming number of high quality STUNs sold with broken flags...showing even kids who were meticulous with their toys ended up with broken STUN flags. 

The STUN got two vintage releases: the 1986 original and a Python Patrol repaint in 1989.  Somehow, the flags on the Python version are even more fragile than those from 1986.  The STUN never got any foreign exclusive releases.  But, in 2004, it got a surprise release as a convention exclusive.  This version was colored as an homage to the vintage Dreadnok vehicles.  But, the quality was poor.  Collectors didn't find the vehicle to be of much use.  There was a feeling that it was a bad match for the look of the Dreadnoks.  And, the repaint never took off in the community.  It's a shame there was never a retail STUN released during the repaint era.  But, the original was colored perfectly.  So, there wasn't a lot of potential left in the mold.  And, since vintage STUNS were pretty cheap through the 2000's, a repaint was unlikely to have become a popular choice for a retail release.

STUNs are one of those vehicles that can be had cheaply...provided you don't care about certain elements of completeness.  A nicely conditioned, fully complete STUN with unbroken flags is about an $80 item.  However, take just the flags away and they run between $20 and $30.  Personally, I don't find the flags to be all that imperative a part to the STUN.  Others will disagree.  But, for the price disparity, it's a no brainer to forgo them and add to your Cobra convoy with a couple of, otherwise, nice STUNs.  For me, the STUN remains a childhood favorite.  Despite this, I've never upgraded my childhood version.  As I got it out from time to time, I realize the value the vehicle has for photos and displays.  So, I probably need to look at getting a better version than the one I bought at Children's Palace nearly 40 years ago.

1985 Armadillo - Around The Web

The 1985 Armadillo is one of those perfect, small vehicles from the line's formative years.  It's not a greatly detailed toy.  But, for the size and price, it packs a ton of fun into a small package.  As such, it's quite a popular vehicle to appear in photos.  

1985 Armadillo Profile

1985 Armadillo by theatticagazette

1985 Armadillo by thedustinmccoy

1985 Armadillo by matemylar

1985 Armadillo by dashiellrfairborne

1985 Armadillo by steelbrigade

1985 Armadillo by 3rd_wave_sabotage

1985 Armadillo by gijoe_c4_panama

1985 Armadillo by thedustinmccoy

1985 Armadillo by evilface

1985 Armadillo by dashiellerfairborne

1985 Armadillo by Steel Brigade

1985 Armadillo by 73larebear

1985 Armadillo by gijoe_for_fun

1985 Armadillo by SnowCat

1985 Armadillo by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

2007 Convention Zap (Raphael "Zap" Melendez)

Zap is an iconic figure.  You can argue the point.  But, everyone recognizes the original shoulder strap torso from 1982 as Zap's.  It is referred to as the "Zap" torso.  It's the least favorite of everyone when it comes to the original torsos.  But, it's Zap's: first and foremost.  Scrap Iron is also an iconic figure.  His overalls are a unique look from a classically colored villain from the line's formative years.  So, the combination of the two characters shouldn't make a figure that is able to stand on its own.  Yet, in 2007, there was a convention release of the Zap character that did just that.  And, it actually managed to pull off a pretty nifty new look for a classic character that also didn't tread on the torso's original use on Scrap Iron.

2007 featured the most ambitious convention set.  As it was the ARAH theme's 25th anniversary, the club forewent their mostly army builder formula and produced a set that was almost 1/2 Joes.  And, they used mostly unique parts.  (Though, the parts were relatively familiar as most had appeared on Comic Pack figures or in Toys R Us exclusive sets in the few years prior.)  It was a risky strategy.  But, it proved out as the set sold better than most of its predecessors.  And, within a few weeks of the convention, select characters from the set were selling for premiums.  It helped that most of the figures were fairly well done.  They featured thoughtful parts selection along with solid paint applications.  For many, the Joe side of the set was their personal favorite set the club produced.  

One of the reasons was that the colors used for the set weren't ones that were overly common in the vintage or repaint era.  This Zap perfectly showcases that with his leathery brown jacket and greyish-green pants.  These were visually interesting color palettes that didn't have precedence in the line.  The uniqueness made the figures stand out.  As the set was classic characters, many of whom were the only other use of Comic Pack era heads, collectors felt they weren't treading on beaten tropes like many prior sets.  Zap features a tamed cammo pattern that works due to the sparseness.  Rock and Roll and Grunt both had cammo patterns that were overkill.  And, they contrast the earnest simplicity of Zap's less ostentatious design.

At one point, I had multiples of all the figures in the 2007 convention set.  But, when it was time to purge my collection, few of them were able to make the cut as the best uses of their parts, mold or character.  I regret getting rid of figures like Sgt. Clay More and Doc.  They were very good figures.  And, I can't really explain why they didn't cut the mustard during that dark time in my collecting life.  This Zap, though, did survive.  And, again, I'm not really sure why.  I suspect it was because he was selling so cheaply that it simply wasn't worth my time to try and liquidate him.  But, I'm glad he was able to outlast the cull.  I still enjoy his colors.  And, I've always like Zap as a character.  This figure is a nice way to be able to use him with other early molds and not have be out of place like his 1991 Super Sonic Fighters release.  

I don't mind the Scrap Iron torso.  I think the overalls work for the Zap character.  They seem like something an antiquated bazooka man would wear.  It helps that they are nicely colored and even feature gold painted buckles.  Zap's torso, alone, features five distinct colors.  And, they are all done in a way that work with each other and the rest of the figure.  I'm sure this is personal preference.  But, I do find the colors to be eye-pleasing.  And, they work well on the chosen parts, too.

But, I've also found that when I go to use this figure, he's often still out of place.  The complexity of the convention paint jobs is too much of a stark contrast with the simplicity of many early vintage figures.  So, the later releases really only good among their peers.  This isn't bad since Hasbro remade so many swivel head figures during the Repaint Era.  And, this Zap even pairs well with the Pulse era figures from the 2020's.  So, that gives him more options for use.  I often see this guy sitting in his case with many other figures from the early 2000's.  And, I think to get him out for a photo shoot.  But, I then end up not doing it as I can't come up with any ideas for him.  I'll have to work on that as we go forward as this is a figure that I should showcase more often.  He's very well done and worthy of more use.

One of the sad realities of Joe in the 2000's was copyrights had lapsed.  So, this figure isn't, actually, Zap.  It's Raphael "Zap" Melendez.  It's one of the many silly convolutions Hasbro had to take to keep the characters in circulation.  But, almost 20 years removed from this figure's release and he's known by the more colloquial Zap name.  You know it's Zap.  I know it's Zap.  But, the lawyers can argue that it's not a copyright infringement on whatever IP squatter hoarded up expired names.  These names were more of an issue during the release years with some collectors becoming legitimately worked up that they had to appear in this manner.  That childishness seems to have dissipated in the ensuing decades.  But, it's a reminder that Joe collectors of the early 2000's could be petulant children over very stupid trivialities.  

This Zap is a hodge-podge of parts.  The head is from the 2004 Comic Pack Zap.  It's among the better Comic Pack heads and definitely looks more like Zap than his head from 1982.  The torso is from Scrap Iron.  His arms are from Thunder.  Many people aren't fans of these arms.  But, I'm quite fond of them as they look decent and provide some heft on older molds.  The legs are from Snow Job.  And, the waist is from Mutt.  The Mutt and Scrap Iron parts are from the 2004 era recasts that Hasbro made to release those figures in Toys R Us sets.  But, the overall parts combo works pretty well.  And, the different waist and legs really help Zap stand on his own and separate from the legacy of Scrap Iron.  

Zap's gear isn't great.  His only rifle is a grey version of a JvC era compact rifle.  It's actually a pretty good weapon.  It just doesn't really go with Zap.  The club tried to approximate Zap's necessary bazooka with a Sgt. Savage era spring loaded launcher.  The club tried to make Sgt. Savage accessories happen in 2007 and 2008.  The success was...mixed.  Some worked well enough.  But, most seemed out of place.  Even the Savage weapons that were originally intended for inclusion with the unproduced 1995 figures were designed with much larger parts in mind than the pre 1985 parts used on this Zap.  So, you have some really expensive accessories that didn't mesh with their figures.  And, Zap's overall accessory complement is pretty weak.  Fortunately, 1997 Zap or Short Fuze accessories work on this figure very well.  And, if you can get past the missing eye piece, the 2022 Duke Bazooka is another nice match for this Zap.  It sucks to have to go to the aftermarket to get meaningful accessories for a premium figure.  But, at least there are some nice options available for Zap.

As 2007 convention figures go, this Zap is pretty cheap.  While other figures from this set have crossed $300, Zap can be had for about $60.  Dealers still try to get $120 or more.  But, the time of this figure has passed.  The 2007 convention set had a moment in the sun.  And, some figures have remained very popular and still command stupid prices.  But, Zap is among the least popular members of this set...even if he's among the best figures.  So, you can get him cheaper if you have the patience to wait out the market.  I don't know if I'll go so far as to say this is the best swivel head Zap.  It's tough to beat the original.  And, the Funskool variants are all so much better.  But, this is a good figure.  Sadly, he's just not a $10, casual acquisition these days to find out.

1993 General Flagg - Around The Web

 General Flagg isn't a figure you see all that often in Joe content.  But, when you do find him used, it's almost always the 1992 version of the figure.  Or, it's his 2004 Comic Pack figure.  The 1993 variant wearing the black coat is a rare sight in Joe photography.  This is partly due to the fact that the figure is fairly obscure.  And, it's also partly due to the fact that General Flagg is, generally, considered an early Joe character.  So, his bulkier sculpt figure from 1992 and 1993 just doesn't mesh well with 1982 and 1983 figures.  The mismatching brown hat against the black coat doesn't serve him well, either.

While I like this figure a lot, the reality is that I struggle to take good photos of him.  And, in my multiple attempts at writing about him, I usually fall short in making any significant point.  The figure, in the end, is just kind of there.  He's really neat to own.  But, he's tough to integrate into a story or make the focal point of a photo.  So, there's not a ton of content on him out there.  But, enjoy what I could find.

1993 General Flagg Profile

1993 General Flagg by TitusLester

1993 General Flagg by thedailyscoop1989

1993 General Flagg by gen_liederkranz

1993 General Flagg by viper_space

1993 General Flagg by gijoeaction

1993 General Flagg at action-force.dk

My Favorite Accessories - Part 2

Part 1 of this series looked at my favorite weapons from childhood.  This time around, I'll be looking at some of the gear that really drove my second phase of collecting.  This period, technically, covers 1988 through 1997.  During that time, I only was able to find a few figures.  So, you're going to see a cross section of accessories.  And, a few classic items will be missing because, while they were released during this period, I didn't acquire them until 1998 or later.  Some of these items appeared in my early teen years when I wasn't collecting or buying Joes, but my youngest brother still was.  So, the limited exposure to them made them loom larger than they otherwise might have.

Early Adult Favorites:

1. Duke/Stalker/Others MP-5 inspired rifle

As I returned to Joe collecting in the mid 1990's, I spent most of my time tracking down the remnants of the line at various retail stores.  Among the first figures I found was the 1993 Duke.  This is a solid figure.  But, the main source of interest in him was the "new" weapons on his tree.  While I was passingly familiar with Muskrat's shotgun (someday I'll tell that story...), the other weapons were ones I had never before seen.  As far as I was concerned, they were completely new sculpts.  It was the MP-5 inspired weapon that piqued my interest, though.  It looked great with Duke.  It was somehow both compact and large.  This was accomplished by having the overall footprint be small while giving the weapon a larger barrel.  I turned this into a story element.  These newer weapons became "Generation 4" weapons.  They were more powerful and could carry more ammo than earlier weapon designs.  As they were new, they were limited to only the highest ranking Joes.  Eventually, Cobra got some and gave them to elite troopers, too.  As I got more and more 1993 and 1994 figures, the weapons became less special.  And, with more colors in tow, the MP-5 like weapon became one of my favorite standards across my Joes.

Even today, this is my favorite weapon to use with 1993 and 1994 figures.  It exists in a plethora of colors...some rarer than others.  But, you can get it in black, gold, yellow, purple and other colors with a bit of looking around.  It remains one of my key weapons.  And, I'll always pick up a new one if the price is right.  I have unfulfilled plans of being able to outfit the entire 1993 carded lineup with these weapons for a photo at some point.  I'm not quite there on the right number of them in my collection, yet, though.

2. Annihilator Pistol

I first saw this weapon at the home of some family friends who had some younger children.  I remember it being awesome.  Around 1995 or 1996, I found my first Annihilator at a flea market in southern Ohio.  I picked him up for the rifle.  Once in hand, it reminded me of the awesome weapons from G.I. Joe #36 back in 1985.  In short order, I bought as many Annihilators as I could find.  The figure was "new" to me and I loved the portable helicopter.  I saw them as the airborne division of the Alley Vipers and they made up a key ingredient in my early notion of Cobra urban death squads.  With plenty of his weapons in hand, I had them available for use with any other figure I wanted.

And, with them in hand, my fascination with the weapon ended.  It was difficult to make the weapon look good with other figures.  And, it was a bit bigger than I had remembered.  It was less of a one handed pistol and more of a two handed weapon that switched up my notion of the weapon's versatility.  I still find it the necessary weapon for Annihilators.  But, I've long since sold off my army of that figure.  I have a couple of spares of the weapon, though, still hanging around.  I'll use them with another figure from time to time.  I do need to get a photo of it in the hands of a Fred to mimic that old comic.  

3. Hit & Run  Rifle

This one is a bit of a cheat.  I actually did own Hit and Run when I was a kid.  I bought three 1988 figures before I quit toys.  And, Hit and Run was one of them.  I immediately fell in love with his rifle.  But, I didn't to use it very often as I left  my Hit and Run hanging on a wall at my grandparents' house shortly after I got him.  Once the figure was recovered, though, my Joes were put away.  So, it was on rare occasion when I'd get them out.  Inevitably, Hit and Run would be among the figures chosen, though.  Part of it was the sheer quality of the figure.  Part was his amazing rope & grappling hook bag.  And, the final piece was his rifle.  Everything about it seemed perfect.  It had a long clip to store extra ammo.  It was compact enough to be used in close quarters.  And, the figures just held it perfectly.  I wanted to use it with pretty much every one of my favorite figures during this time.  But, I had just one sample with no way to acquire more.

That changed in the mid 1990's as weapon trees began to proliferate.  The real joy was finding extra samples of this rifle being included on weapon trees of 1993 and 1994 figures.  With this discovery, I was able to acquire an excellent rifle in a variety of colors.  As the weapon was my preferred rifle for the 1994 Shipwreck, I came to see it as a standard rifle used by all sorts of Joe themed army builders.  So, having it in cream with Snow Storm and even red with Outback allowed some consistency on the weapons used by the troops who supported the Joes.  Note that this weapon is often confused with the 1992 Shockwave rifle.  They are similar, but not the same.  Also, some late run 1994 figures featured the rifle but with a blocked out trigger guard.  Those aren't bad.  But, I do prefer the original design.

Now the rifle is ubiquitous.  And, I had so many of them that it's become a bit passe.  But, the early 2000's brought some weapons into the mainstream to a point where they started to get stale.  Hit and Run's weapon was one of them.  And, while I still love it, I don't see it as the staple for every figure as I once envisioned nearly 30 years ago.  But, I do still find uses for it and you'll see it being carried by other figures in some photos around the site.

4. Bullhorn's Mask

My youngest brother got a Bullhorn in 1990.  I believe he was  the only 1990 figure that we ever had.  While his rifle was amazing and everyone still goes ga-ga over his weapon case backpack, I found the real value in him was his gas mask.  I love gas masks.  And, as a kid, I lamented that the only ones you could get were either Ripcord's airmask or Lifeline's rescue mask.  I gave them to pilots, troopers navigating gassed caves and just to anyone I wanted to look cool.  But, they had limitations (like the hose you had to plug in for it to look good) and always left me wanting more.

Bullhorn's mask, though, solved this problem.  It was a self contained piece and was sculpted with the air filter right on it.  When placed on the figure's head, Bullhorn could be a faceless army builder.  I now had a way for more figures to be outfitted with protective masks.  Unfortunately, though, the specific design of Bullhorn's mask made it so that it was form fitted for Bullhorn's head.  And, that made it difficult or impossible to really use the mask with a variety of other figures.  And, this limited the mask's use.  But, the overall design still works.  I've since found Bullhorn to be a more boring figure than I'd remembered.  The mask, though, overcomes this and keeps the figure relevant to me.  I just wish it was a little more flexible for use on a wider variety of figures.

5. Spearhead's Rifle

I do not know how this weapon entered into our collection.  We never had a 1988 Spearhead.  But, at some point, his rifle appeared among our toys.  It was likely left by one of my brother's friends.  As soon as I saw it, though, the rifle simply enthralled me.  Mostly, this was because it was new.  But, also, the rifle featured a couple of key design elements that I found among the cooler features of Joe accessories.  First, it had a bayonet.  But, we'll talk more about this, later.  The second, and more important feature, was the strap.  I had long loved strapped weapons.  They allowed your figure to carry their weapon without having to always be holding it in their hand.  I never like my Joes climbing a rope if they didn't have a strap on their gun because it wasn't realistic to just have their weapon magically appear at the top if they didn't have a means to carry it.  It's weird what unrealistic elements bothered me when I was a kid and which didn't affect me at all.

Back to the bayonet, though.  While I really liked bayonets, the piece on Salvo's rifle made the weapons footprint rather large.  And, at some point in the early 1990's, I wanted a knife for some figure.  The bayonet on Salvo's rifle was of sufficient size to work as a knife for a figure.  So, since the weapon wasn't key to any complete figure in my collection, I snipped off the bayonet and gave the knife to someone.  The paired down rifle was then smaller and looked even better with the figures to whom I gave it.  At various points, I've found the snipped bayonet and wondered who's knife it was.  Usually, I then remember that I cut this off from the original weapon.  I'm 99% sure that the bayonet is still sitting in a plastic baggie of superfluous edged weapons stored in a shoebox in the basement closet.  And, you'll see the snipped version of the rifle in a photo below.

In the early 1990's, I gave this weapon that mysteriously appeared in our home to a figure who also had a similar origin: Salvo.  I don't know where Salvo came from.  And, our figure just had the helmet.  So, it was another likely leave behind from some unknown friend of my brother.  But, Salvo and Spearhead's gun just seemed to mesh.  And, without having Salvo's real accessories, it made sense for him to have this borrowed weapon.  So, between 1991, or so, and 1999, Salvo always carried Spearhead's rifle.  In fact, if you can find really old Salvo photos on the site, you'll see him carrying it.  To this day, I more associate Spearhead's rifle with Salvo than I do with Spearhead.  But, that's because Salvo is an awesome figure and Spearhead is...not.

Really, these were the dark days of Joe.  I didn't collect for several years.  And, when I got back into things, I was chasing the dregs of the line at retail while also scouring out the not ready for primetime flea market scene that define the pre-internet days.  You didn't find a lot of Joes back then.  And, those that you did find were often those from my childhood years.  Meaning they were figures I already owned.  So, it was hard to find items I didn't have already.  

There were many more, better accessories that were released in this time.  But, I didn't really acquire them until my collector phase began in earnest around 1998.  We'll explore those in the final installment in a few months.  Until then, though, what are some of your favorite accessories from this time?  Let me know in the comments below.