2005 Comic Pack Firefly

I'm at a point where revisiting figures is more necessary.  Mostly because I'm running out of figures to profile.  But, also, there are some figures whose status in the collecting community has drastically changed in the time since I first looked at them.  Back in 2008, the Comic Pack Firefly was still considered a peg warmer.  It had been heavily clearanced.  And, the Joe market of the time was saturated with them.  You could get them for a couple bucks with no issue.  In the time since then, though, the Comic Pack figures have taken on a new life.  Figures like this Firefly no longer seem such retail duds.  And, collectors have started to appreciate them for the quality releases they can be.

I'll just say it: this is the best vintage Firefly figure.  He's better than the 1984.  The new head is extremely well done and fits on the body. The updated digital pattern is a better look than the spottled 1984.  And, the grey color is lighter, allowing for more visual contrast.  The original Firefly has no painted details.  This version allows you to see all the things that made Firefly the second coolest Cobra released 21 years prior.  Upon this figure's release, no one wanted another Firefly.  But, Hasbro delivered the best take on the character, ever.  So, that carried the figure into a place of prominence.

It took a while.  Early 2000's collectors were still beholden to their beloved original figure.  Slowly, though, the pull of this 2005 Firefly was just too strong.  And, you began to see this 2005 figure appear among even other 1983 and 1984 Cobras.  More and more collectors found the value in having a great looking figure who also didn't have fragile thumbs or an easily breakable crotch.  And, this figure began to appear in more and more photos.  Slowly, the 1984 figure faded into the background.  If collectors wanted an offbeat Firefly, there were several options.  But, if they wanted to represent Firefly in his original incarnation, they were turning more and more to the 2005 figure instead of the original.

And, why not?  This Firefly has a pretty strong argument for being the best Comic Pack figure.  (The 2005 Stalker is my personal favorite, though.)  Hasbro was finally starting to dial in their heads...just in time for the entire Joe line to get cancelled.  It's weird that a figure that ranks so high would be a character who was entirely played out among collectors and also a direct homage to the figure's original look.  Rarely did these tributes surpass the originals.  But, this Firefly did so with such aplomb that the 1984 now looks quaint when posed against the sterner and more grizzled head.

It's no secret that Hasbro got lazy with accessories on ARAH style Joe repaints.  While the figure's original gear was a staple of 1997 through 2001 releases, Hasbro had mostly abandoned this by 2005 and mostly just released a large volume of random gear with their vintage redos.  Fortunately, Firefly was one of the figures who was not affected by this.  Hasbro released every Firefly mold usage with at least some of his original gear with the exception of the Gift Set Firefly.  This Comic Pack figure includes the classic machine gun, walkie talkie, backpack and socket wrench cover that is necessary for any Firefly figure.  They are all cast in black.  The upside being that Firefly's gear in black got very common in the 2000's so it's easy to find today.  And, the black looks great against the brighter grey base of the figure.  The green, 1984 weapons work well enough with the Comic Pack version.  But, they somewhat wash out with the lighter base.  You can now get Firefly's gun and walkie talkie in a variety of colors from various factory custom makers.  So, you can find a color combo that works if you have some spare time.

It's simply baffling as to what Hasbro would spend money to develop back in the 2000's.  They had a perfectly good Firefly mold available.  Though, it was starting to show signs of wear.  But, Hasbro created a brand new head when the original was beloved by collectors.  It's likely that the body is either an entirely new mold based on the original or it was substantially cleaned up to sharpen the details.  Hasbro paid month to do this.  They resculpted Scrap Iron, Mutt and Lady Jaye.  But, they never bothered to recreate the 1985 Snake Eyes or the 1983 Cobra Commander.  Hasbro would spend on the mundane or the unnecessary while leaving gaping holes of super desirable figures.  They never explained themselves.  So, we have half a dozen amazing Firefly repaints.  But, there was not a single helmeted Cobra Commander figure until 2022.

Comic Pack figures discolor.  This is just a truism at this point.  Hasbro's early 2000's plastics isn't holding up among Joes, Star Wars or Transformers.  This Firefly, though, has tended to do pretty well.  While his pack mate, Scrap Iron, is guaranteed to discolor, this Firefly has held out.  You'll see some tinges of yellow on a few figures.  And, you may see some slight upper arm discoloration.  In the realm of Comic Pack figures, that's pretty good.  And, keeps this Firefly relevant when other figures from his series have fallen off the popularity cliff due to their propensity for discoloration.  

The Firefly mold was used to death.  After the 1984 figure finished it's production  run, it disappeared for a little over a decade.  The mold was planned for use as the 1988 Tiger Force Sabretooth figure.  (More on him in Rarities Month in June!)  But, he was never released.  Instead, the mold spent some time in  India.  Firefly was among the figures released by Funskool and had a production window of a couple of years.  His body was used for a Complan Commandos figure, too.  Hasbro got the mold back ahead of the 1997 series as Firefly was painted up as a possible 1997 release.  That figure didn't make the cut, though.  And, it wasn't until 1998 that Firefly returned to the Hasbro line.  

The return was overkill, though.  Hasbro released the arctic Firefly in 1998.  A woodlands version was included in the first wave of the ARAHC in 2000.  In 2002, the figure appeared in the BJ's Gift Set. (There is also an unproduced version of this figure that's green instead of red.)  2003 was a banner year.  The mold was used for Wreckage in the 2003 Tiger Force set.  And, then, the club released two convention exclusive figures in  the summer of that year.  If that weren't enough, the amazing Urban Strike Firefly debuted in 2004.  Then, 2005 brought us a Crimson repaint of the mold in the Crimson Guard sets.  And, finally, this Comic Pack figure followed close on the Crimson figure's heels.  In short, there are MORE than enough Fireflies to keep you interested should you simply love the character or his design.

Pricing on this figure is way down over a couple of years ago.  For a while, this was a $25 to $40 figure.  And, you'd see carded samples sell between $50 and $70.  Now, though, the carded sets have settled into the $35-$40 range.  It's a pain to find loose figures, though.  The Serpentor has become the most desirable figure in the set.  So, a carded set is probably the best way to go if you want to acquire this Firefly.  As original Fireflies sell for way more, this figure is a cheaper alternative to a classic character.  Since he's also better, you get a double win for your collection.  

1994 Joseph Colton - Random Photos of the Day

Joseph Colton isn't a figure that should be great.  But, he's a guy who works.  There's not much to him.  But, it's enough to make him stand out and work with Joes from every era.  I get him out often enough.  And, he's relatively popular among photographers.  There was a time when this guy was the hottest figure in the hobby.  You don't see them as often, now, but back in the late 1990's, there were tons of carded 1993 and 1994 figures with cut UPC codes where adult collectors had purchased retail figures just to get the UPCs to mail away for the Joseph Colton figure.

But, since collectors were obsessive, tons and tons of Coltons went into the collecting world.  And, the figure is barely worth more now than  he was 30 years ago.  But, that's OK.  It's allowed newer collectors to get a high quality figure for their collections.

The Rankings - 1983 Original 13

Everybody loves rankings, right?  There's no better way to start a pointless argument than to rank items that hold unique, special places to each collector.  Once upon a time, I tried to write up a completely objective ranking of the original 13 Joe figures.  But, even with the stated goal of erasing childhood nostalgia from the equation, the list was pretty much my personal favorites with a few guys bumped up a spot or two.  So, why bother with any of that pretext?  Instead, I'm going with a straight ranking of my favorite figures: starting with the original 13.  I'm only using swivel arm versions as I don't collect straight arms.  And, I'll do the "new" 1983 figures some other time.  I'm not sure I'll get to every year because I'll get bored of it long before I would ever endeavor to slog through all the 1993 releases.  But, I'm going to start with the year that's sure to elicit some opinions.  

The thing is, there are no wrong opinions about these figures.  If Short Fuse holds dear, core memories for you, that's a story worth telling in the comments.  The point of this isn't to challenge your beliefs.  Instead, it's to memorialize mine and prompt a modicum of discussion.  So, on with the show....

#13 - Short Fuse

I just can't get into Short Fuse.  He was never a player in my collection.  He didn't have much of a characterization in the comic other than being an annoying hot head.  And, his weapon wasn't conducive to childhood play.  But, really, he's kind of boring.  His chests harness isn't the greatest design.  But, he's also in a green that's similar to other figures.  So, you don't really feel like you're getting anything special with this figure.  Zap is a better use of the mold.  Hawk is a better use of the head.  I know we had one when I was a kid.  But, mostly, I remember him from the fact that I noticed his mortar mold changed and it was also knocked off by, I think, Galoob for some of their action figure lines.  That's not much of a legacy.

#12 - Grunt

I'm not a Grunt fan.  Never have been.  I've always found him to be boring.  To be fair, I missed the silver knife on his chest...a feature that captivated me when we got a Tan Grunt in 1983.  But, I still see this guy as just a basic infantryman.  His M-16 never clicked with me, either.  It broke thumbs in 1982.  I did love his backpack.  I gave it to Clutch so I didn't waste it on Grunt.  There's not much too him and he lacks the skills to really set himself apart from his more specialized team mates.  At some point in late 1982 or early 1983, we buried a bunch of Joes behind some bricks that lined the stairs up the hill in our front yard.  I remember pulling a well worn Grunt and Stalker out of the space a few years later.  That's about the extent of his use.  He and Short Fuse remain my least used figures of the original series of Joes.

#11 - Hawk

Let's face two facts.  Visually, Grunt is a better figure than Hawk.  And, the debut figure of Joe's leader kind of sucks.  But, I give Hawk the edge over Grunt due to the silver trim dominating the figure.  It gives him a more commanding presence.  And, the over abundance of silver does give Hawk a defining look.  There's not much else going on here, though.  So, he ranks pretty low.  I snapped the thumb of my 1982 Hawk when I tried to give him a Battle Gear M-16.  After that, the character disappeared until the amazing 1986 upgrade came around.  Hawk looks good.  But, if I want to use Hawk, I'll almost never choose this figure.

#10 - Grand Slam

Grand Slam and Flash  share the same mold.  The darker green on Grand Slam is a definite downgrade over the brighter green that Flash uses.  As a kid, we only had a straight arm Grand Slam.  The Silver Pads version was my Grand Slam.  I used him as a derivative of Flash, though.  The lack of accessories drops Grand Slam down a bit.  But, this figure does get a lot more use from me now.  Mostly, that's due to the fact that Grand Slam has remained pretty obscure over the years.  And, he's a guy who holds a certain, undeserved reputation for being rarer than other figures.  This is a function of the Silver Pads version.  But, photos with this original Grand Slam tend to do well since people don't see him all that often.  I definitely use this guy more than this low ranking would suggest.

#09 - Breaker

Breaker was my first Joe.  It pains me to rank him this low.  But, Breaker kind of marks a point in the line where every figure from here on out is pretty strong.  I ended up ranking him lower because there's not a lot of paint on him and he lacks a firearm.  That's made up for by his strong accessories, though.  His communications headset might be my favorite single accessory from the original 13.  And, it was a staple of my Joe world: even long after Breaker had fallen apart.  He's a mainstay in my HQ: helming the computer console.  And, I even use him as the second passenger in the VAMP.  Breaker remains a nostalgic favorite.  And, his low rank is just indicative of how strong the first wave of Joes was.

#08 - Snake Eyes

Yeah, I get it.  The "all black" was a design choice.  But, it's also limiting on this figure.  And, the 1997 and later repaints that added just one or two paint applications showed that just a little bit of color would break this guy up and make for a better figure.  But, Snake Eyes also features some unique parts.  The bomb on his leg is a feature that's really ignored and speaks to the figure's intentions of being a commando instead of a super human ninja.  His gear was also pretty strong.  The Uzi is synonymous with Snake Eyes and remains a mainstay of the character to this day.  There is something about the all black appearance of the original design that is lost when you paint up some details.  But, were this figure not super popular and somewhat expensive, he'd have little reason to be used over the later repaints of this mold.

#07 - Zap

My youngest brother got a Zap when he went to visit my grandparents in early 1983.  Before the figure came home, both Zap's thumbs were broken.  So, Zap wasn't a part of our childhood collection.  But, he's a figure whose importance grew as an adult collector.  Very early on in my collecting journey, I got obsessed over Zap.  So, he was among the only early figures I sought out to add to my collection in 1999-2000.  He didn't disappoint.  His unique color and strong gear add up to a fun figure.  Were mine not suffering from a snapped o-ring and stuck back screw, I'd use him in photos much more often.  No later homage to this original Zap was able to live up to this original version. (Though, the Super Sonic Fighters Zap is among the better character upgrades Hasbro ever did.)  The swivel arm version remains expensive due to the ubiquity of snapped thumbs.  But, he's worth having around.

#06 - Steeler

If you were missing just one of the original 13 figures back in 1982 and 1983, it was probably Steeler.  Being the driver of the line's most expensive vehicle meant he was often absent from otherwise complete collections.  Steeler features a unique chest piece.  That alone makes him useful.  But, he's also a great match for the Mauler and Slugger, giving him some versatility among later vehicles that was often lacking from his contemporaries.  His binocular helmet attachment was neat and gave him more visual distinction.  And, he even included an Uzi, something also unique to him as a vehicle driver.  I use Steeler more than most of the other original 13 figures.  Though, that's also because I have a spare that's easily accessible.  But, he's deserving of his spot.

#05 - Scarlett

Scarlett's a tough one.  From a sheer design standpoint, she might be the second best figure in the original lineup.  Her sculpt is amazingly detailed.  And, that's often glossed over.  Her unique color really stood out among the sea of Green that was the original wave.  And, it allowed her to evolve with the line and remain complementary with figures that were released years later.  It's tough to find a Scarlett that hasn't discolored.  And, that really limits her.  And, the 2003 repaint of this mold was better.  Even the 1997 is strong, though, it's very different from the 1982 coloring.  So, her lower ranking here is a function of those later figures being more interesting than the first design.

#04 - Clutch

Clutch was my favorite Joe right from the get go.  His unique chest with the holstered pistol was a drawing point.  I gave him a visor, Stalker's gun and Grunt's backpack to make him the most badass fighter the Joes would ever see.  Years later, even a straight arm Clutch retained relevance in my collection because he was so well done.  He's at home when he's behind the wheel of any early Joe vehicle.  And, you can use him sans vehicle as well.  I still refer to this head sculpt as the "Clutch" head as I feel he owned the design the best and made it his own.

#03 - Stalker

Stalker stands out due to his cammo pattern.  It was a unique look among the original figures.  And, it gave him depth beyond the reuse of the standard grenade and knife torso.  His head also featured a sculpted head covering with his green beret.  It made the figure a quick favorite.  The prominence of the character in the comic helped hold him over and made Stalker among the more popular characters in the line.  Stalker had a ton of great character updates.  (I'll maintain the '89 Stalker is one of the best updates any character ever got.)  But, none of them treaded over this original version.  Even today, an original Stalker can intermingle with figures from all years and not look out of place.  I wish the Comic Pack versions had been better.  But, we have the 1997 figure, which might be even better than the 1983.  Any way you look at it, though, the combo of figure and character puts Stalker near the top.

#02 - Flash

Flash is the best designed figure of the original 13.  He features a nice shade of green on his base layer.  He is then accentuated by a brilliant red chest, leg and arm pads.  These give him a startling appearance among his peers.  Were that not enough, though, the entirety of the red is outlined by a silver trim.  All of these colors carry over to his back, too.  In short, the sculpting was miles ahead of what other toy lines were doing.  And, then, Hasbro gave us the real kicker: his accessories.  Flash got the standard helmet.  But, you really get the impression that the standard clear visor was actually designed for Flash first and then ported to other figures.  His backpack is an intricate mess of technology.  And, it all culminates in a laser rifle that can plug into the pack.  The combo of sculpting, color and gear makes Flash tough to beat.  In fact, he should be number 1.  But, he's beat out for one simple reason that you'll see next.

#01 - Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll isn't the best figure among the original 13.  But, he's the one I use the most.  Part of it is that his simplicity works for his specialty.  But, he also features a unique torso and an amazing weapon.  I happen like the character, too.  I remember Rock and Roll as the crazed madman from "Hot Potato" in the first issue of the comic.  But, he later became a bit more mellow.  And, this made him interesting.  He was supposed to be "replaced" by Roadblock.  But, he stayed on the team and remained an integral part of the story until the very end.  The gold bullets really make Rock and Roll stand out.  And, it gives him more bulk, even if he's the same size as the rest of his friends.  I use this figure constantly.  I bought a spare just so I could use him more often.  It happened to the mail away version, which was a nice surprise.  (Things like that used to happen all the time.)  So, Rock and Roll gets my top spot just because he's a guy who resonates with me and gets used all the time.  It's no more complicated than that.

So, there you have it.  That's my ranking of the first 13 G.I. Joe figures.  What are you thoughts?  The great theme of the Joe line is that was designed to appeal to every kid.  So, different parts grabbed then attention of different kids as the time.  I have plans to continue this series.  It won't be chronological.  But, you'll see them pop up and we can discuss some of the different years and how the figures stack up.

European Exclusive Mutt - Around The Web

Mutt is among my favorite figure sculpts and characters in the entire line.  I have a version of every figure ever released based on the vintage mold.  And, while Mutt was released many times, it is the European exclusive version that is the most distinct from his original look.  This orange haired figure is not Stanley Perlmutter.  But, instead, is of Scottish descent.  We don't know why this version was exclusive to Europe.  He and Spirit were this odd pair of matching figures who randomly appeared in early 1990's European Joe assortments.  

The figure is missing the signature chest insignia.  This was removed for the Brazilian release of Mutt.  And, it's still missing on this later, European release.  His accessories are a darker grey color that live about halfway between the light grey of the 1985 Battle Gear pack and the black of the 1984 Hasbro release.

There's a decent amount of content on this figure.  He was one of the first European figures of whom American collectors became aware.  And, there was a time when loose figures were fairly common.  Even today, you can find lots of Euro Mutts with broken crotches and thumbs.  He's one of the more available figures.  Though, finding a complete one with the correct accessories remains a fairly tough chore.

Sadly, this figure has not gotten so expensive that you don't often see newer collectors willing to take hi outside and get him dirty.  When it was $40 to replace him, that was one thing.  Now that it can go over $200, that an entirely different proposition.  For me, though, it's still behind the original 1984 figure in terms of the best Mutt.  I'd argue that the Brazilian Mastim figure is better, too.  But, the orange hair and offbeat color scheme makes him a worthwhile discussion piece for any collection.

European Mutt Profile

European Mutt by dreadnokdread

European Mutt at R.T.G. at ARAH Gallery

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by Golden_Cobra_79

European Mutt by nightforcetunnelrat

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by bruxovigo

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European Mutt by viper_space

European Mutt by gijoeaction

European  Mutt by Relinquished1979

1997 Grunt - Around The Web

Grunt isn't a character that's ever resonated with me.  He entered our home on the first day we ever had any G.I. Joe figures when we got him on my younger brother's 1982 birthday.  I immediately took his backpack and gave it to Clutch.  I never really paid any attention to Grunt.  And, as the line matured, Grunt was even less important.

That carried over to the 1997 releases.  I never took Grunt out of the drawer for many, many years.  Even then, it was just for a profile.  But, as the years have progressed, the figure has grown on me.  The intricate cammo pattern and deep green pants are a great look.  He's a great complement to Zap, Short Fuse and Stalker.  So, while the character still doesn't matter, this figure has grown on me.  

This isn't to say it's without problems.  The helmet doesn't fit.  He comes with the antithesis of his classic M-16: an AK-47.  It's weird.  And, the 1997 figure quality isn't the best.  All of that has added up to a figure who doesn't appear frequently.  Here's a bit of content on him from around the web.

1997 Grunt Profile

1997 Grunt by Nekoman

1997 Grunt by hobieshinobi

1997 Grunt by thedustinmccoy

1997 Grunt by gen_liederkranz

1997 Grunt by flatline54

1997 Grunt by atwooddan

Funskool Mainframe

Sometimes, a figure is just a figure.  There's not much special about it.  The design is drab.  The character is somewhat one-dimensional.  The gear is just OK.  And, the general design doesn't spark the joy of the line's most prominent figures.  All of this perfectly describes the 1986 Mainframe.  He's a figure who exists in the Joe line.  He has very important uses.  But, even among just his contemporary 1986 releases, he's one of the last Joes anyone would pick as their favorite.  So, why not go two levels deeper?  Because, Mainframe had a release by Funskool in India.  He was released for many years in colors that are nearly identical to the Hasbro figure.  To get even more obscure, though, Funskool also produced Mainframe for release in Russia around 1999 or so.  And, it is this Russian, Funskool Mainframe that we'll discuss, today.

Mainframe is a perfectly neutral figure.  His colors are solid, but muted.  His sculpt is interesting, but kind of weird.  His gear is amazing.  But, also lacking.  He has enough personality to carry an issue of the comic.  After that, he's just a guy who's there.  The only remarkable thing about Mainframe is just how unremarkable he actually is.  As one of the line's supporting characters, though, this is perfectly OK.  You don't want a computer nerd to be the star of the show.  (At least, in the '80's, you didn't....)  But, you want every figure to be cool enough to buy and play with.  Mainframe balances this, perfectly.  

His biggest knock is the lack of a weapon.  As a kid, I outfitted him with spare Chuckles' pistols, Battle Gear Snake Eyes Uzis or the Uzi version that came with Low-Light.  All seemed fitting choices.  Back then, it was tough to get spare gear that was also decently colored.  Now, though, that's less of an issue and it's easy to get Mainframe the weapon he lacks.  Outside of that, though, Mainframe was a staple of my HQ.  He'd man the computer console.  Here, he could be the hero who held out against the invading Cobras.  Or, he could be the goat who was quickly defeated and allowed Cobra to steal Joe's secrets.  Usually, it was the former, though, as I liked the Mainframe figure and didn't want him to be the loser who lost to Cobra.  

Mainframe then took on 2 different roles in my collection.  The first role was as an experienced, older warrior.  This was a function of his comic introduction.  His older veteran status was something I combined with the character of Kup from the Transformers who was also an older, wiser warrior.  Mainframe was then someone who was an advisor to the Joe command team.  Him being in the HQ also gave him proximity to Hawk.  So, it was a natural synchronicity for the character.  As I really liked Kup, some of that also carried over to Mainframe.  So, he remained more important than he otherwise might have been.

The second role was as parts for some of my early custom characters.  We had an early Mainframe that belonged to my brother.  When I got a newer one, I took the old Mainframe apart.  I split up his pieces onto several other figures.  The one I mainly remember was a character named Havoc who had a built in hand cannon on his gloves.  He used Mainframe's chest.  I really liked this character.  I think he used the '86 Hawk head.  But, at some point, I wanted to put that Hawk back together.  So, I killed off Havoc.  He became a martyr for the Joes.  And, his name was invoked as a rallying point against Cobra.  Mainframe's arms ended up on some other characters that survived a lot longer in my collection.  It was these early customs that really expanded my story telling.  They were less constrained by the military realism that grounded the early '80's filecards.  And, while I don't have many of them left, all the parts are still in a box in the basement.  Someday, I'll buy a bunch of o-rings and screws and remake some of them.

One things I've wondered about Mainframe is if the designers had hoped that his microphone could be attached to his body.  This way, the figure could carry it around.  But, in 1986, they just didn't have the ability to do it.  But, the kept the idea kicking around.  And, by 1990, had figured out how to make it a reality on a figure.  It's pure speculation on my part.  Hasbro was very evolutionary in their accessories and figure sculpting.  And, you could see ideas that didn't quite work at their initial stage then later appear with the proper seasoning as gear that did now work for another figure.  

The Russian Funskool figures are kind of weird.  They were produced around 1999.  You can read the full story of their production at the Dragon Fortress.  Sadly, 1999 was during the beginning of Funskool's quality decline.  So, it's quite common to find fused swivel joints that prevent the figure's arms from moving.  As this is a key element of Joe articulation, it's an incredibly annoying trait of the Russian production run.  In the days when you could get these for about $4 per figure, it was less of an issue.  But, you're now paying a premium for Russian Funskool figures.  So, opening one up to find a useless arm is more of a pratfall, today.  So, definitely be aware that this is an issue for these figures.

Mainframe includes all the gear from his Hasbro release.  The computer and backpack are very slight color variants to the Hasbro figures.  You'll notice the poorer plastic quality before the colors, though.  He has a hose.  Mine is among the best hoses I've ever seen from Funskool.  But, this could be a function of the Russian figures being manufactured in the late '90's rather than a feature of the figure itself.  The only real variation on the figure is that his microphone is grey instead of black.  This works since it makes the piece more distinctive against the black hose into which it plugs.  It's also easier to see the sculpted details.  I'm a sucker for alternately colored accessories.  So, I find more value in this piece than most other collectors will.  But, the Funskool version will feature this uniquely colored piece.

Mainframe has a solid life.  He was used twice by Hasbro in 1986.  First as the grey carded release and then as an odd tan and red version that was included in the Mission to Brazil set.  After that, the mold was sent to Brazil.  The Estrela version, also codenamed Mainframe, is nearly identical to the Hasbro figure.  Most collectors aren't even aware it exists as there's nothing special about it.  From there, the mold went to Funskool.  Mainframe was a staple of the Funskool releases for many years.  He was widely imported to the U.S. in the early 2000's and was part of the 2009 series of Funskool releases.  There are even super weird uses of Mainframe parts in exclusive colors on Halibna releases.  These are rather rare, though.  The figure mold is either still in India or was destroyed there.  If we ever see another 3 3/4" Mainframe, it should mean that the ReAction+ line has enjoyed a decade plus long run and they've exhausted most of the other figures who are more deserving of an update.

Funskool Mainframes aren't that difficult to find.  They were massively imported during the early 2000's.  And, while the figure was never all that popular, his similarity to the original, Hasbro figure helped make him one of those guys that a lot of people did buy.  If these 2001-2005 imports weren't enough, Mainframe was among the 2009 Funskool re-releases, as well.  As such, you can still find carded versions for around $30.  It's tough to find any loose common Funskool figures, these days.  If you can, Mainframe will be cheap.  I'm pretty sure I'd never pay $30 for one of them.  But, getting one for $4 back in the days of heavy Funskool imports made a lot of sense.

1983 Snake Eyes - Around the Web

It's tough to find things to say about the 1983 Snake Eyes that haven't already been said hundreds of times.  He's the most iconic member of the original 13.  And, he was one of the most distinctive action figures released during his heyday.  Hasbro released at least half a dozen repaints of this mold.  And, every iteration of Joe since the vintage line has had a Snake Eyes figure based on this original appearance.  Factory custom makers have exploited the mold for dozens of different homages.  And, there are foreign variants from Europe, South America and India.

There's more content on this figure out there than is listed below.  But, I just went with some of my favorites from recent years.  It's tough to imagine that a the majority of the photos of figures like this Snake Eyes are lost to internet history.  But, there's enough left to enjoy if you like this look for the character.  So, check out the links below and let the creators know you stopped by.

1983 Snake Eyes Profile

Red Backed Snake Eyes

1983 Snake Eyes by DreadnokDread

1983 Snake Eyes by mikesjoetography

1983 Snake Eyes by 00zxcvb

1983 Snake Eyes be Relinqueshed1979

1983 Snake Eyes by yojoe_collectibles

1983 Snake Eyes by incrediblebulk

1983 Snake Eyes by DreadnokDread

1983 Snake Eyes by still_a_big_kid

1983 Snake Eyes by darkstar_vintage

G.I. Joe #49

Serpentor is one of those characters who is divisive in the Joe community.  In the early days of online fandom, Serpentor was the line of demarcation between comic and cartoon fans.  And, as comic aficionados dominated the fandom in those days, you'd see Serpentor mocked and criticized and noted as the "deth of the line".  But, by the early 2000's, the line for collectors had shifted from 1985 to 1987.  And, with that, came acceptance of Serpentor.  While there were still diehards who disliked and outright hated him, there was another faction who found him superior to Cobra Commander as a character.  In the ensuing decades, it was these later collectors who won  out.  And, now, Serpentor is viewed a major character in the Joe mythos who is generally accepted.  His figures are all popular and he remains one of the most visually striking characters in the entire library.

What is odd about Serpentor, though, is that he originated in the comics.  Sure, he was forced into Hama's world by Hasbro as a way to shake up the standard Cobra hierarchy and sell a LOT of toys.  But, Larry Hama pulled off the this licensor mandate with a deftness that defined his run on the Joe comic line.  He made the Serpentor origin story in G.I. Joe #49 amazing.  It was captivating, fun, mysterious and eye-opening: all at once.  For a kid in April of 1986, reading Serpentor's entrance into the G.I. Joe world showed that the comic writers were willing to commit to the concept and create something enduring: even if the underlying idea was somewhat corny.

I have one enduring memory of this comic.  Shortly after the issue was released, I was reading it in our faux wood paneled station wagon after my parents had picked me up from the local comic book store.  I left it in the car.  And, on Saturday, I had a soccer game.  Either going to the game or coming home from it, we ended up taking several of my friends in the car.  They found the issue flopping around in the back seat.  And, each of them read it.  To a person, they thought it was a really cool story.  Even though most of them had aged out of toys in recent months, they were enthralled by the story in the issue.  For a brief moment, I had that feeling of kinship with friends who, otherwise, had grown out of my hobby and entertainment.  Our station wagon had one of those "hidden" third row seats.  It folded down to create the trunk.  Or, you could put it up for an additional two seats.  The kicker...these seats faced backwards instead of towards the driver.  As a kid, it was great for me.  And, I spent all our long distance family trips in this seat, looking at the road after we had passed it by.  But, on this spring day in 1986, someone put the seat down right on top of my new comic.  One of the clasps passed through the entire book, tearing a huge hole.  The upside: nothing was torn out.  And, I was able to push the rip back into place and the comic remained readable.  Back in those days, I had a subscription to the G.I. Joe comic.  But, since it took a few days to arrive, I'd usually buy an early copy at the local comic shop.  So, I had another mint copy to keep nice.  But, to this day, I have that original #49 with the hole torn through it by that crazy car.

This comic's other legacy for me was it serving as my introduction to Hannibal, the famous Carthaginian general.  Something about Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants simply enthralled me.  I read what little I could find on him in my grade school library.  As I got older, I learned more about him.  And, I even used obscure Hannibal military victories against the Romans in assignments I had in college.  It was one of those little details (the Potemkin from Special Missions #1 was another) from the comic that lead me down a path of learning.  One of the hallmarks of a great writer is that they open your mind and introduce you to new things that you'd otherwise never learn of.  Larry Hama was great at that.  And, because of what I read in the Joe comic, I'd go on fact finding expeditions at our local library to learn more about obscure things that no one else cared about or dared to explore.  And, I owe Larry Hama that lasting legacy of my personality.

There's also this fun little bit with a young girl pulling out a Dirty Harry .357 Magnum.  It wasn't that image that was so memorable, though.  It was her chilling knowledge that a bullet fired from the gun would leave an exit wound the size of a frozen pot pie.  As a kid in the '80's, bullets weren't really real.  Movies spent them like air.  And, shooting victims weren't portrayed in a realistic light.  To hear the utter brutality that a weapon like this would wreak upon it's victim was shocking.  It brought to light the power of some of these weapons.  And, that changed how I viewed wounds in my Joe world.  They were less the quickly recovered from scratches that had defined my younger days and were now devastating injuries that could have permanent impacts...if the victim survived at all.

My enduring issue with the character of Serpentor is that, once created, he can never live up to the epicness of his origin story.  The means by which Serpentor was created was a master class in applying loose scientific principles to a young audience.  Serpentor seemed entirely  plausible.  (Though, the appearance of the simalcrum they used for his body left a LOT of open questions.)  But, with such an amazing origin, there was no way Serpentor was ever going to live up to his original hype.  And, he really didn't.  Within a few months, Serpentor was played out.  And, by the time of his death, the character was nothing less than tedious.  I will say that he served a purpose in forcing the original Cobra Commander to show his dedication to his principles as he reformed Cobra and retook his rightful place atop its hierarchy.  But, beyond that, there is little lasting legacy of Serpentor beyond a neat looking action figure and his amazing origin story.

I will say that it's a damn shame that no one has been able to recreate Serpentor's look from his debut issue in action figure form.  Everyone always goes for the full regalia armor instead of this subtler and more primitive look where he has the bare chest under a flowing cape.  It's a look that works surprisingly well.  And, it one that could have been recreated using parts of the time.  If we're going to see future Serpentor figures, one of them needs to be his debut appearance rather than another armor themed figure.  We have enough of those.

All comics from this era of G.I. Joe are common and worthless.  G.I. Joe was one of Marvel's best selling titles during the '80's.  And, copies of all the issues during the heyday are common.  Of course, high grade versions will price out according to their grade.  But, the value in the comic is the story and the artwork.  So, locking it in a slab seems counter production to the nature of the book itself.  The upside is that #49 was reprinted for a Comic Pack in 2005.  Once upon a time, those were common and cheap.  Now, the figures have dried up and you don't really see people selling the comic reprints.  I've got about 5 of the 2005 issues leftover from opening up a bunch of the Serpentor/Firefly/Scrap Iron packs.  So, I can read those without risking further deterioration to my original.  But, pulling out my childhood copy and seeing the hole still ripped through  it by a 40 year old car opens the floodgates of memories.  And, that is the real value that this comic holds for me.

1983 Dragonfly - Around The Web

It's tough to beat the Dragonfly.  It's a drastically superior toy to the over-rated Skystriker.  And, even after 11 years of additional releases, the Dragonfly held up and remained a necessary element of any collection.  It both displays well and doesn't take up a ton of space.  It has a lot of details and features that give it depth that makes it visually interesting.  And, it works perfectly with the figures from that era.

There's plenty  of content on the Dragonfly out there.  So, stop by all the links below and check it out.

1983 Dragonfly Profile

1983 Dragonfly by cyko_9

1983 Dragonfly by cobra_florence

1983 Dragonfly by jonita_rodriguin

1983 Dragonfly by darkstar_vintage

1983 Dragonfly by gen_liederkranz

1983 Dragonfly by thedustinmccoy

1983 Dragonfly by codename.steve

1983 Dragonfly by still_a_big_kid

1983 Dragonfly by littlegreenmentoyz

1983 Dragonfly by Evilface

2024 Ghostbusters O-Ring Set

Two years ago, Hasbro made a surprise announcement at the 2024 Wondercon.  Here, they showcased a new set of vintage style o-ring figures of the 1984 Ghostbusters.  They were to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie.  Their appearance was startling and amazing.  Fans of the franchise had a different scale of figures to collect.  G.I. Joe fans had a new avenue to add to their collections.  And, everyone suddenly wondered about the immense possibilities this development could lead to.  Were o-ring Mask figures on the table?  Indiana Jones?  Marvel?  Or, even Star Wars?  Sadly, we now know that the possibilities will not be explored in any meaningful way.  But, this Ghostbusters set seemed a solid test case for possible future products.

At its core, the Ghostbusters "Plasma Pack", as the set is officially named, is a great product.  For $44, you got 4 distinct figures, a nice supply of gear for each of them and packaging in a nice window box that is the same size as a DVD collector package.  The box was designed to fit on a home video shelf and could be used for easy storage.  The figures themselves feature all newly sculpted parts.  Sure, a lot of the body parts are reused among the figures.  But, the Ghostbusters didn't have a lot of variety in their movie jumpsuits.  And, the heads are close enough to actor's likenesses to know who they are without treading on those pesky likeness rights that would have ensured performer compensation.

In short, it's just a nice presentation for some movie homage toys.  It's not overdone.  It's not cheesy.  If fits that perfect middle ground for someone like me who liked the Ghostbusters but wouldn't call himself a full fledged fan.  

One fun thing about non-Joe content is that it gives me a chance to reminisce about other childhood moments that didn't involve Joe.  One such occasion occurred in the summer of 1984.  

In the '80's, we lived relatively far from my school.  Now, the distance seems paltry.  But, as a kid, most of my friends lived a long ways away.  Part of this was that there is a canal that ran between my school and my neighborhood.  Most kids lived on the same side of the canal as the school.  I was one of the few who did not.  So, while some friends lived only a couple of blocks away, that distance was doubled or tripled by the fact that I had to go out of my way to get to a bridge to cross the canal (and the major street that ran along it) before I could go back down to their street.  As an adult, this hurdle doesn't seem insurmountable.  But, as a 10 year old, my options were limited.

There were just three of of us who lived on our side of the waterway.  Both of the other two lived, literally, as far away from my block as you could.  Their side of the neighborhood was blocked in by a river.  We were on a little spec of land that had once been a single farm: bound by the river and the canal.  My one classmate named Erik lived in the original farmhouse on the land.  Now, it was determinable only by the home's architecture.  He had a normal yard and was on a standard block like all the other houses in our area.  We first met in early 1983.  It was here, at his house, that I saw my first Sears Cobra Missile Command.  I just didn't believe it was an actual Joe toy since it was crappy cardboard and didn't appear in the catalog.  The remnants of it were strewn among an ocean of toys that defined every kid's playroom in the early '80's.

We played together a few times.  But, as 1984 dawned, I was able to more easily bike to his house.  And, we began a long running adventure that also included our third classmate, Matt who lived a few houses down from Erik.  Erik had an amazing collection of toy guns.  One day, we found a note that had been written by Erik's younger brother, detailing some plans that he and friends had.  Matt, Erik and I created a "detective agency" to decipher the plans.  That idea was then expanded into fictional adventures where we were dedicated to toppling the ultimate bad guy: Frank Lupo.  You might recognize that name.  Lupo was a credited produced on the A-Team.  (Among a slew of other shows.)  I just saw the name and thought it was cool.  So, he became our fictional bad guy.  

We'd then all load up with various guns and run around the neighborhood, chasing the imaginary Lupo and his goons.  When we got tired, we'd retreat to Erik's basement where it was cool.  As was par for that era, his dad had a bar in the basement sitting room.  We'd sit there and plan out the next phase of the story.  One particular detail I recall of this was that Erik's basement was always stocked with food.  Notably, several huge boxes of Honeycomb cereal.  My mother wouldn't buy us Honeycomb.  (She'd buy us Fruit Loops, Cocoa Krispies and all sorts of other sugary cereals.  No idea was Honeycomb was off limits.)  So, I remember the boxes, sitting on a shelf that was in a room opposite the sitting area where we'd listen to cassette tapes of the Police or RATT and plan out our next adventure.

The other thing Erik had in his backyard was an old VW van.  Oddly, another friend named Eric, who lived closer to school, also had a VW van in his backyard.  The two families weren't connected.  It was just one of those Doofenshmirtz coincidences.  But, we could play in this van, shooting at other cars and pretending to drive maniacally as we either pursued Lupo or were being chased by him.  It's somewhat surreal to think back about how we could play during the '80's.  We'd run all over the neighborhood, through people's yards, onto the public levees along the river and even go into stores all while carrying very realistic looking toy guns.  At any given moment, none of our parents really knew where we were.  But, they knew we were in the general neighborhood, and that was good enough.

One day in the summer of 1984, Erik's mom decided to take us to a movie.  Or, more accurately, drop us off at a movie for a couple of hours.  I suspect she just wanted some quiet time.  It was me, Erik and another classmate named Damian.  Damian's parents shuffled him around various friends over the summer.  So, on the day he was at Erik's, we went to see Ghostbusters.  Erik's mom dropped us off at a local theatre.  (Years later, after that theatre closed, my childhood comic book store moved out of my neighborhood and into the theatre.  No idea if it's still there today.)  We each had a couple of bucks and bought a drink, some popcorn and went into the most empty theatre to watch the movie.

One of the things that's been lost in recent years is the fact that movies were always meant to be cheap entertainment.  They were designed to be a cheap way to entertain lots of people.  In the past 10 or so years, though, that's changed.  But, back in the '80's, it was a cheap way to spend an  afternoon.  We sat about 1/2 way down the theatre and enjoyed this crazy movie.  In the latter half, my drink caught up with me and I had to use the restroom.  I missed the "dickless" joke while I was out of theatre.  And, of course, that was the one line from the movie that was most discussed upon our return to Erik's house.  It was quite a while later before I'd see an uncensored version of the film again and catch what everyone else thought was the funniest part of the movie.  We spent the rest of the afternoon laughing at other scenes and  just roaming around Erik's block.  All of the blocks were bisected by alleys which ranged from fully overgrown and impassible to perfectly manicured.  We'd wander up and down these, looking for things to do.  It was a pointless existence that was tons of fun just due to the weird things people discarded back then.

If you fast forward a couple of weeks, my parents were going to take my brothers and I to an ice cream social at our school.  It was weird to be at the school during the summer.  But, it was a good chance to see my friends who were otherwise cut off from me.  While waiting for my familty to come to the car, I was out there, listening to the radio and playing with the cigarette lighter.  I managed to burn the circular pattern onto one of my fingertips.  I did this when I was distracted by the Ghostbusters theme that came on the radio.  I remembered the song from the movie.  I never thought I'd hear it again.  I wasn't aware of movie themes being radio hits.  So, hearing it was novel.  We went to the event where I told some friends about hearing the song and burning my finger.  I had to keep the burn secret from my parents or they wouldn't let me play in the car any longer.  But, those two items are forever "burned" into my memory.

I'm not a huge Ghostbusters fan.  But, had these figures been released in 1984, I'd have bought them.  And, they'd have found a home with my Joes.  The failure of '80's TV and movie 3 3/4" figures was that they were always straight arm, knock off type toys.  Or, they were done in a scale and style too far astray of classic Joe for the other figures to be compatible with my collection.  While I desperately wanted the A-Team to be in my Joe world, the crappy Galoob figures just didn't work.  They were shockingly cheap when compared to Joes and just weren't fun to play with.  Cool figures like the Secret Wars products were too tall and lacked the articulation necessary to be useful.  I'm left with childhood daydreams of every property being in G.I. Joe style.  I'd have loved to have had a Batman, Spider Man, Indiana Jones, and the Clash of Titans characters done up with full Joe articulation, accessories and production quality.  

In the adult collecting era, we've finally seen some of this consolidation.  If you get 3 3/4" figures, they are all articulated and designed like anniversary Joes or are 5 POA ReAction figures.  If those are your thing, they work.  But, most of the scale compatibility has come in the 6 inch arena.  If you collect 6 inch figures, you can get IP from pretty much every property you can imagine.  So, you see collections of superheros, TV personalities, Star Wars and other pop culture figures all intermingled in one giant collector diaspora.  If 6 inch figures are your bag, they sky's the limit.  My childhood dreams of o-rings just aren't going to happen.  The format works.  It's just not popular enough.  Maybe we'll see occasional one offs like this Ghostbusters set.  But, my reverie of all things being in the best format will never come to be.

We need, though, to really look at the quality of this release.  Each figure includes the plasma pack and wand that is attached to the pack by a hose.  You get Ray's goggles, Egon's little detector thingie and a single ghost trap.  Not a bad complement of gear.  The backpacks are cheaply done and don't have the Joe peg construction.  The hoses on the wands are less brittle than I thought they'd be. I'm not sure how they or the overly large shoulder rivets will hold up over 30 or 40 years.  But, by then, who cares?  Each figure appears as he does in the movie.  You can't ask for much more than that.

A couple of years ago, I showed my kids the Ghostbusters movie.  They enjoyed it.  It wasn't the cultural touchstone it was for my generation.  They laughed at the "cgi".  (They call all special effects, cgi.)  They never watched the second one.  They had no interest in it.  But, chronologically, my showing them Ghostbusters was same as my Dad showing me Casablanca.  So, that puts the cultural references and such into better perspective.  They'll have their Ghostbusters movie story moment over something that was an age appropriate new release for them in the 2020's.  And, I'll shake my head in disbelief at the movie that creates an indelible experience for them.  

It's tough to know how well the Plasma Pack did at retail.  There is a large Ghostbusters fan base.  But, historically, they've been more into the cosplay elements of property appreciation.  The price per figure suggests that Hasbro did a decent production run on the figures.  And, they found a solid audience in Joe fans.  The set, though, has been in stock at Amazon for retail price for well over a year, now.  Amazon has done various discounts and it's fairly easy to get it for around $35.  Every few months, Amazon cycled through a heavy discount phase and dropped the set to 1/2 price.  At $22, the set is a no brainer, even if it's just for one moment of admiration.  Since the Plasma Pack's release, Hasbro has offered no other o-ring products with the exception of some reused Joe molds in the Void Rivals SDCC exclusive set from 2025.  So, it seems the Ghostbusters may have been a one off.