2002 Night Rhino

When G.I. Joe returned in 1997, it was not just a figure line.  It also included a full array of vehicles.  Hasbro understood that vehicles were integral to the Joe line.  And, between 1997 and 2000, Hasbro was keen to get classic molds into collector hands, often in new colors.  Starting in 2001, though, the vehicles took a turn.  Instead of all classic remakes, Hasbro started interspersing some new molds from other toy lines and even took a hand at updating a classic mold.  Sadly, the results weren't great for sales.  And, the 2001 vehicles lingered at retailers throughout the year.  They'd eventually find their way to close-out and discount retailers for 1/2 their original price.  As the vehicles slowed, so did the figure sales.  And, Hasbro announced that the o-ring renaissance of that early collector era was ending in favor of an all new approach to G.I. Joe.  The final wave of ARAHC figures was cancelled at retail.  But, one final release did squeak out in early 2002: the Night Rhino.

The main reason this vehicle managed to get to retail was because it was a Toys R Us exclusive.  Toys R Us was a strong retail partner for Hasbro.  And, during this time, TRU was both a dumping ground for cheap, overstock Hasbro toys as well as collector themed exclusives that would drive foot traffic.  Toys R Us was the only retailer willing to take a chance on o-ring Joes in 1997 and 1998.  It was the success of these lines that lead to the broader retail presence in 2000.  Even then, Hasbro partnered with them on exclusives like the Hiss III.  And, their 2002 exclusive was this repainted 1988 Warthog.  

The Warthog was one of those rare post 1987 vehicles that was generally acceptable to collectors of the early 2000's.  If you go even further back, into the late 1990's, when anything made after 1985 was suspect, you'd still find the Warthog was an allowable vehicle for your collection.  (You just had to ditch the Sgt. Slaughter as he, at the time, was not cool.)  It had good colors, featured one of the last tow hooks in the line, was armed to the teeth and held a huge amount of figures.  It was everything you could have wanted from an armored vehicle at the time.

The Night Rhino is actually very square.  It is a rather tall vehicle.  So, in person, it's a bit blocky.  The shapes work for its purpose, though.  And, its that height that offers much of the Night Rhino's play value.  The main feature is the three person crew who each have their own command seats.  There is a slot for a driver.  One for, I presume, the commander and maybe missile controller.  And, one slot for a gunner.  Each features the two position seating option that debuted on the 1984 Slugger.  You can insert the figures all the way into the seats so they are completely protected.  Then, you can close all the hatches above them to seal them in.  The fun part is that the driver's door slides over his position while the other two have flip-up doors.  It's one of those little things that you don't really think about.  But, the engineering to make the three position crew work was quite amazing.  

The vehicle is armed to the teeth...kind of.  The main weapons are two huge missiles on the vehicle's rear.  They are massive, but work against the size of the overall vehicle.  There are 12 "smoke grenade" launchers on the vehicle's side.  As a kid, these would have been a devastating weapon.  But, also one whose usefulness would have waned in time.  I liked my armor to have anti-infantry capability.  Otherwise, it was too easy for an enterprising Viper to get up close and pop a grenade into the driver's visibility slit.  This is where the Night Rhino is just OK.  It gets a lone, mounted gun in the gunner's position.  Mounted guns like this weren't overly common in the vintage Joe line.  So, each appearance was something I loved.  But, this machine gun only swivels 360 degrees and does not move up or down.  It's also positioned where it's awkward for a figure to properly hold it.  But, the idea of the machine gun is enough and makes the Night Rhino a formidable weapon.

The third play feature is that the Night Rhino is a troop carrier.  Two bay doors open in the back to reveal a large, open area where you can store figures.  They can sit on the bench seats and are held into place with a seatbelt bar.  There's just enough room to carry a small squad.  You can easily get a fully accessorized crew of 7 figures into the Night Rhino.  And, you can probably fit a few more if the figures you choose happen to have a light accessory complement.  Joe hadn't gotten any sort of personnel carrier since the Whale in 1984.  So, this design filled a few holes in the Joe team's motor pool.

The Night Rhino also floats.  The wide plastic base needed to house the full crew and carrier compartment meant a wide, flat bottom plastic piece.  This allowed the Night Rhino to be amphibious.  In the water, the vehicle sits much lower.  And, the overall profile is much sleeker.  I'd go so far as to say that the entire vehicle looks cooler when it's partially submerged than it does when it's on land.  Any vehicle that was going to hold figures was likely to float.  And, Hasbro took full advantage of this in the 1980's.  

I only had one encounter with Warthog in my pre-collector days.  Around 1990, I babysat a kid who lived behind us.  His parents had just moved into the neighborhood.  He was fairly young.  But, he had a magnificent collection of G.I. Joe vehicles in his basement.  Here, I had my first and only encounter with the Hiss II, MCC and the Warthog.  His toy room was well put together, though.  So, I was loathe to get all the vehicles out for fear of making a mess.  I did look over the toys, though, and marvel at how much improved the 1988 and 1989 designs were from those I had stopped buying in 1987.  For a brief moment, I considered buying a Warthog.  But, that never came to pass.  I did buy a lone 1989 Night Viper that summer.  But, that was the last Joe purchase I'd make until December of 1992.

One of the great strikes against the 1988 Warthog is that is has turned very brittle in the 35 years since its release.  Sadly, the Night Rhino is following the same path.  Part of this is the cheap plastic that Hasbro used during the early 2000's.  But, the other part is that the Night Rhino mold features lots of small and precisely measured pieces that don't use much plastic.  And, these tend to be door hinges.  So, they are meant to get lots of use.  It's left me being wary of using the Night Rhino too much for fear of snapping off one of the rear, bay doors.  Every time I open one, it makes a cracking sound that leaves me certain I've broken the door.  

I couldn't remember when the Night Rhino actually appeared at retail: early in the year or late in the year.  Fortunately, my photo library answered that question.  The first photos in which the Night Rhino appears were taken on March 10, 2002.  So, it was an early in the year release that hit right around the same time as the infamous Wave V that was an internet exclusive.  I do recall opening mine in a cold, dark garage after getting home from work one night.  I couldn't wait to get it into action.  And, you'll see it among photos I took in 2002 and 2003.  

Today, the Night Rhino remains an oft used vehicle for my photos.  It's just interesting enough for people to spend time reviewing any photo in which it appears.  It has limitations on how it displays figures.  But, you can get some really nice photos of armor operators in action when they are positioned in the command positions at the vehicle's front.  It's more difficult to get good photos of figures disembarking from the carrier compartment in the back, though.  The steps are steep and the doors are high off the ground.  So, it's tough to get figures into a realistic looking pose.  The opening doors do provide a good support for figures to hold onto.  So, that helps getting one or two figures into a fun photography position.  That's where you'll still see it most often.  

The Night Rhino's one of the vehicles that, in hand, is incredibly useful.  But, had it not been released at retail during the repaint era, it's unlikely I would have one.  There were several vehicles that I really wanted to add to my collection when I first started being able to buy any Joe I wanted.  Sadly, one of the first was the Hammer.  The Hammer looks great in photos.  But, as a toy, it SUCKS.  It was brittle, impossible to use with figures and just a general piece of junk.  That soured me on spending time and money on further childhood vehicle desires.  So, I never actually bought a Warthog and it was only through the acquisition of this Night Rhino that the mold entered my collection.  I suspect that, had I acquired one at a late date, I'd have regretted not picking it up sooner, though.  As, in hand, the Night Rhino delivers pretty much what it promises.

The private equity planned destruction of Toys R Us has left retail devoid of any options to release toys like this Night Rhino.  Now, the sparse 3 3/4 vehicles are the domain of "Fan Channels" or crowd funding...if they exist at all.  Even the mighty Star Wars line has nary a vehicle as part of its retail presence.  It's a shame.  During the 1990's and even into the 2010's, Toys R Us was a reliable partner for major toy companies to release vehicles and playsets.  It offered the shelf space and was willing to let a high quality item sell out in time.  It's national presence meant it could afford to finance a full run of toys like this Night Rhino.  With TRU long gone, there is no place left to fill that niche.  Some larger online toy sellers have tried.  But, usually, those were with items that companies had already produced and needed to dump somewhere.  So, the days of fun, unexpected releases like this Night Rhino are pretty much over.

The Warthog had a few uses.  Hasbro's version was released in 1988.  In Europe, there is an exclusively colored variant of the Warthog with a slightly different green base color.  It was then lost until 2002 when it appeared as this Toys R Us exclusive.  The final use came in 2006 when a desert version of the Warthog was released as a convention exclusive.  This is the most difficult of the 4 versions to track down.  There was a decent amount of potential left in the Warthog.  I once said I wouldn't hate a Cobra colored version that was released as a new version of Hiss Tank.  But, every single version that was ever made was extremely well done.  So, you can't be too mournful for the lost opportunities.

During the upswing in Joe pricing, mint and complete and boxed Night Rhinos crossed $150 and sometimes even went over $200.  Now, prices have subsided quite a bit.  You can get boxed versions for $80 or less.  If the plastic is holding up, that's not a terrible price.  Original Warthogs will cost the same or more.  And, they are much more likely to be too brittle to use.  So, the Night Rhino remains one of the best alternatives for a version of the vehicle.  In looking back, I kind of wish I'd picked up a couple more when they were at retail.  It's a nice vehicle.  But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that one is probably enough.  The vehicle has some display limitations and the idea behind all the great play features remains a better idea than practical usage.  It remains a vehicle that's worth owning, though.  And, every collector should at least give a thought to adding a version of the Warthog to their collection.

2002 Convention Paratrooper Dusty - Random Photos of the Day

In 2002, the collectors club surprised the Joe community with an exclusive set of Cobra figures that would be available at that year's convention.  Naively, many people thought the sets might price out at $5 or $6 per figure...a substantial mark up over retail.  When the real price was revealed, the community was apoplectic.  But, in fairly short order, the desire to army build every Viper overtook the price shock and the sets became very popular.  At the event itself, everyone was ga-ga over their new, Crimson Vipers.  So much so, that another, unannounced surprise at the convention slipped under the radar.  The convention was going to feature a parachute drop.  And, everyone got a figure to drop off the hotel's roof.  Instead of being some random overstock or a recently released retail figure, though, the club dropped their first exclusive G.I. Joe team member: the Paratrooper Dusty.

In the aftermath of the convention, this Dusty was relegated into obscurity.  And, he remains one of the most unheralded convention figures ever made.  The truth was, though, that Hasbro had made up an amazingly solid version of Dusty.  Sure, it wasn't his traditional desert garb.  But, the two toned shades of green that was offset by intricate paint details left us with one of the better convention figures that was ever released.  The figure featured 6 colors and a nice blend of familiar hues that hadn't, yet, been overdone.  The figure even got painted bootlaces to make his footwear stand out.  He is one of the detailed Joes of the time.  And, is a perfect example of giving a figure great accents without overdoing it and making him too busy.

Upon seeing him, I was immediately enthralled by the figure.  I quickly acquired one. (From a dealer who used to sell Plastirama overstock.  Her only items were cheap figures and vehicles from Argentina.  When you pay $800 for a carded Satan, remember that she had thousands of them that sold for under $30 each.  You're buying a popular figure.  Not a rare one.)  Upon his addition to my collection, Dusty became one of my most used figures.  You'll find him in photos from the early 2000's all the way through this past year.  He fits with so many different eras of figures that he's easy to integrate into any scene.  And, the fact that he's obscure helps to make photos more interesting.  Few people use this Dusty.  So, his appearance is always something that provides an extra layer to a photo.

In recent years, I've grown to appreciate this figure even more.  That's partially due to the fact that few figures from the repaint era can live up to the level of paint applications and quality that was imparted upon this figure.  His colors work together and they used splashes of color to make him stand out.  In a lot of ways, this Dusty feels more vintage than most figures from the 2000's.  Even convention figures tended to overthink themselves and ended up being more busy and overdone than looking like a vintage Joe.  For that reason, this figure still resonates with me and remains one of my personal favorites.

This Dusty mold got three full releases.  His original release in 1991.  A full repaint of the figure was released in 2000.  And, then this convention figure in 2002.  However, if you really want to get into it, he appeared more frequently. There is an exclusive European and Chinese release that includes different weapons.  (The figure is the same, though.)  In 1995, the whole body was used (with a new head) for the Paratrooper Guile figure.  His head, waist and legs were used on the 2002 Night Rhino Dusty.  (With Dial Tone's torso.)  The figure was planned to be released in a chocolate chip camo pattern and included with the 2001 Desert Striker.  But, he was replaced with Flint at the last minute.  And, even this Paratrooper Dusty has a pre-production variant with a painted zipper around his open shirt collar.  There might be more part usages as the 2000's dragged on.  But, that's enough for now.

Dusty even got unique accessories.  He was given a silver parachute from which he could fall to his death from the top of the hotel.  It was attached to an exclusive green colored version of the 1987 Jinx backpack.  As an approximation of a parachute rig, this setup worked just fine.  The parachute strings were tied to the sword loops on the backpack.  This, supposedly, would hold the chute in place.  And,it really did.  In the aftermath of the convention, you'd find a ton of figures who included a backpack where the parachute strings had been cut off.  The parachute had been discarded and the seller was offering just the figure and backpack.

While the parachute was secured to the backpack, the backpack wasn't all that secure to the figure.  And, hundreds of Dusty's plummeted several stories and were dashed into broken parts after their backpack came out and the figure had nothing to slow its velocity.  For a few months after the convention, you could buy lots of broken parts that enterprising scavengers had swept from the parking lot.  You couldn't really piece together a mint figure from them.  But, it was a good way to get some extra parts for customs.

The real legacy of the figure, though, is that no one really remembers him.  Collectors of the era were fixated on army builders.  And, the 1991 Dusty mold was passe.  So, the figure disappeared from collecting discourse.  It wasn't until 2007 that convention attendee exclusives started getting popular and appreciating on the aftermarket.  Slowly, these pulled in many of the early exclusives that had been selling for under their original price for many years.  The Paratrooper Dusty, though, wasn't one of them.  You could get bagged figures for under $20 well into the late 2010's.  Even today, while other convention attendee figures approach $1000 for a single release, the Paratrooper Dusty sells for under $40 with regularity.  Between the very low production run and the fact that so many were destroyed in the fall, this seems like a very low price for a high quality figure.  But, the modern collecting market makes no sense.

The end result is that you can get a high quality figure for a very attractive price.  And, as you can see from the photos below, he works very well in a variety of settings.  Dusty doesn't always need to be wearing desert camo.  There are deserts around the world that are very green.  So, having an alternate look for one of the secondary popularity characters in the line seems like it would be popular.  But, it's not.  And, that leave opportunity for you to scoop up a Paratrooper Dusty and discover his quality for yourself.

2002 Gift Set Firefly - Random Photos of the Day

 Between 1998 and 2005, there were too many Fireflies.  Hasbro repainted the mold every chance they got.  The thing is, though, most of the repaints were pretty good.  And, 20+ years later, it's nice to have a rainbow of Firefly figures to choose from.  Among all the Cobra blue, grey, black and unproduced homage Firefly figures, we also got something completely weird: the 2002 Gift Set Firefly.

There's no reason for this figure to exist.  But, I'm glad it does.  We get Firefly in a red color that isn't crimson and, really, isn't even all that Cobra.  It's bright and vibrant.  He's offset by a greyish-blue hue that's used to color in his details.  If that weren't enough, he's wearing gold boots.  But, the best part is that his head is a poo-brown mask.  If this sounds a bit ridiculous, that's because it is. 

But, somehow, this figure works.  It works because Hasbro didn't do enough offbeat stuff during the repaint era.  And, it works because, after tons of great repaints, good molds also need to exist in far out colors that are non-sensical for the character.  It gives the line some life when it everyone wanted it to be "super duper pooper scooper serious".  

I really enjoy using this figure.  He's an interesting substitute for the multitudes of Firefly figures you normally see.  If I had to rank Firefly figures, this one would be in the bottom two: maybe even the worst Firefly.  Despite that, it's a fun figure to have around, if only to brighten up a collection that may take itself too seriously.

2002 Big Ben - Around the Web

This is the time of year where figures like Big Ben thrive.  The cold weather reminds me of his design.  And, seeing the figure in his element is always nice.  This 2002 version of the figure is one of the nice 2000's era repaints that was ruined by his inclusion with an Alley Viper.  Collectors got too many of them and started to hate Big Ben.  So, a good figure was simply despised.

More than 20 years later, though, some of the hatred has subsided.  Now, you can find the figure showcased every so often.  There's plenty of content on him out there.  So, stop by and check out some cool 2002 Big Ben photos.

2002 Big Ben Profile

2002 Big Ben at The Attica Gazette

2002 Big Ben by Joesandtoys

2002 Big Ben by viper_space

2002 Big Ben by gen_liederkranz

2002 Big Ben by corpscommandercody

2002 Big Ben by thebackyardcommando

2002 Big Ben by themexicangriswolds

2002 Big Ben by viper_space

2002 Big Ben at Generals Joes Reborn

2002 Mirage - Random Photos of the Day

Hasbro got Mirage happy between 2002 and 2005.  In that short time, they released no less than 4 repaints of the obscure 1993 Mega Marine.  The thing is, all of them were pretty decent.  While the repaint still didn't fully accentuate Mirage's details, they did bring a more muted paint scheme to the mold.  Unfortunately, collectors quickly tired of Mirage.  Not only was it because of the multiple uses in such a short time span, but also, Hasbro made the mistake of packaging the first two repaints with Viper repaints.  As this was the height of the army building era, collectors quickly amassed dozens of Mirage figures.

And, with that, a once acceptable character from the '90's quickly became a collector nightmare.  And, the repaint era releases were quickly disregarded and tossed into boxes or custom fodder bags in frustration.  More than 20 years later, the figure still doesn't really have any cachet.  You don't see any  of the modern versions used very often since old habits die hard and few collectors who were around in the Mirage heyday still consider him a useful figure to have around.

This is too bad, though, as the all the Mirage figures are a nice and cool way to update the Mega Marines.  Personally, I think the 2003 Hoverstrike figure is the best version of Mirage.  But, this 2002 version that was first released in Wave 1.5 in the early summer of 2002 is also really nice.  So, enjoy some random photos as you stroll down memory lane to a time when Hasbro was really pumping out the figures at retail.

2002 General Tomahawk - Random Photos of the Day

So, the other night, I heard my dog chomping on something.  I got up to see what it was.  But, I didn't find anything in her mouth.  As I returned to bed, though, I saw something on the floor in the dark.  Turns out, it was this General Tomahawk figure.  I have no idea where she got it.  I think my boys had the figure out and must have left it somewhere the dog could find it.

So, now, this figure is a flesh colored stump atop a torso that has just shoulders and upper arms.  His legs no longer have feet.  I tossed what was left of the figure into my custom fodder box.  I don't really know why.  I have put all my spare pieces into this box since at least 1986.  And, I have never done anything with them.  The box is massive and there's everything in their from my childhood straight arm pieces to old CORPS! figures and, now, what remains of this Tomahawk.  My plan is that I'll retire in the next 25 to 30 years.  And, when I do, customizing Joes will be something I do in my copious spare time.  So, stop by in the 2050's and see if I follow through.

Time was, I had a couple of these figures.  But, I'm not sure if I had more than 1 these days.  So, the days of this General Tomahawk appearing in photos could be over.  I hope I find a spare in the 2002 drawer.  But, I don't care enough to actually look.  Maybe sometime next week.  But, this is a figure that's worth having.  It's better than the 2000 version and is the type of figure that's nice background fodder in many photos.  

2002 Slice

Wave 1.5 of the Joe vs. Cobra collection was meant to be much, much more.  Originally, it was going to have the 1986 Hawk mold for Tomahawk and the 1988 Shockwave mold for Sure Fire.  The inclusion of those molds would have drastically changed the makeup of the line and lead to a far greater appreciation of all the figures included in it.  But, they weren't included and the substitutes seemed like a retread since both figures had been released very recently.  But, there were a couple of new molds included in the packs.  Headman returned for the first time in a decade and now featured a great, tan suit.  His 1992 cousin, Slice, was the second new mold to return.  And, hidden among the Vipers and Alley Vipers that collectors desired were two great Cobras that offered nice updates to their other releases.

This Slice features some really strong paint masks.  In fact, this figure stands out among many of his contemporary releases.  The color scheme is something different.  And, while he features a base, red color, Hasbro, to their credit, avoided trying to make him "crimson" and gave him a lighter, brighter red base.  The figure still features the silver mask that is Slice's strongest appearance characteristic.  The rest of the body features a dark gray tunic, light grey legs and white highlights the range from a subtle outline of his silver face mask down to his bootlaces.  The white is bright and can be a bit stark.  But, it's also a color that doesn't often appear as the preferred color on a figure's hands.  In short, this is the most detailed release of the Slice mold and is the only one that really showcases the small details that were included on the boots, sash and arms.

This figure only exists because of collector backlash to Hasbro's first wave of JvC figures.  Collectors demanded the return of the o-ring.  So, Hasbro went back to retool it's Wave 2 figures.  That created a 6 month gap between Waves 1 and 2.  To offset this (but only slightly) Hasbro dropped Wave 1.5.  It was 8 classic o-ring figures with both a Viper and Alley Viper among the releases.  It was meant to appease collectors and hold them over for the new figures that would show up just a few weeks later.  Initially, the wave was super popular.  While collectors bought out the Vipers and Alley Vipers, even the Slice/Sure Fire and Headman/Tomahawk packs sold well enough.  Wal Marts got in several cases during the initial surge with many stores putting cut open boxes on the top shelves since there was no peg room.  

But, Wave 1.5 then kept shipping.  In short order, it backed up at retail all over the country and even the Vipers and Alley Vipers were super easy to find.  The entire wave saw overstock dropped into bizarre three packs.  And, eventually, the wave turned up at discount outlets as late as 2004.  Some stock was even dumped outside of the U.S. in Hasbro's attempt to find a market that would take on figures that had little retail interest left in them.  This wave is, likely, one of the most produced figure waves of the 2000's.  This means that the figures are relatively easy to track down today.  But, they also sullied what turned out to be a pretty decent wave of figures.

In 2002, I was a full on adult collector.  I was married.  I was on my second home.  I had three dogs.  (Well, actually, I bought my first Slice at a Wal Mart in Kokomo, Indiana when we stopped to get some cash to acquire my third dog.)  So, there's no childhood innocence associated with this figure.  But, upon opening it, this Slice really opened my eyes to the usefulness of some of the Ninja Force molds.  Even in 2002, I had no real use for Ninja Force.  The figures didn't appear in my photos of that era.  And, if you scour old profiles from prior to 2002, you'll see my personal disdain for Ninja Force in a couple of places. 

People, though, mature.  And, if you still, today, think exactly the same way you did in 2002, then you're  probably not a very serious person.  You can evolve your opinions as you both learn new information and gain more perspective from life experience.  This Slice started me down the road where I've found greater appreciation of the Ninja Force figures.  And, in many cases, I now like them.  The sculpts are very well done.  And, this Slice, in particular, didn't require additional bulk to accommodate the spring loaded action feature.  (Which is also included on this 2002 figure.)  So, it works very well with figures from any year.

Sadly, this Slice didn't include any of the cool weapons that debuted with the 1992 and 1993 figures.  those weapons were unique and looked great with Slice.  This 2002 version, though, included a silver version of the curved sword that was originally included with the 1992 Stormshadow.  (Thanks to Mr. Acer and Gen_Liederkranz for correcting that the sword originated with the 1992 Nunchuk.  The silver version originated with the 2000 Stormshadow which caused my confusion!)  He also has a black knife that was originally included with the Range Viper.  They're not bad accessories.  The sword works very well for Slice.  But, Slice just looks better with any of the gear from 1992 or 1993.  

The Slice body was used a full dozen times.  It had three vintage Joe releases of Slice and then two uses of the body for the Street Fighter Ryu figures.  It then appeared on 6 different figures in the Mortal Kombat Movie line.  Then, this 2002 release marked the dozenth time the body was used.  You can make a case that this mold should have appeared again during the repaint era.  He would have worked in the Ninja Strike set.  And, he would have been a nice swap out for the 2004 Urban Assault Stormshadow, too.  But, we probably have enough Slice repaints.  All his figures are good.  

Slices are super cheap.  Mint and complete figures can be had for around $6 or so.  You can get carded versions for under $11.  He remains one of the cheaper options for Joe figures.  And, unlike many of his 2002 contemporaries, Slice has yet to really discolor.  We'll see if that continues to be the case.  But, you can be sure there are plenty of Slice figures out there, many still MOC and they will never be expensive when compared to other figures in the line.  So, there's no reason to not have one of these figures as they are pretty nice, especially for the price.  So, get a Slice.  

2002 Headman - Around The Web

Headman was a really good villain whose unique look made for a great figure.  This 2002 figure, though, upped the ante and took a huge chance on a bright and interesting color scheme.  And, it created one of the best figures of the 2000's.  But, collectors of the day didn't see it that way and the figure was much maligned.  While the quality is better appreciated today, the high production numbers and disappointment hangover have left this Headman as underappreciated.  The upside is that he's relatively cheap to acquire.  And, as you can see in the links below, he works well in a variety of photos and dioramas.

2002 Headman Profile

2002 Headman by Dragonfortress

2002 Headman by drakovkinski

2002 Headman by nightforcetunnelrat

2002 Headman by Slipstream80

2002 Headman by darth_beotch

2002 Headman by theplasticeyeball

2002 Headman by C3Pestro

2002 Headman by thedustinmccoy

Funskool Beach Head

As my collection has grown, I find that my preferences for figures changes.  While I once held the figures from my childhood in the highest esteem, I am now more open to their flaws.  And, as such, I've discovered that some of my childhood favorites are simply no longer even considered as candidates for photos or profiles.  Many later acquisitions, though, have held up better.  But, even figures I first acquired in the 1990's have suffered from my expanding roster of figure options.  It doesn't mean these old favorites are bad.  I just like other options better.  This became very evident to me, though, when I recently commented on a photo of the Funskool Beach Head figure.  This figure has now been in my collection for so long that I consider him a staple who feels as if he's always been there.  And, in a fleeting moment as I typed, I realized that the Funskool Beach Head, in his lime green glory, has completely and utterly replaced the 1986 Beach Head as the de facto version of the character in my collection.  As my profile of that figure from 2014 is dated and sparse, it gave rise to an opportunity to revisit a figure that, truly, has become one of my favorites in the long and vast history of the Joe line.

We first have to look at the history of the Funskool Beach Head in general.  He is one of the earliest Funskool offerings, dating to at least 1995 and maybe even earlier.  From the beginning, though, the figure was not colored like the American release.  This is rather odd.  We know that Hasbro was very adamant in maintaining consistent looks for certain characters.  This is why the oddly colored Funskool releases in the early days were accompanied by other variants of the figure that were more in line with the original coloring.  Only characters that Hasbro no longer cared about were left to be fully "Funskooled" with bright colors.  Beach Head doesn't seem a candidate for this treatment since he was prominent in the early cartoon and was always a collector favorite.  But, you can also make an argument that his departure from the more muted greens of the Hasbro release are less a change than something like a bright yellow and blue Major Bludd.  Early Beach Heads had some darker green base colors.  But, they were offset with a bright yellow vest with matching blood red highlights and head.  These monsters are rare and expensive.  So, in contrast, the lime green variants that came later seem more in line with the U.S. figure.  

Once the lime green figure came to be, they were released for a long time.  During the years preceding 2001 or so, Funskool produced tons of minor variants of the figure.  There are brown eyebrows, black eyebrows, dark grey highlights, light grey highlights, black hands, green hands and various colors of vests, blue cammo and brown pants.  If that's not enough, there are black guns, light grey guns, dark grey guns, dark green backpacks, black backpacks, lime green backpacks and hard and soft satchels.  It's probably impossible to document all the combos any more.  But, there are dozens of variants.  But, when Funskool imports to the U.S. began at toy dealers in 2001, Beach Head had been out of production for a while.  A few lucky collectors were able to find old bagged samples as vehicle drivers in the influx of Funskool vehicles of the day.  But, generally, Beach Head was out of circulation and hard to find.  But, in 2002, Funskool brought back a few old favorites.  Along with Flint, Airtight, Scrap Iron, Zarana, Buzzer and Ripper, Beach Head returned to production.  Between 2002 and 2003, there are, again, many slight coloring variants.  In 2003, Hasbro got the mold back.  And, thus ended one of Funskool's most popular, enduring and iconic figures.  

So, now, we revert back to before all that happened: to 1986.  In this year, Hasbro released Beach Head.  The figure quickly became a favorite of all my Joe collecting friends.  He was kind of like Snake Eyes with the masked head.  But, he had very militaristic gear and definitely filled a different role than the Joe's silent icon ever would.  And, he became one of my favorite figures, too.  He and Leatherneck formed a team that lead many adventures in my room, my grandparents' backyard or the front steps of my grandfather's home in Buffalo.  He went everywhere and was a vital part of my collection.  Until he wasn't.  One reason is that I left a Leatherneck figure in the hemlock bushes next to those limestone steps in Buffalo.  I didn't get a new one for a year.  Another reason is that I broke Beach Head's ammo pack and I hated breaking accessories.  I then used the figure as pieces for new, custom characters.  Eventually, I replaced both Beach Head and Leatherneck and had solid versions to use.  But, by then, the 1987's were overtaking my collection and Beach Head kind of fell away.  As an adult, I was slow to take the figure back up.  He was a figure that looked cool.  But, I had lots of newer options that filled the same purpose when I went to take photos.

In very early 2002, long before Funskool announced the figure would return to production, I was able to trade for a bagged vehicle driver Funskool Beach Head.  He arrived in my mailbox one snowy Saturday and the figure immediately captured my attention.  The lime green was just as striking as I had imagined (there were few photos of the figure online in those days) and he was everything I wanted in a foreign repaint.  Suddenly, I found this figure appearing in some of my photos...photos that would never have included the American figure.  The brighter colors popped against dark backgrounds.  But, at the same time, the general overall hues worked.  He wasn't the Funskool Wild Bill, all decked out in orange.  He had the basics that allowed him to be useful along with more traditional Joe figures.  But, he had added visual appeal that garnered attention when he was showcased.  When the carded Beach Heads were released a few months later, I picked up a couple to get both his gear but also a carded sample of a classic character.  In the ensuing years, I acquired a few more and now have half a dozen samples here that remain a hallmark of my photo repertoire.  

Because of all that, I now view the Funskool lime green version as the default for Beach Head.  I rarely even consider the U.S. figure at all any more.  It's an interesting phenomenon as it speaks to the changing nature of being a collector.  I've owned this figure for nearly 20 years.  In that time, I've taken thousands of Joe photos.  And, I've easily spent more time on the hobby in that time than I did between 1986 and 1987: when the American Beach Head would have been at his apex.  But, the more exuberant green has turned the Funskool figure into my main vision of the Beach Head character.  When I see the Classified Beach Head as an homage figure, I first think that the color is wrong.  Then, I remember that the lime green I associate with the character is actually his foreign variant.  It's weird.  But, it also is normal.

My main interest in the figure is the striking visual he represents when placed in various photos or when combined with other figures.  But, also, the more vibrant Funskool colors allow for me to really appreciate all of the subtle details on Beach Head's mold.  His red shoulder really stands out.  And, the lighter browns and blues that comprise his legs also seem to be better offset against the brighter color.  In short, he's just more fun to look at.  And, because of that, this Beach Head has found a very valuable place among my most used figures.  He drives vehicles, sits in the background or dominates a photo.  I have a couple just so I can display in different locations all at once.  While he may not hold this presence over other collectors, he does to me.  And, so, for that reason, he is Beach Head in my collection.

The upside to Funskool was that they included all of Beach Head's original gear.  The Russian figures and the 2002/2003 re-releases all include a dark green backpack.  It's tough to see at times.  But, it's definitely green and also allows you to better see the details of Beach Head's pack.  The rifle included with the Funskool figure is lighter in color than the Hasbro release.  There are versions that can be darker and tougher to differentiate.  But, the later releases are visually distinctive and can be flimsy at times.  Beach Head's ammo pack is also brittle.  It will snap if you toss it over the figure's chest too many times.  And, it's not unheard of to find dried out ones that have already snapped while still on the card.  So, the Funskool accessories really aren't better than the 1986 Hasbro versions.  But, they are easier and cheaper to acquire...kind of.

Beach Head got the standard two year release by Hasbro.  He then disappeared.  A huge number of 1986 molds were released in Brazil.  But, Beach Head was not among them.  As he appeared early in the Funskool line, though, there's more than enough to collect.  You could probably find 100 Beach Head variants if you looked long enough.  And, much of his mold was also used on the Funskool Skydiver figure, offering you some additional parts colors to play with.  Funskool returned Beach Head to Hasbro in 2003, though.  Collectors wanted the figure, even though he was readily and cheaply available from US importers.  In 2004, the club released a Tiger Force Beach Head.  The figure is interesting and actually looks great next to the Funskool version.  Sadly, this figure didn't include Beach Head's original gear.  Which, was odd since the Dreadnoks who had also been recalled from India and were first used in this set did have their original weapon molds.  In 2004, Hasbro dropped Beach Head into the Toys R Us exclusive Night Force set.  Again, his original gear was gone.  And, that was the end.  A desert Beach Head would have been cool.  As would have an Arctic Beach Head.  So, there's still life in the mold since he's such a popular character.  Perhaps we'll see him from Pulse.  But, that will likely be either a 1986 homage or a cartoon appearance color scheme.  (Which, would be OK.)

Funskool Beach Head pricing is based on the variant.  Some bagged vehicle drivers just missing the gloves will fetch $300 or more.  But, the reality is that carded figures from the 2002 - 2004 production runs (including a widely available Russian exclusive) were heavily imported.  Collectors bought up the figure in droves due to the classic gear and the fact that, at the time, American Beach Heads were substantially more expensive than the $4 that a carded Funskool version would set you back.  Tons of collectors bought the Funskool figure just for the gear and used it on their American figures.  Now, that popularity has lead to a more common and easy to find Funskool offering.  Carded Beach Heads remain common.  But, they will run you between $30 and $50 depending upon various nuances or impatient buyers.  Loose figures are harder to find and still command a premium.  You'll probably spend $20 or more to get a mint and complete version.  But, seeing as how American Beach Heads appear to be $50 loose figures these days, even the carded price is a palatable option.  

Rarities - 2002 "Albino" Nunchuk Pre-Production Variant

Hasbro often took their time getting skin tones correct.  In the early 2000's, it was common to find slight skin tone variations in pre-production figures versus their production counterparts.  In a few instances, there were even production variants in relation to skin tone.  Below, though, is a pretty drastic alternative to the production version of the 2002 Nunchuk figure.  The figure on the left is a much whiter skin tone.  Hasbro actually produced the more tanned version.  In the scheme of pre-production variants, this isn't all that spectacular.  But, it shows some insight into the production process and how Hasbro sometimes struggled with getting figures exactly right.

Figures like this pre-production Nunchuk were quite common in the mid 2000's.  You could not only find individual samples on Ebay, but also buy large lots of them in bulk from Asia.  Sometimes, you'd get mostly production level figures.  Sometimes, you'd get oddballs like this Nunchuk.  And, sometimes, you'd get some completely alternate paint job figures.  While these lots have dried up, the pre production pieces for figures in the JvC style have not found the stratospheric prices reserved for pre-production ARAH style figures from the 2000's.  So, if you can find them, they can still be somewhat affordable. 

2002 Mirage - Wave 2

In 2002, the brand new sculpting style of the JvC figures debuted.  And, unsurprisingly, collectors hated it.  The lack of o-ring was just unforgivable at the time.  Hasbro, trying to save face, quickly announced that they'd be moving to an o-ring construction starting with Wave 2.  However, this meant that Wave 2 of the line would be delayed.  To both fill in the retail gap as well as appease collectors, Hasbro quickly threw together Wave 1.5.  This was a wave of repainted vintage Joes that featured two popular army builders.  Collectors accepted this bone that was thrown to them and enjoyed the wave.  Shortly thereafter, Wave 2 appeared.  Again, Hasbro had tossed two collector themed backs into the case assortment.  Along with newly sculpted JvC figures, there was a repainted Alley Viper/Big Ben and Viper/Mirage pack.  While only 1 per case, each figure was available in ample quantities for collectors of the age to get their fill.  Of course, the focus was on the army builders.  And, collectors tended to ignore and even loathe the Big Ben and Mirage figures.  But, once again, Hasbro had thrown a couple of underappreciated gems into the line.  And, the 2002 Mirage from Wave 2 is one of the better repaints of the 2000's.

In the summer of 1986, I moved all my toys out of my room and into our basement.  My parents weren't big on air conditioning and the basement was much cooler in the hot summer months.  Here, I created the first aspects of a larger Joe world.  When I moved my toys back up to my room in the fall, I had a very different approach to the Joe vs. Cobra conflict.  Among the new additions to my world were "commandos".  Essentially, these were nameless, faceless cannon fodder minions of the Joe team.  The named Joes were "warriors" who were excellent at their jobs and rarely died.  Commandos, though, ranged from semi-competent to outright terrible in their performance.  Thousands upon thousands of them perished against Cobra.  Who, now equipped against a more equal adversary, was far more effective.  The problem, though, was which figure to use as this army builder?

At first, I put together a lame kitbash of unloved parts leftover from broken figures.  These guys were terrible and died often.  I didn't want to make any of my good Joe figures these army builders as I liked all of my characters.  Flash and Grand Slam would be appropriated for the army builders of a 3rd faction who aligned with Joes.  And, eventually, I made the 1983 Ace a "Special Missions Commando" and the Mission to Brazil set figures followed as "Special Forces Commandos" (Leatherneck), "Diver Commandos" (Wet Suit) and Science Officers (Mainframe).  Years later, I even made the 1994 Shipwreck a "Special Commission Commando" who was a group of soldiers just below the Joes who would, eventually, see promotion into the Joe ranks.  But, for the basic commando, I was still stymied.

As my collection grew in the late 1990's, I tried various figures as this basic trooper.  But, none would stick.  Finally, in 2000, the blue Dusty with red beret became my default Commando.  It was a figure that didn't really work as Dusty, but was amazingly cool.  And, it was easy and cheap to army build.  The main issue with that figure, though, is that he had no armor and was relatively unadorned with gear.  In 2002, though, the first Mirage repaint was released.  This figure looked like someone that I could use as my commando character.  He was well colored, was covered in gear and armor and had a decent weapon.  Plus, he was packed with a Viper so I'd definitely end up with a few of them.  And, within a few weeks of me starting up a small squad, Mirage became my default Commando figure.  When this more olive version was released in the fall, he just joined the ranks as a different coloring of the same character.  And, to this day, Mirage figure represent army builders in my collection.  They are more advanced than "greenshirts".  But, still find themselves getting wasted by Cobras at various junctions.

In the early 2000's, Mega Marines were not a popular subset of the Joe brand.  There were some collectors (like me!) who advocated that the molds were excellent and would prime candidates for a repaint.  But, we were a minority.  Someone at Hasbro, though, agreed that Mega Marines had some potential.  Aside from Mirage, we'd eventually see the Mega Viper, Monster Blaster APC, Gung Ho, most of Clutch and even parts of Blast Off in the repaint era.  Only the Cyber Viper and the larger sized monsters did not see any type of re-release.  No other subset of figures got as much attention as Mega Marines did.  Yet, it still feels that the subset didn't live up to its potential.  Mirage certainly did.  But, it still seems as if all the figures could be repainted again without being too redundant.  But, as a whole, collectors rejected the Mega Marines repaints and didn't find them as compelling as excellent molds redone in more muted colors should have been.  It was probably too soon.  And, if Hasbro had released the Mirage repaints in 2018 instead of 2002, they'd have been much more popular.

Mirage's paint scheme is actually pretty good.  His legs are the same green as the torso from the Wave 1.5 figure.  So, you can kitbash a few different combos of Mirage figures together to make different sets of army builders.  He has a G.I. Joe tampo on his right shoulder.  I'm not a huge fan of this.  But, the logo is crisp and shows how far paint masks had come by 2002.  The torso is olive.  But, being offset by the brighter green and silver makes the common color less noticable.  Mirage's head features the clear goggles.  While there's still many details left unpainted on the figures (grenades, ammo, wires and hoses, etc.), it's got enough details to showcase the mold's quality.

Mirage's gear is kind of generic.  But, he has a few weapons that help detract from the blandness of it all.  It seems that Hasbro lost the molds to the weapons trees that were endemic to the 1993 and 1994 figures.  And, while the trees were reused a lot, Mirage's gear was less often seen and seemed to fit well with him.  But, fortunately, the 1992 General Hawk rifle is also a very nice fit for the mold.  The Big Ben rifle is a tougher sell.  It is definitely Big Ben's.  So, seeing it with other figures is less impressive.  And, it was ended so overused by Hasbro that it lost any of it's wow! factor.  The knife is fine.  Some people will give to the Viper instead of Mirage, though.  So, it's up for debate if the figure is complete without it or not.  The most noteworthy factor about these weapons, though, is that they are a unique graphite color.  There is a sheen to them not seen in other gear.  And, this coloring is specific to this version of Mirage.  So, when looking for a complete figure, be sure to ensure that the rifles and knife are the correct color and not the silver and black versions which were released with several different figures during this era.

Today, this Mirage remains in his original role.  I pull him out occasionally for photo shoots.  But, usually, he's in the background, supporting the main subjects of the photo.  I have him on standby, though, and available for when the situation calls for his presence.  My kids actually found a few of this figure sitting out a couple of years ago.  They played with them for a few days.  But, they managed to break the crotch on one of the figures.  This is a rarity for the 2000's era softer plastic.  But, they figured out how to do it.  Their handling of the figure also showcased the fragility of the o-ring design.  They handle modern Star Wars and Spinmaster Batman figures with no breakage.  But, even Joes designed for more flexibility didn't withstand their play.  So, there's an upside to some of the modern designs.  

Mirage was overused by Hasbro.  After his vintage release in 1993, the first repaint in Wave 1.5 debuted around May of 2002.  This Wave 2 version followed in the early Fall.  In 2003, Hasbro released another Mirage with the Hoverstrike vehicle.  This awful toy featured the best Mirage who incorporates colors from the other figures and features yellow goggles that were omitted from the Wave 1.5 figure.  Then, in 2005, Hasbro dropped Mirage into the Winter Operations set.  On the surface, Mirage seemed an odd choice.  But, the actual figure was made clear to showcase Mirage's purported abilities that match his codename.  As something different, the Winter Ops figure is pretty strong.  But, 4 releases in 4 years was a bit much and collectors never wanted to see Mirage again.  I'll argue that Mirage never had a bad version of him released, though, so collectors have a lot of fun stuff to find for the character.

In this age of stupid G.I. Joe prices, Mirage remains a hold out.  Even with a highly popular Viper repaint, you can buy carded figures for under $25.  Dealers will sell mint and complete with filecard figures in the $8-$12 range.  But, if you can find one left to the open market, it will go for half that price.  Be wary as this Mirage includes Graphite colored accessories that were exclusive to the Wave 2 figures and not the more common silver version of the 1992 General Hawk rifle.  But, as the price of this figure remains low, there's no reason for anyone to be missing him in their collection.  Had this figure been released in 2019, he'd be hugely in demand with massive aftermarket spikes.  But, the collectors of 2002 weren't quite ready to admit that later Joe molds and characters had merit.  So, we can be grateful that we got figures like Mirage while also lament that other figures weren't popular enough to warrant an updated repaint.