Sky Patrol Steel Brigade - Red Laser Army

I'm not a great fan of the Steel Brigade.  But, every now and then, a repaint of a bad figure or bad idea comes along that redeems the figure or character in my eyes.  In 2017, this occurred with a Red Laser Army release of the Steel Brigade done in up in a combo of silverish grey and blue.  This "Sky Patrol" version of the anonymous Joe army builder was a new look for the character and created a striking color contrast that really worked with the mold.  The colors matched up well enough with vintage Sky Patrol figures and created a great little subset of figures with which a Sky Patrol army could be built.  While this figure hasn't removed the stigma of Steel Brigade in general, it has allowed me an opportunity to enjoy the mold more so than I have with most other repaints.

Sky Patrol has also long been a concept to which I've been cool.  Even during my heyday of buying Joes, I only ever got a couple of the figures.  Now, I have just two of them.  It was never a subset that really clicked for me.  And, I'm not a big fan of the Steel Brigade, either.  Yet, together, the concepts mesh extremely well.  The idea of support troops for a unit that I kind of see as ancillary to G.I. Joe rather than integrated within it works for me.  

Somehow, the Steel Brigade mold ended up being released by both Black Major and Red Laser.  Each made different color schemes.  So, that created a wide variety for the character.  In very short order, there were desert, arctic, black, blue and even Action Force Steel Brigade figures released.  The plethora of army building options allowed collectors to fill out their Steel Brigade armies.  Some were great repaints.  Others were just OK.  Personally, I found this blue and silver version to be the most compelling.  The colors aren't often seen in the Joe line.  And, the Sky Patrol figures that debuted the color scheme no longer call my collection home.  So, the colors were even more unique to me.

When I first saw this Sky Patrol rendition of the Steel Brigade, my first thought was that they'd make a solid crew for the Tomahawk.  The blue and silver shouldn't work with the brown helicopter.  But, that was my main thought about usage for the figures.  I suspect that the connection was just a manifestation of my desire to use the Tomahawk more.  But, with the figures in hand, I still didn't do anything with the Tomahawk.  Even today, I have yet to put it together, again.  I will do it at some point.  And, then, I'll finally take photos of the iconic chopper with their crew.  Until then, I often look at these Steel Brigade figures with grandiose ideas in my head.  And, I then utterly fail to properly showcase how cool the figures are in any attempt at photos.  

Sadly, these Steel Brigade figures suffer from a design flaw.  The hands are extremely small.  So small that they won't really hold the rifles without either modifying the rifle or modifying the hands.  Both are bad options.  And, it really limits these figures since it's very difficult to get them to hold their weapons without risking thumb breakage.  Aside from that, though, the quality is very good.  The plastic is different from vintage and repaint era Hasbro plastic.  So, you'll notice it once in hand.  But, the joints are tight and the paint masks are crisp.  So, the these Steel Brigades work well in a collection.

The figures included a nice complement of accessories.  The coolest piece was the silver backpack.  It is a cool color that works perfectly with the figure.  He also includes a small pistol and knife.  I'm not 100% sure of the origin of these sculpts.  They are Joe-adjacent and not reproductions of vintage Joe gear.  The coup de gras, though, was the inclusion of a black Steel Brigade rifle.  This rifle was highly desired outside of the baby blue in which it debuted with Recoil back in 1989.  And, for the first decade of online Joe collecting, it was acquirable.  But, that had changed by 2017.  So, being able to acquire large quantities of properly colored versions of the weapon was the real value in the figure.  As the very common version "D" Steel Brigade was my entry point to the character, I only consider the Recoil weapon as the viable weapon for any Steel Brigades.  So, it's great to have it included with this version.

In the late 2010's, Black Major produced a dozen or so repaints of the Steel Brigade.  Simultaneously, Red Laser Army released another 1/2 dozen, give or take, repaints of the mold.  Black Major's figures included an alternate, Airborne torso to help differentiate your armies.  The Red Laser figures, though, did not.  Black Major's figures also included an Airborne rifle while Red Laser Army included a more modernly sculpted pistol that didn't fit into the figure's hands.  Between the two factions, there were more than enough Steel Brigades to go around.  But, after the initial runs were completed, the molds disappeared from both sellers.  In 2023, Black Major brought the Steel Brigades back with a newly updated mold.  Again, many new repaints were produced.  The Airborne torso was gone.  But, the new figures filled in gaps that had been missing for nearly 40 years.  

Sadly, Sky Patrol Steel Brigade figures have pretty much dried up.  You could buy lots of three figures for $12 each for a long time.  But, those days are gone.  And, all of the Red Laser Steel Brigade flavors have gotten much harder to find.  You can expect to pay in excess of $30 for one of the figures these days.  The popularity of Steel Brigade in general, the high quality of this figure and the usefulness of this specialty within the Steel Brigade ranks all add up to a desirable acquisition for newer collectors.  It's really amazing to me how much the Joe world changed between 2017 and 2020.  That short span fundamentally altered the landscape of collecting from an affordable past time to a speculative collectible with a high cost of entry.  It's too bad.  Because, figures like this Steel Brigade were designed to be an affordable way to build the army you always wanted as a kid.  Now, they're single purchases that get tucked away in drawers or boxes and check off a box on a spreadsheet.  It's fun to recall these days of Red Laser Army as they speak to a simpler time in the collecting world.  I think this figure represents the innocence of that era and the potential that still existed in the line.

 

2017 Sightline - Random Photos of the Day

Back in 2017, Red Laser Army produced the Sightline figure.  For quite a while, the figure was the toast of the collecting world.  The combination of being an homage to a well liked collector and also a visually distinctive figure added up to a release that skyrocketed on the secondary market...even though it wasn't supposed to be sold.  8 years later, the figure remains extremely high priced.  Some of the militancy around selling the figure has, sadly, subsided.  But, at the same time, Sightlines have gotten much more sporadic in their appearance.  

There was a time when Joe creators love the figure and used it whenever they could.  Slowly, though, Sightline has fallen in popularity.  These days, you rarely see Sightline used in any capacity.  Part of that is just that we're so far removed from the figure's release that many newer creators don't own the figure.  But, even for people who have had him for a while, Sightline remains a rare sight.  I don't use him nearly as often as I should.  He's a figure I see in the drawer, want to use, but can never think of the perfect scenario for him.  I may try to rectify that in the future.  But, I say it about many figures: few of whom ever return to their former glory.

The reality is that Sightline is one of the most popular figure profiles on this site.  He was widely viewed upon publication and, every so often, gets a nice bump in views.  Usually, this is due to someone else using the figure and having many newer collectors ask about Sightline and why the figure matters to so many.  It's a good way to gauge if there's discussion about the figure or character occurring, somewhere.

In recent years, many other classic Joe molds have been painted up in the "Sightline" color scheme of grey cammo and red accents.  None of them capture the pure joy of the original figure, though.  I don't think of 2017 as being that long ago.  But, in terms of the Joe world, it was an unrecognizable time.  Prices hadn't risen and there wasn't the professional dealer class who artificially inflates the market.  Figures were made for fun because Hasbro didn't care about the brand at all.  Really, it was a good time.  

Seeing Sightline out and about, though, helps bring some of that feeling back.  I don't think of this figure as a "rare collectible" that requires me to wear plastic gloves if I want to handle him.  No.  I think of a fellow collector (Wowboy) offering me his figure in the spirit of the Sightline project.  I think of all the fun I had talking about this figure with other collectors.  And, I remember old message boards full of great collectors who are long gone and all the awesome discoveries and discussions that could be had.  In that spirit, here's Sightline doing what Sightline was intended to do: be a fun and unique part of a Joe collection.

Outlaw (Red Laser Army) - Around The Web

Red Laser Army created quite a few figures in just three years.  Some are more obscure than others.  And, Outlaw is one of those seldom seen releases that just doesn't appear all that often.  Even looking back at the time of the figure's release finds few uses of him.  And, as recently as 2017-2018 there were a lot more people created amazing Joe content on various platforms.  It's odd to look back at some of the creators from just 4 and 5 years ago and see how many of them are gone and how sparse Joe dioramas and photography are now.  Sadly, one of the detriments of Joes turning into valuable collectibles instead of toys has really created a barrier to entry for new creators.  We'll see if that continues as the market softens, though.

Outlaw features solid colors, but an odd head.  I don't much care for the Torpedo head outside of a diver.  But, you can make it work.  I find the better use to be the figure's body with a Clutch head and use it as a early representation of Joseph Colton.  Others, though, find value in the character on his own.  While this figure was, originally, an exclusive for the SoCal Joe Show, he has since been available from lots of places and the figure is not really any more difficult to find than other Red Laser figures from the same era.

Outlaw Profile

Outlaw at JoeADay.com

Outlaw by gladiousbrazil

Outlaw by specialmissionforce

Outlaw by froggneal

Outlaw by GigaMach

Outlaw by gladiousbrazil

Outlaw by atticagazette

2017 Red Laser Army "The General" - Around The Web

It's sad that Red Laser Army is no more.  While they did feature a lot of repetition of both molds and color schemes, those similarities dissipate over time and collectors come to appreciate each figure on its own merit.  While some people fawn over army builders, I found that my most used Red Laser Army figure is The General from 2017.  This figure is based on a comic appearance of Hawk.  And, it's a huge upgrade for Hawk's pre-1986 look.  The black shirt with brown and green highlights offset against the green pants makes for a stark visual presentation.  And, it makes Hawk worthy of his rank.  Fortunately, there's a good amount of content out there on the figure as he was pretty popular at the time of his release...which, unbelievably, was more than 5 years ago!

The General Profile

The General at The Attica Gazette

The General by 00zxcvb at ARAH Gallery

The General by billykessler

The General by froggneal

The General by gvilla74

The General by gen_liederkranz

The General by actionfigurefotos

The General by specialmissionforce

The General by The Dragon Fortress

The General by gen_liederkranz

2017 Sightline - Around The Web

The Sightline figure was one of the last great moments of the Joe collecting community before the values of figures exploded and the gates were overrun by fly by night collectors, pickers and other urchins who exploited the community solely for their own personal gain.  The idea behind the figure was an homage to an adored collector who passed away far too soon.  The figure was given for free to collectors at the show.  Kids, especially, were targeted for receipt as a way to get them interested in the brand.  Collectors who didn't want their Sightline were supposed to give it away.  Few did.  (Though, I did get mine from one selfless collector who followed in the spirit of the figure.)  And, fewer still tried to sell them.  For a bit, public shame kept the number of figures being sold very low.  Now, though, the allure of the almighty dollar has lead even seasoned collectors who knew Gary and know better to profit off of Sightline.  He's now a $200+ figure.  His color scheme and look has been co-opted to other factory custom figures.  But, none have captured the attention of the community like Sightline.  Sadly, the joy of collecting that the figure was supposed to encapsulate is now gone.

The figure itself, though, remains top notch.  Sightline is one of Red Laser Army's best figures.  The helmet, visor, rifle and pack made him feel like a fully formed figure worthy of any collection.  The colors worked well.  And, the parts felt fresh.  For a time, Sightline was the darling of the Joe photo crowd and he appeared frequently.  In the years since, though, Sightline has become a less common photo subject as we move further away from his release date.  The upside is that he causes good feedback when he does appear.  But, it's a shame the figure has dropped out of the collective mind of the Joe world.

Sightline Profile

Sightline by dreaknokdread

Sightline by satanic_supremacy_87

Sightline at JoeADay.com

Sightline by nightforcetunnelrat

Sightline by generalsjoes

Sightline by plasticnukes

Sightline by jogunwarrior

Sightline by GigaMach

Sightline by DreadnokDread

2017 Commando - Red Laser's Army Factory Custom

At this point, there are more factory custom figures than there were vintage Joe repaints in the 2000's.  Which is to say: there's a ton of them out there.  Some, like logo variants, are barely noticeable and only fall onto the radar of the most meticulous variant hunter.  Others, obscure army builder repaints or off color designs meant for fun, may be off-putting.  The classic army builder repaints, of course, remain popular.  The last bastion of the factory custom is the "near-Hasbro" figure.  These are designs that look like something Hasbro might have created.  In some cases, these figures are based on early prototypes or unreleased concepts.  In the case of the Commando figure, the figure is based off of a coloring for Snake Eyes that appeared in an early Joe sticker set.

Everyone knows Snake Eyes.  The masked man in black has been a staple of the Joe line since 1982.  Supposedly, he was all black to save money on paint applications.  Through the years, Snake Eyes retained his black look.  And, the repaint era was filled with black Snake Eyes figures with various painted highlights.  One look we never got was Snake Eyes in a more militaristic uniform that better matched his other original team members.  On a sticker sheet produced in the line's earliest years, Snake Eyes appeared in green camo, bare hands and a black mask.  It's a profound departure from the traditional Snake Eyes appearance.  It was not something Hasbro mined as the dumped repaint after repaint of Snake Eyes into the marketplace in the 2000's.  So, finally seeing a figure based on this concept in 2017 seemed massively overdue.

Red Laser's take on the Commando design definitely delivered.  The main drawing point is the green, brown and black body.  Commando features a light green shirt that is broken by brown straps.  His pants are an intricate camo pattern featuring a light and dark green.  The figure's head is black, true to Snake Eyes.  But, the real detail is almost hidden.  Commando's head is not a single color.  Instead, it is a charcoal color with black goggles.  This little detail gives the figure much more depth without being too overbearing like many of the Hasbro repaints of this head would tend to be.  He's rounded out with black boots and pistol as well as a charcoal grenade.  In short, the figure is extremely well colored for a factory custom and looks like it could have been something that Hasbro had made.

One of the sticking points I have about this figure is the uncovered hands.  Sure, the sticker upon which he's based didn't have gloves.  But, there are times when accuracy to source material and the aesthetics of a good toy collide.  Master Collector was notorious for this and they diminished more than a couple of their releases by staying with a detail that was accurate, but looked bad.  Commando has the same issue.  It's weird to see a guy who's entirely covered except for his bare hands.  You can come up with all sort of practical reasons why the ungloved hands work.  But, they still look out of place.  And, this figure would have been perfect had his hands been painted black or charcoal to match his mask.

One of the great points of the Red Laser releases is that they were based on unproduced, pre-production or just weird, offbeat designs from other Joe media.  This allowed for a set of figures that meshed well with vintage figures.  The limited parts library didn't much matter in 2017.  But, it did get somewhat limiting by 2018.  Figures like Commando and the General are releases that simply belong in every collection as they are so different from anything Hasbro released.  Sadly, Red Laser is no more.  I'm always a fan of more vintage Joe releases.  So, having multiple partners who produced Joes was a nice way to get some variety.  With Red Laser out of the picture, it's unlikely we'll see more figures who can expand the 1983-1984 Joe style mythos.  It's very unfortunate.  But, I'm grateful for the figures we did get as guys like this Commando will always have a home in my collection.

Commando's gear isn't great.  The 2017 Red Laser figures didn't feature a ton of accessories.  And, much of what they did have was repetitive.  Commando had a nice complement of weapons, though.  He included a black version of Recoil's rifle, a black Airborne backpack and pistol and a knife.  I believe the pistol and knife were based on Marauder, Inc. gun designs.  But, please correct me in the comments if that is not accurate.  While this gear seems good on the surface, the reality, though, is that Commando can't really hold any of it.  The pistol and knife have large handles.  And, the rifle is too large for the figure's hands, too.  All of the Red Laser figures from this era have very tight hands.  And, as they are not made of the pliable plastic from the 2000's era Joes, the thumbs can break if weapons are forced into place.  Most collectors have resorted to shaving down the weapon handles so that these figures can hold them.  I have yet to take that plunge.  But, Commando gets less usage than he might otherwise since it's very difficult to pose him with weapons.

Quality wise, Red Laser figures are pretty solid.  They are not vintage Joe quality.  And, the lack of pliable plastic hands is an issue that plagues many figures in the set.  But, the joints are tight and feel like a real toy instead of a fragile collectible.  The figure poses well and will stay in place.  Factory customs have always been a mixed bag of quality where some figures are pretty solid and others will have issues.  Commando seems one figure that is usually pretty good.  There weren't a ton of quality complaints on the 2017 Red Laser offerings.  So, you can buy with a bit of certainty that the figure won't fall apart or have floppy joints unless someone has used it to death.

Commando was one of the more popular 2017 Red Laser Army releases.  He would sell out from time to time and disappear for a few weeks before a few more would pop up again.  Now, though, he's long gone from original sellers (at least in bulk) and appears for sale infrequently.  As such, he's gotten expensive.  You can still get him under $40 if you spend enough time looking around.  That's not terrible for a new version of Snake Eyes that is in colors you don't see anywhere else. But, it's also a lot when you consider what else you could get for the money.  But, Joe pricing is still pretty high and probably heavily inflated.  Low production number items, though, don't tend to flow back into the market in great abundance, though, when there's a correction.  I'm happy to have purchased this figure upon his release.  With factory customs, you sometimes win and sometimes lose with that strategy.  But, it ensures you get the figures you want.

2017 Alley Viper - Factory Custom (Blue and Black)

Joe collectors have been enjoying factory custom created figures since 2009 or so.  Cobra Troopers, Snake Eyes, Cobra Mortals, BATs, Stormshadows and Female Cobra Troopers comprised the molds that had been recreated.  Collectors were able to fill some glaring holes in their collection with these repaints and the figures were, generally, appreciated by the community.  Then, 2017 happened.  In 2017, the factory custom Joe makers stepped up their game to an unprecedented level.  Aside from massive new repaints of older molds, new figures were introduced into the market.  There were two big splash army builders based on 1989 releases: the Night Viper and the Alley Viper.  As the year ended, there are just a smattering of colors for these molds.  But, one: the blue and black Alley Viper stands above all else as a figure who simply needed to get released.

In 1997, Hasbro planned to release a 1989 Alley Viper figure with the Rage vehicle.  Unfortunately, Hasbro could not find the Alley Viper mold.  So, instead of using the 1989 figure, Hasbro cobbled together a new configuration of the Alley Viper using the 1993 head, torso and arms and the 1984 Duke legs.  Collectors didn't take to this new look for the Alley Viper at first.  And, in fact, the 1997 Alley Viper was genuinely hated at the time of its release.  In subsequent years, collectors finally resigned themselves to the new look for the Alley Viper.  But, the 1997 figure left a bitter taste among collectors' mouths because the figure pictured on the back of the Rage box was a repainted 1989 Alley Viper.  It should be noted that a prominent Joe collector of the era hand painted the sample Alley Viper and gave it to Hasbro.  It was intended as the basis for the figure's design.  But, the photo on the back of the box is the actual hand painted figure and Hasbro never even attempted a 1989 Alley Viper repaint.

20 years after the 1997 fiasco, Black Major rectified the Hasbro mistake.  Among his first volley of Alley Viper repaints came this black and blue version.  It is reminiscent of the planned 1997 figure and was the first time the Alley Viper was released in classic Cobra colors.  Upon seeing it, I had to have one for two reasons.  First, it was an homage to the intended 1997 figure.  Secondly, though, the Alley Viper has always seemed like a figure that required a release in standard Cobra colors.

Of all the Cobra specialties, the Alley Viper seemed like the most logical.  Cobra wasn't going to engage in expensive, long term military campaigns.  At least, not in the U.S.  Instead, they'd focus on localized quick strikes in urban areas or on targeted isolated locations.  (labs and whatnot.)  In that realm, the Alley Vipers would be Cobra's primary troops to use.  They would have the chops to handle the urban navigation of large commercial facilities that Cobra was either robbing or destroying.  They had the gear to battle both private security and police departments that might get involved.  And, they'd even be able to take on small military units that might be guarding these locations.  In short, they were the soldiers that Cobra needed the most of.  So, having them in standard Cobra colors seems like a necessity.   

I never minded the original Alley Viper.  In some ways, having a killing squad of swarming death in bright orange worked.  It helped the Alleys distinguish each other in a melee.  But, it is nice to finally have a few of Cobra's urban figures in different colors.  The fact that these figures match the 1997 Rage is nice, too.  It gives them a vehicle to match their specialty.  And, with this color scheme, I can better match Alley Vipers as part of a larger Cobra units.  I have never seen Cobra as an organization that would attack with just one type of trooper.  A platoon of Vipers would be supplemented by a few Alley Vipers to better handle tough situations.  HEAT Vipers would be stationed around the area, ready to swoop in and either destroy incoming armored police vehicles or blow up a particularly thorny bastion of holdout opposition.  So, having a few Alley Vipers that match the base army of Cobra helps in cohesion.

While Hasbro never repainted the original Alley Viper mold, there are now dozens upon dozens of repaints that are available via the factory custom route.  Some, like this black and blue version, are simply essential and awesome.  Others are weird and bizarre.  And, some don't really blend with vintage figures.  But, instead, they perfectly match the massive amount of Black Major releases.  So, you can get a larger Python Patrol in Black Major colors than you can get from the Hasbro and Estrela Python Patrol releases combined.  This gives the modern collector a ton of items to track down.  But, it also gives them choices in the figures they wish to buy.  I have just a few Alley Viper flavors.  I focused my buying on a few color schemes.  Others have built cool armies of different colors.  This has allowed for far greater diversity in the collecting world and moved us past the hegemony of the 2000's when we all owned the same stuff and every army building shot was retail Cobras standing in rows.

The Alley Viper quality is very high.  The figures have tight joints, crisp paint applications and great gear.  The gear fits onto the figure very well.  The only real issue that the face shields tend to be very, very tight and can be hard to get on.  I worked on mine for a while and, eventually, got a point where I just assumed I'd break a figure or two trying to get them on.  Fortunately, I didn't.  But, I did have to clean out the holes on the mask with a small knife tip in order to finally get them on the figure's head.  The gun and pack are great.  And, in a different time, I'd have bought a bunch of extras to outfit my 2000's Alley Viper units.  It's nice to get the full array of original gear, especially since Alley Viper gear is among the best ever released with a Cobra.

(As an aside, I originally wrote up the outline of this profile in early 2018.  As such, much of the info below this part is already very dated.  But, I wanted to leave it as is since this Alley Viper has kind of dried up and he was never available in the super cheap bulk deals like figures released prior to 2017 were.)

As the Alley Viper is a newer mold, super cheap repaints in bizarre color schemes haven't really hit, yet.  That may or may not happen in 2018.  However, there are several variants of the Alley Viper out there.  Not everyone finds this blue and black version to be the best, but I do.  As it's an early release and includes lots of delicate new gear, it's tough to find these Alley Vipers for under $12 each.  That may change in time.  But, the $12 price seems to be the sweet spot for sellers.  And, this configuration's popularity seems to have caused a relatively quick sell out.  You can still find them easily.  But, there aren't as many sellers or the large quantities publicly available like there were a few months ago.  You never know the long term prognosis on these types of figures.  But, a Cobra blue and black version of a hugely popular character whose only knock was the bad Hasbro colors will never be an unpopular figure.  I know I'd like about a dozen more of these guys now.  But, the sheer volume of new figures coming into the market has me more focused on diversifying, right now, rather than army building too much.  Few other collectors are under such constraints, though.  So, these figures will likely become harder to find as the supply goes into a personal army for the next 20 or 30 years.

2017 Tiger Force Starduster (Black Major) - Around The Web

The Black Major Starduster figures were well done.  They offered collectors a chance to both own a cheap version of the original Starduster, but also in a variety of different colors, many of them homages to classic Joe subteams.  My favorite of this bunch is the Tiger Force Starduster figure.  To me, this looks like the type of thing that Hasbro might have done back in the '80's.  Plus, his helmet is a perfect match for the Red Laser Army The General figure.  Here's the best of this figure from around the web.

Tiger Force Starduster Profile

Tiger Force Starduster by Dreadnok Dread

Tiger Force Starduster by badgerscratch

Tiger Force Starduster by mondotoybox

Tiger Force Starduster by specialmissionforce

Tiger Force Starduster by badgerscratch 02

2017 Tiger Force Starduster - Factory Custom

Starduster is one of those odd figures who should not work.  But, he does.  When you sum his distinctive appearance with his rarity, though, you get one of the most expensive figures in the entire vintage line.  Had he been released in 1992, no one would care about the figure.  But, the early release year and classic construction combine to make a figure that collectors enjoy.  The character did not appear again until 2007 when he was included in a convention set.  For those who like the character and the figure's design, there was little to track down beyond hard to find and expensive variants that are, basically, the same figure.  In 2017, though, collectors were offered some new Starduster factory custom figures.  Among the rainbow of flavors of Starduster was a Tiger Force version.

This figure has a lot going on.  The black shirt is a great juxtaposition against the yellow pants.  Yes, yellow pants.  But, you don't really notice them because of the black stripes and detailed holster on the figure's legs.  The silver grenade and insignia pin give him some additional color.  The brown bandoleer and gloves, though, are a nice leathery color and provide the final color swash to the figure.  The figure works well with classic Tiger Force figures.  But, it can also be used by itself.  The black torso isn't something you saw often in the vintage Joe line and it works on this figure as it does in most of its appearances.

Starduster includes not just the jetpack, grenade launcher, helmet and visor based on the originals, but also a recolored JUMP gun and cord that connects it to the launcher.  There are some notes on the figure's gear.  First, the jetpack and gun are a deep blue color.  They aren't quite Cobra blue, though.  But, they work with the figure's colors.  The helmet is yellow with the star.  It looks great on the General figure from Red Laser's Army.  The visor is black like the original figure, but is of different plastic and easy to differentiate from an original.  The grenade launcher is somewhat controversial.  It, though, is a much shinier silver than a vintage Starduster launcher.  But, if that isn't obvious enough, the gun has a different handle from the original mold.  There really isn't any way to confuse a vintage Starduster gun from the Black Major versions and the fear around these weapons is massively overblown.

The figure is also available with both Starduster torsos.  You can get both the Duke chest and the earlier Recondo variant chest.  What's odd to me is that I find different colors of the figure to work better with different chest pieces.  For the Tiger Force variant, I prefer the Duke chest.  Things like this are completely subjective.  But, it's nice to have options for the figure construction as it gives you slightly different looks for various occasions.  The figure also has brown hair instead of the black hair from the vintage figure.  Since Starduster wears a helmet, this doesn't bother me all that much.  But, it allows you to use the figure as a different character should you so choose.

The key to this figure is that you get a way to use Starduster in different settings.  I find the earliest Joes to remain among my favorites since they formed a large part of my childhood memories.  Having a chance to add some additional characters and paint jobs in this construction style is great.  I like that so many new figures in the classic swivel head design have come out in recent years.  They allow for far more diverse set ups and have brought some remarkable new color schemes to what is actually a relatively small subset of Joe figures.  While I have found that too many repaints can make a mold stale, there are usually two or three color variants that hold my attention.  For Cobra Troopers, it is the Soldado.  For Cobra Mortal, it is the blue version.  And, for Starduster, it's this Tiger Force version.  For others, that's likely to vary.  But, for some reason, the notion of a Tiger Force Starduster resonated with me.

These Tiger Force Starduster variants remain available for original price.  You can get them between $10 and $15 depending upon how many different figures you order, how much you pay for shipping and if you take advantage of various sales and promotions.  Your mileage from this figure may vary based on the price you pay.  For me, getting a Starduster in a slightly different configuration is a fun way to add him to more photos and scenarios.  Pricing on vintage Stardusters is getting to the point where I don't want to take my original figure out for photos for fear of damage.  These factory customs help solve that dilemma and allow me to use the character in more diverse arrangements.  I can't ask for much more from a custom figure in this day and age.

2017 Steel Brigade - Factory Custom

I bought a lot of "original" collections in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  These were lots of figures and vehicles that were sold by the childhood owners of the toys rather than collectors or dealers.  As such, it was easier to identify which figures were rare and which were just popular.  Now, you see a great number of lots that are designed to look like childhood collections.  But, they are often stripped of all but the least popular army builders and the major characters like Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander and Stormshadow are noticeably absent. 

20 years ago, though, these lots were full of the army builders and major characters alike that collectors enjoy.  Aside from being able to use condition to determine which figures were favorites of the person from whom the collection was acquired, I was also able to get an idea of what figures were simply rare.  In my time buying, I never found a Payload, AVAC or Hardtop in a lot.  I found at least three Stardusters, a pair of Rumblers and an occasional Night Force figure, though.  One figure I never got in any lot, though, was the Steel Brigade.  This is somewhat odd as Steel Brigade figures (all versions except for the Gold Head) were relatively common back then.  Bagged version D figures with the recolored Recoil rifle sat unsold for $10 on Ebay.  If you wanted to build a quick army, you could do it for under $100.  But, I still never found the figure in any lot.

In the ensuing decades, though, Steel Brigade figures have gotten hot.  The overstock that was ubiquitous in the early 2000's is long gone and the reduced availability of the figure has lead all versions to be $40+ figures.  That's a tremendous amount for an army builder.  And, it made it difficult to amass large quantities of Steel Brigades.  In early 2017, though, factory custom makers rectified this situation.  In short order, a large number of Steel Brigade figures began to appear on the market.  There were desert, arctic, Sky Patrol, Night Force and Gold Headed versions.  And, there was also a large number of figures that were based on the classic color scheme that were offered to collectors for prices that were attractive to army builders.

I view this figure as the "Estrela" Steel Brigade.  The green color of the jacket and the beige of the arms reminds me of colors that Estrela used in the Brazilian G.I. Joe line.  And, while they never actually released a Steel Brigade figure, I could envisage them having used colors like those chosen by Black Major if they had done so.  The slightly different colors make it obvious that this is a factory custom figure.  The accessories are also different enough that even a novice would notice that the color, feel and sound of the gear is substantially different from that of vintage Joe accessories.  This helps collectors feel that their precious originals are retaining their value but also offering everyone who either hasn't had the fortune of collecting for two decades or had a massive toy budget to also enjoy some decent figures.

If you've spent any time perusing the photos on this site, you'll often see Steel Brigade figures in precarious situations.  Usually, they have been soundly defeated and are either posed as dead or about to be killed in terrible ways by Cobra forces.  There are some reasons for this.  The first is personal and is a subtle way to complain about how a certain segment of fandom has actively worked to shape the hobby to their own, selfish reasons rather than what the good of the hobby as a whole.  But, the bigger reason is not related to this old grudge at all.  For me, Cobra needed to be a credible threat.  If they always lost, why would anyone take them seriously?  For an elite team like G.I. Joe to be singularly focused on stopping Cobra, the enemy organization had to be a real threat.  Having Cobra defeat Joes, though, if problematic.  While the Joe team seems large, even a few defeats resulting in death quickly diminish not just the Joe roster but also their level of eliteness.  The Steel Brigade solves this dilemma.

I've always seen the Joe team as one of three entities set up by Generals Flagg and Austin in the late 1970's to not only combat America's enemies, but also groom military officers for political office.  The original plan was for the first group to handle international threats.  The second group, G.I. Joe, would handle domestic problems.  The third group, the Steel Brigade, would support both groups in their operations and provide a breeding ground for new recruits and replacements to the other, more elite teams.  But, things don't always go as planned.  G.I. Joe responded to Cobra and ended up chasing them around the world.  The first group became more covert and dabbled in international issues, often as anonymous aid to foreign powers who were either friendly to the U.S. or who had an objective that the U.S. happened to agree with at the time.  The Steel Brigade ended up getting drawn into both factions.  But, due to some terrible leadership among their ranks, were forever barred from getting promoted into a full member of either of the elite units.  Still, the Steel Brigade maintained their level of prestige and were a destination for many troopers who were excellent but not quite elite.  As such, they are capable of defeating Cobra, especially newer recruits.  But, they are also often bested by more experienced Cobras or better trained Cobra specialties.  

All of this provides an elaborate setup where I get to use the figures in a variety of ways.  I've always felt the Steel Brigade figure was very cool and worthy of his popularity.  I have always used Joe aligned army builders.  And, finally having Steel Brigade figures made it easier to represent this fact in photos and dioramas.  Being able to finally acquire some cheap versions based on vintage coloring as well as some additional paint jobs has been a great way to grow my collection and give Cobra a fairer fight.  If the Joes capture Cobras, they have to take them into custody and let them stand trial, get convicted and go to federal prison.  Cobra, though, can point a bazooka at a guy strapped to a tire and blow him up.  They just can't, though, do this to Roadblock, Flint or other characters.  So, the Steel Brigade will continue to find terrible fates at the hands of the bad guys.  Occasionally, they'll win one, too.  But, the Steel Brigade opens up more possibilities for story telling and photo taking.  So, that's worth their price right there.

This Steel Brigade version featured a great deal for your money.  In addition to the classic "Duke" chest version of the character, each figure also included an "Airborne" chest so you could build and army of Version A Steel Brigade figures.  Each figure included the requisite backpack in green.  They also included two rifles: a dark black Airborne rifle and a dark black Recoil rifle.  The Recoil rifles were welcome additions to the collecting world as they offered a cheap and properly colored alternative to one of the best weapon molds of the vintage Joe line.  And, you're still left with a spare rifle should you use the Recoil weapon for another Joe.

The Steel Brigade figures started their life off at around $12 per figure, $10 per figure if you bought larger lots.  By Christmas of 2017, though, you could get them for around $7 each.  At that price, they didn't last long.  Now, almost two years after their release, the lots of 5 Steel Brigade figures are gone and you'll see individuals sold between the $15 and $20 range.  At $12, these guys were a novelty.  At $7, they were a must buy.  But, at $20, I'd skip them and just save up to buy an original Steel Brigade.  Oddly, many of the differently colored Steel Brigade figures remain cheaper than original pricing.  But, those based on the Gold Head colors and the original colors have retained their popularity.  But, this makes sense since the figures are excellent army builders, hearken back to the vintage line and are close enough for many collectors to find useful.  

2017 General - Red Laser Army Factory Custom

Factory custom figures exist in many flavors.  Prior to 2017, though, those flavors were almost exclusively army builders.  The few characters (Mortals, Invasors and De Acos, mostly) were Cobra themed and based on rare and expensive figures that most collectors would never own.  In 2017, though, this started to shift.  First, Starduster figures appeared.  An exclusive Bombadier figure also showed up.  At the 2017 G.I. Joe Convention, though, Red Laser's Army released a massive set of figures that was a mix of new army builders as well as some brand new characters that were loosely based on early Joe concept or comic artwork.  In general, collectors took to these releases and you began to see the figures show up in various photo forums.  There were many top notch figures.  But, one I found the most interesting was the character of the General.

This figure is Hawk.  We all know it's Hawk and really don't hold any pretext that this figure is anyone other than Hawk.  He's got the blonde hair and vintage style head mold.  The distinguishing feature are the figure's base colors.  Gone is the drab, monotone of the 1982/1983 figure.  Instead, collectors are offered an panoply of colors that make this figure stand apart.  For the first time, I have a representation of Hawk that fits his role as leader of the G.I. Joe team.  One of my great laments of the 2000's era repaints was that Hasbro never gave us a first appearance 1986 Hawk figure with a black jacket and blonde hair.  It was such a simple repaint.  Instead, we got 2 uninspired repaints of the '86 Hawk figure and two equally uninspired General Tomahawk figures.  The General fills that void and puts him in the style of the early Joe figures.

The figure is based on an early comic appearance of Hawk.  The black upper body positioned against the bright green with brown highlights is a great color combo.  (It was later used to great effect on Outlaw, too.)  To me, this looks like a 1983 or 1984 repaint of the Hawk character.  It's something that would have made the vintage line that much more spectacular.  Getting it 35 years later is a treat.  I like the brighter colors against the classic 1982-1985 Joe vehicles.  They help the figure stand apart from the vehicles, but also still fit in with the overall aesthetic of the classics.  It's a tough line to walk, but this figure pulls it off with aplomb. 

In terms of gear, the General is sparse.  He includes a knife and pistol.  The pistol is a thick handled number of which I'm not overly fond.  In my opinion, the figure needs a helmet.  To me, none of the '82 head molds look right without a helmet.  I've found that the helmet and visor from the Tiger Force Starduster factory custom figure is an excellent fit for the General.  And, you'll see it on the figure's head in photos below.  Others have found some different takes on the vintage helmet that work equally well.  But, this figure needs a helmet.  At least it's a little easier to find some alternatives for one, now.

The single greatest question in regards to the factory custom figures is always centered around the quality.  Through the years, some figures have been ok, some have been good and some have been terrible.  The General, though, comes in on the good scale.  Mine has vibrant colors, excellent paint and tight joints.  The hands are a bit tight.  So, I'm leery of placing most accessories into his grip.  But, others have done so with no issues.  These are not quite vintage Joe quality.  But, they are not vintage Joe brittle, either.  That's a tradeoff that I find to be worth it since I can take these figures out for photos and not worry about the plastic shattering when I move a leg joint.

This figure is now over a year old.  While 2017 brought us nearly 100 factory custom releases in just over half a year, we have yet to see any 2018 offerings.  Supposedly, there is an issue with factory paint in China that is delaying any new figures.  The Red Laser Army 2018 offerings look to have many figures that continue in the vein of this General figure.  With a few of them, a collection of pre-1985 swivel headed figures will be diverse enough to stand as a line unto itself.  I like that.  But, some of the parts are also reaching the end of practical paint application.  You can only repaint a limited number of parts so many times before things start to run together.  There are already reports that collector interest in some of the factory custom repaints is starting to dwindle...perhaps the point where some figures are not sustainable as offerings.  Regardless of what the future holds, though, I enjoy being able to take advantage of figures like this General that bring much to my collection.

Red Laser figures are $12.  They have been $12 since their release and continue to be priced as such.  The General has been readily available for nearly a year.  Lots of people have him.  But, there's no telling what kind of supply is left.  We have seen a couple of Red Laser figures pretty much disappear from sales forums.  In time, pretty much all of the factory custom figures dry up.  Whether they will appreciate or depreciate remains to be seen.  For a figure like this General, it can go either way.  He's an awesome figure that perfectly updates a classic collection.  So, there's a ton of demand for the figure.  But, he's also not an army builder and everyone can pretty much be content with one version of the figure.  So, that also tempers demand.  For $12, though, you can't really go wrong.  It's a fair price for a high quality figure that updates a classic Joe run in the way that most collectors dreamed of until the release of the 1986 Hawk figure.