2018 Red Laser Army Redmack

I've talked about the rare second series of Plastirama figures many times.  I've looked at them both as rarities and as factory custom releases.  The thing about that series of 6 (yes, 6!!!!) figures is that the four good guys (Redmack, Shimik, Manleh and Topson) all look like they could easily have been transitional Hasbro figures made between 1982 and 1983.  They would have introduced some color to the mostly green 1982 lineup while still staying loyal to the construction and parts limitations of the original 13 Joe figures.  (Glenda and the Cobra Mortal using chrome parts make them less integrated to the aesthetic of the original 13.)  It is within this context that I find the most interest among these Argentine characters.  I can see them as early Joes.  Maybe they didn't make the cut.  Or, maybe they were wiped out by Cobra back when they were a more fanatical and cultish organization ruled by a mass murderer.  It wasn't something that I really had to ponder too deeply prior to 2018, though, as the original figures from Argentina were straight arm, often off conditioned and brittle and, most importantly, stupidly expensive.  Fortunately, Red Laser Army solved these issues with his release of Redmack, Topson,  Manleh and Shimik in 2018.

Redmack was the member of the 2nd series of Plastirama figures in which I had the least interest.  He didn't really resonate with me.  I felt that Manleh was the most intriguing.  Glenda was a visual treat.  Shimik had the most drastic look to blend with traditional, Hasbro Joes.  Topson and Redmack, though, were just kind of...there.  I saw them like I saw Short Fuse.  They were figures who were part of a small team.  But, they didn't really bring anything to the team that wasn't already offered by other, cooler figures.  Upon my acquisition of this Red Laser Army Redmack, though, I started to see more value in the figure.  The browns are different than anything that exists on swivel head Joes.  And, the offsetting aqua-green highlights really set him off as more visually distinctive than most of his contemporaries.  With that, I found that Redmack had some value in photos and as an ancillary character to have in the background.

I didn't really see him as a machine gunner, though.  Early Joes have that position covered with Rock and Roll and Roadblock.  Redmack is redundant in that regard.  But, his colors necessitate him having some purpose.  When I found that Battle Gear Breaker gear looked good on him, I went in that direction in some photos.  But, I also outfit Shimik with comms gear.  So, I now had two characters who were redundant to Breaker.  So, for now, I have no idea what Redmack's real role actually is.  I'll probably just continue to use him as a utility player who can take on any position or specialty as a photo necessitates.  It's not bad to have some figures who aren't pigeon-holed into their specialties.  It's in that context that Redmack will have the most value.

I've always been fascinated by how foreign exclusive figures came to be.  Were they abandoned Hasbro designs?  How much latitude did licensees have to make changes or all new characters?  These are questions that are likely to go unanswered.  (And, if they are ever answered, it will be someone conveniently "remembering" 40 year old details to coincide with the paycheck of a book that will sell a few thousand self published copies to desperate collectors who are unlikely to scrutinize the claims the book makes....)  But, seeing so many exclusive characters in one short produced series makes you wonder what the circumstances of their release and low production numbers actually were.

If you look at Redmack's card artwork, it looks nothing like the figure.  While the character is angrily pointing his M-60 at the sky, you see that Redmack's original design used the Short Fuse/Zap torso.  This kind of makes sense since all 4 of the characters who were released used the same grenade and knife chest.  It makes you wonder why the change was made and if the artwork or figure was designed first.  You'll also note that he has a mustache and appears to be darker in complexion than the blonde headed figure actually is.  Plastirama took a chance by altering the skin color of Manleh and Shimik.  I wish they had done the same with Redmack.  He and Topson took no chances with the head paint.  And, as such, just look like alternate uniforms for Breaker and Short Fuse.  Maybe that's not bad.  But, seeing such similarity on two heads in a series that also featured Shimik and Manleh is disappointing.

2018 Red Laser Army figures are fairly decent quality.  But, they aren't without issues.  You'll notice that my Redmack's upper right arm isn't glued together.  Small quality issues like these aren't unheard of with Red Laser figures from this series.  So, be sure to check photos of any figure you are about to acquire.  Otherwise, the figures are very nice.  Redmack is odd in that his shirtcuffs are flesh painted.  The original figure wasn't like this.  I'm not sure how they ended up this way.  But, it does take away from Redmack's visual to see this paint application.  The plastic is good quality, though.  And, unlike the 2017 series, the 2018 figures can hold weapons with no fear of thumb breakage.  

My biggest gripe about the 2018 Red Laser Army series was the relative lack of accessories.  Redmack suffers for this.  While he does include his M-60 and bi-pod like the original figure, that's all he includes.  1982 Joe heads that were designed for helmets need helmets.  Without them, it just looks like you have an incomplete figure.  Redmack not having a helmet really limits him because all you can see if the Hawk/Short Fuse head.  A brown helmet gives him some cover and diminishes some of the imposter syndrome.  Fortunately, it's easy to find 1983 Battle Gear brown helmets.  And, they are a pretty good replacement to use with Redmack.  With just the weapons included with them, the RLA homages are less impressive.  It's not great to need to alternate gear to make a figure worthwhile.  But, the upside to all the RLA figures is that many of them are nice matches for otherwise useless Battle Gear accessories.  So, you can make Redmack more useful with some cheap and easy to find upgrades.

As a character, Redmack is fairly limited.  There are expensive Convention releases of the character in the 25th Anniversary figure format.  There are two vintage Redmacks.  The original debuted in Argentina where Plastirama released him.  Shortly thereafter, the figure was moved to Venezuela where Rubiplas also released him.  The Rubiplas version features slight color alterations and includes a brown Doc helmet.  Both of those figures are straight arms, though.  Red Laser Army released the only swivel version in 2018.  And, that's all you have in regards to the character and his unique look.  

Redmack figures have dried up.  It was pretty easy to find them for 5 years or so after their release.  They were expensive.  But, they were available.  Now, though, it's tough to find him or any of the other RLA homage figures.  The upside, though, is that the market is starting to freefall.  Even before recent months, though, Redmacks were about $30 figures.  Considering new releases for factory customs run $24, $30 doesn't seem ridiculous.  But, now, I'd absolutely wait out the market.  Supply is going explode in the next 12 months.  And, just like what happened back in 2009-2012, prices will swiftly adjust: downward.  In the meantime, you aren't missing much by not having this figure.  Glenda never getting a factory custom leaves your Plastirama team incomplete.  And, outside of an oddity, Redmack isn't really a necessary addition to any collection.  

2018 Cobra Trooper Driver - Red Laser's Army

One of the great things about the 1982 Cobra Troopers and Officers was that they were completely compatible with all the Cobra vehicles of the era.  You could drop one into the FANG, HISS, Stinger or Rattler and the figure would look perfectly in place in whatever position you chose to use the figure.  They were the everyman of the enemy line.  As figure designs progressed, though, more specialization was introduced.  And, in just a few years, Cobra was a highly diversified army with figure and vehicle pairings that were less general and more specific.  (To be fair, the Joe side of the equation was similar.)  As kids of the '80's turned into adult collectors, though, there was a demand for more of the simpler offerings.  And, while Hasbro was able to deliver some Cobra Troopers and Officers, more support staff in their vein didn't actually come around until 2023.  Where Hasbro failed, though, factory custom makers thrived.  And, during the 2010's, we saw every color of Cobra Trooper imaginable from Black Major.  Red Laser Army, though, took the next step.  And, offered not only some basic Troopers in different uniforms, but also a few specialty Troopers who could fill in gaps from the vintage line.  This Cobra Trooper Driver might be the most useful of the designs.

The design aspect that makes this figure a driver is the introduction of the 1982 Clutch torso.  Clutch had one of the most memorable torsos among the original 13 Joes.  (He's tied with Steeler with just the single use for his parts.)  And, Hasbro never reused it for other characters.  That ties the chest piece to the driver specialty and allows collectors to instantly associate this figure with being a driver.  One on hand, the selling point of the original Cobras was that they didn't reuse Joe parts.  But,  for 30 years influential custom makers have been putting Cobra heads on original 13 Joe bodies to great effect.  So, the Hasbro precedent was usurped by the fan community's ingenuity.  And, it carried over to the 2018 Red Laser releases of this driver and the machine gunner Trooper who used the classic Rock and Roll torso.

The figure's coloring is vibrant.  The blue is much brighter and more powerful than the drabber Hasbro colors.  So, that makes these figures pop in photos.  The blue is offset by an equally powerful silver that's used on the accents.  I'm not sure why a driver needs a bomb on his leg (the legs were originally those for the the original Snake Eyes) but it gives the figure a much needed swath of color on his legs.  The grey and black on the torso are reminiscent of the Stinger Driver and help tie this figure to the first Cobra driver from 1984.  The short sleeves are also a Clutch homage.  They feature a relatively faint Cobra logo on the right arm.  (It tends to float up onto the rivet.)  The face is highlighted by a red mask.  Red mask Cobras appeared in the comic and were a stark difference from the black masked toys.  Most collectors have assumed the red masks as a classic, though.  And, the red also provides some strong color to the figure.  The one downside is that the entire lower leg is cast in black.  This was surely done as a cost savings.  For this figure, the look is acceptable and less ostentatious than on other figures.  But, it is something that can drive some collectors batty and is worth noting.

The blue color of the Red Laser Cobra Troopers has upside and downside.  The good thing is that the 2017 and 2018 Troopers that Red Laser produced match with each other.  So, you can get a nice squad of specialty Troopers that all blend together very nicely.  The downside, though, is that the blue color doesn't match any other early Cobra figures.  So, these figs are not a great complement to early Cobras.  Together, they look great.  But, when you try to mix and match them with classic Cobra blues, the lighter color really stands out.  The brighter blue color, though, is still a great complement to the classic black and red vehicles from Cobra's earliest years.  So, these drivers look right at home in a Stinger.

During the repaint era (1997-2010ish), Hasbro never resculpted the Clutch torso.  They made lots of other parts, often parts that were already existing.  So, the choice to not bring back a sparsely used fan favorite is bizarre.  One thing they did have, though, was the 1984 Thunder mold.  The Cobra Trooper or Officer head would have looked great atop the Thunder body.  And, repainted in Cobra blue, it would have made for an amazing updated Cobra Trooper that could have served as a vehicle driver.  Just one of these in the 2004 Cobra Infantry set would have been a great replacement for one of the Cobra Officers.  But, it was not to be.  Seeing the Clutch torso used for a driver, I do think that Thunder would have been a better choice for a new amalgamation.  

Which brings me to the final judgment of these figures.  And, it really comes down to the fact that the idea of a Cobra Driver using the Clutch torso seems like a better figure than it actually makes.  Despite being excited to own these guys, I've found that I rarely use them.  Each time I look at them, I just feel like they should offer something...more than they do.  I mean, the design is fine and the figure is pretty much perfect for it's intended usage.  Despite that, it's not a default choice for me, even when I'm yanking the Stinger out for a photo.  It could be that this torso was used on so many different Red Laser Army figures in the 2018 series that it lost some of its impact.  It could be that I'm just getting old and finally getting a figure I'd wanted for 20 years was somewhat of a letdown.  At its core, this is a very good figure.  It just doesn't inspire me like I had hoped it would.  

This figure included two accessories.  Both were originally seen on the 1984 Firefly.  The driver included a grey walkie/talkie and a grey sub machine gun.  The colors are unique.  But, also very light.  I don't find the rifle to be a great fit for this figure.  (The walkie/talkie does make some sense, though.)  But, truthfully, the Firefly weapon was kind of ruined by its constant appearances in the 1998-2005 Joe repaint line.  Here, the rifle was used ad naseum and I'm still burned out on it.  I've found that Red Laser Army's grey Uzis based on the 1982 Snake Eyes weapon or the grey Mac-11 based on the 1984 Mutt's pistol to be much better fits for these drivers.  Red Laser Army accessories remain cheap and available to this day, too.  So, you can get some more fitting weapons for the Driver should you come across one.

Red Laser Army upped their figure quality quite a bit in 2018.  Gone were the loose upper arm seals and the hands that couldn't hold weapons.  This Driver is closer to a vintage Joe than many other factory customs of the day.  He can hold his accessories and poses.  The joints are tight and the paint masks are crisp.  If you were hesitant to acquire any 2018 figures because of the issues with the 2017 series, that's not a feeling you should indulge.  The flaws were fixed and these figures work extremely well in any collection.  

It's not terribly easy, these days, to find these figures.  All the original resellers of Red Laser products are long sold out of their extra stock.  And, few collectors are liquidating their extras these days.  You can find the figures for sale by dealers for around $30.  But, they don't sell.  So, this is, more likely, a $20 figure or so.  But, it will take you a while to track one down.  Which is both a shame and, kind of, OK.  It's a neat figure to own.  But, it's also not essential.  The Driver is a fun way to expand a collection and bring some visual diversity to your army.  But, he doesn't fill a role that isn't already taken up by a vintage design.  When these guys were $12, you could take a flyer on one and not have risked too much if you didn't end up liking it.  If $20 or more is an amount you're comfortable with, then,  it makes sense to pick one of these guys up and see if it's more appealing to you.

Night Viper - Grey (Black Major Version)

We can argue whether the default Cobra color is blue, red or even purple.  (Seriously, there's more purple Cobras than other colors.)  But, everyone will agree that Cobra's principle color isn't green.  There were just two vintage green Cobras that both appeared in 1989: the Aero Viper and the Night Viper.  Both figures are highly regarded as the color can work in small doses.  The dark green palette works for the specialty of the Night Viper.  But, there are many other color schemes that would have also fit the mold.  Hasbro never saw fit to repaint the Night Viper and he remained one of the more desirable vintage army builders for many years.  In the late 2010s, factory custom maker the Black Major released several series of Night Viper repaints.  All showcased the untapped potential of the Night Viper mold.  The paint job I've found most useful, though, is a grey and black color combo.  The grey hearkens back to the Stinger Driver from the vintage line and fits with the iconic Cobra vehicles from the line's early years.

I've recounted my discovery of the Night Viper before.  He was, though, the only figure I purchased at retail between early 1988 and December of 1992.  His pristine cardback with bubble still attached sat inside a small Banana Republic brown paper shopping bag on the top shelf of the closet in my childhood room for nearly two decades.  While I never really got to use the figure, his top notch design kept him as someone that held more value to me than most of my post-childhood Joes.  As an adult, I acquired a nice squad of Funskool Night Vipers that were my core Cobra army for a few years while we waited on Hasbro to finally get some diverse army building molds into production.  

In time, though, that novelty waned.  I had less interest in a Night Viper army because I had other figures that became available.  But, when I liquidated a huge chunk of my collection in the early 2010's, I kept all the Night Vipers.  I saved my four vintage figures.  And, kept my entire Funskool army.  (It helped that Funskool figures were worthless at the time and I've have sold them for less than my $4/figure cost.)  So, even as the figure fell out of favor from a usage standpoint, it remained a viable army in my collection.  Every now and then again, I get the urge to get the old Night Vipers out and relive their heyday as the pre-eminent Cobras in my legions.  But, you'll see that Night Viper appearances are few and far between.  Heck, the photos in this profile are at least 3 years old and I don't have any newer ones to supplement them.

This figure is pretty basically colored.  His body is a silverish-grey with black highlights.  Aside from a small, silver belt buckle and the small green and yellow logo on his left arm, the figure is two tonal.  But, in this context, the figure works.  His paint masks match the vintage Night Viper and this figure very much feels like something Hasbro could have made during the vintage run.  While additional painted details would have been nice, they are less necessary for some repaints due to their ties to the vintage figure's appearance.  

For gear, the Black Major Night Vipers match with the vintage figures.  He includes the classic rifle: complete with strap to go over his arm and the weird holes to affix the rifle to the Night Viper's legs.  The Night Viper backpack is there, though it's kind of underwhelming due to the original design.  The figure features both the face shield and the monocle that attaches to it.  The face shields are the biggest source of consternation for these figures.  The shields are difficult to get on and can either break or snap off the pegs that are on the figure's helmet.  Some colors work better than others.  But, they are all tight fits and take a bit of patience to get onto the figure's head without breaking something.  

The result of all this is a really nice repaint of a classic figure.  I'd hesitate to say that this grey Night Viper is better than the green version.  It's just different.  The green has many uses.  But, this grey version does, too.  He fits well with the Stinger, Hiss Tank or even the Night Watch.  And, it is nice to have a a grey figure from some of the later years to fill in gaps on Cobra vehicles when you want to use other figures who were released after 1984.  More importantly, it's a sensical color for both the mold and the character's specialty.  Grey and black is about as classic "night" as the Joe line gets.  So, seeing it on this Night Viper mold makes this release feel like it could have been a vintage Hasbro design.  For me, that's a huge plus when it comes to factory customs.

At this point in my collection, knowing that this figure exists and that I have a couple is where the value in him lies.  I don't really see me taking this guy out and using him in extensive photo shoots.  And, it's hard to get proper night shots where the figure really makes sense.  I like to take him and mingle him with 1989 or Funskool Night Vipers.  But, I rarely find the occasion warrants any photos to commemorate it.  I do enjoy the Night Viper mold.  It's one that I've never been able to fully appreciate because I had the figure in my teenage years but couldn't really appreciate him.  That's carried over to today and I generally feel that the Night Viper is a figure that I really should use more often.

Hasbro released one vintage Night Viper.  Some of his parts were used on the 1992 Heli-Viper: but in very odd colors.  After that, the mold went to India.  Funskool released the Night Viper for many, many years.  The figure was colored in similar style to the American figure and was a staple of online Joe dealers during the Funskool heyday.  (Funskool Night Vipers would sell out routinely throughout 2001 and even into 2002.  Guys bought them by the dozens.)  There are a few minor coloring variants on the figure and accessories.  But, the figure's main design doesn't stray from Hasbro's vision.  Hasbro got the Night Viper back in April of 2003.  His parts were then used for the 2005 Iron Grenadier convention figure.  And, in 2006, the club released an exclusive "not an army builder" Night Viper that was...in green.  So, even the newly painted version didn't really bring anything new to the mold other than some painted details.  Due to the club's use, the Night Viper didn't get picked for any retail sets...even though he was a natural fit for the Night Watch set.  Factory Custom makers re-creating the mold, though, has finally brought about the Night Viper repaints we've always wanted.  You can now get them in grey, tan, red, gold, blue, black, python patrol and even colored like the Alley Viper.  At this point, every Night Viper you could ever want is available.  So, the mold finally got its due.

The Night Viper series debuted as a higher price point figure from Black Major.  And, it's never really come down.  These days, it's pretty easy to find the less desirable Night Viper colorways.  They don't really seem to sell.  The earlier figures with many of the more collector friendly colors are much harder to track down.  You'll end up paying between $25 and $30 if you can find one.  Which, is probably too much.  As the market cools down, figures like this will be less desirable and should come up, from time to time, at cheaper prices.  You just have to be ready to pounce when one appears.  Until then, there's lots of other Night Vipers that are just fine to tide you over. 

2018 Cobra Starduster - Black Major

When Starduster variants first showed up in 2017, I picked up a couple of them.  They made for great figures.  But, as more repaints appeared, I had less interest in them as I was rushing to catch up on the Steel Brigade, Cobra Trooper, Alley Viper and Night Viper repaints.  By the time I got around to chasing down the Stardusters, they seemed like old news.  In late 2020, though, Nekoman showcased a Red Shadows Starduster as part of his Laser Exterminator profile.  Not to be outdone, RTG at the Attica Gazette then showcased the figure in its full glory on his site.  With these, my interest in the figure was piqued.  And, at that time, you could still get a few of the late 2010's Black Major figures for cheap prices.  

When I thought about it, Starduster makes more sense as a villain.  His jet pack is very much a super villain weapon.  His visor hides his face well enough.  And, he's obscure enough that switching the affiliation of a repaint doesn't really hurt any Joe mythos.  Shortly after reading these other blogs about the figure, a red Starduster popped up for $12.  I quickly snagged it.  Mine, though, is not the Red Shadows version.  Instead, it's a Cobra version of Starduster cast in all red.  But, it still works for my intended purpose.  And, it's a damn fine example of the work Black Major can do.

Black Major released a massive amount of Starduster repaints.  Some were Starduster.  Others were marketed as Cobras.  And, there were Red Shadows versions, too.  Quickly, collectors who were pigeonholed into Starduster's intended role were freed to actually do something with the character.  I've never really clicked with Starduster as a character.  To me, the most interesting thing about him is that he was named Hedge-Hopper in a preview issue of Marvel Age.  That's not much on which to base a character, though.  So, having the figure in a definitely Cobra color and Cobra markings was an interesting way to re-envision the character.  

The calling card of the figure is the red color.  It is a deep and vibrant red: fitting for a Cobra.  The camo pants are in oddball choice that shouldn't matter.  But, they add depth to the look of the figure and give him some visual interest.  The black details and silver highlights stand out against the red backdrop.  Really, there's not a ton of paint applications.  But, when you have a powerful base against which accent colors can pop, small amounts of paint can go a long way.  And, with this Starduster, they do.

I'm not really sure what to do with a Cobra Starduster.  Just having a jetpack guy isn't all that much fun after a few interactions.  It's why I had jetpack troopers when I was a kid.  They were useful in spurts.  But, not enough upon which to base a character.  But, every villainous organization requires some B-level bad guys who can be beaten by the good guys but not be so important that their capture would compromise the bad guys or their plans.  So, this Starduster fits that role well enough.  He'll show up from time to time.  But, usually, it's for a short time and a limited role.  But, with thousands of figures now available in the vintage Joe style, some have to be intended for bit parts.  

The Starduster era Black Major figures are very well done.  From a quality perspective, the joints are solid, they will hold a pose and the paint masks are vibrant and sharp.  You'll see some paint wear on the figure's visor in the photo below.  The translucent plastic of the visor doesn't hold paint all that well.  But, some other colors seem to better maintain their paint.  The grenade launcher is also painted.  So, it can wear if you use it frequently.  Beyond that, though, the jetpack is awesome: equal of a Hasbro release.  And, the helmet fits nicely onto the head.  You'll note the reversed rivets in the figure below.  A function of the time when these figures were released.  You can find them with proper rivets, too.  So, there's plenty of little things to look out for when chasing this figure.  

Depending upon when you bought this figure, you got a variety of different pieces.  Early figures included both a Duke chest and a Recondo chest so you could make an imitation of either major Starduster variant figures.  The figure should always have a helmet, visor, jetpack and grenade launcher.  Some will have the weapon and hose from the JUMP, too.  As time has gone on, many of the figures made available have become separated from some of the superfluous pieces.  But, you'll see variants of the chest and weapons among various figures that you can acquire.  

This Starduster is tough to price.  You see them offered at $40 or $50.  But, they don't seem to sell at that point.  You'll see some sell around $30.  But, those seem to be outliers, too.  Contemporary Starduster variants that were released at the same time as this Cobra version seem to run between $20 and $30.  So, that's probably the sweet spot.  There's a lot of people who try to oversell this figure just due to the association with Starduster.  But, the original, Hasbro Starduster is one of the most over-hyped figures in all of collectordom and isn't nearly as popular or rare as his price suggests.  So, don't overpay for the Black Major figures just due to a false sense of rarity associated with the Hasbro release.

2018 Black Major "Purple Haze" Snake Eyes - Around The Web

Back when this figure was released in 2018, it was quite popular.  And, in very short order, the strong Joe photography community used him in tons of various photos. Now, though, I can't find any of them!

Attica Gazette's look at the Desert Version of this Snake Eyes this week brought back the memories when the latest Black Major figures appeared in photos by all the Joe creators of the day.  Now, though, the day of big set pieces and action poses are all but gone.  And, the online Joe photography community has gotten much, much smaller.  It's a sad state of affairs and the change happened pretty quickly.  But, I know how hard it is to get out a nice cadre of figures and vehicles and try to pose all the figures in fun ways before they are all knocked down from a sudden breeze.

The Purple Haze Snake Eyes remains my absolute favorite paint job of the V2 Snake Eyes mold that Black Major produced.  It was just the combo of a single base color matched against some very nice details.  The purple color is just stunning.  And, it makes for a great match on the Snake Eyes mold.  On some level, I wish the figure had been released sans Cobra logo.  But, it works fine as an Invasor or Mortal or Lobisomem or whatever other character you wish to assign to him.  

I do hope we see some of the derring-do of the Joe photography community return.  I don't know if it will.  But, as we age, time does become more available.  So, that might spur a content Renaissance for a short time.  Until then, enjoy what I could find of this figure.

Purple Haze Snake Eyes Profile

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by C3pesto

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by AtticaGazette

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by gladiousbrazil

Purple Haze Snake Eyes by MrMikeVinthePit

Purple Haze Snake Eyes at the Surveillance Port

Snake Eyes reviews at the Dragon Fortress

2018 Shadowtracker - Around The Web

In regards to the comments on the Fail Safe profile.

For the past few months I have been very down on Joe.  There are a variety of reasons for this.  First and foremost is that I'm simply getting bored.  Since the fall of 2015, I've posted an average of 2 posts per week.  That's thousands of photos of action figures.  And, it's the equivalent of several novels.  In short, I'm out of things to say.  I've told my stories.  I've expressed my likes and dislikes of the Joe line.  And, I'm just at a point where my collection has not kept up with my content and I'm out of things to write about.

Part of this is just the weather.  I hate winter.  Like, really hate it.  And, 6 months of brown, dead leaves and mud saps much of my desire to get Joes outside.  I've broken more than a couple Joes in cold weather in the past few years.  And, that pisses me off.  So, I'm more loathe to even  consider outdoor photography when it's cold outside.  And, one thing I've learned is that if I'm not taking photos of my collection, I really don't have much else to do with it.

An equal part, though, is that the collecting world is pretty stagnant.  Hasbro's o-ring line fell flat.  Even if you don't mind the quality, the line was almost exclusively items we already had.  The best figures were the ones we didn't get before.  (Duke, Cobra Commander and the Ramp Rat come to mind.)  But, overall, there's really nothing in the 2020's line that you'd miss if it didn't exist.  

That leaves the Kickstarter figures.  And, while I get the excitement these bring many collectors, I find them lacking.  None of them capture the essence or style of the original Joe line.  Some lines look like mega-block figures.  Other lines look like downscaled anniversary figures that had an o-ring inserted for nostalgia.  I've always been a Joe snob.  I don't even think that Remco or Lanard figures are compatible with Joe.  They stick out.  And, most of the Kickstarters do, too.

Mostly, it's the heads.  Not even Hasbro has been able to replicate vintage Joe heads.  The attempts never look right.  And, this is where most of the Kickstarters, to me, fall short.  I see pumpkin heads that extend over the figure's shoulders and I'm turned off.  I've yet to see an actual production level Kickstarter that has left me disappointed that I didn't back it.  In fact, the opposite has been true.

I kvech a lot about the decaying Joe line and getting older because it's a big part of collecting.  One my esteemed commenters mentioned that we are now the guys with trains in their basements.  There's nothing wrong with that.  But, it helps put a collection into perspective.  When I see my childhood playthings turning to yellowed dust, I reminds me of my Dad's prized possessions from his childhood and the way they rusted and broke into decay as they were stored in a closet in our basement.  I see the same thing happening to me.  And, frankly, writing about it helps me deal with some of the harshness of now being over 50.  It's cheaper and more convenient than real therapy.

In short, I may just need a break.  In the past, I've taken short and long hiatuses from the hobby.  I come back, recharged.  But, when the plants turn green, we get some rain and there's a great, natural setting down by the creek, I might be out with a bucket full of figures every afternoon.  

The important thing is that I still find value in the Joe community.  I appreciate every single person who stops by to view or read my part of the Joe world.  And, I'm grateful for those who take the time to comment.  

For me, I have some fun stuff coming up.  I've got a piece that I really enjoy that's coming...maybe even next week.  And, there's a couple of really obscure figures that I'll be posting soon, too.  I still have over 500 drafts sitting in my content bucket.  So, I won't want for content for a while.  And, when I do get a spark of creativity, I tend to write a lot in a very short time.  

Until then, enjoy some other peoples' work in regards to the 2018 Shadowtracker from Red Laser Army.  I miss RLA.  They made some neat stuff.

2018 Shadowtracker Profile

Shadowtracker by atticagazette

Shadowtracker by general_liederkranz

Shadowtracker by strikeforcecodename

Shadowtracker by slipstream80

Shadowtracker by flatline54

Shadowtracker by fuerzatigre

Shadowtracker by strikeforce_codename

Shadowtracker by slipstream80

Shadowtracker by general_liederkranz

Shadowtracker by relena_warcraft

Kickstart V2 - Red Laser Army

So, I will start off with the fact that this is not an official Red Laser Army release.  It is, instead, a common kitbash made up of parts of other figures and some new parts.  He was sold as part of a "Remix Set" that included 6 figures that were mostly made up of unsold parts.  So, you will frequently see this figure as part of collections.  But, it's never part of any "official" lists of actual figures that Red Laser sold.  The chest and head appear to be new, though, as they didn't appear on other Red Laser figures.  So, I'm not 100% certain of their origin and if they were late runs to make something else or were intended to use up leftover arms and legs.

Kickstart was the name given to a 2018 Red Laser Army release that was a 1983 Snake Eyes repaint.  The figure was based on the rider that appeared on the artwork for a G.I. Joe BMX bike that was sold in the line's early years.  Kickstart was a fan given name to this unknown character.  So, this grey update was christened Kickstart Version 2.  Really, though, it has little in common with the original Kickstart other than sharing some pieces and a general hue.  But, with factory customs, the intent of the character is often less relevant to me than the usefulness of the figure.  For me, this is a cool combination of parts and colors.  It's the weird type of thing I enjoy.  And, as this head is, iconically, Snake Eyes, I will mostly use him as a Snake Eyes stand in.

While Red Laser introduced the "Clutch" chest to the factory custom game, I never felt that this part was adequately used.  Sure, the Cobra Vehicle Driver is neat.  But, that's about the only one that really resonated with me.  For years, I thought that Clutch's chest could be used in a lot of interesting designs.  But, none of the factory customs that used it jumped out at me.  This Kickstart, though, changed that.  Snake Eyes with a chest holster seems like an obvious choice.  But, Clutch's details would have been wasted on a mono-chromal figure.  So, seeing Snake Eyes with such major color differences on the parts makes the figure stand out.

My main fascination with this figure is the coloring.  Light grey isn't all that common in the vintage Joe line.  And, it is excellently offset by the bright green that makes up the figure's base.  The black highlights add depth to the figure and make him appear to have more paint applications than he actually does.  The green is bright, but useful.  Against the darker black, though, it really pops.  And, the grey works quite well with both the other colors, too.  The flesh tones give the figure more color.  And, the visor is painted silver to give the figure a full 5 colors, quite a bit more than you usually find on a factory custom figure.  

One thing that's tough to reconcile with Snake Eyes is ungloved hands.  One point of Snake Eyes' character is that he's entirely covered in clothing.  But, the original look for Snake Eyes had him with bare hands.  So, this figure not wearing gloves is in line with other early representations of the Snake Eyes character.  I can see this figure being Snake Eyes shortly after his injury recovery.  He hasn't really decided upon a look, yet.  And, his bare arms are just a choice that he later backtracked upon.  

Red Laser figures are well made.  They aren't vintage Joe quality.  But, they have well defined paint masks, tight joints and solid quality parts.  The plastic is rather rigid.  So, it can be tough to get some of the larger handled weapons into their hands.  But, that's about the only real issue with them.  The figures work well with vintage Joes and even some classic accessories.  They mesh well with both other factory customs and vintage Joe figures.  Many of the Red Laser figures use common plastic colors.  So, you can get some very nice complementary figures to make up an early Joe team in different looks than their Hasbro counterparts.

This Kickstart included a remake of the Footloose M-16.  It's a great weapon that needs to be more relatively available.  But, it's not really appropriate for this figure.  The original Kickstart included two grey Uzis.  And, as those are, iconically, Snake Eyes's, they seem more appropriate than a large rifle.  I got a few extra grey Mutt Mac-11's and give them to this Kickstart.  I think they better work with the context of the figure.  But, there's plenty of weapon options to upgrade this figure should you want to.  I have yet to try any helmets on the figure.  But, a grey helmet would probably work in some capacity to give the figure more of a differentiation from Snake Eyes.

Most Red Laser figures have greatly appreciated in value over the past few years.  A big part of that is the general market rise that Joes have seen since 2018 that supercombusted in 2020 and 2021.  Now that things are rapidly cooling, it will be interesting to see how factory customs fare.  They exist in low numbers.  And, most of the large resellers are out of stock.  It's not uncommon to see Red Laser figures sell for $30-$50 depending upon the figure.  But, part of this is also low availability.  If the figures become available, the market price might be much lower.  You can find this Kickstart in the $30 range.  But, it may take some time.  I feel this guy is worth tracking down.  But, he's right in my aesthetic wheelhouse.  So, your mileage may vary.

2018 Asa Negra - Red Laser Army

Back in 2001, there was still not a central documentation platform for all the figures released in Brazil.  What archives that did exist were incomplete, especially for figures that were similar to the Hasbro releases.  As such, from time to time, "new" figures would pop up.  Usually, these were vehicle pack ins or from a series that was not featured on one of the cardbacks in various archives.  So, when a Brazilian collector told me he had an Asa Negra figure available, there was no documentation as to who the character was or what figure mold he used.  My Brazilian friend was able to scan in a cardback and I was able to see that Asa Negra was a repainted Headhunter Stormtrooper figure that was fairly similar to the Hasbro release.  It was kind of a letdown.  Especially since he wanted so much money for the figure at a time before Brazilian swivel arms had really begun to take off.

Asa Negra loosely translates as "Black Wings".  The original release from Brazil was a barely repainted 1993 Headhunter Stormtrooper figure that was carded with a glider.  This Red Laser figure borrows loosely from the Brazilian figure that would have been made in either late 1994 or 1995.  He feature the grey color base.  But, it's offset with gold highlights.  The most noticeable tribute to the original figure is the red goggles.  Little details like this allowed Red Laser figures to be tied back to the Brazilian or Argentine counterparts.  In the case of Asa Negro, it created a figure that is different enough to stand on his own and rise above the rest of the grey figures that were also released in 2018.

Red Laser and Black Major took very different approaches to producing factory custom figures.  While Black Major focused on army builders and maximizing the number of repaints from each, full figure configuration, Red Laser focused on characters and concepts that would mix and match the parts library.  This was nice as it offered a fuller, more developed range of offerings for collectors.  Though, in some cases, I do think Red Laser went almost too obscure.  Asa Negra is a case in point.  Prior to the Red Laser release, only the most die hard collectors knew who Asa Negra was.  And, only a small subset of them had any interest in really owning the figure.  So, the name, Asa Negra, wasn't nearly the selling point of, say, a Ghost Mortal.

The upside is that this Asa Negra turned into a really nice figure release.  In fact, it's a better way to use the character than if you owned the original Brazilian figure.  I see most Red Laser characters as early Cobras.  They were freelancers who worked for the Commander when he was still building Cobra.  Most were outcasts from other organizations or known mercenaries who were looking for a payday in the safer location of the US.  Here, Cobra Commander would use the valued skills of his new hires to carry out his early objectives.  He didn't much care if they were killed, so long as they got the job done.  And, he could keep them at arm's length should they be captured.  Asa Negra was among those early contractors.  His robotic appearance was frightening and he served to train Cobra's paratrooper corps.  I don't know how he will meet his demise, yet.  But, you can be sure he didn't survive into the mid 1980's as the Commander cleaned up those loose ends as Cobra became larger and more financially successful.

When the art mockups of these figures were produced, the skull tampo on a Snake Eyes head seemed risky.  It was the type of thing that was probably going to go wrong.  But, it didn't.  In fact, the skull print lived up to the hype and worked on every figure on which it appeared.  And, the upside is that all three uses of it are different enough that you can use the figures together without them seeming too repetitive.  Skullbuster's is the classic skull.  Shadowtracker's is the day-glow, horror skull.  And, Asa Negra's is the metallic, brass skull.  It's a nice mix of approaches that keeps the figures from seeming too similar while also getting the full value out of an expensive paint mask.

Asa Negra's quality is top notch.  The intricate paint masks on his head and chest are crisp.  And, the golden color is a departure from most other Red Laser releases.  He features Snake Eyes's head, done up with the gold skull mask and red goggles.  The countenance is the highlight of the figure.  He then features Clutch's chest.  This was a part I was most looking forward to.  And, Red Laser got good use out of it.  It gives the figure more depth when posed with pre-1985 Cobras.  His arms, legs and waist are non-descript.  But, his gloves (that also encompass the cuffs on his shirt) help make him stand out a bit.  He's not overly done in paint applications.  But, he has enough to not look cheap.  And, the tight joints and quality plastic give the feel of a real figure we could have played with back in 1984.

Asa Negra's accessories are sparse.  He included a grey version of the 1984 Firefly's rifle and a grey grenade.  The grenade is small and the type of thing that's easy to misplace since it neither fits into his hand or includes any type of holder.  Firefly's rifle is a solid sculpt.  But, I've found it doesn't mesh with every figure.  Having it in grey is nice.  But, after tons of releases in black in the early 2000's, the need for more Firefly rifles has definitely diminished.  Personally, I re-outfit him with other grey weapons from other figures.  Both the Snake Eyes Uzi and the Mutt Mac-11 work with the figure.  While Asa Negro doesn't need a helmet, it would have been cool for him to have some sort of pack.  A recolored JUMP would have matched his specialty, too.

2018 Red Laser Army figures have dried up.  You'll pay a substantial after market premium for most of them.  Asa Negra is seen less often than many of the Joe figures.  But, you should still be able to find one for $30 or under.  That's a lot for this guy.  But, much of the repetitiveness of the grey and black figures is lost to passed time.  So, a single figure like Asa Negra can really work in a collection.  And, as we aren't likely to ever see Red Laser's molds return to production, this is probably the final attempt at Asa Negra that we'll ever see.  I find Red Laser's figures to be great ways to expand the early Joe mythos, before Cobra got too big.  And, as there's also lots of heroes against whom they can battle, the figures really allow a collection to flourish.

2018 Hollowpoint - Red Laser Army Factory Custom

Factory custom figures fill a few different roles.  Their main point of existence started as cheap army builders in different color schemes.  In time, they morphed into a wider array of army builders in more obscure colors.  Their final evolution was into a series of "new" characters created from a library of parts.  As this occurred, many collectors morphed out of seeing factory customs as a way to just supplement a collection and began collecting factory customs in and of themselves.  In the past four years, hundreds of unique figures have been released.  Some are amazing.  Some are bizarre.  And, some are headscratchers.  The figures created by Red Laser tended to still follow this trend, even as they moved more into characters and collectibles that Hasbro never made.  One of the amazing entries, though, is Hollowpoint.

In looking at this figure, I was visually drawn to him.  The basic color palette is nearly identical to 2017's the General figure.  Again, there, I found the color compelling.  Then, it finally hit me.  Hollowpoint is, basically, the 1985 Flint figure.  The black shirt, green camo pants, bullets on the chest and even the black beret all hearken back to Flint.  Flint being my favorite figure, it's no wonder that I'm drawn to figures like Hollowpoint.  The complementary colors really help bring the design to life.  And, as they were not too often used in the vintage Joe line, the combo doesn't yet feel overdone.  

Hollowpoint's true origin, though, is the unproduced 1997 Rock and Roll figure that appeared on the back of the Stars and Stripes Forever set.  The Stars and Stripes set was supposed to be drastically different than what was released.  And, a repainted 1983 Rock and Roll was supposed to be among them.  But, Hasbro couldn't find the mold in time and, instead a repainted 1986 Roadblock body with a 1986 General Hawk head amalgamation was released as Rock and Roll instead.  Hollowpoint nearly corrects that mistake.  The figure's paint job is heavily based on the unproduced 1997 Rock and Roll figure.  But, the Stalker head provides a bit of diversity.  Really, I'd have preferred a Rock and Roll head on the body.  It's not only truer to the 1997 release, but would have been truer to a Hollowpoint homage as well.  As a replacement for the 1997 Rock and Roll, this Hollowpoint is good enough.  And, had he come with a Rock and Roll head, I'd have no real reason to offer any differing characterization for the figure like I can with the race changing Stalker head.

Hollowpoint made his character debut in the Built To Rule series that was released in 2003.  This figure had LEGO like blocks on his arms to make him compatible with the vehicles.  He also had a Rock and Roll likeness for his head.  The character then returned as a club exclusive in their subscription series.  Again, the similarity in look to Rock and Roll was maintained.  This Red Laser Hollowpoint follows the standard look with blonde hair and goatee.  But, he's not as shaggy as the later Hollowpoints.  The figure ends up not really being Hollowpoint and not really being Rock and Roll, either.  But, that's OK.  The overall look is good enough that you can find a roll for the design.  And, if you happen to have an extra Rock and Roll head lying around, you can make yourself a perfect 1997 Rock and Roll figure.

Hollowpoint includes a remade M-60 and bi-pod that are based on the 1982 Rock and Roll machine gun.  This time around, it's colored in grey.  I tend to like alternately colored accessories just because you can find different fits for different characters.  Truth be told, though, I associate the Stalker head so closely with Stalker overall that I prefer to use a Red Laser M-32 with this figure instead of his included M-60.  It's an odd leftover from childhood where I find it difficult to use the original 13 Joes with any gear other than their own.  I've tried many photos of them with different weapons.  But, in the end, I always return to the classics.

Quality wise, Red Laser figures are pretty good.  The arm rivets are a bit larger than vintage Joes.  But, the figure hold a pose without issue.  Also gone is the plague of the 2017 sets and Hollowpoint can easily hold his weapon.  This is a major improvement that makes the 2018 set substantially better than the 2017 releases.  The paint masks are tight and well developed.  In short, this Hollowpoint looks and feels very much like a vintage Joe figure.  And, he seamlessly blends with vintage figures.  That's really all you can ask of a factory custom.

It's fairly hard to find any Red Laser Army figures for under $20 these days.  Every now and then, you'll find someone selling some leftovers for less than that.  But, the figures don't last long.  Today, you can get the figure between $20 and $30 depending upon whether you want him today or have some patience.  With Red Laser being done with Joe homages, figures like Hollowpoint are done, too.  It's unlikely we'll ever see an operation as devoted to delivering oddball and obscure characters like Red Laser was.  In a different world, he'd have been able to create three more sets since 2018.  As that didn't happen, we're left with a still solid legacy of great figures like Hollowpoint that collectors would never have otherwise seen.

2018 Skullbuster - Red Laser's Army

Red Laser's Army is no more.  But, in just a couple of years, they gave us a large number of figures.  Some were great.  Some were not.  Some were just out and out bizarre.  But, they offered a different approach to factory custom figures that I appreciated, even if I didn't like some of the designs.  While I tackled a large number of the figures I really like here, I haven't really looked at the middle tier of Red Laser Army releases.  In here are a bunch of good, but sometimes forgettable figures.  During the release window, Red Laser released all his figures at once.  As such, it was easy for some releases who used similar parts and paint applications as the standout figures to fall by the wayside.  Such is the case with the Skullbuster release from 2018.  This is a perfectly strong figure.  But, it's also somewhat bland and disappears into the drawer filled with other 2018 factory customs.  But, it deserves another look.

The Skullbuster character debuted in 2002 in the JvC era.  He was a repainted Range Viper done up in purple and designed to be a Skeletor homage.  Honestly, the purple gave him character and made him one of the better releases of the repaint era.  It was great of Red Laser to resurrect the character and give him another look using parts from the first few years of the Joe line.  Rather than keep the purple motif, though, this new Skullbuster was given a base of grey with black highlights.  While this choice stripped the figure of the panache that drove the value of his original release, it also allowed this character to be used with standard Cobra equipment and figures that match his construction style. 

As a character, there isn't much to Skullbuster.  He has appeared in a few 2000 and later items.  But, for the most part, he's a character that doesn't offer too much.  For me, the character's introduction in the Mardi Gras color scheme defines him.  So, it's difficult to see the same character in this grey figure with 1983 construction.  I've talked in other profiles about the early Cobra leaders that, eventually, all had to be killed by Cobra Commander.  Having Skullbuster be one of the rare ones who survived to later years would help Cobra continue to recruit new commanders.  His being relegated to the Range Vipers was a way to show that loyalty could be rewarded without putting him too front and center into Cobra's operations.  

But, I don't like that approach.  Instead, I see this Skullbuster as a freelancer that Cobra used from time to time.  He was not in the 1978-1983 timeframe, but more from 1982-1986 or so.  Here, he worked with Cobra much like Firefly or Major Bludd.  But, he just did various jobs for them.  He was a mercenary and not a tactician or strategist.  So, if Cobra Commander needed to move plans for a missile system out of the country, he could count on Skullbuster.  If he wanted to plot a coup in a third world country, Skullbuster would not be part of the plans.  But, this helps explain Skullbuster's survival.  He later joined Cobra in a more combat oriented capacity as he wanted the stability and Cobra could offer him safe harbor on Cobra Island.  In this way, Skullbuster's lesser rank makes more sense since he earned it through tenure.  He's not a great leader.  But, is a great fighter.  And, the Commander rewarded him accordingly with the Range Viper command. 

Skullbuster's parts combo used common Red Laser pieces of the time.  One drawback of Red Laser's big bang approach to figure releases is that the reuse of parts was very noticeable.  At the time of his release, Skullbuster joined several other figures with a black and grey color scheme.  Some had cammo pants that were nearly identical to Skullbuster's.  Asa Negra featured a skull face logo (done in gold with a red visor) on a body that also used grey as a base.  In addition to all these new characters, Topson was also released at the time and he also featured the grey cammo scheme that exists on Skullbuster's lower half.  You see the same parts and colors used over and over again.  The ostensible purpose was to make matching teams.  The real reason was to use the same color plastic and paints to cut costs.  But, all together, the mass release helped to obscure Skullbuster.

It's likely that Skullbuster would have been more popular had he been released 6 to 8 months after Shadowtracker and not with the other grey and black figures.  But, after a few years, the proximity of the releases gives me a chance to go back and review items like Skullbuster that I missed.  The figure uses the head and legs from Snake Eyes with arms and chest from Rock and Roll.  The waist is a standard piece based on the classic 1983 waist.  The parts combo works well together.  And, the figure is accented by dark grey cammo on the pants as well as silver bullets on Skullbuster's chest and a silver bomb on his left leg.  In all, the presentation is strong.  Grey bases are not common on in the vintage Joe line.  The Stinger Driver being an early example helps set this figure in that timeframe and allows for his use with vehicles of that era, too.  Skullbuster is, easily, the best Red Laser figure using the grey and black theme and he works far better with other Joe figures than most of the others.

The Red Laser introduced some new additions to his accessory complement in 2018.  But, they also continued the tradition of being relatively light.  The lack of packs and helmets hurt a lot of figures.  But, the overall accessory allotment was fine for a $12 figure.  Skullbuster included a grey pistol that originated with the 1986 Lifeline and a grey rocket launcher.  I'm not sure if this is a replica of a Joe accessory (Horrorshow) or a Marauder, Inc. design.  It's very nice, though.  I've always hated the Lifeline pistol.  It's too big and too thin.  I'd have much rather gotten a 1986 General Hawk pistol or a Chuckles gun.  But, I suspect that the influence of the "anti-repo" crowd influenced this decision as they hold large numbers of Hawk and Chuckles weapons that are valuable on the market while Lifeline weapons are not.  I'm not big on the rocket launcher for this character and prefer either a grey M-60 to match the bullets, a grey Stalker M-32 or a grey Mac-11 from Mutt.  I would have liked a pack with Skullbuster with shells to make the rocket launcher more viable.  And, a helmet would have differentiated the skull print on his face.  But, grey helmets exist that can be given to the figure.  The upside is that the figure's color scheme works with many of the Battle Gear weapons that Hasbro released.  But, this is most likely coincidence rather than part of the design.

The quality on Skullbuster is very high.  The figure has tight paint masks (which is instrumental on a figure with black and silver highlights) and good colors.  The joints of the figure are tight and allow it to hold poses.  They are not too tight to hinder movement and posing, though.  The hands on the 2018 Red Laser figures are much better able to hold weapons.  This is a huge upgrade over the 2017 set.  And, it makes the 2018 releases seem closer to vintage Joes.  There are no gaps in the figure's parts and the mold is solid.  In short, this figure is about as close to a vintage Joe figure as we've seen from factory custom makers.  As with all factory customs, though, there are duds out there and it's possible that others may have different quality.  But, Skullbuster is tight and that just makes him that much better to have around.

Pricing on this figure is tough.  It was not one of the most popular releases when it debuted.  But, it wasn't one of the least popular, either.  With a little looking, you should be able to find one in the $20-$25 range.  But, dealers will charge a lot more.  So, be patient and don't give in to gougers.  At the $12 introductory price, this figure was a good deal.  At double that, I'm not sure I'd indulge in his acquisition.  Shadowtracker is a much better representation of the skull face paint.  And, there are better uses of the Rock and Roll chest, too.  But, Skullbuster does fit nicely with some other Red Laser Cobras.  And, he's a good match for Hiss Tanks and Stingers, as well.  There's value in that, especially if you want to have a large force of figures using the same construction style.