1989 Backblast - Random Photos Of The Day

Ever since he entered my collection, I've been a fan of Backblast.  The black shirt/green pants combo is always a winner and it works well again.  The figure isn't overly done, but has enough detail to be fun.  And, his gear is excellently designed and poses well.  Little details like the knife holder on his arm help set him apart.  And, the oversized bullets (for which he has no corresponding weapon) make him useful as a sidekick for Roadblock or Rock and Roll.  Through the years, I've taken a few photos of Backblast and they almost always turn out very nicely.  You'll see some of the more recent ones below.

1989 Backblast - Around The Web

I still maintain that at some point in his origin, Backblast started as a new version of Zap.  But, instead, we got a new character that's extremely well done.  Backblast features excellent colors, an amazing array of gear and is one of those obscure Joes who make the line.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1989 Backblast Profile

1989 Backblast by thedustinmccoy

1989 Backblast by ironman3719

1989 Backblast by thedustinmccoy 02

1989 Backblast by formbx257

1989 Backblast at JoeADay.com

1989 Backblast by Falcon Chile

1989 Backblast by Slipstream80

Diorama - Snow Blind

In early 2003, we got a lot of snow.  One Sunday evening, I took some Joes out to get some snow pics.  It was late in the evening, so I had to use the flash.  But, I liked how the flash photos looked.  This photo set was planned to be the showcase for the 2001 Big Ben figure.  But, he didn't come out well enough in the photos and this was the last real snow I saw before I moved back to the desert.

1993 Backblast

Back in 1995, Joes were still available at retail, but somewhat sparse. Most stores in my area would have a few random figures left behind. What was interesting, though, was that different stores seemed to have different assortments of figures. Sure, I'd find a 1994 Shipwreck at Target and Toys R Us. But, other stores would get different assortments. Big Lots got in waves of 1993 figures including Firefly and Leatherneck. Meijer stores would have Snow Storm and Dial Tone. Toys R Us would have Vipers and Stalkers. CVS would have Crimson Guard Commanders and Gristles. And, at the Kay Bee toy store in the Castelton mall in Indianapolis, they had Keel Haul and Backblast.

During that time, my criteria for buying figures was somewhat structured. If the figure was just too cool to pass up, it would be purchased. If the figure was a remake of a character from my childhood, I'd buy it. If the character had an accessory that was just awesome, it would become part of my collection. However, I acquired more and more figure, the offerings available at retail fell into fewer and fewer of those categories. Finally, I reduced the criteria for which a figure would quality for purchase to if it included black accessories. If the figure had black guns, I would buy him. Which is how Backblast came to enter my collection. I had tapped out the big box retailers in my area for figures I did not own. So, I sucked up the extra dollar that KB Toys charged per figure and bought a Backblast.

Upon opening the figure, though, I was pleasantly surprised. While I was aware of the 1989 Backblast figure, I had never actually owned one. So, as far as I knew, this 1993 version was a completely new mold that had been created for the character. To me, the figure was brand new and not a repaint from something I already owned. The solid green base colors kept Backblast rooted in realism and his black rifles avoided the neon accessory pratfalls that were all too common on other, otherwise decently colored 1993 and 1994 figures. The detail on his helmet and uniform were top notch and helped to sell the figure since they maintained a realistic military feel in an era that was more about character and excess. In general, the figure had a generic military vibe that was hard to find during that timeframe and allowed the figure to stand out more than it otherwise would when taken against the line as a whole.

Due to the basic appearance of the figure, Backblast became a standard infantryman who would fight against my Cobras of the time. He was not the artilleryman from the filecard, but a standard infantry trooper who was more than capable of handling multiple Cobras on his own. In this role, though, the figure stagnated. While he was fun to use when I had few figures available to me, as my collection grew, Backblast's importance faded. There were many other figures from 1988 - 1992 who could better fill the role to which I had assigned Backblast. So, they rose to prominence and Backblast faded into obscurity...so much so that I almost sold off my only version.

Fortunately, though, I held on to the figure. There is a simplicity to Backblast that makes him useful. The basic green garb and solid mold allow him to be used as background fodder or as a vehicle crewmember without losing the integrity of the display or wasting more prominent figures in these lower roles. It is a utilitarian purpose for this Backblast. But, it fits with the characters release date and makes him more valued to me than many other 1993 figures who have coloring that makes them less compatible with earlier figures and vehicles.

For the 1995 Mike T. who found this figure, Backblast's accessories were all new and amazing. No other figures I had found to that point included the same weapon tree as Backblast. And, the fact that the weapons were all in black just cemented them as among the best accessories I had seen to that point. The main rifle that you see in the photos below (originally from Cloudburst) became the default weapon for Backblast. I needed him to be an infantry trooper, so that rifle made sense. The black hand held artillery weapon (originally from the 1991 Eco Warriors) became a standard piece of equipment on my APC. It was available for any Joe who had immediate need to destroy a Cobra tank or plane.

This figure is, basically, the same mold as the original Backblast figure. The lone difference are the arms. Gone is the arm holster for Backblast's knife and the entire arm molds are from the 1990 Topside figure. It's a small difference and not one that really matters. But, it separates the two figures in a slight way. There is also a Backblast variant. The chest logo can either be large or small. My figure has the large logo that encompasses most of the free space on Backblast's shirt that is not covered by his harness and gear. A quick perusal of figures available for sale indicates that the smaller logo figure is substantially harder to find. I don't think one is really better than the other, but it's something of which the eagle eyed variant hunter should be aware.

The Backblast mold saw three uses. The original use in 1989 had, far and away, the best accessories. This 1993 version is a solid followup, but doesn't really bring anything new to the character. After this figure's release, though, the mold was sent down to Brazil. There, Estrela released Leontor. This was a new character who made up part of the Forca Fera subset. Including a crappy, molded plastic lion, Leontor was basically Backblast in the 1989 colors. (There are some subtle differences.) After Leontor, the mold disappeared. Big Boa, who was released alongside Leontor as Kangor, did show up in India in the late 1990's. Backblast may or may not have made the trip with him. The mold would have lent itself to a variety of solid potential repaints in the 2000's. But, it was not to be. Still, these three versions are enough for Backblast aficionados to track down.

Like most 1993 regularly released Battle Corps figures, this Backblast is not expensive. Carded figures run between $8-$12 and loose, mint and complete figures sell for half of that. For a figure of this quality, that's a good price. If you only want one Backblast figure, the 1989 is superior in terms of color and accessories. But, this version is a nice way to bring some diversity to the character and also use him in more than one display without having to to buy multiples of the 1989 figure. This figure is another example of someone I would not have carded about were it not for the fact that he was part of my final retail purchases in the 1990's. That gives him value to me beyond the Backblast character. For as cheap as the figure is to acquire, though, most collectors will be able to find some value in him. The solid colors, acceptable accessories and pre-existing character do make the figure worth owning.

1989 Backblast

The Joe line is peppered with minor, obscure characters. Some of them were simply boring specialties and figures while others were characters or figures who seemed to be needlessly similar replacements for other, more popular characters. Such is the case with Backblast. While he is a decent figure in his own right, he forever suffers because he just seems to be a pale imitation of Zap. Beyond that, though, the figure features a solid mold, good colors, unique accessories and a blank characterization that allows for a diverse range of roles for the figure in anyone's collection.

1989 was the year where Hasbro brought back many old favorites. The Joe line was 7 years old and most of the kids who had grown up with the early Joe characters had grown up and moved on. To the new generation of kids playing with Joes, these old characters were new. Original Joes Rock and Roll, Stalker, and Snake Eyes all appeared with new molds while characters like Spirit, Mutt, Footloose and BBQ were all repainted for subsets. It has seemed to me for some time, though, that two other original Joes were slated for new molds in 1989 but were changed to new characters at some point in the design process. Both Downtown and Backblast are obvious homages to Short Fuze and Zap. Two characters who, in 1989, had not appeared in the toy line for over 6 years. Both Downtown and Backblast share more than specialties with their predecessors as their designs suggest they were heavily based upon the other characters. Perhaps this was just coincidence. Or, maybe Hasbro simply didn't want too many old characters re-appearing in the same year. But, the similarities are there.

Backblast's strong point is his accessories. His huge missile launcher is rather ridiculous looking from a realism standpoint, but is a cool piece to have as part of a display. It just looks so imposing that it fits with some of the more hyperbolic elements of the Joe line. He also includes a nicely detailed combat knife and a bright yellow bandoleer that is the one sore spot of his accessory complement. The thing about Backblast is that he looks cool when he is fully outfitted with his gear: regardless of how unrealistically heavy an actual missile launcher of that size of would be. He is a great example of how the proper accessories can accentuate even a less than stellar figure.

Backblast's mold is not terribly intricate. In fact, it is rather simple in some parts. However, what keeps the figure from being another Armadillo is that he does have some nice details that juxtapose nicely against the plainness of his basic design. His color scheme is basically black and army green. This, though, makes the little details stand out. Backblast features a knife holder molded onto his left arm. Really, it doesn't make much sense for this to be there, but it is a neat little feature: even if the knife falls out easily. He also features a scribbled notepad on his left leg. This is covered with mathematical equations designed to reflect the trigonometric nature of artillery warfare. (Though you will notice that one of the formulae on the sheet is actually the square root of a negative number. I'm not sure how imaginary numbers would fit into artillery calculations, but it is a note of interest nonetheless.) The final piece of interest on Backblast's mold is the sound mufflers molded onto his helmet. Most Joes would have gone deaf from some of the contraptions they were purported to use. As Backblast would have been launching missiles from right next to his head, it makes sense that he would have some hearing protection. It is a little detail, but one that grounds the figure in more realism.

In my collection, Backblast is a role player. As his weapons are so large and cumbersome, he is mostly relegated to bases or working out of large vehicles. He is, though, more mobile firepower for any Joe team that is within support range of a vehicle large enough to carry his equipment. In that regard, he is valuable as he can provide and anti-aircraft support for his team even if he is not physically with them. I also use Backblast as the gunner or co-pilot in a number of my tanks or heavily armoured vehicles. He looks like a tank driver and fits well with that element. As you can see, though, his roles aren't all that glamorous or high profile. Backblast is the perfect background character who looks good when supporting more prominent characters and is a great way to add some depth to any diorama.

After Backblast was discontinued in the U.S. in 1990, he was sent down to Brazil. There, between 1992 and 1993, he was released in colors similar to the American figure as Leontor. He was the least unique figure of the 4 member Forca Fera set. This was, though, the last time the Backblast arms were seen. In 1993, most of the figure was re-used for the V2 Backblast that was part of the Battle Corps series. That figure is also somewhat similar to this figure in terms of color and design. As such, there really aren't that many alternatives out there for Backblast fans. Each of his releases was similar enough that they are nearly indistinguishable.

On some levels, I wouldn't mind a return of the Backblast mold. It is decent enough. But, I would want to see it in a color scheme drastically different from the 2 previous American releases of the mold. But, at the same time, this mold really isn't all that compelling enough on its own to create an exciting repaint. As such, I think this mold would be better served as parts of a newly Frankenstiened figure. Backblast's head could easily be used to represent both Zap and Bazooka: two characters that have a much greater fan following. In that capacity, I think the return of Backblast would be much more interesting.   Backblast figures aren't too hard to find. Even with his range of accessories, it won't take you too long to track down a complete version. As it should only cost you about $6-$7, he is also affordable enough to warrant owning: even if he isn't a major player in your collection. I searched for a complete Backblast for a few years. He was always a figure that I meant to acquire, but could never just actually take the time to purchase. When I did finally get a nice sample, though, he was quickly shuffled off into the '89 drawer and forgotten until this profile. That is indicative of this figure's plight. He isn't a bad figure, but is one that no one remembers to use. There are just too many other more popular characters who are looked to when an artillery/anti-aircraft specialist is needed.