Rarities - Pre-Production 1987 Knockdown

BattleForce 2000 was a late 1987 release.  The figures were among the final ones I acquired when I was a kid.  But, the actual products were meant for wide release in 1988.  So, they first appeared in the 1988 Toy Fair catalog.  The figures in that publication, though, feature a lot of differences.  Knockdown is the most notable.  Below, you'll see some of the photos featuring the pre-production figure.  

You'll note an even more barrel torso with a rounded collar.  I'm not sure if the chest piece is just a repurposed piece from another figure like Payload.  (The Secto Viper in the 1988 catalog is just a repainted Payload.)  The effect when his helmet was fully affixed  made Knockdown's uniform look more like it was a single, unified piece instead of a helmet on top of a jumpsuit. 

In the photos, you can see paint wear on the front of Knockdown's helmet.  So, it wasn't anywhere near production level for these promos.  You can see the wear in both photos.  So, Hasbro reused this piece time and again.  It's doubtful anyone thought the photos could be blown up and scrutinized by someone at thirty five or more years in the future.  But, it's an interesting detail to see in official photography that was meant to sell the toys to retailers.

I actually like this pre-production design for Knockdown more than I do his actual production pieces.  The helmet seems more like a part of his overall uniform instead of just a head piece.  It gives the figure more cohesion than was present in the final form.   I'm not sure why he was changed.  But, it does appear that the figure underwent more refinement in the final months before his release.  And, we ended up with the production figure that had a very different look.

Rarities - Estrela Reaktor - Brazilian Exclusive Fastdraw

Estrela released about 150 unique figures in Brazil.  Most of them were very similar to the Hasbro figures.  But, every figure had subtle differences.  (With the exception of the figures that Estrela made for release in North America like the Slaughters Marauders and some mail aways.)  In the old days, these differences were often ignored.  But, in the past two or so decades, collectors have come to appreciate the subtle color nuances that exist between Hasbro and Estrela made figures.

The biggest difference is often the Brazilian green color.  It is a richer and deeper green color.  It appears on many Brazilian figures from the earliest years through the end of the Estrela line in 1995 or so.  

Below, you can see the Brazilian release of Fast Draw that's named Reaktor.  First, Reaktor is a great name...even if it would seem at home on a He-Man character.  Secondly, you'll note that Reaktor was a member of the Brazilian Battle Force 2000 subset.  He replaces Dodger, whose mold was retained by Hasbro for use in the Sonic Fighters line.  

The most notable difference on the figure is the Brazilian  green on both the figure and his accessories.  There are other color modifications, too, especially the hue of red on his accents.  Overall, though, the figure is darker than the Hasbro made figure.  It allows for easy visual distinction between the versions.

1987 Blocker - Around the Web

Back in 1987, I picked up 2 BattleForce 2000 figures: Blaster and Knockdown.  My brothers got Maverick and Dodger.  I always wanted to pick up a Blocker.  But, by the time I saw him again,  he was only sold in a two-pack with the Maverick figure that we already owned.  So, it was not until nearly a decade later that I acquired my first Blocker figure.  Since then, he's been my favorite BattleForce 2000 figure.  Though, to be fair, that's a relatively low bar to clear.  Here's some of the best content featuring the figure from around the web.

1987 Blocker Profile

Brazilian Blocker Weapon Variants

1987 Blocker by jogunwarrior

1987 Blocker by thedustinmccoy

1987 Blocker by bruxovigo

1987 Blocker by 1_18th_scale_skirmishes

1987 Blocker by nightforcetunnelrat

1987 Blocker by andrewofsengir6

1987 Blocker by specialmissionforce

1987 Blocker by thedustinmccoy

1987 Blocker by Slipstream80

1987 Blocker by Plastic Battles

1987 Knockdown - Battle Force 2000

In December of 1986, I had lucked out and found several brand new 1987 G.I. Joe releases at the local Toys R Us store.  As 1987 wound down, I was hopeful that the situation would repeat.  Sure enough, one December day, I found a few new figures on the pegs.  Labeled with the moniker of Battle Force 2000, the figures had a science fiction slant.  But, I was fine with this.  Really, the only issue with the figures was that when I turned them over, I didn't find the brand new 1988 releases for which I was hoping.  Instead, I found the same old 1986 and 1987 characters on the back with a new offset featuring the six new figures in the Battle Force 2000 series.  The store had all six.  My youngest brother got a Maverick.  My younger brother picked out Dodger.  And, I bought Blaster and Knockdown.

By 1987, my Joe world was pretty much my own concoction.  It wasn't based on the comic or cartoon, though it did have some elements from each.  In the early part of 1987, my Joe toys were in the basement.  Over the years, the toys migrated between my room, the toy room and the basement depending upon a variety of factors.  But, as it was just after Christmas, we were playing in the basement as there was space and we could leave our toys out each night to pick up the battle again the following morning.  

There were two key points of the basement that worked together to make Knockdown a key figure in my collection for a short time.  First, we had one of those old, oval rugs that was spun in multi-colored rings around a white center.  For us, the rug could be seen as a island with a lake in the middle, just a lake, various circular roads or rivers.  In this case, I was using the center of the rug as a poisonous lake of either lava or mud.  The second piece of kismet was than many of our now outgrown toys were stored in a storage room off the playroom.  This room had been the home of the coal furnace from the 1940's when the home was built.  That was long gone, though the walls were still stained black from the coal.  On a shelf in this room was my old Slave I.  For some reason, I dug this out.  At the time, I didn't have many aircraft for my Joes.  So, the spaceship was attractive as an option for flying forces.

All of this lead to my pulling out the Slave I, finding most of the pieces and now having a new weapon to be used in my adventures.  As Knockdown was the most sci-fi of all my figures, he quickly found himself in the cockpit of the iconic ship.  I couldn't call him Boba Fett as he looked nothing like Boba Fett.  So, instead, he was just named Fett.  (Yes, super, duper original.)  Of course, he was not affiliated with Joe or Cobra.  And, instead, would play both sides much like Kwinn.  Slave I was a devastating weapon since it was heavily armored and had two massive cannons.  And, once outside of his ship, "Fett" had an insanely powerful handgun (Knockdown's stupidly oversized pistol.)  that was capable of blowing up a Mauler or Hiss Tank.  

For several weeks, I had great adventures with Knockdown and his Slave I ship.  He would blow vehicles into the mud/lava lake.  Or, he'd shoot in front of ground troops and leave them the choice of dying in a hail of massive bullets or being incinerated in the lake.  Eventually, I had hand held artillery weapons damage Slave I.  Fett was defeated and I lost interest in the entire concept.  Before too long, my figures migrated back up to my room.  When they did, Slave I stayed behind in the basement.  And, it would not come off the shelf in that basement storage room until 1997 when I dug out all my vintage Star Wars toys that were left from my childhood.  

After that Knockdown was an afterthought at best.  When Cobra would attack the Joe base that was in my room, Knockdown might be involved.  His hand held weapon was still seen as overly powerful.  So, he was handy to have around on occasion.  But, I never really developed a character for him outside of "Fett".  Blaster did have some characterization.  So, it wasn't just Knockdown's late appearance in my collection.  He had a purpose, but not much more than that.  As 1988 progressed, Joe fell out of my daily routine.  I had aged out.  And, once I get a Nintendo in June of that year, the era of toys in my childhood was over.  

Knockdown features a lot of differences.  But, none of them really add up to anything all that interesting.  From a carded figure perspective, there are two separate releases of Battle Force 2000.  The early figures released in late 1987 were on single cards.  For 1988, Hasbro packaged the figures in two packs.  The figures are not different.  But, the single cards didn't see a long release window as they appeared very late in 1987 and featured 1987 cardbacks.  There are two different filecards.  The single pack version is different than the two pack version as it has more detail on Knockdown's specialty.  There is also a variant on Knockdown's gun.  It can have a thick handle or thin handle.  When you see all the Knockdowns out there with broken thumbs, though, you realize that either version can be tough on the figure's hands.  

From a mold perspective, Knockdown didn't get a lot of use from Hasbro.  There was just the one Knockdown figure released in 1987 and 1988.  The figure was released on a single card in various European countries.  Knockdown's head appeared on the Super Trooper and his repaint, Rapid Fire.  Knockdown then went to Brazil.  There, though, Estrela got some mileage out of the mold.  First, the full Knockdown figure was released on a single card.  Named Detektor, this figure is based on the Hasbro color scheme.  It features a darker green helmet, darker blue body and slight shading differences.  Then, Estrela used Knockdown's waist and legs to make Albatroz for the Patrulha do Ar subset.  If that weren't enough, Knockdown's entire body was painted neon and paired with a 1986 Sci Fi head and released in Forca Eco (Eco Warriors) set as Biologico.  This is a neat figure that was once common but has now gotten expensive.  The mold never appeared again.  With not much demand for the character, that's unsurprising.  But, if you like Knockdown, there's at least hard to find figures from Brazil to track down.

Dealers will sell mint and complete with filecard Knockdowns in the $20-$25 range.  Be sure to check these carefully, though, as Knockdown is very susceptible to paint wear on his eyebrows, hair, chest and thumbs.  Some dealers will keep the helmet on to hide the wear on the figure's head.  Left to the market, though, the same Knockdowns are about $10-$15 figures.  If you are OK without a filecard or a bit of paint wear, you can drop them below $10 without too much issue.  Personally, this seems like a lot for a figure that isn't all that interesting, has ill fitting gear and offbeat colors.  But, it's also in line with the current market where there are almost no mint and complete figures that routinely sell below that $10 line.  If I didn't have the childhood connection, I wouldn't own a Knockdown.  He doesn't carry enough panache to justify existing in my collection.  But, due to his short, but memorable, tenure in my childhood play, he's kept around.  He's never been the subject of many photos.  And, I don't really see that changing as we go forward.

Rarities - Estrela Volanter (Blocker) Weapon Variants

Collectors have know about the Brazilian Comandos Em Acao line for years.  Most of the knowledge, though, was focused around the Brazilian exclusive figures.  In time, people realized that every figure from Brazil had some unique trait.  But, the figures that were close to their Hasbro counterparts were still relatively ignored.  Even people who did care about them usually only got a single sample for their collection.  This has lead to a number of Estrela variants not being well documented.  There are some subtle differences between many Brazilian releases.  One variant, though, seems like it would have gotten a bit more play in the collecting community: the weapons variants on Volanter.

Volanter is the Brazilian version of Blocker.  The colors are slightly different.  But, for some reason, there is a weapon variant on the figure.  One release has the standard weapon mold that was included with the 1987 Blocker figure.  The other, though, includes an exclusive silver version of the 1988 Iron Grenadier Uzi.

Volanter appears with the same gun as the US figure.  You can see the slight color and skin tone differences on the figure itself.

Then, you see him with a silver Iron Grenadier Uzi.  There's no real explanation as to why the figure has one weapon or the other.  

From watching this figure for years, both variants seem about equal.  But, when you base that off of, maybe, 15 samples, even one or two oversamples throws off the whole observation.  But, if you collect Comandos Em Acao, this is a variant to watch for as the silver Uzi is exclusive to this figure.

1987 Dodger - Around The Web

I'm still not a huge fan of Battle Force 2000.  Dodger remains one of the highlights of the set and is a figure that can find uses outside of his subset.  These days, he's about the only BF2000 member who sees any time in my collection.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1987 Dodger Profile

1987 Dodger by thedustinmccoy

Dodger by formbx257

Dodger at JoeBattleLines.com

Dodger at Toys and Bacon

Dodger at JoeADay.com

1987 Maverick - Around The Web

Maverick is one of the better Battle Force 2000 figures.  His colors work with aircraft and he can be used with the JUMP or other, smaller flying vehicles.  The code name is a rip off of Top Gun.  But, G.I. Joe ripped off more that most collectors realize.  I still think his helmet is one of the cooler ones of the 1980's.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

1987 Maverick Profile

Maverick Video Review by HCC788

Battle Force 2000 By Toys & Bacon

Maverick at 3DJoes.com

Maverick at JoeADay.com

Maverick by Slipstream80

Maverick Variants by Hit and Run

1987 Dodger

Battle Force 2000 were some of the final figures to enter my collection.  I found them at the local Toys R Us in December of 1987.  I bought two figures: Blaster and Knockdown.  My youngest brother bought himself a Maverick and my middle brother bought a Dodger.  In retrospect, I have no idea why I chose Knockdown over Dodger or Blocker.  Maybe I liked the helmet.  Regardless, my two figures became a large part of the final days of my collection.  The other two figures were around, but never got the characterization that was reserved for toys I owned: rather than those of my brothers.  Dodger, though, is a pretty strong figure.  He has some flaws.  But, they are forgivable due to his generally strong color and mold design.

I have only one real memory of Dodger.  In late 1987, I put together a small team of Joes who were the crew on a truck carrying the SLAM.  The truck was an in scale, dime store special plastic military drab dump truck.  But, it held the SLAM perfectly and you could fit figures inside the cab and on the steps leading to the doors (which were molded and did not open).  The premise was simple.  The Joes had this truck carrying cargo in addition to the SLAM.  Cobra wanted the cargo and would attack.  However, in order to keep Cobra from cutting in on the Joe communications network and learning how the team was functioning, the Joes instituted a "modular" communications network in the truck.  Each member of the team had to wear a communications device in order to speak with their cohorts.  The system was closed and not intercept-able.  So, the figures chosen for the mission had to have comms gear as part of their mold.  Sneak Peek, Lift Ticket, Dial Tone and Fast Draw were mainstays as this scenario played out.  With his microphone, Dodger was an integral part of the team.

This mission saw variations played out for a few weeks as my time playing with toys came to end.  Often, the truck's cargo were the plans to defeat Cobra once and for all.  Ultimately, though, this final battle never came to be.  I simply packed up my toys and put them away for several years.  But, I was left with a memory of a figure that was otherwise inconsequential to me.  Dodger was a valuable crew member, often driving the truck.  There were times he was the first to die.  But, in others, he made it to the end.  His comm device made him useful.  In later years, a rough conditioned Dodger did find time as a Joe affiliated army builder.  He was the nameless minion of the army who would battle Cobra legions, only to fall before the Joes would arrive to save the day.  But, after that, Dodger simply faded away.  In my years buying up lots of 1986 - 1990 figures, Battle Force 2000 guys were few and far between.  The only Blaster I've ever owned is the one I bought in 1987.  I had to actively acquire Blocker.  They just didn't show up in the figures lots of the time.  The figures, though, are readily available.  But, they just eluded me.  And, that aided in their irrelevance.

Dodger only included a gun.  All of the Battle Force 2000 were skimpy on accessories.  That may be a function of them being planned as a lower production sub set of the main line.  Or, Hasbro may have wanted to limit their gear to make them more attractive as pilots for the vehicles.  But, Dodger just has a single weapon.  (The microphone comes off, but not without some work.  It's fairly sturdy.)  The rifle is a science fiction themed photon launcher. It's fairly terrible.  But, the figure is so common with the weapon that it's hard to see Dodger with any other gun.  Sadly, Hasbro liked this weapon and it later appeared with both the mail away Create a Cobra and the Chinese Major Bludd.  The gun mold was also used in Brazil for various figures, including a black version offered with the Cobra Black Vulture (Abutre Negro) figure.

Battle Force 2000 represented a departure for the G.I. Joe line.  Originally, the figure line was conceived as a way to entice kids to buy the more expensive (and profitable!) vehicles.  Those vehicles, though, tended to include drivers as value added pack ins.  Battle Force 2000 was the first wave of Joes that were sold specifically to be the drivers of separately sold vehicles.  While driverless vehicles were sold with characters from the current year on the box art, the figures, the figures were never listed as specifically being the driver of a vehicle.  It was a logical extension of the original concept of vehicles.  And, had the Joe line gone this route through it's history, some of the great vehicle drivers would have been much more available.  But, how would our perceptions of vehicles changed had the drivers for them not been packed in with them and available through no other means?  The line starts to look very different.

Dodger was first released on single cards in late 1987.  In 1988, he was packaged with Knockdown in special 2 figure packs that were designed to sell the BattleForce 2000 concept.  In 1990, Hasbro repainted Dodger and released a new version in the Sonic Fighters line.  After that, the mold went to Brazil where Estrela released the mold as Kaptor.  This single carded figure was designed after the American figure, but features slightly different green and brown hues.  The mold then showed up in India where Funskool released it for many years.  The Funskool Dodger is based on the Sonic Fighters coloring scheme, but features the obligatory Funskool splash of unnecessarily bright blue and yellow.  But, this is an interesting take on the character.  The result is that collectors have 4 figures to track down, but they are based on the two color schemes.  The mold is likely still in India as Funskool last used it around 2010 and could reappear at some point in the future should the G.I. Joe concept once again become viable at Indian retail.

Dodger figures are cheap.  While you do see some sell in the $15 range, these are usually to impatient buyers.  Mint and complete figures can be easily had for $5, though the filecard will add a couple of bucks to the price.  Oddly, you can get carded European Dodger figures for around $22 and they seem readily available.  So, that's another route to take.  There is a persistence in the Joe dealer world that any figure with a removable microphone is rare to find complete.  Dodger's mic, though, was sturdily transfixed to his helmet and is not hard to find at all.  So, don't buy into the marketing hype.  As a cheap acquisition, Dodger is worthwhile.  He fits into the team outside of Battle Force 2000.  So, that gives him a purpose beyond his stated sub group.  He's a figure I enjoy, but not one that will ever gain any additional importance than what he has today.

Funskool Blaster

It has been 16 years since I last looked at the Blaster character and figure.  To put that into perspective, the 1987 Blaster figure was only 13 years old when I profiled him.  This Funskool figure is more than 15 years old now.  The reality of the situation, though, is that Blaster hasn't changed much in that decade and half.  The figure has yet to retain any of the prominence he gained as my childhood Joe years came to a close.  The one change was the acquisition of this Funskool Blaster.  And, while it was a way to revisit the character, I've found this figure to be more interesting in other roles in my collection.

As a character, Blaster was incredibly important to me during the final months of my childhood Joe run.  Acquired in December of 1987, Blaster was introduced as a General and was one of the old guard who guided the Joes in their final, epic battles with Cobra.  He had been a science officer in his younger days, which explained his powerful energy weapon.  For the few months where Blaster was an integral character, he made his presence felt.  But, as I packed my childhood collection away, with it went Blaster's place of prominence.  When I unpacked the toys as a collector in the '90's, the newness that drove Blaster's popularity had worn off.  Instead, there was a dark green figure, missing his trademark mask that wore garters on the outside of his uniform.  He wasn't terrible.  But, Blaster's reign as a major character was done.

Which brings us to this Funskool release.  For the first couple of years that Funskool figures were heavily imported, I had little in the way of resources to purchase them.  So, I focused mostly on the army builders, major characters and the new figure that came out every quarter or so.  In the mid 2000's, though, I realized that the Funskool supply was starting to dry up and I went on a quest to fill the remaining holes in my collection.  This brought me some bad figures like Dodger, some boring figures like Psyche Out and some oddly fun figures like Blaster.

At his core, the Funskool Blaster is heavily based on the American coloring of the figure.  The base is green, though it is brighter, and the general feel of the figure isn't that much different from the American version.  Where the Funskool version excels, though, is in the accessory department.  Along with the mask and standard energy weapon, the Funskool Blaster included some additional gear that make all the difference for the figure.  Aside from the appreciated battle stand, Blaster also includes the massive machine gun that was only available in the U.S. with the very hard to find 1992 Recalled Roadblock figure.  (This weapon is a mainstay of Funskool releases, though, and is found with the Funskool Roadblock and Red Dog figures as well.)  The figure also includes a grey version of Lifeline's backpack.  When put together, the Funskool Blaster is very reminiscent of a generic Sci Fi, futuristic soldier.  The mask cloaks his identity in a way that allows for the figure to be used as an army builder.  He is a great element to battle against the Mega Marine Cobras and the Monstro and Bio Vipers or even as a foil to the Blackstars or Lunartix from Star Brigade.  Yes, he's a bit outside of the traditional Joe norms.  But, this Blaster offers something fun to a collection and a way to expand upon some of the later, more marginalized Joe themes.

This is the fate of my figure.  I don't really have a use for the Blaster character.  And, the American figure works for Blaster in my collection.  As a diorama filler, though, this Funskool version works out well.  His gear is in scale with the figure and fits his overall design.  While I'm not a huge sci fi guy in terms of my overall collection.  I do like astronauts and can see this Blaster fitting in as a crewman on the Defiant or Crusader.  But, he would be a nameless one who would likely perish during the invasion by aliens or Astro Vipers. It's not much of a role, but works for the figure.  I guess I like the idea of owning a Funskool Blaster more than the practicality.

The Blaster mold found a lot of use around the world.  In the U.S., he was released on the TRU Exclusive single cards and then on the 2 figure blister packs.  Once these releases were done, though, Blaster, along with most of the rest of Battle Force 2000, next appeared in Brazil.  There, Blaster was released as Atomizer.  This version is based on the American figure and is in a slightly different green color.  He features a silver version of the Tele Viper's gun.  Though, there is much anecdotal evidence to point to him also including a version of the American figure's weapon.  From there, Blaster, Blocker and Dodger all made their way to India.  Funskool started producing Blaster around 2000 or 2001.

He continued through the Funskool years and was a rather ubiquitous figure with his parts appearing on some of the Funskool mold changes such as being used for Flint's arms.  Hasbro, though, never re-acquired the mold.  Blaster was among the few figures that Funskool brought back around 2009 or 2010.  This version was packaged with an explosion background instead of the digitized explosion and features a different main gun than the older figure.  It is likely there are small color differences between the production times as well.  Around 2002, Funskool also produced a Blaster figure that was only available as a vehicle pack in.  This incredibly hard to find variant uses dark green plastic as the base with orange paint splashes.  He also features a sliver helmet.  (Basically, it's the same color scheme as the Funskool General Hawk and may have been a result of a color test for that plastic and paint combination.)  There are not many of these figures out there, but it is something for the Blaster fan to track down.

Today, Funskool Blasters are cheap.  He was heavily imported in the early 2000's and was not among the more popular figures of the day.  Now, you can acquire carded versions for between $5 and $15 depending on whether you want to wait or not.  Loose, mint and completes are listed all the time for around $7.  They sell because there aren't a lot of them sold at open auction.  Those that are, though, often sell for under $4 each and will go in lots for even less.  The figure is not popular and is priced accordingly.  As a necessary figure for completion, this price is worth it.  But, even as just an oddity, it's worth picking up a figure.  (Be sure to get one with the mask.  There are some that do not include it, so always check before buying a carded figure.)  The Recalled Roadblock machine gun is always a great addition to a collection.  But, the complete ensemble of Blaster's gear works for the mold.  When you can get something like that cheap, even if it's not something you'll really enjoy, it's still worth it.  You might just find a hidden gem.

1989 Dee-Jay

Dee-Jay!  Really, Dee-Jay!?!  As figures and characters go, there aren't many who are treated with as much disdain as the final Battleforce 2000 member.  His figure is pretty much reviled and his character traits (A DJ who became an electronics expert and was recruited into Battleforce 2000 for this expertise!) are pretty ridiculous.  Most collectors pass this figure by without much of a thought.  That was his fate in my collection, too.  However, the Dee-Jay mold actually has some decent sculpting and the figure, in the proper setting, can be a useful addition to any collection.

Dee-Jay's most legitimate claim to fame is the fact that his head and body were used to make two of the most distinct Brazilian Exclusive Cobra Villains: Abutre Negro and Corrosao.  His other claim to fame is that Larry Hama introduced him into the comic book, only to kill him on the same page.  The real question with Dee-Jay is why was he released as a member of Battleforce 2000 in 1989?  The first 6 Battleforce 2000 members were released at the tail end of 1987.  They were still in the rotation in 1989.  But the addition of one new team member in 1989 really didn't add anything to the team.  The original series was 6 figures, 6 vehicles.  So, Dee-Jay was the odd man out from the get go.  Maybe the designers thought his futuristic look was better suited to an existing sub team than as part of the regular carded Joes from that year.  But, his late release just makes Dee-Jay even more of an odd duck.

When you really look at the Dee-Jay mold, you see why it was so popular on South American Cobras.  His eyes are covered with a villainous visor.  His helmet seems overly ornate for a simple communications officer.  And, he has a random communications device coming out of his helmet.  His entire outfit is bulky and detailed in a way that makes his appear more evil than good.  Beyond that, though, the mold is, in total, fairly strong.  The white and olive green isn't a color combo that should work, but it's actually not terrible.  If not for the splash of blue that protrudes from his grey leg armor, Dee-Jay would be fairly strong figure.  There is definite potential in the mold...even if most of it would be better suited for Cobra.

Dee-Jay's accessories are interesting.  He has the helmet antenna which should, due to its propensity to be lost, should drive up Dee-Jay prices.  But, the antenna actually affixes to the helmet quite well and isn't as loose as those of Heavy Metal or Worms.  So, it is much easier to find.  His backpack is large and not overly detailed.  It doesn't add to the figure's quality, but doesn't really detract from it, either.  The hoses from Dee-Jay's head to his shoulder really make no sense.  Since his face is open, why would he need this type of attachment?  The hose is too big and either restricts movement of the figure's head, or gets in the way of his backpack.  The white attachment points for the hose are nice additions that help differentiate Dee-Jay from many other figures with hoses.  But, the whole apparatus is clunky and rather non-sensical.  Dee-Jay's gun is futuristic and maroon.  I'll say it again...maroon.  Fortunately, black versions of the weapon were available with a few figures from the mid 1990's.  So, it's easy to give him his weapon in better colors.  But, out of the package, the maroon space gun is an awkward fit.

The Dee-Jay mold got a lot of use, just not in the U.S.  After he was released in 1989 and 1990, the mold was sent off to Brazil where it was used for the aforementioned Patruhla do Ar and Forca Eco figures.  In 1993, Estrela produced a final Dee-Jay figure for Hasbro.  This neon colored addition to the mail away Arctic Commandos Set was the final appearance for the Dee-Jay mold.  (This figure was bagged separately from the other three polar figures since it was made in Brazil whereas the rest of the set was made in Asia.  To this day, you most often see the Arctic Commandos Set sold with the three Asian figures together and Dee-Jay either missing or sold separately.)  The mold then died out, mercifully, and has not appeared since.  In the modern line, a Hasbro take on Abutre Negro or Corrosoa would have been cool.  But, that would have been the only reason for the Dee-Jay mold to make a new appearance.

I never had a Dee-Jay figure as a kid.  He came out after I had moved on from Joe.  As an adult, he was a figure I never really pursued.  Since he was so unpopular, I figured I could always get one cheap so there was no hurry.  When I finally did acquire one, it was for completion's sake.  He stayed in the baggie in which he was shipped to me and has not really emerged in years.  With both Corrosoa and Abutre Negro being such large parts of my collection, I had no reason to find a niche for Dee-Jay.  With this profile, though, I have a new appreciation for the figure.  It is of much higher quality than I ever remembered.  That doesn't mean, of course, that Dee-Jay will take on new prominence in my collection.  But, if the opportunity to display him ever arises, I will take advantage.

Dee-Jay figures are not hard to find.  Even with a small antenna and two small, white end caps to his hose, the figure is easy to track down complete.  The figures do tend to discolor, though, so that can be a problem when finding a truly mint figure.  But, since the figure is pretty much hated, even that's not really an issue.  Mint and complete with filecard Dee-Jay figures run under $8 and can be had much cheaper than that with a little looking.  For the price, Dee-Jay isn't a bad pick up.  The Brazilian figures have gotten hard to find and expensive.  So, cheap Dee-Jays make for perfect customizing fodder.  Even beyond that, the figure isn't terrible.  On the right vehicle or in the right playset, Dee-Jay is actually acceptable looking.  For a cheap figure that's over 25 years old, that's a respectable position.  Really, I only own the figure for completion's sake.  But, I have at least a passing appreciation for the figure.  It's not the worst lot in life for a Joe figure and, to me, makes Dee-Jay worth having around.

1987 Blocker

Back around Christmas time of 1987, I went to a Toys R Us. The previous year I had found several new 1987 series figures who had been released early at around the same time. This time, I was lucky, again. The store was fully stocked with a new subset of the G.I. Joe team: Battle Force 2000. There were six figures in the set and all of them, except for Avalanche, looked really nice. I purchased Blaster and Knockdown for myself and considered this a successful toy run. As 1988 dawned, though, my interest in Joe severely waned. I only purchased 2 more Joe figures the following year. As such, many figures of exceptional quality never made it into my collection. As the years passed, I returned to Joe collecting. In those early days before the Internet was available as the collecting tool it is today, I would pick up a figure or two in odd places. (A friend might find one in an engineering lab, I'd take a day trip to Trader's World in Ohio to find old Atari 2600 games and end up with a couple of Joes, etc.) Back then, figures were really cheap and I was only interested in what I didn't have or thought was really cool. At one such random find, I picked up a nicely colored figure who I recognized from the comics. He was done in subtle grey and brown and had a helmet molded to his head. I figured he would make a decent addition to my collection and I purchased my first Blocker figure.

There are two distinct variations of Blocker. The first one you can see in the pictures below. The figure has a clear visor covering his eyes. Later versions of the figure did not include this visor. The visored version of the figure is much tougher to find. Personally, though, I've always found the unvisored version to be more versatile. I've often used this figure as a combat pilot in my Razorblade helicopter. I give him Lifeline's air mask to amplify the visual effect and have found him a figure that I could really use. As such, in those early days of my return to Joe in '95 and '96, Blocker got a lot of use. He piloted my favorite small aircraft and was involved in many memorable crashes. He became my primary combat pilot who was heavily utilized against my resurgent Night Raven Drone and AGP Cobra air armada.

Back in those days, my collection was pitifully small and most of what I had was rolled up in little baggies and stored in a shoebox buried in my closet so that my brothers couldn't find them and continue to lose and break what was left of my once large childhood collection. As such, figures who I did have available to me then, like Blocker, still hold a special place in my collection. I've said before that I think I got more enjoyment from my collection when it was much smaller. While that may be true in some respects, I do still find my collection to be an entertaining diversion and appreciate it as a whole. However, one of the reasons I started the Forgotten Figures archive was as a way for me to remember individual parts of sum total.

As my collection grew, Blocker's found his role changing. The 92 Ace gave me the combat pilot I had always wanted and left Blocker without a job. I soon found him, though, as a tank crew member or gunner. The look that I had originally associated with flight was now more suited to being a member of an armor team. He was perfect as a turret gunner or second man in my Mauler. He was a figure that looked good, but didn't fit the infantry role that the figures I had previously used in the armor capacity could. He has the bulky sculpt of a tank operator and looks like someone who would be on the front lines, but not without some sort of armor around him. As such, he currently occupies the role of a gunner or secondary operator in a large piece of equipment. It isn't a glamorous role, but it is one that needs to be filled by one of the Joe lines filler characters. In that capacity, Blocker excels.

If you like the Blocker mold I've got some great news for you. There is a Blocker figure that is currently available from Funskool. You can get them all over the place for about $4.00. The figure's basic color is a little darker than the American version and the color patches are a little brighter. If you are a fan of the American version of the figure, you are still in luck. The unvisored version of Blocker is very easy, and very cheap, to find. You can get them in lots, or by themselves for not much money at all. If you are looking for the visored version of this figure, though, you are in for a much tougher time. The visored version is one of the more difficult variations in the vintage Joe line to locate. The good news is that most people don't know anything about the variation and collectors as a whole don't tend to care. This means, if you can find a visored figure, he still won't cost you a lot of money. Blocker is really just another mundane, under appreciated Joe figure who really is worth some attention. He has some great potential that can be utilized in a variety of ways. Again, these are the qualities I look for in a figure. As such, Blocker is a guy who I enjoy having in my collection. If you are willing to give him a chance, I think he will find a nice home in yours as well.

While the concept of Battle Force 2000 doesn't really inspire me, I felt that several of the figures were excellently done. What are your thoughts? Email me.

1987 Blaster

By late 1987, I was getting too old for Joes. I was in eighth grade and really couldn't be seen playing with them anymore. (Stupid peer pressure!) I had kept up my buying binge throughout 1986 and into 1987, but, by the end of the year, my purchases were falling off. I would get the Mamba helicopter for my birthday in December of that year, but that would be about it. I wouldn't get any more Joe vehicles until the mid 1990's. I had managed, though, to pick up a complete set of the 1987 figures. I figured I could still buy a couple of figures in 1988, but really hoped to get some before my birthday. Imagine my surprise when I went to Toys R Us around Christmastime and found 6 new Joes on the shelves. The 1987's had been released a bit early and I kind of expected it to happen again. Sure enough, Battleforce 2000 (It doesn't sound all that impressive now that we've actually reached the milestone, now, does it?) were the early bird figures for late 1987. The first figure I grabbed was Blaster.

Green has always been my favorite color and I think that was why I instinctively grabbed for Blaster first. In the meantime, my brothers grabbed Dodger and Maverick. They were the next best two, so I was stuck with Knockdown as my second figure. (I don't know if they had Blocker or Avalanche. I like to think I would have chosen Blocker had they had him, but it has been a few years and I'm not sure what my mindset of the day was, exactly.) Blaster, though, more than made up for that disappointment. He is an awesome figure in a great color scheme. His little mask is a frustrating accessory to find, but is great fun to have. He quickly rose to the top of my play list. (It seems that whatever was new was always my favorite figure. It still continues to this day as I tend to use my latest acquisitions more than some of the guys I've had around for a while.) At this time in my life, I loved science. For that reason, I tended to use science themed figures more than others. I made the nerds heroes. (There's no psychological reason here. Really.) As such, figures like Blaster became science officers who were capable of creating fabulous devices that transformed the face of battle. The normal, military themed figures also got a lot of use, but the science officers were the ones who came up with new machines and weapons. Since Battleforce 2000 sort of fit this genre, it only made Blaster that much more an attractive figure to use.

Blaster was originally a Transformer. I loved the name and his specialty of gunner. As such, I made a custom figure that I named Blaster. Much like the situation with Falcon, though, I managed to explain it away by having this guy be an older mentor and the younger character, portrayed by my custom, was paying homage to his elder. How Hasbro was able to use the same name on toy lines that had similar buying demographics but now can't seem to keep a trademark for more than 6 weeks is another mystery I will leave to minds greater than mine. Part of the mystique of this character was that I made him older, but also the victim of a serious injury. I made up a back story where one of the Cobra bigwigs had almost burned Blaster to death.

He escaped, but with severe lung damage. I let my Star Wars influence take over here and made Blaster's mask imperative to his survival. If he lost the mask, he would become very weak and die within a matter of hours. It was a nice way to give this guy some characterization outside of the regular Joe realm. Since he had such an intricate background, Blaster remained a favorite figure of mine until my youngest brother lost his mask. Blaster sat for in excess of 5 years without being used. One day, in either 1995 or 1996, I finally dug out my old Hovercraft shell. When I did, I checked out the main cockpit and was amazed to find Blaster's mask lying in the bottom. How I had missed this accessory in this open and easy to check place I will never know. The result, though, is that my Blaster regained his mask and once again found use in my collection.

Blasters aren't terribly tough to find. His mask, though, does sometimes pose a problem. He is not a figure, though, that will set you back a great deal. Not too many collectors have overly fond memories of Battleforce 2000. They did get killed off in the comic and I think that was indicative of their popularity. As such, I don't ever foresee any of the Battleforce 2000 figures ever being overly desired by the collecting community. Still, these figures are actually very good. I still use Maverick and Blocker a great deal. Dodger was a favorite of mine, but his popularity waned after a year or so. Blaster has found new use in my collection, but he is no longer a major player like he used to be. He is still, though, a nice figure to own and have as part of any collection.

Got anything interesting to add? Email me.