Rarities - Funskool Halibna Promotional Figures

Funskool did a lot of promotional cross overs.  (There are the Maltova, Pepsodent, Calcium Sandoz, Complan and even one with Kentucky Fried Chicken!)  One such synergy project was with Halibna.  Funskool released a set of, likely, 15 unique figures in Jordan and Lebanon.  (There may be a different number of figures or additional release locations.  Info is super spotty on these guys.)  I've been able to find photos of 4 of the figures and have seen info on at least two others.  So, there's much more to learn about these releases. 

The big difference with the Halibna figure is that they are swivel arm figures.  Gone are the weird straight arms from the Calcium Sandoz and Maltova figures.  That alone makes these figures far more worthwhile to track down and open up. These figures also included accessories.  Sometimes, they match the gear for the figure mold.  Sometimes the gear appears to have been randomly applied.

Budo:

This unique release features an all brown body.  The highlight is the bizarre white boots.  But, overall, not a bad looking figure at all.

Eel:

The Eel doesn't appear to be all that different from the production Funskool Eel.  The gear is different, though, with the inclusion of a General Hawk rifle.  

Psyche Out:

We've seen this Psyche Out before.  Similar figures have appeared as bagged Funskool vehicle drivers.  And, the figure is available with straight arms in other Funskool promotional series.  He also includes the recolored Dodger rifle that was available with the Funskool Incinerator.

Big Brawler:

Brawler is pretty similar to his common carded release.  The lower arms are different and he's not as polished.  So, it's different enough to frustrate the completist collector.  He has a Deep Six rifle instead of his Brawling Sword.

There are additional Halibna figures beyond the ones shown above.  There is a red Toxo Viper that was also available in the Calcium Sandoz series.  There is also a red and black Ozone figure that is unlike any other Ozone ever released.  It's likely that there are more figures in the series that will come to light in coming years.  We're really still uncovering a great many Funskool mysteries and obscure offerings like these Halibna figures will prove to be a source of interesting new items in the future.

Rarities - Unproduced 2003 Tiger Force Variants

In 2003, Hasbro released their first Toys R Us exclusive pack of figures.  The popular theme of Tiger Force was the chosen subject.  The production set featured variants on some figures.  The main difference was skin tone.  But, the Big Brawler figure was massively different as there was both a red haired and black haired version.  This was a big deal to collectors at the time.

But, there were some pre production variants of the figures that didn't see the light of day.  The main difference was that the Big Brawler figure featured the word "Survival" on his chest rather than "Brawler".  The Survival shirt was an obvious homage to Outback.  Hasbro decided to remove the reference, though, and keep the character closer to the lame Big Brawler meme.

You'll see two Jinx variants below, too.  You'll see the skin color variances...especially in the hands.  These figures show how the figures morphed from the pre-production versions to the actual production variants.  Hasbro got more careful with their exclusive figures.  There was really only one other variant that escaped: the Desert Patrol Gung Ho's tattoo size.  But, the Tiger Force set had so many variants that it seemed kind of cheap.



The next figure is Dial Tone.  While there are pale and tan skin variants of the production figure, you'll see a pre-production variant below with differently colored rivets.  It's not the most interesting variant.  But, it shows that Hasbro worried about such things before the figure went to production.

Funskool Big Brawler - Around the Web

For April Fool's day, I had to start International Joe month with the biggest joke of them all: the Funskool Big Brawler figure.  He's just so...Funskool.  Nonsensical neon colors.  A samurai sword.  And, the spectacular mutton chops from when such facial hair wasn't ironically terrible.  It all adds up to a figure that is just a must own due to his incredible badness.

It was terrible for collectors of the time to see the highly popular Outback mold was sent to India without Hasbro ever actually using it for an updated Outback.  And, that was part of the problem with Brawler in general: he was a poor Outback replacement.  Had the character been given another body mold with the 2001 release, it's likely that people would have written him off just like they did the equally terrible Sure Fire figure.  But, when collectors saw Outback's body being wasted on a new character, it was another tick mark that forever doomed the character.

This figure was available carded or bagged.  It was rare to see him packed in a vehicle as most Funskool vehicle shipments had been halted prior to his release.  But, large quantities of bagged overstock were sold for almost nothing to American dealers who then liquidated them into the collecting community.  So, there's a couple of ways to get the figure.  Here's the best content around the web on him.

Funskool Big Brawler Profile

Funskool Big Brawler Meme at JoeCustoms.com

Funskool Big Brawler at JoeADay.com

Big Brawler Wackiness at JoeDios.com

Big Brawler at YoJoe.com

2003 Funskool Big Brawler

Big Brawler is not a character you hear a lot of positive comments about. If you take that and paint him in an abdominal mish-mash of bright yellow and blood red, you quickly realize that even a somewhat solid mold can be completely ruined. Such is the case with the Funskool Big Brawler figure. He is an unpopular character now painted in a terrible color scheme. However, while this figure will never see much use in real settings, he does have a kitsch about him that makes the figure fun to own.

For many Joe fans, the character of Big Brawler is a bit of a sore subject. Aside from the fact that Big Brawler has been a replacement for the fan favorite character Outback, he is also named after a real life G.I. Joe fan. Be it caused by jealousy or the organization with whom this individual is affiliated, fans have simply not liked the existence of the Big Brawler character. To me, the character doesn't much fit into my Joeverse. His various figures do have uses, but more as nameless cannon fodder than original characters. It's not due to any of the issues I referred to above. Were I given the chance to have a Joe figure named after me, I would jump at it without giving a thought to how other collectors might perceive it. My reasons are that the Big Brawler figures that have been released so far have been unspectacular. I've always felt the V1 Outback mold was relatively bland without his web gear attached. As that accessory has been omitted in Big Brawler releases, it leaves the figure as uninteresting. The same it true of the Tiger Force Big Brawler. Had he come with Salvo's accessories, then the figure might have been better received.

There are a few peculiarities about this figure. First off, the figure uses the entire body from the V1 Outback figure. However, instead of the standard Big Brawler head, it uses the head from the Ambush. This is important as it points to two distinct molds that we can now confirm are in Funskool's hands. Ambush and Outback now join Law and Major Bludd as recently produced American figures who have been shipped off to Funskool. The figure also has one unique feature. The flashlight hole that was originally sculpted on Outback's leg has been filled in. It's a small detail, but something to note about the mold. The final little oddity about the Funskool Big Brawler is his card art. If you look at his pose, it is eerily reminiscent of the 1985 Torch card art. In looking at other Funskool exclusive art, it appears that Funskool either uses original Joe art as a template or mimics the old art to keep their look consistent with other Joe product that is available in the world. (Grunt's art resembles that of the 1985 Tele-Viper.)

Big Brawler has picked up a bit of a fan following. The netizens of JoeCustoms.com have taken a liking to him. It is more of a tongue-in-cheek thing, but it allows Big Brawler to join Steve Urkel and Ralph Wiggum in the realm of lovable losers. This version has only made the figure a bit more popular. This loud color scheme only enhances Big Brawler's reputation as a buffoon. However, in situations like this, the more there is mock, the more there is like about this character. In time, this could pass, but, for now, it gives Big Brawler a bit of limelight that isn't negative.

With this in mind, I don't ever see this version of Big Brawler becoming popular in my collection. Unlike the recent Funskool Grunt who is colored in an equally odd way, I don't see a use for this figure. To me, the combination of the mold and the colors just don't work. As such, I see this figure being a comical interlude rather than a major player in my collection. When I want my Joes to simply do something wacky, this will be a figure I reach for. He is a whimsical approach to the hobby that is something very different from what we see from Hasbro. In that sense, the figure is okay. For about $4, he is a great way to bring a little color to your collection. (Plus, the carded version comes with Budo's sword. Big Brawler can now also be a ninja!!!) He's not someone who is imperative, but is kind of fun.

As far as availability goes, Big Brawler is available from most of your major Funskool dealers. In time, he will join figures like Captain Grid-Iron and General Hawk on the Funskool scrap heap as figures that really have no purpose. However, as collectors seem to have gotten more serious in recent years, a figure like this provides a fun diversion. He has no use except in over-the-top humourous situations. As such, he provides a bit of levity to a hobby that is all army-builder this or variant that. That's an innocence that is hard to capture and is, at least by me, greatly appreciated.

Sure, this figure is ridiculous, but that's what makes him fun to own. Will you be getting one of these guys?