Rarities - Mail Away 1983 Grand Slam, Hawk and Clutch

In the summer of 2001, a random seller posted a few bagged 1983 G.I. Joe figures who were packed with redback filecards.  They had a small stock of them.  They were offered at $5 and bought out instantly.  I managed to get a Clutch and Hawk, but missed out on the Grand Slam.  The seller said they had more.  But, due to the quick sell out, decided to do more research on the value of the items.  Within a few weeks, some additional bagged figures appeared.  They were higher priced, though still offered for sums that seem ridiculously cheap these days.  Some collectors bought a few.  But, mostly they sat around as the collecting world wasn't really interested in them.

Over the years, the supply of the figures never really dried up.  You could always find them.  But, there were never enough to really drop prices too far.  For a very long time, you could get the bagged versions for about the same price as a loose, mint and complete figure of the same character.  Grand Slam was usually higher priced, though, as he included the filecard from the Silver Pads Grand Slam.  And, in those early days, many collectors didn't make a distinction between the redback versions of filecards or those cut from a box.  

The reason for this is that a ton of overstock of these figures have been found.  You'll even see a "barn" find where entire cases of the figures were discovered and put into the collecting community.  During the years close to the finds, the figures would get cheap.  Now, they have gotten more expensive.  While there are plenty of them out there, they are still more scarce than standard loose figures.  And, many collectors in the early days simply opened the bags up because it was a cheaper option to get high quality vehicle drivers.

The most interesting aspect of the figures is that you get a red Grand Slam with a Silver Pads Grand Slam filecard.  The photo for the Silver Pads figure was all new and created as a JUMP exclusive when the figure was added in 1983.  So, it's not like they destroyed the original artwork.  So, the appearance of the Silver Pads art is weird.  But, it's likely that Hasbro had it more ready to go since it was newer.  As collectability goes, this filecard is the most noteworthy just because it has the juxtaposition of figure and artwork.

The reality is that these three figures are not rare.  There are tons of them out there due to the various finds over the years.  People still pay premiums for them.  But, usually, the prices for these three figures remain far below bagged samples of other 1983 mail away and catalog figures.  So, at least there's no inequity there.  Once upon a time, it was easier and about the same price to simply buy one of these bagged figures and open it to get a mint and complete with filecard figure of the three included in the set.  That's no longer the case.  

2007 Convention Clutch - Around The Web

The 2007 convention set took a big chance by including a large contingent of Joe characters instead of being army builder focused.  This seemed to be a minor hit at the time.  But, shortly after release, all of the Joe characters from the main set were readily available for under their per figure cost if you had bought a complete set from the club.  It remained that way for a while.  But, slowly, the Joes started to dry up.  And, certain characters began to climb the price charts.  After the explosion that began in 2018 and had rocket fuel thrown upon it by the 2020 collectibles bubble, all the 2007 convention figures have gotten stupidly expensive.

That's made this Clutch out of reach for many collectors.  That's kind of too bad as it's a great rendition of Clutch.  But, this figure also has some deficiencies that would make me hesitant to spend $100 or more on him.  

While it took me a while to track down some decent content on this guy, there is some cool stuff to see in the links below.  You'll find some reviews written upon the figure's release as well as some photos just published this year.  

2007 Clutch Profile

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch by Scarrviper

2007 Convention set review at General's Joes Reborn

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch at Action Force.dk

2007 Clutch by gen_liederkranz

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

2007 Clutch by gijoeamericanhero

2007 Clutch by alpha1creative

2007 Clutch by thedustinmccoy

1984 Vamp Mark II - Around The Web

Back in 1984, I had a fleeting glimpse of the new catalog.  There were few items that really burned into my mind.  But, one of them was the VAMP Mark II.  Mostly, I remembered it because I had loved the original VAMP.  And, while my VAMP was still in decent shape, the thought of getting a new one was really exciting.  Once in hand, though, the VAMP Mark II had some issues.  The lack of gun really hindered its adoption in my collection.  And, in short order, the VAMP Mark II was actually in worse shape than my older and more battle worn VAMP.  

Today, though, I appreciate both designs.  The VAMP is still more used.  But, I do enjoy getting the VAMP Mark II out from time to time.  It photographs well and does work with a variety of different figures.  There's some good content featuring the VAMP Mark II out there.  So, be sure to check out the posts below.

Vamp Mark II Profile

Vamp Mark II by dreadnokdread

Vamp Mark II by masterbungle

VAMP Mark II by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

VAMP Mark II by gi_joe_for_fun

VAMP Mark II by sintechness

VAMP Mark II by gen_liederkranz

VAMP Mark II at 3DJoes.com

VAMP Mark II by evilface

VAMP Mark II by thedustinmccoy

VAMP Mark II at JoePedia

VAMP Mark II by 3rd_wave_sabotage

Rarities - 1993 Mega Marines Toy Fare Catalog Pre-Production Figures

Back in the days before the internet, toy companies sold their wares at Toy Fair each year.  Smaller brands would seek out retail partners.  While, the big companies would put together impressive solicitations designed to wow their partners at the huge, national retailers of the day.  In 1993, Hasbro's catalog featured the full Joe line.  But, as the catalog was put together before the figures were in production, it contains a large number of pre-production figures that feature differences from their retail release.   

Below is the page for the Mega Marines.  There's a few, fun little differences you can spot among the figures.  Starting from left to right, you first see the original Mega Viper.  This figure features a slightly green face shield instead of the retail yellow.  You'll notice the odd purple color of his gun, too.  This color was never used in production.  But, it matches the figure quite well.  I always wonder what would have caused a change like this.  Instead of getting weapons that matched his purple trim, the Mega Viper received accessories that matched his yellow instead.  To me, that would see like a personal preference/coin flip type decision.  But, knowing Hasbro of the day, it was very likely a conscious decision that was made to make the figures more attractive to buyers.

The Joe side of the page features the biggest differences.  Aside from the fact that the figures have been given random accessories that Hasbro likely just had lying around, there is one major change from the retail figure.  You'll notice that in this photo, Clutch still has his goggles and Mirage's eyes are uncovered.  Originally, these goggles were meant for Clutch.  (See this Rarities post from 2016.)  And, they appear on the figure in the solicitation photos.  

Again, this would be an interesting piece of trivia to track down.  Why were the goggles changed from one figure to another.  Mirage's head looks bare without them.  But, that's a function of the fact that we've always seen the figure with the goggles.  Had he not included them, it wouldn't seem so out of place.  And, Clutch's specialty as the driver makes more sense for a goggled head.  But, this reasoning is probably lost to time.

The whole diorama is action packed.  Hasbro did similar things for Street Fighter and the DEF.  And, those pages also feature some interesting early takes on the toys that were ultimately released.  As far as this page goes, though, the figures frozen in the plastic blocks got a lot of attention when this image first surfaced.  Many thought they might be unproduced figures.  But, they are likely just production figures painted white for use in this display.  But, really, the idea of people frozen in ice is a bit macabre for a child's toy solicitation.  But, the intended audience was adult buyers.  And, there are monsters in the toyline.  So, I can see this just being a fun modeling session for the photographer.

Old Hasbro print pieces are chock full of pre-production and prototype toys.  They are a treasure mine of original intentions and also provide the provenance for many pre-production and VSP figures that survive to this day.  As I'm a Mega Marines fan, this layout is really cool to me.  But, even if the Mega Marines aren't your thing, the earlier designs for the toys are a valuable part of Joe history.

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.

2004 Comic Pack Double Clutch

2004 was very much a Joe tranistion year for me.  The year started off with a bang as both the Venom Vs. Valor series of figures showed up almost immediately while both the Night Force and Cobra Infantry sets saturated Toys R Us stores around the country starting in January.  As the year wore on, though, Hasbro kept announcing more and more products.  And, many of those simply didn't resonate with me.  Those that didn't, featured some commonalities: they were all JvC sculpt figures.  The ARAH style figures that were released that year continued to hold my attention...even if I wasn't enamored with the entire slate of them.  In the spring, the first images of the new Joe comic packs were shown.  On one hand, these were exciting and amazing as they offered something collectors had longed for.  On the other hand, the packs had some problems that were apparent from the get go.  In the first wave, there were some figures that intrigued me.  But, the new version of Clutch from Comic Pack 3 was the most interesting.  The figure was big and bulky and brought us a Clutch that was more compatible with figures from the late 1980's and early 1990's.  The figure was a valiant attempt at something different.  And, like all of Hasbro's attempts to break out of a narrow definition of what a vintage style Joe should be, collectors largely punished Hasbro's efforts.

I refer to this figure as Clutch throughout the profile.  The reality, though, is that this character is named Double Clutch due to the copyright issues.  It's meant to be the same character as Clutch, though.  So, I stick with the standard name that I grew up with rather than attempt to justify the mouthful that is the Double Clutch name.  Hasbro losing copyrights was annoying.  But, I can understand it...especially when you consider how much the Kenner acquisition tried to purge G.I. Joe from the Hasbro annals.  In 1995, it was unlikely that Joe would ever return to retail.  But, the success of the Star Wars line proved that adult collectors could be enough of a force to drive retail fortunes and help bolster a toy line while it found its way into kids' consciences, too.

This leads to the figure itself.  The first wave of Comic Packs introduced the comic book green and yellow scheme to G.I. Joe figures.  In and of itself, the scheme isn't awful.  The green is deep and rich and different than most anything else found in the line.  But, like most things Joe in the 2000's, Hasbro overdid it.  The color became too common and casual consumers couldn't differentiate figures on the shelves and the sameness ultimately squashed the line's chances of retail success.  But, when Clutch debuted, there were just two figures (he and his packmate Hawk) that featured the new base color.  So, for Clutch, it works.

The Clutch figure is made from surprising parts.  Aside from the new head (which was available in a smaller size, too, from Asian sellers), the figure then used the rest of the parts from 1993 figures.  Collectors were told that the 1993 figures that appeared in Brazil were lost, never to be made again.  Then, this Clutch showed up using the 1993 Mace body.  Mace was among the "lost" Brazilian figures.  Turns out, the molds weren't lost.  Hasbro just didn't want to look for them.  So, collectors were left with some cool uses like this Clutch, but missed on tons of other excellent repaints of 1993 figures as Hasbro couldn't be bothered to look at their mold inventory.  In addition to the Mace parts, he also featured the arms from the 1993 Duke.  A 1993 Duke repaint was planned for 1995.  Yet, Hasbro never released the full 1993 Duke during the 2000's.  Another opportunity lost for collectors. 

Clutch's gear is awful.  But, it's awful in that it's not unique.  Clutch didn't include a helmet.  This is a double feature of Hasbro not having to sculpt one for the head.  (Saved expense.) And, it's also a way for Hasbro to show off their vintage style sculpting.  (It's known that Hasbro designers of the time HATED working on vintage Joes since the old designs didn't pad their resumes.)  The newly designed heads in 2001 were just terrible.  But, these 2004 offerings were much improved and far more detailed than the balding, pasty white guys that define the 2001 fiasco.  Clutch also includes 3 weapons.  Since the vintage figure lacked a weapon, these are just bonus.  He did include a black version of Snow Job's classic XMLR rifle.  For cartoon fans, getting this weapon with a character like Clutch was a nice Easter Egg.  He also includes a terrible JvC era weapon that has a scope and grenade launcher, but no stock.  The lack of stock means that the soft hands of the 2004 figures don't hold the weapon well and that renders it useless, even if the appearance has some merit.  The final weapon is a 1990 Big Ben rifle.  By 2004, collectors had all of this weapon they would ever want.  So, it was just overkill in the pack.  But, more guns are better than less.  Though, it would have been nice if Clutch had included the newly sculpted M-16 that debuted with General Hawk in this pack.

While the first cases of the comic packs that reached retail were only packs #1 and #2 and were missing pack #3.  This caused some initial panic that the three figures might end up short packed or hard to find.  And, collectors paid $20 for a set for a short time.  But, rather quickly, pack #3 saturated retail and was a common sight.  Though, the set did sell through before the remaining 2004 overstock hit clearance in early 2005 and lead to the short run of the Oktober Guard 3 packs.  However, in 2005, large amounts of overstock of packs 1 through 3 started showing up at discount stores.  You could easily get spare comic packs for $5 all over the country.  Naturally, this lead to massive disinterest in the figure.  And, as many collectors bought up extras to use Stalker and General Hawk as fodder, it left a surplus of Clutchs on the market.

This manifests today.  While many comic pack figures have drastically appreciated in value, Clutch has not.  You can easily get a mint and complete version for $10 from dealers.  And, about 1/2 that on the open market.  You don't see the carded sets with the frequency of a few years ago.  And, those will sell for $40 from dealers.  Again, though, you can find them at half that price if you are patient and wait out the market.  At $5, this figure is a must have.  While the 2007 Convention Clutch is better, it's also a lot more expensive.  This Comic Pack figure is a cheap stop gap that gives you a Clutch that better fits with 1990's era vehicles and figures without breaking the bank.

2012 Retaliation Clutch - By Past Nastification

The two live action GI Joe movies haven’t scratched the itch Joe fans wanted. They’ve provided a mixed bag of figures, too.  Some good, some bad.  Clutch, from GI Joe:  Retalition, was released as the driver of the Tread Ripper.  The Tread Ripper itself is another conversation and probably not a good one.

The low articulation of Clutch is problematic.   

When GI Joe debuted in ARAH format in 1982, the figures had an astounding 12 points of articulation compared to Star Wars, whose standard figures had just 5 poa’s.  Some Star Wars figures had even fewer.  For Joe figures the number jumped up to 14 with the inclusion of the “swivel arm battle grip” in 1983. Certainly Mego never gets the credit it deserves for bringing the o-ring(ish) design into the mainstream by licensing/selling Micronauts, or streamlining the concept for its the Black Hole, Buck Rogers, or CHIPs lines.

So GI Joe is somewhat erroneously credited, or at least remembered, as being the innovator.  And, yes, there’s the fact that the 1:18 scale Micronaut figures were conceptual downscales in Japan based on the original American 12 inch Joes… which were arguably based on the Barbie concept.  There are several episodes of Toy Galaxy on youtube or The Toys that Made Us on Netflix to see how many layers there are to the action figure onion.  It gets complicated very fast, with lots of cross-pollination and borrowing from one company/toy line to another.

All of which is a long way of explaining that most Joe collectors can’t stand Joe figures with low articulation.  Taking away the high poa count is depriving them of their design identity.  I agree in theory, but in reality… somehow I don’t care.  Maybe my appreciation of the early low poa Palitoy Action Force figures bleeds over to this figure.  That said, for the 1:18 scale, the inclusion of hinged knees should be a given.  Even Kenner’s MASK figures had that in the mid 80’s, and they were 2 inch figures.   

As a kid, I would have hated, hated, hated this Clutch.  As a grownup, though, I’m fine with it and the limited 5 poa format.  At this point in my collecting, sculpt is more important to me than articulation.

Clutch is so beautifully sculpted that the lack of articulation just doesn’t bother me.  Of course, that’s me, and I guess that 95% of Joe collector’s hate this figure.  It’s a point I really can’t argue.  For the handful of us that are immune to the low poa count that flies against everything that GI Joe is from a design standpoint, it’s easy to see the nice work in this figure.

It’s not perfect, and that’s assuming you can live with a five poa figure.  The arms are marginally short, but mostly hidden by the bent elbows.   As far as this figure automatically registering as being Clutch, it doesn’t. It should have a black beard or grey stubble to really be Clutch.

But this is the movie universe Clutch, so it is what it is.  But the detailing on the head alone is astounding.  The crisp baseball cap, the beard, and the up-to-the-minute sunglasses are flawlessly sculpted.  Customizers may hate the rest of this figure, but they love this head.

The uniform looks realistic.  Clutch sports a ton of sculpted pouches and webgear, including a pistol and a knife (both of which should have been painted black like the sunglasses).  The sculpting on the pouches is impressive because it’s so lifelike.  The pouches aren’t in perfect rows; each pouch is slightly canted and crooked compared to its neighboring pouches.  This is a detail that could have been easily overdone, but it wasn’t.  The bent elbows and slightly bent knees give the figure a dynamic posture that old Star Wars figures never had.  Plus, the sculpted detail would have been broken up by adding more articulation points.

The figure’s construction is peculiar.  It appears to be put together like a standard 5 poa figure (but with a pop-off head).  The backpack and most of the webgear appear to be a snapped-in-place piece on a carved-out section of the torso.   Oddly, the Night Fox figure, also a low poa Retaliation driver, features a removable vest, but it’s uniquely keyed to the figure.  So why was Clutch designed in such a unique manner?  Who knows. 

The use of subdued colors is a welcomed change from obnoxious coloring.  Honestly, though, an unexpected and nonsensical color pop somewhere might have added to the design.  A lone orange pouch or a yellow grenade could have worked here.   

Maybe it’s just the sunglasses, but this Clutch has a badass quality that no previous Clutch figures have had.  The pistol might not be removable, but it has no less that 6 pouched magazines ready to go for it.  At the 1:18 scale, I prefer non-functioning holsters as they look more correctly sized. 

There were several other 5 poa figures in the Retaliation line.  This included the previously mentioned Night Fox, a Snake-Eyes, a Cobra Commander, and a Swamp Viper.  I was surprised by how much I liked the Clutch figure, so I’ll have to keep an eye out for the rest out and see if they also have outstanding sculpting.  I stumbled onto this Clutch figure recently and until I saw it in person I was lackluster about it.   

If the low poa count is a deal breaker for you, I completely understand and respect it.  But if you’re someone who can accept it, this is an impressive figure.  If you need a nudge, here’s an image of the head swapped out with a “real” Clutch head, from the 25A line.  If nothing else, just try to appreciate the sculpting on this odd duck from the Retaliation line.

I’m curious, am I alone in liking this figure?  Does anyone else like it or the other Retaliation drivers?

Would anyone really object if Hasbro would have made mostly pre-posed/low poa Cobra Soldiers in this format and packed them in as freebies with vehicles and playsets?  No.  Well, at least I wouldn’t! 

1983 Clutch Around the Web

The first G.I. Joe figures that ever entered my house arrived at my younger brother's birthday in the fall of 1982.  He got a haul of G.I. Joe that included several vehicles and many of the figures.  Clutch was my immediate favorite.  His unique chest and shoulder holster simply put him over the top against the other figures.  I have him Grunt's backpack and Stalker's gun and commandeered the figure for weeks.  For Christmas that year, I got my own VAMP and Clutch.  The figure has been a favorite of mine since then.  Here's the best of him from around the web.

Clutch Profile

Clutch Dio 1

Clutch Video Review 1

Clutch at JoeADay.com

Clutch Dio 2

Clutch Pre Production Figure at YoJoe.com

Clutch Video Review 2

Clutch at 3DJoes.com

Clutch Dio 3

1984 Clutch - VAMP Mark II Driver

All G.I. Joe vehicle drivers have to live up to Clutch.  I state this as fact only for the simple reason that, in the fall of 1982, Clutch was the coolest figure that my brother got for the birthday that introduced G.I. Joe into our lives.  While he was a vehicle driver, the awesome factor was mostly driven home by the complexity of his design and the fact that his chest was not shared with other figures from the time.  So, it is my own bias that puts Clutch as the standard for vehicle drivers.  But, through the line's early years, vehicle drivers often showcased designs that were equal, if not superior to, most of the carded figures from the year.  As the original Clutch's chest was not shared with other figures, Hasbro had less chance to recoup their costs from his design.  So, in 1984, when they produced an updated VAMP, Hasbro took a bit of a cheap way out and gave kids a newly repainted Clutch as it's driver.

As a kid, this Clutch was the only Clutch who really saw use.  Both of the original VAMPs from my childhood were acquired in 1982.  So, the standard Clutch figures were both straight arm.  By 1984, straight arm figures were used for parts or cannon fodder since they couldn't measure up to the swivel arm versions.  So, the only real representation of the character for me was this Clutch release.  And, as a kid who read the comic more and more as 1984 wore on, I simply had to have a Clutch figure.

Clutch was one of those characters that simply stuck with you.  Larry Hama did a great job with Clutch's development.  And, as Clutch remained a mainstay of the comic for many, many years, it's likely that he was a favorite of Hama's.  Clutch was the guy who everyone should hate.  He was slightly misogynistic and completely full of himself.  But, he did it in a way that people liked him.  Scarlett felt that Clutch was relatively harmless and that made his swarm charming.  It's difficult to create a character like this.  Usually, the dichotomy is too much and the character ends up actually being unlikable.  But, Clutch retained his comic popularity and is a collector favorite to this day.

The VAMP Mark II is a solid vehicle.  It didn't live up to the VAMP in my childhood.  But, it was OK and served its purpose.  All of the original Joe vehicle drivers really just "fit" with their vehicles.  As such, Clutch was really the only choice to drive the updated VAMP.  Putting anyone else behind the wheel would have been disingenuous to the character and to the kids to associated the two together.  So, in this case, such an early repaint was entirely forgivable.  And, since I didn't have a good version of the original, it was an excellent way to keep Clutch in my collection.

As the VAMP Mark II didn't last all that long in my collection, I often found this Clutch figure other vehicles to drive.  There weren't many desert vehicles back in 1984 and 1985.  But, Clutch was the perfect driver for my APC.  This vehicle lacked a true driver.  So, Clutch was a good choice, especially if his jeep was out of commission.  In 1985, my younger brother got a toy jeep (non-military) that was a golden brown color.  It was slightly too large for Joes.  But, the fit well enough.  Clutch and Dusty had many an adventure in that jeep.  Clutch was Dusty's personal driver for the few weeks when Dusty was my newest figure and was the main focus of my play.

Like all the pre 1985 Joes, though, Clutch's days were numbered.  Starting in the second half of 1985, I became much more careful with my figures.  While I still played with them: I was more cautious and conscientious about keeping my figures nice.  The Joes who pre-dated this turn in my mindset found themselves on the outside looking in as the newer, nicer versions of figures became my focal point.  But, by 1986 and into 1987, the reality was that Clutch was dated.  He was a smaller, less detailed sculpt than the new offerings.  And, I was heavily swayed by recency in my collection so the newer figures always took precedence over the older models.  So, Clutch went into a box and became an afterthought.

When I first started up Joe collecting as a adult, though, Clutch was one of the first figures I sought out.  I remembered him vividly from my childhood.  A friend of mine at the time, who was only casually interested in G.I. Joe, could still recite Clutch's filecard: more than a decade since he had last read it.  That was the impression the Clutch character left behind.  So, now, both the original and this desert Clutch are vital parts of my collection.  You will often see them around as background characters in photos.  They may be driving a VAMP or other vehicle.  But, they may also be involved in general combat duties.  I'd viewed Clutch as a field trooper since day 1 of Joe in my life.  So, he remains more than just a driver to me.

Despite this early repaint, Clutch didn't see too much use.  After the original release and this 1984 repaint, the mold disappeared for about a decade.  Both the VAMP and VAMP Mark II were staples of release around the world with notable variants in Brazil.  Yet, Clutch didn't make the journey.  In the early 1990's, though, Clutch finally reappeared with his jeep when Funskool released their version of the VAMP.  There are several versions of the Clutch figure: all in various shades of green with a few instances of the Clutch body with a Short Fuze head: but with black hair.  The Funskool figures are very hard to find: especially in good condition.  But, they are very similar to the U.S. release and don't offer anything outside of different shades of what we already got through Hasbro.  Both the VAMP and Clutch appear to have gone out of circulation in the mid 1990's.  That implies that Hasbro may have gotten his mold back when they re-acquired the Funskool figures that made up the bulk of the 1997 and 1998 Toys R Us exclusive figures.  But, the Clutch mold was either not among the returns, was too damaged to be used again, or simply dropped into a Hasbro warehouse where it was forgotten again: never to return.

I'd love to see a factory custom Clutch.  While the Clutch character could be repainted into Night Force, Tiger Force and every other sub team imaginable, his parts would have other potential.  (If you want to see the potential for Clutch repaints, check out Chad and Matt's Clutch customs.)  Clutch's chest and arms could be combined with Cobra Trooper waist and legs and a Hiss Driver or Cobra Officer head.  This would be a great Cobra driver for Stingers or Hiss Tanks.  Again, the repaint would lend itself to a panoply of colors.  The head could be used for new Breaker or Rock and Roll figures.  Or, repainted into a color the head never appeared in and used to make a new figure in early Joe style.  In short, the possibilities are endless.  Hopefully, one of the factory custom makers is listening.

In the vintage line, Hasbro really didn't do too much with repaint until the very end of the line.  Sure, there were Tiger Force, Night Force and Python Patrol.  But, they were always supplements to the main figure line rather than parts of it.  As an adult collector, I lament the fact that Hasbro didn't do the entire original 13 in a desert scheme to make a variant, unified team.  As a kid, though, I probably would have hated it since I would have lost out on other figures.  (Though, getting the gear I had lost from the original figures would have been a welcome perk.)  In the collector era starting in 1997, though, Hasbro really had no reason to not revisit the original 13 Joes and do some sort of specifically themed team.  The 1997 Stars and Stripes and the comic packs from the mid 2000's were the two closest attempts.  But, the Stars and Stripes was more about getting the molds out to appease collectors.  The comic packs were closer.  But, the odd greens and mix matched parts from different eras created a mis-match that's probably worse than the Stars and Stripes set.  I keep hoping that factory custom Joe producers will look to bring some desert variants of original 13 Joes into the fold. More and more parts are available.  And, I'd love a tan Flash, Grand Slam, Hawk, Stalker and the rest.  But, since I've played with and collected Joe since 1982, I have a more nostalgic bent to these original figures and my preferences may not play well in a larger market.

The desert Clutch is about middle of the road as far as Joe figures go in terms of price.  Mint and complete with filecard figures can be had for $10.  But, dealers will charge $20 and you'll see more sell at that price than they should.  But, you don't see as many desert Clutch figures as you used to.  And, the lower supply leads to more dealer sales.  For $10, this figure is a no-brainer.  You buy him and move on.  He's a great companion to the Tan Grunt and his parts can be used in conjunction with that figure to make a perfect Tan Breaker, too.  When these guys were cheaper, they were desired for the custom possibilities.  Now, though, they are desired for the figure itself.  Collectors like Clutch and they like his desert repaint.  It's awesome to get an iconic character in environmental themed colors.  It's just too bad we didn't see a few more of the early Joes get this treatment.

Clutch doesn't take kindly to Wild Card stealing his parking spot.

1984 VAMP Mark II

My younger brother got a VAMP for his birthday in October of 1982.  A few weeks later, for Christmas, I got one of my very own.  Both of these jeeps were staples of our early play and were put through rugged hardships as they rode down stairs, were left in mud, crashed into walls and were hit by enemy fire resulting in them being turned upside down when they exploded.  In short, they had a great early life.  But, my brother's VAMP was all but destroyed by 1984.  Mine had fared better since it spent most of the first of 1983 being neglected as I focused on Star Wars toys.  But, even it was showing signs of wear from heavy play.  But, more importantly, the VAMP was old.  It had been part of Joe since there was Joe.

As soon as I first saw the 1984 Joe catalog, I began a quest to acquire all the toys that were showcased therein.  While I had a decent income from mowing lawns, I was not about to blow my entire summer earnings on toys when I had an alternative.  My grandmother was always up for spoiling me and I knew she'd be a great source of toys as the year went on.  In the late spring, my family drove to Champaign, Illinois to visit some of my father's relatives.  My grandmother would be there, too.  The day was very sunny and hot for so early in the year.  I recall this as I tried to play out in the driveway with my '84 Firefly and couple other figures.  But, quickly found it uncomfortably warm and there was no shade available that availed itself to play.  So, I spent the rest of trip sitting near the adults as they talked, bored out of my mind.  Before we started the long drive home, though, my grandmother asked me if there were any toys I wanted.  But, as I didn't actually own a 1984 Joe catalog, yet, I had to go by memory.  And, in the spur of the moment, I could only recall the VAMP Mark II.  She dutifully wrote this down and we parted ways.

As summer started, though, the lawn mowing money was coming in frequently.  On one sojourn to the local Children's Palace, I found the VAMP Mark II.  With funds to acquire it handy, I splurged on the jeep and added it to my collection.  With the VAMP Mark II in hand, though, I quickly learned that it had some limitations to go along with the enhancements that were such a selling point.  The newly added doors and roof were great.  But, they also hindered figure movement and play.  I loved having a figure holding an Uzi out of the window as the VAMP went into battle.  But, it was also a hassle getting that figure into the fray when the time came for him to leave the vehicle.  I always used the hood pack as survival gear for the VAMP crew, which was a welcome addition over the original VAMP.  And, the crew having water cans from which they could drink was another realistic detail that I enjoyed.

What I didn't enjoy was that the vehicle had no guns.  As with the Wolverine, I found the VAMP Mark II's missile launcher limiting.  It had four shots in battle and was then spent.  I tried in vain to affix the VAMP cannon to the back, but couldn't reconcile the green gun mount on the tan jeep.  (I later put the VAMP Mark II doors and roof on the original VAMP.  But, the roof is higher than the resting point of the VAMP gun.  So, the guns were always shooting above the advancing infantry, rendering the roof useless.)  Plus, the VAMP Mark II didn't seem as sturdy as the VAMP.  While my VAMP had suffered some beating, the VAMP Mark II broke very quickly once it was in our home.  The roll bars snapped and it just didn't seem up to the challenges of rolling down concrete stairs like the original VAMP had done.  The missile launcher tan that held it onto the body quickly frayed and would not stay in.  The original VAMP gun had been removed many times and was in fine shape.  But the launcher fell apart quickly.  In the end, I took the VAMP Mark II chassis and put it under the original VAMP body.  This way, I got the updated cockpit on the better colored and armed VAMP.

But, even with this, the reality of the VAMP Mark II destroyed the idealistic notions of what the vehicle could have been.  I have few memories of using it and the jeep was mostly just a quickly destroyed weapon when Cobra would attack my Joe base.  As years went on the shell of VAMP Mark II would appear from time to time.  My youngest brother cut the back of the top of the body off.  He could then place it on the frame to appear solid.  But, he would hide a figure or gear in the jeep's "trunk".  This configuration, sans missile launcher, would be used for smuggling or criminals.  This was the fate of the toys that simply didn't live up to their expectations.

As a collector, though, these childhood limitations are things of the past.  I no longer run VAMPs down stairs or crash them into walls.  I'll put figures in and place them on display or even use the vehicle in a photo or two.  But, that's the extent of the use any vehicle gets these days.  As such, I find the VAMP Mark II better today.  It looks cool.  And, there are many desert figures with which to pair it.  The later Desert Striker vehicle used a VAMP like body with the desert color scheme.  But, it is a substantial downgrade from the VAMP Mark II.  The highly detailed interior, weapons and classic design all make for the de facto desert vehicle for tan colored Joes.

VAMP Mark II's are quite popular and can get a little pricey.  There is a much lighter tan mail away variant, too, that commands a substantial premium.  Dealers will charge substantially higher prices for VAMP Mark II's as well.  But, you can get a high quality, complete version in the $25 - $30 range.  Sometimes, you can get them for that price with an included Clutch as well.  You'll see lots of them offered for sale in the $50 to $60 range.  And, with the blueprints, you'll see a few sell here.  But, patience can yield much lower prices.

As the VAMP Mark II is a highly popular VAMP, it is both popular with collectors and lends itself to multiples in a collection.  Being based on the original mold, the VAMP Mark II works well with all early years of Joe figures and you'll often see collectors with three or four that will be used to hold some of their favored beginning years figures.  For me, the vehicle is problematic.  It's cool.  But, my childhood disappointment with it colors my experiences.  I've learned to appreciate it more now.  But, given the choice between this version or the original, I'll add multiple originals before I'd army build the Mark II.

Diorama - Red Jackal's Negotiations

Red Jackal negotiates the release of some Cobra Elite Troopers.  Hawk is not pleased and fears this Red Jackal person will become a thorn in the fledgling G.I. Joe Team's side.

Rarities - Alternate Comic Pack Figures

The Comic Packs were a collector hit in 2004.  Unfortunately, the rest of the market didn't agree and they were clearance fodder within a year.  But, the packs endured for a while and gave collectors some really nice figures.  Like most products from that era, though, there were alternate and unproduced variants of many of the figures that were available from Asia.  Most were relatively small changes like missing production dates, or slight color differences.  Some of them, though, are awesome.  Others are mundane.  And a select few are...just...weird.

First up are some basic figures that don't have much in the way of differences.  Destro and Duke are baically the same as their production releases.

The following figures all have smaller, but still full production heads.  It seems that Hasbro had two different sized heads for their new, comic pack head sculpts.  Clutch is the most obvious as the smaller head is drastically smaller.  (There are actually three Clutch head sizes.  Here you see the smallest and the largest.  There is a third size in between these two.)  But, both the Baroness and Cobra Commander also feature different sized domes.  You will also note the different head insignia on Cobra Commander.

We now come to the very odd.  When the comic packs debuted in the summer of 2004, pack #3 was delayed.  While it ultimately pegwarmed around the country and found it's way to clearance and discount stores, this delay lead to rampant speculation on the pack when it first appeared.  A few weeks later, though, an alternate pack showed up in Asia.  Along with the small head Clutch figure, this new pack featured heads with reversed races for Stalker and General Hawk.  Unfortunately, the bodies still retained the correct skin color.  So, the figures had a mismatch.  But, the Caucasian Stalker head and African American Hawk head were an interesting release.  (I've long used the Hawk head for my Skeres figure.)

You will also see two Destro figures below.  One with a chromed head and another with a charcoal colored head.  It's possible that Hasbro planned for this Destro release to have an actual chromed head.  The figure is greatly improved with it.  The charcoal head is different and gives the figure an alternate look.  I'd have preffered either of these variants to the actual figure we saw at retail.

Finally, we see a comic pack Hawk with a green chest.  If he had green arms, too, the figure would somewhat useful, especially with a simple leg swap.  But, the production release with a brown chest was far superior.

This brings us to the final figure: a green haired Serpentor figure.  Frankly, this green hair makes no sense.  Green eyebrows and eyes are very Joker.  But, when you consider the overall oddness of the Serpentor character, the green hair actually kind of works.  I greatly wanted this figure.  But, put him off to acquire other, more desirable variants.  By the time this guy's number came up, though, the figure was sold out and I never got around to picking him up.  It's just another odd example of what collectors could find in 2003 - 2005.  But, stuff like this Serpentor was more fun than anything Hasbro was doing at the time.