1992 Headman - Around The Web

Headman is one of those figures that was hated for many years.  But, over time, his quality has shone through and he is now an accepted Cobra villain.  The figure's sculpt is good and matches his purpose.  Sure, he's still a little Hamburglar-y.  But, in the context of 1990's Joe villains, that's fine.  So, here's a bit of content featuring the 1992 Headman.  Check it out.

Headman Profile

Headman at Nekoman's Viper Pit

Headman by thedustinmccoy

Headman by doksewage

Headman by thedustinmccoy

Headman by ironman3719

Headman by kitbash_joe

Headman at JoeADay.com

Headman at Half The Battle

Headman at When It Was Cool

1993 Headhunter

In December of 1992, I walked into a crowded Toys R Us store just a few days before Christmas.  I was there to buy a couple of G.I. Joe figures.  I was in college and confident enough to be a collector, even if I was an adult.  I was on my lunch hour from the deli where I worked.  So, time was a factor.  When I found the wall of Joes, it was overwhelming.  I hadn't really spent any time looking at Joe toys in over 4 years.  I had no idea what was available or who, really, any of the newer characters were.  I did find a Gung Ho and Destro, though.  And, the familiar character names with solid designs made them must buys.  In looking at various cardbacks, though, one figure really jumped out at me: the Headhunter.  The design just looked amazing.  But, I didn't find any Headhunter figures that day.  And, I didn't return to a Toys R Us store for another year.  The Headhunter fell out of my mind.

At the end of 1995, though, I visited a friend in the town I now call home.  His local K-Mart had some Joe figures.  (The K-Mart is long gone, torn down and replaced by high end condos and apartments.  Honestly, it's much better.)  Here, I found Mace and Muskrat.  It was on their cardbacks where I, once again, found the siren song of the Headhunter.  I would never, though, manage to actually find one at retail.  As the 1990's wound down and online marketplaces became a thing, my ability to find pretty much any G.I. Joe figure increased.  Slowly, I ticked off my most wanted items until I came down  to the Headhunter figure.  By this time, I knew there were two versions: the brown 1992 and the green 1993.  And, really, I didn't care which one I could find.  

In mid 1999, I found a massive lot of over 200 late run Cobra army builders on Ebay.  It included a whopping 4 Headhunters!  I had never found a single Headhunter in any of the 1990's lots I had purchased.  They were hard to find.  So, this lot seemed like a dream.  I bid over $300 (an unimaginable sum at the time!) on the lot.  On Saturday, I went to check to see if I was still winning.  But, I found that the seller had pulled the auction and sold it to his local comic shop.  The bids weren't large enough for his liking...even though the auction was days from ending and everyone knew the price jumped at the last minute.  I was left, once again, with no Headhunters.  In the fall of that year, I took an entire Saturday to scrounge every local comic shop and flea market in a vain attempt to find the figure locally.  Again, I was shut out.  Left with no other means to acquire the figure quickly, I turned to the only Headhunters that were, reliably, available: the multitude of carded versions that were overpriced and didn't sell on Ebay.

Here, I broke down and bought a carded Headhunter.  I could not, though, bring myself to open it.  But, with this figure in hand, the floodgates opened up.  And, within just a couple of months of acquiescing to an expensive purchase to get one of the figure, I now had several loose versions of both the 1992 and 1993 versions.  In hand, the figure didn't disappoint.  Not only was the mold every bit as good as I had wanted but, his accessories were even more amazing that I could have imagined.  In a lot of ways the Headhunter was a nearly perfect figure.  And, I promptly didn't use him much at all.

Originally, I planned to profile this figure back in 2013.  You can see him in the photos from the 1993 General Hawk profile I did at the time.  I just didn't find the right things to say about the figure.  So, that write up never got off the ground.  And, it's taken over a decade for me to come back around to the figure.  The main reason for that is that the Headhunter is very much like the 1985 Snake Eyes.  Both figures are amazing pieces of sculpting that include awe inspiring accessories.  They are so well done that it's difficult to come up with things that are worthy enough to show off the full quality of their design.  I've struggled to take pics of both figures just because they never look as good in the photos as the figures do in real life.  That disappointment leads me to not use them.  Not because they are bad.  But, because they are, actually, too good.

Back in the late 1980's, I read Spider Man comics pretty regularly.  In one issue (Amazing Spider Man #279), a character named Silver Sable appeared.  She had an army with her called the Wild Pack.  They dressed in orange and grey outfits.  This look resonated with me and I thought they would have made for great G.I. Joe figures.  For some reason, the Headhunter has always reminded me of that image from my youth.  In looking them up today, there is no resemblance between the characters.  But, the memories languishing in the darkest recesses of my brain connected the two.  So much so that I went to confirm it for this profile and was instantly able to find the exact issue from my childhood that contained the images of the characters.  It's not something pertinent to the history of the Headhunter.  But, speaks to a reason as to why this figure always captured my imagination...even if it was just from the small artwork on the back of another figure's card.

The reality is that collectors tended to dismiss this 1993 Headhunter as "neon".  And, for years, there was a large price disparity between the 1992 and 1993 figures.  Slowly, those have ironed out.  And, collectors have come around on bright figures.  It is the bright green, though, that is this figure's calling card.  It hearkens back to an era where kids loved audacious coloring and wanted toys that were fun.  The "modern, gritty realism" that's infected any property that's beloved by adults had left a generation of kids with dull, boring play things.  It's a shame.  And, one of the reasons why fandoms struggle to attract younger generations of fans.  (It's also why LEGO kicks ass in the toy aisle for both adults and kids.)  

Headhunter's accessories are amazing.  He features an amazing shotgun that can be holstered into his backpack.  the pack is full of amazing little details that showcase the sculpting prowess of the Hasbro designers of the time.  He also includes a spring loaded missile launcher, missile and battle stand.  The spring loaded weapons aren't great.  But, they are more than made up for by the quality of the standard gear.  Personally, I like to add an Alley Viper rifle to the Headhunter's ensemble.  (I also give Headhunter gear to the Headhunter Stormtrooper.)  It's a nice complement to the shotgun.  If you're a sadist, the Headhunter's shotgun is available in a variety of colors in Brazil for you to seek out, too.

The Headhunter had a strong life.  There is the 1992 and 1993 versions released by Hasbro.  In 1998 or so, a member of the Joe newsgroup found an early site for Estrela Toys in Brazil.  Here, you could find some promotional photos of the late waves of the Comandos Em Acao line.  If you could get the photos to load (that was hit or miss) you could see that Estrela released a Headhunter, too.  This figure wouldn't become widely known for another three or four years when the Brazilian line was better documented.  After that, the Headhunter disappeared.  There were rumors that the molds had been lost in Brazil.  But, in 2008, Master Collector found the Headhunter mold and used it for Convention releases.  Here, we got the oddball Headhunter Guard and the Headhunter Driver.  Of the five uses of the mold, 4 use an all black base.  Only the Guard is different.  Through the years, factory custom makers have teased Headhunters as a possible release.  And, seeing the mold in Cobra blue is enough to warrant their appearance.  But, as of 2024, it hasn't happened, yet.  While I'd love a blue version of the Headhunter, that's really the only paint job I'd care for.  

1993 Headhunter figure pricing is very volatile.  You can still find carded figures for under $20 if you are constantly looking and quick on the draw.  At the same time, you'll see mint, loose and complete with filecard figures sell for $40.  Dealers are really trying to drive up the price of these figures.  But, left to market forces, the figure is worth about $30.  But, it will take you a while to find even one.  It's a far cry from the days when the carded figures wouldn't sell for $8 each.  And, the 1992 Headhunter is definitely a better figure.  In fact, of all the Headhunter releases, the 1993 is probably the worst.  But, it might also be my favorite.  I wouldn't want to pay today's prices for one.  But, I'm grateful for my little squad as they are a reminder that cool things can be made for kids.

1992 DEF Mutt - Random Photos of the Day

Mutt is a classic character with an iconic look.  In 1992, though, Hasbro created an update for him.  Personally, I think it's a solid update to the character.  And, I find it a nice alternative for Mutt.  Not everyone agrees, of course.  But, that's part of what makes collecting fun.

The most interesting thing about this figure is that he is in Slaughter's Marauders colors.  It's a choice that ties this figure to his predecessor.  But, the muted colors allow for this figure to be used in a variety of settings.  And, he's a nice complement to the 1992 Spirit.  

I haven't taken as many photos of this figure as I would have thought.  He's a figure that I enjoy.  So, here's a few photos I've taken of him in the past few years.  Let me know what you think of this guy.

1993 Long Arm Around The Web

Long Arm is one  of those obscure figures from the line's final years who has found his fans.  While he remains a figure that most people ignore, there is a small contingent of collectors who use the figure frequently and keep him alive in the conscious of the community.  Long Arm's sculpt is great.  His colors are eye catching.  And, he'd have worked great in a variety of other subsets.  There's some cool content on the figure out there.  Check out the links below to see a portion of it.

Long Arm Profile

Long Arm at the Dragon Fortress

Long Arm by thedustinmccoy

Long Arm by Slipstream80

Long Arm by nostalkid

Long Arm at JoePedia

Long Arm at 3DJoes.com

Long Arm by gen_liederkranz

Long Arm by thedustinmccoy

Long Arm by Dragon Fortress

Long Arm by Slipstream80

Long Arm by thedustinmccoy

Long Arm by evilface

Long Arm at Toys From the Past

Long Arm by elmobfaelnar15

Long Arm by thedustinmccoy

1993 Muskrat

In thinking about this figure, I could not remember when, exactly, I found him at retail.  I do know that I bought him at the K-Mart in Bloomington, Indiana.  As I was there to visit a friend when I was on break, it had to be in late 1995 as the calendar was turning to 1996.  My friend from the area had told me there were some Joes at his local store.  So, when I went, I found this Muskrat and the 1993 Mace hanging among the misfit leftovers of dead toy lines that were stored on the back endcap of a aisle that was tucked into the furthest corner of the store.  Upon seeing the two figures, I bought them both.  I paid a whopping $3.44 for each figure.  I took them back to my friend's house, opened them up and found two really oddball figures that were more ridiculous than ingenious.

There's a lot going on with this figure.  Even if you forgive the orange, dark blue and olive/tan color combo, the mold is a weird design.  It almost looks as if Muskrat's chest was originally going to be a diver and he would have included a helmet that would have affixed nicely over the large shoulders and hoses.  Beyond that, though, I'm not really sure what Hasbro was going for in this figure's design.  He's certainly not the swamp fighter from 1988.  The blue and orange color scheme doesn't offer any clues.  So, the figure is really what you want to make of it.  There's enough orange figures in the line that he fits with many 1993 figures, most notably the Mega Marines.  So, there's use for him in that.

The most telling thing about this figure is that he has just one paint application.  His body is blue plastic with orange paint.  His arms feature only the orange color, too.  The figure's waist and lower legs are cast in the tan/olive plastic to break up the blue and orange.  But, they are plastic colors, not paint applications.  None of the details on Muskrat's chest are highlighted.  It's just a sea of orange against the dark blue.  Even in the cheapest days of the early 2000's, figures got two paint applications.  But, in 1993, there's several figures that were skimped on.  Look at the poor 1993 Eel in the photos below where there are zero paint applications on the body and just a red stripe on the figure's eyes on the head.  At least the figures who lost out are fewer in number than those who did get more attention in the paint mask department.  But, one of the reasons why this figure suffers is the lack of painted details.

So, let's talk about accessories.  For a 1993 figure, Muskrat includes a nice array of weapons.  His tree featured the Updraft pistol, the 1992 Shockwave rifle, a small knife and the 1990 Ambush rifle all cast in a nice dark blue color.  The color is probably better for Cobra.  But, they are dark enough to still be useful and they match the figure quite well.  There is the requisite missile launcher and two missiles.  And, to top it off, Muskrat includes a helmet.  The helmet is the same as Mace's, just in a different color.  The calling card of both these figures, though, is that the missile launcher fits onto the helmet and can be worn on the figure's head.  This both looks ridiculous and is also just, well, dumb.  But, in the realm of bad 1993 toy ideas, it's probably not in the top 10.  I'm not sure how the Joe design team came up with the idea of a head mounted missile launcher.  But, it exists on two figures.  We get a laugh out of it today.  And, the generic helmet meant for this purpose deprives the figure of another head covering that might have made Muskrat much more useful. 

Originally, Muskrat was going to be part of the DEF.  DEF was supposed to carry over to 1993.  However, Hasbro decided to cancel the DEF and simply include the figures meant for the subset as members of the standard Battle Corps line.  Muskrat was released in Australia on a DEF card.  And, DEF pre-production cards do exist for the US figure, too.  Many of those early pre-production cards also feature a much brighter green helmet for Muskrat.  It is more of a lime green than the subtle olive of the production figure.  As oddities, the alternate cards are interesting.  But, as the figure is the same, the only real plum is if you can find a bright green helmet.

The 1993 DEF newly sculpted figures ushered in the era of big shoulders and chests on Joe figures.  You'll notice Muskrat's arms are set lower on his chest.  This is a hallmark of the late run vintage Joe figures.  It's doesn't look better than the higher set.  So, there's no real need for it.  But, it's pronounced on figures like Muskrat and even the Headhunter Stormtrooper.  If we knew what Muskrat was wearing, the higher shoulders might make sense.  But, even then, it would be a stretch.  This updated construction can make it difficult to use pieces from earlier years with the later torsos.  And, it shows the Joe line's slow evolution that continued through 1994.  It's possible that by slowly adding bulk and size to the figures, it would have made kids more accepting on things like Replicators, Manimals and other cancelled 1995 designs that would have been bigger and bulkier.  But, the utter failure of Sgt. Savage shows that straying too far from the standard sizing was not a good strategy.

Muskrat's mold died with this release.  Despite the Headhunter Stormtrooper, Gristle, Mace, Bulletproof, Headhunter and Law all appearing in Brazil around 1995, Muskrat did not.  There was no telling where his mold ended up.  It's likely that Hasbro had it available.  But, really, there is no demand for a repaint of this figure.  And, the reality is that the bold color choices are the only thing saving this sculpt.  It would take a remarkable accessory complement to make this Muskrat usable.  So, collectors aren't really missing out on anything by not having another option for this mold available to them.  

Like the rest of the 1993 figures planned for the DEF series, Muskrat isn't as common as the more standard Battle Corps figures.  They were likely shipped together and didn't see the production run of the standard series release.  They are not, though, rare.  Lots of kids had them and the figures were easy to find until the last two or three years.  The figure got a bit pricey for a time in 2020 and 2021.  Now, though, he's dropping pretty fast.  You'll still see dealers get $20+ for a mint and complete figure.  But, he's about an $8 figure if you find one on the open market.  And, you can get carded figures for under $25.  So, that's worth the wait to get the figure for a fair price.  As an oddity, Muskrat is worth less than $10.  But, beyond that, this figure is tough to use and really only gets points for the powerful colors and oddball design.

2002 Headman - Around The Web

Headman was a really good villain whose unique look made for a great figure.  This 2002 figure, though, upped the ante and took a huge chance on a bright and interesting color scheme.  And, it created one of the best figures of the 2000's.  But, collectors of the day didn't see it that way and the figure was much maligned.  While the quality is better appreciated today, the high production numbers and disappointment hangover have left this Headman as underappreciated.  The upside is that he's relatively cheap to acquire.  And, as you can see in the links below, he works well in a variety of photos and dioramas.

2002 Headman Profile

2002 Headman by Dragonfortress

2002 Headman by drakovkinski

2002 Headman by nightforcetunnelrat

2002 Headman by Slipstream80

2002 Headman by darth_beotch

2002 Headman by theplasticeyeball

2002 Headman by C3Pestro

2002 Headman by thedustinmccoy

1993 Gristle - Around The Web

I found Gristle at retail several times in the mid 1990's.  He was not a popular figure and would often be the only remaining figure at random stores.  But, despite me being pretty adamant about buying anything I could find at retail in those days, I skipped Gristle.  I simply didn't like the figure.  There was something about the design that really left me uninterested in the figure.  That has continued to this day as I remain relatively cool on Gristle as a design.  I hadn't taken a photo of him in 5 years.  So, that kind of explains his standing in my collection.  

That doesn't mean, though, that Gristle isn't a pretty solid figure.  In terms of sculpting, Gristle is top notch.  His head sculpt is among the most detailed in the entire Joe line.  And, he has lots of fun little details hidden on his mold.  The 2008 repaint was fairly decent.  And, it showed how '90's mold could be updated with different colors.  There's a good amount of content on Gristle out there.  So, check out the various artists and their take on Gristle.

1993 Gristle Profile

1993 Gristle by gvilla74

1993 Gristle at Nekoman's Viper Pit

1993 Gristle by fun_time_at_serpentorslair

1993 Gristle at JoeADay.com

1993 Gristle by neapolitanjoe

1993 Gristle by Scarrviper

1993 Gristle by jogunwarrior

1993 Gristle by slipstream80

1993 Gristle by corpscommandercody

1993 Gristle by Scarrviper

1993 Gristle by ToneGunsRevisited

1993 Gristle by Nekoman

1993 Gristle by Agent Viper

1993 Gristle by corpscommandercody

1993 Gristle by LordRaven

1993 Gristle by Scarrviper

1993 Gristle by thedustinmccoy

1993 Mace - Random Photos Of The Day

So, I actually like the Mace figure.  I found my first one for a whopping $3.44 at a K-Mart in Bloomington, Indiana in 1995.  Sure, the helmet mounted missile launcher was dumb.  But, the figure had some promise and even looked decent with his helmet on...sans launcher.  I just learned in January of 2021 that Mace was sculpted with a man-bun.  Check it out on the back of his head.  You can see that it was intentional on the artwork for the Shark 9000.  

There's just a couple photos.  And, mostly it was show off Mace's stylish hair cut.  

Funskool Cutter

Throughout the vintage Joe run, Hasbro strived to keep existing characters refreshed and available.  This gave the line a continuity that helped bridge the gaps between different generations of kids.  It was possible for the youngest child to get the oldest's collection and then augment it with classic characters like Snake Eyes or Stalker who had new designs on the shelves.  In most of the cases of new takes on existing characters in the vintage line, Hasbro strayed far from the original design of the character.  (You could argue the 1985 Snake Eyes is a complete reimagination of the figure released in 1982.)  In some cases, though, Hasbro used their new take to simply update an existing character to a more modern take on their classic look.  There are few examples of this better than the 1992 Cutter.

The 1984 Cutter is not a bad figure.  I got him in December of 1984 and he quickly became an important part of my collection.  Even when the head construction changed in 1985, Cutter remained valuable because he was such a perfect fit for the Whale.  But, the reality is that Cutter did start to get a bit dated as the line progressed.  His look was perfect.  But, it was also bulky and he didn't really fit the notion of a combat commander.  The 1992 mold, though, solved this.  The DEF version was, at its essence, the same as the 1984 figure, just with a sleeker and more updated design.  Looking at the two figures, it's obvious they are same character.  And, that drives a lot of the 1992 Cutter's value.  He's a perfect update to the original Cutter figure.  But, he still works perfectly in the Whale.  But, he also works with an entirely new generation of figures without losing anything from the original.

In the early 2000's, though, it was actually kind of hard to find mint and complete figures from 1991 - 1994.  They were especially tough if you wanted to army build them in any numbers.  Funskool, though, offered a chance for collectors to get all the DEF Cutters they wanted for cheap.  Starting in 2001, dealers imported Cutters and sold them for around $4 each.  Collectors were quickly able to get a high quality rendition of the Cutter figure with ease.  For many, their first exposure to the mold was the Funskool release.  And, you'd see Funskool Cutters manning vehicles in photos and dios of the time.  The ubiquity of Funskool figures was somewhat taken for granted and collectors grew to feel the figures would always be available.  While I did buy a couple of extra Cutter figures, I never actually bought the army I sought.  

I have always loved the 1992 Cutter's accessories.  His weapon is the perfect combination of size and detail.  It's not too big.  And, it makes sense as the weapon that the commander of a ship would use since it would not be unwieldy in tight spaces aboard a Whale or Shark 9000.  The flashlight is an inspired choice of gear.  It's large and bulky and is a far cry from the Tunnel Rat or Outback flashlights from 5 years earlier.  The Funskool figures have the added value of being cast in black plastic instead of the white plastic of the American figure.  While the white works with the figure, it's really nice to get the weapon in black.  And, the Funskool release is the only option for an alternate color of this excellent weapon.  

There are three versions of the Cutter mold.  For sheer vintage homage appeal, the 1992 is the best.  The 1993 repaint that was released with the Shark 9000 is also very good and brings something different to the Cutter mold.  The white pants aren't great.  But, they work with the Shark.  And, the green is a great way to bring more environments into play for Cutter.  This Funskool version isn't too great a departure from the 1992 version.  But, the lighter blues and oranges are a near perfect match for the 1990 Topside figure.  And, in that vein, the two make for a great team.  So, each version has some value.  Hasbro had the chance to get this mold back from India in 2003.  It's not likely that they did so.  But, had they, the 2004 Moray and convention sets would have each been perfect venues for a new repaint.  That didn't happen.  And, the mold still has potential.  But, each of the three versions is good and that's more than many molds who debuted in the 1990's can say. 

Light blue Funskool plastic has always been a problem.  Figures that used it in the '80's and early '90's are notoriously prone to discoloration.  It's not uncommon to find gem mint examples of early and rare Funskool figures who have either entire body discoloration or singular pieces of the mold that have badly discolored while the rest of the figure is fine.  Most collectors assumed that proper storage for the figures released in the 2000's would solve this issue.   But, it seems that much of the plastic discoloring is a function of bad plastic and proper storage will only slow the decay, not prevent it.  As such, you see perfectly preserved Cutter figures that are starting to discolor.  But, these figures are now 20 years old.  The fact that Funskool light blue plastic figures may have a shelf life is disheartening.  But, all you can do is what you know is right and hope for the best.  Just know that even meticulously cared for figures will discolor through no fault of your own.

Funskool Cutter figures are not valuable to the average collector.  But, to dealers who can sit on them until someone desperate comes along, they can be.  Dealers will sell carded figures for $50.  Left to market pricing, though, it's a $25 carded figure.  Loose mint and complete versions of the figure are $7-$10 figures.  But, it might take you a year to find one.  New collectors are slowly getting it that most of the 2000's era Funskool figures are actually really common and exist in ample supply for both loose and carded figures.  That's creating the huge disparities between dealer and market pricing.  If you have more money than patience, you have overly expensive options.  But, if you like to maximize your collecting dollar, waiting out the market will usually give you a chance at figures like this for legitimate prices.

1993 Bulletproof

I first, kind of, started recollecting Joe figures in the fall of 1992.  I bought a few at the local Toys R Us a few days before Christmas when I was home on break.  Over Christmas break in 1993, I repeated the same trip to Toys R Us and bought some additional figures.  If you look over the posts on this site, some going back to 1999, even I'm confused about which figures I bought in 1992 and which I picked up in 1993.  One key point, though, is that I wasn't going to pay more than 2.99 for a figure back then.  So, it's unlikely I bought Bulletproof in 1992.  And, I also know that, at some point while I was away at school, my youngest brother found my Bulletproof figure and promptly lost his helmet with the microphone attached.  That one specific memory pins my first Bulletproof entering my collection in 1993.  

For a solidly Gen X teenager still in the throes of Grunge and early 1990's heavy metal, my Joe world took a dark tone.  But, instead of the heady, gratuitous violence that defined "grit" of that time, my world was more defeatist.  The frustrated writer in me turned the world into one of futility.  Men fought meaningless battles in a conflict that would never end.  They did so less out of duty and more out of necessity.  And, each of them knew that the reality is that they would not survive.  The ultimate Peter Principle played out as each was sent into battle after escalating battle until they simply weren't capable of surviving.  But, they still had to go and do their job.  Each knew their fate.  But, they were unable to deviate away from it.  It was a central point and was a source of conflict for the Joes.

In order to fully explore this, though, I couldn't just have a Joe team.  Either no one would die or I'd lose great figures as characters died off.  So, building upon ideas from my childhood, I created Joe army builders.  And, figures like Bulletproof were perfect for that.  For one, I didn't have the characters from the comic burned into my mind.  For two, it was easier to see a generic trooper in this mold than in others.  So, following the Cobra model, I specialized my Joe army builders, too.  Bulletproof became a "City Siege Commando".  (Think the Joe's version of the Alley Viper.)  Here, he would take on both law enforcement and military duties within cities.  If he were after a terrorist cell, he'd act like a squad of police.  If Cobra was destroying Middletown, Ohio, they were military all the way.  In this capacity, I was able to get more use out of figures like Bulletproof since they could take on any storyline and serve in multiple capacities.

Bulletproof's calling card is his hair.  Oh, that hair.  Rarely did Joes have distinctive hairstyles.  But, the 1990's saw strides in head sculpting.  And, with that came far more intricate hair molds.  Gristle is another great example of what Hasbro could do.  (I knew guys with Gristle's haircut in college.)  But, Bulletproof's hairdo might be the oddest attempt Hasbro took at giving a figure a currently in style appearance.  In some ways, they pulled it off.  But, one look at Bulletproof's large forehead also proves that they didn't quite nail it.  Bulletproof is also similar to Static Line from 1990.  So, there is a bit of a redundancy here that makes you think the designers saw one rap video on MTV in 1989 and gave every black guy the same haircut.  But, no other toyline in Joe scale was doing anything even remotely close to this in 1992.  Sadly, Hasbro lost that ability and by 2001, was reduced to balding, pasty white guys as the model for all their new head sculpts.

I bought Bulletproof because of his gear.  And, 27 years later, it still holds up.  Bulletproof's rifle is small, compact, detailed and nicely colored.  It's a shame that it didn't get more use.  His backpack has all the hallmarks of packs that I loved as a kid.  It's full of gear that an urban specialist would need.  There's a sculpted gas mask and a fire extinguisher to handle any type of urban situation.  I always felt Hasbro missed a chance to update Bulletproof's helmet to also have a version with a full gas mask on it.  It would have been a neat variant and a welcomed accessory in the line.  Bulletproof's helmet is OK.  It's large and bulbous: to accommodate the hair.  While I like the helmet, it's design isn't perfect.  The 1993 Bulletproof helmet also has a glued in microphone on it.  The 1992 helmet's mic is removable and often missing.  Hasbro solved this by gluing in the 1993 version.  I love the idea of urban specialist teams being in communication with each other.  So, having the mic just made the Bulletproof figure for me.

Bulletproof debuted as part of the DEF set in 1992.  In 1993, the DEF was supposed to continue.  But, for some reason, Hasbro cancelled the subset marketing and just released the DEF figures on regular Battle Corps cardbacks.  There were 6 new figures that were intended for the DEF subset.  And, Hasbro repainted three of the 1992 DEF figures for the standard line.  (Cutter was released as a vehicle driver.   Shockwave and Headman were discontinued.)  No reason was ever given for why the DEF was discontinued.  Though, it's likely that the higher price point of the 1992 figures doomed them at retail and the concept was avoided to steer clear of the association with figures already hanging around at retail into 1993.  

Bulletproof got three uses.  The tan cammo 1992 figure is the least ostentatious.  This 1993 repaint is fun just for neon nineties goodness.  The mold was then shuffled to Brazil.  There, Estrela released the figures in neon colors similar to this 1993 version.  But, the figure's skin tone was changed.  Tiro Certo figures were easy to find and could be had for about $15 for a carded figure in the late 2000's.  Now, those have dried up and he's far more expensive.  The 1993 Bulletproof helmet, sans microphone though, was released with the Night Fighter Guile in the Street Fighter Movie line.  This black helmet looks great on Tiro Certo (since he didn't include a helmet) but is also an accessory that I've used with great affect on various Snake Eyes repaints that can be seen through various photos on the site.  It's likely that Hasbro had the Bulletproof mold available to it in the 2000's.  But, they didn't care.  He would have made a great candidate for release in a number of sets.  But, getting him without his gear would have been a shame.  And, I'm OK with this mold living on with just the three releases.

This Bulletproof is typical of later neon release repaint figures.  He's not as easy to find as you would think.  And, he gets a bit of a premium for that.  A loose, mint and complete figure will run you $18 or so.  But, you can get carded figures for $25 and that's probably the way to go.  Be wary, though, as many 1993 figures are sold with the 1992 helmet that has the removable microphone and it's often missing.  But, as the mic isn't overly tiny, it's still sometimes present and complete Bulletproofs are obtainable.  You should note, though, that some people drastically overpay for this figure.  And, you'll see $70+ loose figures from time to time.  I still find this figure visually striking and a lot of fun.  But, that's worth less than $20 to me and I find the high prices for figures like this to reek of both desperate collectors looking for final items and a quickly ending bubble where people will wonder how they ever paid high prices for an obscure release like this.  But, if you can get one for the right price, this Bulletproof is still worthwhile.

1993 Headhunter Stormtrooper - Around The Web

In the early 2000's, collectors hated 1993 and 1994 figures.  As such, dealers often had boxes and boxes of carded figures for a few bucks each.  Mostly, these were brightly colored characters that the collectors of the day loathed.  But, every now and again, you'd come across a stash of Headhunter Stormtroopers.  Around 2002 or so, the collecting community discovered this figure and began to accept that even 1993 had a few redeeming figures that were worthy to stand along the 1987 and earlier figures.  18 years later, this attitude seems almost foolhardy.  But, it took the Joe community a long time to break their staid habits.  Due to the figure's quality, there's a ton of content on him out there.  Here's the best of the 1993 Headhunter Stormtrooper from around the web.

Headhunter Stormtrooper Profile

Headhunter Stormtrooper by thevintagetoylife

Headhunter Stormtrooper by Scarrviper

Headhunter Stormtrooper by jogunwarrior

Headhunter Stormtrooper by Flatline

Headhunter Stormtrooper by djv

Headhunter Stormtrooper Video Review

Headhunter Stormtrooper at 3DJoes.com

Headhunter Stormtrooper at Joewiki

Headhunters at Icebreakers HQ

Headhunter Stormtrooper by fun_time_at_serpentors_lair

Headhunter Stormtrooper by thedustinmccoy

1992 Headman

There is a very real chance that I saw a Headman figure at retail during my one trip to Toys R Us in December of 1992.  I distinctly recall reviewing a cardback and seeing a Headhunter: thinking that he was a figure I wanted to own.  But, I did not find a Headhunter at the store.  I did, though, buy a Bulletproof: proving there were plenty of other DEF figures at the store.  So, Headman was probably there.  But, he left no lasting impression upon me and purchasing him was really not an option I entertained.  Over the years, Headman still never resonated much with me until a repaint showed up and was different enough that it allowed the character to stand out.  But, in time, things come around and Headman's complementary appearance with the Headhunters makes him useful

I acquired my first Headman figure in the late 1990's.  At the time, I was on a quest to find Headhunter figures.  And, in my purchase of lots that included the army builders, I also picked up a Headman figure.  The figure was there.  But, I did little with him.  Headman didn't really become part of my Joe world, though, until 2002.  That year, Hasbro released a Headman repaint in the overproduced Wave 1.5.   This orangish/tan redo on the character easily became my go to version of the character and also defined his character.  With this solid repaint in tow, I had little use for the original figure.  And, he didn't survive my early 2010's figure purge since the 2002 version was superior.  With that 2002 version, I created a replacement character for Tomax and Xamot.  That Headman was squarely situated in the business dealings of Cobra.  Now, though, I prefer Headman as a drug dealer.

I find it odd that there are collectors who have no issue with Cobra creating an army to overthrow the United States government but find that dealing drugs was too far for them.  Cobra needed funding.  And, while arms sales certainly pay the bills, drugs would provide a steady income stream as well.  Drugs also have the added benefit of creating discord in American society.  This would allow for conditions where Cobra could come in and easily brainwash people.  Larry Hama deftly visited this theme in some issues of the comic in the Millville arc.  Though, he avoided drug use/abuse as one of the themes that had the people worried.  Now, with opiods wreaking havoc across communities both large and small throughout the U.S., I can see Cobra getting their cut of the action to both better fund their activities and create opportunities for recruitment/takeover in neglected towns that are off the beaten path in the U.S.  Headman fits into this realm well.  He has a specific purpose in Cobra.  And, he's very valuable due to the revenue he generates.  But, Headman is also expendable.  It's relatively easy to find drug kingpins: especially when you have Cobra's resources of weapons and troops.  So, Headman has value and provides Cobra a valuable service.  But, he's careful not to tread too heavily lest he find himself replaced.  There's not a lot you can do with a role like this.  But, it gives this Headman some use and keeps him on the Joe's radar.  Cobra has interest in ensuring Headman isn't captured.  But, he also serves as a useful pawn that Cobra could sacrifice in an attempt to get the Joes to declare victory and move their resources away from Cobra's domestic funding operations.

As a design, Headman has pluses and minuses.  He is the only vintage figure sculpted in a suit.  In the 2000's, this became hugely important as it was quickly commandeered for both a new General Flagg and the desperately needed Tomax and Xamot in business suit figures.  Of course, now, all Cobras wearing suits went to the same tailor.  But, there's so few of them that it's OK.  The pinstripes are odd.  In some ways, they look nice.  But, even with the vertical striping, the figure looks too much like a prisoner.  The stripes are also gold paint.  We all know the limitations of gold paint and they become apparent quickly as even decently conditioned Headman figures will often show a bit of wear on the stripes.  The biggest design flaw is the head.  The figure's ponytail is a nice addition that gives the character some depth in design.  But, the face mask is simply too 1940's.  It makes the figure look like the Hamburglar.  So, any seriousness afforded to Headman as a character is quickly lost with that design association.

In the early 2000's, collectors were mostly enamored with 1987 and earlier characters.  A few Cobras from 1988 and 1989 managed to break into the general collector conscious.  But, 1990's Cobras were mostly ignored.  As the 2000's turned to the 2010's, you saw a few more of these 1990's characters enjoy moments of spotlight where the figures were shortly desirable.  But, the late 2010's have brought a greater appreciation to the 1990's Cobras.  Characters like Cesspool, Toxo-Zombie, Interrogator, Vapor and even repaints of Dr. Mindbender, Major Bludd and Destro have started to gain appreciation among collectors.  Headhunters, in particular, have taken off in popularity again.  (They had a brief surge around 2002-2003, but then fell out of favor.)  Headhunter figures have gotten very expensive and hard to find.  Even items that collectors tended to loathe (like the convention Headhunter Stormtrooper) have gained some popularity.  Headman, though, has not.  The character remains obscure and the only real market interest in him is driven on scarcity rather than popularity.  This is likely a function of the fact that Headman's look can be taken as a joke.  But, even meme worthy figures like Funskool Big Brawler have found some cachet among the collectors of the world.  Headman mostly remains lost.  He has yet to take ahold of the collecting hive mind.  This is likely a function of his absence in the anniversary line.  It's not bad that some characters fall behind since it leaves unturned gems for collectors to discover later.  But, in Headman's case, I wonder if it's going to happen for him since his design and look present such challenges.

Headman's gear is not great.  His main accessory is a gigantic missile launcher with missiles.  It's useless.  But, it's something that was used to increase the figure's retail price point.  He also includes a blocky, golden rifle.  Personally, I despise this weapon.  I think it looks terrible.  But, I have been surprised to find my opinion of it is in the minority.  Many collectors actually really like the weapon and consider it a key attribute of the figure.  I would have preferred that Headman included some type of cane.  (He sported one in the comics.)  It would have played up his stereo-typical design.  But, also would have been a unique feature of vintage Joe line.  I went looking for 3 3/4 canes.  But, I have yet to find any from the major dealers of compatible accessories.  So, if you know of a good one that's widely available, leave a note in the comments.

Headman was only made by Hasbro.  He had the 1992 and 2002 releases.  Then, his body was used in 2004 for General Flagg and in 2005 for Tomax and Xamot.  Oddly, he didn't appear in the 2008 convention set.  But, since we had a decent Headman repaint in 2002, it was a much better choice to include the previously unseen Gristle figure as the set's main antagonist.  When Hasbro repainted both the Viper/Mirage and Alley Viper/Big Ben sets in later 2002 figure waves, I desperately hoped that a repainted Headman would also follow.  I thought the mold still had potential for a stupidly wacky repaint (think purple or green suit!) that would have been a departure from Hasbro's 2000's norm of muted colors.  But, this never happened.  And, Headman remains an under-utilized mold from the vintage era.  I can't really say he was wasted.  But, I feel more could have been done with him.  But, since collectors seem to have left the character behind, it was probably the right choice to not re-visit him again and again.

2018 brought tremendous change to the Joe world.  There was an influx of new collectors.  This increase continues to drive prices of even common and undesirable figures much higher.  The other thing it's doing, though, is finally bringing to light the inequity in production numbers between regular carded figures and the carded sub set figures.  Themes like DEF, Eco Warriors and even Star Brigade are starting to show up with less frequency.  The lower production numbers on these sub-themes have always been known.  But, they have never really manifested when trying to acquire the figures on the after-market.  Now, though, it is becoming harder and harder to find loose samples of figures from these sub sets.  While you used to see plenty of lots featuring a few of the sub set characters each, you now find fewer and fewer dealers and collector/dealer hybrids are willing to do this.  They separate out the sub set figures and sell them alone.  This leads to the perception that the sub set figures are scarce.  And, while this is true, it's not as true as dealers want new collectors to believe.  You often see thinly veiled attempts to frame figures as rare from a person who, secretly, is selling those exact figures on another venue.  You see people talking about $40 Headhunters while watching the figure sell for $18 on an open sale.  Yes, the DEF figures exist in smaller quantities than the regular carded series.  But, they were also widely shipped and exist in far greater quantities than any Joe made in 1997 or later.  And, those who try to portray it otherwise usually have an agenda they are keen to keep discrete.

Dealers seem to get around $20 for a mint and complete Headman figure.  Left to his own devices, though, the figure isn't much cheaper.  You might find one for $15 or so.  But, they appear less and less frequently as open sales.  You can get carded versions of Headman for between $30 and $40.  And, those seem to be about as a available as loose samples.  However, incomplete Headman figures can be picked up for just a couple of bucks.  And, since his gear really sucks, I find that a much better option to add Headman to your collection.  (And, the 2002 version is still dirt cheap and it's, in my opinion anyways, a much better figure.)  I wouldn't pay that much for this figure.  He's neat and a needed member of the Headhunters faction.  But, I've never seen Headhunters as belonging to Headman.  Free from such constraints, Headman's value to me plummets even more.  Your mileage, of course, will vary.  Since DEF is a small subset, many collectors complete it out of boredom.  Headman hasn't really captured the attention of collectors.  If the second Joe renaissance continues, it's probable that we will, eventually, get around to Headman.  But, those surges are shortlived and I don't see Headman ever becoming more than what he is today.

1993 Long Arm

We all know that 1993 had a significant amount of figures that were poorly colored.  We also know that the year featured some of Hasbro's best sculpting.  But, it was extremely rare when the excellent design was matched with quality colors. More frequently, Hasbro released spectacular figure sculpts in bright and even clashing colors.  This lead to great unrealized potential in the line.  26 years later, though, the bright colors definitely stand as a relic of their release time. The figures who received the bright hues have even found renewed collector interest as younger collectors who grew up in the 1990's now make up a larger segment of the collecting world.  For an old timer like me who haunted retail in the line's dying days, though, some figures bring back memories while others were nothing more than a picture on a cardback.  The 1993 Long Arm figure is one such windmill.  When I first saw his tiny portrait, I was intrigued.  But, I never found the figure at retail and it was several years before I finally added the figure to my collection.

I really had no knowledge of the figures that would have been the 1993 series of DEF figures until December of 1995.  A friend of mine found some Joes at his local K-Mart in Bloomington, Indiana.  I finally got down to see him and went to the store.  There, at the back of an aisle, scattered among random toys were two carded Joes I had never seen before: Muskrat and Mace.  I paid the $3.44 each for them, despite the bad designs.  Both of the figures left much to be desired.  But, after they were opened, I spent some time looking at the cardbacks.  There were several figures on the back that I had never seen, but looked far superior to the two I had found at the store.  Among these was Long Arm.  Any figure with a full helmet that appeared to be removable was going to be something I liked.  So, I made a mental note of Long Arm in the hopes I would find him one day.  Alas, though, that was not to be as Joe was mostly gone by then. 

When I started buying online in the late 1990's, lots with loose figures from 1990 through 1994 were almost impossible to find.  (You could get all the 1980's collections you wanted, though, for maybe a buck or two per figure.)  But, as I was one of the few collectors who cared about such figures, I found little competition for the few lots that did appear.  Through one of these random purchases, I acquired my first Long Arm figure.  I pulled the figure aside to look at him.  But, he was quickly outclassed by other new acquisitions who were also better figures.  My desire to find a Long Arm was overcome by the sheer volume of newness I was adding to my collection in those days.  So, Long Arm was packed into a drawer and never really appeared. 

And, here he stayed for nearly two decades.  I tried to place him in Star Brigade.  But, there were so many new astronauts to my ranks that Long Arm couldn't compete.  He could have worked as a deep sea diver.  But, I had an army of mail away Deep Six figures who were better at that role.  Even Mace found himself more useful than Long Arm in general DEF type duties.  In short, I could not find a purpose for the Long Arm figure.  And, that remains true today.  Long Arm is simply a lost figure in my collection.  He's a guy who can't find his way home.  That's rare for me...especially with a mold and color scheme that lend themselves to holding my attention.  Had I found the figure that day in 1995, I think Long Arm's fate would be different. 

In the early 2000's, Long Arm was a favorite answer to the question of what 1990's figure would you most like to see repainted.  Even when 1992 and later figures were hated, Long Arm's design could attract attention.  But, the line died before Long Arm could ever appear.  But, then in 2008, the mold appeared as a convention exclusive.  This is the only other repaint of Long Arm and is a highly desired and expensive figure.  The only other Long Arm collectible is an Australian release of the figure.  There, Long Arm was packaged on a DEF card back: mimicking the original intention of the figure's design.  There was a time when this was a highly desired international variant.  But, it has lost its lustre in recent years.  Long Arm could have been a cool release in Star Brigade, but that never happened.  At least there's one good version of the mold.  It would have been cool were there more, though.

As a visual entity, Long Arm is pretty basic.  His body is all bright orange.  It is broken by a smattering of golden highlights on his chest.  He has black boots and gloves.  And, that's the end of the figure's paint applications.  But, the helmet is a solid design and the blue faceplate helps bring some additional color to the figure.  The real surprise is the excellent head sculpt on Long Arm.  The face and hair are well detailed and show a great amount of character.  Since Long Arm is mostly seen with the helmet on, it's surprising to me that his head is not more used on custom characters.  Few collectors would recognize it outright.  But, the figure's late release year and general obscurity seem to diminish his appearance on customs.

Long Arm's gear is non-descript.  His red weapon tree contains accessories that are both uninteresting and poorly colored.  It's not a good combination.  You do get the red version of the 1992 Roadblock knife.  But, the 1991 Grunt and 1991 Sci Fi rifles are bad weapon choices.  Long Arm does have the novelty of a shield that affixes to his spring loaded launcher.  While the visual isn't fantastic, the play value is there and I recall thinking the concept of these shields was cool...even if the execution wasn't great.  Long Arm would have been better with bomb defusing tools.  The green color of the Clean Sweep's accessories aren't a perfect match for the orange.  But, they do add some life to Long Arm.

Long Arm pricing can be all over the place.  The figure has a bit of cachet due to the convention release.  You'll see dealers selling carded versions for $40+ and they'll even sell at that price as they are not as common as they once were.  Left to market pricing, though, carded figures sell for under $15.  You can get loose mint and complete figures for around $15, too.  So, if you want one, you're better off waiting for a carded figure and just opening it up.  You can, of course, get incomplete figures for drastically less.  And, since the figure's weapons suck, that's the way to go.  That way, you get a fun figure to own and spend an amount that makes sense for a guy who's bright orange.