Funskool Quick Kick

I'm not a Quick Kick fan.  I never have been.  Even back in 1985, I didn't find much use for the figure.  I had Snake Eyes to engage in epic sword fights with Stormshadow.  So, I had no need for another guy who wasn't part of the story and really didn't fit the ninja aesthetic of the time.  This was not the case for my peers, though.  They loved Quick Kick.  One of them loved him a bit too much and overused him to a great extent. But, to me, the character never really mattered all that much.  He simply wasn't someone around whom I could build adventures.  And, his only real use was as a generic civilian type militant who would get wasted by the Joes or Cobras when they tried to attack.

Much of my malaise towards the figure, though, was due to simple timing and luck.  For me, it was good luck.  For Quick Kick, it was bad luck.  Back in 1985, I found the new Snake Eyes figure very early in the year.  He was among the first 6 or 7 figures I acquired that year.  This was an anomaly as I had been very lucky to find an unstocked case of Joes on the floor of our local Toys R Us.  Inside was a Snake Eyes.  With Snake Eyes in hand, there was no way that Quick Kick was ever going to matter.  For my friends, though, this wasn't the case.  One of them had to wait until nearly Christmas to get his Snake Eyes figure.  With no other foil to his Stormshadow, Quick Kick became an integral figure to his collection.  Had I not found Snake Eyes on that fateful spring day 40 years ago, I might have found the same importance for Quick Kick.  Fate's cruel hand, though, dealt Quick Kick a fatal blow from which he hasn't recovered.

As I came online, though, I learned that many collectors view Quick Kick in a manner that's closer to that of my childhood friend than they do to me.  For many, Quick Kick was the only option to battle against Stormshadow.  And, he may have even been their only figure who carried edged weapons.  And, in this context, Quick Kick would be a vital childhood memory.  I, still, could not find much value in the figure.  He's among the least photographed figures from my childhood sweet spot of 1984-1987.  That doesn't mean, though, that he's a bad figure.  Quick Kick features all of the quality that was evident on other members of the 1985 figure class.  He is a cohesive design that creates a memorable character.  He just wasn't one that resonated with me.

But, seeing other collectors enjoy the character has, at least, gotten me to examine him on more than one occasion.  I feel it worthwhile to challenge my pre-conceived notions about figures...especially those from childhood.  Maybe I missed something.  And, as I've collected for over 3 decades, now, it's worth going back and trying to uncover an aspect of a toy that I may have overlooked or simply not appreciated as a child.  I find this a valuable exercise since it leads to self discovery as well as identifying items I've owned for years that can feel new and exciting again as they capture my attention.

With that in mind, I decided to take another look at Quick Kick.  He was the subject of a theme month at ARAHGallery.com and that gave me an opportunity to photograph his various versions.  I had a bit of fun with the various releases that I own.  As Quick Kick isn't an often participant in my photoshoots, I thought of a few ideas for him.  While R.T.G. has found success foiling Quick Kick against 1987 Cobra villains, I didn't find such a pairing.  Due to his release year, I see Quick Kick as more a pairing with more of the traditional Joes instead of the martial artists.  But, Quick Kick doesn't really match up with the missions on which Flint and Footloose would lead.  So, this still left the character with no real purpose and no real home.  In a couple of years, I'll try again and see if he captures my attention, then.

Quick Kick was a world traveler.  After Hasbro was done with the mold,  he was released in both Brazil and Argentina.  Both of these figures have coloring variants to the Hasbro and Indian figures.  Brazil even produced a large number of Quick Kick figures that were then available from Hasbro Direct as a mail away offer in the early 1990's.  These figures are identical to the Estrela figure released in Brazil.  But, they are fairly common and cheap, today.  Finally, Quick Kick went to India where Funskool released him for a long time.  An oddball figure using Quick Kick's body and Budo's head was even released as a Funskool promotional figure.  Hasbro never bothered to ask for the mold back.  And, Quick Kick was even among the Funskool figures who got a re-release in 2009.  The mold is, likely, still in India.  Maybe someone will resurrect it one day.  But, we probably have all the Quick Kick figures we need at this point.

At his core, the Funskool Quick Kick isn't all that much different from the Hasbro version.  The skin tone is more pink.  The pants are a shinier black.  And, in general, the accent colors of red and blue are more vibrant on the Indian figure.  The paint applications tend to be a little sloppier than Hasbro's.  So, there's really nothing that this Funskool release offers that you don't also get with the Hasbro version.  So, it's really just a bragging point or international Joe collectors and a figure to cross off a list.  

The Funskool version includes the same accessories as the Hasbro version.  The nunchuks are more flimsy than the Hasbro versions and feature a very thin chain that breaks easily.  The sword isn't as hefty as the Hasbro release, either.  It's noticeable when you have them both together.  His backpack is a dark black instead of the grey from the Hasbro release.  It's the most visually distinctive difference.  I'm loathe to use the nunchuks due to the fragility.  And, if the plastic dries out, they'll likely snap even if I've never used them.  I do like giving Quick Kick's sword to Budo as an alternative look for him.  That's about the most use I've ever gotten from the weapons.

There are many variants of the Funskool Quick Kick figure.  As he was in production for a long time, color nuances became the norm.  Generally, figures with very pink sashes are the rarest and most desirable.  Excellently conditioned samples can run upwards of $500.  Those variants, though, were not among the widely imported Funskool figures from 2001 and onwards.  All Funskool figure pricing on common figures from that era is stupid right now.  Quick Kick was available from American dealers for years and years.  Which makes sense that people trying to sell the figure in the $40-$50 range don't tend to do well.  But, supply is still very low.  So, you see carded figures sell for upwards of $50 all too often.  Left to market pricing, Quick Kick is about a $30 MOC figure...which is still way too  much for a figure of this stature and supply.

You can get a mint and complete Hasbro Quick Kick for about the same price as a carded Funskool version.  While a loose Funskool Quick Kick will be a lot cheaper, they are also harder to find.  So, it's probably worth it to just solve your Quick Kick needs with a Hasbro figure and call it a day.  I have this figure because he was $4: like every other Funskool figure that you overpay for today.  He was worth that price to me.  But, he wouldn't be worth much more.  But, it's also likely that my take on Quick Kick was forged by experiences that few others share.  So, to them, this figure has much more value.  And, if the character is important to you, having the option of another international variant makes collecting him much more fun and interesting. 

Rarities - Auriken Grunt

In Mexico, the Auriken toy company released a small line of exclusive Joes.  There are a few different series.  The initial series, though, features all straight arm figures.  In fact, it features all of the straight arm figures that were also released in the U.S.  All nine Joes are available, as well as both the Cobra Trooper and Officer.  But, two of the figures featured some "updated" artwork.  One was Snake Eyes.  The other was Grunt.  Instead of the classic Grunt artwork on the packaging, the Auriken Grunt featured Footloose's artwork.  

Footloose matched Grunt's specialty of "Infantry Soldier".  So, it's  possible that the artwork got mixed up as it traveled around the world.  But, the proper Grunt artwork was used in Brazil and Argentina.  So, it getting mixed up when it went to Mexico seems less likely.  The Footloose figure was also released in both Brazil and Argentina.  He didn't see release by Auriken.  Though, all of the Auriken figures that were released were also released in Brazil.  It seems the line went straight from Brazil to Mexico for figure releases.  The mechanism and timeline of how that happened, though, is murky at best.

As a figure, Grunt sucks.  Footloose is awesome, though.  So, getting another crappy Grunt and missing out on another international Footloose release is disappointing.  But, the Auriken figures have kind of dried up and it would be unlikely that a Footloose release would be something I had been able to track down.  

The real story is the box, in general.  It is a unique way for Joes to be presented.  Each figure being affixed with a twist tie is also unique.  During the early days of collecting, when Auriken figures were a bit more common, many collectors gravitated towards them due to the unique packaging.  It's weird that the figure's filecard would be displayed if you folded the box flap over the figure's window.  The whole design seems rather inefficient.  Regardless, it's a good example of how Joes were sold around the world.

Rarities - Unproduced Brazilian Figures

While Estrela produced around 150 total figures in their exclusive Comandos Em Acao line, they  had intended for there to be more.  In the 1990's, Estrela showcased 5 figures in various forms that ended up never getting released.  These figures not only appeared as cross sells on various cardbacks, but even appeared in catalogs used to sell the products.  The 5 figures were all 1991 releases from Hasbro.  The figures were: Grunt, Crimson Guard Immortal, Mercer, Tracker and Cobra Commander.  (Their names in Brazil would have been Arsenal, Flagelo, Desertor, Correnteza and Tirano.)

Hasbro's 1991 figures were one of the rare years that didn't see a second year of release.  This was due to Hasbro trying to reboot the line in 1992 with familiar characters.  So, 1991 molds became common sights in later repaint lines and international releases.  You'll note that all of the figures that appear in the Estrela promotional material shown below are Hasbro made figures and not the Estrela figures.  So, this marketing propaganda was made prior to Estrela having their own wares to photograph.  

You'll often find international guides that list these figures as being available in Brazil.  But, many of these were from the early days of collecting before it was determined that these figures never saw production.  One early guide even features a few Hasbro figures in the placeholders for these names.  And, one thing that's constant in the Joe line is that mistakes and errors from the early collecting years are often repeated and rarely corrected.

Below are two promo photos.  One features just the 5 cancelled figures.  The other shows them interspersed with some other figures that were released in Brazil.  Seeing them all in one shot suggests to me that they were planned as a new wave at one point.  But, the entire wave was halted.  Maybe Hasbro didn't send the molds for whatever reason.  Or, it could have just been that Estrela determined they didn't want another wave.  These figures would have appeared closer to the end of the Comandos Em Acao line.  And, this was the time when Estrela was starting to move away from the standard carded figures that had defined their line and towards the themed subsets of figures that featured bigger cards and more gimmicks.

It's interesting to note that all 5 of these unproduced figures from Estrela did, later, appear as exclusive Funskool releases.  So, Hasbro did recoup more of their cost as they moved the molds around the world.  And, the molds weren't in an unusable state for Esrela.  But, the reasons for these figures being cancelled in Brazil remain lost.  

2003 Funskool Incinerator - Random Photos of the Day

The Incinerator is a pretty good figure.  Sure, his specialty is obscure and difficult to use.  But, in the context of an evil flame thrower, his look is just about perfect.  In 2003, Funskool produced their own version of the character.  He is incredibly similar to the Hasbro version.  As such, the two are great companions.  The Funskool version breaks up an army of Hasbro figures and vice-versa.

Every U.S. based dealer under the sun sold Incinerators for $4 each or less.  Despite this widespread availability, though, collectors largely yawned at the release.  And, today, the figure is somewhat hard to find.  And, you'll pay a bit of a premium for him.  At $4, this figure was a must buy and even small armies made sense.  At today's insane pricing, he's best left as an oddity that sits on the shelf.  

I do enjoy photographing him, though.  The Incinerators, in general, are a lot of fun to take out and use.  They are visually powerful and aren't a figure that lot of people use...especially at any scale.  Adding the Funskool version to the mix just gives the photos that much extra oomph.  

His gear is kind of fun.  The bright green backpack offsets the orange, nicely.  The blue gun makes no sense.  But, bright orange, oval headed flamethrowers don't make sense, either.  And, it's so "Funskool" that it's perfect.  Enjoy the photos below as something different today.

Funskool Tunnel Rat - Around The Web

The prices on this figure are still dumb.  I'll just open with that statement.  Because, it seems everyone has forgotten that Funskool figures were widely available in the US and every collector who was active during the early 2000's had all the Funskool figures they could ever want.  But, memories are short.

Not a ton of people use this figure.  But, there's some fun stuff out there showcasing him.  The bright colors are a hallmark of Funskool but also create a really nice visually distinctive toy.  I really miss Funskool.  It's been over 15 years since they've made G.I. Joe figures.  So, I don't think we're ever going to see the line return.  But, it was fun while it lasted.

Funskool Tunnel Rat Profile

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by The Dragon Fortress

Funskool Tunnel Rat by Funskool Rony

Funskool Tunnel Rat by Toy Gyani

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by The Dragon Fortress

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by codenameflint

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Funskool Tunnel Rat by corpscommandercody

Gatilho - Brazilian Exclusive Python Patrol Airborne

Gatilho has been part of my collection for over 20 years.  In that time, he has been a major player, minor annoyance and, now, part of my core collection that defines my Joe experience.  I no longer really think of the figure as a foreign exclusive.  Instead, he's just another option when I'm looking to staff the villains in photos or displays.  He's more a part of the Python Patrol to me than even Copperhead or the Viper.  I just see him in this role as a major character whose origin in South America is one of the lesser aspects of his character.  And, as I've found Python Patrol to be a fun subset to build out, Gatilho takes on importance beyond being a foreign oddity and has become a key component of one of my favorite one-off sets in my collection.

At this point in my collecting life, foreign exclusives have been part of my Joe experience for so long that I really don't have the appreciation for them that they probably warrant. It is amazing that the world has changed to a point where acquiring decades old toys that were exclusively released on other continents is commonplace.  Figures like the Brazilian Gatilho were once nearly impossible find.  Now, they are relatively common and most collectors have easy access to the figure, though they may be priced somewhat higher.  We have knowledge of foreign releases and access to their home markets that allow anyone to add foreign figures like this to their collections.  That expansion of the Joe world has been a heavy driver of the brand's momentum for over 20 years, now.  Fan clubs, factory customs and licensed partners have all delved into the foreign Joe mythos.  And, it's been only possible because there is so much information about non-Hasbro releases available.  

Gatilho is pretty much what he's supposed to be.  He's a weird villain wearing a Python Patrol uniform.  His base is solidly military...a leftover from his Airborne roots.  But, the colors are non-sensical in any form aside from membership in Python Patrol.  The green, yellow and black is a visual treat, though.  And, I'd have enjoyed this figure quite a bit had I owned him as a kid.  As a collector, though, I appreciate that he brings the one element that was always missing from Python Patrol: named characters.  Python Patrol was an army builder's panacea.  But, a team with no leader didn't make sense.  And, in the pre-factory custom world, Gatilho was the perfect choice to lead teams of Python army builders into action.

Gatilho has some limitations, too.  His yellow waists makes him appear that he's wearing yellow underwear on the outside of his uniform.  It's somewhat distracting.  It does break up the figure's look.  But, not in a good way.  His kneepads are also unpainted.  A quick application of black paint here would really help set the figure out.  The busy camo pattern makes Gatilho's legs disappear.  Black kneepads would help to break this up and give you a visual resting point on the figure.  The rest of the colors are an odd mish-mash.  But, they are true to the Python Patrol visuals.  Really, it's amazing how well Gatilho and Relampago match up to the Hasbro Python Patrol figures.  It's this consistency that makes the Brazilian duo so useful.  They look like they are intended to match the Hasbro sub-team.

Back in 2003, I wrote up a whole backstory for this figure.  And, had I not written it down, I'd have no recollection of it.  I have less need for a complex and intricate origin for every character these days.  Now, I just see Gatilho as a guy who leads some similarly dressed Cobras into battle.  There's not much thought put into him beyond that.  He might ride a motorcycle or a helicopter.  But, those are just tools and not part of his character.  I like the figure because he looks cool and is a perfect match for one of my favorite Cobra Trooper recolors.  And, 20 years after his acquisition, that's enough.  I like using him and I take advantage of that when I can.  

Gatilho includes two accessories, but both are unique to this figure. The helmet is a yellow version of Airborne's original helmet, but with the molded goggles painted black. This additional splash of color helps to mute the bright yellow and gives the helmet far more character than was exhibited on the American Airborne. The figure also includes a charcoal colored version of Ripcord's rifle. This coloring is similar to the weapon included with the Tactical Battle Platform in the U.S. But, it has a glossier finish. Due to the figure's brittle thumbs and the rifle's large handle, though, I have never actually placed the weapon in the figure's hands. Instead, I use other, smaller handled weapons or have Gatilho posed like he appears in the photos below where he holds the rifle by the barrel or handle in a resting position rather than being ready to fire. The accessories fit the figure, but are not all that great. Having the helmet is worthwhile as the helmetless figure is a bit boring. But, there are other alternatives to Gatilho's weapon that allow for the budget conscious collector to skip that unique accessory and outfit him with something from the spare guns bin.

The Airborne mold was released several times.  Hasbro released Airborne in 1983.  He was available on a card and bagged as well.  His torso and accessories were then used for the first version of the Steel Brigade figure.  Then, the mold went to South America.  (This is why the Steel Brigade was changed to the Duke torso and also why Starduster was switched to Duke's torso since Recondo was also sent away.)  Airborne was released in colors based off his US figure in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina.  The final release of the mold appears to have been this Gatilho.  But, foreign timelines are fuzzy.  In the early 2000's, there were people in Argentina who claimed to have access to the Airborne mold and could make exclusive figures.  No one took them up on the offer.  (Which, was probably wise!)  But, it implied that the Airborne mold existed at that time.  It was just not in Hasbro's control.  If this was true or if the mold might still exist are unknown.  Factory Custom maker Black Major released an Airborne torso on his Steel Brigade figures in 2017.  But, he never used the torso on another figure, despite the possibilities.  Airborne remains an underrepresented figure in terms of untapped potential for repaints of the mold.  But, it's unlikely to ever come to be.

While the Airborne mold was used quite a bit, I feel it was never really fully exploited.  The Argentine, Mexican and Brazilian versions of the character all have nuances from the Hasbro figure.  But, at their core, they are the same central theme based on the character's original appearance.  The Steel Brigade usage of the torso was good.  But, you have to find what is now one of the rarest Hasbro figures in the line's history to use on a custom to make use of the solid green color.  Fail Safe brought back the Airborne helmet in 2023.  And, it would have been awesome to have seen a drastic Airborne recolor to accompany Ripcord released some time after the Skystriker dropped.  I feel there's a lot of potential left in the Airborne mold that could be used for a definitive version of the character.  I don't think we'll ever see it, though.

In the grand scheme of things, this figure is rare. The brittle Brazilian plastic, lower overall production numbers and language barriers to its native release country all add up to a figure that does not exist in great quantities. But, despite all that, the figure is still very much available from South American Joe sellers and can even be found from American dealers with some frequency. Gatilho is still, though, a $80 - $100 figure if you want a mint, complete with filecard version. (You can get them cheaper if you can find an American seller with the figure, but that takes quite a bit of patience.)  That's pricey for the Joe line. It is up to each collector to determine if this figure brings that kind of value to their collection. Personally, I find Gatilho and Relampago necessary members of my collection due to the holes they fill in the Python Patrol subset.  But, if Python Patrol isn't a division of interest, then the value each figure brings to a collection diminishes.

 

Funskool Desert Scorpion - Random Photos of the Day

I'd love to say that, once upon a time, the Funskool Desert Scorpion was a popular purchase for adult collectors.  But, that was never the case.  Even  during the "everything army builder!!!!!" phase of the early 2000's, this widely available figure never really caught on.  To this day, you almost never see this figure used in any capacity.  A big part of that is that he's kind of hard to find and overly expensive.  This is a function of his unfashionable debut in 2001 and the fact that collectors completely ignored him during that era while they bought up tens of thousands of Funskool Night Vipers, Hydro Vipers, Crimson Guards and, yes, Toxo Vipers.  

I still see this figure as an elite guard for Cobra Commander.  Their big arms, weird design and small, compact weapons make for a role that's more ceremonial than functional.  So, I pretty much only use these guys in this capacity.  And, even then, it's pretty rare for these figures to come out.  You can only do so many "the Commander arrives!" dioramas before it gets played out.  About 1 per decade is usually good for me.  And, you'll see these figures showcased about that often.  It's a sad fate for these figures as I think their absolute wackiness should give them some cachet in the community.  And, were they readily available in 2021 instead of 2001, that would have, likely, happened.

Instead, we're left with a relic of the cheap Funskool import era.  If you were there and got to take advantage of it, it was spectacular.  And, even 20 years later, the aftershocks of those imports define the market for these figures.  What was popular back then is pretty common and relatively cheap today.  The figures that collectors didn't care about during their release window, are now hard to find and can command exorbitant premiums.  With hindsight, I wish I'd been more aggressive in accumulating a nice Funskool collection.  But, what I have left is good enough.  And, figures like this Desert Scorpion still give me a chance to flex that I've been around forever and do have some oddball stuff collecting dust in the basement closets.

2003 Funskool Metal Head

Sometimes, you accidentally strike gold.  In the case of the early 2000's Funskool releases, their tendency towards bizarre repaints and random accessory complements created a few different figures who transcend their origins and are very useful for collectors.  It was not likely that this was intentional.  But, the results tended to work.  The differences could be as small as a mustache painted on Law to a full blown repaint like Tripwire.  For some reason, though, Funskool got itself into an orange figure rut.  In fairly short order they released Wild Bill, Grunt, Incinerator and the subject of this profile, the Funskool Metal Head.  In general, orange figures are awesome.  And, this Metal Head combines the color with an exclusive accessory complement to create one of the more offbeat yet cool figures from the repaint era.

Metal Head has always been a solid figure.  My first introduction to him was when I was babysitting some kids down the street who had a 1990 version.  I turned his leg mounted missile launcher into a holster for his pistol and had him pilot an Imperial Shuttle.  It left an indelible impression upon me that followed me into adult collectorhood.  Like many of these early '90's memories that involved figures that I was too old to buy, Metal Head was among the very first new items I acquired as vintage Joes started to become available from online auction sites.  As these figures were the bastion of late 1990's acquisitions, they slowly fell out of favor as other, newer figures entered into my collection.  Now, I find my interest in some of these figure re-piqued just out of nostalgia for my first period of nostalgia.  Which, is kind of bizarre.

Which brings us to the Funskool release.  The early 2000's were a rather uninspired time in vintage themed G.I. Joe.  Hasbro churned out the same figure molds in similar colors for a few years and took extremely few chances on anything.  We're left with a rather banal roster of figures that, while having some gems, is largely forgettable.  One of the shining stars of the era, though, was Funskool.  While Hasbro was failing to properly interpret what collectors actually wanted during that time, Funskool was busy churning out figures that they felt would appeal to the youth in India.  As such, Joe collectors of the time had access to some brightly colored figures that brought a substantial amount of diversity to the contemporary releases.  In truth, the Funskool Joes of that era were more true to the spirit of the vintage line than the Hasbro offerings.

But, as Funskool was trying to appeal to kids, it also managed to largely alienate adult collectors.  This wasn't something Funskool actually cared about.  But, online Joe collectors sure liked to act like Funskool should care about them.  You'd see the standard diatribes lambasting Funskool for releasing obscure molds in bright colors.  While Hasbro was struggling to sell 16,000 units of o-ring Joes, Funskool was pumping figures out in quantity for their own market.  The few thousand units of each figure that were imported to American based dealers were just an extra bonus for Funskool.

That collector sentiment lead to figures like Metal Head being lambasted.  And, in that process, collectors missed out on a neat update to a cool mold.  The orange base isn't much more ostentatious than Metal Head's original red and yellow combo.  And, the inclusion of the Star Brigade Sci Fi helmet adds a completely new element to Metal Head.  You probably didn't know you wanted a Star Brigade Metal Head.  But, you could now have one.  Or, with the helmet on, this Metal Head could be a completely new character.  The possibilities were broad.  But, collectors of the early 2000's couldn't get past the "neon" of the orange base.  I do wonder how this would have fared as a 2018 or 2019 timeframe release.  Collectors were more accepting of bright colors by then.  And, they might have seen this Metal Head for what he is: a solid repaint that brings some needed color to a collection.

Personally, I scooped up this Metal Head the minute he became available.  You can see him in various photos I took back in the late summer and early fall of 2003.  There were so many Cobras coming to retail at that time that including Metal Head as a new character among them made sense.  Really, I just saw him as a different look for the Metal Head character.  But, he was used more often than many other, obscure Funskool repaints of that time.  He did, though, fall out of favor.  And, my original was part of my Funskool purge in the early 2010's.  I regret selling those off since many have not only gotten expensive but, in some cases, impossible to find.  (Look for an orange trimmed Funskool Hawk.  You'll turn grey before you find one.)  I was able to re-acquire him before Funskool pricing got stupid.  So, it's nice to have him back in the collection where he can once again join in with Incinerators, HEAT Vipers and other 1990's Cobra's where he looks most at home.

While we never had a full inventory of the molds that were sent to India, figures like Metal Head indicate that the number was far greater than just the figures that Funskool produced.  At one point, a Funskool contact informed a dealer that they had well over 100 molds available to them.  So, they large roster of figures from which to choose for release in India.  We're unlikely to ever know why Funskool chose a figure like Metal Head for release over any number of other molds.  Nor are we likely to know the full roster of which figures they had available.  One of the joys of Funskool of that era was the 5 or so new figures they put out each year.  You never knew who would be next.  And, that was part of the fun.

One thing collectors didn't really know was that, by 2002, the Funskool G.I. Joe line was starting to flounder.  It had enjoyed a retail run in India that rivaled the Hasbro run in terms of years.  So, the brand was a bit stale...even if Funskool was pretty good at supplementing it with classic vehicles and large roster of older figures that remained in circulation.  This Metal Head includes gear that was indicative of Funskool's last ditch efforts to attract new kids to the brand.  His grenade maker was an innovative idea for a figure add on.  We'd also see an ink pad and stamp with Grunt and some weird decoder thing that was included with Law.  Funskool was trying to attract kids to their figures with something new.  Hasbro tried the same thing in 1992 and 1993 with all the subsets.  But, in both cases the writing was on the wall for Joe's retail future.

Sadly, Metal Head's quality isn't great.  It wasn't until April of 2003 that Hasbro got on Funskool's case about figure quality and forced them to start producing higher quality figures.  So, it's tough to find a Metal Head made after that date.  The 2002 figures feature some blotchy paint and are very susceptible to having sonic welded arms that simply won't swivel without breaking the arm off.  (This figure began production in very late 2002 in India.  It didn't  appear for sale from U.S. dealers until 2003.  So, you'll see it referred to as both a 2002 or 2003 release.  With late in the year debut figures, it's tough to pin down an official release year.  But, this is the reason for the discrepancies you'll find.)  It's too bad since he's such a nice figure.  If you can find a figure that was opened back in 2003, it's less likely to have bad joints.  Or, see if you can find a figure made after April of 2003 (the date of manufacture is on the back of every Funskool card) to get a higher quality sample.

Metal Head debuted in 2002.  Funskool pretty much ceased G.I. Joe production around 2005.  As Funskool Metal Heads weren't heavily imported, it's tough to determine if Metal Head was among those late run figures.  To date, I'm not aware of Metal Head variants.  He may not have been in production long enough to get any.  But, at the same time, his lack of popularity among collectors drove the lack of later imports of the figure.  So, there could be undocumented variants out there, especially on his gear.  Metal Head did not return for the 2009 Funskool re-issues that were created to support the movie's release.  We haven't' seen vintage Joe molds used in India in 15 years, now.  We know that Hasbro destroyed all their o-ring molds in the late '00's/early 10's.  We don't know the fate of the molds that Funskool had in their possession.  I'd love to think that the molds are still  out there and could show up in some oddball release at a future time.  But, that's getting less and less likely with each passing day.

Metal Head's accessories are where he really shines.  The blue weapon from the 1991 Cobra Commander isn't great.  But, it actually works with this figure.  Funskool used that weapon mold often during this time.  And, they also really loved the blue plastic for the accessory color.  But, it matches with the figure.  So, that helps.  The real surprise, though, is the Star Brigade Sci Fi helmet.  Released in yellow with a red visor, this helmet actually fits Metal Head near perfectly.  It creates a drastically different look for Metal Head and, if you're so inclined, gives you another named Star Brigade Cobra figure.  The figure is rounded out by the "incentive" accessories: a grenade maker.  You get some grenade molds, some wicks and a couple of tubs of a brightly colored Play-Doh like substance.  You'd take the dough, put it in the molds with a wick in the top and Metal Head now had custom grenades to toss at your Joes.  It was a weird idea.  But, it had precedence in the 1993 Mega Marines and did offer younger kids some ancillary play value.  The idea wasn't repeated.  So, you wonder if it was considered a success or was just too expensive to replicate.

One fun fact about the playdoh substance that you could use to make Metal Head's grenades: it stunk!  When I opened this guy fresh off the card back in 2002, the substance was chemically pungent.  It was awful.  I packed it away in a plastic bag, inside a sealed plastic tub.  Every time I opened the tub, the room would become permeated with the stench.  However, when I opened another one in 2019 or so, the smell was gone.  It was likely a function of the age and the moisture having been sucked out of the substance.  So, the smell isn't likely to be still around unless you get your nose up close and personal with the drying out putty.  But, it was something at the time and remains one of my more poignant memories of first acquiring this figure.

This Metal Head also features additional paint masks that were not included on the Hasbro release.  First, his chest knife is painted.  It has a gold handle and silver blade: a nice upgrade over the original.  The figure's upper arms are not painted, like the Hasbro version is.  But, the Funskool version features painted gloves.  This breaks up the arm color in a better way than the Hasbro upper arm paint masks.  Finally, the figure's thighs feature more paint.  The upper portion of Metal Head's leg armor is painted.  And, his missile launcher holders are also painted.  This gives the figure more detail than the Hasbro figure.  And, frankly, I'd kind of like to have seen a Hasbro figure given these additional paint applications.

Metal Head was not a popular Funskool release.  Few collectors bothered to acquire him as, by his release date, Hasbro was producing more than enough army builders to keep collectors focused on that dominant aspect of the hobby.  Plus, the novelty of Funskool had worn off.  Because of that, the Funskool Metal Head is kind of hard to find these days.  You don't see them with the ubiquity of more popular characters.  Dealers offer carded figures in the $125 range.  But, the market price for a carded figure is around $40.  He's a stark reminder that dealers haven't gotten the memo that unpopular figures no longer command premium prices.  As the market plummets, figures like this Metal Head are great candidates to fall even further.  There are enough of them out there to satisfy demand.  And, as collectors economize, figures like this Metal Head will be the first to either be liquidated or simply scratched off of lists of figures that collectors want to acquire.  So, you'll probably be able to get him much cheaper in the future.

Rarities - Italian Jet Man (Slipstream) Bootleg

The Italian Jet Man figure was one of those things that was long rumoured, but never really confirmed for a long time.  In the past decade or so, though, the figure has finally come out of hiding with loose and boxed versions actually being available.  As to how or why an Italian toy company got to release a red version of Slipstream, though,  remains an absolute mystery.  But, this figure exists and is one of those bizarre oddities that dot the periphery of the collecting landscape.

To me, this figure very much looks like the body of a A-Wing fighter pilot from the Star Wars line.  The colors really show how close the pilot mold is to that of the original Star Wars designs.  Were this guy in orange, he's be a dead ringer for X-Wing pilots, too.  So, I guess the coloring of the original Slipstream is a testament to how overt copyright infringement can be avoided.

There are other European bootlegs that are based on Slipstream.  So, I don't know if this company got access to the Hasbro mold for Slipstream.  Or, if they just copied it.  You can see a cheapness to the figure's face.  But, that may just be the paint masks that were used.

The figure includes a red rifle that originated in one of the Joe knock lines of the mid 1980's.  I think it was Galoob who first produced it.  But, I may be mistaken on that.  Regardless, as a kid, I didn't much care for this rifle at all.  For some reason, it just looked cheap and I always associated it with lazy rip offs of official G.I. Joe weapons.

Jet Man is one of those weird items whose existence is baffling.  How did such an obscure company get ahold of such an obscure mold to use for a toy?  And, if they made their own mold, why did they choose Slipstream?  The upside is that this is an incredibly oddball release for collectors to track down.

Rarities - B.A. Baracus (Glasslite - Brazil)

We all know about the Estrela toy company from Brazil.  They were Hasbro's partner to release licensed G.I. Joe figures in their native market.  But, if you are a Star Wars collector, you are more likely to be familiar with another Brazilian toy company of the era: Glasslite.  

Most famously, Glasslite made the only production Vlix figure from the Droids line.  While not as rare as they once were, Vlixes are still holy grails among vintage Star Wars collectors.  But, Glasslite also made action figures under other licenses.  Among them were MacGyver, Airwolf and the A-Team.

Below you will see some images of the Glasslite B.A. Baracus figure that was based on the breakout character from the TV show who was played by Mr. T.  The card artwork is gorgeous.  And, the figure is drastically different from the B.A. figures released in the U.S.  

The U.S. BA is wearing a green jumpsuit.  While there are a few variant figures depending upon whether the figure was carded, boxed or a vehicle pack in, I'm not aware of any U.S. A-Team figure using the double bandolier chest that the Glasslite figures use.  (There are, though, plenty of uses of it in other knock off lines.)  The red color of the Brazilian release is more eye-catching.  And, while not anywhere near Mr. T's signature look from the show, is more flamboyant and in line with the B.A. Baracus character.

Sadly, the Galoob molds used for the A-Team figures were bad.  The heads all feature poor paint applications and creepy smiles that were likely a way to soften the fact that you were buying figures of vigilante terrorists who were wanted criminals.  And, the team's signature weapons were replaced with standard weapons that were recycled from other lines.  The Glasslite figure suffers the same fate.  While the colors and mold are better than the Galoob figures, they still are poor representations of the characters from the show.  You wonder what a company like Hasbro could have done with them.  

As a kid, we had the A-Team figures.  We watched the A-Team every week, at least for the first couple of seasons.  We had the van.  We also had one of the big boxed sets that included the repainted General Patch tank as well as a plethora of crappy accessories.  It was this gear, though, where I found value.  The A-Team figures were straight arms that were released in a swivel arm world.  They never had a chance.  But, the vehicles were relatively compatible with Joe.  And, for many years, my 1984 Copperhead figure wore one of the red backpacks from the A-Team set.  Stuck into the straps of the pack was the holster from the Endor Princess Leia figure.  And, Copperhead used her pistol for a long time.  I miss that type of imagination.  I was able to make Copperhead very important to my childhood play since he had that extra gear.  Now, I only use him as a color match when showcasing new Black Major figures.  

As an aside, a random memory I have of the A-Team is actually from the summer of 1993.  At the time, I was in Barcelona for a few weeks.  Every night, a TV station in the city played A-Team reruns, dubbed in Spanish, during prime time.  It was weird to see a nearly decade old show playing in such premium time in another country.  I watched an episode, just for nostalgia.  But, the shows are bad and even in 1993, they didn't hold up well at all.  I haven't watched an episode since.  I'd rather remember the cool factor of the original airing during my childhood than confirm the cheesiness of '80's TV that the series actually is.

Hasbro has recently announced a 4 figure pack of Ghostbusters characters that are made in vintage Joe format.  The absolute dreamer in me sees something like that and starts a reverie about Hasbro dropping oddball o-ring releases of things like Indiana Jones, the West Coast Avengers and, even, the A-Team.  The A-Team is the one most certain to not ever exist.  But, it's also the one that has the most potential cross over with Joe.  It was contemporary to Joe.  And, both Mr. T and Sgt. Slaughter were professional wrestlers.  But, things like that won't ever happen.  I'm left with silly musings about how my childhood would have been better had things like that existed in the 1980's.  

In the early 2000's, many Brazilian G.I. Joe sellers would also have A-Team, MacGuyver and Airwolf toys available.  But, they'd try to sell them for the same premiums that figures like the Cobra De-Aco would command.  So, few people bit on them.  Now, you don't see the toys all that often.  But, that's likely a function of the brands lacking enough cachet to bring high prices.  As a collectible, though, the Glasslite A-Team figures are a small and cool subset to collect.  I think they're better than the Galoob figures.  Just, good luck finding them.

Rarities - Brazilian Marfim

The 1993 Outback is actually an excellent sculpt.  It was never, though, released in really nice colors...at least by Hasbro.  In a rare occurrence, the Brazilian release of the 1993 Outback mold is actually the best paint job ever used on it.  And, it has created a great figure: Marfim.

All of the other uses of this mold featured bright colors.  Marfim, though, is far more muted.  Gone is the orange and yellow.  And, it's replaced a by a nice hunter green that is offset with gold highlights.  The figures still features some blue on his pants.  But, it's not overly done and is a decent accent color.

With this different coloring and international name, you can use Marfim to overcome the greatest issue that collectors have with the 1993 Outback.  People just can't see this figure as Outback.  But, when given a new name, it becomes much easier to accept the quality of the sculpt for what it is and not have it saddled with the rose-colored glasses of 1987 nostalgia.

Marfim's gear features excusive coloring of some weapons that debuted with the DEF.  He includes red versions of the 1992 Mutt's pistol and the 1992 Headman's rifle.  Estrela loved DEF weapons.  And, Headman's rifle appeared twice.  Once in red with Marfim and once in a bright green Coronel Coragem.  It's odd that this weapon was available in Brazil when they never released either a Headman or a 1992 Mutt repaint.  (The two figures with whom the rifle was included by Hasbro.)  It's likely that Estrela had access to more molds than they actually produced, though.  And, that's how things like the original Alley Viper weapon ended up in Estrela releases, too.

Back in late 1997 or early 1998, a member of the G.I. Joe Usenet group managed to find the skeleton of the early Estrela Toys website.  Back then, search engines had limitations.  And, if you didn't speak Portuguese, there weren't website translators that were readily available.  Many of the pictures on the site returned the dreaded red X: meaning they were gone.  But, one image that remains burned in my mind was a photo of many of the final releases in the Estrela G.I. Joe line.  The one figure I remembered was the Headhunter repaint.  At the time, the Headhunter was a grail figure for me.  And, it wasn't common knowledge that he had been released in Brazil.  This Marfim would have been in the same image.  But, they were small and grainy.  So, the Marfim's quality didn't imprint upon my brain in the same way the Headhunter did.  I wish I could find the images from the old Estrela website.  They are likely to exist somewhere.  But, we have such better reference material now, though, that those old photos would be more nostalgic than informative.

So, back in the late 1990's, Marfims were pretty easy to find.  He was one of a few select Brazilian figures that was available to new collectors.  There were always a couple of them available (usually carded) for really cheap prices.  But, as the 2000's dawned, the figure simply disappeared.  For about the next decade, it was really difficult to find a Marfim in any condition.  And, the prices skyrocketed.

Now, you can find Marfims again.  But, the prices haven't fallen to levels are that indicative of his availability and desirability.  This is too bad as this is a great release of a solid mold.  Toy dealers have become less and less interested in letting the market set prices for collectible figures.  That may change at some point in the future.  But, the circumstances of any change like that aren't likely to be good.  When they do, figures like Marfim will become more affordable.  But, you'll have to act quickly to add figures like this to your collection.

Rarities - Flash (Plastirama Version from Argentina)

The final Flash entry is this Plastirama figure from Argentina.  This guy also features a darker body color.  But, he has a flatter finish than the Estrela figure.  The green is also a slightly different hue.  While the 3rd series of Plastirama figures were widely imported to the U.S., the first series are surprisingly findable, today.  They're not cheap and you'll spend time searching them out.  But, they aren't mythic like the fabled 2nd series.

I find looking at the different releases of the same character kind of fun.  It really showcases how much figures changed between their international releases.  There was a time when most collectors dismissed figures like this, thinking they were all very similar.  But, as you can see from the past few days, each foreign company put their own, unique stamp on their releases.