1993 Frostbite - Random Photos of the Day

Last year was a great snow year.  We get a ton of snow that lingered for over a week.  During that time, I took hundreds of photos...getting many figures outside in the snow that I've always wanted to photograph in that environment.  Some were just normal figures that looked great against the white background.  Others, like the 1993 Frostbite, are meant for the snow.  And, I took advantage of that to get several different photo shoots using the figure.

I found the 1993 Frostbite at a KB Toy Store in the mid 1990's.  They had, Backblast and Keel Haul: figures I had never seen anywhere else at retail.  From the moment I opened the figure, I found this updated Frostbite a more than worthy successor to the original.  The design just spoke to me.  He was the exact type of figure I was interested in during my early adult foray into toy collecting.  And, to this day, he holds a special place for that reason.  So, check out the photos below as I await the weather this year to see if we get another great week of snow photos.

2005 Winter Operations Frostbite

When you see this figure, you'll instantly recognize the mold as that belonging to the 1983 Snow Job.  Despite this easy connection, though, Hasbro actually released this mold as many times with a different character name as they did under the name of Snow Job.  Between 1998 and 2010, Hasbro never used the mold for the titular character who is forever associated with the beard, hood and goggles.  Instead, it was used first for a new character and then twice renamed and released as Frostbite.  Were it not for the ill-conceived "Then and Now" Snow Job who bombed at retail in 2011 or so, this mold would have been used the same amount of times for Snow Job and Frostbite.  And, that seems like something that shouldn't have happened.  Snow Job is iconic.  And, even while writing this, I actually wrote Snow Job in reference to this figure instead of Frostbite on multiple occasions.  So, really, I just take this release as another color scheme for Snow Job.  And, in that vein, this figure works way better than it should.

Blue is a tough color to make work on a Joe.  Blue is Cobra's color.  And, an especially dark blue color as an accent is even more closely associated with Cobra.  So, having the blue coat on this figure doesn't make much sense.  For a time, I had designs of getting a few extra Comic Pack Trooper or Officer heads and trying them out on this body for a Cobra snow trooper.  But, I never really got around to trying it.  The hues of blue are off just enough that it would be a tough match. And, my fascination with a Cobra head on every 1982-1984 Joe body has been played out now that there are 100's of Cobra Troopers to choose from.  

I'm not sure why they just painted the inside of the figure's arms blue.  It's a weird design choice.  But, the hint of color does help break up the figure.  The one thing that is really nice, though, is that Frostbite's coat is painted onto his waist.  So, you can see the full sculpting of the coat and how it extends below his belt.  The black gloves and details, along with the rich blue, make this a more serious looking figure.  The brown beard takes a bit away from the Snow Job visage.  But, I can see his hair turning darker as the character aged.  Sadly, vintage Joe plastic is a different finish that than of the 2000's.  So, that makes a vintage Snow Job head a difficult replacement on this Frostbite body.  The sheens just don't match up.

Beyond the blue, the figure features a difficult to see but amazing detailed cream colored splatter pattern on the legs.  The color difference is subtle.  (I'm not sure if the plastic is white with the brownish strewn cream color as paint, or vice versa.)  It's difficult to see.  But, it's there.  And, it probably cost a great deal of the entire set's production budget.  You'd have thought it would be on something easier to spot on the figures.  It's not until you really examine the figure that you notice how intricate the paint masks really are.  They are easily on par with the Vypra figures from a few months prior.  With the pattern and other, detailed paint applications, this Frostbite is more akin to a convention figure than a TRU release.  Collectors don't really notice, though, because winter figures aren't overly popular and this set was out of the collective mind before it even had a chance to collect dust at retail.

Frostbite's gear is both OK and also underwhelming.  By 2005, Hasbro had given up on the notion of matching accessory complements to a figure mold.  And, they had really given up trying to give any of the Toys R Us 6 pack figures any memorable gear at all.  Despite Snow Job's ski pack, skis and ski poles being ubiquitous during the 2001/2002 release years, they were not included with this set.  Instead, the set came with a series of 1988 Blizzard snow shoes and skis.  They aren't bad.  But, they aren't as fun as the 1983 skis, either.  In addition, the figure included a 1992 Gung Ho backpack, a sniper rifle from the JvC era and the Comic Pack inspired M-16 rifle. The sniper and Gung Ho's pack with the molded rope always reminded me of Snow Job climbing the Alps in the opening panels of G.I. Joe #23.  With this gear, he'd have made a good Comic Pack figure.   As a whole, the gear isn't bad and makes for a decent looking figure.  But, it's tough to see the Snow Job mold without his iconic XMLR and ski gear.  

Despite the character choice, the enemy specific colors and the bland gear, though, this figure does work.  It looks really nice.  It's not discoloring...yet.  The more pliable plastic is preferable for any winter accoutrements you wish to pair with the figure.  And, the figure looks close enough to Snow Job that you can easily just make it Snow Job in whatever mechanism you have for the figure.  This is one of those releases in the repaint era that holds up pretty well: even though it was completely forgotten during its release window.  It's not not a figure you remember like the clear Mirage or the excellent Snake Eyes.  But, you don't hate is like you do the Backblast figure.  He's just another repaint that was blasted out to retail during a time when  Hasbro was dumping everything they could before pivoting to the DTC model.  

That, though, lead me to rediscover this figure nearly 20 years after his initial release.  I had no need for another release of Snow Job mold back in 2005.  But, now, he's much more palatable.  1983 Snow Jobs discolor very easily.  The 1997 repaint and Whiteout are both pretty close to the 1983 colors, too.  The 2003 Frostbite is a nice match for the 1994 Windchill.  But, he had no gear.  So, that leaves this figure as an alternative to the more traditional Snow Job role.  This, certainly, isn't a figure that I'd go out of my way to include in a photograph.  But, 2 weeks of snow this year has given me an opportunity to better explore my winter themed Joes and has rejuvenated a bit of interest in the hobby that I've lost in the past couple of years.  

Winter Operations figures aren't all that common to find.  By 2005, Hasbro had reduced the production run on the G.I. Joe themed sets to around 16,000 total sets.  That's down from the 20,000 that were typical for Cobra sets.  On top of that, collectors were leaving the hobby in droves by the time this set was released.  Couple that with the general malaise towards the overall set, and few collectors even bothered to buy it.  Those who did almost never bought multiples.  So, the set didn't find an afterlife from disillusioned 2000's era collectors liquidating their duplicates in the early 2010's.  You'll see dealer pricing on this figure in the $20-$25 range...which is entirely too high.  At best, he's half that on the open market.  But, there is simply no supply right now.  So, your options to  acquire the figure are limited.  But, really, if you have the 1983 Snow Job, the 1997 Snow Job, the 2001 Whiteout or the 2011 Snow Job, you have much more useful figures to represent any character you choose.  So, those are the better route to seek should you want a cheap representation of this mold in your collection.

1993 Frostbite - Around The Web

I really enjoy the 1993 Frostbite figure.  The mold is solid and the colors are great in the snow.  He's got a decent weapons tree.  And, he has a cool snow mask that can be used to both anonymize the figure or make him incredibly unique.  There's some decent content featuring the figure out there.  So, check some out now that the winter is, hopefully, winding down.

1993 Frostbite Profile

1993 Frostbite by _toyler_

1993 Frostbite by jogun warrior

1993 Frostbite by recondo martin

1993 Frostbite by slipstream80

1993 Frostbite at Joe A Day

1993 Frostbite by thedailyscoop1989

1993 Frostbite by toysandtomfoolery

1993 Frostbite by gijoekorea

1993 Frostbite by myplasticshots

1993 Frostbite by offc0ur5e

1985 Frostbite

While I got my first Joes in 1982, my real heyday of Joe toys was actually 1984-1986.  During the time, Joe was the main part of my social interaction with my friends.  And, pretty much every boy in my class at school played with them in some capacity.  1985 was the sweet spot, though.  It was the high point of everyone still playing with toys and finding them socially acceptable.  By the end of the year, the cool kids had aged out.  And, by the spring of 1986, most of the other kids had followed.  By 1987, toys were taboo and my obsession with them was a secret kept from my peers.  But, the memories from 1985 remain strong.  But, the biggest of them was finding something new before my friends.  When this happened, the new item stood out and everyone would flock to the lucky kid's house to see the new acquisition.  Over the summer, though, this happened less as my friends were often out of town.  So, when I found the Snowcat in the summer of 1985, there was no one to fawn over its release.  But, a winter vehicle found in the dead of summer was also out of place.  Still, I found a way for it to work.  The biggest surprise, though, was the quality of the Snowcat's driver: Frostbite.

When Frostbite was released, there was just one other arctic figure: Snow Job.  Snow Job's design and gear, though, were top notch.  Had Frostbite been a carded release, he'd have been in trouble.  But, as a vehicle driver, there were less expectations of him.  And, the figure was able to deliver a solid follow up for the Joe's cold climate team.  He was a very different figure from Snow Job.  But, that was OK since he a distinctly different role as a vehicle driver.

Frostbite's sculpt is relatively simple.  He doesn't have tons of details.  But, that's what makes him appealing.  Frostbite isn't overdone.  His pants have no details.  His chest features just a couple of pockets, a chest holster and a fur collar.  That isn't much.  But, it's enough to make Frostbite work.  The early arctic figures were fairly minimal in their mold details.  In 1986, Iceberg began a trend of more complexly uniformed cold weather fighters.  Frostbite, though, is a good bridge between Snow Job in Iceberg.  While those two figures can appear out of place when posed together, either of them looks good when paired with Frostbite.  He's a small evolution in the design of the winter characters that allowed the line to progress without appearing to move too quickly.  

The big surprise with the 1985 vehicle drivers was that they included accessories.  Frostbite was gifted an exclusive rifle.  Frostbite's rifle seems a bit oversized in 2023.  But, in 1985, it was an amazing upgrade over the M-16 that came with Grunt.  The size gave it significance.  And, the large scope was a detail that gave the weapon much more depth.  While the weapon was used with Frostbite for a while, my real desire for it was to replicate the weapon that Stalker used is his Vietnam era comic drawings.  I hounded my Grandmother for a Stalker and spent a week at her home over the summer searching out every toy store in Dayton, Ohio until I found one.  Once in hand, this Stalker got a brown version of Duke's backpack from the Battle Gear set and Frostbite's rifle.  It meant that I could not use Stalker and Frostbite together.  But, the value the weapon brought to Stalker made Frostbite more than worthwhile.

As my childhood play universe progressed, Frostbite moved from a typical Joe to more of a command role.  By 1987, Frostbite and Iceberg were the two highest ranking leaders from a cold weather faction that was aligned with the Joes.  Their weapons were special items capable of killing Cobras at incredibly long ranges.  Usually, they stayed in the cockpit of their Snowcat.  They disliked warm weather.  And, stayed in the climate controlled vehicle for their own comfort.  Frostbite conferred directly with Hawk and Flint.  I don't recall exactly how he grew into this role.  But, it was the final characterization that was given to the Frostbite figure.

Now, I just enjoy the figure for what he is.  Frostbite is another in the string of 1985 supporting characters that really augmented the Joe line.  He's not essential to a collection.  But, he's also cool enough and useful enough that he's worth tracking down.  So much of the Joe line is figures like this.  Frostbite doesn't need to be the best cold weather figure or character.  But, he's good enough that you want him and will use him in the proper situations.  That diversity was what gave the Joe brand its staying power.  Kids could have different crops of figures for different seasons or environments.  If Frostbite stayed in the toy box for 9 months, that was OK.  Because, once it began to snow, he was dug out and put into action.  Modern toy lines focus on main character saturation.  But, the vintage Joe line proved how the supporting cast could be instrumental in keeping Joes at the top of every kids' play patterns.

Frostbite's mold did not have a long life.  He got just two releases: this 1985 figure and the Tiger Force repaint in 1988.  However, as Frostbite was a mail away option for many years, there are variants of both this 1985 version and the later Tiger Force release.  Most of them relate to Frostbite's beard.  It can be thicker or thinner based on the time of release.  His fur that covers his shoulders also has a slight coloring difference on the later releases.  Both of these variations are subtle and not something that really makes them sought after.  But, it's something to be aware of.  The Tiger Force Frostbite figure was released in the Auriken Tiger Cat that was sold in Mexico.  It's possible this is a foreign variant of the Tiger Force Frostbite.  But, I'm not sure if the figure was Hasbro's release that was included with the Mexican vehicle or a totally separate production run done by Auriken.  If you have more info on the later year runs of Auriken releases, please let me know.

Frostbites are actually somewhat cheap.  Dealers will get $15 to $20 for a complete Frostbite.  But, you can get one for $10 without too much trouble.  Incomplete figures will run $5.  This is surprising for a 1985 figure.  But, Frostbite was available for many years.  So, there are plenty of them out there.  And, at his price, he's a figure that everyone should have.  The Snowcat remains one of the best cold weather vehicles.  And, you really need to have Frostbite at the helm.  He's one of those obscure figures that really works for his intended purpose.  And, he's affordable enough to always justify his acquisition.

1993 Frostbite

I really became a Joe collector in the summer of 1995.  I had touched on toy aisles through the years.  I had bought a few Joes at retail between 1992 and 1994.  But, in 1995, it was apparent the Joe line was done.  (I didn't follow any toy news magazines so my only indications were dwindling retail stock.)  As such, I decided I should buy as many Joe figures as I could find at retail before they were gone, again.  So, armed with a summer internship that paid 50% more than I had ever made in my life, I spent the summer sweeping through stores wherever I could in an attempt to snatch up the last bastions of retail G.I. Joe.  As the stock was still fairly plentiful when I started, I was choosy and bought the figures I felt were the coolest first.  As I acquired those, I went down the rungs and picked up any figure with black weapons and finally anyone I could find who wasn't Armor Tech or Ninja Force.  However, as I usually searched for toys on my lunch hour, my time was limited and that usually meant stops only at Toys R Us or Target.  One weekend, though, I was near the mall and decided to check out KB Toys.  They still had a small section of Joes left.  But, their stock featured several figures I had not seen before.  Among them was the 1993 Frostbite figure.

One of the nostalgic bents for this figure is I have still have the stack of cardbacks from all the figures I found at retail in the mid 1990's.  I kept them all and saved them first in the box of a Razor Blade and later in the discarded box from the Cobra Parasite.  They remain bundled together even today, more than 20 years after their purchase.  In pulling out Frostbite's card, I see the $3.49 price tag for the figure.  KB Toys was always more expensive than either Toys R Us or Target when it came to Joe figures.  But, the $3.49 price was closer to the $2.79 price tags from the other stores than I thought.  Still, I recall balking at paying the higher prices, even back then.  But, since I had never seen Frostbite before (nor the Backblast or Keel Haul who I also purchased that day) I bit the bullet in the chance I'd never see the figure again.  And, sure enough, this remained the only 1993 Frostbite figure I would ever see at retail.  So, his purchase was fortuitous.

Upon opening the figure, I found a signature accessory: the figure's mask.  When I was a kid, I was always a fan of removable helmets or masks.  Frostbite's mask was unlike anything I had seen before on a Joe.  The faceless expression left the figure as a perfect arctic army builder.  And, since he included a white version of my favorite MP-5 inspired rifle from that era, this Frostbite became an army of troopers capable of defeating Snow Serpents.  When I found the Blockbuster a while later, this Frostbite joined the crew of Windchill and various Snow Storm repaints and they became a wrecking crew capable of mowing through any well equipped army of 1994 Vipers and 1993 Crimson Guard Commanders who comprised the entirety of my Cobra forces at the time.

As a mold, though, this Frostbite is more than just the mask.  He is not overly detailed with tons of extra items that make him cluttered.  The figure has a well textured winter coat complete with a fur collar, some web gear and three grenades strung across it.  He's interesting enough without being too far gone.  Sure, the aqua blue webbing and orange grenades are somewhat gaudy and don't make much sense in a snowy environment.  But, it was 1993 and a figure that was mostly properly colored with just some splashes of brightness was OK.  Besides, the colors broke up what had, traditionally, been similarly colored figures.  The figure's head is a bit large, but that was how Hasbro was sculpting Joes at the time.  It allows for greater detail on the face and beard.

For gear, Frostbite featured a white weapon tree.  I can accept white weapons for an arctic themed figure.  Plus, the tree used for Frostbite included the 1988 Muskrat Shotgun, the Tracker submachine gun and a machete.  (It also included the 1991 Grunt's weapon.  But, I've never liked that gun and left it on the tree.)  He has the requisite missile launcher and missiles, too.  The mask was what made the figure stand out.  But, getting some weapons whose color matched the figure and his specialty was also useful.  While many of the 1993/1994 weapon tree colors didn't make much sense, all of the arctic figures included white weapon trees which complemented the figures very nicely.

While 1993 can be classified as a year full of repaints, the reality is that most of the newly molded figures to be released that year never saw another repaint.  Frostbite is among them.  This was the only appearance of this mold in the vintage line.  We know that Frostbite was going to return in the first wave of the Battle Corps Rangers line in 1995.  But, that figure would have been an all new mold that featured a removable hat.  (You can see him on the box art of the Battle Station and Sea Wolf.)  So, it's unlikely that Hasbro had any further plans for this mold.  In 1997, though, this Frostbite mold made a surprise appearance in the Toys R Us exclusive 3 packs, though named Blizzard.  (He was a last minute replacement when Hasbro couldn't find the 1988 Blizzard mold.)  This figure features far better paint but worse accessories.  So, a combo of the 1993 and 1997 releases will get you the best version of the figure.  The mold never appeared again, despite Hasbro releasing a couple of arctic vehicles and figure sets.  But, at least the lone repaint was decent.

Frostbite follows the pattern of most Battle Corps Joe affiliated characters.  Dealers will sell the figure for around $10.  And, the figure sells at that point.  On the open market, though, Frostbite will fetch close to $8.  So, you don't have a huge disparity between dealer and market pricing.  Carded Frostbite's can be had for around $20.  And, you can easily find the figure in lots where you'll pay only a couple of bucks for each figure if you don't mind picking up some other brightly colored '90's Joes in the deal.  On some levels, I feel those prices are high for a late release, unpopular Joe figure.  But, at the same time, collector ranks are now comprised heavily of adults who grew up in the 1990's and for whom figures like this Frostbite are their childhood favorites.  So, that plays a big part.

For me, had I now found this figure at retail when I did, it's likely he would have slipped through the cracks.  As a post retail collector, I've always lived in places where arctic figures don't have tremendous use.  (Finding a way to photograph this figure when it's 110 degrees outside certainly doesn't help!)  So, I would have missed a quiet gem had I not stopped into that KB Toys that summer 23 years ago.  Looking back at this figure helps me remember why I started and why I still collect Joe figures.  A lot has happened in the ensuing decades from this figure's release that makes this hobby difficult.  But, looking back to a simpler time helps to put that into perspective.  This Frostbite represents a time when I collected for the sheer joy of the hobby.  It's important for me to recall that every now and then.

Diorama - Snow Blind

In early 2003, we got a lot of snow.  One Sunday evening, I took some Joes out to get some snow pics.  It was late in the evening, so I had to use the flash.  But, I liked how the flash photos looked.  This photo set was planned to be the showcase for the 2001 Big Ben figure.  But, he didn't come out well enough in the photos and this was the last real snow I saw before I moved back to the desert.

1988 Tiger Force Frostbite

When you think of the Frostbite character, it is likely that one of two things comes to mind: 1. the well done classic vehicle driver from 1985, or 2. the overabundance of low quality Frostbite figures that Hasbro heaped into the early years of the new sculpt line in 2002. It is a stark contrast between the two perceptions and shows how classic characters can easily become corrupted in the modern toy world. Sandwiched between those two realities, though, is this largely unrecognized Tiger Force Frostbite. As a subset, Tiger Force is generally well liked by collectors. As a mold, Frostbite is largely appreciated by the collecting world. As a combo, though, the Tiger Force Frostbite is a figure that is somewhat problematic. It is a solid mold in a popular subset, but the figure itself is somewhat difficult to use. But, that summarizes Tiger Force as a concept rather succinctly, too.

My first encounter with Tiger Force was in the early months of 1988. I was pretty much done with Joe as of 1988. Frankly, I was too old and had probably over-reached my youth by staying interested in the toys through 1987. But, even as a newly turned teenager, I found the lure of Joes hard to resist. I spent my final toy allowance from my parents (earned for good grades) on two new Joe figures who were available in the early stages of the year: Hardball and the Tiger Force Roadblock. I purchased Hardball because I was a baseball fan and justified his purchase through that angle. I rationalized Roadblock by saying that I had been missing his accessories since 1984 and this was my only chance to get a nice, fully accessorized version of him. To me, the fact that Roadblock featured a yellow helmet was of significantly less importance than the fact that he did include a black version of his gun. As such, for years, my only impression of Tiger Force was that they were good ways to get differently colored versions of oft-lost accessories like Flint's shotgun, Roadblock's stand or Duke's binoculars. It was an impression that permeated the early collecting world, too.

When I first found online Joedom in late 1997 and early 1998, there wasn't much discussion going on. In reading what material was available, though, the general consensus was that Tiger Force figures were "rarer" than their original counterparts since so many collectors passed them over since these were just repaints of figures they already owned. For the collectors who were online then: that was largely true. Most of us were of the same age and had come into Joe in 1982 or 1983 and had been collecting since the beginning. Most of us had our heyday during the '84-'86 period and were largely gone by the time of the animated movie. What was missing from that original group was the next generation of collectors who started collecting in 1986 or 1987. To them, these Tiger Force figures were the originals since they had not been collecting when the original molds were available at retail. As these collectors came of age, it became more and more apparent that there were ample supplies of Tiger Force figures in marketplace since so many of these younger collectors had viewed these repaints as entirely new figures and characters.

The Frostbite mold is quite well done. He was designed at a time when vehicle drivers were still given the same paint applications and mold designs as the figures released on the single cards. As such, you can see the level of detail that slowly became absent on later vehicle drivers. The mold also has an interesting secret: the head was molded after a real person. Frostbite's distinct face was a direct result of it being based on a Hasbro employee. In fact, there are anecdotes around that this employee still looks much like the Frostbite figure even today, more than two decades after the figure's design. The second Easter Egg in Frostbite's character is his name. Named Seward and born in Alaska, Frostbite is an in joke to "Seward's Folly" which was used to refer to the Alaskan acquisition. The figure itself actually features some variants in the eye and eyebrow color on Frostbite's head. Some look better than others, but none of the variants are really any more desirable than another. The figure also features Frostbite's signature rifle. This oversized, scoped rifle was the reason I traded to acquire a second Frostbite in my youth. (I gave the rifle to Stalker to match his comic book appearance.) Beyond that, there isn't much too the figure and what you see is pretty much what you get when it comes to the Tiger Force Frostbite.

As a character, Frostbite held a position of distinction in my childhood collection. As I first acquired the 1985 figure during the summer months, I didn't have much use for Frostbite in his own environment. However, rather than put away my new toy until the winter, I decided to make Frostbite a visiting dignitary from a northern country. He was there to teach and learn from the Joes. In time, they made him a full fledged Joe himself. But, I was able to explain away the winter coat in the jungle by saying that Frostbite was proud of his heritage and refused to change from his winter fatigues. This lead Frostbite to a position of leadership and, for many years, he was among my highest ranking Joes. When I returned to collecting, though, my focus was less on the character of Frostbite and more on the figure. As I did with just about every figure in the late '90's, I army built Frostbites for a while. They were cheap, I liked arctic figures and he had a really cool gun. However, in my first big collection purge, the Frostbite figures were among the earliest duplicates to go. I returned the original character to his more traditional roots and he is rarely seen out of his Snow Cat today.

This figure's fate is even less interesting. Really, I have no use for him. It is a neat figure to have around and is necessary for any Tiger Force display. But, beyond that, he doesn't have much purpose in my collection. The odd assortment of yellow, orange and brown doesn't lend itself to a wide variety of uses. I suppose I could see him as a winter, desert fighter who focused on arid climates during the winter. (It can get downright cold in the desert.) But, that's hardly a duty that can offer this figure more than the obligatory appearance in a few photos. (It is rare for a vintage Joe figure to appear nowhere on this site. Yet, this was the first time that the Tiger Force Frostbite has appeared in any of my photography.) But, I am an ARAH style Joe completist and if figures like Frostbite can serve no other purpose, at least they offer me fulfillment towards that end.

As a subset, Tiger Force remains a collector favorite. It wasn't the first theme to bring repaints to the Joe world, but it was the first that saw a full retail release. For many collectors, this was their initiation to some of the classic characters from the comics and cartoons. Today, Hasbro has brought the idea of Tiger Force into their modern ARAH style figures, the new sculpts and there is at least one Tiger Force figure rumoured to appear in the Anniversary style lines. The problem with Tiger Force, though, is that the figure designs that are produced for it tend to inferior to other paint jobs of common characters. The brown, orange, yellow and green hallmarks of Tiger Force don't really lend themselves to great figures. But, Tiger Force is a concept that was exported to Brazil, Europe, China and even India. (though to a lesser extent, there) This widespread influence of the basic theme coupled with the high profile characters who comprise much of the Tiger Force roster has kept Tiger Force a popular collecting theme. Many collectors who would ignore figures in these colors were they on their own will gladly buy them if they are aligned with Tiger Force since they want to complete their set. Tiger Force offers a nice collecting niche and is a way to justify repaints...even if they are a bit wacky.

The Frostbite mold has been conspicuously absent since 1988. It was only used the two times: for the original figure and then for this coloring. However, the original Frostbite figure was available as a mail away premium for many years and it is likely that Hasbro was still using this mold rather than relying on overstock to fill those orders. The mold was never released in any other countries and, like his contemporary Crankcase, has not appeared in any of the modern Joe renditions. The Frostbite character, though, has been done to death by Hasbro in the new sculpt line where the figure received several versions and sculpts...none of which were really an homage to this original design. Part of me would like to see another modern take on Frostbite. But, his mold is rather specific to the arctic and you really couldn't significantly upgrade the look of the version 1 figure to justify his inclusion in any of the precious ARAH style Joe slots that we see these days. As such, even if the mold were available, it would take something remarkable for me to really clamour for this mold to return.

Tiger Force Frostbites are not the easiest figures to find. The Tiger Force vehicles weren't the sellers that the figures were and a yellow vehicle that was originally designed for the arctic didn't, exactly, endear itself to the toy buying world. (Though, to be fair, the Snow Cat worked better in Tiger Force colors than any other arctic themed vehicle of the time would have....) On top of that, Frostbite is very susceptible to paint wear on his red and gold highlights. His elbow joints, like those of all the Tiger Force figures, is prone to cracking. So, finding a mint version of this figure can be challenging. But, it will also be cheap. Mint and complete with filecard, you can find this figure for around $6. Take away the filecard and the price will drop in half. It's not a figure that most collectors care about and will likely never be a figure that really captures the attention of the collecting world. The figure has its place as a member of the Tiger Force subset, but that's about the extent of its usefulness. For what it is, the figure works. But, the practical application of something like Tiger Force is difficult to utilize so it is likely that this figure will forever languish in obscurity.