Heavy Duty Profile
Heavy Duty by thedustinmccoy
Heavy Duty by strikeforce_codename
Heavy Duty by playfulmonkeycosplay
Showing posts with label Heavy Duty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heavy Duty. Show all posts
Saturday, October 2, 2021
1991 Heavy Duty Around The Web
Heavy Duty was not originally meant as a Roadblock replacement. But, because he was used as such in the 2000's, many collectors wrote off his figures. His original release in 1991, though, should not be disregarded. It's one of those figures that's of excellent quality, but understated and not the star of his release year. His gun rig is ridiculous. But, that's what makes the entire figure fun. But, giving him different gear also shows that the mold can be useful. Here's the best of the 1991 Heavy Duty from around the web.
Heavy Duty Profile
Heavy Duty by thedustinmccoy
Heavy Duty by strikeforce_codename
Heavy Duty by playfulmonkeycosplay
Heavy Duty Profile
Heavy Duty by thedustinmccoy
Heavy Duty by strikeforce_codename
Heavy Duty by playfulmonkeycosplay
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
1991 Heavy Duty
Generally, there is a divide in collector opinions about the vintage Joe line. There persists the belief that the '80's Joes were realistic military while the '90's Joes are brightly colored sci fi. The truth is that the '80's Joes feature large amounts of science fiction as well as bright colors. While, the 1990's releases have a large number of figures that are true to Joe's military roots. However, the 1990 and 1991 series of figures are, to my eye, identical to the Joes released in the '80's. Hasbro was not yet cutting corners to save a few pennies on each figure. And, the spring loaded gimmicks were just rearing their head as figure accessories. The early spring loaded weapons, though, were ingeniously designed toys that disguised the action features as part of the figure's general accessory complement. This is showcased no where better than with the 1991 Heavy Duty figure.
At first glance, Heavy Duty follows the design of many '80's Joes. He uses military colors and has a uniform that appears to be militaristic. Of course, for characterization, Heavy Duty has the added flair of torn sleeves and a backwards cap. It's just enough to keep Heavy Duty as an incredibly useful figure to have around. He's fun and not too caught up in regulations while still retaining an air of realism. But, beyond that, the overall sculpting of the figure is well done, too. Heavy Duty features many small details (from grenades to a wrinkled shirt to his tattoos and the magnificent "JOE" on the front of his hat) that show the care the designers took when creating this figure.
The main calling card of Heavy Duty, though, is his gear. 1991 was all about the accessories as most figures included large amounts of weapons, packs, hoses, sleds and other accouterments that gave the figures some panache. Heavy Duty is no different. While he lacks a traditional pistol or rifle, Heavy Duty is outfitted with a massive cannon that affixed to his backpack and is worn around his waist. The main structure is made of many parts including a cannon, ammo canisters and harness with handles to operate the guns and two removable spring loaded missile launchers. (The launchers from this era were more discreet than those that came later and better blend into the overall design of the figure's other gear than the stand alone pieces that would dominate 1993 and 1994.) All of this connects to Heavy Duty's backpack on a large swivel post. The top of his pack features a plug in for a red, semi-translucent sight. It's all one interconnected contraption that is unwieldy, odd, unrealistic and also very, very fun and cool.
Heavy Duty's filename is Lamont Morris. Lamont Morris is the name of a Hasbro employee and Heavy Duty was sculpted in his likeness. In the mid 2000's, Hasbro also designed an Endor Rebel Trooper in Lamont's likeness. This makes him a very rare visage that has appeared in both the G.I. Joe and Star Wars lines. You can see the 15 years of age difference (as well as improvements in action figure head design) when comparing the releases. Hasbro liked to honor their employees with appearances in their toy lines. And, Heavy Duty is one of many vintage Joes who is named after a real Hasbro employee.
For me, Heavy Duty is a perfect background figure. I had his weapon rig for years. But, I never used it. Instead, Heavy Duty was equipped with M-203's, M-60's and even bazookas and rocket launchers. His look gave him the diversity necessary for such varied roles. The gun emplacement is fun to use in certain situations. But, it's impractical at best and hides many of Heavy Duty's best features. As such, I rarely use it with the figure. Heavy Duty, though, gets used a lot. I found him in the background of many figures' pictures going back to 2001. He's generic enough to complement many other Joes and not look out of place in photos. His rough and tumble appearance allows for use in vehicles, infantry divisions or even as an artilleryman. Heavy Duty carries on the tradition of Alpine, Dial Tone, Repeater and Recoil as a second tier character that has a ton of play value without being a major character.
The Heavy Duty mold didn't get a ton of use. After this original release, it disappeared until 1998. Then, Hasbro repainted the mold in muted earth tones and released Heavy Duty as a member of the MOBAT crew with Thunderwing. The exact same figure/vehicle combo was re-released in ARAHC packaging in 2000. The character of Heavy Duty became a staple of the JvC line starting in 2002. But, the character did not see another release in vintage Joe form. All of the mold except for the head was redone for the Operation Flaming Moth Chuckles figure in the mid 2000's. It's a harsh repaint that doesn't work for Chuckles at all. But, the drastic color differences help to hide the fact that the body is from the original Heavy Duty. Due to the character's ubiquity in the JvC line, collectors didn't really clamor for more Heavy Duty repaints in the vintage homage lines. But, there is still unused potential with the design and at least one more repaint would have been welcomed.
Finding mint and complete Heavy Duty figures can be problematic. The figure itself and all of the gear except for one piece is actually fairly common. But, the red sight that attaches to the gun station is the part that creates issues. Often, this piece is just missing. However, even when it is there, the small peg that actually attaches the sight to the pack is almost always broken. If you find a dozen complete Heavy Duty figures, the attachment peg will probably be broken on at least 10 of them. For savvy dealers, this is an exploitation point and you'll see them offer and sell a few figures in the $30+ range. At open market, though, unbroken figures are $16-$18 purchases. It might take a few weeks to find one. But, collector disinterest in the figure and general malaise towards the character keep prices lower than such an oft broken part would otherwise suggest.
At first glance, Heavy Duty follows the design of many '80's Joes. He uses military colors and has a uniform that appears to be militaristic. Of course, for characterization, Heavy Duty has the added flair of torn sleeves and a backwards cap. It's just enough to keep Heavy Duty as an incredibly useful figure to have around. He's fun and not too caught up in regulations while still retaining an air of realism. But, beyond that, the overall sculpting of the figure is well done, too. Heavy Duty features many small details (from grenades to a wrinkled shirt to his tattoos and the magnificent "JOE" on the front of his hat) that show the care the designers took when creating this figure.
The main calling card of Heavy Duty, though, is his gear. 1991 was all about the accessories as most figures included large amounts of weapons, packs, hoses, sleds and other accouterments that gave the figures some panache. Heavy Duty is no different. While he lacks a traditional pistol or rifle, Heavy Duty is outfitted with a massive cannon that affixed to his backpack and is worn around his waist. The main structure is made of many parts including a cannon, ammo canisters and harness with handles to operate the guns and two removable spring loaded missile launchers. (The launchers from this era were more discreet than those that came later and better blend into the overall design of the figure's other gear than the stand alone pieces that would dominate 1993 and 1994.) All of this connects to Heavy Duty's backpack on a large swivel post. The top of his pack features a plug in for a red, semi-translucent sight. It's all one interconnected contraption that is unwieldy, odd, unrealistic and also very, very fun and cool.
Heavy Duty's filename is Lamont Morris. Lamont Morris is the name of a Hasbro employee and Heavy Duty was sculpted in his likeness. In the mid 2000's, Hasbro also designed an Endor Rebel Trooper in Lamont's likeness. This makes him a very rare visage that has appeared in both the G.I. Joe and Star Wars lines. You can see the 15 years of age difference (as well as improvements in action figure head design) when comparing the releases. Hasbro liked to honor their employees with appearances in their toy lines. And, Heavy Duty is one of many vintage Joes who is named after a real Hasbro employee.
For me, Heavy Duty is a perfect background figure. I had his weapon rig for years. But, I never used it. Instead, Heavy Duty was equipped with M-203's, M-60's and even bazookas and rocket launchers. His look gave him the diversity necessary for such varied roles. The gun emplacement is fun to use in certain situations. But, it's impractical at best and hides many of Heavy Duty's best features. As such, I rarely use it with the figure. Heavy Duty, though, gets used a lot. I found him in the background of many figures' pictures going back to 2001. He's generic enough to complement many other Joes and not look out of place in photos. His rough and tumble appearance allows for use in vehicles, infantry divisions or even as an artilleryman. Heavy Duty carries on the tradition of Alpine, Dial Tone, Repeater and Recoil as a second tier character that has a ton of play value without being a major character.
The Heavy Duty mold didn't get a ton of use. After this original release, it disappeared until 1998. Then, Hasbro repainted the mold in muted earth tones and released Heavy Duty as a member of the MOBAT crew with Thunderwing. The exact same figure/vehicle combo was re-released in ARAHC packaging in 2000. The character of Heavy Duty became a staple of the JvC line starting in 2002. But, the character did not see another release in vintage Joe form. All of the mold except for the head was redone for the Operation Flaming Moth Chuckles figure in the mid 2000's. It's a harsh repaint that doesn't work for Chuckles at all. But, the drastic color differences help to hide the fact that the body is from the original Heavy Duty. Due to the character's ubiquity in the JvC line, collectors didn't really clamor for more Heavy Duty repaints in the vintage homage lines. But, there is still unused potential with the design and at least one more repaint would have been welcomed.
Finding mint and complete Heavy Duty figures can be problematic. The figure itself and all of the gear except for one piece is actually fairly common. But, the red sight that attaches to the gun station is the part that creates issues. Often, this piece is just missing. However, even when it is there, the small peg that actually attaches the sight to the pack is almost always broken. If you find a dozen complete Heavy Duty figures, the attachment peg will probably be broken on at least 10 of them. For savvy dealers, this is an exploitation point and you'll see them offer and sell a few figures in the $30+ range. At open market, though, unbroken figures are $16-$18 purchases. It might take a few weeks to find one. But, collector disinterest in the figure and general malaise towards the character keep prices lower than such an oft broken part would otherwise suggest.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
1998 Heavy Duty
In 1998, the inclusion of Heavy Duty in the repaint line was something of a shocker. He was a minor character at best who really didn't have any fan following to warrant inclusion in such a small Joe renaissance. In 2006, it's hard to remember that 8 years ago, this was only the third time we'd seen Heavy Duty at retail. Since then, the character has become something of a joke to collectors as he was so heavily featured over more prominent characters in the modern Joe releases. The likely reason for this, though, has a lot more to do with the designers having fun than it does any Hasbro conspiracy.
While the Heavy Duty is a solid figure when taken on his own, he is somewhat bland and is probably a step back for the original paint job on the mold. Sadly, this 1998 figure was a harbinger of things to come as Hasbro spent 2000 and 2001 largely repainting figures in color schemes that were inferior to their original paint jobs on the molds. In fact, when taken with most of the 2000 and 2001 figures, Heavy Duty really blends into the see of olive and brown that was the hallmark of that period in Joe history. But, if you look at the mold a bit more closely you can see that Hasbro put more effort into this figure than they did most of the post-ARAHC figures. The figure features a full 7 different paint colors. The only problem is that they are sparsely applied and it is easy to miss this amount of detail against the backdrop of the figure which is predominantly brown. The figure's belt buckle, grenades and chest knife are all painted to make them stand out. It is the paint on the little details that often differentiate a great figure from a mediocre one. Simply compare the post '02 convention figures against their retail counterparts. The differences are slight, but the manner in which they are applied is what separates the quality of the figure types.
The Heavy Duty mold was only released by Hasbro. After the 1991 figure disappeared from shelves, he was not seen again until 1998 and then again in 2000. (The mold was, along with most of the other '91 figures, released in China.) While the character of Heavy Duty was to become a mainstay of the modern Joe line, this mold was not. Instead, it has only seen moderate use since 2000 as parts amalgamations of a few high priced Master Collector figures. This isn't a terrible thing as both of these Heavy Duty versions are decent figures. But, I could stand to see a newly frankensteined ARAH style Heavy Duty that used the original head but gave him a newly put together body that would give the character more depth in ARAH form.
In my collection, Heavy Duty is mostly just a minor player. He appears as a gunner from time to time but spends most of his time as a standard infantryman. He looks good with Leatherneck's M-203 and Big Bear's backpack. His militaristic color scheme allows him to blend into the background and provide firepower when his team needs it. I also often use him as the gunner on my various vehicles that feature mounted weapons. As such, he really doesn't have much of a role. Really, I look at the character as largely a Roadblock rip off. There really is no use for Heavy Duty when I have Roadblock figures readily available. As a background player, though, he is nice picture filler.
I guess that's not much to say about a figure. But, one of the hallmarks of the Joe line was the strength of the supporting cast. While everyone had to have the major versions of major characters, it was the line's depth that kept it relevant for more than a decade. Every kid could have a different favorite and if someone else picked your favorite character first, it was likely that that were was another, lesser character that was similar enough to your favorite for you to salvage the play session. While collectors have become largely burned out on the major characters, the reality is that Hasbro has been very good at ensuring there was a steady supply of second and third tier characters available in their modern offerings. While I have enough Duke and Snake Eyes figures to last the rest of my life, I appreciate the fact that I was also able to acquire versions of Steeler, Barricade, Flak Viper, Mirage, Big Ben, and any number of other, more obscure characters that have helped diversify my collection. There is a Joe figure for any situation and that is one of the reasons why the line has been so enduring.
Like many Joe figures, this version of Heavy Duty was modeled after a real Hasbro employee: Lamont Morris. (As an interesting note, Hasbro also modeled the 2006 Endor Rebel Trooper after Lamont, making him, as far as I know, the only real person to appear in both the Star Wars and G.I. Joe 3 3/4 inch lines.) As such, it is likely that Heavy Duty's more prominent role in the modern Joe line is due to the designers at Hasbro having some fun and honoring one of their own. Heavy Duty is just one of many Easter Eggs hidden throughout the Joe line that are homages to the toy creators who made the line possible.
This Heavy Duty figure was released twice, though both times were with the high priced (for the time) and oft despised MOBAT. As such, you don't see this figure available like you would expect. Most collectors acquired their one version and moved on. So, if you're in the market for one, it may take a bit longer than you would otherwise think to find a nice version of the figure out there. When you do, though, he will not be high priced. Dealers will probably sell him in the $7 range while an online auction site might let you get one for half that. At that price, this is a good figure. He is a little dark, but offers something different enough from the first version that he's worth having. Given my preference, though, I'd spend about the same amount and just buy the original figure. He's got better colors and includes some interesting accessories. That way, you get the character in his best colors right away and can move past the other versions.
While the Heavy Duty is a solid figure when taken on his own, he is somewhat bland and is probably a step back for the original paint job on the mold. Sadly, this 1998 figure was a harbinger of things to come as Hasbro spent 2000 and 2001 largely repainting figures in color schemes that were inferior to their original paint jobs on the molds. In fact, when taken with most of the 2000 and 2001 figures, Heavy Duty really blends into the see of olive and brown that was the hallmark of that period in Joe history. But, if you look at the mold a bit more closely you can see that Hasbro put more effort into this figure than they did most of the post-ARAHC figures. The figure features a full 7 different paint colors. The only problem is that they are sparsely applied and it is easy to miss this amount of detail against the backdrop of the figure which is predominantly brown. The figure's belt buckle, grenades and chest knife are all painted to make them stand out. It is the paint on the little details that often differentiate a great figure from a mediocre one. Simply compare the post '02 convention figures against their retail counterparts. The differences are slight, but the manner in which they are applied is what separates the quality of the figure types.
The Heavy Duty mold was only released by Hasbro. After the 1991 figure disappeared from shelves, he was not seen again until 1998 and then again in 2000. (The mold was, along with most of the other '91 figures, released in China.) While the character of Heavy Duty was to become a mainstay of the modern Joe line, this mold was not. Instead, it has only seen moderate use since 2000 as parts amalgamations of a few high priced Master Collector figures. This isn't a terrible thing as both of these Heavy Duty versions are decent figures. But, I could stand to see a newly frankensteined ARAH style Heavy Duty that used the original head but gave him a newly put together body that would give the character more depth in ARAH form.
In my collection, Heavy Duty is mostly just a minor player. He appears as a gunner from time to time but spends most of his time as a standard infantryman. He looks good with Leatherneck's M-203 and Big Bear's backpack. His militaristic color scheme allows him to blend into the background and provide firepower when his team needs it. I also often use him as the gunner on my various vehicles that feature mounted weapons. As such, he really doesn't have much of a role. Really, I look at the character as largely a Roadblock rip off. There really is no use for Heavy Duty when I have Roadblock figures readily available. As a background player, though, he is nice picture filler.
I guess that's not much to say about a figure. But, one of the hallmarks of the Joe line was the strength of the supporting cast. While everyone had to have the major versions of major characters, it was the line's depth that kept it relevant for more than a decade. Every kid could have a different favorite and if someone else picked your favorite character first, it was likely that that were was another, lesser character that was similar enough to your favorite for you to salvage the play session. While collectors have become largely burned out on the major characters, the reality is that Hasbro has been very good at ensuring there was a steady supply of second and third tier characters available in their modern offerings. While I have enough Duke and Snake Eyes figures to last the rest of my life, I appreciate the fact that I was also able to acquire versions of Steeler, Barricade, Flak Viper, Mirage, Big Ben, and any number of other, more obscure characters that have helped diversify my collection. There is a Joe figure for any situation and that is one of the reasons why the line has been so enduring.
Like many Joe figures, this version of Heavy Duty was modeled after a real Hasbro employee: Lamont Morris. (As an interesting note, Hasbro also modeled the 2006 Endor Rebel Trooper after Lamont, making him, as far as I know, the only real person to appear in both the Star Wars and G.I. Joe 3 3/4 inch lines.) As such, it is likely that Heavy Duty's more prominent role in the modern Joe line is due to the designers at Hasbro having some fun and honoring one of their own. Heavy Duty is just one of many Easter Eggs hidden throughout the Joe line that are homages to the toy creators who made the line possible.
This Heavy Duty figure was released twice, though both times were with the high priced (for the time) and oft despised MOBAT. As such, you don't see this figure available like you would expect. Most collectors acquired their one version and moved on. So, if you're in the market for one, it may take a bit longer than you would otherwise think to find a nice version of the figure out there. When you do, though, he will not be high priced. Dealers will probably sell him in the $7 range while an online auction site might let you get one for half that. At that price, this is a good figure. He is a little dark, but offers something different enough from the first version that he's worth having. Given my preference, though, I'd spend about the same amount and just buy the original figure. He's got better colors and includes some interesting accessories. That way, you get the character in his best colors right away and can move past the other versions.
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