My Favorite Accessories - Part 2

Part 1 of this series looked at my favorite weapons from childhood.  This time around, I'll be looking at some of the gear that really drove my second phase of collecting.  This period, technically, covers 1988 through 1997.  During that time, I only was able to find a few figures.  So, you're going to see a cross section of accessories.  And, a few classic items will be missing because, while they were released during this period, I didn't acquire them until 1998 or later.  Some of these items appeared in my early teen years when I wasn't collecting or buying Joes, but my youngest brother still was.  So, the limited exposure to them made them loom larger than they otherwise might have.

Early Adult Favorites:

1. Duke/Stalker/Others MP-5 inspired rifle

As I returned to Joe collecting in the mid 1990's, I spent most of my time tracking down the remnants of the line at various retail stores.  Among the first figures I found was the 1993 Duke.  This is a solid figure.  But, the main source of interest in him was the "new" weapons on his tree.  While I was passingly familiar with Muskrat's shotgun (someday I'll tell that story...), the other weapons were ones I had never before seen.  As far as I was concerned, they were completely new sculpts.  It was the MP-5 inspired weapon that piqued my interest, though.  It looked great with Duke.  It was somehow both compact and large.  This was accomplished by having the overall footprint be small while giving the weapon a larger barrel.  I turned this into a story element.  These newer weapons became "Generation 4" weapons.  They were more powerful and could carry more ammo than earlier weapon designs.  As they were new, they were limited to only the highest ranking Joes.  Eventually, Cobra got some and gave them to elite troopers, too.  As I got more and more 1993 and 1994 figures, the weapons became less special.  And, with more colors in tow, the MP-5 like weapon became one of my favorite standards across my Joes.

Even today, this is my favorite weapon to use with 1993 and 1994 figures.  It exists in a plethora of colors...some rarer than others.  But, you can get it in black, gold, yellow, purple and other colors with a bit of looking around.  It remains one of my key weapons.  And, I'll always pick up a new one if the price is right.  I have unfulfilled plans of being able to outfit the entire 1993 carded lineup with these weapons for a photo at some point.  I'm not quite there on the right number of them in my collection, yet, though.

2. Annihilator Pistol

I first saw this weapon at the home of some family friends who had some younger children.  I remember it being awesome.  Around 1995 or 1996, I found my first Annihilator at a flea market in southern Ohio.  I picked him up for the rifle.  Once in hand, it reminded me of the awesome weapons from G.I. Joe #36 back in 1985.  In short order, I bought as many Annihilators as I could find.  The figure was "new" to me and I loved the portable helicopter.  I saw them as the airborne division of the Alley Vipers and they made up a key ingredient in my early notion of Cobra urban death squads.  With plenty of his weapons in hand, I had them available for use with any other figure I wanted.

And, with them in hand, my fascination with the weapon ended.  It was difficult to make the weapon look good with other figures.  And, it was a bit bigger than I had remembered.  It was less of a one handed pistol and more of a two handed weapon that switched up my notion of the weapon's versatility.  I still find it the necessary weapon for Annihilators.  But, I've long since sold off my army of that figure.  I have a couple of spares of the weapon, though, still hanging around.  I'll use them with another figure from time to time.  I do need to get a photo of it in the hands of a Fred to mimic that old comic.  

3. Hit & Run  Rifle

This one is a bit of a cheat.  I actually did own Hit and Run when I was a kid.  I bought three 1988 figures before I quit toys.  And, Hit and Run was one of them.  I immediately fell in love with his rifle.  But, I didn't to use it very often as I left  my Hit and Run hanging on a wall at my grandparents' house shortly after I got him.  Once the figure was recovered, though, my Joes were put away.  So, it was on rare occasion when I'd get them out.  Inevitably, Hit and Run would be among the figures chosen, though.  Part of it was the sheer quality of the figure.  Part was his amazing rope & grappling hook bag.  And, the final piece was his rifle.  Everything about it seemed perfect.  It had a long clip to store extra ammo.  It was compact enough to be used in close quarters.  And, the figures just held it perfectly.  I wanted to use it with pretty much every one of my favorite figures during this time.  But, I had just one sample with no way to acquire more.

That changed in the mid 1990's as weapon trees began to proliferate.  The real joy was finding extra samples of this rifle being included on weapon trees of 1993 and 1994 figures.  With this discovery, I was able to acquire an excellent rifle in a variety of colors.  As the weapon was my preferred rifle for the 1994 Shipwreck, I came to see it as a standard rifle used by all sorts of Joe themed army builders.  So, having it in cream with Snow Storm and even red with Outback allowed some consistency on the weapons used by the troops who supported the Joes.  Note that this weapon is often confused with the 1992 Shockwave rifle.  They are similar, but not the same.  Also, some late run 1994 figures featured the rifle but with a blocked out trigger guard.  Those aren't bad.  But, I do prefer the original design.

Now the rifle is ubiquitous.  And, I had so many of them that it's become a bit passe.  But, the early 2000's brought some weapons into the mainstream to a point where they started to get stale.  Hit and Run's weapon was one of them.  And, while I still love it, I don't see it as the staple for every figure as I once envisioned nearly 30 years ago.  But, I do still find uses for it and you'll see it being carried by other figures in some photos around the site.

4. Bullhorn's Mask

My youngest brother got a Bullhorn in 1990.  I believe he was  the only 1990 figure that we ever had.  While his rifle was amazing and everyone still goes ga-ga over his weapon case backpack, I found the real value in him was his gas mask.  I love gas masks.  And, as a kid, I lamented that the only ones you could get were either Ripcord's airmask or Lifeline's rescue mask.  I gave them to pilots, troopers navigating gassed caves and just to anyone I wanted to look cool.  But, they had limitations (like the hose you had to plug in for it to look good) and always left me wanting more.

Bullhorn's mask, though, solved this problem.  It was a self contained piece and was sculpted with the air filter right on it.  When placed on the figure's head, Bullhorn could be a faceless army builder.  I now had a way for more figures to be outfitted with protective masks.  Unfortunately, though, the specific design of Bullhorn's mask made it so that it was form fitted for Bullhorn's head.  And, that made it difficult or impossible to really use the mask with a variety of other figures.  And, this limited the mask's use.  But, the overall design still works.  I've since found Bullhorn to be a more boring figure than I'd remembered.  The mask, though, overcomes this and keeps the figure relevant to me.  I just wish it was a little more flexible for use on a wider variety of figures.

5. Spearhead's Rifle

I do not know how this weapon entered into our collection.  We never had a 1988 Spearhead.  But, at some point, his rifle appeared among our toys.  It was likely left by one of my brother's friends.  As soon as I saw it, though, the rifle simply enthralled me.  Mostly, this was because it was new.  But, also, the rifle featured a couple of key design elements that I found among the cooler features of Joe accessories.  First, it had a bayonet.  But, we'll talk more about this, later.  The second, and more important feature, was the strap.  I had long loved strapped weapons.  They allowed your figure to carry their weapon without having to always be holding it in their hand.  I never like my Joes climbing a rope if they didn't have a strap on their gun because it wasn't realistic to just have their weapon magically appear at the top if they didn't have a means to carry it.  It's weird what unrealistic elements bothered me when I was a kid and which didn't affect me at all.

Back to the bayonet, though.  While I really liked bayonets, the piece on Salvo's rifle made the weapons footprint rather large.  And, at some point in the early 1990's, I wanted a knife for some figure.  The bayonet on Salvo's rifle was of sufficient size to work as a knife for a figure.  So, since the weapon wasn't key to any complete figure in my collection, I snipped off the bayonet and gave the knife to someone.  The paired down rifle was then smaller and looked even better with the figures to whom I gave it.  At various points, I've found the snipped bayonet and wondered who's knife it was.  Usually, I then remember that I cut this off from the original weapon.  I'm 99% sure that the bayonet is still sitting in a plastic baggie of superfluous edged weapons stored in a shoebox in the basement closet.  And, you'll see the snipped version of the rifle in a photo below.

In the early 1990's, I gave this weapon that mysteriously appeared in our home to a figure who also had a similar origin: Salvo.  I don't know where Salvo came from.  And, our figure just had the helmet.  So, it was another likely leave behind from some unknown friend of my brother.  But, Salvo and Spearhead's gun just seemed to mesh.  And, without having Salvo's real accessories, it made sense for him to have this borrowed weapon.  So, between 1991, or so, and 1999, Salvo always carried Spearhead's rifle.  In fact, if you can find really old Salvo photos on the site, you'll see him carrying it.  To this day, I more associate Spearhead's rifle with Salvo than I do with Spearhead.  But, that's because Salvo is an awesome figure and Spearhead is...not.

Really, these were the dark days of Joe.  I didn't collect for several years.  And, when I got back into things, I was chasing the dregs of the line at retail while also scouring out the not ready for primetime flea market scene that define the pre-internet days.  You didn't find a lot of Joes back then.  And, those that you did find were often those from my childhood years.  Meaning they were figures I already owned.  So, it was hard to find items I didn't have already.  

There were many more, better accessories that were released in this time.  But, I didn't really acquire them until my collector phase began in earnest around 1998.  We'll explore those in the final installment in a few months.  Until then, though, what are some of your favorite accessories from this time?  Let me know in the comments below.

1988 Target Exclusive Hit and Run

I quit buying Joes in 1988.  At that point, I was way too old to still be playing with toys.  But, I was also not really ready to let go.  I had bought all of the 1987 releases.  And, those figures dominated my room and my time.  But, as the calendar turned to 1988, I had found a new hobby in baseball card collecting that was more acceptable for someone my age.  So, Joe began to fall away.  In 1988, I only bought a handful of figures: Hardball, Tiger Force Roadblock and Hit and Run.  I don't really recall when I got Hit and Run.  He might have been my first figure of 1988.  Or, he might have been the final figure I purchased in childhood.  The circumstances of his entry into my world are lost to time.  But, he maintained a high status in my collection during the time I still played with Joes.  At some point in 1988, though, my youngest brother brought home a new Hit and Run.  This one, though, was a special figure that included a parachute pack.  As I had lost my original Hit and Run's filecard, I clipped out the yellow version and, ultimately, stowed the figure and parachute away into my plastic red Lego box that held all my Joes as I transitioned from kid into adult collector.

I didn't think much about the second Hit and Run figure.  By that time, I was not playing with Joes.  though, I may have snagged his awesome rifle and used it with another figure.  I did not realize that the Hit and Run was a Target exclusive.  It was meant as a higher priced gift type item.  There was nothing really new about the figure.  But, you could get a figure who included a rope, working winch, grappling hook and a parachute in one combined package.  At the time, it was the the most deluxe figure package that Hasbro had ever offered.  In coming years, Hasbro would expand upon the deluxe figure idea and offer a wide array of full release figures at higher price points for premium accessories.

When taken as a pairing, Hit and Run and the parachute pack seem a natural fit.  The colors match up.  Hit and Run's body mold looks like it could be part of a paratrooper's uniform.  And, Hit and Run could still use all of his gear and the parachute at the same time since his duffel bag was not a traditional backpack.  The parachute added a new element to Hit and Run and made him an even better option as a member of a Tomahawk crew.  Hit and Run was also a pretty nice match for the 1984 Ripcord and the Night Force Crazylegs.  So, he fit the motif of the paratroopers in the line.  

As a figure, Hit and Run is just about perfect.  His sculpting is top notch where he's detailed but not over the top.  His green and black coloring satisfies the "military purists" while his ingenious satchel, rope and grappling hook are one of the best accessories Hasbro ever produced.  His rifle perfectly matches the figure, is well detailed and is neither too large nor too small.  In short, Hit and Run is what many people hold the Joe line as a whole out to be.  But, truthfully, Hit and Run is an outlier in the line.  He is the military in military fantasy.  The 1988 line was a perfect balance of the two in that there were many military figures but also a great number of outlandish, fantasy characters, too.  This balance shifts from year to year...especially on the Cobra side. 

As Hit and Run was among my last figures of childhood, his adventures were limited.  I've told the story, though, of how I lost him hanging in the ivy of my grandparents' yard, only to find several months later.  Beyond that, though, Hit and Run was heavily a figure I admired.  Shortly after I got him, I put my toys away.  They were locked in a closet.  And, I suspect this had something to do with my brother's acquisition of this Hit and Run.  He liked the figure, but didn't have access to it.  So, he bought his own.  And, in this case, it turned out to be an exclusive.  (He would also get the Night Force Sneak Peek and Falcon later in the year.)    I spent much of 1988 and 1989 wishing that I could still collect toys.  And, I'd pull my Hit and Run out every now and then to admire the work and imagine all the adventures I've had with him were he released in 1985.  Even now, as a collector, that wanting still lingers.  I've profiled Hit and Run three times, now.  Yet, in no instance do I feel that I've adequately captured how cool the figure is in the photos.  Nor, do I feel that my profile lives up to the figure and gives him his due.  It's odd how these old feelings remain with a toy, even three and half decades later.

In 1988 and 1989, Hasbro offered up a few retailer exclusives.  While the Night Force line at Toys R Us is the most famous due to the exclusive figure paint jobs, there were a few others that were designed to attract parents and gift givers to the Joe line.  This Hit and Run is one example where Hasbro took two existing products, put them in new packaging, and sold an exclusive figure for a premium.  Target also got an exclusive two pack of Voltar and Muskrat.  Again, the figures were the same as the standard release.  But, Target got exclusive packaging designed to sell a two enemies in a package.  In 1989, Hasbro boxed a Mudfighter and Hiss II into a single box and sold them at warehouse stores.  Hasbro never again offered bundled vehicles or figures.  So, we're left to question if those products were successful.  However, Sky Patrol did appear in 1990.  These figures all included parachute packs like Hit and Run and feature larger cardbacks.  They seem like the real legacy of this Target exclusive figure from 1988.

The Target Hit and Run parachute pack has a specific Country of Origin (COO) stamp on it.  The more common mail away Parachute Pack features a made in Hong Kong COO stamp.  The parachute pack included with the Target Hit and Run, though, features a Made in China COO stamp.  The green color of Hit and Run's parachute pack is also slightly different than that of the mail away.  It's nearly impossible to discern unless you have one of each next to each other.  So, the COO stamp is the main way to be sure of the correct Hit and Run parachute pack.  Most "Target" Hit and Run's that are sold feature the incorrect parachute pack.  So, be sure to confirm the correct COO on the pack when you are looking to acquire one.

Hit and Run saw a fair amount of release.  Hasbro released him as the standard carded figure and this Target exclusive.  His arms were also used on the Tiger Force Duke figure and later appeared on the Chinese Exclusive Duke.  From there, he appeared in the European line in exclusive Tiger Force colors.  Hit and Run was then sent to Brazil.  Estrela released the mold in a darker green as Alpinista.  Both the Tiger Force Hit and Run and Alpinista are notable in that they feature Hit and Run's flesh toned face.  Hasbro planned to repaint the Hit and Run mold in 1995 and release him as a vehicle driver with a tank.  That figure was planned to stay true to Hit and Run's roots and feature a black torso and green pants.  Had this figure been released, it would be highly sought after today.  Hit and Run collectors, though, have a ton to track down already.  Despite that, Hit and Run was one of the most requested Joe repaints of the early 2000's and a repaint of him in other environments or sub teams would have been well received.

Pricing on Target Hit and Run's is difficult.  Sure, a carded figure will easily run over $1,000.  But, loose, mint and complete with filecard samples are few and far between.  Loose Hit and Run figures themselves are odd in that they sell in $18 range: but dealers sell an appalling amount in the $40+ range.  It's a huge disparity.  Lots of dealers will try to match a complete Hit and Run with a mail away parachute pack and charge a premium for a "Target" figure sans filecard.  But, figures with the correct, yellow filecard and the parachute with the correct country of origin stamps will likely exceed $100 in today's Joe market.  It's an absurd price to pay when you can achieve the same thing with cheaper alternatives...even if they are not "collectible".

1988 Hit and Run Around The Web

I was pretty much done with G.I. Joe in 1988.  I bought a few figures at the beginning of the year before walking away from toys until I graduated from high school.  But, one 1988 figure grabbed my attention and was so cool that I had to buy him: Hit and Run.  The figure was all green camo and included an amazing new rifle.  On top of that, he also had a duffel bag with a grappling hook and rope.  In short, he was about everything I ever wanted in a Joe figure.  I bought him and was not disappointed.  The figure was so well designed that I hung him on a wall of ivy at my grandparents' house and lost him there for several months.  I've looked at the figure twice and will probably come back to him again.  Here's the best of Hit and Run from around the web.

Hit and Run Profile - 2000

Hit and Run Profile - 2012

Hit and Run Parachute Pack - Target Exclusive

Hit and Run by Edwin80s

Hit and Run Video Review by HCC788

Hit and Run at Joe Battle Lines

Unproduced Hit and Run at A Real American Hero Book

Target Exclusive Hit and Run - Parachute Pack

As 1988 wound down, Hasbro produced a few special figure releases that were repacks of some of their 1988 figure offerings.  These special packs were marketing gimmicks to entice gift givers to choose something G.I. Joe for their recipients.  There was a special Voltar vs. Muskrat pack that featured exclusive packaging.  The option that is most familiar to me, though, is the Target exclusive Parachute Pack Hit and Run figure.

This exclusive showed up at some point in 1988.  The Hit and Run figure itself was no different than the standard version that was still available on a single card.  In addition to his traditional accessories, though, the figure also included Parachute Pack that was taken from the same mold as the long time mail away premium.

MOC, this figure is rather hard to find and extremely expensive.  Loose, the figure is easily made from a Hit and Run and common Parachute Pack.  (There are, though, differences in the parachute pack with one made in China and one made in Hong Kong.  It's possible that one of these is either exclusive to this Hit and Run or that Hit and Run only included one of the chutes but the chute was also available as a mail away.  I've never seen a carded version of this figure with the chute packaged so you can see the made in stamp and no one is going to open a $1,000 carded figure to find out something so trivial.)  So, you don't often see the figure command a premium.  But, the cardback did include a unique, orange backed filecard.  You will see this exclusive bio sell for substantially more than all but the rarest filecards in the line.

Hit and Run was one of the last figures I purchased at retail in early 1988 before I quit collecting Joe.  However, my youngest brother continued buying figures through the year.  And, at some point, he acquired this figure.  I remember as I found the Hit and Run lying around the house and I thought he had stolen mine from the closet in my room again.  However, I found mine safe in his plastic baggie inside a Lego container on the floor.  I then found the packaging for this figure and realized he was something different.

For some reason, I had not saved the filecards from my 1988 figure purchases.  (Still don't know why that was since I had been religious about filecard clipping since 1983.)  So, I cut the orange file card off of the packaging and added it to my Hit and Run that was saved away.  That proved fortuitous in later years when the filecard got scarce and pricey since I already had one.

Hasbro didn't really do re-releases like this Hit and Run again.  Any later special offers were packaged with an exclusive figure to make them more enticing.  But, this figure serves as a somewhat pre-cursor to Sky Patrol who would debut two years later.  It is also an excellent pairing of figure and gear that Hasbro would move away from as the line sputtered out.

Diorama - The Blitz

Here's the first set of photos I took in the puddle that formed after every rainstorm at my house in Indiana.  The sun was setting so I didn't have much time.   But, I think the urgency of the setup is conveyed in the chaos of the scene.

I wanted to use the 1994 Viper more, especially en masse.  Being able to use Shockwave, Stalker and Hit and Run was a bonus.  This location would get a lot more use in the next two years as a setting for lakes, swamps and islands.  Having access to clear, pooled water made for a lot of fun photos.  It's something I do miss about the weather in the Midwest.

Alpinista - Brazilian Exclusive Hit and Run

It is rare for a G.I. Joe figure to be done just about perfectly the first time around, yet still have so much potential that the lack of repaints make the mold a stalwart of unfulfilled releases. Such is the case with Hit and Run. The American figure is basically perfect. He has great colors that are true to the line's military roots. he has tremendous accessories that accentuate his specialty. And, he is versatile enough to be used in a variety of settings. Despite all that, though, most collectors would rank Hit and Run high on their lists of figures they wanted to see repainted during the 2000's. But, that never occurred. The likely reason for this is the Brazilian version of Hit and Run: Alpinista.

At his core, Alpinista is, basically, Hit and Run. The general theme of the figure is the same with the standard green cammo. But, the reality of the detail is that the two figures are quite different. Alpinista uses a darker base green. You would not think this would make so much of a difference. But, it completely changes the appearance of the figure...for the better. The darker colors are more muted and realistic than the brighter green of the American figure. The main difference, though, is that Alpinista has flesh colored hands and face. The face is most noticeable since the all green face has always been the hallmark of the American Hit and Run. The flesh face is a stark contrast to Hit and Run and makes Alpinista a deeper, more useful figure.

It is in that vein that I use the figure. I can't make this someone other than Hit and Run due to the similarity in look. But, it is nice to see that Hit and Run can sometimes wash the green paint off his face when he is around his comrades. As an alternate look for the Hit and Run character, Alpinista is excellent. There is no mistaking this figure for the Hit and Run character. But, it is different enough that anyone would recognize this as a foreign figure should they see it in a photo or display. It's a great expansion of the Hit and Run character and allows him to be used more often. (Which is a good thing for a figure of this quality.)

The Hit and Run mold got some use...just not in the U.S. After his release on a regular card and as a Target exclusive, the mold was sent to Europe. There, the impressive Tiger Force Hit and Run figure was released. It is an interesting repaint of the figure, but something that, were it not rare, would likely be unloved by collectors. Around 1993, the mold made its way to Brazil. There, Estrela released this Alpinista figure. After that, the trail runs cold. Alpinista's Brazilian contemporaries did not appear in India or during the repaint era. So, it's possible that the molds perished in Brazil. However, Hasbro did get some molds from later Estrela releases back. So, it's possible that the mold was available, but just not used. Either way, collectors never got a chance to see this figure in Night Force, Desert, Urban or Arctic colors. Any of those repaints would have been a great addition to the Hit and Run character's pantheon.

Time was that Alpinista figures were cheap and plentiful. For years during the early 2000's, carded versions could be purchased for under $20. As the decade wound down, though, these got harder and harder to find. Eventually, the supply pretty much dried up and Alpinstas became $50 carded figures. You can get them cheaper loose, but they are somewhat difficult to find as the few collectors who did open their cheap carded figures are the type who would hang onto their figures rather than sell them off. If you can find an Alpinista, though, he's a worthwhile pickup. Being cheaper than the European exclusive Hit and Run makes him more palatable as a purchase. And, the fact that this is a better variant of the mold makes it even more so. I've found this is a figure well worth having, whether you are a Hit and Run fan or not.

1988 Hit and Run

In 1988, I was basically done with Joes.  I had purchased just about every 1987 figure and had enjoyed them through the first part of the year.  But, in the fall of 1987, I entered 8th Grade and Joes became a thing of the past for me.  As 1987 wound down, I moved out of my old room that was filled with my toys and into a new, larger, more private space.  My Joes did not make the move with me.  Even as my interest in Joes diminished, I found that old habits died hard.  As such, in very early 1988, I purchased the last of my youthful Joe toys: Hardball, Tiger Force Roadblock and Hit and Run.  Each had something specific about him that compelled the purchase.  Hardball was a baseball player and I was hooked on baseball at the time.  Roadblock was an update to a childhood favorite and a great way to finally get an unbroken gun in my collection.  Hit and Run, though had everything I looked for in a figure: great militaristic colors, amazing accessories and a solid mold.  There was no way I could not buy him.  As such, Hit and Run became one of the final 3 G.I. Joe figures I purchased in what I would call the "childhood" phase of my collecting life.

Hit and Run had a short life in my collection.  I had only owned him a few weeks before he went on a trip to Dayton, Ohio with me.  There, in my grandparents' backyard, Hit and Run disappeared on me.  My grandparents had a great backyard for playing with action figures.  It had 2 limestone walls that were covered in ivy with gardens above and below them.  It was a perfect place for hiding Joes...especially those with ropes who could scale the walls.  Hit and Run was perfect for this.  I had him climbing the walls, hidden in the ivy, to sneak up on Cobra.  However, when I went inside, the figure was so well blended with the green ivy that I didn't see him.  As such, Hit and Run hung on that wall, hidden in ivy, until the fall of that year.  I then retrieved him.  But, by then, I was in high school.  So, Hit and Run went into a box and stayed there for years.

As an adult collector, though, Hit and Run became a favorite, again.  The mold and coloring were just too good to overlook.  Even though I had a well conditioned, complete Hit and Run from childhood, I found myself acquiring multiple, additional Hit and Run figures in my early days of adult Joe collecting.  I had him posed on the Whale, in the HQ and among other, similarly cool figures.  He fits well with figures from all years of the line.  While I have long stated that green figures are boring, that statement applies only when the basic military colors are overused.  When every figure looks the same, the line suffers.  As the vintage joe line was very diverse in terms of colors and designs, figures like Hit and Run stand out.  At his core, the figure is green and black.  That's it.  There are some subtle differences in the greens and the whites of his eyes are painted.  But, the basic figure is a solid core color with a single paint mask over it.  In the modern line, this would reek of laziness.  But, in the vintage line where he was surrounded by a diverse contemporary force, Hit and Run's simplicity makes him stand out.

The standard colors work so well together and were seen so seldom in the '80's that the figures who do use them became iconic.  Plus, Hit and Run's accessories are an extension of his character.  The hallmark of the vintage line was that figure and accessories were perfectly paired to create a character.  You can see this with Hit and Run.  Hit and Run's accessories were just about perfect.  He featured the light machine gun that was aesthetically pleasing, but also practical for his specialty.  Instead of a backpack, Hit and Run included a duffel bag with a working knife holster on the side.  This fit around his torso and had a rope wound inside it.  The rope slotted through the end of the bad and was attached to a grappling hook.  This feature was a substantial improvement over the accessories originally included with Alpine.  Hit and Run's waist also has a molded tab through which the rope could be threaded so that Hit and Run could use the rope in a real rappelling type motion.  It was that type of little detail that helped take something that could have been boring and turned it into one of the best figures in the line's history.

The Hit and Run mold had a short life.  It was used for the US figure and then repainted as the European exclusive Tiger Force Hit and Run.  After that, the mold went down to Brazil where most of it was used by Estrela to make Alpinista.  (Which is very similar to the American figure in terms of coloring.)  Both the Euro and Brazilian figures have the distinction of featuring Hit and Run's face in flesh tone rather than green paint.  It is a different look for the figure and gives collectors an alternative for the Hit and Run character.  Hit and Run's arms were ultimately used for various Duke variants that were available in certain parts of the world.  The mold seems to have died in Brazil and collectors were never treated to a modern remake of this character.

Hit and Run's can be surprisingly expensive.  Mint, loose and complete, the figure can go as his as $20.  With a little patience, though, they can be had for $15 or so without too much trouble.  (Watch the elbows of the figure, though, as they are very prone to discoloration.)  An exclusive Hit and Run was released to Target stores in the early 1990's.  This figure was identical to the retail figure, but included a parachute pack.  (This pack was available for years as a mail away.)  The real differentiator is the yellow file card.  Collectors will pay upwards of $20 for the Target filecard.  So, that can raise the price of a loose figure.  For me, Hit and Run remains one of the best figures released in the vintage line.  He is a perfect blend of colors, mold and accessories.  So, he's worth adding to a collection for about any price.

1988 Hit and Run

By 1988, my Joe days were ending. I was about to start high school and it just wouldn't be cool to collect Joes anymore. I only bought a handful of figures in 1988: Hardball, Tiger Force Roadblock, and Hit and Run. Hit and Run was the first of the figures I purchased. As soon as I saw him, I was hooked. He has a great camo pattern and some of the best accessories in the entire line. I had to have him. He was just the type of figure I was looking for at that time. He came with ropes, which is always a plus, and had the great knife that fit right into his duffel bag. His gun is also my all time favorite. Fortunately, Hasbro included this weapon with many, many figures in the '90's. Because of that, I now have tons of this gun. It is my standard, though, for all my custom figures. Only in special instances do they not get one. It just looks good with just about anyone.

Hit and Run has about the best camo pattern of any figure. How good is it? When I first got this figure, I took him to my grandparent's house in Dayton, Ohio. They had a limestone terrace in their backyard that had ivy growing over it. There were drainage pipes and such hidden behind the ivy so it was an ideal place to play, especially if you had some figures with ropes. I had had my original Hit and Run about a month or so when I took him there. During the course of the action, I hung him on the terrace among the ivy. When it was time to leave, I did a final glance and missed him. Hit and Run then hanged on that wall for the next six months. When we finally returned to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving, I went out to wall and found him still there, though a little more weather beaten than he had been when I last saw him. I still have that figure. In fact, you are looking at him when you check out the scan down below.

Another cool feature of Hit and Run was that they actually painted the whites of his eyes. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only figure in the entire Joe line that has that characteristic. It helps make this figure very striking in appearance. It also makes his already unique face all the more amazing. He is one of the few, if not the only, figure to have his face totally painted. Some collectors find it rather hokey, but I think it just makes the figure that much better. He is truly camouflaged. I can't wait to get this guy out in my new yard. He should also appear in my upcoming fan fiction. Then you'll be able to appreciate this figure in his full glory. This figure also has a great mold. He is very minimalist, but does have the cool harness type features you would expect from someone who has a duffel bag full of rope. He also had a nook molded on his cod piece that allows you to pull a rope through. While it wasn't the greatest thing if you permanently attached his rope, this feature was a lot of fun. I always hated how my guys wouldn't hold onto the ropes like I wanted. With Hit and Run, I could either fasten the rope to his belt, or have him hang from his bag. Either way made the figure great fun to own.

Hit and Run was later available as a Target exclusive. That version came with all the accessories the original version had, plus it included one of the mail away "working" parachutes. The chute was lame. I never got it to work properly. (Folded up plastic just doesn't work as well as real cloth. I've mentioned it before, but a cloth Fisher Price parachute I had was one of the best toys I ever owned. It worked every time without flaw.) This figure is a bit tougher to find, but since the mold and coloring are the same, you can pick up a mail order parachute and have the same thing. My brother actually had this figure, though, and you can view the one difference, a re-colored file card at your leisure.

Along with his releases in the US, Hit and Run was also released in exclusive Tiger Force colors in Europe. This figure does not feature the painted face that is the hallmark of Hit and Run. From there, Hit and Run was also produced in Brazil as Alpinista in the early 90's. He was similar to his American release in color, though he also lacked the painted face. After that, Hit and Run's trail runs cold. He remains one of the most requested Joe figures among collectors to this day.

Hit and Run's aren't expensive. They are also fairly plentiful. He was released near the end of Joe's peak popularity run so Hasbro was still cranking out voluminous amounts of figures. A complete one might set you back $7 or $8, but that's not really too bad. If you want the Target exclusive Hit and Run, though, you should be prepared to spend a bit more. Still, this is an excellent figure, especially for the price. He can be used as a stand alone figure, or as part of an army. If you have a few spares, he also makes excellent custom fodder. 1988 wasn't that great of year for Joe fans, but gems like this guy were more than enough reason to keep me around.

I dig this figure, but have plenty of him. If you have a few of his guns you are wanting to part with, let me know.