1988 Muskrat - Random Photos of the Day

The 1988 Muskrat is one of those figures that I never quite feel is mine.  He was released the year after I quit Joe.  That summer, though, I took care of a house for a family a few blocks over.  Their younger son had a full plastic tubs of Joe figures, with several 1988 figures featured prominently.  One day, I opened it up to check out Muskrat as he just looked so amazing.  I imagined all the adventures I could have had with him.  But, I was still too young to drive and never went to a store to pick one up.  In 1990, the Kohl's store where I bought my lone 1989 Night Viper surely had a Muskrat as they were chock full of both 1988 and 1989 releases.  But, he simply couldn't compete with the Cobras of the day.

I like to get this guy out when I can.  Now, the figure has some limitations.  But, he's still an excellent overall release and is a perfect representative for everything about the 1988 line.

1993 Muskrat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1988 Muskrat - Around The Web

Muskrat is an excellent figure.  But, he was also released a year too late for me.  So, Muskrat was a figure who got away.  I wanted one, but never got one.  When I returned to collecting, Muskrat was one of the first figures I wanted to track down.  And, he did not disappoint once in hand.  The solid design, excellent colors and spectacular shotgun all added up to one of Hasbro's better efforts.  Sadly, Hasbro wasted this figure's return to their possession in the 2000's by never repainting him.  But, the first version and the Night Force release stand on their own.  Here's the best of the figure from around the web.

1988 Muskrat Profile

Muskrat by BackyardJoes

Muskrat Review at JoeBattleLines.com

1988 Muskrat Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Muskrat at 3DJoes.com

Night Force Muskrat Profile

1988 Muskrat Video Review

Rarities - Forca Electronica Figures - Brazilian Exclusives

Estrela produced around 150 unique figures for its Comandos Em Acao line.  Those range from completely new characters and figure combinations to straight up matches of American released figures.  The Forca Electronica subset of figures featured one brand new character in Letal, a repaint of a European exclusive Tiger Force Outback as Forasteiro as well as minor Brazilian repaints the HEAT Viper, Muskrat, Repeater and the Toxo Viper.

The Forca Electronica set featured 6 initial members:

Letal:

This neon green Frag Viper repaint is the most famous member of the set.  His striking appearance and general rarity have lead him to become very popular among collectors.  His golden weapons only add to the figure's mystique.  Letal is the most expensive, but also most often found member of the set.  His popularity makes him available, but his pricing remains consistently high.

Retaguarda:

This darker version of Repeater is one of the rarer members of the Forca Electronica series.  He was not publicly shown until the early 2000's.  Even today, the figure is very hard to find and you will pay a premium for him.  The darker colors are a cool take on the mold, though.  And, they bring something new to the Repeater character.

Forasteiro:

Really, this is the oddest figure of the bunch.  Forasteiro is slightly brighter version of the European exclusive Tiger Force Outback figure.  How this paint mask ended up in Brazil is a mystery.  But, it means that the most common appearance of the Outback mold is a paint application that was never released in the U.S.  We all know Outback's tend to be brittle.  The easier to snap Brazilian plastic exacerbates this and finding mint Forasteiro's is not easy.  Again, you pay a premium for an unbroken figure with no paint wear.

Estilhaco:

Estilhaco is a straight and slight repaint of the 1989 HEAT Viper figure.  The purple is a bit brighter.  He's the cheapest of the 6 figures in the set, mostly due to the fact that he was fairly common in the 1990's and he only has slight differences from a very common and rather unpopular American figure.

Explorador:

This slightly brighter green Muskrat exclusive is fairly elusive.  While he doesn't really offer anything you don't get in either the highly common American or Funskool versions of the figures, he's still different enough to drive you mad.  The fact that he's fairly rare props up the price, too.

Maligno:

This brighter purple Toxo Viper repaint is the bright end of the spectrum for this mold.  The American figure is a base purple color.  The Funskool version is a few shades darker than the American.  Maligno is a few shades brighter than the American.  He also features the golden weapons that increase his eye catching properties.  Again, Maligno isn't easy to find and high quality, complete versions fetch decent prices.

The Forca Electronica figures have gotten expensive.  While both Letal and Estilhaco were relatively easy to find in the late 1990's and early 2000's, the other figures were, basically, impossible to find and a few of them had never been seen until the early 2000's.  Today, all of the figures in the subset go for a premium.  They are extremely well done repaints and the rarity has lead collectors to appreciate them more than many, more interesting Brazilian subsets.

Estrela released a 2nd series of the Forca Electronica with 2 figures: General Ataque (a Scoop repaint) and Annihilator.  These two figures were released later, and on their own.  They are MUCH easier to find than the first series and are nowhere near as expensive.

Collectors long ignored the Brazilian figures that were similar to their American counterparts.  The last decade, though, has seen this trend reverse.  Subsets like Forca Electronica show that even the slight repaints can be interesting and have merit.  Unfortunately, so many have discovered this that the figure are not nearly as cheap as they used to be.

Rarities - 2000's Era Muskrat with Hydro Viper Arm

In the early parts of 2003, Funskool returned 18 molds to Hasbro.  These were many of the more desirable molds for collectors.  Hasbro immediately put many of them into production and the figures appeared in the Night Force set, the 2004 Convention set, the Urban Strike set and many others.  As Hasbro was gearing up molds, odd things would show up.

Below is a Muskrat figure from around 2004.  While most of this mold appeared on the terrible Dreadhead figures, it was also used for the VAMP Chief Torpedo figure.  But, the Muskrat head and character were never re-released.  The odd thing is that his left arm is from the Hydro Viper.  This implies that Hasbro re-acquired the Hydro Viper mold and, at least, tested it out.  However, the Hydro Viper never returned in any Hasbro offering.  Did the mold fail the production tests?  Was it deemed to expensive to produce with all the Hydro Viper's accessories?  Or, did Hasbro simply not think collectors would be interested in such a figure?

Considering the amount of molds that were used time and time again for the Toys R Us sets and Comic Packs, anything new would have been cool.  But, none of the former Funskool molds save the Dreadnoks were released with their original gear.  So, I could see how an unaccessorized Hydro Viper would not have been very well received.  Muskrat, though, is a different story.  There were lots of shotguns produced in the Joe Vs. Cobra era and any of them would have worked with the figure.  And, while the body did get use, I don't think an appearance by the full Muskrat character would have been derided by anyone.

Those answers are likely lost to history.  But, the figure below shows that Hasbro had a lot more molds available to them than they actually released during the 2000's.

1988 Muskrat

As a kid, swamps fascinated me.  There was something about the incredible concentration of life that could so easily disguise intense danger that intrigued me.  As such, I always took advantage of rainstorms to take my Joes out in the yard and play in the "swamps" that were defined by puddles and mud.  Usually, figures in more traditional military colors were the characters of choice when this environment presented itself.  The classically cammoed figures were excellent fits for the green and brown that defined the landscape.  Alas, it was not until 1988, after I had stopped buying Joes that the line introduced a character unique to swamp warfare: Muskrat.

My first encounter with the Muskrat figure was in the summer of 1988. I was done collecting Joe and wasn't buying any figures. That summer, I was watching one of my parent's friend's homes. Their son was a few years younger than me and had a play room full of Joes. Among these were most of the 1988 figures. I looked them over and was enthralled by Muskrat. Beyond the great design and solid colors, it was his shotgun that left the greatest impression.  It was an upgrade on the shotguns from Flint and Falcon since it had both a stock and a handle.  It looked like the type of weapon that would go well with a variety of figures.  I took the Muskrat out of the plastic storage bin and gave his weapon to a few 1987 and 1986 figures to see how it looked.   The result was fantastic.  For a few weeks, I contemplated actually buying a Muskrat figure.  Unfortunately, the allure of sports cards and the money to be made selling and trading them (plus the more socially acceptable sports theme) kept me from regressing back into buying toys.

But, I would hold off until the summer of 1990 before I would actually give in and buy a new figure.  (The '89 Night Viper.)  In retrospect, that probably didn't hurt me too much.  The 1988 figures had their moments.  But, none of the traditional retail figures from that year have really taken on a aftermarket life.  But, I do feel that having a few more 1988 figures in that final, transition year of my childhood could have been fun.  Maybe I would have developed more of a personality for this figure.  He very well could have been as fun to use in my various play areas as Hit and Run.  But, what's life without a few regrets?

The paint details on Muskrat are somewhat lacking. The figure is only black paint on the green base with a smattering of brown on the boots.  But, in this case, the simplicity is effective.  For someone traipsing through a swamp, you don't need much beyond the standard green of the plant life around you.  So, Hasbro was able to save a bit on the paint applications that could then be applied to other figures.  But, for some reason, in 1988, Hasbro really didn't do this.  Shockwave, Repeater, Budo, Destro, Stormshadow, Wildcard, Ghostrider and other figures all feature large, undetailed portions of their molds.  Hasbro really skimped on paint applications across the entire year.  It might have been fallout from the failure of the Joe movie or just expected sales slumps.  But, the cost cutting doesn't make sense when you see the the increased detail that started to appear in 1989.

Accessory-wise, Muskrat is OK.  His shotgun is excellent.  The fact that it appeared with a large number of 1993 and 1994 figures is a bonus as it makes the acquisition of extras very easy.  It is nicely scaled with the figure and works in ways that other shotguns do not.  Beyond the gun, though, Muskrat's accessories get weird.  He includes an awesome machete.  But, it's baby blue.  I don't know why since most other 1988 figures have accessories that are sensibly colored.  Again, though, black versions of the machete are easy to steal from figures from the line's final years.  So, that helps.  Finally, he includes some type of boogie/surf board.  It can be attached to his back like a pack, or to his foot to have the accessory function.  The result is something that is odd and not useful.  As a pack, at least, the board can double for armored protection.  Beyond that, though, it doesn't make much sense.

In my collection today, Muskrat doesn't get much use.  He's a solid figure, but not a character to whom I have great attachment.  He was an adult acquisition and that leaves him without the childhood memories that make most of the 1982 - 1987 figures so important to me.  But, the figure is not without his uses.  His classic colors allow him to blend with Joe teams from a variety of different years.  So, he is a nice bridge figure between a team of 1985 and a team of 1994 Joes.  But, he doesn't have much character.  I've never really gotten around to creating a personality for Muskrat.  The upside is that this remains a figure of untapped potential in my collection.  The downside is that it's fairly unlikely that this figure will ever get the type of display or use that his quality really deserves.

Muskrat was released in the U.S. in 1988 and as a Night Force figure in 1989.  After that, the mold appeared in Brazil as part of the very rare Forca Electronica subset.  Then, the mold appeared in India where Funskool produced a Muskrat figure nearly identical to the original American release for many years.  (The upside to this figure is that it includes a silver machete instead of the baby blue version.  A great upgrade!)  The Muskrat mold was one of the first 18 molds that Funskool returned to Hasbro in 2003.  While Hasbro never produced another Muskrat, the body mold was used for the 2004 convention exclusive Dreadhead figures.  It then made it's final appearance as the basis for the 2004 Chief Torpedo figure that was included with the VAMP/Whirlwind set.  The Muskrat mold still has some life in it since three of the 4 releases of the character are based on this version 1.  A desert version or a repaint with a complex cammo pattern would be a welcome addition to the Joe world.  But, the chances for figures like that are likely gone and collectors are left with several high quality, but similar Muskrat figures to track down.

Muskrat figures are not expensive.  He is easy to find with no paint wear and complete with all his accessories.  Like most 1988 figures, though, Muskrat's elbows tend to crack.  Finding a figure without this flaw is difficult.  But, most Muskrat figures will sell for under $7.  That's a great price for a figure with a high quality mold done in traditional military colors who includes well done accessories.  Like many high quality Joe figures from the early years that saw full retail production runs, Muskrat's popularity in the marketplace has declined quite a bit in the past few years.  But, many collectors still have him and consider him a solid Joe team member.  Had I owned this figure as a kid, he would likely be much more important to me.  But, that lack of emotional attachment doesn't diminish his quality at all and makes Muskrat a worthy addition to any collection.

1989 Night Force Muskrat

A couple of months ago, I profiled the Night Force Repeater. In that profile I stated that while the Night Force figures were nice, they were rarely improvements upon the figures' original versions. While Repeater was an exception to that, most of the figures are not. Another figure, though, whose specialty is very cool, has a good mold, solid accessories, but was in desperate need of a new colour scheme is the Joes' swamp fighter: Muskrat.

Back in '88, I wasn't buying too many Joes. I picked up a Tiger Force Roadblock and a Hit and Run, but that was about it. I've always liked swamp fighters, though, and thought that Muskrat would be a figure I would enjoy. When I finally saw one, though, my enthusiasm waned into genuine apathy towards to the figure. The color scheme, while nice, was just too bland and lacked the chutzpah factor that would have motivated me to make a purchase. Don't get me wrong, I like green cammoed figures, but the original Muskrat was just too bland. He just sort of blended together and his features were washed out in the similar colors. As such, I passed on Muskrat and didn't actually own one until the late '90's.

I never really thought much of Muskrat until a few years ago. I saw pictures of the Night Force version and thought it would be a neat figure to own. Alas, I just didn't put it near the top of my priority list and allowed this figure, like all the Night Force figures, to remain unacquired for many years. A couple of weeks ago, I finally managed to snag one of these guys for a decent price. After I received the figure, though, I realized that the small amount of wear the seller had described was actually a bit greater than his original description. Still, I feel like I paid a fair amount for the figure I got. Had it been in the condition I was expecting, then I would have gotten a great deal. Oh, well. Anyways, as soon as I got him, I remembered why I had wanted this figure. The not quite black grey of his basic uniform really allows for the military green to showcase the figure's detail. The black pants also allow for some offsetting color that brings this figure to life in a way the original never could. It is for these reasons that I consider the Night Force Muskrat superior to the original mold.

The one facet that nearly caused me to break down and purchase a Muskrat figure back during his original retail run was his gun. He has a shotgun that just works perfectly for dozens of different figures. Fortunately, this gun is very easy to find since it was offered on several weapon trees that came with '93 and '94 figures. It's this gun, though, that brings me back to this figure. His weapon really suits him. Much after '89, accessories were cool, but they didn't fit the figure the way many of the earlier accessories had. Muskrat is one such figure. I have no problem envisioning him stomping through the swamp with his shotgun always ready. For some reason, the weapons fit the figure in a way that is rare in the Joe line. I think that's just another reason why I like this guy so much. He works very well in his environment. Of course, though, that limits his usefulness to me. That, though, keeps this guy from getting played out. Many figures hold my attention for a couple of weeks, months, or even years. By and by, though, the figures I use most now, become the forgotten figures of tomorrow. That's why I can often write so much about so many individual figures. Most Joe figures have had their time in the sun in my collection. It is the specialists, and niche guys, though, who always remain constant. I won't have an underwater mission without the '94 Shipwreck but he only goes on missions of that type. That way, the figure stays fresh. My hope is that this version of Muskrat will do the same.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Night Force figures are tough to find. Unlike the Repeater who was later offered via mail-in, Muskrat only saw production as an exclusive. The nice thing, though, is that his shotgun was still black and the black machete was released on the generic weapon trees of the line's final years. His black surfboard, though, poses a unique challenge. Because of this, Night Force Muskrats can get expensive. Fortunately, he isn't as sought after as a couple of the more high profile figures such as Outback and Shockwave. Still, mint and complete, this guy will set you back $25-$30. Again, that's way too much. He simply isn't worth that much, though the market seems, and has seemed for quite some time now!, to support that price on a consistent basis. It is frustrating, but one of those things that keeps the Joe collecting hobby more challenging. If every figure were easy to get and very cheap, there wouldn't be much fun in this. When a decent figure like Muskrat starts costing the same as other, much cooler figures, though, you know you've entered into a time when your days on having an incomplete collection are drawing to a close. It's a reality I'm not sure I want to face, but with the new releases and tons of foreign variations (many made cheaply available to you by several excellent fan based dealers) thrown into the mix, I don't see my days of searching for Joe figures coming to an end anytime soon. If they can keep many of those figures at least as good as the Night Force Muskrat, you can be sure I'll be around for quite a while!

I would like a better example of this guy. I'm also after a couple of other Night Force figures. (If I haven't profiled them, then I probably need them!) If you can help, email me.