2001 Sidetrack Profile
Sidetrack by Past Nastifiction
Sidetrack at GeneralsJoes.com
Sidetrack by wigramjoe
Sidetrack at JoeBattleLines.com
Sidetrack by battlearmordad1
Sidetrack at JoeADay.com
Showing posts with label Sidetrack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sidetrack. Show all posts
Thursday, December 5, 2019
2000/2001 Sidetrack - Around The Web
Back in late 2000, Hasbro dropped the second wave of the A Real American Hero collection. I'd argue now that it was actually better than the first wave as it included a ton of molds collectors had yet to see and they, mostly, included all their original gear. I'm hard pressed to really pick which of the 6 figures in the wave is the best. But, the Ambush repaint renamed as Sidetrack is easily up there. It's a great mold from the 1990's that was hugely under-appreciated at the time and was colored significantly differently from the original figure. Here's the best of Sidetrack from around the web.
2001 Sidetrack Profile
Sidetrack by Past Nastifiction
Sidetrack at GeneralsJoes.com
Sidetrack by wigramjoe
Sidetrack at JoeBattleLines.com
Sidetrack by battlearmordad1
Sidetrack at JoeADay.com
2001 Sidetrack Profile
Sidetrack by Past Nastifiction
Sidetrack at GeneralsJoes.com
Sidetrack by wigramjoe
Sidetrack at JoeBattleLines.com
Sidetrack by battlearmordad1
Sidetrack at JoeADay.com
Friday, July 5, 2019
2000 Side Track - By Past Nastification
Before I begin the review, let me acknowledge Rob at Joeaday.com and his generosity in letting me post my articles there over the last few years. With Joeaday on hiatus, Forgotten Figures has graciously given me the opportunity to post my stuff here.
Thanks to both sites for being so open.
And now, the review!
Ambush was a very unique figure during the late ARAH run. With the puffy swept hair up top and the lambchop sideburns, the headsculpt for Ambush was quite distinguished in the line.
The body was solid, too, featuring a diagonally slung grenade bandolier on the chest and a sweater worn under a shirt with rolled up sleeves.
But the figure in this review isn’t Ambush. It’s 2000’s Side Track. It looks like Ambush, but with darker hair, because it’s a head-to-toe repaint. So lazy, so stupid, so Hasbro.
As to be as objective/generous as possible, I’m going to just pretend this is another version of Ambush. The dark riches greens used for the base uniform are a 180 from the desert color palette of the 1990 figure. The camouflage of the 2000 figure was created through marbling the plastic, whereas the 1990 figure featured a painted/printed pattern. The two approaches make sure that they are entirely distinct from each other, something not always seen when a figure is recolored. It’s beautiful.
The gear from the 2000 figure is almost the same as the 1990 one. The helmet is different and the colors are unique to each figure.
You may notice that I’ve displayed the 2000 figure short one weapon. I wouldn’t have ever noticed were it not on Yojoe.com. That’s because when the figure was released it was packaged with a Duke figure, and I sorted that weapon to Duke. I hadn’t realized that same accessories had come with Ambush in 1990, as that was after my exit time for GI Joe back then. But I’m leaving it as is. It didn’t bother me 19 years ago, and I’m good with it now.
Viewed as Ambush, this figure is great. It’s one of the figures from 2000 that had a good opaque quality to the skin, not the semi-translucent milkiness some of them had. The hair color should be lighter, but it has painted whites of the eyes, so it’s a decent trade off.
Okay, time to switch gears and view this as Side Track.
The head just kills it. Hasbro had created a new head for Volga when GI Joe returned and topped a Lady Jaye body with it. Using a new head on an old body isn’t as good as using a new head with a body made from MIXED body parts, but it’s still better than a head-to-toe repaint. But in 2000 Hasbro stuck with complete HTT figures, dumping Side Track, Chameleon, Whiteout, and Thunderwing (for a second time, I think) on us.
Here’s a silly thought: if you can’t make a new head, at least use a different one. One you can disguise if possible. For example, a Quick Kick head with rusty hair and facial stubble on the Ambush body would have been a much easier pill to swallow as Side Track. Did Hasbro even have access to the Quick Kick head in 2000? I don’t know. It could have been almost any head that wasn’t Ambush, with that head painted with a different hair color than its original figure. A Low Light V1 head with black hair. Anything would have been better than what we got.
We can’t talk about this figure without mentioning the 2002 Sidetrack (spelled with no space between “Side” and “track”), which was a different character (because it had a different spelling and a different file name). At least that figure featured an original head on an old body.
Ever since Hasbro brought GI Joe back in ’97 with the Stars and Stripes Forever set, the design team/quality control people never really seamed like they put their hearts into it. Naming issues, nonsensical part choices, bad color sets. In 1982 Hasbro created a high quality product with an imbedded spirit that spoke to the fans. Somewhere before the original ARAH run stopped, that magic-in-a-bottle had evaporated. It’s never really come back. You don’t need to look any further than Sidetrack for a demonstration.
Thanks to both sites for being so open.
And now, the review!
Ambush was a very unique figure during the late ARAH run. With the puffy swept hair up top and the lambchop sideburns, the headsculpt for Ambush was quite distinguished in the line.
The body was solid, too, featuring a diagonally slung grenade bandolier on the chest and a sweater worn under a shirt with rolled up sleeves.
But the figure in this review isn’t Ambush. It’s 2000’s Side Track. It looks like Ambush, but with darker hair, because it’s a head-to-toe repaint. So lazy, so stupid, so Hasbro.
As to be as objective/generous as possible, I’m going to just pretend this is another version of Ambush. The dark riches greens used for the base uniform are a 180 from the desert color palette of the 1990 figure. The camouflage of the 2000 figure was created through marbling the plastic, whereas the 1990 figure featured a painted/printed pattern. The two approaches make sure that they are entirely distinct from each other, something not always seen when a figure is recolored. It’s beautiful.
The gear from the 2000 figure is almost the same as the 1990 one. The helmet is different and the colors are unique to each figure.
You may notice that I’ve displayed the 2000 figure short one weapon. I wouldn’t have ever noticed were it not on Yojoe.com. That’s because when the figure was released it was packaged with a Duke figure, and I sorted that weapon to Duke. I hadn’t realized that same accessories had come with Ambush in 1990, as that was after my exit time for GI Joe back then. But I’m leaving it as is. It didn’t bother me 19 years ago, and I’m good with it now.
Viewed as Ambush, this figure is great. It’s one of the figures from 2000 that had a good opaque quality to the skin, not the semi-translucent milkiness some of them had. The hair color should be lighter, but it has painted whites of the eyes, so it’s a decent trade off.
Okay, time to switch gears and view this as Side Track.
The head just kills it. Hasbro had created a new head for Volga when GI Joe returned and topped a Lady Jaye body with it. Using a new head on an old body isn’t as good as using a new head with a body made from MIXED body parts, but it’s still better than a head-to-toe repaint. But in 2000 Hasbro stuck with complete HTT figures, dumping Side Track, Chameleon, Whiteout, and Thunderwing (for a second time, I think) on us.
Here’s a silly thought: if you can’t make a new head, at least use a different one. One you can disguise if possible. For example, a Quick Kick head with rusty hair and facial stubble on the Ambush body would have been a much easier pill to swallow as Side Track. Did Hasbro even have access to the Quick Kick head in 2000? I don’t know. It could have been almost any head that wasn’t Ambush, with that head painted with a different hair color than its original figure. A Low Light V1 head with black hair. Anything would have been better than what we got.
We can’t talk about this figure without mentioning the 2002 Sidetrack (spelled with no space between “Side” and “track”), which was a different character (because it had a different spelling and a different file name). At least that figure featured an original head on an old body.
Ever since Hasbro brought GI Joe back in ’97 with the Stars and Stripes Forever set, the design team/quality control people never really seamed like they put their hearts into it. Naming issues, nonsensical part choices, bad color sets. In 1982 Hasbro created a high quality product with an imbedded spirit that spoke to the fans. Somewhere before the original ARAH run stopped, that magic-in-a-bottle had evaporated. It’s never really come back. You don’t need to look any further than Sidetrack for a demonstration.
Monday, January 1, 2001
2001 Sidetrack
A couple of months ago, the first pictures of the series 2 Joes were released. The pics I saw, though, were a bit grainy and it was difficult to make out much of any of the figures. I knew that Big Ben and Whiteout would be white, I knew that the new Major Bludd would be brown, that the Rock Viper would have a white face, and that Duke and Sidetrack would be dark. That was about it. I figured the six new figures would hit stores just before Christmas. Hasbro has done that in the past with their Star Wars and I didn't expect Joe to be any different. Sure enough, about three days before Christmas, someone posted to the Joe newsgroup that they had found the new figures at a Target store. As Target has also been getting in tons of Star Wars figures that I didn't have, I hit a number of Targets on the 23rd and 24th of December. Of course, I had no luck finding the new Joes. Come Christmas morning, though, I got quite a shock. My fiancee handed me a package that I knew was a Joe 2 pack. This didn't come as a surprise as I had been with her when she bought me Firefly/Undertow, Tomahawk/Dialtone, and Dusty/Law packs that would be my Christmas gift. I opened the pack up, trying to figure why she had given me this one first when I knew what it was. Well, it wasn't any of the above three mentioned packs, it was a Big Ben/Whiteout! I opened 4 more presents just like the first and found 2 more Big Ben/Whiteout packs as well as a Major Bludd/Rock Viper pack. The final one I opened, though, turned out to be the pack I liked the best: Duke and Sidetrack.
I've been looking forward to all six new Joes probably more than I had the original 10. When I got Sidetrack, though, he really stood out to me. I've always liked the Ambush mold and was going to profile him here as soon as I got one that was complete. After I saw the Sidetrack pictures, though, I decided to wait and see what Sidetrack looked like. Now, I'm very glad I waited. The color scheme on this figure is its most notable feature. This guy looks like a soldier. The drab greens and black really work when subtly blended over the entire mold. This is the type of color scheme that causes you to remember Joe's original, military roots.
Of course, the best part of this figure, though, is his accessories. The webbing, along with the awesome gun and pack and poles are a neat feature that harks back to the last year where Joe figures were highly accessorized. One of the reasons why I had wanted a complete, original Ambush figure was because of the cool accessories. I have managed to get one, only without the secondary webbing that fits around the figure's head. Now, with Sidetrack, I don't have that problem. I've wanted this guy to be a bounty hunter of some sort, since the webbing looks like nets and this guy looks like someone who would be out trapping people. I think that will remain Sidetrack's primary use. He may see some time as a solitary soldier, but he just doesn't work in that capacity for me. As I've only had him a week, we'll see into what he evolves.
While I really like the color scheme on Duke and Sidetrack, I need to take a step back and offer something else. I really don't want any more figures colored this way. The pics of the upcoming 2001 Pathfinder show him similarly colored. Frankly, that's enough. While this color scheme really works and creates fun figures from old molds, it can quickly get overdone so that all the figures look the same. When I profiled the Night Force Repeater, I said that I would like to see 2 new Joes done in Night Force like color schemes, but did not want to see a whole new subset that has 10-14 of the same colored figures. The same holds here. I don't know who, or what, series III has in store for us, but I would like for Hasbro to keep going into new territory rather than reusing the same colors in each new batch of figures. There are literally hundreds of Joe figures that worked throughout the line's history. While colors like Sidetrack's are excellent, I want Hasbro to keep trying new things. I've yet to be disappointed with any of the repaints. So far, I hold ever newly released 2000 or 2001 figure in higher regard than their original molds, except for the Lamprey. Out of the figures they have released so far, that is an excellent ratio. Hopefully, it will continue well into the future.
Don't worry about this guy's availability. He will be everywhere, soon. I just got lucky in the fact that they seemed to ship these guys to the West Coast first. Being in Arizona actually paid off, this time. Besides, the guys out east got the series 1's first. It's only fair! Anyways, the initial reports seem to indicate that Big Ben/Whiteout is the pegwarmer while the Duke/Sidetrack and Bludd/Rock Viper are disappearing rather quickly. Over time, I only expect the Rock Viper to remain a hot seller. This guy is cool, but I don't want any more than the one loose one that I've already got. Still, it is a good sign when the new Joes sell out quickly. It shows there is an interest in the Joe resurgence and bodes well for the future of the line.
If you have any questions, comments, or not so constructive criticism, email me.
I've been looking forward to all six new Joes probably more than I had the original 10. When I got Sidetrack, though, he really stood out to me. I've always liked the Ambush mold and was going to profile him here as soon as I got one that was complete. After I saw the Sidetrack pictures, though, I decided to wait and see what Sidetrack looked like. Now, I'm very glad I waited. The color scheme on this figure is its most notable feature. This guy looks like a soldier. The drab greens and black really work when subtly blended over the entire mold. This is the type of color scheme that causes you to remember Joe's original, military roots.
Of course, the best part of this figure, though, is his accessories. The webbing, along with the awesome gun and pack and poles are a neat feature that harks back to the last year where Joe figures were highly accessorized. One of the reasons why I had wanted a complete, original Ambush figure was because of the cool accessories. I have managed to get one, only without the secondary webbing that fits around the figure's head. Now, with Sidetrack, I don't have that problem. I've wanted this guy to be a bounty hunter of some sort, since the webbing looks like nets and this guy looks like someone who would be out trapping people. I think that will remain Sidetrack's primary use. He may see some time as a solitary soldier, but he just doesn't work in that capacity for me. As I've only had him a week, we'll see into what he evolves.
While I really like the color scheme on Duke and Sidetrack, I need to take a step back and offer something else. I really don't want any more figures colored this way. The pics of the upcoming 2001 Pathfinder show him similarly colored. Frankly, that's enough. While this color scheme really works and creates fun figures from old molds, it can quickly get overdone so that all the figures look the same. When I profiled the Night Force Repeater, I said that I would like to see 2 new Joes done in Night Force like color schemes, but did not want to see a whole new subset that has 10-14 of the same colored figures. The same holds here. I don't know who, or what, series III has in store for us, but I would like for Hasbro to keep going into new territory rather than reusing the same colors in each new batch of figures. There are literally hundreds of Joe figures that worked throughout the line's history. While colors like Sidetrack's are excellent, I want Hasbro to keep trying new things. I've yet to be disappointed with any of the repaints. So far, I hold ever newly released 2000 or 2001 figure in higher regard than their original molds, except for the Lamprey. Out of the figures they have released so far, that is an excellent ratio. Hopefully, it will continue well into the future.
Don't worry about this guy's availability. He will be everywhere, soon. I just got lucky in the fact that they seemed to ship these guys to the West Coast first. Being in Arizona actually paid off, this time. Besides, the guys out east got the series 1's first. It's only fair! Anyways, the initial reports seem to indicate that Big Ben/Whiteout is the pegwarmer while the Duke/Sidetrack and Bludd/Rock Viper are disappearing rather quickly. Over time, I only expect the Rock Viper to remain a hot seller. This guy is cool, but I don't want any more than the one loose one that I've already got. Still, it is a good sign when the new Joes sell out quickly. It shows there is an interest in the Joe resurgence and bodes well for the future of the line.
If you have any questions, comments, or not so constructive criticism, email me.
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