Last year, we looked at the S.I.T. figures from Remco. That series was full of awesome designs that would have made great additions to a Joe collection. Hidden among the sea of other, rather terrible, Remco figures, though, are other series of high quality figures. As the Remco line progressed, they stepped up their game in terms of figure design, characterization and accessories. One of the more bizarrely interesting releases is their Swamp Man figure.
This diver figure was sold under both the US Forces and American Defense brand names. (Maybe even more, as Remco was known for reusing items ad naseum. And, there are several American Defense cardback color variants.) While he includes different rifles based on his release, the basic dive gear accessories remain the same. He has flippers, air hoses and a chest mounted dive armor. It's not a bad complement and is a look that would have interested me when I was a kid as I was a sucker for removable air hoses that plugged into a figure's helmet.
The main thing is that the figure is pretty interesting to look at. He would perfectly integrate into a Joe collection and look in line with figures like Eels, Hydro Vipers and Undertows. Part of me is sad that I didn't really take advantage of the cheap lots of Remco figures that used to litter Ebay. Now, they're mostly gone and finding figures like this is a pain as few toy dealers bother with them. But, if you can find a Swamp Man, he makes for a solid entry to a Joe collection.
