1991 Eco Warriors Flint

The early 1990's brought about a mainstream environmentalism.  It was more of a subtle consciousness rather than a blunt truth, but was effective in making kids aware of their environment.  By this time, the Joe line was no longer the innovator in the toy aisle.  While it had defined the action figure space in the 1980's, that was no longer the case as we entered the century's final decade.  Hasbro was chasing gimmicks in a vain attempt to capture lost market share.  But, the Cold War was over and kids were looking for something new.  In 1991, Hasbro obliged them with the introduction of the Eco Warriors subset.  This team of environmental warriors featured bright, neon colors, paint that would show "battle damage" based on temperature and working water guns.  It was a gamble to compete against the brightly colored toys that defined the time.  The result is a group of figures that collectors generally disdain, even though their design is easily on par with figures from many other years.  The leader of the Eco Warriors was the fan favorite character Flint.

I can't look at this figure and not see a rebel pilot from Star Wars.  Turn the green orange and the yellow white and you've got yourself a close enough facsimile of the classic pilot.  Really, I would have loved a repaint of the mold in that vein.  Due to that resemblance, my first uses for this figure were as a pilot.  He fit nicely into the Razorblade and was, for a time, my go to pilot for that chopper.  As soon as I had a 1992 Ace figure, though, that role for Flint disappeared.  But, the general design and good helmet kept him around as a generic pilot for other aircraft until I was able to acquire enough Ace figures to render Flint's involvement moot.

The real value of the sculpt, though, is the head.  Flint's head is exceptional.  It has fine detailing in the hair, chin, cheeks, nose and eyes that you didn't see in the 1980's figures.  It was a leap forward in terms of figure sculpting and showed that nearly a decade of experience had really upped the designer's game in terms of new figures.  The rest of the body follows.  While the overall suit isn't greatly detailed, it has lots of folds and creases that denote movement and wear.  They are little, often overlooked, details that showcase the thought that went into the figure's creation.

My first exposure to the Eco Warriors was in the comic.  I was in high school and not collecting toys, but still read the comic fairly regularly.  The villainous Cesspool seemed interesting and the entire concept of Eco Warriors was, in my opinion, handled fairly well there.  When I started collecting Joes again a few years later, I found the brightly colored figures.  Neon paint doesn't frighten me away from a figure.  And, after I acquired a large lot of figures that included a complete set of Eco Warriors, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the molds.  They were all well done (I was familiar with Ozone from the Star Brigade figures I found on clearance in the mid 1990's.) and the colors meshed well together.  They were a departure from the more traditional Joes.  But, part of what makes the Joe line so great is that there is a wide variety of figures from which to choose.  If you don't want the neon, there are plenty of good figures who don't use it.  But, when you have over 1,000 unique figures, you don't want them all to be the same.

The figure's accessories are OK.  The helmet is well designed.  But, the mesh covering on the lower half of Flint's face is lost in transaction.  Rather than showcasing this different idea, the helmet appears to be a bulkier, fully protective piece.  This isn't bad as it's probably more practical.  But, it would have been cool to see the actual mesh worked out on the figure.  The rest of Flint's gear is the standard water backpack, hose and squirting gun that are the hallmark of the Eco Warriors line.  The weapons are interestingly designed.  And, they are quite compact for what they actually are.  (Oddly, they showed up both with the Brazilian Forca Eco figures, some Street Fighter Movies figure and again in the Bronze Bombers set from Olmec.)

The Eco Warriors Flint mold was used just one time in the vintage line.  The parts never showed up again anywhere else in the world.  In 2001, Hasbro showcased a new vehicle based on the VAMP named the Desert Striker.  The initial photos of the vehicle included a new version of Dusty as the driver.  The prototype was a repaint of the high quality 1991 Dusty mold.  When the vehicle appeared at retail, though, the Dusty was gone and was replaced with a desert repaint of this Eco Warriors Flint mold.  While the Flint head is high quality, the desert color really didn't lend itself to the mold and the figure just seemed odd.  Plus, the Desert Striker didn't include any accessories.  Had it included even a black helmet, it might have been better accepted.  The failure of the Desert Striker figure pretty much doomed collectors to never see the Eco Warriors molds again.  Really, this Flint would have been an excellent member of the Anti Venom set.  A repainted Clean Sweep would have also been welcomed.  Hasbro did dust the mold off a final time in 2010 when the body was used for the truly terrible Red Torch convention figure.  This figure was ruined by an awful head that didn't match the vintage style.  But, at least this mold saw some reuse.

Eco Warriors figures are very unpopular.  As such, they are stupidly cheap.  MOC figures can be purchased for around $10.  Mint and complete with filecard figures sell for around $5.  In lots, you can get them even cheaper.  No one really wants the figures and most people who have it keep it packed away.  The bright colors, less than popular subset and general collector disdain will forever doom this figure to obscurity.  If you're looking for an underappreciated gem, though, this Flint is a perfect example.  The sculpting is good, the coloring is a sign of the times and the mold has a lot of value.  It's just never going to be monetary.

1993 Cyber Viper - Around the Web

The Cyber Viper isn't a figure that should demand collector attention.  The bright colors and odd design usually spell doom for a figure.  But, I've found him to one of my personal favorites.  Here's some of the best content around the web on the character:

Cyber Viper Profile - 2014

Cyber Viper Profile - 2004

Cyber Viper at Blood for the Baron

Cyber Viper Pre Production at YoJoe.com

Cyber Viper at Half the Battle

'90's Joes at Generals Joes

Cyber Viper at Joe A Day

Cyber Viper at Joe Battlelines.com

Cyber Viper at JoeDios.com

Cyber Viper Tag at Instagram

Cyber Viper by yotothejoe

1997 Baroness

There was a lot to love about G.I. Joe's return to retail in 1997.  Back were many collector favorite, classic molds.  Most of them included their original accessories.  But, there was also a lot to hate about the line's return.  While there were some good molds, many of the most iconic character versions were missing.  This created mismatches with the artwork that made you realize what couldn't be done.  Along with that, the construction and plastic quality was greatly degraded over the materials used for the Joe line in 1994 and the ancillary lines like Street Fighter and Mortal Combat movie lines in 1995.  An upside, though, was that the paint masks were more like the vintage figures than the dual colored figures that dominated 1994.  The overall result of the wave was mixed.  There were some great figures, some good figures, some OK figures and, some really bad figures.  The retake on the Baroness character, though, definitely falls into the good figures, and maybe even the great figure category.  She featured the return of the classic 1984 mold, but in an updated color scheme that was both new but also retro enough to fit in with the Cobra motif established in the vintage years.

In 1997, there were only a couple of really expensive G.I. Joe figures.  The 1984 Hooded Cobra Commander was one as people believed he was rare since he was only a mail away.  Version 1 Stormshadow was another as he's just awesome.  The rest, though, were all female figures.  The conventional wisdom of the time was that females were produced in much lower quantities and were rather rare.  As such, you'd often see Baroness figures offered at $50 at toy shows.  (All the while, bagged Stardusters and Steel Brigades would sit unsold for $5.)  So, when given a chance to reproduce molds for collectors, Hasbro sagely chose to remake Scarlett, Lady Jaye and the Baroness all in the same assortment.  Each was uniquely different from her original release, but included the full mold and accessories that offered a cheaper alternative for the frugal minded collector.

One of my laments about the repaint era was that, if you had to only repaint figures, at least make them both different from the original, but still decent.  In 1997 and 1998, Hasbro followed this mantra fairly well.  This Baroness is a perfect example.  She is different from her all black original figure, this time decked out in deep blue.  But, the color is both true to the character and aesthetically pleasing.  In short, she is just about the perfect approach to a figure repaint.  No one who had the original Baroness would feel this figure treaded upon her iconic look.  But, no one who only had this figure would feel that their only version was inferior.  They are both excellent looks for the character.  (It could be said that the 2002 Crimson version also fits these criteria.)

The 1997 figure includes several paint masks that were not available on the vintage version.   The Cobra logo is set against a circular background to help offset it from the opaque blue base.  The Baroness actually has silver buckles and accouterments while sporting additional red detailing.  Her legs retain the black boots.  But, they are set against the dark blue pants.  The overall color scheme showcases in the mold in ways the vintage figure never did.  The blue is a good mesh for Cobra Commander figures and the black matches the V1 Destro figure.  So, depending upon whom your Baroness is aligned with: you now have choices to showcase her allegiance.

For years, I ignored this figure.  I had her in a drawer.  But, I had the original version and that was good enough for me.  When it came time to cull my collection, though, this figure caught my eye.  She was a great repaint of a classic mold.  But, unlike many of the 2000's era repaints, she offered something different enough from the original that she was worth keeping around.  As such, this Baroness survived my reduction and has remained since.  This figure fits in with most any Cobra display, be it classic or modern re-do.  You can see this mold as a vintage release, while also taking advantage of the modern upgrades in paint masking.  In short, it's a figure that is good enough to justify having two versions of it in your collection: even if you are a minimalist collector.

The Baroness mold got a lot of use.  It saw only one release in the vintage, Hasbro line.  But, the mold then went to India.  Funskool released a Baroness figure that was nearly identical to the American version.  But, they also released a red version of the figure in their Complan Commandos line under the name of Rednok.  It's a very rare figure, but not interesting outside of the rarity.  Hasbro got the mold back in 1997 for this release.  She then appeared in black and red as the Chameleon character in 2000, in both Crimson and Fuchsia in 2002 Convention sets, with a new head in the 2004 Comic Pack #1 and with the new head again as a member of the Imperial Processional set in 2005.  While you could argue that there are Baroness repaints to be still explored, there are plenty of versions out there (most of them high quality) for collectors to track down.  So, the mold certainly got its due.

In the early 2000's, the 1997 figures reached insane pricing heights.  There was a time when this was a $20 figure...if you could find her.  Now, that's not the case.  Loose, mint and complete with filecard figures can be had for around $7.  You can get a carded three pack of Baroness, Destro and Cobra Commander for between $20 and $25. It's a sharp fall for items that were, at one time, stupidly expensive.  But, there are lots of Baroness figures available now that were not around in 2002 and 2003.  Plus, the collector fascination with the character has somewhat sated and the Baroness in general is less desirable than she once was.  This Baroness has some issues with skin color and overall quality.  But, the general color scheme and vintage head make it a must have version of the character.  For what she'll cost you these days, she's a steal.

1987 Law and Order - Around the Web

Law is a great figure.  A highly detailed MP, Law's colors are generally forgiven by collectors and he remains a favorite.  Here's some of the best content on the web for the character.

Funskool Blaster

It has been 16 years since I last looked at the Blaster character and figure.  To put that into perspective, the 1987 Blaster figure was only 13 years old when I profiled him.  This Funskool figure is more than 15 years old now.  The reality of the situation, though, is that Blaster hasn't changed much in that decade and half.  The figure has yet to retain any of the prominence he gained as my childhood Joe years came to a close.  The one change was the acquisition of this Funskool Blaster.  And, while it was a way to revisit the character, I've found this figure to be more interesting in other roles in my collection.

As a character, Blaster was incredibly important to me during the final months of my childhood Joe run.  Acquired in December of 1987, Blaster was introduced as a General and was one of the old guard who guided the Joes in their final, epic battles with Cobra.  He had been a science officer in his younger days, which explained his powerful energy weapon.  For the few months where Blaster was an integral character, he made his presence felt.  But, as I packed my childhood collection away, with it went Blaster's place of prominence.  When I unpacked the toys as a collector in the '90's, the newness that drove Blaster's popularity had worn off.  Instead, there was a dark green figure, missing his trademark mask that wore garters on the outside of his uniform.  He wasn't terrible.  But, Blaster's reign as a major character was done.

Which brings us to this Funskool release.  For the first couple of years that Funskool figures were heavily imported, I had little in the way of resources to purchase them.  So, I focused mostly on the army builders, major characters and the new figure that came out every quarter or so.  In the mid 2000's, though, I realized that the Funskool supply was starting to dry up and I went on a quest to fill the remaining holes in my collection.  This brought me some bad figures like Dodger, some boring figures like Psyche Out and some oddly fun figures like Blaster.

At his core, the Funskool Blaster is heavily based on the American coloring of the figure.  The base is green, though it is brighter, and the general feel of the figure isn't that much different from the American version.  Where the Funskool version excels, though, is in the accessory department.  Along with the mask and standard energy weapon, the Funskool Blaster included some additional gear that make all the difference for the figure.  Aside from the appreciated battle stand, Blaster also includes the massive machine gun that was only available in the U.S. with the very hard to find 1992 Recalled Roadblock figure.  (This weapon is a mainstay of Funskool releases, though, and is found with the Funskool Roadblock and Red Dog figures as well.)  The figure also includes a grey version of Lifeline's backpack.  When put together, the Funskool Blaster is very reminiscent of a generic Sci Fi, futuristic soldier.  The mask cloaks his identity in a way that allows for the figure to be used as an army builder.  He is a great element to battle against the Mega Marine Cobras and the Monstro and Bio Vipers or even as a foil to the Blackstars or Lunartix from Star Brigade.  Yes, he's a bit outside of the traditional Joe norms.  But, this Blaster offers something fun to a collection and a way to expand upon some of the later, more marginalized Joe themes.

This is the fate of my figure.  I don't really have a use for the Blaster character.  And, the American figure works for Blaster in my collection.  As a diorama filler, though, this Funskool version works out well.  His gear is in scale with the figure and fits his overall design.  While I'm not a huge sci fi guy in terms of my overall collection.  I do like astronauts and can see this Blaster fitting in as a crewman on the Defiant or Crusader.  But, he would be a nameless one who would likely perish during the invasion by aliens or Astro Vipers. It's not much of a role, but works for the figure.  I guess I like the idea of owning a Funskool Blaster more than the practicality.

The Blaster mold found a lot of use around the world.  In the U.S., he was released on the TRU Exclusive single cards and then on the 2 figure blister packs.  Once these releases were done, though, Blaster, along with most of the rest of Battle Force 2000, next appeared in Brazil.  There, Blaster was released as Atomizer.  This version is based on the American figure and is in a slightly different green color.  He features a silver version of the Tele Viper's gun.  Though, there is much anecdotal evidence to point to him also including a version of the American figure's weapon.  From there, Blaster, Blocker and Dodger all made their way to India.  Funskool started producing Blaster around 2000 or 2001.

He continued through the Funskool years and was a rather ubiquitous figure with his parts appearing on some of the Funskool mold changes such as being used for Flint's arms.  Hasbro, though, never re-acquired the mold.  Blaster was among the few figures that Funskool brought back around 2009 or 2010.  This version was packaged with an explosion background instead of the digitized explosion and features a different main gun than the older figure.  It is likely there are small color differences between the production times as well.  Around 2002, Funskool also produced a Blaster figure that was only available as a vehicle pack in.  This incredibly hard to find variant uses dark green plastic as the base with orange paint splashes.  He also features a sliver helmet.  (Basically, it's the same color scheme as the Funskool General Hawk and may have been a result of a color test for that plastic and paint combination.)  There are not many of these figures out there, but it is something for the Blaster fan to track down.

Today, Funskool Blasters are cheap.  He was heavily imported in the early 2000's and was not among the more popular figures of the day.  Now, you can acquire carded versions for between $5 and $15 depending on whether you want to wait or not.  Loose, mint and completes are listed all the time for around $7.  They sell because there aren't a lot of them sold at open auction.  Those that are, though, often sell for under $4 each and will go in lots for even less.  The figure is not popular and is priced accordingly.  As a necessary figure for completion, this price is worth it.  But, even as just an oddity, it's worth picking up a figure.  (Be sure to get one with the mask.  There are some that do not include it, so always check before buying a carded figure.)  The Recalled Roadblock machine gun is always a great addition to a collection.  But, the complete ensemble of Blaster's gear works for the mold.  When you can get something like that cheap, even if it's not something you'll really enjoy, it's still worth it.  You might just find a hidden gem.