2005 Comic Pack Short Fuze

The original 13 G.I. Joe figures had a lot of common parts. As such, to an outside eye, many of the figures appeared to be very similar or the same. Hasbro went to great lengths to differentiate the common parts by using different hair colors or uniform styles. But, at the end of the day, Breaker looked like Clutch who looked like Rock and Roll. In the Marvel comic, though, the artists were not constrained by such cost cutting. On the drawn panel, each character was allowed to take on his own look and personality. Rock and Roll had longer blonde hair. Clutch didn't have full beard, but a few days of scruff. And, Breaker didn't have a beard at all and usually had his face obscured by a ubiquitous wad of bubble gum. The Short Fuse character was similar. Sharing a head with Flash, Hawk and Steeler, Short Fuse had the misfortune of also sharing a hair color with the Joe team's leader. To give him more uniqueness than just his shoulder harness uniform, the comic artists drew Short Fuse with glasses. In time, these became the character's signature look, even though they were missing from his figure.

23 years after the release of the original Short Fuse, Hasbro revisited the character and sculpted a new head for him. Finally, Short Fuse had his trademark glasses and a head that was more unique to the character. The head is a great piece of work, too. Short Fuse has flowing 80's style hair with peaks that perfectly frame the tightly sculpted glasses. The black spectacles bring some character to the figure without making him too geeky. The rest of the face is full of detail and stands far above offerings like Zap or Flash that were fairly boring. Unfortunately, the rest of the figure is boring. The odd green color meant to be a comic book homage is less useful than most collectors would like and the rest of the body is nothing more than the same Short Fuse mold that was released in 1983 and 1997. Instead of adding some new cachet to the mold, Hasbro did a straight homage to the original. The result is a figure that starts off exceptionally well and then quickly fizzles into mundane repetition.

The comic pack figures had some shortcomings. The most glaring for Short Fuse is his inability to wear a helmet. In their zeal to sculpt different hair for the character, Hasbro removed the ability for a Mortar Trooper to wear protective head gear. Sure, the hair is nicely done. But, having a bunch of bare-headed homages to the original line seems half hearted. Near the end, Hasbro brought in a helmet for Breaker. But, figures like this Short Fuse and Zap were left wanting by not having the helmets and eyewear that were in line with their character's original appearance. It was little details like this that kept the comic packs from ever reaching the heights of collector popularity that they should have. Sure, they were enjoyed at the time. But, there are few figures from the packs that have sustained any long term collector appeal...mostly because the figures had small or glaring flaws such as the accessories, colors or mold choices.

One of the frustrations I had with the comic packs was the lack of original accessories. In some cases, Hasbro included some decent new weapons (The resculpted M16 you see below was one such nice inclusion.) but basically all of the original Joe accessories had been seen in 1997. Had figures like Short Fuse, Zap and Flash included their original weapons, the figures would have been more memorable. This Short Fuse does include a newly sculpted mortar, but he also has the recast Roadblock's backpack that was all too common during this timeframe. As such, while Short Fuse retains some tie to his speciality, the reality is that some of the character that were brought by his unique accessories is now lost in banality of modern, ubiquitous resculpts. At least the new mortar was well done and this time, Short Fuse included a pistol for a short range, anti-personnel weapon.

Short Fuse, like many of his contemporaries, is actually a mostly new sculpt. Hasbro had used the Short Fuse/Zap chest in 1997. But, rather than resurrect that mold, they resculpted all of the figure with the exception of the upper arms. Again, this was a huge frustration during this time period. Hasbro would not resculpt excellent figure molds like the V2 Snake Eyes, V1 Alley Viper, V1 BAT, V1 Cobra Commander or V1 Destro but they did resulpt figures like Short Fuse, Lady Jaye and General Hawk whose molds had been used less than a decade before. To me, this showed a great disconnect between Hasbro and the Joe collecting community and was part of what lead to the great amounts of distrust and ultimate abandonment of the line by both parties in 2006.

If you really want this figure, he is dirt cheap. He's not common, but the comic pack figures have basically become worthless in recent years, even the harder to find characters. Carded versions can be more expensive, but loose figures can be had for under $5 if you can find them. It's not a bad price to pay. The head is worth having for the character and has some potential for use even on the vintage mold. But, the original Short Fuse figure is still superior to this one. So, if you only want one version of the character, I'd go with that one. At the core, that was the issue with the comic packs in general. There were too many remakes of characters that simply were not better than prior versions. As such, collectors were left with unfulfilled promise. At least the prices of many of the figures now bear out the lack of long term collector interest.

European Exclusive Tiger Force Blizzard

The European Tiger Force exclusives are likely the most well known of the international exclusive figures.  In the early days of Joe collecting, European collectors happily traded away tons of Euro Tiger Force figures to complete their collections with the American exclusive offerings.  As time progressed, though, the scarcity of these figures manifested itself and prices started to rise.  As more and more collectors completed their American collections, they found foreign exclusives to be the next logical place to expand their collections.  The result was a boom in popularity for these European Tiger Force figures.  As a set, they are interesting, if not useful.  Outback is outstandingly distinctive while Hit and Run features the only Hasbro produced version of the mold with a flesh colored face.  The Tiger Force Blizzard is a continuation of the distinctive trend.  The yellow and orange figure is just so visually striking that collectors forgive the fact that a yellow arctic trooper doesn't make a lot of sense.

As a figure, the Tiger Force Blizzard is simply amazing.  The rich yellow and contrasting orange are perfectly offset by the black and brown highlights.  There is no way to miss this figure in any display or photo.  But, that leaves the question of what do you do with an arctic figure whose coloring no longer matches his specialty?

You can use this figure on the Tiger Cat.  But, that's a pretty limited use for a figure like this.  Really, I can't think of any legitimate uses for him at all.  Really, the only reason he should show up in a photo is because he looks cool and you want to show off the fact that you own one.  Beyond that, it is hard to find a good fit for this Blizzard.  His color is a good match for the European Action Force SAS vehicles.  You can see from the photo below that he blends well with the Panther jeep.  So, that is another alternative use for this figure that actually fits with his European background.

Blizzard includes the same accessories as the American figure.  His pack, skis, shoes and handles are identical to the US version.  His uzi, pistol and helmet, though, are all uniquely colored in bright yellow plastic.  It should be noted that the Brazilian Dr. Mindbender includes the same pistol and uzi in colors that are nearly identical to the Tiger Force Blizzard.  But, these are made of Brazilian plastic and you can tell the difference when you hold each.  (This was more of an issue in the days when the Brazilian figure sat unsold all over the Internet for $15.  But, he has gotten as hard to find as the TF Blizzard so someone pulling a switch makes less sense that it did a few years ago.)  These accessories make or break the figure.  Individually, the weapons and helmet have sold for over $50 each to collectors desperate to complete their figures.  They are perfect matches for the figure and really are necessary to complete the overall look.

Tiger Force is one of the more popular subsets among collectors.  With unique members released in Europe and Brazil, it is also a set that gives collectors some difficulty in completing.  (You could also argue that a Tiger Force Lifeline was released in India and many collectors consider the Chinese Flint to be a Tiger Force figure as well.  So, there's even more for collectors to track down.)  Really, the source of the popularity is difficult to pinpoint.  The figures, for the most part, are not significantly better than the original use of the molds.  Tiger Force never played a major part in the cartoon or comic.  And, the colors tend to be somewhat bright and non military.  For most subsets, those facts would be a death knell.  But, Tiger Force enjoys modern collecting support.  It's like a combination of the excellent choice of characters combined with the fact that the subset has a tremendous visual appeal.  Adding the European figures to the mix only enhances that.

The Blizzard mold got some good use...even if it wasn't in great variety.  The figure was released in the US and Europe.  This Tiger Force version was also released in Brazil.  In Brazil, the mold was released as Nevasca who was colored similar to the US figure, but was released as a Cobra.  (Only his filecard says this, though, and the figure has no Cobra markings.)  In 1995, the mold was used for the Arctic Assault Guile figure.  The coloring was similar to the US figure, but with a new head.  Then, 10 years later, Hasbro dropped the mold into the Winter Operations Toys R Us exclusive figure set.  This figure lacked most of the original's accessories and was colored in a light brown.  I think Hasbro could have done something different with the mold and released a Tundra or arctic forest camo figure.  But, that never happened.  But, fans of the mold do have a nice variety of figures to track down, even if they are mostly the same.

The Tiger Force Blizzard figure is expensive.  Typically, he is the priciest of all the European Exclusive Tiger Force figures.  Since he tends to have paint wear, has hard to find unique accessories and is just so bizarre, collectors have long flocked to him.  For a time, this figure hovered around the $300 mark for a mint and complete version.  By 2011/2012, though, the figure was selling in the $150-$175 range.  That still puts him in the top 1% of all Joes in terms of price.  But, this is a figure who is probably worth having, even at those higher prices.  He is hard to find and he is unlike any other figure in the line.  He's not the most useful figure in the Joe world, but he is something that is visually striking and he brings some depth to any collection.

1988 Night Force Sneek Peek

What happens when you take a less popular figure mold that was done in less than stellar colors on its initial release and re-imagine it as a retailer exclusive, only in a much better color scheme? The answer is you get the 1988 Night Force lineup. But, really, you get the Night Force Sneek Peek figure.

In late 1988, my youngest brother acquired a set of Night Force figures. It was the Sneek Peek/Lt. Falcon pack. I thought the figure colors were well done and were a great way to get new versions of the characters. In very short order, my brother lost the Falcon figure. To this day, I have the figure's arms and accessories, but nothing else with no trace of where the other parts disappeared to. The Sneek Peek, though, stuck around and found its way into a box full of less popular figures that I had left behind when I stashed my best figures in a box in my closet in early 1988. About a decade later, when I first returned to Joe collecting, this Sneek Peek became a highly used figure.

I've often written about how I liked to have Joe army builders as a foil to the masses of Cobra troopers. The nameless good guys were ways to have Cobra rack up a body count without sacrificing any major characters. Through the years, certain figures have simply become Joe army builders. In the case of Sneek Peek, it was simply a function of the fact that I had two original Sneek Peek figures and one Night Force version at a time when I had less than 50 total figures available to me. As such, Sneek Peek became a nameless officer, often very high ranking, who would lead other, faceless troops against Cobra. The red and grey version was the "base" uniform which these officers wore when indoors. The Night Force version was the "combat" uniform.

In this capacity, the Sneek Peek figures saw great use. As my collection grew, the figures retained their lofty status as officers in the Joe ranks and would often even command Joes in certain situations. From time to time, Sneek Peeks would show up as part of security force and as prisoner guards. But, those were less common uses. Still, the Night Force Sneek Peek figure has remained relatively important to me and was one of the figures to survive my purge of superfluous versions in the late 2000's. I had too much of a nostalgic connection to both the original and Night Force version to simply let either one go.

This version of Sneek Peek is well colored. The charcoal undershirt with the black armor plates is a substantial upgrade from the grey and red original. The green pants are a nice visual contrast with the darker upper body. But, they still work in the Night Force context. The figure's red goggles suggest some sort of 1980's era night vision technology while giving the helmet a bit of color. The overall ensemble is both eye-pleasing and useful. The figure blends with most of the early Joe vehicles and works as both a stand alone trooper or are as part of a larger unit. He fits with the other Night Force figures, but the coloring is no specific, like the 2004 Night Force, that it looks out of place on it's own.

Sneek Peek's accessories are well done. Basically, the Night Force figure includes the same group of accessories as the original figure. The only difference is that the telescope and its parts are all black in lieu of green. But, the original M-16 (that originally came with Footloose), microphone, radio and binoculars match this figure that much better than they do the red and grey original. The overall complement is a solid rendering for the character that fits with his specialty but still gives him versatility to also be an infantry trooper.

The Sneek Peek mold got a good amount of use. After the 2 releases in the US, the mold was used by Hasbro for release in Europe as the European exclusive Tiger Force Sneek Peek. From there, the mold went to Brazil. There, Sneek Peek's mold was used to create various Forca Eco and Patrulha Do Ar figures. After that, the mold disappeared and was likely "lost". While the vintage releases of Sneek Peek gave American collectors two solid figures and the foreign releases brought the character into some additional subsets, the mold still had potential. Hasbro could have redone him in some new interpretations and produced a solid figure. But, in the grand scheme of things, for a character as unimportant as Sneek Peek, he likely has enough figures to keep everyone happy.

As Sneek Peek figures go, this version is tougher to find and more expensive than the V1. He is, though, cheaper than the Euro Tiger Force version. As Night Force figures go, though, Sneek Peek is the second cheapest behind Psyche Out. Sneek Peek is just a character that few collectors care about. So, there really is no demand for this figure, even though he had a tough to find accessory in the microphone. Mint and complete Night Force Sneek Peeks tend to sell for around $25 or so. Versions with the filecard might get a bit more, but patient buyers can get them for pretty fair prices when you consider the premiums that the more prominent characters in the Night Force series can command. That's probably more than a character like Sneek Peek is worth. But, this is the character's best version and the Night Force coloring open a lot more avenues for use of the figure. So, while he may cost more, if I was only going to have one version of Sneek Peek, this would be it.

Ar Puro - Brazilian Exclusive Tiger Force Airtight

Estrela produced over 100 unique figures for the Brazilian toy market. Some of them are very similar to the American versions of a character. Others were unique amalgamations of various molds that were brought together into Brazilian exclusive characters. The third group was exclusive repaints of classic molds in drastically different colors. This group includes figures like the named Python Patrol characters and Urzor. It also includes, though, some exclusive members of the Tiger Force subset. Along with slight repaints of Duke, Lifeline and Dusty, Estrela also produced exclusive Tiger Force versions of Shipwreck (named Marujo) and the subject of this profile: the Tiger Force Airtight or Ar Puro figure.

The main difference between Ar Puro and Airtight is the color of the figure's trimmings. Sadly, the base yellow undercoat for Airtight's uniform was kept intact. In lieu of green accents, though, Ar Puro features a brown helmet, vest, gloves and boots with a few tiger stripes painted onto his legs for good measure. The result is a figure that is duller and more subtle than Airtight, but still strong in appearance. The brown is generally more muted and makes this figure seem more combat ready than his green, American or Indian brothers in mold.

But, Airtight is still somewhat difficult to use. I've found his best days are inside of vehicles or the HQ. In the field, the figure is somewhat out of his element. (Unless he's fighting Toxo Vipers....) As a crew member on a vehicle, though, Airtight's uniform works well. (I've always thought his overall look was reminiscent of Rebel Pilots from Star Wars.) So, you will see him in aircraft, gunner stations or computer terminals in various parts of my collection. In that capacity the figure works much better than as part of a patrol or combat unit.

As a kid, Airtight was one of my favorite figures. He was the first 1985 figure I acquired at retail (along with Footloose) and remained relevant to my collection for a long time. Seeing a new version of a figure I liked so much was a great discovery when I first learned of the Brazilian exclusives. While there are iconic versions of the classic 1985 and earlier Joes, I also like having options for them in terms of uniform design. So, while I'm not a fan of Tiger Force, per se, having Airtight in a color scheme slightly different from his iconic version is a nice way to diversify the character and allow to appear in more settings without getting stale. Ar Puro isn't as far removed in look from the classic Airtight as I would have ideally liked, but he is enough of a diversion that he brings some new life the character.

Ar Puro includes all the standard Airtight accessories.  The sniffer and hoses are black like the American versions.  But, Ar Puro's backpack is black as well.  This unique accessory is the most difficult piece to find for Ar Puro since the pegs tend to break and you can replace his other gear with American weapons without too much loss of use for the figure. While it is difficult to tell the differences between the Estrela and Hasbro sniffer, the Estrela accessories are made of different materials.  So, be sure to verify those if you purchase an Ar Puro figure.

The Airtight mold has been around.  After his release in the U.S., this Ar Puro figure was created in Brazil.  From there, the mold went to India.  Funskool started releasing Airtight at some point in the mid 1990's and continued to produce him off and on through 2004.  At this point, the mold could still be in India.  It could be in Hasbro's control.  Or, it might have been destroyed.  Whichever of those fates has befallen it, we have seen the end of Airtight figures.  It was not enough for my tastes as I think the mold could have made an excellent addition to the Anti-Venom or a new Eco Warriors set.  But, at least Ar Puro gives collectors a slightly more combat colored Airtight figure and another take on the Airtight character.

Ar Puro figures are hard to find.  The brittle thumbs and Brazilian release have combined to make a mint, complete with filecard figure a $100 purchase. That's a lot for a figure with limited use whose colors don't really match the Tiger Force team from the US or Europe. But, this is a figure that has a uniqueness to him that helps to justify such an expenditure. He is certainly hard to find and does stand out in any collection. That may not be enough to justify the price tag, but it is something that gives the figure value beyond the yellow and brown colors.

1987 Nemesis Enforcer

I am not a fan of Cobra La.  I never have been.  Even as a kid in 1987, I couldn't figure out why something like Cobra La was introduced into the Joe world.  For some reason, even as a adult, I am more forgiving of aliens, robots and genetic mutations than I am of Cobra La.  I think this comes from the fact that the characters were so odd for the time.  In 1994, including the Lunartix was an extension of the Armor Tech and astronauts that had come before.  Cobra La had no such soft introduction.  Suddently, Joe went from reality based military themed toy to full scale fantasy.

As a kid, I did not own Cobra La.  I purchased Slaughter's Renegades while my younger brother picked up Cobra La.  (This was by design as I knew Cobra La sucked and I wanted Mercer in my possession.)  Once we had thee figures in house, though, I felt obligated to try to use them in some capacity. The Royal Guard slowly found a role as a Cobra diver, pilot, flying trooper or heavy armor soldier. He was never the primary focus of any battle, but he did get some use. Golobulus was simply useless. The tail did not translate to a toy and was of no use. Even his weapon was terrible. Nemesis Enforcer fell somewhere in the middle. The figure was human enough to pass for a random bad guy. But, I had no real character in mind for him.

Mostly, the Nemesis Enforcer became a faceless villain whose main goal was to be killed by Joe or Cobra forces. He might have been the albino leader of a group of dissatisfied students, a disfigured solider bent on revenge or just some random guy who happened to get a gun a tried to rob a bank. Regardless, the figure's main goal was die without me having to sacrifice one of my good figures for the role. The result was that my childhood Nemesis Enforcer survived in remarkably good condition compared to many of his contemporaries. As an adult collector, Cobra La has no home in my collection. I have purged all but the Royal Guard and he remains only due to an oversight. I don't have a connection to the characters or figures in any way. So, there is no reason for them to take up a space in my collection any more.

The Nemesis Enforcer mold was only used this one time in the U.S.  Hasbro realized their folly on Cobra La and buried the molds...never to be seen again.  Really, this is too bad.  Funskool might have done something very interesting with this guy.  Really, collectors would have likely enjoyed a Cobra La repaint set during the repaint era.  The molds aren't terrible and Nemesis Enforcer could easily be converted to a more conventional Cobra villain. The character was revisted in the Anniversary line in a more movie accurate design. So, fans of the character do have at least one other option available.

Nemesis Enforcer figures can be pricey.  At times, they will exceed $20 for a mint, complete with filecard figure.  But, other times, you can get them cheaper.  Some collectors love this figure and consider the cartoon characters to be more important than anyone heavily utilized in the comic.  As such, this figure has its following.  Other collectors, though, couldn't care less about Cobra La and don't spend much time seeking them out.  As a mold, the Nemesis Enforcer has great potential.  Saddled with the baggage of the G.I. Joe Movie, though, the character is tough to get behind.  Still, the figure is a reminder of what the Joe line was in 1987 and was a harbringer of things to come as the line progressed. In that regard, the figure has some value. But, to me, this guy will always be an aberration.