Science fiction aspects have always existed in GI Joe, from the original laser trooper, Flash, and the Jump Jet Pack in 1982, forward. But at times they have been downplayed or pushed out of the GI Joe camp and into Cobra’s. In 1984, Zartan was pretty far out there – changing appearance at will in […]
Confession time: I have not opened a carded O-ring GI Joe or Cobra figure in a very, very long time. I’ve opened four Classified figures, a half-dozen 25th anniversary figures, and even a sealed bag to retrieve an O-ring figure, the mailaway Lifeline. But as far as MOC O-ring figures, the only one I’ve opened […]
The Snow Cat is one of my favourite vehicles. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who has read my blog posts. I grew up in northern Canada, after all, and half my childhood happened in winter. It seemed like Star Wars and GI Joe were the only toy lines that even acknowledged that snow existed. So it […]
From 1982 to 1994, every series of GI Joe had its share of gems and duds, of military realism and science fiction aspects, of muted earth tones, camouflage and bright colours, of designers demonstrating their love for the toys through their work, and unfortunate proof that sometimes they were being pushed to save a few […]
So here we are again! One more year down, celebrating my second Christmas as a toy blogger. A lot has changed since December 2020… Well, I’m still in my basement working every day, waiting out this damn pandemic before returning to the office. But me, my wife and kids are all a year older, so […]
The Cobra Water Moccasin had the dubious distinction of being one of the most overmatched vehicles in my Cobra army. It arrived as a gift from my best friend, Corey, at Christmas in 1984. We were in grade two at the time, and he was back in the Northwest Territories after spending the previous school […]
I had a soft spot for my vehicle drivers, before the Cobra drivers became a nameless hoard, before all the GI Joe drivers became generic, cardboard good guys. My first Joe driver was Ace, followed by Steeler, Wild Bill, Deep Six, Cutter, etc. Every one of them became a core member of my Joe team, […]
From my childhood, there are three vehicles I remember ordering through the Sears catalog: the Bridgelayer, the Snow Cat and the Havoc. Each holds a special place in my heart. There weren’t many places to purchase toys in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. Just a small version of The Bay and a pharmacy, Wally’s Drugs, that […]
In high school, GI Joe and I renewed our relationship. I had quit playing with toys at 11 years old, in 1988, and sold off many of my GI Joe figures at a yard sale in 1991, raising money to buy hockey cards. But my love of Joe never went away, and by 1994 I […]
Of the original nine GI Joe figures released when the 3.75” line arrived at retail in 1982, Rock ‘n Roll is probably the best. The first series included a number of indistinguishable greenshirts, but Rock ‘n Roll was part of a subset of figures – with Snake Eyes, Stalker, Scarlett and Flash – that were […]
