G.I. Joe Classified Series (1:12)

[nacho]

I'll probably bite on everything that isn't stupid Mole Rat. But I'll be biting in smaller quantities on nearly everything. 40% price hikes in five years is a pretty steep gouge, even for us plastic crack addicts.

I'm torn on the Royal Guard. I have Nemesis Divorcer, and I'll have Pythona in a day or two. But the RG appears to be on the Nemesis buck, which is YUUUUGE. I mean, he dwarfs Road Pig. He's not quite as big as ML Juggernaut, but closer than you'd imagine. I never pictured the guard to be more than slightly larger than average guys. They're going to be like an army of Hulks.

The other issue is the heads. I swear, my whole life, I thought they were bug people. They never removed their helmets in the movie, and they only made weird bug sounds. It never crossed my mind there was a humanoid head under there. I just assumed Cobra La had more than one species of citizen, as Nemesis Enforcer doesn't appear to be a snake person either... I mean, he has bat/dragon wings. And Pythona strikes me as more of a vampire than a snake-lady. And Golobulus is more of a crustacean slug-man than a reptile. Funny how the brain works. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And the third thing is the price. He'll probably be in the $45-50 range, which is stupid expensive for a guy they want to make into a troop builder. But unlike the other La figures, this one is fan-channel, not pulse exclusive. So Pulse, BBTS, and Amazon are likely going to get a bunch... meaning they'll probably end up cheaper down the road. Might get only one or two and then add if/when they go on clearance.

I'm stoked about Zap, even though he's just a new head on a grunt/stalker buck. I just hope they get the deco right. Where's my Flash and GrandSlam that aren't repainted Tripwires?!

Female CG? Sure, and then they can release it again with an inverted blue deco for that chic from the cartoon.

Crazy Legs... Full disclosure, I thought the OG figure was hella-stupid. I hated his deco, his name, and his goofy face peering from his maskless helmet. The NF version from the Dragonfly is far better, but I may have to give him one of the HALO/Pilot masks instead of his open-face go-pro helmet. So I'll probably get just one regular figure to put on the shelf.... because nostalgia.... and move the NF version to the photo booth crew.

I'll definitely order an arctic HISS if it's under $200. It *shouldn't* be more since every bit of the tooling is made and paid for, but hasbro has a new factory to pay off, sooooooo..... I picked up a spare Stinger when BBTS had them for $50 with the idea of disassembling and repainting the main body white for an arctic deco. And I'm planning on printing a WOLF eventually, after my latest two big printing projects. So I plan to have a nice stable of cobra snow-themed stuff. The oversized Tumbler... errrr, Snowcat better get here soon!

 

[ThunderDan19]

Yeah, it will depend on how the mainline CL turns out whether I get him or just have to suck it up and get a scalped NF one. At least he's usually the cheapest of the four figs from the DF.

I always considered the RGs to be Co-La dudes in suits and the other main characters some kind of scientific abomination combos of humanoid and snake, bug and bat. I only really ever used my RG from the Co-La set, and they (many uses of the one I had) would sometimes show up to bail out the Cobra regulars when they got in trouble. The Joes would empty their guns on them, but never got much traction until they turned to grenades, rocket launchers and vehicle mounted weapons.

If they do turn out to be ginormous like that, it'll be even less likely I ever end up with one. Space is always a concern as it is, let alone having to displace two others to make a spot for him. I do reserve the right to change my mind when I've gotten all the other figs I want that are available, he goes to half price and the itching starts again...

 

[ThunderDan19]

So the next wave of POs has dropped. Since everybody has officially gone to the new pricing, I will be POing exactly none of them, at least for now. If I don't happen to come into some gift card credit at AMZ prior, I'm going to wait until they actually come into stock to get the two I want, likely at DD so I can try to use a coupon to offset at least some of the price hike.

Speaking of DD, I'm anxiously waiting for them to get Budo in stock and out to me. I don't like it so much when other retailers get stuff first. It was way more fun when DD was at the front of the line last time around.

 

[nacho]

I might get Budo when he goes to super clearance on black friday '26, but I dislike him so much from a conceptual standpoint, there is only so much I'm willing to pay for *just* nostalgia.

I ordered the four good figures (not MoleRat), but I definitely tempered my NightViper order quantity, and I winced about the others. My purchases are going to fall off a cliff if this pricing holds and they start producing stuff primarily from '89 to '94.

Honestly, I 100% think they'll come out with more retros and more sunbow decos, effectively restarting the line and a lot of collections. The line cannot survive on ECO-Ninja-Drug warriors and Sgt Savage. Just look at what Mattel is doing with MOTU. Classics, Origins, Masterverse, Revolution, and now 200x Animated... rinse and repeat the same 20 characters over and over. The formula works... although at some point I'll bow out because I have "enough" or because the style changes too much, or whatever. But the volume just doesn't exist for just neon 90's stuff.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I completely agree. They have a fully open door with the retro packaging. They can literally do every fig they haven't already retro'ed and probably do a couple versions of many of them. They just have to avoid more clustered artwork as happened with Flint.

I really don't understand what happened there. Does Hasbro not own the rights to all the original retro artwork? With today's technology, it's so easy to scan the old ones and just touch up where they substitute different guns or equipment. The closer it stays to the original, the better the fans will appreciated it. It's not rocket science.

As for the main CS line, I do think they are heading toward a boxed corner eventually. As I have applauded already, they have given us so many of the best and most essential characters these past 5 years, but that does eventually mean they will only be left with the less popular subgroups, later versions and more fringe stuff.

Even Sunbow, and by extension the movie, will only take them so far (just ask Super 7). Not nearly as many of us are onboard for those as are for the full nostalgia original cardback figs, or even for the well-equipped modernized. That said, if they keep their production numbers right, or even close, they could probably continue to be successful with limited numbers of those plus the pure retro, as regular CS dries up.

Here's hoping they get it right so this train keeps rolling, in whatever form it takes.

 

[nacho]

Gridiron wheels + GridIron retro cannon on AWE Striker (not my pic)... completely transforms it from terrible to pretty great. I have no idea if the wheels are an easy press-on like with the VAMP, but I've got my order in to find out.

 

[HUNMARINE]

Mr Hebime from the Hiss forum said:
"...the rims are held onto the frame with a type of mushroom peg (the small center hub that spins inside the rim). Right now the only way to do that would be to damage that center cap with the mushroom peg in order to remove and replace the entire tire."

My opinion:
If you noticed - there are no side view photos....Only 45 degree angle....
GI put it this way - so the big wheels could give the vibe of "retro short view".
Even with those wheels the whole vehicle will look off (its too long). You will still have the big gap between the front wheels and the side racks, and the rear of the vehicle still wont shorten also.
Of course its up to you to decide how much you pay in addition just to get the "right" AWE Striker.

 

[nacho]

I hear you. I read that quote about the construction too, but since the stock vehicle is so retarded looking, I have no problem "damaging" it to make it look better. The chances I would ever put it back to stock are zero. It looks stupid, and I despise selling things, so the need to go back to factory config is non-existent.

I understand that the whole chassis is too long, but the bigger, chonkier tires fill the extended wheel wells better than the stock, and the non-staggered sizes on the front and rear also looks 1000% better.

Sure, it's a lot to spend to make it look more correct, but I already bought the thing (mostly for Crankcase), might as well make it enjoyable. I have the FansHobby version, which is a super nice piece with electronics, detailed motor, adjustable seats (very nice for different size figures), etc... but it feels more like a model kit than a toy. Plus, I think the FH version needs thicker tires too. But it at least falls in the realm of acceptable looks-wise. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[HUNMARINE]

Here...It looks much easier than everybody thought:



Still....even with those huge wheels - itt looks off...

 

[nacho]

Cool, that's pretty simple, not sure how the other guys were making such a big deal of it. They must have been doing it the hard way.

It still looks a little off, but not much can be done about the rear being too long. The extended wheel well is what it is. Still, it's hard to argue that it doesn't look a million times better than the stock config, especially after I get the retro cannon on there.

At the very least, I will like what I see rather than feeling shame that I spent $100 on a Crankcase figure. Will it be better than the FansHobby version? I'll have to wait to make that judgement later when I can put them side-by-side in their improved state.

 

[nacho]

Just fooling around with AI. Gonna make my own episodes in a few years, just you wait.

 

[nacho]

London Comiccon news:

Zap, CL, and female CG look exactly as I would expect. I *think* zap has a uniform color, but it's hard to tell.

Name only reveals:
Taurus & Red Dog 2-pack - I passed on weird Mercer, so these too will likely not make the cut
Hydro-Viper - I prefer Eels, but one or two of these mutated freaks might intrigue me. Not army-building them though.
Zanya - Yeah sure, not a high priority, but my Dreadnok army grows.
Zartan (ninja force) - hahahahahaha.... no.

 

[ThunderDan19]

**Edited after finding a minute to take a closer look:

fCG - yes… well probably. I will probably have to get a better look in person, or if the price comes way down at some point. Not sure what it is exactly, but the CG doesn’t translate as well as the regular trooper did to the Valkyries.
CL - after getting a glimpse of his Duke O-face, I will be opting for the NF for sure. If I can get in at/around twice retail, or if I ultimately end up with a DF, that will have to do. Bright red + O-face = no thanks.
Zap - probably only if I end up with the other OGs or at a discount. I think all the new OGs would all need to come at a discount for me to bite. I’d need them to be more modernized for me to feel like they are prepared for the modern battlefield (more like Hawk is). Hasbro has been very schizo on how they have handled the OGs and I can’t say I’m lovin’ it.
T&RD - nah, no Marauders for me
HV- nah, unless he is somehow made less weird and more cool than the original was
Zanya - probably, based on how she actually looks when she comes out. I’ve gotten all the other Z-noks.
altZartan - no chance I get this one when the original is, and always was, superior

 

[nacho]

- Zap looks pretty darn good, no notes.

- Female CG (i.e. "Shiegie") is nice enough. I didn't need a female CG, but eh, it's not bad.

- CL with angry screaming face is just terrible. You're going to need the NF version just to get a normal head.

And it seems they still have not figured out the card-art problem, as these are fugly... not Flint-card-ugly, but definitely not ready for primetime.

 

[nacho]

Can't unsee...

 

[Videoviper]

I really need to do something with my (true scale) OG Joes

 

[nacho]

100%. I have those thoughts too. The goofy charm of ARAH has not gone away.

 

[ThunderDan19]

And it seems they still have not figured out the card-art problem, as these are fugly... not Flint-card-ugly, but definitely not ready for primetime.

Right? The art should be the easiest part of the retro line. Just resize and reprint the near perfect, nostalgia rich, original artwork, with the absolute most minimal changes for changed weapons. Instead, it seems like they farmed it out to the CEO’s under-qualified and under-talented niece or something. Yeesh.

 

[nacho]

What's worse is that someone on TFW posted the art that was submitted for these by the homage artist... and it's laughable, especially Zap. Hasbro actually improved them, if you can believe it. Still doesn't explain why they're not using the original to begin with, but the submitted art faces are hilariously bad.

The artist's version of CL looks like Howard Wolowitz from Big Bang Theory.

The artist's version of Zap looks less hispanic and more "angry jihadi".

==>

==>

 

[Videoviper]

Wonder if it an image rights issue.
The people who signed a likeness right form 40 years ago never expected this to be around now. (More so if those employees left on bad terms.)

 

[ThunderDan19]

Yeah, could be. Either way, these are just... bad, and that's inexcusable when compared to the brilliance of the originals and in light of the fact that graphics should be so much easier now than back in the 80's.

Even if AI were used, someone with half an eye for art could work through the iterations and vet out better versions than what they've run with. Heck, give Nacho half an hour with it and he'd give you better versions of all three.

 

[nacho]

Heck, give Nacho half an hour with it and he'd give you better versions of all three.

Hahaha, I appreciate the vote of confidence. I'm sure it's not *easy*, but I know for sure I could come up with some prompts resulting in better faces than those.

Mostly I think they should use someone with talent, maybe an actual artist that understands both anatomy and the property, rather than the summer intern using AI 1.0.

 

[ThunderDan19]

This came up in my feed today:

 

[nacho]

It's pretty spot on. I'm not sure I learned anything new, as all the info is pretty common knowledge at this point (especially for those of us that lived it), but it's a pretty good summary.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Got my PO's in at EE (lowest I found on the pricing as long as you buy enough for free shipping) for H&R, NV and fCG, added to my previous PoO's for SF and GV. Thank you Club Wyndham for the play money! Here's hoping EE is on the front end of fulfillment for the next batch. Also still waiting for DD to get Budo in and to me. He's been a weird one with them, well behind AMZ. I guess they all get a turn.

I've also been picking up discounted retros for my recent mini collection of retro MOCs. I'm pretty selective with those, as the card art has to be close enough to produce the nostalgia buzz and the discount good enough to entice me to re-buy characters I already have in some form.

 

[nacho]

Nice. The joe stuff is really flowing this fall after a long dry spell in the spring/summer.

I used the most recent 15% DD coupon to order the new, overpriced S7 o-rings. The coupon shaved off nearly $4 each, so I bit the bullet.

Latest retros just went up for PO an hour ago (Zap, Shiegee, Crazylegs). I just went through amazon. I'm done with Pulse for anything non-exclusive.

That being said, Pulse charged me for an old PO last night. I don't know what. It's really irritating that they don't even bother to tell you. But by deduction based on the price, I think it was my retro BATs, so those should be along shortly.

And Steeler/Short-Fuze shipped from Target moments ago. Score! Hopefully they arrive before the overpriced ones ship from pulse and I can cancel those. But I'm not cancelling anything until I get them in hand. I don't trust Target to not screw it up.

 

[ThunderDan19]

St/SF are supposed to be available to the masses on Sunday. I have a 25% off coupon at Target right now so if I do catch them in stock, I'll likely bite for just over $20 each. They almost got me to buy the divers with that coupon, but I noticed the street date for the OGs in time and decided to hold out for those.

 

[nacho]

Ok, I'm taking my chances with Target, cancelled the OG sets on HP, didn't want to take the chance that Pulse charges me their bonus gouge tax now that Target has shipped. It's a dangerous gamble.

 

[nacho]

It's criminal that Hasbro didn't do this to start with. No excuse for having to spend this kind of money to make a $100 vehicle not suck.

But boy, it shore is purdy now

 

[ThunderDan19]

Oh, man. I’d have been all over it had it been released even close to this.

 

[nacho]

Today was unboxing day in the photo booth...

 

[nacho]

Mauler – Rowdy Toys

This is being produced by the same guy that sold the files for the ThunderMachine I printed. It was a great, fun build. This looks really well done, but I can't justify $300 for a 3d printed item. Hopefully he'll put the files up for sale one day once he's filled all the POs and squeezed all the juice out of selling them himself.

 

[nacho]

Retro BATs and Steeler/Short-Fuze arrived today.

I like the retro BAT even more than I thought I would. While the mold is identical to the first version, the clear chest, extra paint apps, weathering on the arms and attachments, red face plate, bright yellow boots and gear... it's what the original release should have been. Even though it's not as big of an upgrade as the retro Viper was, I'll be tempted to get more even though I told myself that I wasn't going to replace the first version.

Steeler and Short Fuze are great... aside from the fact that SF is wearing Zap's shirt. I thought about giving SF grunt's torso, but grunt is a medium olive, whereas SF's pants are a darker forest green... So it wouldn't match either. I could just do a full swap with an entire Grunt body, but he really should be darker than Grunt. They got the pants right but clearly decided to goof it on purpose. Can't decide if I want to try to dye the torso darker (almost impossible to get right), dye an entire Grunt body darker (at least it'll match itself mostly), or just wait for the eventual corrected retro. WTF Mattel.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Did you get your St/SF from Target or Pulse? Target was supposed to have them available yesterday, but apparently couldn't provide enough to have any in store or online by the time I remembered to look for them. Looks like the fanbase is pretty salty about it, based on the online reviews. This seems somehow familiar...

I had actually managed to somehow score two stackable discounts I would have been happy to use to get them, but have yet to see them in stock. I should have expected that Target couldn't manage to make them available at the same time that I could save significantly on them.

I've got like 5 more days to wish for them to appear in an early Christmas miracle. Otherwise, I might succumb to the temptation and just get the divers instead, though I feel like I'd be giving in by buying the lesser set they have apparently overstocked and will be looking to clear anyway. Is that rewarding bad behavior?

 

[nacho]

I happened to be in the neighborhood of a couple of Targets today, and neither had a whiff of the ST/SF pack.

I got mine from Target. I cancelled my backup order on Pulse once Target shipped because Pulse charged an extra $8 or something crazy... Just because. And that's what I get for buying a membership? Pulse can suck it.

I at least feel like the divers are trying to give you your money's worth. The number of accessories is insane, plus a MASS piece. Compare that to ML Maximum Spider-Man, where you get half as many figures and half as many accessories for basically the same MSRP.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I agree that the diver set is packed with goodies. They just happen to be brightly suited generic troopers equipped for the environment I have the toughest time displaying vs named OG Joes that have the nostalgia built in.

That said, I’ll probably still end up with them if the Joes are still a no show by Friday. For $36, I can’t really pass it up without the preferred option to use the discounts for.

 

[Cledus Hoss]

It's criminal that Hasbro didn't do this to start with. No excuse for having to spend this kind of money to make a $100 vehicle not suck.

But boy, it shore is purdy now

View attachment 17549

I like the position of the M-60 ammo can. It makes the feed of the ammo so much cleaner than the "suggested" position. I'll have to move mine, now. Overall, it does look sweet.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Target is so weird. I got an email early this morning that the St/SF set had come into stock, but by the time I saw it, they were back out of stock. It blipped available for a minute not too long after that, but would not allow me to add it to the cart, with the pop-up saying it was out of stock whenever I tried. Then it finally became available long enough for me to cart it and check out, then right back out of stock.

I wasn't going to miss my shot at getting the set for $36, not when it's being scalped for more than double that. Am I confident I will receive it next Thursday as it says on the order confirmation? Not hardly. But you never know, strange things do occasionally happen.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Just a heads up, AMZ has temporarily dropped the price of a number of retro army builders and a few others to around $15. They also have the Trubble Bubble and Stinger reduced currently. Might be an opportunity to add some numbers for less.

 

[nacho]

I think I'm flush on army builders, but those are some great deals. I'd be tempted in most cases...