GIJCC Dial-Tone Review

Mandingo Rex

★★★★★
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
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Gone Baby, Gone
Ah, Dial-Tone. One of the last "prominent" characters from the Sunbow cartoon to be made into 25th format. And what'd Hasbro do? They made him a her. Not a sex change or anything that, but a complete replacement as a woman. His sister. Dial-Tone was now Jill Morelli, no longer the Jack Morelli and it pissed off a lot of man-boy nerds.

Finally, oh finally, the GI Joe Collector's Club came to the rescue. Well, er, sorta. A lot of folks were happy. A lot of folks were mad. Some were in the middle. I was actually happy to hear, and knew I'd own him one day, but knew it would be at a premium price. Some folks didn't seem to understand that, and bitched anyways. Who am I kidding, GI Joe fans will always bitch about something. (I'm one of them, too.)

So, Dial-Tone. Classic Jack Morelli, none of this sister nonsense. The first pictures were a photoshopped mess, and didn't look too hot. Then final pics came out, and the head sculpt looked a lot better, but the body still left a lot to be desired. Now, the GIJCC usually only has access to old, retired-ish molds, and rarely has sculpted new heads, until this year. Previously (I've never owned a Club figure, so correct me if I'm wrong) they've cleverly retooled heads, but not necessarily done new sculpts like they did this year with Claymore and Dial-Tone. And if fans weren't miffed enough with the $42 pricetag for a mostly-kitbashed figure... oh boy...

They sold out! Before the Convention, no less. Again, I've never really followed the Club's exclusives because I've never really been into the figure that they offered until this year, but I don't think this has ever happened before, or if it has, it's been rare. Then, they announced that for select folks going to JoeCon 2011, that they carded him and they could buy them there! But only 600! Oh man, hilarity and chaos ensued...

So, I'll admit, I was one of the ones pissed about them making the figure carded—well, no, I was happy to get the chance to get it carded, but I was mostly miffed about them making it only available at JoeCon. I think that they should have offered the carded version for a higher premium price through the Collector's Club's site—thus making more money instead of selling them for $20 at JoeCon and helping scalpers and the secondary market make a fortune off of them instead—but what do I know.

Regardless, the figure's release left folks with mixed feelings: some mad, some happy, some empty-handed, frustrated, antagonistic, gloating, you name it. So, what's the figure all about? Read more after a few pics about the actual figure...



















 
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Mandingo Rex

★★★★★
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Mar 14, 2011
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Gone Baby, Gone
Buzzer! God, that figure! He sat on pegs forever, to the point that most 25th collectors have a slight hatred of the figure. I know I still sort of growl at him when I see him on the shelf. Buzzer wasn't bad mind you, but he shouldn't have been repainted as a Joe... Or really as anyone else.

But Hasbro did, as Leatherneck. How they love their repaints and mold reuses. And then the Club reused the mold again, here with Dial-Tone. But at least this time they modified the belt to remove the biker's skull buckle. Which is a petty detail, but I appreciate it a lot. And then there's the Gung-Ho legs. Or technically, Airborne's legs, which were a slight modification of the G-H legs. And I loved Airborne, but the legs suck, and need to be retired. Hell, they came out in 2007 with the original 5-pack figures, and Hasbro's come a looooong way since then. There are much better legs that could have been used, but I'm giving the Club benefit of the doubt here. The arms are pretty good, and are the exact arms that I used on my own D-T custom that I made over a year before the figure was announced. The arms and head are actually the only "home run" bits on the entire figure, besides maybe the gear. The tiny patch on the arm is nice and crisp here.

So anyways, enough about the figure, I've done a JoeCon Dial-Tone review already, so the head and arms have already been covered, and I went over the legs. Let's get to packaging and wrap this sucker up, as I tend to get long-winded sometimes.

So thanks to fellow boardmember Monkeywrench who got two carded Dial-Tones thanks to the Club's mis-management, I got a carded Dial-Tone for way less than most unfortunate folks are paying on the secondary market. (I've bitched about the Club issue before, but if you missed the drama, here's a quick summary: the Club sold out of the loose figures before their registration period ended, and they also sold "extras" before this time as well. Meaning that they still have members who were going to sign up. Well, guess what? They over-presold these "extras", and had to dip into the 600 carded figures as a reserve. Whatever, it worked in my favor, but was still poorly handled.)

The second I got the carded figure, I put it in a star case, which if you're one of the lucky 598 who keep theirs carded (two dumbasses I've seen have already opened the figure because they don't understand that these were made to be kept carded, since the Club's "free" figure came loose for anyone who could possibly want one "opened") you'll find out quickly that the card is flimsier than the regular 25th or SDCC cards. At least the artwork isn't low resolution like the JoeCon cards, but the card isn't the thickness that it should be. The star case will at least help straighten out any warping hopefully. So that's one major mark against the packaging. So that's all there is really to say about the carded figure. If you ask me, carded is the way to go if you can get this figure. It looks good, if you can get past the slightly lower-quality card thickness. The artwork is pretty nice, and the figure displays well for carded collections. Loose, he's not as nice, and I much prefer the head (paint apps really show how much it changes the appearance here) and construction on the JoeCon "Special Mission: Brazil 2" Dial-Tone over the regular Club figure.

By the way, if you were one of the few lucky guys like Monkeywrench who got the carded figure sent to you, he says that the figure was sliding around in the box with very little—to none—packaging. When he shipped it to me, it was well secured, so thank you for that. When I got my loose Club figure, ("free" with membership!) the box was opened, the card was dented and warped (due to the way they crammed it in with the figure in a box barely big enough to fit the card), but luckily the figure and all parts were intact. The card was sorta screwed up, but not the end of the world. I was not happy at all about the box being open so far that the baggie was partially hanging out, and I hope folks that were looking forward to this figure didn't get an empty box. GI Joe Collector's Club, if you're reading this, use bubble wrap and actually put decent tape on the box flap. Also, don't sell "extras" next time until you're damned sure that there are any extras...

The carded figure comes carded (obviously) and appears to be the exact same as the loose figure, with the only difference being the card. The loose figure comes with a pre-cut file card, a stand, pistol, backpack, microphone (that attaches to the backpack), and a rifle.

If you're like me, you may want to get the JoeCon Dial-Tone and put its head and gear on your own custom. I wasn't too excited about the skin tone or face paint on the single release, and the body construction was lacking...

We're almost done. A few more pics, and then the review round-up with final grade.



















 
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Mandingo Rex

★★★★★
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Mar 14, 2011
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Gone Baby, Gone
PACKAGING:

carded: 8 out of 10 / loose: 1 out of 10

Technically, all the JoeCon figures came loose for me, so I didn't grade packaging. They were in a bag with a file card, nothing fancy. There was no packaging, really. The carded figure I gave an 8 out of 10, and here's why: the card is so flimsy, but the figure actually looks so good carded, that it's the only way you'll get a carded "25th" Dial-Tone, and that vintage artwork is so awesome, it really makes the flimsy card sort of, uh, go away. I do recommend putting it in a star case if you have one, as it will help protect the figure anyway and "corrects" any flimsiness. If you were unlucky enough to spend more than $100 on a carded Dial-Tone, pay a dollar or 2 for the damned case, it's worth it. The loose figure, I gave a 1. Why? It almost didn't make it to me, that's why. Jackasses, put proper tape on them. And maybe don't use such a flimsy box. This is a collector item, even if it's a toy. Hence the "Collector's Club" name. Folks don't want their stuff all jacked up, or worse—missing.

AESTHETICS:

6 out of 10

To be honest, the head sculpt is great. And although the paint was pretty decent on mine, I've seen pics where the eyes were wonky, or worse, but after seeing the MUCH better paint on the JoeCon "Brazil" Dial-Tone, it's like night and day. The GIJCC figure looks lame in comparison. I don't know why they had different paint masks, but the eyes and mustache are COMPLETELY different, and the flesh tone is a really, really "tan" (or sunburnt) to say the least. It would look good on Spirit, but not on Dial-Tone. Something about it is off. I hate the Buzzer torso and webgear, but the arms and that awesome patch help win over the torso... But then the legs take off points again. Besides the knee pads, I hate the legs. The awful tan strap on the leg... Why? Why did they not paint the holster silver and keep the strap black? Ugh, that's my biggest pet peeve on the whole figure. All around, I feel like it's not that great, to be honest.

The gear is also a bit too dark, which I think would have worked better on the Brazil version, which actually had the properly-colored gear. I still don't get that.

ARTICULATION:

6 out of 10

The head has a limited range of motion due to the high collar, and the arms are pretty good (the same as the Brazil version) but the legs kind of suck. The knees work well, and the hips, but the feet make him not stand well, and that ruins a lot of poses without the use of stands. And really, these figures should be able to stand without the silly stand.

ACCESSORIES:

10 out of 10

The backpack is great, as is the rifle. It's what you'd expect, and it's what you get. And he comes with a pistol, which was my one wish for the JoeCon/Brazil version. It's a tad dark, but some folks may like that.

PAINT:

7 out of 10

The paint was crisp on mine. Which is why the score is as high as it is. Quality control is there, but color selection and paint masks are a bit odd. Why the mustache is so different, and the eyes so different, from the Brazil version, strikes me as odd. Also, that skin tone is too pink. I've seen previous Club figures, and I've always thought they were too pink. Not sure if this is some Hasbro mandate so they stand out, or if someone at the Club in charge of color selection is color-blind, but he looks a bit like he's been taking tanning lessons from George Hamilton.

The Brazil version looks gruff and badass, while the Club figure looks slightly sleepy and dim-witted, if you ask me. Maybe the sun zapped all his senses, I don't know.

FINAL VERDICT:

Carded: 8 out of 10 / Loose: 6.5 out of 10

Carded? If you can afford it and want to keep it carded, go for it. It's not worth more than $100 if you ask me, although I know some folks paid more than double that. If Monkeywrench hadn't been a bud, I wouldn't own the carded figure. If you're wanting one opened, don't be a dick and open a carded one. It's a Collector's Club figure, these are collectible items, and they were intentionally carded for the folks who wanted to keep it carded. I've heard folks defend opening it by saying "It's a toy! It should be free!" Yeah, this isn't a typical toy. There are plenty of loose ones out there to avoid wasting a carded one just because you can. I'll never get that childishness, and I'm a grown man buying toys still.

Loose? Eh, if it's your only way to get a Dial-Tone and you're not a customizer, it's about as good as you're going to get. I doubt Hasbro makes another Dial-Tone any better so they don't step on toes. The head sculpt is nice, as is the gear, but that's about it. Also, the Brazil deco is much better. If you ask me, go for that. This figure is technically the right colors (on the uniform anyways, if you disregard the pumpkin skin tone) but that's about as accurate as it gets. The legs and torso are way wrong, so the Brazil is about as accurate if you ask me, and the parts use is much nicer. If you're a "completist" or Sunbow or ARAH nut, go for it. You probably plan on it anyways. But of the figures I've reviewed so far, Dial-Tone has had the most drama and publicity, but is perhaps the worst of the bunch.
 
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G.I.*EDDIE

gobbles a LOT of cock
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
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S.E. Mich :(
i just breezed thru the pics...not alot of time right now...i'll check back later and read up...but uh, the new back drop looks really cool!
 

G.I.*EDDIE

gobbles a LOT of cock
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
43,432
428
83
S.E. Mich :(
such a disappointing figure...the parts selection was just so lame...like you said, the head and arms are the only good parts (aside from the gear)...again, our customs are far superior...just an official headswap away from perfecction

and i've always thought i'd like the tan on him, but side by side, the nerd tan is much more appealing...

can't wait to see more of that dio tease ya got there
 

Captain Carstein

Let's dooooo it!
May 3, 2011
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Minnesota
Thanks for the review Rex!

I agree Eddie, I never got excited about this fig because I know I can do a custom that is far superior. I have the gear from the vintage version and I'm not a MOC collector so no real reason other than to know I got the "official" one. Still, it was nice for them to actually release a Dial Tone fig regardless of the final outcome and problems.
 

Monkeywrench

00coathanger
Mar 14, 2011
25,764
10
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Another top notch review!! Your almost too good at this Rex. As usual you covered everything and was very imformative. Thanks for the shout outs :)
 

MAJOR BLOOD

Size matters
Staff member
Mar 13, 2011
13,592
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Cliff notes: The club shit the bed and I made out. Screw you all! ;)

Great review Rex. You really got into great detail on the parts usage and how the figure actually worked with mobility which is the most important to me. if you can't put it in most poses it's kind of worthless. The knees are what really kill me on the figure. It just looks out of place using one color plastic for them.

You should make that picture of him sitting on the carded one your avatar. It did give me an idea for a diorama. I guess I better get in the studio.
 

Starfighter

Enlisted
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Mar 15, 2011
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So far, we are only missing 11 characters in the 25th/ME/RoC/PoC/Resolute scale.

*Note - Not all characters have the the exact costume. For Example: Law & Order.

They Are: [/b]
Cross Country, Iceberg, Sparks, Jinx, Big Lob, Mercer, Taurus, Red Dog, Thrasher, Golobulus & Pythona
 
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Monkeywrench

00coathanger
Mar 14, 2011
25,764
10
0
So far, we are only missing 11 characters in the 25th/ME/RoC/PoC/Resolute scale.

*Note - Not all characters have the the exact costume. For Example: Law & Order.

They Are: [/b]
Cross Country, Iceberg, Sparks, Jinx, Big Lob, Mercer, Taurus, Red Dog, Thrasher, Golobulus & Pythona

there is way more. Zandar and Monkeywrench come to mind right away
 

Mandingo Rex

★★★★★
Founder
Mar 14, 2011
14,392
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Gone Baby, Gone
Well, now that I think about it, not waaay more, but...

For Joes, if you're counting Sparks, then you should count the generals and admirals, too. Those aren't as high-priority for me though as figures we got in the 80s that we haven't gotten in 25th format. Upcoming figures like L&O, I'm counting as the best we'll get as far as their "25th" construction counts. The ROC ones were lame and were "in name only" releases.

Off the top of my head, to add to your list, there's Frostbite (the ROC kitbash looked absolutely nothing like him), Cover Girl, and I know I'm missing a few more...

For Cobra, there's far less than Joes. But to add to your list there's Zandar, Thrasher, and I'd say Monkeywrench. The ROC version was a lame excuse.