Feel like hunting!

I only ended up owning a Patriot Grizzly after seeing the JBL review along with other input online. In the end, I really didn't like that thing, with the limited turret range, no driver hatch, having to remove the ".50" to close that hatch. It had some good points like the little rear hatch and the gun knob was pretty neat to use for firing the cannon. But that thing was just too big for me in the end, not much detail. I think a more detailed thing was more what I'm looking for.

Where with some of the new vehicles, that detail angle is probably what has me pumped up on these. I was let down on the SNAKE TRAX, but the Sting Raider and Wolf Hound were very nice and well worth getting. Even though I "didn't need."

That Ghost Hawk that is on the verge of being found by me is another that I really like the look of.

Now, I already decided that the Sky Hawk wasn't really necessary. My Dragonfly can do whatever it can do, imo. But the Ghost Hawk looks just plain cool. Worst case scenario is the recruit in the house will get it, but I really like the "updated" look. It really fits my collection in my mind...just as if the Joes took the Sky Hawk and kept upgrading it to be the most competitive little VTOL craft around.

Am I back on vehicles as my main interest?!

After spending several hours and burning much fuel in search of the Operation: Crimson Strike years ago, or never even seeing just one of the Cobra "blueshirt" packs in that endeavor, really just makes me not want to buy newer stuff anymore. It can be become a job in itself. Even the modern releases that are out in "every" store... I didn't see 3/4 of everything listed on the 2009 YOJOE.com archives. I do not want an SDCC Slaughter, especially. And where I think with the GIJCC, there should be "attendee exclusives." It's the "treat," or souvenir, to remind one of a good time in a certain year at a certain GIJOE get together. I don't know if I feel the same way about SDCC, though, I haven't gone, but it looks like a fun time. With a larger market of all sorts of people buying "the Sarge" and re-selling simply since they can... well, that sucks all the fun out of it. And the figure doesn't look THAT good to me.

Should we have the opportunity to have it all, though? What's the real value of a GIJOE toy? I would like to say the simple fun, but I have caught myself viewing my own stuff with the potential to be able to sell for some cash. There's a few figures I can think of right now that I don't use, and am really more forcing myself to keep them due to the very fact that they really are on the low side of availability. I should trade them off, but the "value" makes me think they are better than they possibly are...

While my toys are still just my toys, the years of cartoons and comics have had some influence on my imagination in regards to Cobra.

This is some of my Cobra hierarchy and some folks I consider more private contractors for Cobra/ Crimson Guard.
Cobra Commander is Cobra, he's got money and resources, and my Commander is more than willing to get into the fray. CC has almost gotten a sort of king treatment, the Cobra Imperial Procession set is a good example of this. It came with a throne. Serpentor likes thrones, my Commander prefers money and power.
Big Boa is a super mercenary commando in my world. He helps trains and advises. Lt. Claymore is a tough trooper that often leads ground troops.
Copperhead is a contractor, he's made his gains over the years, coming out with his own Moray. He still smuggles and runs things for Cobra. Wild Weasel is much the same way, except he takes his game to the air, owning one of the last remaining known Hurricane prototype VTOL craft in existence.
Destro, Dr. Mindbender, and others simply cannot be trusted by Cobra Commander. They were more than willing to turn on the Cobra organization and have shown this over the years. So, where many may consider certain characters "core" to Cobra, I do not.
Scrap-iron has "moved-up." He is the weapons designer for Cobras own arms manufacturing section. Still focusing on armor-defeating munitions, Scrap-iron test, evaluates, and improves on most everything in the Cobra arsenal, rivaling Destro himself!
Croc Master is a relative unknown. He's proven his loyalty to the Commander over the years, mostly by skulking around the grounds and keeping his nose and ears to the ground. Not a leader of security in so much as he knows who's in his territory, who's friendly, and who's foe.

Also in the mix, but not limited to, are Interrogator, Decimator, Night Vulture, Slice, and Dice, and Dr. Lewis.

Stopped at TRU...again!

Well, I made a sort of follow-up stop to TRU in Appleton. I liked the Wolf Hound and Sting Raider. They had a buy one get one free on action figures sale. Now, I don't really have too much interest in the RoC figures, but I thought I would just take a peek.

Really, nothing much new from the last time I was there! They had a full re-stock on the exclusive Sting Raiders, but mostly the same RoC figures that were there before. I think they had more of those Steel Crushers, too. And there's plenty of Attack on the Pit sets...but the Mole pods didn't seem as obvious abundant as they did at the last visit.

I was hoping in a little way that the Ghost Hawk and Dreadnok trike would be there. They look pretty good, and I'm very interested just to get a close look at what was changed on the old Sky Hawk this time around. That 25th version looked pretty sweet, but I only saw it once. I think this next round of reissues might be more interesting in that some have really good enhancements.

excitement

Is it the thrill of buying something new where now I want to buy more? Was my recent purchases of the Sting Raider, Wolf Hound, SNAKE, and Snake TRAX, something that got me some strange psycho-short-term thrill?

I like the stuff I got, really like the Sting Raider and Wolf Hound. I like the looks of all the new 2010 vehicles coming down the pipeline. Even where I made the decision back in like 2003-2004 to get rid of my Rage tanks, I sort of wouldn't mind buying the new one. I don't "need," but still... Maybe I miss my old vehicles? Or maybe as I was really originally more of a vehicle fan, I've been fooling myself, and I still am a vehicle fan more-so?

updated icebreaker post UPDATE

Previous to 'icebreaker' as an avatar, I used a scan off Cutter from his 1992 DEF package.

However, I've been using the frontal view "icebreaker" character online since 2005 or 2006. Somewhere at the tail end of the Venom Vs. Valor theme, anyway. Hence the background on my avatar with that green VvV package background. I've been wanting to update it off that VvV theme, but I don't have the original drawing I used to make it.




I'm going to try this updated 'icebreaker' for awhile. Here is a drawing based off an actual Coast Guard members picture. I wanted to incorporate a rescue jumper or port security feel, nothing really super special operation about it. Pretty basic, a PJ on shore look or something. With the beard that is more common than the previously more common goatee (actual life impacting art, I guess...). I went with a regular orange vest, so in this view "icebreaker" may be on guard at the docks, or out on a vessel repelling boarders, or being the guy boarding another vessel. I had no background in mind, so I went with a flag and somewhat classic, somewhat modern hand drawn "gijoe" title. Kind of generic, so I may rethink the background at some point. I'll keep this drawing around to play with another day.








Edited: I reworked a printed black and white of my VvV Icebreaker, so I think I'll go with that one, at least until I can get a better pose, or a chance to work on the "shotgun" pose...

The blue, the gray, and the blue/gray

Not too long after the 2000/01/02 A real American hero collection came through, I found myself kind of aiming at making my Cobra forces a standard blue-gray that was found on some of the repainted offerings. This kind of followed into 2003/04 with the Cobra Nightwatch set. I bought two of these, and found the blue-gray very appealing. The Rock (Range) Viper is another that has a nice shade of what I was looking at expanding on. The Crimson CAT II tanks Crimson Guard Immortal also incorporates a similar blue-gray. In some ways I wished there would have been more offerings in these shades. I do like the blue, and the standard Cobra Viper blue is good, as well as the '85 Tele-Viper. The "blue" seems more out of place if it gets much more lighter in color, though.

Here's some of what I'm talking about:
1: all flash open
2: detailed with flash
3: detailed with no flash
Just playing with lighting and such with that.

Toys R Us stores and the first hunt for the 2010 HISS

I didn't get it. I didn't have a choice as there weren't any at the store, that's the only reason, really.

I know of where 4 Toys R Us stores are in Wisconsin. Green Bay, Appleton, Madison, and Onalaska. There might be one or more around the Milwaukee to Kenosha areas, but I don't those areas that well. I'm usually in a work vehicle, so the store has to be close by for me to stop at without losing time during the day.

I haven't stopped at the Green Bay store, it's usually too early before the store opens when I'm in this area. The store isn't too out of the way for me, though.

I've stopped at Appleton a couple times. I bought the Sting Raider and Wolf Hound this time. I almost didn't notice the new Pursuit of Cobra package right next to all the Attack on the Pit packages and unsold single Mole pods. No 2010 HISS tanks to buy, though, must have sold out leaving 2 Wolf Hounds. I was thinking about getting the Wolf Hound, but then I was kind of on the fence, too. Having only the Wolf Hound be the only thing I was really interested in when I was there, I bought it, and the last Sting Raider to take advantage of the buy-1 get one half-off sale.


I like the Onalaska store, very nice size. I pass by this one very much less often and its usually later in the day where I just want to go home.

I haven't been to the Madison store for years, though. This is a store that was kind of local for my in-laws, so we would go there. Even though that wasn't that close.

Dubuque, IA had a TRU, as well as Woodbury, MN, and Duluth, MN (all closed now, I think). Those were a little more convenient. Especially the Woodbury location when I had my own car. I dislike myself when I think how many times I drove over there looking for the latest stuff only to find it sold through between 2003 and 2005/6. Even just to Eau Claire for the Operation: Crimson Sabotage sets at a Kay Bee, I spent some hunting time and fuel, bad. (really sucked at Kay Bee, waiting before the store opened one day, to find someone bought ALL the OCS sets at once the night prior....!!)

I'll probably wait a little longer on the HISS for now, though. With average excitement from other collectors who bought the 2010 HISS, I'll trust that the thing isn't as good as it looks. I may wait for the new VAMP and Cobra Fury to hit shelves to even look again. Maybe there will be another sale at that time, too.

My original team revisited

I thought I would revisit my original team, or as much as is left. About a year-year and a half ago I chose to discard any "sub-teams." Substituted here are Tripwire and Frostbite, where "originally" they were Tiger force. I also picked the first 12, I'm not sure if I forgot to count and forgot the 13th man, or what.

This is close to what was given to me, where I didn't have as much of a say as to what I could get. Or, at best, what was available to me with limited cash and only a small-town Hardware Hank's (click here for the live cam from that very building here!!***) selection to choose from.

The actual figures that are from my original collection that have not been replaced or substituted are: Budo, Stalker, Slipstream, Low-light, Hawk, and Storm Shadow.

Possibly, Cutter,Wet-suit, and Snake eyes, however, over the years I have had a at least another of each of these pass through my collection, and I am not sure if I which I kept, although I am sure I kept the best accessories for each.

coffee tables

Safe to say most people had or have coffee tables, or some kind of end table(s), or at least a tray I would think. Back in the day, we had a heavy coffee table with two matching end tables. The coffee table didn't become as big of an area of action figure action, though. It wasn't too big, and was usually full of magazines and/or newspapers. Both ends of the table had a type of bin that held a lot of magazines under the over hanging rounded ends. And, of course, there was some kind of household knick-knack type of decoration in the middle of the table, such as sea shells or a wood carving of an animal of some kind. The whole top was always covered with some decorative fabric.

The coffee table got used as it was supposed to. I wanted to load it up with GIJoe figures. I wanted to make the top into an airstrip for the Dragonfly and X-30. It could have become an awesome base or an aircraft carrier. But the thing was often too loaded down for much fun beyond figures hopping and bouncing around on it.

For some reason, we have a coffee table now. Nothing fancy, and actually kind of a little on the cheap side. I'd like to commandeer it, extend the top with some plywood and make a sweet little 1:18 scale ship. Not unlike the USS Flagg. I could hunt down a flag, but for a "flattop," I think a coffee table would be just fine.

This is something I've wanted to do for awhile. An aircraft carrier style coffee table. Even before I had my really big apartment space, I kind of wanted to do this, the lower shelves becoming storage for aircraft and other vehicles.

This would be style, and would garner much more conversation than a table loaded with magazines, newspapers, and random knick-knacks.

an old toy in action!

This is Yojoe.com user VolleyDan's collection of VAMPs. I think it is really cool to see someone showcase a collection like this. It's kind of like someone that has all ump-teen Destros or Snake eyes. I never thought of trying to acquire a collection of something like this. All the little variations and places it all came from.

And, the coolest thing, is I got to help on this collection, that's my old Street Striker sitting in the mix. It's great to see an old vehicle of mine, while nothing rare, still cool. That Street Striker was my VAMP in usage, actually, really not having a VAMP until the 25th version.

Very cool collection to see!

SNAKE armor

Along with the Snake Trax, I picked up the Snake armor. Both of these were on clearance, and since I rarely get to target I thought, what the hey.

I'm not as impressed with the Viper figure that came with it, although it ranks higher than Scrap-Iron. The backpacks on these new guys can really loosen and swing around when they are "in action." I liked the rifles hanging on the backpack, and the pistol is nice, but is it saying something when the little paper-box with the MARS logo is the more exciting addition to this package? ?!

I never had Snake Armor, and really might have seen it once in about 1986-87 in person. Since "The Doctor" is one of the figures from the modern line that I kinda like, he became my BAT mechanic. Is "The Doctor" actually "Hotwire" to me? Not really. Not yet anyway. Rex Lewis can stand on his own as a figure, this is not Cobra Commander to me: NO WAY. As some kind of cybernetic expert:YES!

I was thinking the SNAKE armor could be Rex Lewis' upgrade to the original Snake. The original Snake armors being mostly forgotten about with the success of the BATs. BATs could be hidden and be unobtrusive to being among humans. Where the SNAKE armors were slow and made easy targets.

So, Rex Lewis has helped improve the BATs in many areas with nano-technology. But, who created Overkill? (2005 version) I say Rex Lewis had a close friend on deaths door from some kind of disease, and after learning of Cobra's prior semi-successful Overkill cyborg, managed to save his friend after death by incorporating his friends brain onto the 2005 Overkill body. (the other Overkill is currently whereabouts: unknown.) The original Overkill BAT has also been upgraded and the technology implemented within the other previous standard assault versions.

Rex Lewis chose to upgrade the Snake armor as a way to walk amongst a slew of BATs on a battlefield and have some way to "correct" any miscalculations on what BATs were targeting. A slightly better suit of armor, but high on the price.

Snake Trax, new vehicles, Scrap Iron, etc...

added a new "review" over at JBL. check it out!
http://joebattlelines.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=16133

For a guy who seriously weeded through his loose GIJoe collection, and is still kind of thinking of sending a few more vehicles out the door, buying the SNAKE TRAX at Target wasn't very helpful.

The new vehicles out on the shelves and the ones coming soon are really getting me excited.

The figures, for the most part, are not really catching my interest at all. I mentioned getting the SNAKE TRAX at Target and that was packaged with Scrap-Iron. Now, I really dig Scrap-Iron as a character, but I feel bad that 25 years later he's still looking the same several times over with only one wild "DTC" change. But what really sucked about Scrap-Iron in this package for me is that one of his legs is glued from the hips through the upper thighs! Any torso twisting pops his vest snappers apart. Well, that does not say "action," to me.

The Snake Trax is decent enough. I had 2 each of the convention 2006 Ferrets and two Canadian mail-away blue Ferrets at one point. It seemed like getting an all-Cobra-blue force wasn't going to happen so I sent those blue ferrets away. And then I tried trading the Coil's green Ferrets to get 2 more Skull Squad blue-ish Ferrets. That didn't work, and very few people seemed to want to trade those...and I wasn't buying them at ebay prices. So they all ended up getting traded...and the the other end got the better deal in my opinion on that one.

But, I saw Snake Trax pictures before a lot of this happened. I was very interested in the rusty brown color. I wanted to army build these, the missile launcher is a tad over-sized, but that helps me imagine a sneaky tank-killer 4-wheeler better. I'm not sure about the old hose-to-cannon becoming an antenna (?).

Otherwise, I'd still like to build up a few of these. Where at one point I was thinking the Stinger was the better option, or the Desert Scorpion the only other option, for Cobra ground forces to have a "jeep." Well, I think the Ferret flew under my radar as more than just an ATV, where I think this could be a great utility (jeep) vehicle. It is large, and the additional front brush guard and pretend winch make it seem like the better "all-terrain" choice. Both the Stinger and Ferret seat 2 comfortably as I see it, too. Plus, a small ATV is going to make a harder target.

I'm thinking Motor-Vipers are going to man these. While I don't dislike the STUN too much, it was one of the vehicles that I was able to part with even before I figured out I had too many vehicles. I mean, when I look at a picture from about 1999-2000, I had TWO of these...and I'm not exactly sure if I traded them in at a local store or what now that I think about it.

Either way, I'm thinking the Motor-Vipers are more a type of mounted infantry, or mechanized infantry. Light, fast, armed. Probably not as well suited to intense drawn-out ground operations like a Viper, and not just mere drivers. I think they are overly suited for mere Stinger driving, too...Motor Vipers sort of remind me of a cross between the street bike and moto-cross guys...wild and thrill-seeking!

Hurricane

I was hoping that with re-issued vehicles, the Hurricane would make it out. Even if the GIJOE collectors club did it.

This is one of those vehicles that made me feel like Cobra was growing, or renewing. Consider at the time, where a HISS II and Fang II were out, a "Rattler II" would have been sensible. But the all-new Hurricane came out in its place. Not the tank-smasher A-10 inspired plane of old, but a huge engined sleek fighter with VTOL!

Cobra is a snake and sneak is snake sideways, or however Flint said that on the cartoon, and this plane says that to me. No runways needed! Unlike the Night Raven, where THAT bird is gonna have to zip out at mach 3+ (!) and hide on some remote airstrip, a Hurricane looks fast enough for dog-fighting but able to use its large wings for low-off-the-radar runs where it could disappear into a hidden location. Perhaps this location is crawling with FLAK-Vipers to deter pursuit!

Back in the day my imagination was more free.

I say this since really most anything could go when it came to GIJoe. The SHARC and the Conquest X-30 could fly together side-by-side to take on a Cobra Night Raven.

My imagination doesn't get even these mild adventures going as well these days. I think I know too much about the real world and those aspects figure into things. Where, the SHARC would be a short air "hopper," at best. And the X-30 would not have the range or ceiling to be a huge threat to the SR-71-inspired Night Raven.

Not that I allow my imagination to be cornered THAT easily, though. It is my Joe-Verse and that's how it goes.

The modern GIJOE movie: Rise of Cobra did not help me get my imagination all pumped up to go buy Rise of Cobra toys at all. Kinda made me not want those more than I didn't want those already.