Here is my GIJOE Mean Dog, the Mean Dog being a vehicle from 1988. Being from 1988, it falls into that post-'86-era where it's a vehicle that just doesn't seem like a very popular, or at least discussed on line, vehicle.
I think it was about 2002 when I traded a Sand Razor for this beast. I think I had a figure or two to up my end of that trade, but at least vehicle-wise, I came out on the better end of the deal. At least I think so.
Now, also, I think many out there in the Joe world of collectors may pass this vehicle over, possibly since they may think more in lines with the Cobra Maggot, with that vehicle being another "separating" vehicle. Well, I had a Maggot for a few months, and I think play-wise and aesthetic-wise, the Mean Dog was a lot more fun. Let's take a walk around this thing in some pictures:
The seats are a little on the narrow side, a guy like Backstop doesn't slide into that center/ uppper seat very easy as he has the twin holster detail on him. But, really, the whole top opens up for access to this neat action area. There's even some space for gear flanking that center/ upper seat. I put some "leatherneck" M16 rifles to show this.Exactly which of the two up front is driving, I'm not sure. Every other station is pretty easy to reason out which figure does what, except the front two. A little steering stick, sort of like the Tomahawk put in there would have been a fun feature!
What would have knocked the front turret design out of the park is a hatch cover!
Here everyone is pretty buttoned-up in that shell. Say what you may about the open slot front, but compared to "glass" canopies and open top gunner seats, the Mean Dog is looking like a better option to me.
I imagine the Mean Dog being a 6-wheel drive type of vehicle with two engines, one in back and one packed up front. The bigger engine is in the rear section, in my imagination, but everything is balanced out so each axle gets similar power, but in battle conditions, the power to just one axle can keep this machine moving! The whole thing turns in a similar fashion to the heavy dump trucks or large tractors that utilize the "articulated" steering. The actual joint that connects the two ends has a great range of motion that makes any imaginary off-road adventures possible. Unlike many GIJOE vehicles, I think steering is something that is a very important feature to take into account, even if it is "just a toy." The AWE striker, the Thunder Machine, and even the Desert Fox, are GREAT examples of how a GIJOE toy should have some semblance of a realistic operation. Tanks are easy to explain in plausible imagination.
Well, all this comes apart into three sections. I think of the splitting up of the vehicle as more of that of "independent redundant survivability systems." This battle vehicle is meant to get into the fight, stay, and survive. Up above there is the only little tab that has any stress on it on this Mean Dog. The gun stays pretty good even with the little bend on it. But otherwise the gun really just stands in there.
I don't usually separate these, and this picture is probably the 2nd time only that I deployed the balancing legs on that gun turret. That gun is BIG, no doubt about it, and it doesn't balance the best on its own.The rear section becomes an rocket artillery unit by itself. That's 10 nice sized missiles and I think the rear section alone replaces the Wolverine in the order of battle.
Together, all these parts add a ton of action to the vehicle. Unlike, say, the Mauler, this thing has so many degrees of action, it is more like a baby Rolling Thunder. This Dog is ready for battle 360* around.
I think Thunder is one of the few Joes that might actually enjoy sitting in that station under a gun that big! Even in that spot, though, a figure sits a lot lower than many other GIJOE vehicles will allow.The Mean Dog has seating for 5, but also has standing for two more on the back deck. And it has a tow hook. Having a tow hook was one of the reasons alone that this vehicle won out on staying in the collection when I started to draw down my motor pool a couple years back. However, at that time, I did not have a lot of towed weapons, just the Whirlwind. The tow hook on the Mean Dog is just a little bit lower, though.
I think I had trouble with the MMS, especially, as it dragged a bit, and even the Mountain Howitzer did, too.
But, it is nice that the tow hook is there. The whole back deck is interesting, too. One thing I've wondered is how other collectors and kids would imagine just how that HUGE gun is going to be lifted out of there and lowered to the ground? I would think a battle field crane would be needed, or do the two riders on the back get to figure that feat of engineering out?I like the "tail light" details, and the flat bumper look, too. The missile boxes are very detailed, as well, having that little circle 'back blast' detail added in. And the boxes slide out and away from the main body, as well as turn the full 360* range!!
There's also ample detail and lift that gets the body up off the ground. So many modern vehicles will have the bare minimum detail, even 20-some years into the high-tech future on toys, so Hasbro designers: details, details, details!!
Even the bottom of that HUGE gun has some details. It could have been left flat, much like that NAC choppers chin gun, but someone had the passion to have fun and make the whole thing a lot more interesting back in the day!All in all, this is a really nice battle vehicle that has many avenues of action. I'm considering sending it off actually as of this writing, but we'll see what I can get for it. The brown/ tan is the really only thing I can say I really don't care for at all. And the "separation" feature is something I don't really use.