Flint GIJOE warrant officer

In my opinion, Flint is right up there as one of the most popular GIJOE characters across the spectrum of all things GIJOE. He stood out to me in the old, old, old cartoon and correct me if I'm wrong...., but I think he's made it into every incarnation of the A Real American Hero since he was introduced to us in 1985!

My first Flint was that very figure from 1985. However, his O-ring broke on me back in the day. As a really young guy at that time, I remember trying to fish a regular rubberband up in the torso in an attempt to fix him. But, anyone who has tried this direction of repairing O-rings knows it will get one nowhere. I was also a kid that did not even think of taking a toy apart (aka, back screw does come out). So, my first Flint ended up somewhere... in pieces ..., possibly the garbage. If I only had knew how easy it was to replace by removing a screw...

It wasn't until late 1992 that I picked up the Eco-warriors Flint at Childrens Palace. This was my default Flint for many years until the 2001 Desert Striker made its way into my collection with driver Flint.

Below is the actual Eco-warriors Flint that served me for so many years. For fun, I tossed a Steel Brigade helmet on the Desert Striker driver Flint and gave him Marauder, Inc. gun. I think it looks kind of neat, what do you think? The lack of any gear with that desert Flint has left this figure somewhere between the 1994 Desert Paratrooper version and the 1991 Eco-warrior version in feel and uniform reasoning for me.


I guess my next Flint was technically, Rock n Roll. But, it is SO much more Flint to me here. And he came with the HQ, so a command-like officer makes more sense to me, too. But like the Desert Striker driver Flint, this guy was left without the gear that would have helped give some personality. And the worst part? The Rock n Roll/ Flint figure has a leg that is almost a full 1/4 inch shorter than the other! I have never had a figure like this before or since, how rare is that? Or are they all like this?


The newest Flint for me is the 1994 Flint as for right now. I really like the figure, and when I put all three of the original A Real American Hero figures next to each other, in a lot of ways, it is like Flint has matured as the line progressed.
They kept the hair color consistent, which is really nice. Some figures switched a few times. But really, as I'm contemplating slimming and trimming down my collection, I'm trying to figure out which one of these 6 Flint figures would best represent how I view the character.


If you take a look at this GIJOE characters accomplishments in various forms over the years, Flint has a lot going for him. Check out JMMs biography on him!

I've used him as a helicopter pilot and a commando for the most part. Just the toys alone give Flint a lot of characterization to build ones' imagination on.


If the helmet had fit, the above picture was tempting me at using this simple head-swap figure as my main Flint.

I've also considered attempting to get the vacation in the shadows Flint, but that might be rather hard. And it's hard to tell from pictures if I really like the parts mix.




Edit: 11/29/15
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The 2001-02 HQ was a topic and I would have thought for sure I would have had it in a picture somewhere.  I just went through my actual photos (from the 35mm camera days) that I had assembled in a classic photo album and the 2001-02 HQ was nowhere to be seen.

I guess I am a little surprised, even as I never had an intent to photograph anything, that this HQ didn't at least show up in the background of some other photograph.

The only trace of this HQ that I can find here today is the instruction sheet.   I also have the instruction sheet from the '92 HQ, so at the very least I thought I would toss up some quick pictures.  Not much different between the two, save for some extra warnings and the year information.

I guess in thinking about the '92 HQ as well as the 2001-02 HQ, I didn't feel like it was as interesting as the 1983 Headquarters. The "folded up" stage didn't really make it anything formidable, or very figure-interactive, where in this form I thought it took away from play value.   All "opened up" there wasn't much more than an action-gimmick jail escape mechanism and other spring fire missile target locations to simulate battle damage.    The crane was nice, as was having a tower, but the rest of the spaces for the interior didn't really feel very.... interactive, I guess I would say.    The rather strange rear flip-down motor pool part, which also held the front mega cannon launcher, was just undefined.

The best use of the HQ for me was as a "rear wall" for the 1983 Headquarters.   However, I added in other elements in between, and before one knew it, there was one large expansive footprint of G.I.Joe taking up the floor.   

I must not have kept this 2nd HQ or the '92 very long for it not to have shown up at least in a background random picture or something....

GIJoe Mean Dog

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.

X-30

The Conquest X-30 is my premier attack/ fighter jet here. The 1986 Conquest was my first Conquest (fun fact, that goop around the "eyes" on there is where I spilled fake blood on it back in the day). This version of the X-30 that I have is from 1998. While I never did buy the original Python Patrol Conquest, I did buy the 2003 version when that came out.

My original X-30 is a vehicle I had since at least 1987, but when I made my draw down on vehicles I decided one X-30 should be sufficient, so the other two had to go. Nostalgia got kicked in the knee with my decision to keep the 1998 release, though. The 1998 has a great coloring, black missiles, and little improvements that made the canopy connection hinge much better, as well as some refining in the landing gear.

I kept my original Slipstream, however. Here's a figure that has been more or less limited to being a pilot. I can't recall having him do much else, even back in the day. Decent enough, and he really fills my personal connection back to my original X-30.

Truth is, I bought the 2003 X-30 mostly for the Slipstream figure that was included with it. I don't know why. The sound attack on the 2003 X-30 really made me not want that plane, even though it does have a pretty nice camo style on it otherwise. The 2003 Slipstream is the active figure in my Joeverse, he's the pilot. Pair him up with Ace, the figure that came with that 1997 A-10 Jet and it really makes me wish for a two-seater X-30. As is, I'm considering trying to snag the new Skystriker coming out this fall so Ace will have a proper fighter. As much as I do not need another fighter.

But, I have to consider that I do have extra pilots around. I do have an X-19, but I'm considering trading that rebuilt craft in. And I do not have a Vector, nor am I about to get one, but I do have Ghostrider and Maverick available for some flight time. Perhaps a new Skystriker would be a good buy?


As much as I like a lot about the X-19, for me, my X-30 is small and fast enough to take on any air and ground opponents that may come up against it. I think with the X-19, it seems a little more "bomber" like. The cruise missiles in themselves could come from anywhere, that's a role the RPV could really fill in some aspects. Or even that imaginary attack sub just off shore that is able to assist the Joes on missions....

I think the little fighter, the X-30 is plenty good for my Joeverse. It has 4 missiles, 2 drop tanks for extended missions, but it still has that simple dogfighting aspect: guns! The twin nose guns are a detail that I've enjoyed, this bird is gonna get right up close to the action!

Sea operations extra

I wrote briefly about my WHALE and the Sea Squad not too long ago. That's about my GIJoe team sea arm capacity as it is now, those Joes listed and that WHALE. Not too long ago, vehicles were more abundant.

Here below is a picture I wanted to share in the previous post, it is essentially the bulk of the GIJOE navy in about late-2005 or early 2006.




If you know your Joe, you already know these. Nothing is rare or out of the ordinary. In this time-frame-picture, I had already traded off my Tiger Shark and Shark 9000, and that newer GIJOE Piranha boat. Those were among those vehicles traded in 2005 early on in my endeavor to reduce my amount of toys.

In the picture, under the TTBP is My Night Shade and my original mail-in SHARC. They look good underneath I think, but, long-term collecting wise I didn't think I would be having many submersed battles.

On the TTBP deck is the TRU Navy SEAL assault raft. I maybe should have kept that, it was small enough and now that I think about it; it is almost like a battle field set. It has a bunch of tools for insertion and sneakiness, but unlike a battlefield tent, it's raft.
Also is one of the 2005 Convention Skyhawks. I thought three was terrific, but, with no guns on the front, I had to tear the ones off my old-buddies Skyhawk ('84). In the end, those Skyhawks didn't hold me much, and consider how that much more awesome 25th Anniversary Skyhawk looks compared to these, and well, I don't miss them.

The Joe Hydrofoil Moray and WHALE flank the sides of the TTBP. The WHALE is here, as you know, and I've mentioned it's my only Joe sea vehicle.
I've placed the Joe Hydrofoil Moray back under the control of Copperhead for use by Cobra. I did like that the Joes were getting essentially a true high-speed patrol boat in this TRU release, however, they would have been battling the EXACT same craft you can see on the shelf below the TTPB: real Cobra Morays.



Now, the Cobra Morays were in really good shape, with just a few minor flaws that did not detract from the fun at all. IN FACT, I've had FOUR hydrofoils in my possession over the last 10 years. I remember getting one on ebay and one at a local shop, but right now I can't remember where the other two came from. Not remembering things like this is a reason I felt I was just buying and accumulating too many things.

In the end with the Moray, I kept the '05 TRU release for use with Cobra as their big sea vehicle. Copperhead is technically the owner in my Joe-Verse, as this is the last of the Morays. (Cobra took a big loss in my Joe Verse, larger vehicles like the Morays were more easily targeted and destroyed (in reality, these two Morays were traded and sold). Copperhead was able to return to his smugglers ways; stealing the boat and hiding with his own cache of parts, enhancing the craft, etc., etc....)

Even the TTBP was sold, and it came down to that it did not really match up with the HQ. I thought that if I was going to have a smaller collection, yet somehow still be able to disPlay it all, the TTBP would have to "fit" with the HQ in a set up. And within that shelf set-up it would be something like the "dock-side" of the base layout....and longer story shorter, it would turn out to be a very large set up. So, I stuck with the HQ and battlefield station sets only for this aspect.

WHALE and the sea squad

Elusive steering vanes!






(Pic: Admiral Keel Haul and a custom Cutter with Topside and Deep Six)

All about my WHALE. Mostly, and my sea squad, too.

My WHALE hovercraft is one of my original vehicles from way back in the day. I can vaguely recall seeing the thing in a bag in a relatives closet while snooping around, eventually getting it for a Christmas present if I recall correctly.

It has survived through several residence moves and battles. Often used as an HQ or base in itself back in the day (even while having the '83 HQ), it made it through my younger days, although it made it without the rudders and steering vanes intact, and the recon. bike seemed to just disappear.

It has traveled across state lines and down streets, been boxed up, and out on display. And it really isn't a vehicle that I would rate as "essential" in my modern days with a focus on a lean motor pool. In fact, I almost did sell it off back in 2008. I'm glad I didn't right now. It's not that it's getting much use, it's been in a rubbermaid resting in bubble wrap and baggies since last April.

I technically don't really "need" any boat in my modern thinking, either. I'm more thinking air travel for adventures, and a Tomahawk could easily carry a Devilfish (which I have never had) if I "needed" a boat. I chose the WHALE over the Shark 9000, too, which despite its colors had some nice aspects to it.

So, what is it about the WHALE that makes me hang on to a large, potentially fragile, vehicle? I don't know. I mean, I can get just as many Joes across the water in my Night Rhino (9) if I needed to, and I did keep that vehicle in place of my A.P.C. I can get drop 5 Joes off the Tomahawk, but only 4 off the WHALE. And they disembark off the front of the WHALE (dangerous!!).

Is it the details of the WHALE that are appealing? I do like the pair of turrets, missile boxes, and artillery-size cannons. None of which are overly detailed or anything, quite simple in form actually. The recon. sled and bike are nice, but, really not much more detail in those. And if ever an "action gimmick" there was, it's in those twin propulsion fans. The single button spinning those blades are interesting, but the "engine block" does take up a good amount of space.
Of course there are the engine covers, bridge station, depth charges, secret compartment underneath, etc., etc....

Maybe it's all of it? Maybe all these things and more that allow for a multitude of little action figure drama and adventure.... figure to vehicle interactivity.

Or maybe it's just a fun vehicle that is a able to go across land and water and really compliments a GIJOE invasion force? I'm glad I kept this vehicle, though.



Mostly for the "sea" Joes. Some Joes are really rather limited in their environment of action, especially a "deep sea diver."

Admiral Keel Haul (v2) doesn't have a U.S.S. Flagg to command here, so he's in charge of the WHALE. Cutter is still the "Lt." as on his file card, but he's taking a little more of an active role in my mind, much like the D.E.F. did. In the top picture on this post, one can see my more combat version of Cutter...essentially a head swap.

I don't have an '85 Shipwreck, yet. My first and only Shippy is the '94 SEAL version, another "diver" figure. And I like that figure quite a bit, it advanced Shipwreck as a character through the toy line. And "diver" Shipwreck joins Wet suit, Deep Six, and Torpedo, as the water troops.

I have the '89 Deep Six picked as my only Deep Six. As far as figures go, and as neat as the '84 Deep Six is, this was a pretty easy choice to make for me in that the one with the most action potential stayed. It's not been as easy for Wet Suit, though. I have the "wet down" version, the '86 original, and even the '91 version. Each has certain points I like, but thus far, I've kept them all.

My Torpedo is the "a real American hero collection" release of that particular mold. I did have the 2004 VAMPs "land" version of him...but I didn't like that Hasbro used the head of the '91 Wet Suit. I like twins, but these guys are not twins. And the body still says Muskrat to me, and I like Muskrat. So, Torpedo is looking a little dated in some ways, but, he works out ok on the '84 WHALE.

On deck is the obvious choice of Topside. A naval assault seaman just fits, and with the WHALE the only water craft left around, welcome aboard!

Rampart and Blaster round out my sea squad. Rampart as a shoreline defender makes sense to me, though, and he has some excellent gear for shoreline assaults. Blaster is a hovercraft tinkerer in my mind, and instead of trailing the rest of the old Battleforce 2000 guys, he is THE mechanic and often pilot on the WHALE.

In some ways with these figures "stationed" on my WHALE and their limited roles in play on it, the WHALE has almost become a force in itself. Storming beaches, artillery bombardments, covert insertions, high-speed high-seas battles, etc....

I do wish I had kept the NAVY SEAL mission raft from around '98/'97 sometimes, that actually looked kind of nice strapped onto the WHALE for a little extra added adventures.



Below is the final shot of the WHALE prior to heading into the trade zone :