About HQ icebreaker
- icebreaker
- This is a very random bunch of thoughts based from my collecting of GIJOE: A real American hero figures and vehicles. Contained here are memories, experiences, recent thoughts, completely random thoughts, and other random things on top of that. While one company has made, and makes, our shared interests, we all add into that interest with our own creativity. You, the reader, will find many, many, excellent sites among the links to see what other GIJoe fans are doing, hit them up! For GIJOE stuff that is more random in topic, you'll find it here.
9.22.2014
older arctic style pictures
Here are some older 35mm prints from a couple years back. With older film, one never knows what one gets until it gets developed.
8.11.2014
Gijoe outside
Something with having an HQ shell that has an actual yard that has kept me busy for most of the summer. Back in the day, I didn't really play outdoors with my GIJoe toys, and today, if I do it is for pictures of some action shot.
The actual HQ shell's yard is very large, and I've spent more resources into it than any other non-essential thing this year. Trees and bushes, and room for more next year, and eventually more shrubs, and, yes, maybe some flowers. But only really cool flowers.
Heck, the most exciting thing for the weekend was putting in a little lava rock under an eave, and top soiling the lawn and filling in a spot where an old stump was.
I didn't feel much like doing anything with my GIJoe stuff, I just haven't been pumped about it. Let alone bring anything outside. Back in the day, most play was done indoors, anyway. I was worried about losing stuff in the grass, or something. Heck, I remember even just me and my old best bud agreeing to keep the accessories out of the action in just the living room battles.
Something about a nice, clean outdoor space is really inviting, though. Think like a really cool garden. Now, think a rough, uneven, weedy lawn, it's not that appealing. Not something one wants to go sit on and play, really.
So, that's been the focus here, the HQ shells outer spaces.
What a change from not too long ago, perhaps inside me there is a creative drive and GIJoe was the vehicle for it prior to having a yard?
Or maybe I just like to use shovels and rakes?
The actual HQ shell's yard is very large, and I've spent more resources into it than any other non-essential thing this year. Trees and bushes, and room for more next year, and eventually more shrubs, and, yes, maybe some flowers. But only really cool flowers.
Heck, the most exciting thing for the weekend was putting in a little lava rock under an eave, and top soiling the lawn and filling in a spot where an old stump was.
I didn't feel much like doing anything with my GIJoe stuff, I just haven't been pumped about it. Let alone bring anything outside. Back in the day, most play was done indoors, anyway. I was worried about losing stuff in the grass, or something. Heck, I remember even just me and my old best bud agreeing to keep the accessories out of the action in just the living room battles.
Something about a nice, clean outdoor space is really inviting, though. Think like a really cool garden. Now, think a rough, uneven, weedy lawn, it's not that appealing. Not something one wants to go sit on and play, really.
So, that's been the focus here, the HQ shells outer spaces.
What a change from not too long ago, perhaps inside me there is a creative drive and GIJoe was the vehicle for it prior to having a yard?
Or maybe I just like to use shovels and rakes?
6.15.2014
New joes, Jinx and Lady Jaye
New toys in the house. That's a thing that's been on the rare side in these parts, well, for me, anyway. I bought the "junior joe" his own Eaglehawk as I found that Toys R Us (online) had them marked down, and they finally had that yellow Jinx in stock.
It was interesting watching the "junior joe" build his Eaglehawk. There wasn't much building to any of the other GIJoe vehicles that have made their way to his HQ previously. No other toys really have this build up at our level, either, only Legos are the only things "built" here. It didn't look easy on some parts, but that comes more from smaller hands. Plus, there was never any "snap" in place sounds to let us know that parts were together. I did one forward engine cover to help out, the "junior joe" did the other side, but still wasn't able to finagle one of those two hinges on. And I was a little concerned the canopy hinge might snap if it was forced in, but I ended up helping out on that one, too.
We'll see how this Eaglehawk holds up under "junior joes" battle conditions....
But finally, I got that Retaliation Jinx (yellow). I kind of like the look of a few modern-ish figures and want to mix things up a little, but I could never find one of these locally (or any 'joes, for that matter) and only recently did I find that it was available for ordering online (I wasn't searching that hard online, but still never came across any in stocks until now).
I also bought Retaliation Lady Jaye, as I liked the Renegades Scarlett, and wanted that character represented by a figure, well, it was one I was going to get before but was just waiting to find Jinx at the same time.
I like both figures well enough, and I am impressed by the amount of gear across the board with these two, mostly with Lady Jaye, though. That figure is ready to rumble. I really like the bazooka, I did not know it separates as well as the ammo being removable from the backpack. Too cool.
Jinx looks pretty cool, being in yellow, it kind of adds some new life to an otherwise static looking group of figure characters. A lot of familiar weaponry that says "Jinx" with the twin swords and staff, too. I'm a little disappointed by the figures hands, however. Things pose fine, but fall away under movement really easy. (And I don't think I can make use of the zip cord.)
These two join the ranks along Scarlett and Agent Helix, as well as Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow for "my" modern GIJoe team.
It was interesting watching the "junior joe" build his Eaglehawk. There wasn't much building to any of the other GIJoe vehicles that have made their way to his HQ previously. No other toys really have this build up at our level, either, only Legos are the only things "built" here. It didn't look easy on some parts, but that comes more from smaller hands. Plus, there was never any "snap" in place sounds to let us know that parts were together. I did one forward engine cover to help out, the "junior joe" did the other side, but still wasn't able to finagle one of those two hinges on. And I was a little concerned the canopy hinge might snap if it was forced in, but I ended up helping out on that one, too.
We'll see how this Eaglehawk holds up under "junior joes" battle conditions....
But finally, I got that Retaliation Jinx (yellow). I kind of like the look of a few modern-ish figures and want to mix things up a little, but I could never find one of these locally (or any 'joes, for that matter) and only recently did I find that it was available for ordering online (I wasn't searching that hard online, but still never came across any in stocks until now).
I also bought Retaliation Lady Jaye, as I liked the Renegades Scarlett, and wanted that character represented by a figure, well, it was one I was going to get before but was just waiting to find Jinx at the same time.
I like both figures well enough, and I am impressed by the amount of gear across the board with these two, mostly with Lady Jaye, though. That figure is ready to rumble. I really like the bazooka, I did not know it separates as well as the ammo being removable from the backpack. Too cool.
Jinx looks pretty cool, being in yellow, it kind of adds some new life to an otherwise static looking group of figure characters. A lot of familiar weaponry that says "Jinx" with the twin swords and staff, too. I'm a little disappointed by the figures hands, however. Things pose fine, but fall away under movement really easy. (And I don't think I can make use of the zip cord.)
These two join the ranks along Scarlett and Agent Helix, as well as Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow for "my" modern GIJoe team.
6.07.2014
25 versus 50
I understand the 25th anniversary ARAH line, 25 years the ARAH themed GIJoe. I really liked the 15th anniversary Toys R Us product at the time more, but that's something else. But that was in line with the 25th anniversary in ARAH years. The 50th anniversary brings the original, truly vintage in my opinion, GIJoe, but I haven't seen much news on THAT 'Joe in ways of celebratory product. There might be, I don't know.
Is it confusing to the average joe consumer, where the 25th was just, what, 7 some years ago, and now it's at 50th? I thought one of the more memorable GIJoe anniversaries for me was the 25th anniversary issue of Marvel GIJoe 86. I liked that, it added to an overall universe, and tied things together. That was in the "whole" GIJoe brand, some is just "arah."
It kind of starts coming back to the "versus" in eras, styles, sizes, and everyone has their own favorites. Mine is obvious, I'm old mold. "Outdated" apparently, as I have gathered from reading in some online discussions.
Overall though, there isn't much in the 50th anniversary product line up that draws me in. The strong point for me is the vehicles offerings. I like the look of those, mostly that new old VAMP and Night Landing Craft. I would have liked some steering wheels, or a new chassis design on the old VAMP, but it is what it is.
However, does history repeat itself?
After the TRU "15th anniversary" line, there was a follow up in 1998. In 2000, the collector series started up and soon another generation of "newsculpt" themes and sizes came out across the board.
I don't know the background to the reasons for all this evolving and ending as it did, but, it kind of all led to a little off the shelf period for GIJoe again.
And then back with the 25th anniversary in a new format, with from 2007 through just a short time ago really led to another whole generation of GIJoe with many themes, and then it kind of got quiet, again, more at retail, which is my realm of toy exposure.
Do you think the new, fairly limited in scope release of the 50th Anniversary is the beginning of something new? Will 2015 be the year that another direction for GIJoe takes shape?
And of course, I totally glossed over everything that happened right before 1982 right there. Does that show my age, or perhaps an inability to evolve into something new? Since I didn't really evolve, and with pretty much 2 generations of product that I sort of stayed away from, am I extinct?
Do I need new product to keep my small collection fresh and fun?
I guess I'm kind of just out there, a little lost, what's next for GIJoe here?
Is it confusing to the average joe consumer, where the 25th was just, what, 7 some years ago, and now it's at 50th? I thought one of the more memorable GIJoe anniversaries for me was the 25th anniversary issue of Marvel GIJoe 86. I liked that, it added to an overall universe, and tied things together. That was in the "whole" GIJoe brand, some is just "arah."
It kind of starts coming back to the "versus" in eras, styles, sizes, and everyone has their own favorites. Mine is obvious, I'm old mold. "Outdated" apparently, as I have gathered from reading in some online discussions.
Overall though, there isn't much in the 50th anniversary product line up that draws me in. The strong point for me is the vehicles offerings. I like the look of those, mostly that new old VAMP and Night Landing Craft. I would have liked some steering wheels, or a new chassis design on the old VAMP, but it is what it is.
However, does history repeat itself?
After the TRU "15th anniversary" line, there was a follow up in 1998. In 2000, the collector series started up and soon another generation of "newsculpt" themes and sizes came out across the board.
I don't know the background to the reasons for all this evolving and ending as it did, but, it kind of all led to a little off the shelf period for GIJoe again.
And then back with the 25th anniversary in a new format, with from 2007 through just a short time ago really led to another whole generation of GIJoe with many themes, and then it kind of got quiet, again, more at retail, which is my realm of toy exposure.
Do you think the new, fairly limited in scope release of the 50th Anniversary is the beginning of something new? Will 2015 be the year that another direction for GIJoe takes shape?
And of course, I totally glossed over everything that happened right before 1982 right there. Does that show my age, or perhaps an inability to evolve into something new? Since I didn't really evolve, and with pretty much 2 generations of product that I sort of stayed away from, am I extinct?
Do I need new product to keep my small collection fresh and fun?
I guess I'm kind of just out there, a little lost, what's next for GIJoe here?
4.06.2014
Bazooka rode a tractor
... Is something you don't here every day.
At a model train show that comes through every year, which is always a good time, there was a another GIJoe sighting. Bazooka on a tractor!
This is the same group of guys that do garden model railroading that have been at every one of these train shows (HGMR) that I have even been to. This year, these guys did not set up on the floor like they have in the past, rather, they had their layout up on a knee high table. Come to think of it, they have had this corner of the school they set up in every year.
I was hoping to see a couple of extra GIJoe figures I gave to them in 2012 used in the set up, but this didn't happen at all so far. There is more to that story here.
And here is the first GIJoe sighting (2012) I had on their layout:
At a model train show that comes through every year, which is always a good time, there was a another GIJoe sighting. Bazooka on a tractor!
This is the same group of guys that do garden model railroading that have been at every one of these train shows (HGMR) that I have even been to. This year, these guys did not set up on the floor like they have in the past, rather, they had their layout up on a knee high table. Come to think of it, they have had this corner of the school they set up in every year.
I was hoping to see a couple of extra GIJoe figures I gave to them in 2012 used in the set up, but this didn't happen at all so far. There is more to that story here.
And here is the first GIJoe sighting (2012) I had on their layout:
3.30.2014
Clutch ponders...
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