6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: NUNCHUK

I didn't know who this dude was when I encountered him in the JvC days. I don't even remember why I bought him; he came in a 2-pack. He was an ugly figure but because I didn't know of the character, I just accepted him as whatever he was supposed to be. I thought he was supposed to be native american, despite the codename. It wasn't long after that I found out he was a ninja. (HUH? In that outfit???) I don't remember when it was, but eventually, I learned more about this thing called "Ninja Force" and what Nunchuk originally looked like. I was like, "What happened???" He went from this rather cool-looking green ninja to this shirtless dude with camo stripes and a headband and long hair. What sort of evolution is that? That JvC figure, man, I think either I gave it to my gal's son at the time or it gathered dust in a box.

Then we come to the Classified series. Yes, he is an older figure, released late 2023/early 2024 as part of Wave 11 (at a $25 msrp!). The promo images of him made him look super cool and super tight (yo). Enough that I took interest in this ninja and I strongly considered purchasing him. This was also a time where it was a love/hate relationship with the line. I think I had already donated the Classifieds I had. This is different than me shipping them to a friend which was the 2nd time I said NO to the line. Yet, he was so tempting.

Alas, I finally purchased him (w/ 2026 Duke from BBTS) because BBTS was kind enough to set several of their figures near MSRP. Now that I have him, I rather like him. For me, his joints weren't locked but fluid enough that they can do their thing and not feel like they are going to break. This is a bit rare with the figures where many feel like they are made from a harder, stiffer plastic. The accessories feel like cheap plastic and got no love in terms of getting a paint application to them. Best put, I'm a bit of a fan when certain weapons are painted to look like what they are supposed to be. Swords should usually have a metal blade with black handle. Black blade, fine. But mono-colored piece of plastic, meh. That's just lazy.

In terms of his role in the Zedd Universe, I have no idea. I was thinking about him last night. He seems perfect for a VS story. Who shall he fight where it'll set up a good story for the universe? The less obvious a character to become his arch enemy, the better, right???

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: DUKE

Back when Duke was released in the ARAH days (did anyone notice that Hasbro got rid of the ARAH tagline???), I couldn't stand the guy. Being of (technically) minority status, Duke was the symbol of the type of people I didn't care for in life. If you are asking, "wait, weren't you in 2nd or 3rd grade???" The answer is, "yes, I was in grade school." He was a blonde jock, egotistical, good looking, thought the world should revolve around him (this roughly equals too the amount of screen time he got in the cartoon). But he was also an authoritative character which, I had a hard time with. It would make sense I'd end up skateboarding, right? The comic didn't push him as hard which was good. But to me, he was the All-American American. There were kids like that in school who I obviously didn't get along with. Trendy jocks. Funny thing is, in the animated movie, when the writers tried to kill him off, I wasn't cheering on. I was impartial.

Let's fast forward about 20 years. Hasbro brings GI Joe back with the Joe vs Cobra (JvC) theme. And of course, Duke got love. His v1 looked so bland and generic, hard to take him seriously. The change in action figure construction, the dreaded t-crotch, made no sense and was such a departure from the o-ring, it left all the fans scratching their heads. Over the next, oh, 4-5 years, the amount of Duke variants would skyrocket (as would Snake Eyes followed by Cobra Commander. Actually, it was Snake Eyes #1, then Duke, and in distant 3rd, CC.). I would learn of something akin to the 'golden trio'; the core figures that had to be in every wave or some belief by Hasbro GI Joe. 

As much as I don't like the character and the figures were kinda so-so, there was a point where the designs were getting better for him. I ended up liking the figures. This may have been the time in my life when I was doing a lot of photography and doing diostories. What this really meant was that I was writing my own characters. I wasn't always creative with the characters so some stayed more like their comic or cartoon versions. Duke, because I didn't feel like writing him, rarely showed up in my stories. I often put him on the disabled list with others just so I wouldn't have to use them. I think it was around the Sigma6 era, I actually came to terms with Duke. I also didn't mind the Channing Tatum live-action version because that's more how I saw Duke.

Then we come to Classified. I was lukewarm on the series. It wasn't just bigger size, it had to do with price point and where I was in life. We are talking about a guy with a job history longer than my arm. Might even be taller than me. I wouldn't have minded getting that v1 Duke but I was so-so on the figures themselves. I liked his look, but then, I liked his Sigma6 custom I did and his Resolute version was fantastic. Thus we come to this recently released Duke. Some call it the 'rugged' version; I don't know if that's an official title or not. I'm not sure when this figure was supposed to be released; buyers were getting him early from somewhere. Amazon, I think sold out on their pre-orders and I was watching the price jump. Didn't trust them so I went thru BBTS (which oddly shipped thru Amazon). Basically, didn't want to miss out on him nor pay $40+.

With the history out of the way, this Duke figure is basically how I envision Duke. Especially a modern version which I don't think I even went all out when I made my own (in small scale). This dude is all geared up and has a great vibe to him. Excellent figure to have in general, not just to fill the Duke role or a field commander role. The accessories are slightly less for him; 2 pistols, a backpack, a knife, and an automatic rifle. For the most part, that should be standard for all figures (well, 1 pistol can suffice. Feel free to add a stand, Hasbro!) Now, just how shall I write him?

 MOVIE THOUGHTS

LORDS OF DOGTOWN

(Google search)

(Thrasher Magazine)

One would think, with how long I've been skateboarding, I would have watched this movie closer to it's release date (2005). The image of the July 1986 cover of Thrasher (skateboard magazine), was my 1st issue. This means, I got my 1st skateboard under the Christmas tree in 1985. That puts me at 10 yrs old and me being in 5th grade. (or per magazine cover, the summer between 5th and 6th grades) I bring my history because I thought I started in 1987. The reality is, I started in 1986 (rounding up) which means, I started snowboarding either when the snow fell in 1986 or it was a year later in 1987. (Rented boards from Fallout Records and Skateboards; Burton Elites. I remember started snowboarding a year later)

I knew of the movie back then. I also knew of some of the primary players but didn't quite know the history. The magazines only covered so much and it was tough for us little grommits to learn the history. A lot of it was in the past, one that Thrasher didn't always write about (and Transworld was like, the safe magazine; staying away from the punk, skater lifestyle that Thrasher embraced). Knew names, didn't know what they had done or gone through. It's good that Stacy Peralta decided to tell this story. I don't know how much is fictional and how much is real; but there are aspects where as a kid, I only knew of things visually (without content?). I'll try to explain more in-depth which might becomes less of a review but the difference between reality and little kid experiences and most importantly, assumptions.

(Skip Engblom. Google search)

Where to start. I'll start with Skip Engblom. I knew of him as being the owner of Santa Monica Airlines, the skateboard company. It was an odd, small company, having 1 pro on the roster (Natas Kaupas). I also know that SMA ended up being two companies (Steve Rocco, former freestyle rider for Sims) got involved. His side became World Industries and a global (ie; mass market skateboard company). SMA, the real version, stayed small and was best known for their (cute) cool logo. (Which I had a few of their shirts) The Skip I was aware of was the one in the image. He looks like a guy in his 40s or 50s, like an uncle. Just a guy, right? The movie showed him very differently and whether he was really like that, I have no idea. That is where me as a kid saw him one way, the reality was most likely very different. 

Therefore, I knew of the historical entity known as the Z-Boyz but I was aware more of the mid-1980s version. It was often related to the term 'Dogtown', which as a kid, I knew as a skateboard company. I had a couple of their decks (Eric Dressen v1 and v2). Their pros got a decent amount of coverage; aforementioned Eric Dressen, Scott Oster (known for his g-turns), and Aaron "Fingers" Murray (he was missing a finger or two and his board kinda had a spider-web groove to it). That was the mid-80s and as far as I knew, they were the Z-Boyz (there were a few other names possibly related to it like Jesse Martinez and Christian Hosoi). Basically, it was all about Venice Beach.

Jay Adams. I only knew of the name. Maybe a photo now and then and iirc, it was never him skating. I had the understanding he was part of the era before I started. But I had no idea that he was such a huge part of the skateboarding scene. Shaved head and tattoos, that's what I saw of him. I had heard the phrase "Punk as f*ck" was about him. The fact he was friends with Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta is such a trip. Same sort of effect as in Oppenheimer when you see who the other contemporary scientists and theorists were.

Tony Alva, I knew as the owner of Alva skateboards. I had a couple decks from them. Most notably, a John Thomas deck which looked great but wasn't so hot to use. (My buddy, iirc, had a Bill Danforth (or was it a Chris Cook?). Let me supply the viewer with an image and well, that's how the magazine-reading skater kids saw Alva. (The image is considered a 'later' image of the team; when they took on the 2 Zorlac skaters; John Gibson and Craig Johnson)

(Google Search)

Stacy Peralta was one of the more better known names in the skateboard world. As one half of Powell Peralta, his skate team got the most publicity. When I say publicity, it's not just the demos. It's the amount of photos of them in the magazines but the fact Stacy pushed the videos. Back then, it was all about company-specific videos (at some point, Mack Dawg would showcase whoever he could; it wasn't company-based or biased as far as I know). The Powell videos allows us skaters to see their heroes in action. Pushed so hard that for a time, they were the only company who did it well. Santa Cruz tried but it didn't have the same energy or vision. For that matter, Vision/Sims/Schmitt Stix didn't push hard enough. A lot of companies didn't push the home video hard enough. Contest videos did well enough showcasing skaters but to a degree, it was only the top 14 or top 10. So if you take Alva as pictured above, I remember Bill Danforth, John Gibson, and Craig Johnson getting the most coverage. Viewers got a tiny glimpse of John Thomas in the 1st Savannah Slamma contest video. Anyway, the portrayal of Stacy shows a staunch difference between Alva and Adams. Probably done on purpose but I believe his view was very different than Alva's. (there's an analogy here. Powell Peralta was like Burton, the snowboard company. Cleaner image, great riders, lots of coverage. Who was the punk side of snowboarding? Hard to say; companies may have shied away from 'dirtier' types because snowboarding was new and not widely accepted by the ski resorts whose clientele were middle upper class/upper class. They didn't want 'the kids who hung out in front of the 7-11' on their ski slopes)

Image is of the mid-1980s Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta's skate team. Not all pros are shown; missing are Kevin Harris and Per Welinder. Very different looking than Alva's team, yes?

(Google search)

The movie itself, or rather the story, is sad to me. A bit like Stand By Me, it's a group of tight-knit buddies who faced with fame (and money), separate from not just each other, but the Zephyr skate team (thus leaving Skip Engblom). Back up a second, the story is old skool for me. Like, it's a snapshot of a time before I started skating by nearly 10 years. Maybe I didn't worry about seeing it because it was before my time. The movie is kinda frantic but that's more about how it was filmed. What I found fascinating is that the viewer is seeing the early careers of 3 people got very big names. (The focus is Dogtown so other companies like Sims, Vision, G&S kinda are left in the dust) But what the story does is show the differences between the 3 main characters. And to a degree, the rise and fall of Mr Engblom who really had a huge role in shaping skateboarding. Certainly, all the companies that were created all pushed skateboarding and showed just how competitive it could be. Did I know Stacy and Tony knew each other? Nope. Hell, I thought Tony Alva was situated in the southern states! I thought most of his team were from there! 

Stacy and Tony's rivalry, was it real? Hard to say. But you look at the images provided and you can see a distinct difference in vision. The characterization of them for the story (and Jay Adams) almost mirrors what happened in the mid/late 80s (again, kiddy perspective here). At that time, the top 2 skaters (contest-wise and visually) were Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi. From what I read (fairly recently), Hosoi was the rock star (which is how they portrayed Alva). Hosoi also had drug problems and ended up in prison for a time. Tony Hawk, while skilled, was a businessman (he did leave Powell to create Birdhouse). The two were consistently going head-to-head in contests. To note, they had opposite styles too; whether there was any indication of that with Peralta vs Alva, I'm not sure. (for a worse analogy, I can use how Cobra Kai worked. lol)

I had IMDB open as I watched. I was trying to figure out who was who, if the characters were who I thought they were. In that process, got to see all the cameos too! I know I discussed the 3 main characters. There were other names I had seen in the magazines; Shogo, Peggy, Red Dog (brother of Suicidal Tendencies singer, Mike Muir!), Stecyk, etc

I thought it was a good film. Great to see Stacy Peralta do his thing. Other than run a skateboard company, he wanted to be a film maker. The movie was met with mixed reviews. How much was fictional and how much was true, I believe it was capturing a moment of time. For that pocket of territory in California, that's how crazy it was.

For the technical details like cast and crew visit:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355702/

The reader might be surprised at some of the names involved.

 MOVIE THOUGHTS

PROJECT: HAIL MARY

The Earth is facing destruction. No, not the planet blowing up. The sun is dying. The world's best scientists are working on possible solutions. Personnel includes a middle school science teacher. In the end, he is sent on a 1-way mission with two others to save the world. But things go astray and the crew of 3 become 1. Or does it? Reaching a milestone destination, he discovers that human life isn't the only one in the galaxy. The two must work together in this life & death adventure to save both their worlds! The movie is, of course, based on the book of the same name by Andy Weir.

Starring Ryan Gosling, known for his role in Barbie and a certain SNL skit (amongst other movies), takes on much of the movie by himself. There are supporting actors, mostly in the numerous flashback scenes. It comes down to this, can he handle this movie by himself?

The answer to this is whether the viewer can handle Ryan Gosling. In the most simple form, the plot is straight forward. Save the Earth. Must go to space to do it.

The movie is over 2.5 hrs. The pacing ebbs and flows. I won't say the movie is entertaining, but rather, it's engaging. What saves Gosling from having to do the movie on his own is that he meets an alien. This allows him someone to talk to and react to. It's hard to say if the character is someone you want to like. He's happy with his life, he doesn't want to save the world. He sure doesn't want to go to space. He's dorky. He's nerdy. But there's an undertone of sarcasm beneath it. Yet, the relationship that forms and grows with the alien being is the engaging part as is them working to solve the problem.

Visually, it's standard sci-fi. Nothing too fantastic or out of this world. Other movies with the same vibe would be Contact, Interstellar, The Martian, and Arrival. 

It's really about the story. I usually am not like this when I watch a movie, but it was all about the story. How do they get through? Do they come up with a solution? The characters, while the focus, weren't the focus for me. They were just moving parts for the story to get told. Maybe I couldn't get invested in them and that's more on me than the actor or their acting skill. Usually, I'm more interested in the characters than the story. Being a visual guy, I like to see the events even if the story sucks. I know, that doesn't make sense.

Don't get me wrong, the interaction between Gosling and the alien were at times fun, cute, and adorable. Those scenes can keep the viewer engaged. I bring up the music. I think it was standard fare. The music got intense during the 'intense' scenes. Otherwise, it wasn't particularly memorable. In the end, it was a good attempt on Amazon's side to make a thoughtful, semi-deep sci-fi movie. I made a post on Facebook that this movie isn't for everyone. Just as Christopher Nolan movies aren't for everyone. Or Tim Burton movies. This is ME we're talking about. There's no alien forces invading Earth, no warships or space warfare, no Care Bears helping the good guys, etc. I will say this, the end scene was good. Turned it into a feel good movie and it was there, I was more interested in the exploration of everything. But that's not what the movie's about. It just allows for fans to create their own stories.

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: HAWK

Hawk. The man. The myth. The former MMS operator who somehow became the head of GI Joe. All that aside, I loved that 80s figure when it was released. I think everyone liked that figure even if there was some question of how he went from blonde to brown hair. Let's cut to the chase. This figure, other than fulfilling an Original 13 slot (I'm not a hard traditionalist in terms of looks), is definitely a nostalgic purchase. Very few of the figures I bought had the mindset of, "I had him as a kid, I want the new and improved version!" Most of the figures I've bought have been cheaply priced or they just look neat. (or cool)

There's not much to say about the figure itself. It is General Hawk in all his V2 glory. I have yet to pose with him with the other O13s, but I thought I had seen an image someone had done with a mix of looks and it appeared just fine.

Let's talk about how I've handled him in the Zedd Universe. Actually, I kind of didn't! Duke was purposely written out of the stories, only making cameos or getting injured (so I didn't have to deal with him). Hawk was kind of the same way. I didn't put him on the battlefield; he hung out in base dealing with everything going on. 

However, storywise and this isn't quite revealed until the story NEW BREED (unwritten). Hawk and Duke played games with the Joes. At their height, there were over 150 members, not including support. They played favorites. They brought in members who had the same specialties which was to push out the previous soldiers. This was also a point of contention for me as a kid. Roadblock vs Rock n Roll. Wetsuit vs Torpedo. Sci-Fi vs Flash. Etc. This caused, storywise, for members to retire or leave for this other alternative military force called Marauder Task Force. The kicker is, Hawk even left GI Joe with the other 12, yet, Commander Marauder Sullivan let him lead the O13! (Gen Colton took his place in GI Joe with Duke reinstated as field commander). 

With everything going on since 2021, I no longer have the small scale MTF'd O13s. Some were quite good in build. The O13 now fall under MTF to me. But the big scale are a different matter. They'll be GI Joe and frankly, I have no idea what they'll be doing. Like I stated earlier, Hawk is definitely a nostalgic purchase. When he was promo'd and released, I was on the fence with this Classified toyline. Therefore, he was a figure I didn't seek out early on. He's a bit like Cobra Commander. Just gotta have him.

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: OVERKILL

Overkill was a character that I was introduced to during the Theme Years (that would be 2003). The design was interesting and to an extent, boring. The figure had aspects to notice; particularly the head mold and a single removable arm. In terms of the head, other than it couldn't move (which was actually fine), it had a neat molded-on scarf. The artwork made him far more intimidating than the toy. Hasbro even did something like 3 repaints of the figure and oddly, each gave off a different vibe. And it worked!

Then there was the official Robot Rebellion/Rise of the Robots version. That one, I didn't like at all. People said it was like Robocop. It was too robotic for me. The Spy Troops version made the fan more interested in the character itself. That was lost with the later version. And now we get to the Classified version which has that Robot Rebellion vibe. There is a BUT here.

This figure looks ugly and in a lot of ways, boring. But after taking him out, the figure is better than I thought. Overkill retains the changeable accessory gimmick which is kind of neat as a bigger scale item. The design might not be overly creative but whoever drew it did a good job. But what does Overkill mean to me?

I made my own version and it's loosely based on the Spy Troops version. It took a bit of thinking to make work, but what came out of it, I rather like. That said, I won't say Overkill as a character wasn't an 'instant fave'. The potential this character has/had got my creative juices going. Enough that he became a sub-plot then had a (really messy) story. He's also shown up in a Devil Dogs story which helps further what happens in the GI Joe story (the Devil Dogs story takes place before diostory ZERO SIGNAL).

Here's the thing with this Overkill. Due to a certain toy dude on Facebook, he made a wonderful modern-age Overkill. I'll be following his recipe with some attempted differences. To note, my Overkill character is very much in vein as the Spy Troops animated one. He stutters. He's slightly eccentric and dramatic. In ways, he is a complete dork. I won't be following DD's version.

One other tidbit about Classified Overkill that caught me off guard. He's taller than most of the other figures. That's a sly, nice touch.

 6 INCH COLLECTION: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: FLASH

A brief history. Christmas of 1982. I found a whole slew of GI Joe toys under the tree. I didn't get everyone (and that's okay). I thought these things were the greatest toy in the world and would feel that way for the next 4-5 years. To a degree, even in college when other toylines were out there like Wetworks, WildCATs, X-Men, TMNT, Power Rangers, and whatever else there was in the 90s (for me, let's say up to about 1998), I felt GI Joe set the standard. Now, I knew of the 90s GI Joe and a bit of all these weird special teams and it just wasn't an era I was interested in. But GI Joe got me spoiled on articulation. It had articulation that Star Wars didn't have. GI Joe may have had some other faults (in my book), but Star Wars, like Transformers, would take a lot of imagination. As a kid, not as big a deal. 

My loss of interest in Star Wars almost happened right off the bat. As a kid seeing the movie, I loved that 1st movie. The toys, on the other hand, were just weird. I still played the hell out of them. But I questioned why they couldn't bend their arms or at the knees. Why did the light saber come out of their hands? Why no eyeballs? In terms of Storm Troopers, why can't they move their heads? And more importantly, I was irked as a lil 5 year that I couldn't pose the Storm Troopers like in the movie (or the packaging image). Imagination can go only so far.

GI Joe came on the scene and it was like, steps ahead of Star Wars. They could move at the waist! Heads moved! The elbows and knees had joints (and later, swivel arm which was nice and much appreciated). The articulation points set the standard for me, but apparently not the rest of the industry. And why the frak not??? Don't get me wrong, I understand that Transformers was a very different toy and articulation wasn't going to happen. But MASK and He-Man, c'mon... By the 90s when aforementioned Wetworks showed up, how did McFarlane not take note on how to make toys? Or Toybiz doing X-Men? My issue with GI Joe came sometime around 1986 or 1987 when I realized the head molds looked pretty much nothing like the card art. I remember looking at toy Falcon and saw that it didn't resemble the card art. The body did and that was probably easy for Hasbro. The heads kinda left a lot be desired and then, I saw this for all the figures. 

Hasbro has come a long ways. But it's still not perfect. But let's get to the real focus of the topic here. Other than I'd like to have an O-13, it's going to be a tall order due to prices on some figures. As of writing, Flash was recently released. Figure, MSRP is around $30 (I'm rounding up). For $30, I kinda expect a higher level of craftsmanship. The visual design is top notch as are all the characters for the Classified series. The construction design is another matter which I think has been a point of contention for sometime. The execution of the figure (mass production) can be 50-50. The short; the wrist design is poor. My Flash's wrist is incredibly weak. I thought the swivel was just really tight, which it was, but it also stressed the peg. Basically, I couldn't tell if it was swiveling or not. (I did the warm water technique to remove the hand and found the joint is a 2-piece construction, I had weakened the peg but it's also about as strong as JoyToy wrist construction on the San Reja figures.) At the moment, I'm having to be very careful with him and just posing him for the figure put additional stress on the hand. (I drilled out lower forearm hole a tad so the hand could swivel better but the damage has already been done.)

As for Flash, this is a nostalgic purchase. He was my fave Joe from the 1982 series. I have to admit, I don't remember if he continued to be a fave once I got the 1983 figures (several came on my birthday). I don't know what it was about Flash that made him the fave. It might have to do with the helmet/visor combo and/or the departure of standard green palette (the red padding). Plus, he had a pretty good dynamic pose for the packaging. The Classified Flash is pretty good. His role in the Zedd Universe? I'm not sure but I'm considering a VS story for him.

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: STEELER

Back in the day, this character came with the motorized MOBAT tank. It was a set I did not have as a kid nor as an adult. (For the record, didn't have the successor, the Mauler. Skip ahead and I did have the Patriot Grizzley) I don't think I ever got an official Steeler figure; I made one via MTF which I rather liked and had fun with. Fast forward ahead to the Classified version (without $200 tank) and like I said with Short-Fuze, man the promo shots made them look good. Could I do cool shots like that? In my mind, I can. The reality, HA!

It's funny, when I made my Steeler, it wasn't too far off how this one looked. I admit, if I were to make them again, I'd change some things. In particular, the armored legs and arms would go. I was talking to a friend about that aspect. I feel that the armored body parts are too much for the type of missions my figures go on. If I was doing big battlefield or futuristic/neo-modernistic urban environment stuff, it'd be fitting. Like in Aliens when the space marines are gearing up. But in the desert? or jungle? Especially the jungle or forest where you need to be mobile. Pretty sure you don't want big metal plating on your chest in the jungle when you have to jump into a fast-flowing river. All that aside, my Steeler had a vest but the fun was the long-barrel pistol I gave him. That, to me, set his character. I don't remember where I got the idea from. For some reason, I picture Donald Sutherland as a tank driver whipping out a big long pistol in a show of "allow me to whip out my..." (Yes, I know that line is from the movie Blazing Saddles.)

I think I like the character because like much of the Original 13, a lot are an open book. They had some cartoon time and some comic book time, but I feel, not quite enough to latch onto them. Perhaps that's what the various writers wanted to do. Don't go too deep on them so the kids will make their own adventures. They were just avatars to sell the toys and from there, the sky's the limit.

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED: SHORT-FUZE

I purchased this Classified 2-pack of Steeler & Short-Fuze because the figures looked really neat and well done. These two characters, being part of the Original 13, come from a very different era of GI Joe. Perhaps, it also comes from a different time of drawn design and sculpt too. For example, the initial 1982 GI Joe line had a very narrow and basic look, as they were supposed to. In ways, it could be questioned how to make those outfits (designs) look good when they were so basic? Compared to, let's say, the Classified Slice and Dice, pretty big difference. But, the designs for the characters are the way they are supposed to be. If the O-13 are to be a bit bland, well, that's just how they are.

I was just thinking about these two figures now that I've had them for about a week. They've migrated from the workspace to photography area a few times. As neat as they are, I'm not sure what to do with them. The promo photos make them look great. I think in the past, just the character art and figure were good enough for me. My imagination could do the rest. So the question I started asking myself, am I buying some of these characters for nostalgia reasons. Like, relive the memories or whatever. I don't really know. I think this has come up because I did order Classified: Flash from BBTS (due to Amazon messing heavily with prices). Flash was the fave of the 1982 Joes that I had/received that Christmas. Is it about buying old faves? Hard to say. If someone asked me point blank, I'd probably say NO. The reasoning being, I would have pre-ordered Tunnel Rat and Falcon. Other faves which haven't been made would include Repeater and Muskrat.

When I look at these two figures, they have a very different vibe. I'm glad Hasbro didn't go straight-original design because that would have been really boring. They mixed up the colors a bit for Short Fuze; it might be more cartoon oriented. Steeler's body looks like Steeler, the head well... Both heads have this weird energy for me. They feel like they are modeled off how 1950s soldiers looked (or 60s). In a way, Short Fuze kinda looks like Captain America. Errrrrr, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers. It's not a bad look just a different feel than Grunt, Clutch, and/or Hawk. I'd like the full crew but market prices are pretty much going to hold me back. Yes Clutch, I am looking at you! I'm considering trying to build my own but it's tough because these aren't Marauder Task Force figures where it's easy to mix and match. If I came across a Clutch head, that doesn't mean he'll fit on the body I want. (Kinda thinking of using the unmasked Desert Scorpion head as his head which means, I just need a body. And where do I find a vest???)

For the record, I never had the Mobat and/or Steeler. I did have Short Fuze. I found him acceptable as a figure to play with. But as a kid, I was frustrated that some of these guys didn't come with a gun. Breaker was incredibly hard to use without a gun. In a lot of ways, he had nothing to do. Riding the RAM didn't count. I probably armed him with something from those old 80s weapon packs but by then, I had probably moved onto the 1983 and 1984 Joes. This Short Fuze, I'm sure, will get some photographic love eventually. In terms of story usage, he's an unknown as are most of my figures.

 I favor Pepsi over other colas.

I know some people are all about Coke, RC, store house brand, whatever. But Pepsi was my preferred soda when it came to colas (no, not cost of living adjustments, but those are nice too). Now, I gave up, for the most part, caffeinated sodas some time ago. (I drink either tea or Bai Blackberry Boost for caffeine) I did Mt Dew like everyone else. I'd mix Mt Dew and Amp (don't judge). That was a long time ago, back in early 2000s when I worked at Trader Joes in Issaquah. I actually abstained from soda for a very long time; got it down to maybe 1 a month? Then it crept back in then I backed off again. I do non-caffeinated sodas, particular the local Merchant's soda where I gravitate towards lemon-lime, huckleberry, and grape.

These days, I only drink it when I need a caffeine/sugar boost, usually if I'm off on a drive and/or photoshoot. I used to think it was cool and refreshing. But man, the last few times, this stuff just tastes nasty. Doesn't matter if it's the real sugar version or regular fake sugar version. I don't know what happened to it, but it just isn't good. I'd ask what happened, but who knows?

 6 INCH: GI JOE CLASSIFIED : RAPTOR

I speak often about figures and characters that I never went near as a kid. Too hokey, too ugly, too dumb, or as us kids love to say, "They suck!" I could give a long list of figures I didn't like and didn't care for. Some names I could throw down here, people would think I'm crazy or I'm just plain stupid. It's all subjective and I have my likes and dislikes.

In the comic, when Raptor was introduced, Cobra Commander (in the armored suit) went off on Raptor saying something along the lines of being tired of crazy dressed mooks being allowed into Cobra. By the time Raptor was released, I was feeling the same. That was because I felt GI Joe was losing its way. This is the comic. In comic terms, I didn't quite make it to or through the DiC era but what I saw was just too lame and weird. Oh my, how things have changed over the decades!

Maybe it was the promo photos of Raptor that made him look not only cool, but legit. The fact he trains hawks (which apparently got changed to birds of prey so not just 1 type of bird) for whatever reason, it's not the worst or dumbest skill. Back in the day, did people not train messenger pigeons? Do humans not train dogs to sniff out explosives, drugs, and in some cases, attack the bad guys? When it comes to Raptor, does his outfit utterly suck?

Yes and no. Hasbro gave him mechanical wings which are pretty frakkin cool. It's a nice modernization to him. He comes with claws he holds are kinda neat. His overall visual design is pretty good. I don't mind he doesn't have a shirt. The head mold stands out to me because it's well done. As I've joked to many people, he looks like the Hurricane from the WWE (could've been WWF during his time. "Stand back, there's a Hurricane coming!"). I did some photography with him but nothing hard. I haven't tested it but with how these toys work, I'm pretty sure his winged jetpack will be too heavy for him to stand on his own. Therefore, for me to show him doing his thing, it'll take heavy photo editing.

At the moment, he's a Cobra operative. Perhaps an exotic one at that. Would I reclassify him as a Dreadnok? Probably not. He doesn't seem like the type. In the big picture, he just exists. Raptor doesn't even have a VS story. I might have to revisit that project and give him some love.

 6 INCH: MARVEL RIVALS - MOON KNIGHT

I'd like to say that my toy buying has always been focused on GI Joe and Marauder Task Force. I occasionally branched out for diostory purposes or photographic purposes. That didn't always pan out. I'd like to say it was rare that I'd buy something just because it was neat. But I did fall into that probably more than I'd like to admit to. This Marvel Moon Knight is a "wow, he looks coooooool!" purchase. So cool, I pre-ordered him on Amazon.

I know almost nothing about this character. I know of the name. I understand, recently, a show was made centering around him and starred Oscar Isaac. I knew that Moon Knight, well, pretty much a lot like what is pictured here. Anything more, nope, not a clue! The figure itself, is super cool, as the promotion photos showed. At closer inspection, I noticed the dude had gnarly forearms. Like, Hasbro roid'd this dude up! (The Punisher version is crazily roided compared to, let's say, his 1980s comic version)

I don't if this guy has a place in the Zedd Universe. I've taken a couple of photos of him and Major Bludd fighting. It was just to use the figure and have some fun. If Moon Knight were to be written in, that means Marvel would exist. Which means, there are superheroes, mutants, and even scarier monsters are in the same world as GI Joe. And that means, how did GI Joe not run into any of these other entities? I suppose I could write Moon Knight in a Marvel sort of way without the Marvel Universe behind it. For example, Punisher and Daredevil could exist in the Zedd Universe because they tend to stay in a small burb of NYC, right?

Moon Knight. Just cool to have and gaze at...

 LARGE SCALE: MARVEL ETERNALS: KRO

This big SOB from the MCU Eternals movie stands taller than the average 6 inch figures. I finally watched the movie a few weeks ago and for the most part, I liked it. What I found fantastic were the creatures. Unfortunately, Hasbro chose not to make them, but rather, the humanoid version that came off as an Ultron - wannabe character. I chose to purchase it because it cuz it was the only monster available and I believe it was MSRP (ie; didn't raise in price). The larger figure, I'm guessing still falls under 6 inch scale, but he is simply bigger than the average human so size allowance occurred. That's not a bad thing and much appreciated from fans. Nothing worse than a short guy (per story, filecard, etc) be taller than the hulking mass guy that's supposed to be 7 feet tall, right?

The photo I took of this dude, I know, it's horrible. The toy version doesn't do the movie version justice. Maybe it would if they got the eyes right, but that's all beyond the point. To cut to the chase, I felt I could use a good monster creature for my stories, particularly for the Demon Hunters project which is helping flesh out the Zedd Universe. That means, yes, monsters and creatures exist. But they always have in my JoeVerse, the pre-cursor to the much larger Zedd Universe. Basically, the JoeVerse is a microcosm or a specific part of the Zedd Universe. At times, it's a bit narrow in focus and doesn't allow to explore Earth - Zedd 138. (hee hee, dorky name I just made up!)

I don't have immediate plans for this figure. Only vague ideas. I am considering making this dude be the equivalent of Cobra LA (which I acknowledge it exists but probably won't ever write them in). Will he remain under the name Kro or will I change it to Kor, which is a name I can remember easier? I'm sure this figure will be repurposed and not represent Marvel or the Eternals movie.