G.I. Joe Classified Series (1:12)

[nacho]

That is a huge improvement, both for Falcon and as a more interesting Steel Brigade duo! Who the heck is Quarrel though? A Glenda repaint?

Glenda was a South American scarlett repaint, while Quarrel was a british Action Force repaint (like "Gaucho" made from Gung-Ho, "Jammer" from Stalker, or british "Stalker" from OG Snake Eyes).

 

[nacho]

I know Gnawgahyde isn't everyone's cup of tea, but WM has him from a 3rd party seller for $22... not bad considering MSRP is $35 and he just got release in the last few weeks.

I mean, he comes with two pets, one of which is a monkey with an eyepatch. How can anyone not find that funny?!

G.I. Joe Classified Series #125, Dreadnok Gnawgahyde and Pets Porkbelly & Yobbo, Collectible 6-Inch Action Figure with 16 Accessories - Walmart.com

 

[ThunderDan19]

Glenda was a South American scarlett repaint, while Quarrel was a british Action Force repaint (like "Gaucho" made from Gung-Ho, "Jammer" from Stalker, or british "Stalker" from OG Snake Eyes).

I guess it’s a good thing that H’bro is making some of the foreign characters too. Was she actually a NF character back in the day?

 

[nacho]

No, she was just an early Hasbro repaint after AF started using hasbro molds rather than 5 PoA figures from "the before time" Palitoy days. There was no such thing as Night Force when Quarrel and the rest were released.

In the early days of the hasbro takeover ('84-'85-ish), they recolored and renamed them for some reason. Only Recondo and Steeler got to keep their codenames. Then later in '85, AF were mostly just straight-up Joe reissues with new birthplaces.

ACTION FORCE GI JOE REPAINTS - Lexi's Toy Loft (lexistoyloft.com)

Action Force PALITOY 1985 MAIN PAGE NEW - Lexi's Toy Loft (lexistoyloft.com)

 

[nacho]

The Ramen MOBAT/Bridgelayer/Wolverine is now available for PO. The news is a mixed bag IMO and an easy pass for Dan

Early-bird pricing:
MOBAT (base tank + turret) ($140) #RAV01 - HUNTER (PRE-ORDER) #Early-Bird-Price
Bridgelayer add-on ($90) #RAV01A - (ACCESSORY PACK) BRIDGE LAYER (PRE-ORDER) #Early-Bird-Price
Wolverine add-on ($60) #RAV01B - (ACCESSORY PACK) PHALANX (PRE-ORDER) #Early-Bird-Price
Black/red Cobra tank variant ($140) #RAV02 - AMPHISBAENA (PRE-ORDER) #Early-Bird-Price

Delivery is Q4 '25, which means two years from now. Shipping can only be described as eye-popping. I ordered just the main tank and the bridgelayer add-on, and shipping was $90. I just don't care about the Wolverine that much, but I'm confident the bridgelayer is waaaaaaay down hasbro's list and will be visually stunning.

I should be getting my "Tiger Orange" any time now, so I'll have more thoughts about Ramen products when that arrives. If only I had a couple of 6" good ol' boys... !

 

[ThunderDan19]

Those are pretty cool looking, but yeah, I would need to invest in a he-shed to even consider 1:12 vehicles of that magnitude.

Being under the weather, I took the opportunity this morning to actually start reading some of the history/background articles in the AoGARAH Omnibus. Very informative and exciting to learn about how the franchise came to be.

Looking forward to the long awaited Rattler announcement this week. C’mon Hasbro, make it a good one!

 

[Videoviper]

I can’t wait to hear about somehow during the 25th the Rattler was to expensive to re-release, but not we are expected to pay for an even bigger version.

 

[nacho]

They did re-release the rattler during the 25th... it was a target exclusive, but they definitely put it back out. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Videoviper]

The Target exclusive was it. People kept asking to release it again even if it was tiger force. They did release a tiger force pilot. But they never released it again.

Even the generic A10 which were smaller but fit with figures never seemed to get the distribution other World Peace Keepers products got.

 

[nacho]

The Target exclusive was it. People kept asking to release it again even if it was tiger force. They did release a tiger force pilot. But they never released it again.

Even the generic A10 which were smaller but fit with figures never seemed to get the distribution other World Peace Keepers products got.

But they did release a 25th Tiger Force version too, the Tiger Rat in 2009. It was a Target exclusive too.

2008 YOJOE.COM | Cobra Rattler
2009 YOJOE.COM | Tiger Rat

IIRC, they couldn't give them away. The "Tiger Rat" shelf-warmed forever, finally getting clearanced for little or nothing. I didn't buy any because I don't like TF, but I think I bought four of the regular rattler.

 

[Videoviper]

Ok that was maybe a few months before I started collecting again.

I just remember people bitching about it like they always do.

 

[nacho]

Ok that was maybe a few months before I started collecting again.

I just remember people bitching about it like they always do.

That's a given

 

[ThunderDan19]

Starduster, but more interestingly, looks like Fangs are on the way (from the back of the box art).

Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series #136: Edward "Starduster" Skylar Figure

Hasbro G.I. Joe Classified Series #136: Edward "Starduster" Skylar Figure

toynewsi.com

 

[nacho]

I saw that... looks like the gimpy WM fang with the stumpy tail. I hope that's just what they had around for background fodder and not the Classified design. I don't know why it bugs me, but that WM fang is sooooo less attractive than the original. The WM version looks like a pregnant dolphin, the way the belly transitions into the tail, whereas the OG version has the tail sticking out well past where the belly rolls in.





The tail and rotors are both "stumpy" for lack of a better word. And the engine no longer slopes up in the back. Everything about the WM version screams flying bathtub, whereas the OG Fang was much more of a sleek, aggressive minichopper. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but it's a legit issue that will look even worse at classified scale if they don't address it.

Starduster looks badass, and I'll need mutables of that figure. He was always my favorite mail-away Joe figure, by far.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I don't remember a gimpy WM fang. Was this a real version or a customized Corps product you are referencing? I remember the 25th being pretty true to the original:

 

[Videoviper]

I had the AT club version very happy I sold it off.

Can’t remember if I had the 25th regular version, but did have it as a kid.

 

[nacho]

The one you quoted was the original '83 version reused for the 25th version. Basically the same w/ new control stick. Nothing wrong with either of those.

The second one in my post above is the WM neo-retro version from 2-3 years ago... same line that gave us black and blue HISSes, an awe striker, and the good modern buck that 4" Grunt and Stalker used. The neo-retro fang came with a pilot (same one in the classified background), but the vehicle proportions were stumpy, like the tail got shortened.

 

[ThunderDan19]

The one I posted was the 25th (notice the stick and the nose gun), but yeah, I do remember that other one now. I don't think I ever saw it out of the package though. What an abomination.

 

[nacho]

It's like they cheaped out and eliminated the horizontal section of the tail.





You can't unsee the terrible. But any classified couldn't just upscale a bad rerelease.

 

[nacho]

Haslab Rattler, $325... 9k backers req'd. 11k gets patches, 14k gets gunner figure, 18k gets pilot Baroness

G.I. JOE CLASSIFIED SERIES COBRA RATTLER GROUND ATTACK JET - Hasbro Pulse

 

[Videoviper]

Steve Rogers is wild Weasel

 

[ThunderDan19]

Looks like they are doing it right. They are nearly halfway funded in what, a couple hours? I think the only dud of the stretches is the patches, which might as well just be the backer goal, since it looks like they will be blowing past them in a matter of days. The Rattler seems like the perfect choice for the Haslab medium, particularly with the extra boost of the SDCC momentum. I wonder if they will eventually have to add stretches.

 

[nacho]

- Renders for CLAW w/ female pilot, Leatherneck, Zandar (George Michael all glam'd up)
- POs coming for Road Pig w/ dog, Raptor, Steel Corps vs Twilight Brigade 2-pack, 60th Marine (female w/ ghili suit), 60th HALO jumper (full camo) w/ parachute
- Pulsecon Excl: Starduster
- Name-only reveals: Heavy Duty (yawn), retro RnR, retro Mindbender, retro Viper, Law & Order
- Photo tease: either some kind of modular Joe HQ playset... or mystery figure riding on top of a random CLAW in background.

 

[ThunderDan19]

HALO (minus the cheesy ‘chute) and Marine are the coolest looking ones of the POs so far. I’ll likely get Leatherneck and Zandar when those become available. I don’t have interest in the others. Likely L&O down the road.

 

[nacho]

The parachute is small, but it does wad up in the backpack, which is a nice touch.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I got a look at the Rattler this morning on a full sized screen, and wow, this is easily the most tempting of the Haslabs for me. They really did it up well. The construction looks very solid with few if any corners cut, the features are everything I'd consider required and the figs included are excellent. Even without the Baroness, the pilot and gunner are kitted out just like you'd want for an authentic air crew.

Is anything missing? I can't really think of anything. They will likely add ground crew at the end as add-ons like they did with the 788 team, since those can pretty much be repaints and a cheap little cart or two. If they super fund this, it would be cool if they added a few more ordnance options at the end to max out the backers.

Will I get it? Unlike the DF, I've got serious nostalgia for the Rattler, and I'm more satisfied with the overall design. It was always a yuge favorite for me as a kid, and mine got the heck played out of it back then. Unlike the HISS, I could hang it in my home office, though it would have to bump one of my existing aircraft. Tough call. We'll have to see where the bank account vs. bills situation is in 45 days.

The thing is, I know I could get my kids to get it for me if I asked (for next year's birthday/Christmas). Will I do it? I dunno, but the temptation is great...

 

[Videoviper]

At this rate it will fund today, with 45 days to go.

Needless to say the SW backers are pissed

I would be tempted if they did a night raven down the line?

 

[ThunderDan19]

Unfortunately, I think the only other mainline plane they could do would be the Conquest. Anything else would be enormous.

 

[nacho]

Unfortunately, I think the only other mainline plane they could do would be the Conquest. Anything else would be enormous.

You know, I hear that all the time, and I took it as fact for a while.

But this Classified Rattler is not even 1:18th scale. A true 1:18 A-10 Thunderbolt would have a wingspan of roughly 38". This is 32". We all know how big a 1:18th F-14 is because we've all owned a spotcat at one time or another. So if they "joe-scale" the Skystriker like they did the Rattler, it would be smaller than the SpotCat, and we know that's a large, but semi-reasonable prospect.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Agreed that the Joe planes were definitely smaller than their real world inspirations, so that helps. Based on what we've gotten so far, what I would expect from Haslab at a minimum would be a near true scale up of the original.

I did a quick look up for the Rattler. The original (as reported on the internet - which lever lies) was about 17"+/- for tip to tail and wingspan. The Haslab is just about double that at nearly 34". We'll take that as a baseline, even though they went a little less than 2x1 for the Dragonfly at 19"L to 34"L - I thought that length looked a little off.

So direct extrapolation for the original Skystriker size of 23"L x 21"WS would lead to a Haslab size of 46" x 42", which is actually 6" longer than the Spotcat. However, the last (non-Haslab) Skystriker released could only carry a single pilot, due to the slightly larger size of the 25th series figs. I don't think anybody would want to pay $400+ for a similarly dumbed down GCS Skystriker, so it would have to be scaled up at least enough to properly accommodate the pilot and RIO, and at least minimal controls. I think that pushes them even a little farther past the Spotcat for sure.

That said, it certainly doesn't entirely preclude the idea, but it is just that much more cost and commitment needed. Obviously the Rattler is performing like a champ, so... maybe that will give them the confidence and capital needed to go to the next level, but I'm not overly confident they won't play it safe and keep future offerings the same or smaller.

 

[nacho]

Amazon jumping the gun on some of the POs?

Amazon.com: : Stores

I don't think it'll be a jet of any kind next time, as they need to change it up to be interesting. Joe didn't get a tank counterpart to the HISS, and I don't really consider the Rattler a counter to the Dragonfly. So it doesn't seem like they feel compelled to do a 1-for-1 matchy-matchy type release.

I think the next Haslab will be a WHALE. It's a vehicle, it's a playset, it's universally loved, and I think it could be done in Classified for $400. Cutter, Topside, wetsuit and/or dock-worker Shipwreck. Will it be big? Sure, but Haslab doesn't shy away from big, and this time last year, everyone said there was no way we'd ever get a Rattler. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ThunderDan19]

A WHALE would be awesome (though I could never even consider such a beast)! Anybody else catch the Haslab backer counter drop down to 200 something for a minute? Weird, but right back on track now. Should easily fund today at the current rate, then on to the gunner!

 

[Videoviper]

A 6” scale Whale would work out nicely for the 3.75” crowd.

I always ignored the obvious & pretended it was a spaceship for my SW.

 

[nacho]

Aside from nostalgia of the VAMP being my first "Joe" anything, the WHALE was by far the best Joe toy from the golden era of ARAH. A sea boat, a land tank, a mini HQ, a troop transport, a playset, guns/missiles/charges out the wazoo, working fan blades, the little sled that launches out... the WHALE floated for real. It did everything but fly. They'd be foolish to not seriously consider it.

 

[ThunderDan19]

The WHALE was typically central to all my large battles. Was there a better focal point for water or amphibious assault? No. The answer is no. Wonderful vehicle/playset!

 

[Videoviper]

Despite 12 people this funded.

 

[nacho]

Despite 12 people this funded.
View attachment 16826

I can imagine the SW people are beside themselves. Joe always funding on the first day, while SW goes down to the last day and only funds half the time.

Then there's the poor marvel folks. After the abject failure of the Hellcharger, only for Ramen to immediately do it better and cheaper, Legends just doesn't get a haslab this year. *snicker*

The Disney tax does neither of those franchises any favors.

 

[Videoviper]

I believe the Disney tax definitely kills it.
SW Haslab = cost of a Joe Haslab +20% or more

 

[nacho]

I'd say that's pretty accurate, even for the regular items. It certainly feels like you get about 20% more for your buck with Joe over SW or Legends.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Yay, patches! Now the real stretches begin.