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

[nacho]

Ordered two of most of them, one to keep, one to open. I typically don't double dip on the deluxes, but Snowjob is an exception. I'll probably cancel one of the Scrap Irons when the first one ships, as I ordered one from pulse and another from AMZ.

Copperhead x2
Scrap Iron x2
Shipwreck x2
Torpedo x2
Bazooka x2
Rock 'n Roll x4
Snowjob x4
Valkyries x1

Might pick up more Torpedo bucks if/when they go on sale so I can make an amphibious assault team.

...and I might pick up a couple of extra Shipwrecks if I can find some suitable Bo and Luke Duke heads for customs!

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Tunnel Rat and Low Light look great. I might still make my own Vala versions of those two, but I'll happily pick up the hasbro versions. Quick-Kick and Mutt and Junkyard are obvious automatic pick-ups. Big Boa... eh, I'll get one. Not my favorite character, but the cobra civil war needs named characters on both sides.

Shadow Tracker... I have the POC version, although I don't think I ever opened one. I'll get one just because, but I will likely make him a Dreadnok whether he likes it or not.

Overall, everything looks good, but I'm bummed we didn't see Hawk and Grunt. Feels like half the '23 list is going to get pushed out if todays POs aren't arriving until freakin' August. I'm not losing interest, but I'm definitely losing patience with the slow-roll of these releases.

 

[Videoviper]

I am generally surprised by the number of 6” joe products.

Makes me wonder what they could really put out in either my chosen scale or if they didn’t split the scales in Star Wars.

 

[nacho]

I was surprised that there has been zero mention of the o-ring revival in nearly a year. They killed the popular WM retro-modern figure line in favor of Pulse-Exclusive retro o-ring figures and promptly released exactly six to go with the small number that came with the skystriker... and then poof, nothing. I thought they were overpriced, but I ended up picking them up during various sales and such. It's like they can't pick a lane with 4"... or they perceive demand to be limited.

Clearly the market is in the 6" space, but damn, I was looking through the massive amount of 4" cast parts and fodder I have for projects I never got around to before 6" stole all my attention, and I kinda want to get back to doing those too. Just not enough time in the weekends!

 

[Videoviper]

The retro (modern) figures were all things I had or skipped I got a cobra officer & forgot to pick up Grunt

If you don’t follow this crap online the o rings might as well have not existed but I guess you can say that with most toys.

Hasbro wants to sell everything in 6” scale because the profit per unit is better. But old farts like myself don’t want to rebuy their collections like music on the newest format.

 

[nacho]

I admit that some of the retro modern stuff was rehash, but the new stalker/grunt mold they ended with is without question the best 4" figures I own. Construction, proportions... I plan to do a whole set of O13 out of them. If you haven't picked one or both up, they're available for about $10 at the pulse warehouse sale. I've got to make sure I have enough of both before the sale ends...

 

[nacho]

 

[nacho]

 

[ThunderDan19]

The figs look well done, but I have zero interest in that Range Viper nor the limey. I had neither in the past and feel like they came along well after the line had peaked out and was in serious decline. They are odd choices for the JoeClass line in my opinion, but whatever, we’re getting Hawk, Snow Serpent and Mutt & Junkyard as well! I can’t wait to see those rendered!

 

[nacho]

The reason these two are popping up now is that they are rumored to be the "WM collector con" exclusives to be announced on thursday.

I agree that both appeared originally after my interest vanished, so I have no childhood attachment to either. But Range Viper (or the range viper leader) did have a role in the comics, and there was a black-colored Range Viper as part of The Plague (cobra's elite killing squad) in the Devil's Due era, so I could see the need to dye one black.

As for Big Ben... I was going to skip him completely, but the winter coat and gas mask does two things... gives us some generic OpForces heads to use on that figure or any other, and it gives us a non-white winter coat to use for ARAH issue #2 customs as well as a number of Oktober Guard cutsoms. So while there will be no Big Ben on my joe shelf, I could see myself buying mutables of that SKU.

 

[nacho]

Out of the blue, Crimson BAT showed up today from AMZ. I hadn't planned on getting one, as I normally don't like trooper repaints in all colors of the rainbow, but the red looked nice, and I knew that I wouldn't feel compelled to troop-build them. So I threw one in the cart a while back. But it'll look neat as a toy for the twins and other CGs to play with. And the silver logo on the black chest (as opposed to the blank chest of the normal BAT) looks pretty nifty.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I'm curious. Is the crimson color consistent with the regular line JoeClass figure? I've heard that the retro CG has a different base red color.

 

[nacho]

Good question. I'll check when I get home against the regular CG release. The retro release CG photos definitely look like a brighter red, but not sure where the BAT falls on that spectrum.

 

[nacho]

I think they look fine together. The original CG isn't completely uniform, as the chest and knees are redder than the arms and thighs which are a tad more orange. The BAT seems to follow a similar breakdown in color except the chest is also the color of the arms and thighs.

The Crimson BAT is definitely much looser in the chest and waist than the OG BATs I own. My thoughts are pretty unchanged from before I opened him. I'm glad I have one... but I don't feel the need to stockpile them. I'm guessing that unless the CG is your favorite sub-faction, most casual fans will find this as a take-it-or-leave-it type figure.

 

[ThunderDan19]

So my Cover Girl showed up unexpectedly apparently yesterday. I’ll say that I’m not a fan of the “no plastic” box. I haven’t opened it yet. Let’s hope for good quality control...

 

[nacho]

Yeah, I too do not like the no-plastic boxes. I prefer to see what's in there before I open it, check the obvious QC bits, see the accessories... but Big H needs woke points. It's a real kick in the teeth for MOC collectors.

I often keep one in the box, but not because I ever plan on displaying them that way, more as a spare for when I ruin something or want one later for a custom or some such. The lack of a window doesn't bother me in that regard, but I'm sure it's a huge deal to some.

Pulse sent me an email saying the whole CG wave was shipping soon... but they haven't actually done so.

 

[ThunderDan19]

So I opened up the Cover Girl fig this evening. All in all, a definite meh. I was hoping maybe she'd be better in person than what I had seen in pics, but she's very plain looking for a "used to be a fashion model." I'd place her below LJ, Scarlett, Baroness (WM retro and SE versions) and Zarana in terms of "pretty."

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I am thoroughly underwhelmed. It probably doesn't help that she really wasn't very developed as a character back in the day, nor did I ever own her or the Wolverine, so there's no nostalgia multiplier to help. She really comes off as a "we need to make more girls" pick by Hasbro. Here's hoping they do a better job with Helix and maybe Jinx and Bombstrike someday.

Overall, between the lackluster CG, Jokerface Falcon and the more-interesting-versions-already-released Bazooka and Outback, I suppose I could have skipped this whole wave. At least there are a few others to look forward to and some definite prospects with the name reveals. Now we just need Hasbro to hurry up and deliver!

 

[nacho]

I have more affinity for the MASS miniseries blonde covergirl than the fugly '83 figure with a massive noggin. I owned her and the wolverine, but she was probably my least favorite character in those early years. Such a terrible sculpt back then... even at age 8, I was like, "THIS used to be a super model?!" I've seen enough lazy bastard blonde Scar-Jo black widow heads on her already, they make me want to puke. Each one acts like they've done something beautiful and clever. Wrong on both counts, skippy.

I have several heads I plan to try to swap for the stock head, and I'm confident I'll come up with a version I like better. There is a blonde DCDirect supergirl head I've had in mind for a decade, so hopefully it'll scale ok with the body. But I'll leave it stock before I put a MCU actress likeness head on there like a goon.

As for Falcon, I finally saw someone with a perfect solution. The Dusty noggin sans camo is dead-on perfect for Falcon, looks nothing like Dusty when the paint is gone, and is a 2-second swap that fits the same neck/ball. Just have to do a quick q-tip in the acetone cleanup first. I thought I might save falcon by removing the joker lips, but I've seen that the sculpt still has an obviously too-wide mouth even without the paint. Dusty solves that problem, and I happen to have a spare head because I bought several on the Pulse clearance for extra beige bodies for other customs. So suddenly Falcon goes from terrible to a really great looking figure in a heartbeat.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Both of those solutions sound great! I’m looking forward to seeing pics of your improved versions. I suppose if the improved Falcon looked good enough I might consider picking up one on clearance and a Dusty (maybe the TF version, since I’m sure those will be on clearance in the not too distant future) and give it a go, with that alternate face camo.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I was also thinking about replacing CG's head. I don't hate it, but I think I might do SE movie Scarlett's head for her. It's different enough from JoeClass Scarlett, "pretty" enough to pass for a "former model" and certainly looks better than the 'Karen' looking head she came with. I'll check to see if my daughter is actively using/displaying the one I have. If she is, I'll see if I can get ahold of a head or another SE Scarlett for a reasonable price.

 

[nacho]

SE movie Scarletts are selling for $10 or less as it stands, so picking up a spare is not an expensive prospect. It would look even better if you painted her a blonde.

Beware that SE Movie Scarlett does not use the same neckball as regular JoeClass Scarlett. They are not compatible without modification, and I assume that CG will be more like regular Scarlett... but until I get one, I can't say for sure. Heck, CG might be a third type for all I know.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I was not aware of that. What sort of modifications would be needed to make the SE Scarlett head work on what you know of as the regular JoeClass neck?

 

[nacho]

I think you'd have to just dremel out the head a little, as I think the movie fig uses a smaller neckball. Not having done it, I don't know if it's easier to mod the head or swap the necks too (or if that's possible). I just recall reading on a customs group that they aren't an easy LBC swap like normal people would assume.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Well, that sucks... If the head hole were larger I'd just pack it with tape or something. I pulled up a pic of the hole in CG's head, but I can't tell which way it goes, based on the neck ball pics I found of SE Scarlett. I made a gentle attempt at removing the head of my CG to compare the actual neck ball, but chickened out when the neck started to flex from the body, leaving a tiny gap. I'm probably not going to bother to do it unless I can get confirmation of which type CG is compatible with.

 

[nacho]

I have no fear of taking them off, just give em 10-15 sec with a heat gun so everything flexes and doesn't snap. Mine should arrive monday, so I'll know more in a few days.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Update: I just found pics of the neck balls for each. I think the CG and Movie Scarlett are more similar than the JoeClass version:


That said, I'm still not sure if they are close enough to not require any modification.

 

[nacho]

When things are easy to customize, I buy a ton of them. When they're all one-offs, I'll get one at most. Three women, the same size, yet we have three different head connections. It's baffling. Why can't they standardize?! Unless a figure is a real oddball and the look of the character dictates something very different, working with an established standard neck/barbell should be mandatory. It's as if they reinvent the wheel with every figure.

I just got my first Indy figures today (Raiders Indy and Toht), and while I don't plan to do any head swaps, I can practically guarantee that they're different from SW Black, ML, Joe... and probably each other. Because Hasbro places zero value on compatibility for customization despite that it would likely boost sales. WTF Mattel!

 

[ThunderDan19]

Right? Hasbro designers must have moved over from government contracting or something...

 

[nacho]

It has to be intentional. The real question is, how does hasbro THINK this helps them (even though it doesn't)?

 

[ThunderDan19]

I could see some kind of running improvement, but just doing the exact same thing three different ways seems pretty dumb. Of course, when has Hasbro ever done things in a way that benefits both them and their customers?

 

[ThunderDan19]

So I brought Cover Girl home and checked with my daughter about swapping heads. She was cool with it, so I went to work. You already knew this, but the neck ball is a barbell, so I used a blowdryer to heat them up and removed them from the necks along with the heads. With a little perseverance, I was able to get them moved to the oppose figure’s necks. I love the result:

Now that’s a proper Cover Girl (IMO) - former model turned Joe Armor Specialist, Mechanic, Wolverine Driver!

This got me psyched to go forward with the improved Falcon with TF Dusty’s head too. Now I just need Dusty to drop and he and Falcon to go on sale!

 

[nacho]

I like that better than stock for sure. I still prefer her to be a blonde, but if I can't get a good alternate, I'll default back to this solution. Very nice.

 

[nacho]

Well THAT didn't take long...

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From Hasbro R&C PR:

"We wanted to share an update on packaging for Hasbro’s 6-inch-scale figures. Based on your feedback, we will be re-introducing windows and blisters to our 6-inch fan figures beginning later this year, into 2024 for select products across our portfolio of brands, including, G.I. Joe Classified, Power Rangers Lightning Collection, Star Wars Black Series and Marvel Legends. This will eventually expand to all new 6-inch figure releases.

The new windows and blisters will be made from bio PET or recycled PET helping us achieve our priority of meeting our fans’ expectations for extraordinary packaging and superior design while still developing packaging that minimizes waste and the use of virgin plastic.

Thank you again for being one of our biggest fans and for your continued support of Hasbro."

 

[ThunderDan19]

Well, that’s good news. Not sure if it was customer pressure or all planned though. I wonder if there was a planned changeover that required some downtime or something like that. In the meantime, Hasbro “goes green.”

 

[ThunderDan19]

I was looking toward putting together a decent Falcon next and came to the realization (yeah, I'm slow sometimes) that a Dusty head with significant camo wouldn't work well with his non-camoed, sleeves up arms hanging out there. So that really leaves only the acetone option.

I'm willing to attempt minor tweaks, but have near zero experience nor proper tools. Do you just use nail polish remover and a q-tip? If so, is there any danger of overdoing it? I'm willing to try it if it's pretty dummy proof. If not, is there any chance you have an additional spare Dusty head you'd be willing to part with (could be your practice one) that you'd sell me, sans the camo?

 

[nacho]

I've done it a ton, and it's super-easy, no tools required, just acetone and q-tips.

- Dip a q-tip in high-test acetone (16fl oz of "Onyx" nail polish remover costs $3 at WM... which is more than you'll ever need in a lifetime), shake off the excess and even rub the surface "wetness" off on the back of your hand. (this is all so you don't drip or have it run into places you don't want it to go.

- rub the spot you want to clean, all while frequently rotating the q-tip to a clean part. When you give it a full 360, swap to the other end or a new q-tip. Never use a soiled part of the q-tip, as you'll be laying down paint residue back onto the figure.

- rinse and repeat until the undesired paint is gone.

note 1: your'e going to use a seemingly excessive amount of q-tips, and this is normal and ok.

note 2: you never want to linger in one spot too long, as you don't want the acetone to eat the plastic. While it seems counter-intuitive to me, softer/rubberier plastics are more tolerant and don't seem to be adversely affected by the acetone. The harder the plastic, the more likely it is that it'll start to break down the surface and get sticky. If this happens, abort to a different spot to let that one dry, otherwise, the q-tip fibers will start melding into the plastic and cause a mess. It's not the end of the world, just more cleanup work.

I found the video I learned from, and it's worth a watch. Dude probably explains things better than I do:


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I've taken the two-tone body-paint off dozens of valaverse figures (that's a lot of paint), and I de-pinstriped an entire ML Hammerhead body to get a large-sized clean blue suit for a certain bad orange man... so I've definitely been more aggressive than just taking off a tattoo or random tampo. This method works waaaaaaaay better than anything else I've tried. Just go slow, don't slop on the acetone, and change q-tips frequently, and you can do anything of any size. I haven't ruined anything yet.

In your case, I would highly recommend using a regular Dusty (just use camelcamelcamel to catch one on sale at AMZ), as he seems to have less camo on the face, and most importantly, he doesn't have any close to his eyes. The TF version seems to have a huge black swath going over one eye which will be harder to clean up without fucking up the eye print.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Dude, that sounds very doable! Thank you for the primer and link!

I’ll work on collecting the parts and then give it a go.

 

[nacho]

The Dusty head is definitely the way to go. Easiest custom ever, just remove the face camo and paint the hair brown. Done.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Massive improvement! Now I just need to catch a sale on Falcon and Dusty/his head!

 

[nacho]

I can't get over how it looks nothing like Dusty. I feared I'd look at the figure and wonder why Dusty is wearing Falcon's uniform or something, but no... I could stand them side-by-side and I'd never notice they are now using the same noggin.

 

[ThunderDan19]

It's like the OG 13 reuse of heads, only a bit more convincingly...