Airsoft, militaria, vehicles, toys, the WOH show has it all! (Photo: Doktor von Evil) Click to enlarge.
Are you of the generation that can still remember playing “Cowboys and Indians” or “Army” as a kid? Running around the neighborhood, pointing plastic Marx and Mattel weapons at your friends, making your own gun sounds and yelling, “I got you, you’re dead!” Or replying, “No, I’m not! I got you! YOU’RE dead!”
Well, those innocent days may seem as if they’re gone forever, but the truth is, grown men, women and children STILL enjoy playing “Army” in forests and ranges across the country. Only now, it’s called “Airsoft,” and the weapons of choice are air-powered paintball guns.
Outstanding 1:6 scale British Tank displayed at a previous WOH show. (Photo: Doktor von Evil) Click to enlarge.
This weekend, fans of Airsoft will be flocking to the “Weekend of Heroes” (WOH) show in Monroeville, PA. All manner of airsoft weaponry and accessories will be offered for sale, and 1:6 scale dioramas, vehicles, and custom figures will also be displayed.
Bottom Line: The WOH show primarily serves the airsoft community, but action figure and militaria fans also participate. For a better idea of what to expect, watch the 3-minute video of last year’s event (shown above) and visit the official WOH website HERE.
This early package mockup of the first “Civil Service Joe” to be released, the “Fax Machine Repairman,” appears to show the figure is a “talker.” This really is exciting! (Photo: Mark Otnes)
Those were the encouraging words shouted by two leading Hasbro executives as they came out of a historic closed-door negotiation session this morning, held between the company’s New Product Division and its PR Department. According to reliable sources, leaders of the two groups have been deliberating for weeks over the future positioning of Hasbro’s iconic toy brand, G.I.Joe. According to Hasbro company spokesperson, April Hemilak, the results may come as quite a surprise to some…
“We believe military and adventure-themed toys have run their course and that it’s time for a change. Our latest plans include creating an all-new “Civil Service Joe” line, dropping the “G.I.” part of the name completely, and repositioning these figures as content civil service workers; something along the line of a “Sewer Worker Joe” with “Manhole-Opening Action,” or possibly a “Park Playground Repairman” with real “Teeter-Totter Tightening-Grip.” We’re not quite sure of all the details yet, but that’s the kind of future we see for this toy line.”
“America’s Barely Movable, Non-Fighting Man”
Since its introduction in 1964, the GIjOE action figure brand had proudly represented military branches of the world and adventurers. But clearly now, it appears that Hasbro believes its former “action figure” should adopt more “normal” pursuits. So, as Joe switches over to the world of civil service employment, collectors will finally be able to reenact those scenes of Street Cleaning, Tax Preparation, and even Window Washing, that they’ve long been denied. LeRoy Franco, of the Civil Service Workers of America, giddily agreed, saying…
“It’s about time we were made into action figures. Sweeping streets and painting curbs can be exciting too. You should see all the cigarette butts and candy wrappers I pick up everyday. And those clogged sewer grates…Man, they’re full of leaves! Now THAT’s exciting work. I can’t wait to hear what that April gal from Hasbro announces next. You’d have to be a Fool not to buy these new Joes!”
This portion of an old Hasbro ad reveals how GIjOE fans once played with 1965′s “state-of-the-art” 5-star Jeep: They got down in the dirt! Recent advancements in RC technology have begun to change how fans play with such toys in backyards around the world. (Ad scan provided by: Mark Wright)
Consider this supposition:
Cost factors aside…What if, as a kid, your original GIjOE 5-Star Jeep had been a fully RC product, complete with motion and sound effects, a remotely rotating and elevating gun with remotely fired rocket shells and an animatronic driver and gunner that actually moved, looked around, etc. Would such high-tech, “hands-off” enhancements have made it a better toy?
Your gut reaction might be to say, “Heck yeah!” But let’s think it about it for moment. Would such a radically enhanced Jeep have been as much fun to playwith? OR…would such a “superior” product have lessened the need for Andy and George’s mutual “imaginative interaction,” thereby making them mere operators of a toy with a predictable series of mechanized movements? Hmm…
Make Room for Daddy! “Backyard Battles” aren’t just for kids anymore.
Ramon Mendoza (above left), prepares to demonstrate his fully remote-operated 1:6 scale RC Tiger 1 Tank from Armortek ($8,500) to attendees of the 2012 GIjOE and Action Figure Show in Algonquin, IL Mendoza admits owning and operating such massive, high-tech toys is hardly “child’s play” as his all-metal Tiger weighs in at over 300 lbs and has numerous sharp, pointed edges, making it too dangerous for children. (Photo: Mark Otnes) Click to enlarge.
Is it time for aging GIjOE fans to finally get up off their knees and stop playing down in the dirt? For some, the answer would be a resounding, “YES.” To such fans, recent advancements in RC technologies have opened up a whole new world of 1:6 scale collecting, customization and “play” possibilities.
By contrast, many “old-school” Joeheads continue to assert their belief that the more things a toy can do by itself, the less “hands-on” it becomes, and the lower actual play-value it possesses. According to this perspective, “Simpler…is Better!”
But regardless of your collecting preferences, it’s undeniable that 1:6 scale action figures and their vehicles have come a LONG way since the time when Hasbro’s 5-Star Jeep and its working spotlight, firing rocket shells, and (delightfully annoying) “Moto Rev” sound made it a “state-of-the-art” toy.
Playing with GIjOEs and 1:6 scale vehicles in the dirt (inside or outside) used to be commonplace and second nature to most fans, as this ’60s Hasbro ad clearly demonstrates. Are today’s tech-savvy adult fans moving 1:6-scale play too far from the past’s “hands-on,” imagination-based methods—or merely expanding upon them? (Photo: Hasbro)
Hasbro’s 1967 ad for its “Capture Hill 79″ GIjOE promotion clearly reflects the company’s awareness of how boys were playing with toys at that time; down on the ground, hands-on, and engaged. Are these innocent, imagination-fueled days gone forever? (Ad scan: Mark Wright) Click to enlarge.
Cue “Old Codger” voice here…
“Back in MY day…Before we had all these new high-tech ‘gizmos,’ kids had to use their IMAGINATIONS —and Saturday morning cartoons— to fill the hours. We played OUTSIDE, right down on the ground, like a bunch’a little monkeys! In the rain, snow, water or MUD. We didn’t care. We knew how to have FUN with our toys; ESPECIALLY with our GIjOEs!
We thought nuthin’ of pushing our Jeeps and MSVs around on our hands and knees for HOURS. Heck, half the fun was making our own sound effects like “Vrroom! Bang!” and “POW!” We used rulers, rubber bands and rocks to make catapults, and if we had any, lit REAL smoke bombs and firecrackers! We didn’t need no fancy ‘RC toys’ to have fun. We just made it up. And we LIKED it!”
This “screen grab” from a video shows two nude animatronic figures with Dragon headsculpts and how wiring connects to the electronic “guts” housed inside their chest and pelvis regions. (Photo: Ylms)
Our “Old Codger’s” dialogue is, of course, all made up. But his viewpoint is actually shared by many. Regardless, times and toys are always changing, and as the children of the past turn into today’s adults, a growing number of them now seek to improve and enhance the detail level of toys they previously believed to be perfect. They’re known of course, as “customizers.”
We’ve profiled many of these talented individuals in previous articles, and at the top of this fortunate group are the ones who are technologically (and financially) able to upscale their 1:6 scale products with advanced RC capabilities. With built-in digital sound effects, cameras, movable, recoiling and sometimes firing(!) weaponry, smoke-makers, powerful motors and drive-trains, their creations are QUITE amazing. A quick search of YouTube revealed hundreds of 1:6 scale RC, but these three videos demonstrate the advancements we’re discussing:
Video #1: Animatronic 1:6 Scale Action Figures w/RC Tank
In this first video by Wolfinger13, a German animatronic tank crew scans their surroundings for targets before firing off a shot into the woods. Absolutely real-looking and convincing. The crew moves, the turret rotates, the gun fires (with smoke and sound effect!), and the tank RUMBLES away at the end. Watch after the cannon-shot is fired. It seems as if the two crewman exchange a few words before driving away. So cool!
Video #2: Animatronic Figures w/RC Motorcycle & Sidecar
In this second video, Wolfinger13′s has built an outstanding, fully RC, 1:6 scale Zundapp KS50 WW2 Motorcycle with a scratch-built wooden sidecar and 2(!) animatronic Dragon figures. We’ve seen other WW2 RC motorcycles, but none with animatronic figures and sound effects added. With the camera mounted on a tripod, and no human hands visible, the officer and his driver take a few laps around the patio, interact with each other, and just seem so REAL. Superb work!
What happens when you combine a GIjOE, customized Mercury Space Capsule and a giant 1:6 scale Redstone rocket? The answer can only be: FUN! (Photo: mercuryjoe.com)
Video #3: The “Mercury Joe” Flights
Let’s not forget GIjOE pilots, astronauts and their assorted air and spacecraft. When I was but a wee lad of 7 years, I received a brand-new, bright blue, IRWIN Panther Jet for Christmas. I remember pushing that big blue bird across my living room floor, its built-in noise-maker going “click-click-click.” For a 7-year old, that was pretty high-tech. And the next Christmas, I received my first GijOE Space Capsule. Come on! What could be cooler than that? Such great toys!
But now, over 40 years later, my viewpoint is altered somewhat by adulthood, and in this third video, we’ll discover what happens when an RC model-rocketry experts mounts a heavily customized GIjOE Space Capsule onto to the top of 1:6 scale Mercury Redstone rocket. His resulting “Mercury Joe” missions have become legend with fans, and all been captured on video. Here’s one of the best…
What does the future hold for the way fans play with GIjOEs?
We don’t have a crystal ball, but clearly, the evolving interests of many adult GIjOE collectors, combined with an increasing consumption of sophisticated RC technology, seems to indicate that many future 1:6 scale “Backyard Battles” will be waged from the comfort of Dad’s lawn or easy chair. It may be time for some Joeheads to get up off their hands and knees, after all!
Bottom Line: How you chose to play with GIjOEs is up to you. But we wonder: How far can technology take our 12″ heroes? You have only to look at real-world developments in RC drone technology and miniaturization to conceive of a possible future scenario like the one depicted in the fantasy film, “Small Soldiers” (see trailer below). But it couldn’t REALLY happen. Right? Hmm…
These surfboards are actually manufactured as incense burners, but fit perfectly within the 1:6 scale universe of this Surfer Dude and his Beach Babe. (Photo: Triton)
Let’s Hit the Beach!
While browsing the OneSixthWarriors forum today, I came across a fan who goes by the online screen name, “Triton,” who had discovered a reliable source for (almost) 1:6 scale surfboards. The miniature surfboards in question are currently being marketed as “incense burners,” but once fans and collectors of 1:6 scale “catch wind of them,” the company may want to switch its marketing strategy. According to Triton:
“Recently, I saw these Incense Holders on a friend’s Facebook page. Naturally, I thought of the possibility of turning them into 1/6 scale accessories. After checking the specs and size, I have decided ‘em to give a try. They’re available everywhere. Amazon, Ebay and your local store. Search “Surf Burner” on Google and you’ll find them.”
The Nippon Kodo boards look great displayed in either a vertical or horizontal racks (sold separately). (Photo: Triton)
So…How Do These New Surfboards “Stack Up?”
Quite well, actually. Especially if you purchase one of the real wooden display racks (sold separately). Quality-wise, the craftsmanship and materials used in these mini-boards is “top-notch” all the way. The paint and decals are all professionally applied, look bright and glossy, and the boards are ready to display right out of the box. There are even little rudder fins on the bottom! Scale-wise, they may be slightly undersized, but only experienced surfers will ever notice (or even care). The wooden storage racks are sturdy, solidly built and hold up to 5 boards each. For the purposes of GIjOE fans and collectors of 1:6 scale, they are all PERFECT for use in outdoor diorama photo-shoots as well as standard indoor shelf-displays. RADICAL, DUDE!
We especially like this horizontal rack. It shows off the boards in a very effective way. COWABUNGA! (Photo: Nippon Kodo)
The new 1:6 scale “seamless” Phican body figures (see BigBadToyStore HERE) look perfect with these boards! (Photo: Triton)
Bottom Line: Our sincerest thanks to Triton for sharing his wonderful photos and information about these new surfboards. As he said, a simple Google search will reveal many places online where they may be purchased, and the Nippon Kodo manufacturer site in Japan can be found HERE.
The “Comrade of Action” uniform and accessory set, a Spring 2013 GIjOE Collector’s Club exclusive. This would look great on ANY 12″ figure! (Photo: GIJCC)
The new “Nicholai” COA figure (with headsculpt and 2-piece long underwear, as shown above) will be sent to club members who have specified a 12″ preference. The uniform and accessory set is sold separately. (Photo: GIJCC)
Just when 12″ fans thought there was nothing new to look forward to, along comes the GIjOE Collector’s Club (GIJCC) and their new membership exclusive dubbed the “Comrade of Action” (COA). Sneak preview pics recently released by the club show the base COA figure will include a foreign headsculpt “fuzzhead” Joe with Kung-Fu Grip and a nifty set of OD long underwear. But the REAL fun begins when you outfit this new figure in his exclusive uniform accessory set (sold separately, as it should be).
Fully outfitted, this prototype of the club’s upcoming “Comrade of Action” stands ready for action! (Photo: GIJCC) Click to enlarge.
We really like this set’s new dark blue Russian longcoat, complete with 10 brass button “snaps,” and two fold-up leg flaps. Its unique styling gives the figure a definite “foreign” look. There’s also a cool “double-rig” holster for carrying the COA’s twin pistols, a pair of matching pants, brown short boots and a matching blue version of the famous fuzzy Russian winter hat. It’s easy to imagine adding additional accessories such as a Kalishnakov or AK-47 sub-machinegun, maybe some hand grenades, etc. ROCK ON, Nicholai!
Bottom line: This new club exclusive arrives at a time when little else is being offered for collectors and fans of 12″ GIjOEs. As Hasbro continues moving away from its iconic 1:6 scale action figure, fans will surely appreciate this admirable effort by the club.
