He’s BAAAAAAACK— “Stretch Armstrong” Returns

Yank Him—He STRETCHES. Stretch Armstrong is available (again) in stores and on online. How far can YOU pull him—before he pops? Do you dare try? (Photo: Jazwares)

Now THIS is a fun toy. All it asks of you is to use your imagination (remember doing that?), stretch out its muscular arms and legs as far as you can pull them, and then chuckle and laugh as they slowly return to normal. Such was silly ol’ “Stretch Armstrong;” so simple a concept, and yet so popular with kids (and adults!) of all ages. We’re about a year late announcing it, but we felt that ol’ Stretch’s return to retail in 2016 deserved at least a quick mention here on The Joe Report, and for those of you who were born too late to enjoy the hilarious pleasures of owning a Stretch Armstrong for yourself—well—Wikipedia is only too happy to provide the following helpful intel:

“Stretch Armstrong is a large, gel-filled action figure first introduced in 1976 by Kenner. In 2016, at the New York Toy Fair, Hasbro announced the return of the Stretch Armstrong toy in its original 1976 design. Stretch is an action figure shaped as a short, muscular, man with blond hair wearing black trunks. The doll’s most notable feature was that it could be stretched from its original size of about 15 in (0.38 m) to 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m). If a tear did develop, it could be fixed with an adhesive bandage. Information on how to repair Stretch was provided in the toy’s instruction booklet that was originally inside his box.”

Twist him. Bend him. STRETCH him. That’s what he loves! (Photo: jazwares) Click to enlarge.

“The Stretch Armstrong toy concept was created by Jesse D. Horowitz, the industrial designer for Kenner’s R&D group. The idea was approved for development by the head of R&D, Jeep (James) Kuhn, vice president of Kenner. The ‘stretch man’ idea as it was called was pursued with two different bodies in mind. One was a sumo wrestler and the other was an All-American blond hunk. Horowitz sculpted the models himself instead of hiring a freelancer. The sumo man was too bulky and large, so the All-American body was cast by Kenner’s model maker Richard Dobek, and the resultant resin model was taken to a latex doll manufacturer in New Jersey, where the first bodies were dipped.”

Look for THIS BOX— Stretch wants YOU to find him. Happy hunting! (Photo: jazwares) Click to enlarge.

“Originally, springs were thought of as the way to stretch the man. However, they were thought to be too awkward and stiff, too difficult to insert and would likely pierce the skin. Kuhn, a chemical engineer, pursued a liquid sugar idea which eventually proved successful. Tremendous quantities of Karo corn syrup were purchased from an A&P supermarket. The syrup was boiled down to get the proper viscosity. Kuhn and Horowitz flew to Kenner’s headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, and presented the concept to Bernie Loomis, Kenner’s president. He loved it and so a toy icon was born.”

YIKES!— Seriously, can a toy get any better than this? WOW! (Photo: jazwares) Click to enlarge.

“The original Stretch Armstrong figure was conceived and developed by Bill Armasmith, and was in production from 1976 until 1980. The original 1970s toy commands high prices on the secondary collectors’ market, selling for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of US dollars. Through storage and play, the figure could become damaged and rendered useless. There are still original Stretch Armstrongs that have survived the passing of time and are remarkably preserved through sheer luck or being stored at the correct temperature. The figure keeps best at room temperature.

Stretch Armstrong was reissued in the 1990s by Cap Toys, with a canine sidekick, ‘Fetch Armstrong,’ The reissue stretch Armstrong had a more comical exaggerated face (a huge genial smile) and had on a vanity T-shirt and shorts. This new reissue figure was introduced in 1993 and 1994 version exist with slightly different art work. He also has an evil brother named Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong who has a skull face, sports a mohawk, and also stretches. Wretch Armstrong seems to be a redesigned, smaller remake of Stretch X-Ray but in reality looks nothing like the 1970s version. Evil X-ray Wretch Armstrong is only 7 inches tall whereas Stretch X-ray was over 12 inches tall.” —Wikipedia

Bottom Line: Owning a Stretch Armstrong is considered to be a “must” among most vintage toy and/or action figure collectors. He still looks cool, “plays” cool, and IS cool. We recommend that you get yourself a Stretch for Christmas (and maybe his evil foe, “Vac Man,” too) over at the whimsical website called “Things You Never Knew Existed” found HERE. Walmart had him on sale for a while. Search around for the best deals and maybe you’ll STRETCH your budget as far as it can possibly go. HA. (Stretch would approve!)

The Coolest of the Cool— Hasbro’s James Bond UK Secret Agent 007 Figures From the ’90s Now Highly Sought-After by GIjOE and Action Man Collectors

Holy, WOW! The play-value of this Goldeneye Action Man figure is simply through the ROOF. Seriously, what kid wouldn’t want to untie this super-spy and then immediately begin playing with it and creating some super-secret adventures? So COOL! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Today’s Top-Secret Intel comes to us from The Joe Report’s highly respected and well-reknowned ace field reporter, “Wild” Bill Underwood, who generously provides us with the following text and superb(!) color photographs. In this article, Bill takes us on a nostalgic look back at Hasbro’s James Bond 007 Action Man figure sets from the 1990s. We weren’t even aware some of these existed until Bill brought them to our attention. And their packaging BLOWS US AWAY! —Enjoy! (The Editor)

“Wild” Bill Underwood, GIjOE and Action Man fan and collector (Photo courtesy: Bill Underwood)

By Bill Underwood 

“In 1993, Hasbro re-launched Palitoy’s Action Man (AM) brand (the UK version of GI Joe) with a new body design that featured less articulation than the original figures from the vintage 1960s-70s era. Not surprisingly, many vintage 12” collectors were unimpressed by AM’s new heavily muscled body, oversized head and undersized feet. But kids seemed to like him and (those shortcomings aside) AM “soldiered on” nicely until 2006 – when the line was finally discontinued (again).

One of the more interesting chapters in this resurrected AM story was a limited-edition run of six James Bond AM figures inspired by the blockbuster films, including Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough, and Tomorrow Never Dies. Each figure set features an Action Man suited up as 007 from one of the films—and Hasbro did a pretty decent job recreating the outfits.”

007s Out-of-the-Box Lineup— All six of the Action Man 007 figures proudly protect the fireplace mantle in Bill’s home from dastardly super-villains. Hot stuff! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

“My favorite is Bond’s Royal Navy (Blue # 1) dress uniform from You Only Live Twice. For the record, Commander Bond also donned this uniform for The Spy Who Loved Me and Tomorrow Never Dies. Hasbro also recreated some of the gear from these films—like Bond’s spear gun from Thunderball and the GoldenEye apparatus from the Pierce Brosnan film. The most impressive all-around set (for both outfit and gear) is The Spy Who Loved Me, with its near-perfect recreation of 007’s snow ski suit (and gear) from the film’s exciting opening sequence.” (see below)

He Must Ski to Live— In The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond struggles to evade a passel of pursuing bad guys by out-skiing them down a treacherous mountain slope. Look at the fit, the color and the coordinated details of this outfit. We’d buy this RIGHT NOW! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

“The strongest feature of these sets is the packaging – which is simply OUTSTANDING. Each box features beautiful original art work with extras goodies inside, like scene storyboard cards and 35mm film cells taken from the movie. My greatest ‘complaint’ with these sets is the size of Bond’s Walther PPK. It’s just too big. Even for AM’s already meaty mitts. Fortunately, two of the Pierce Brosnan sets feature a different Walther model that fits more comfortably in his hands.”

The Right Gun for any Odd-Job— Fans of 007 know that Bond prefers certain weapons over others, so it’s important to nail those details. We DIG this headsculpt! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

“I understand that these sets weren’t highly coveted by vintage Action Man (VAM) collectors, and that’s a shame, because they’re really quite cool. Yes, we also know that in recent years, other companies have produced more impressive 1:6 Bond-inspired action figures (i.e. Sideshow and Big Chief); but while those sets are ultra-realistic, they’re also ultra-pricey. I have a warm spot for these AM Bonds by Hasbro. Maybe it’s the hybrid aspect that appeals to me—in that they’re not exclusively Action Man—or Bond. They’re both. Then again, maybe I just can’t resist anything that combines two of my favorite hobbies—collecting AM figures and watching Bond films!”

Mind-Blowing Boxes— Many GIjOE and AM collectors would love to pick up these 007 sets just for their unique and outstanding packaging. This superb one from Thunderball combines vintage ’60s artwork from the original movie poster (and soundtrack album) with all-new artwork from the ’90s, and it does it flawlessly. GIMME! GIMME! GIMME! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

“If you’re interested in picking up any of these bad boys (and who isn’t?), I would recommend lurking on eBay. Prices there have generally ranged from $35 to $60. One caveat though—if you purchase the Thunderball set (shown above and below) make sure that the rubber skindiving jacket is intact—BEFORE finalizing your purchase. The first set I picked up looked fine from the front, but (sadly) it was deteriorating in the back. Good luck AM and Bond fans—and Happy Hunting!” —Bill Underwood

Rubber Suit Awareness— Look out for dreaded “rubber rot” when picking up one of the Thunderball figure sets on eBay. This suit looks fine from the front, but… (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Movie Minutiae— Back panels of the boxes are crammed with movie trivia regarding each of the six sets, souvenir film clips, scene and figure pics, etc. (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Box Me Up, Baby! This box gets our blood burnin’ for Bond! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

The skiing Bond figure out of the box and all set up. WOW! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Bond’s a Bad-A**!— And this Goldeneye box deserves a Gold medal for package design. And look— Hasbro added a GIjOE/Action Man scar to his cheek! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Lead will FLY— Tomorrow Never Dies was just one big shoot-out. Notice how in the artwork, Bond’s tuxedo is MUCH more form-fitting than its AM toy-version? We suggest  you get out your needle and thread and get to work. Baggy jackets are NOT allowed. (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Dressed to Impress (and to KILL)— Regardless of how he’s dressed, 007 is always ready to mete out justice to his enemies. Yes, by 2018 we’ve seen better suits, but this tuxedo is actually pretty nice and can always be “tailored” to improve its fit and appearance. (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Nyet! Window Boxes are NOT Better, Comrade— Some of the AM Bond’s packages were relegated to less-collectible, standard window boxes that featured far less artwork and thus had far less shelf appeal. The unique Russian blue uniform on this Action Man has OODLES of customization potential, but this set’s plastic window box is boring and “toss-able.” (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Da!— The Russian-uniformed Bond inside the window-box package. Check out the highly detailed star patch and ID cards. VERY nice. (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Bill’s Favorite Bond Figure— is the one from You Only Live Twice where 007 is dressed in his Royal Navy uniform as “Commander Bond.” Out-STANDING! Where else are you going to find a RN dress cap with all that detail? Sadly, Hasbro went with a window-box for this figure, cramming all the cool artwork off to the sides, making the package less exciting overall. But—the cap, uniform and figure, all make this unique set a definite “keeper” for your AM/Bond collection. (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Welcome aboard, Commander Bond— This closeup of the AM Bond figure in his Royal Navy dress uniform and cap looks VERY cool. That cap is an EXCELLENT miniature replica of the real thing (note the crown above the anchor). A few minor tailoring adjustments to his uniform and this figure will soon be ready for a full-dress inspection. All hands on deck! (Photo: Bill Underwood) Click to enlarge.

Open Wide, Mr. Bond— Another (big) advantage to full-box packaging is that its front flap opens up to provide MORE opportunities to display supporting graphics and text re: the figure and its contents. And that background behind the figure looks like a miniature diorama. VERY nice. Now THIS is the way to display a figure, NMIB. Be sure to click this pic for a closeup! (Photo: Bill Underwood)

Bottom Line: What FUN stuff. We’re big fans of Action Man and James Bond, so these figures are right up our collecting alley. Our sincerest thanks go out to Bill Underwood for all of his generous and wonderful help compiling the material for this article. You are the MAN, Bill! —The Editor

All We Are Saying—is—Give Wayne Faucher a BIG Hand—His “Early ’70s John Lennon” Custom Figure Could be His Greatest 1:6 Scale Creation—EVER!

IMAGINE— having the talents required to be able to create custom figures as wonderful as this. So GREAT! Wayne Faucher’s “Early ’70s John Lennon” is an absolute SPOT-ON 1:6 masterpiece. Isn’t it great when all the individual parts of a project COME TOGETHER? (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

Stunned. Shocked. THRILLED— Those are but a handful of the emotions that are undoubtedly racing through your mind—right now—as you gaze upon—in awe and wonder—this astonishing 1:6 scale “tribute figure” to one of our planet’s greatest-ever singer-songwriters—Mr. John Lennon. The miniature masterpiece in question is the latest handiwork of Marvel Comics’ inking maestro (and custom 1:6 scale figure creator extraordinaire), Wayne Faucher, of Rhode Island, USA.

Rockin’ Out in Central Park— If you think this is a photo of the REAL John Lennon, then look again. Faucher’s custom figure is SO realistic that it easily “fools the eye.” (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

Wayne’s world of wonderful works has been well-documented here within the pages of The Joe Report, and we never tire of sharing his masterful creations with YOU—our beloved readers. This particular figure stands out among all of Faucher’s other amazing customs because it represents NOT a fanciful superhero, NOR a science-fiction character from some other world, but rather a REAL human being from right here on good ol’ planet Earth. And when a custom figure is made this well, it instantly becomes elevated from the nomenclature of an ordinary “action figure” to the honor of a starry realm reserved solely for handcrafted artwork known as “TRIBUTE” figures. And what a tribute this figure is! Wayne describes his stunning, one-of-a-kind creation thusly:

Wayne Faucher (Photo: WFT)

“I got tired of waiting for the Molecule 8 figure (HERE), so I just went ahead and did one myself, for about 1/3 of the price. I didn’t want to do a specific event or photo of John, I just wanted a general early 70’s version. So… I chose a couple of iconic period pieces; the fatigue shirt he wore at his 1972 NYC concert (and on the Dick Cavett show), as well as the ‘New York City’ t-shirt from his famous rooftop photo session. The fatigue patches were all provided by Patches of Pride (HERE), and are a dead-on match!”

Lennon on Cavett— John Lennon on The Dick Cavett Show, September 11, 1971. (Photo: ABC-TV)

ROCK ON! Wayne Faucher’s custom “Early ’70s John Lennon” sports OD fatigues adorned with custom 1:6 scale patches from Patches of Pride. OOH-yeah! (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

“For the t-shirt, I got a plain white shirt from Cotswold Collectibles (HERE) and designed my own heat transfer for the type. The head is a stunning sculpt from Kumik (HERE), with a few alterations to the hair. The glasses came with the head, but are totally resized and reworked with a Dremel. I also added the tinted lenses.”

Details DO Make the Difference— Tweaks to the hair, eyeglasses, t-shirt, custom PoP patches—it all adds up to 1:6 scale PERFECTION. WOW! (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

“The guitar came from Ebay. Like most professional guitar players, John had a LOT of guitars. His tastes evolved over the years, so I really don’t associate him with a particular model (unlike Paul McCartney’s famous Hofner bass). Anyway, I couldn’t have done this custom figure (at least not as effectively) without PoP’s fine patches. Thanks again, Mark!” —Wayne Faucher

On the FLIP SIDE— As this closeup of the other sleeve reveals, Faucher did a superb job installing the custom patches from Patches of Pride. This is a mini-masterpiece! (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

Make Art, Not Crap—Just IMAGINE all of the fantastic photos you could take with custom figures like this. We can almost hear Lennon’s music playing, too! (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: Regardless of what you thought of Lennon’s music, politics, or the man himself personally, you have to admit that Faucher’s custom tribute figure is an amazing artistic achievement. Mr. Faucher is a multi-talented individual who continues to surprise and impress legions of comic book fans as well as all of the diverse individuals who populate the 1:6 scale collecting universe. I think it is safe to say that we are ALL blown away by the quality of your work, sir! And—once again—you have clearly “raised the bar” of figure customizing beyond any levels we could have imagined. (Our sincerest thanks to Wayne for all of his help in the creation in this article.) 

Stayin’ Alive With POWER— Customizer Gary Stair Creates Unique “Iron Kid” Action Figure Featuring Chest-Mounted Arc Reactor and “Light-Up Action”

Meet “IRON KID”— Gary Stair’s exciting new 1:6 custom figure features a custom silver suit and an “Arc Reactor” installed in its chest that REALLY lights up. Out-STANDING work, Gary! (Photo: Gary Stair)

Here’s another quick-n-cool custom figure idea from the VERY fertile mind of renowned 1:6 scale customizer, Gary Stair. Gary describes his latest—unique—creation thusly:

Toy collector and customizer, Gary Stair, PA. (Photo: Gary Stair)

“Hey Mark, I had another idea—You remember those little ‘mini LED’ lamps? The ones we found at The Dollar Store? Well, I just found another use for them, one that that I think the other readers of The Joe Report might enjoy knowing about. We all need little lights that are easy to work with (for trucks, boats, planes, cars, etc.); and can be easily replaced too, right? Well… Voi-LAAA! Now we now have it. And creating this custom figure was really easy. First, I took the lamp apart. Then, I took an old ‘Steve Scout’ body and drilled a couple of holes into him, making the front one SMALLER so that the LED lamp would fit fairly tight when I inserted it into his chest. Then, I had a custom silver suit made up for him (looks pretty snazzy, doesn’t it?) and dressed him in it as shown. All done! He’s now part of my ever-growing Captain Action team. I’ve dubbed him “IRON-KID” (lol). I would LOVE to see what other customizers do with these little $1 LED lights. They’re good for so much more more than just placing on a desk and using as a lamp. We’re only limited by our imagination. Go, Joe! Go, Captain Action! And now, Go, IRON KID!” —Gary Stair, PA

Drill, intall, and you’re done!— Say, is Iron Kid finally hitting puberty? Is that a chest hair we see poking out from behind his arc reactor? Maybe Lady Action’s new Phicen body is having some unexpected “side effects” on our young man? Hmm… ya’ better go take another (cold) shower, kid! (Photo: Gary Stair)

Power up!— Gary Stair’s 1:6 scale “arc reactor” is in reality, a common canvas fastener. AMAZING! Click to enlarge.

That cool-looking “Arc Reactor” Gary created looked somehow familiar, but we just couldn’t place where we’d seen it before. Fortunately, Gary had an answer for that, too, revealing:

“It’s a canvas fastner – the top portion. It’s the female piece of a 2-part fastner set. I had some sitting around because I had previously repaired an outdoor canopy. You should be able to google ‘marine canvas fasteners’ (see HERE) and find them easily. Good luck!”

He’s ALIVE!— Iron Kid’s implanted arc reactor lamp has seen to that. (Photo: Gary Stair)

Sharp Dressed Young Man— The custom silver suit for Gary Stair’s “Iron Kid” action figure fits like a glove. EXCELLENT! (Photo: Gary Stair)

Testing, 1,2,3— It works! Just glue the disc over the lit area and you’re done. (Photo: Gary Stair)

Bottom Line: A big THANK YOU to Gary Stair for yet another wonderful contribution to The Joe Report. Gary’s articles are always entertaining and informative. Go, Gary! Go, IRON KID!

Lock-n-Load! GIjOE Collector’s Club Releases First Pics of its 2018 JoeCon “Green Beret Machine Gun Outpost Set” Featuring New Larry Selman Artwork

Bottom Line: You knew it was coming, and here it is. Look carefully, this is QUALITY stuff!

Beware!— Dead-Eyed “Zombie Joe” Has Arrived

The Walking Dead— Right out of the box, this new “black & white” 12″ club exclusive figure from the GIjOE Collector’s Club strikes many as, well, “DEAD” looking. It may be hard to see from this photo, but in person, our newly nicknamed, “Zombie Joe,” has a gray body that also (inexplicably) has a greenish hue to it, adding to its already moribund effect. Combined with EXTREMELY droopy eyes, ol’ “ZJ” appears destined to “haunt” collector’s shelves—or parts bins. (Photo: Mark Otnes) Click to enlarge.

Is this REALLY the FINAL “membership exclusive” figure for fans of 12-Inch GIJOEs?

It’s rare that a package containing a brand-new GIjOE shows up, unannounced, in our company’s mailroom; but today was just such an occasion. Typically, such unplanned, “surprise” events have been met with grand celebrations among the overworked staffers here at The Joe Report, but sadly, today, that was not to be the case. When the receptionist dropped the morning mail onto my desk—I literally JUMPED out of my chair. I saw the box from the GIjOE club and immediately buzzed everyone’s intercom, calling for an urgent “all hands on deck” meeting in the conference room.

Ol’ “Dead Eyes”— Without a doubt, “Zombie Joe” wins the prize for having the DEADEST-looking eyes of ANY GIjOE brand action figure ever made. Depending on the steadiness of your hand and the fine point of your paintbrush, corrections CAN be made. But if you’re one of those fans who are “artistically-challenged,” you may just have to LIVE with it. CREEPY! (Photo: Mark Otnes) Click to enlarge.

Standing elbow to elbow, we happily ringed around the massive, oblong conference table, our hands wringing and our breath held “in toto” in silent, anxious anticipation. As we all knew, first glimpses and first impressions were EVERYTHING whenever a new Joe joined our ranks, and this unusual figure would prove to be no exception. The room fell DEATHLY quiet (a term that would prove to be quite apropos) and as the plain, “coffin-style” mailing box was finally opened, the first, HONEST reactions from those present plunged wildly from eager, ecstatic anticipation—to stunned, silent SHOCK. A “temp” from the upstairs steno pool audibly gasped. A copywriter, unsure of exactly how she might describe or “spin” what she seeing, simply giggled. One of our “street-wise” freelance photographers actually seemed to recoil—but in what? Fear? HORROR? It wasn’t exactly clear. Finally, someone managed to speak up and blurted out, “What IS that thing?”

Super Surfer Shorts— The BEST thing about the new 12-inch exclusive figure from the GIJOE Collector’s Club is—without a doubt—his classic GIjOE logo boxer shorts. The vintage logo imprinted on them looks FANTASTIC and these nifty new “jams” will undoubtedly become highly-prized collectibles on their own, despite the “less-than-lively” figure they adorn. (Photo: Mark Otnes) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: Hello there, Zombie Joe! What stared up at us from that cardboard coffin box was indeed a shocking sight to many. It can only be described as some sort of gray/greenish “corpse-like” figure. Comparisons to zombies and TV’s “The Walking Dead” quickly come to mind, but the most common appellation that came up among our group was “lifeless.” Of all the GIjOEs we’ve ever seen, and believe me, we’ve seen a LOT of them, this is the most… DEAD looking. Oh well, a “dead” GIjOE will certainly find a place in many sci-fi or other such 1:6 scale custom dioramas. If you can think of a good use for this figure, please let us know. Without his “black & white” uniform, he’s quite literally, “lifeless.” But heck, a Joe is a Joe—is a JOE. We’ll take ’em ALL!

 

Hot Pics!—March 2018 Issue of G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Newsletter Reveals Images of Their Upcoming “B&W TV Edition” Club Figures and JoeCon 2018’s “Green Beret Machine Gun Outpost” 2-Figure Set

FIRST Look at the Club’s “LAST” 12-Inch Set?— This image is the first pic released by the GIjOE Collector’s Club that reveals (some) of the artwork that will adorn the boxes of their upcoming 2-figure 12″ exclusive set created for attendees of JoeCon 2018. As usual, this military masterpiece comes to fans hot off the easel of “Classic Collection” maestro, Larry Selman. (Click to enlarge).

Lay Down Suppressing Fire!— This first pic from the cover of the March 2018 issue of the GIjOE Collector’s Club “Official Magazine” is one we’ve been waiting for for a lonnnng time. It’s Larry Selman’s latest (and perhaps FINAL) painting for a GIjOE product, the cover art for the “Green Beret Machine Gun Outpost” 12″ figure set to be released this coming June at JoeCon 2018 in Chattanooga, TN. As we expected, the artwork ROCKS and the two Special Forces soldiers shown are clearly “in it” and fighting for their lives defending their sandbag-ringed outpost. If you look carefully, you’ll get a pretty good idea of all the equipment that will included in this set. HOO-ah!

Completely Black-n-White (Almost)— Is it really, physically possible to create ALL of these figures and ALL of their equipment SOLELY in black and white shades and hues? The ad copy above states this is a “color image,” and we do indeed seem to detect a faint tinge of green in the skin-tone of a couple of the figures. The copy also states that these are “preproduction figures,” so let’s hope this issue is corrected before the final figures are made. We wouldn’t want our action soldiers and marines to look queasy, now would we? (Unless they “glow-in-the-dark!”) (Photo: GIJCC) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: If this really is the final year (and final convention) for the GIJCC, then it appears they intend to go out BIG TIME with some truly collectible products. Hopefully, any color or tonal imperfections in the plastics and other materials can be worked out before the “B&W TV Editions” are released. We can’t wait to see more pics of the Green Beret set’s box and contents, either. We’re sure it’ll all look AMAZING. Stay tuned for additional intel as it becomes available.

Fan Builds Life-Size FALCON “Climber” Action Figure in Commemoration of Toy Line’s 40th Anniversary

Put ‘er There, Pal— A rather surprised looking 1:1 scale FALCON action figure (the one on the left) prepares to test his newfound “Kung-Fu Grip” on his creator, Mauricio Wendler, a VERY talented artisan residing in Brazil. Wendler created this stunning full-size replica of a vintage 1970s FALCON “Climber”—in just 4 days! That sir, is out-STANDING! (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything—you haven’t!

Today we received some amazing international intel from our highly talented “Field Reporter” down in Brazil, Mauricio Wendler, who wrote in concerning his country’s recent 40th anniversary celebration of everything FALCON. Falcon, as you (hopefully) recall, was the extremely popular version of GIjOE produced in Brazil during the 1970s and ’80s. Well, 40+ years have passed since those heady days of yore, and it appears now that Mauricio has decided to “raise the bar” of modern Falcon fandom—a wee little bit—to 6-foot PLUS!

Who’s Got the POWER? Mauricio taunts Senhor Climber Falcon with his own formidable “Fists of Fury.” Notice too, that Wendler’s 1:1 creation is wearing a REAL jogging suit (with a handmade emblem) and a pair of REAL lace-up boots (to boot). (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge.

We kid you not—This isn’t facetious “fake news,” nor is it an egregious example of phony Photoshoppery. Rather, Field Reporter Wendler has actually created his own, FULL-SIZE, 1:1 scale action figure; specifically, a spot-on recreation of the (regionally) famous, “Climber” Falcon hero, complete with its iconic (Adidas inspired) red jogging suit, working “Eagle-Eyes,” fully flocked hair and beard, and even a solid pair of “Kung-Fu” gripping hands. WOWZA! After we had picked our jaws up off the floor, we asked Mauricio to describe his stunning new creation and he replied:

“I’m from Brazil, more specifically from the City of Curitiba, in the state of Paraná. My brother, Marcelo, had had an article published by The Joe Report about 3 years ago; the one about the 3 posters he had produced commemorating FALCON action figures (see  HERE). I have been a fan of the FALCON action figure (the GIjOEs of Brazil) for many years now. I do not know if you knew this, but they were recently (and resentfully) reissued in 3 commemorative versions, due to the manufacturer’s (Estrela) 80th birthday.”

Eye Can’t SEE You— The 1:1 head of Wendler’s custom is shown here prior to flocking and final paint. Note too, that he has upsized and recreated the interior “Eagle-Eyes” mechanism as well. Soon, this Falcon will SEE the world around him! (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge (and study).

“Well, it turns out that THIS year, their Falcon line is celebrating 40 years of its launch in my country and as a collector, photographer, and modeler of products (I make several parts for old Falcons), I also could not pass up this 40th anniversary without doing something really STRIKING by our beloved figure!”

Turn your head, Please— This profile side-view provides a good look at how Mauricio’s FALCON head is constructed out of two separate sections (rear skull piece not shown), plus those wonderful interior eagle-eye mechanisms. Pretty amazing! (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge.

“I made this figure by designing duct 6 times more piece by piece. It is all made of plastics material (PVC and resin without any fiber). I also do restoration and recovery work of Falcons in 1/6 scale for collectors. And yes, as with the smaller figures, this one also has the flocked hair.”

Franken FALCON— After each individual section had been molded, trimmed out, and tested for fit, the various pieces were carefully assembled together until soon—a towering (albeit still headless) action figure was born. It’s ALIVE! It’s ALIVE! (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge.

Welcome to the 1:1 Scale World, Mr. Falcon— This super-closeup pic of Wendler’s finished masterpiece shows the head’s final paint job, placement of its VERY blue eyes and a full head of flocked hair. Out-STANDING work, sir! (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge (and drool).

“During the course of this year, I produced the complete and functional Falcon figure you see, giving ‘life’ to a full-size figure in 1:1 scale. Everything happened as a challenging project that took me about 4 full days total to complete successfully. This Falcon, as you can see, with its fully articulated body, is indeed, our well-known and REAL hero. Oh! I also have a blog where I show some of my restoration works HERE. And Mark, thanks again for all the work you do on The Joe Report!” —Mauricio Wendler, Brazil

Hold up Yer Skivvies—With a Belt? This closeup reveals the weave and fibers of actual fabric, used to create the realistic pattern you see impressed into (or glued over) the waist section of Wendler’s 1:1 scale Falcon figure. (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to ENLARGE (the crotch). Schwing!

Wendler’s  “Climber” assumes a defensive stance as he looks askance at the viewer. Is that a pitchfork in his hand, or is he just glad to see you? HA. (Photo: Mauricio Wendler) Click to enlarge.

Whom will she choose? Sure, Mauricio’s handsome and all, but there’s something really HOT about this new Falcon dude. Hmm… (Photo: Maurico Wendler) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: This 1:1 scale custom FALCON action figure is a monumental achievement AND an undeniable work of art, earning it an immediate place of TOP honor amongst the thousands of other such creations produced by fans and customizers of GIjOE, Falcon and related action figures. This MASTERPIECE breaks ALL of the known barriers of “working large” and Mauricio’s proficiency with plastics proves that his fabricating skills know few, if any limitations. Finally, our most heartfelt congratulations go out to Mr. Wendler for all of his SUPERB Falcon-related achievements and for his very generous contributions to this article. Magnífico, senhor!

No Collection is Too Small— 1:6 G.I. Joe Enjoys Collecting (You Guessed It)—Action Figures!

Collecting knows no size— Joe the Adventurer shows off a new (super-mini) HALO action figure, one of many such figures displayed on shelves throughout his home. (Photo: Queli Castro)

What do YOUR GIjOEs do when they return home from a mission? Some spend days, even YEARS, sealed up in depressing, air-tight storage containers, while others dutifully stand an interminable “watch” from the inside of locked, glassed-walled display cabinets. But for those fortunate few who are given freedom of movement by their (obviously imaginative) owners, the pursuit of personal hobbies and other pastimes is now becoming the norm.

For example, we recently caught up with one such fortunate 1:6 soul, a tiny toy collector known simply as “Joe,” whom, it turns out, is himself a 12-inch tall “fuzzhead” Adventurer! According to his owner, Queli Castro, of Chicago, Joe truly enjoys getting out of the house and visiting local stores to browse their aisles for the latest SUPER-MINIATURE action figures. Castro reports:

“Hello Mark, Long time no chat. Yes, Joe collects action figures, and lately he’s added quite a few to his collection. I asked him if he’d pose alongside his collection for a few pictures and he kindly obliged (see attached images). In the wide view of his study (shown below), this is only PART of his growing collection. He’s always ‘rotating’ pieces in and out.”

A flair for decorating— Joe’s study reveals an obvious talent for tasteful decoration. That mid-century modern coffee table, the high-back chair, and those attractive display shelves are ALL superb 1:6 scale furnishings. What a wonderful room. Go, Joe! (Photo: Queli Castro)

“Superman is Joe’s favorite. That one he’s pointing to (see below) is a actually a nano metalfig (.99 cents) from Walmart.”

Great Caesar’s Ghost! Such amazing detail at such a small scale. (Photo: Queli Castro)

“Joe also collects Star Wars memorabilia and he just got this super-miniature x-wing fighter from Walmart on Force Friday. The two military HALO figures (behind the x-wing) are by Mega Construx. They have 11 points of articulation(!) and come with lots of detail, display stands, and extra pieces. They are wonderful!”

WHOOSH!!! Joe’s mind is racing with all the possible Star Wars scenarios he could act out—in his imagination. He clearly believes in taking off his shoes, surrounding himself with his favorite toys, and having a GREAT time! (Photo: Queli Castro)

“Here (below), Joe poses with his new Alice in Wonderland and Buzz Lightyear figures. While both are very cool, these particular figures are for his children and he plans to put them both under the Christmas tree this year.”

‘Tis the Season— Joe knows that the true meaning of Christmas is to GIVE, LOVE, and SHARE with others. We’re sure Alice and Buzz WON’T disappoint! (Photo: Queli Castro)

“All the figures in Joe’s display are about 2” high and were bought at Walmart, with the exception of the three up there on the top righthand shelf (i.e. Batman/Robin/The Flash) which all came from our neighborhood Walgreens. I’m also providing some photos of the action figures in their packaging (see below) because things look a lot different after they’ve been taken out of the box. And finally…

Mark… I would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and thank you for The Joe Report. I look forward to every ‘issue’ and you do a wonderful job with it. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year!” —Queli Castro, Chicago, IL

Sergeant Forge HALO action figure (Photo: Queli Castro)

Superman die-cast metal figure (Photo: Queli Castro)

The FLASH action figure (Photo: Queli Castro)

An Endcap Full of Ships— Star Wars mini vehicles for sale now at Walmart. These make out-STANDING miniature toys for GIjOE! (Photo: Queli Castro)

Bottom Line: We absolutely LOVE how this Joe decorates his 1:6 scale home with “super-mini” collectibles. Our sincerest thanks and best wishes go out to Queil Castro for providing all of these excellent photographs and for his very generous “field reporting” here at The Joe Report. You are the BEST, sir! —Mark Otnes, Editor TJR

G.I. Joe Club Announces Plans To Release “Really Limited” Set of 4 “Black and White TV Edition” 12-Inch Figures As Their New 2018 Club Exclusives

Remember watching all of those great color TV shows back in 1964? Probably not. While “test programs” had been broadcast in color as far back as 1953, few people living at that time (outside of those working for one of the “Big 3” networks) ever had an opportunity to view them that way. Why? The reason was primarily financial. There were countless hours of content being produced, and at the time, it was simply too cost-prohibitive to film and/or air all of that new programming (or commercials) in full color. As a result, cheaper black-n-white (B&W) television broadcasting (and B&W television sets) remained the industry standard until the mid-1960s, and the first images children ever saw of Hasbro’s new “Movable Fighting Man,” were aired solely—in black and white.

As First Seen on TV!— The 4 new GijOEs coming from the GIJCC in 2018 will have NO colors (other than black, white and related gray tones) in their figures, uniforms, or coffin box packaging. This final “colorless” effect will either result in drab, dull and boring figures…or it will look absolutely STUNNING (we’re betting on the latter). Final judgement, as always, will rest “within the (color-blind) eyes of the beholder.” (Photo: GIJCC)

Indeed, while Hasbro’s initial run of GIjOE TV commercials in 1964 provided viewers with tantalizing glimpses of its new line of figures, uniforms, equipment and packaging, fans had to use their imaginations to envision all of the colors that were NOT being shown on their monochromatic B&W television screens. It wasn’t until all those children were able to visit their local toy stores in person, that they were finally able to SEE the panoply of COLORS comprising Hasbro’s wonderful new world—of GIjOE.

WHOA. This is a COLOR photo?!— The GIJCC swears that this photo is in FULL COLOR. It’s the heads that are in B&W. What the..? AMAZING! (Photo: GIJCC)

To commemorate GIjOE’s first TV appearance, some 53+ years later, the GIjOE Collector’s Club (GIJCC) has announced that they will be releasing (4) new vintage-style 12″ GIjOE action figures—wholly devoid of color. Their skin tones, painted hair and eyes, uniforms and equipment, even all of their boxes, will be produced and “toned” in simple shades of black, gray and white. No other colors will be utilized at all. According to an official club post on the GIJCC website:

“Just a couple of notes: Yes, everything will be in gray tones. This is a set of figures, not just a one-off, so they will display well together. In addition to the Action Soldier, there will be an Action Sailor, Action Pilot, and Action Marine as well in this series. You will get the 12″ gray-tone figure wearing shorts and the accessories and box are the add-ons that complete the set. These will be REALLY limited. Yes, it’s a novelty, but something that harkens back to the ORIGINAL days of Joe as he was first seen. The box images came off of the original commercials. The box is the width of the talker boxes to accommodate the accessories.” —GIJOE Collector’s Club

In the past, the GIJOE Collector’s Club has produced 12″ GIjOE exclusive figures with NO colors in (or on) them at all (i.e. clear, see-through plastic), with a green head (HERE) and even one that glows-in-the-dark (HERE), but this new idea for 2018 is something truly unique—a full line of 4 vintage-style figures completely devoid of color save for tones that were visible on an old black-n-white television in 1964. WOW.

B&W Uniform Sneak Peak Pic—According to a quote from the club, “A ‘black and white’ G.I. Joe Action Soldier will need a ‘black and white’ field jacket!” Hey guys, you can throw away that Pantone book. You won’t need it for this job! (Photo: GIJCC)

This teaser ad from the GIJCC newsletter provides a mock-up of what the final Action Soldier should look like. We look forward to seeing the real thing! (Photo: Paul Michel)

Bottom Line: Our sincerest thanks go out to taphatt2012 for the video clip shown above, and to the GIjOE Collector’s Club for their continued efforts to bring new and exciting 12″ GIjOE products to an ever-eager market of collectors. Some fans will quickly peg these upcoming figures as “must have” collectibles, while others may view them another way altogether. So far, WE like what we see VERY much. Stand by for more intel as it becomes available!