G.I. Joe Classifed Snake Eyes Repaint

 

I'm such a sucker. I really am. There is nothing that drastically different about this Snake Eyes to warrant actually buying it. 

For those of you following the G.I. Joe Classified series, you probably already know that Hasbro is currently releasing repainted figures from the first wave. However, of them, Snake Eyes here is such a subtle change that I dare say it may not even qualify as a "repaint". More so a run change.

I say this, because if you look at the package, the real only change that people might notice, and I really do mean might, is that the knife is no longer packed in a tray to the side of the figure's head. Instead, it's been put in the sheath on his hip.

However, to see the oh so subtle change to the figure, let's zoom in on both the original and repainted version.

The original is on the left, and the repaint is on the right. Do you see it?  Can you point out the change?

The repaint, or at least mine, appears to be a flatter paint, as opposed to the original, which has a bit of a gloss to it. Especially on the head. However, the true change is the red dash above the visor. This is on the original, but removed from the repaint.

Other than that, no changes.

So tell me, is it worth twenty dollars to essentially buy the same figure that literally a small brush stroke has been removed from? Probably not. Not for most sane people.

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Youngblood (Image Comics / Awesome Toys)

Youngblood
Image Comics
1992 - 1994

It was one of the flagship titles for Image Comics launch in 1992 and one of the most anticipated comic series of all times. Unfortunately, much like most of the Image titles, big names couldn't save Youngblood from becoming just another cancelled title. With cliche characters, clearly "borrowed" from other more popular ones and a lack of storytelling, Youngblood was easily one of the weakest titles in the Image brand.

However, the hype train was full speed ahead, and copy after copy were yanked from store shelves by eager comic book readers and investors who couldn't wait to have anything related to the Image brand. This in turn lead to reprints, variant covers, elusive chase issues and the inevitable crash in the comic book industry.

Not that Image was the sole cause of this. By this time in comics, every company was looking for ways to get people to buy multiple copies of the same book. Gimmicks were big, and comic book enthusiasts shifted to buying copies of books based on names attached and flashy covers, not the stories inside, which were proving to get worse and worse with each month.

Image certainly helped to contribute to this inevitability. Though I can't blame the creators behind each book. If people are going to throw money at you, of course you're going to take it. As you see the number of sales come in each month, you're also going to get an inflated ego. Then you're going to stop trying because you think your name will sell books, regardless of the contents inside.

It worked for a while, then it came crashing down across the entire industry. Several Image titles were short lived as a result of this, and soon the artists who would never work for Marvel or DC again, were once again knocking on the doors of the publishers who made them who they were.

Youngblood
Awesome Toys
1997 - 1998

With the success of McFarlane Toys, several other companies were eager to produce toys based on Image titles. I've already talked about Prophet from Awesome Toys, and today I'm going to showcase the short lived Youngblood series.

Much like Prophet, the series focused on one character in multiple colors - Hey, kind of like an Image comic. Same thing, different paint job. No wonder this line failed miserably.

Interest dwindled fast, if it was ever even there, and much like the comic series, Awesome Toys soon found itself cancelled. They produced only two more lines before closing their doors for good.

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G.I. Joe Classified - Repaints Ahoy!

 

As announcements flood the interweb of the Zartan / Cobra Infantry wave hitting Walgreens, people are also discovering something else. Scarlett and Roadblock are repaints!

Yup, it's true. More repaints are hitting the market, and you too can join the hunt! But what are you looking for?

Well, I'll tell you!

Roadblock now sports a brighter green vest, gold details in vest clips are now grey, green gloves (originally red), a matte black cannon, knife and clip (originally silver / painted), and matte black shins and knee guard (originally gold).

Scarlett now has tan pants (originally dark grey), a tan shirt (originally blue), face sculpt is slighting changed in pigment, as is the hair, gold on chest armor is now copper, blue details removed from gauntlets (now tan), boot soles are copper (originally red), and the blue and red details on the shin guards removed.

Fun, huh?

Well, that's not the last of it. The re-issued wave one cases are also showing up with repaints. This time to Snake Eyes and Duke. Oddly, the repainted Scarlett and Roadblock are not in the case. Instead, these appear to be (for now) the originals.

Duke's gloves no longer have red details on them (now green), his watch is now green (originally red), his shin guards are green (originally gold), blue details on shin guards are removed, knee pads are matte black (originally gold), green backpack, chest belt and holster are a brighter green, and his rifle is now grey (originally gold and grey).

Snake Eyes features very subtle changes. The red dash above his visor has been removed, which is difficult to spot as it is. However, the easier tell that you've found the repack is that the knife packed in to the side of his head has been removed (as has the slot for it), and it is now in the sheath on the figure.

 Mmm, boy. Sure is fun to chase down variants. Enjoy the hunt!

For those of you also keeping track of the numbers, Zartan is officially number 23, and Cobra Infantry is 24. All the repaints above are their original numbers.

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Retro Spins: Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley

 

Born a poor child, proclaimed the King of Rock 'n Roll, Elvis Presley was a legend. Fun fact. I was born the exact day and year he died. With minimal knowledge beyond that, I felt it appropriate as I take a step back in time for this series of Retro Spins, The Classic Years, to listen to his debut album.

Though he was one of the hottest recording artists of his time, it's been reported that Elvis never wrote not even one of the lyrics he sang, despite being credited as a writer on about fifty percent of his six hundred recorded songs. The reason for this was that his contract required that writers give up 50% of writing credit to him before he would record their songs.

Though he was at the top of his notoriety between 1956 and 1965, with the hippy movement, psychedelia and the inevitable Vietnam War, Presley soon found himself as one of the least desirable acts in town. If the facts purported in the film, Elvis Meets Nixon (1997), not to be confused with the 2016 remake, Elvis & Nixon, are true, Elvis , who once couldn't leave his house at all, could now freely walk down the street being relatively unrecognized.

A true patriot, Elvis wasn't shy of speaking his mind on bands like The Beatles, calling them, "A real force for anti-American spirit". Being someone who never endorsed drugs, Elvis also became a US drug enforcement agent, courtesy of President Nixon himself.

Despite his decline in popularity, Elvis would not remain down for the count. His special, "Elvis", now refereed to as "The Comeback Special", rekindled public interest and a renewed sense of energy, Presley embarked on a tour which would only serve to solidify his status as The King.

Sure, I could go into from here how Elvis then got fat and died on a toilet, which I guess I just did, but instead, I'd rather switch over to his debut album.

I have never heard this particular record, nor do I really know many of the songs from it. However, in that old fashioned sense of jukeboxes and malt shops, I found myself transported back to what I want to believe was a better time for America. A time of wholesome entertainment. A time where little Johnny and his sister Suzie played hopscotch on the sidewalk, and rode their bikes to town without a care. Where the milkman still came to your door and television was still in its infancy.

Where a nation was shocked as a man took the stage and gyrated his hips towards an unsuspecting audience when he debuted on the Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956. History was being made and the world started to change. It's funny, for how much Elvis despised the hippy generation, he seemed to never really understand that he himself contributed greatly to this revolution.

Of the songs I heard, I admittedly only recognized Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti and Blue Moon. However, with that said, I didn't hate everything else. Like I said, the music somewhat transported me back in time, and it was nice to visit the era - Albeit if only based on the visualization I think would be associated with that point in time, based of course on movies and television. With that said, I wouldn't hate hearing more from this era, be it Elvis or other artists. I'm definitely going to have to look into this more.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

 

Retro Spins: ZZ Top - Eliminator

My extensive knowledge of ZZ Top begins and ends with a mild knowledge of their hits from the 80's, their appearance in Back to the Future Part III and a dislike for their classics from the 70's. Oh boy...This should be fun.

It actually took me a few start and stop sessions to make it through this CD. Not because I wasn't interested in hearing it, but rather, because something kept coming up. As such, I don't know whether or not I would have enjoyed it more had I gone from start to finish in one session or not. I suppose I could have restarted it and tried it that way. However, truth be told, I wasn't really enjoying it all that much.

Instrumental wise, I won't deny there is a lot of talent behind in the fingers and hands of ZZ Top. Their guitar riffs are occasionally quite impressive, but at the same time, aren't enough to keep me interested enough in each song. I dare say for me, ZZ Top is what Rush was to a buddy of mine. He would get into the songs as the music started, but as soon as the singing began, he lost interest. That's kind of where I am with them.

The album gets plus points for having three staples of the 80's in tracks Gimme All Your Lovin', Sharp Dressed Man and Legs, and for that alone I say the album is worth while. Despite the band not being my favorite, these are still great songs. Beyond that, I didn't hear anything else which really grabbed my attention. In fact, by the half way point, I really just wanted it to end.

Stand out oddity on Eliminator was hands down TV Dinners. I'm not sure what possessed the band to write a four minute song about frozen dinners and their love for them, but this was certainly out in left field in the realm of "Weird Al" Yankovic territory. I'm seriously still shaking my head from this one.

Overall, the album just wasn't for me. ZZ Top and I will have to suffice for being casual 80's acquaintances. I have zero interest in tracking down anymore of their albums.

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"N" The Box (Art Asylum)

"N" The Box
Art Asylum
2001

Welcome to the 21st century Jack in the Box. Art Asylum's 2001 series based on some of the most iconic rockers, or in the case of Iron Maiden, their mascot, Eddie. They're unique, I'll give them that. I would have never thought adults would have an interest in Jack in the Box toys, but I suppose it makes sense. I mean, we collect everything, don't we?

Considered the Godfather of shock rock, Alice Cooper's career has spanned over fifty years. What most people don't know is that Alice Cooper used to be the name of the band. Under the name, the group released seven studio albums which included some of the singer's biggest hits. However, when the band broke up in 1975, singer Vincent Furnier assumed the persona of Alice Cooper, going on to a much larger career.

Eddie has been the mascot of British band, Iron Maiden, ever since their debut in February of 1980. Since then, the iconic character has gone on to perhaps be more recognizable than the actual band members themselves. Eddie has been incorporated into practically every piece of Iron Maiden merchandise to date.

The self professed prince of darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Original lead singer of Black Sabbath turned solo act, he went from one of the top artists targeted by parent and activist groups to household novelty act reality TV host. Ozzy is definitely not the artist he used to be.

Rob Zombie took perhaps one of the greatest up and coming metal bands, White Zombie, and threw them away to pursue a highly successful solo career, and an equally successful movie career. Though he definitely leans more so towards the macabre style in his acts, it's one that has drawn in millions of fans of both heavy metal music and horror films.

I feel like Kiss is a go to far too often for companies looking to produce music based toys. It's ground which has been covered very abundantly, and really only serves to drive home the point that the band has become, or perhaps always was, nothing more than a novelty.

 

While Art Asylum produced quality work in their "toys", I think what contributed greatly to their decline was their consistent focus on statue based items. Their products serve little purpose beyond display pieces. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely less appealing to action figure collectors.

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G.I. Joe Classified Cobra Island Firefly And Cobra Viper

 

G.I. Joe Classified launches in 2021 with the all new Cobra Island wave featuring Firefly and Cobra Viper.

This is a set of figures which were announced during Hasbro Pulsecon 2020, much to everyone's chagrin, as a Target exclusive wave. Naturally, when they went live a few minutes after 4:00 PM EST, they immediately sold out. I was among the many who clicked frantically, but the few who got them into my cart, through the checkout and confirmed as a pre-order.

I was honestly surprised that the estimated delivery date was popping up as January 2021, and all the more shocked when they actually shipped that quickly.

Looking at the boxes for this wave, they coincide with that of wave one from the Cobra Island sub-series, but I'm not sold on the artwork for Firefly. There's too much black on the character design. It looks more like a re-visioning of a Cobra Eel.

The back of the box changes things up slightly from wave one. Yes, that is the same island being shown. However, the pinpointed locations have changed for series two. With so much more map to explore, it disheartens me to think there will be future waves coming to Target.

It's also interesting to note that Firefly is figure 21, and Cobra Viper is figure 22. For those of you keeping up with the series, you know that Profit Director Destro was figure number 15, and Hasbo has only announced four new figures so far for 2021 (in addition to these two) - Flint, Lady Jaye, Zartan and Cobra Infantry. If those are numbered between 16 and 20, there is still one figure missing in that span of numbers. Who will it be? I'm crossing my fingers for a "regular" Storm Shadow.

Popping the toy out of the package, I can immediately tell that Firefly is my least favorite released in the line to date. In fact, to me, this just isn't Firefly. It's a chunky rejected bomb squad member.

I know that Hasbro is trying to pay homage to the original Joe designs, while also updating the figures to bring them into the future, so to speak. However, I think where they miss the mark with this one is that they've lost what made the character so cool back in 1984.

The vintage figure had a simple design, but kept an air of mystery to the character. Yes, Firefly was a bomb expert, but he was also covert, almost ninja like in his mannerisms to stay in the shadows.

This iteration of Firefly isn't sneaking in anywhere with all that gear on. Further, he's not dressed to set bombs. He's decked out to defuse them - Or even full fledged combat.

Sometimes less is more, and this is a perfect example of the opposite spectrum. This is overkill, and the spirit of the figure gets lost in it.

Firefly has a decent amount of accessories, and for me, they only contribute more to the overall miss that this figure is. The backpack is decent, but lacks any real functionality to it. Much like the figure, this isn't designed with setting bombs in mind. This is more so a bug out bag for common use.

I'm also not sold on the little robot thing. What is its purpose? This is where the lack of file cards real starts to show the blemishes in the line. Hasbro packs in all these items with the figures, but then tells you nothing about them.

The pistol, goggles, bomb and handheld device are decent. I honestly feel like these alone would have been sufficient. As I stare at the picture, I guess what it all boils down to is that these accessories feel randomly combined. There doesn't really feel like a rhyme or reason to any of them.

On the bright side, you can deck the figure out with pretty much a place for everything. The only slot I couldn't find was one for the handheld device. I also was not too happy with the slots for the robot at first, as it kept falling out, and I felt like the more I tried to push it into the slots on the pack that the legs would break off. I soon discovered that there is a nice snug fit to it that will hold in place, but you have to wiggle a bit and apply light pressure to do so.

Here he is all decked out.

Ugh...I can't even look at this figure. It just looks like a bulky cluttered mess. Let's move on to the figure that people really want from this wave.

I didn't even have to take this one out of the box to know I was liking it, but here's the box anyway.

Sigh, remember the good old days of toys when the back of the box had a rundown of all the figures coming out that year? Why is the world of action figures so secretive these days? Just tell us what is coming out! Not everything has to be an announcement event. You know, those announcements that most of us miss anyway because we're not watching social media all day every day.

Cobra Viper hits all the right notes. It's a fantastic homage to the original 1986 figure, while also adding just a slight update to bring it in line with the Classified series. I honestly don't know which one I like more - The Cobra Trooper, or this Viper. That's a tough one.

The figure comes with just the right amount of accessories, but I'm still not sure what the deal is with the neckerchief. Why is that even a thing?

Of all the backpacks released in the line, this one, by far, has the most detail. It's a beautiful piece. When I first tried to plug it into the back peg hole I was a bit bummed out. I couldn't get it to stay in place. It wasn't until looking closer that I realized the vest had to be moved slightly to line up the hole in it and the figure's back.

Cobra Viper also comes with two weapons, a pistol and rifle. The rifle has a removable clip, which is a nice touch. However, do note that some collectors have been reporting that their gun is missing the clip, and it is nowhere to be found in the box.

Hasbro also pays a note of homage to the original figure by including a pair of removable goggles. Why a figure with a face mask needs goggles is beyond me, but they've been a thing since the 1986 version. Good on Hasbro for adding this detail, and not only that, but making them removable. Unfortunately, due to the size of the head, I was not able to get them around the helmet to sit atop the head, and I wasn't about to force the matter.

Here's the figure all geared up and ready to go. Man, that neckerchief sticks out like a sore thumb. How much do you want to bet that when Hasbro releases the "retail" version of this figure that this accessory disappears from the box?

Well, there you have it. The two new Target exclusive Cobra Island figures.

I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping this is the last of the Target exclusives, or any store exclusive for that matter, for this line. Finding Classified figures in stores, any of them, has been a real challenge, and not a very fun one either. Fortunately, as of now, Hasbro has made ordering the upcoming retail releases easier by offering them on Hasbro Pulse, which I do have pre-orders in for everything announced so far.

I'm kind of feeling out this line in 2021. If it turns out to be as much of a pain as it was last year, I may tap out and just offload all the ones I have. I do like this line, but not enough to want to pay more than retail for any of them. I also don't want to invest in expensive vehicle packs for exclusive figures. Which is difficult for someone like me who is a completest. This ultimately leads me to my biggest thing I need to be cognizant of. I really don't have much more space to dedicate to toys in my house. Nor at my age do I really have a desire to accumulate much more stuff. We'll see how things pan out.

Top (left to right / front to back): Deluxe Snake Eyes (00)*Roadblock (01)*Snake Eyes (02)*Destro (03) [Circle Head Variant]*Destro (03) [2nd Production Run - No Circle]*Duke (04)*Scarlet (05)Cobra Commander (06)*Cobra Commander (06) [Regal Variant]*Gung Ho (07)*Red Ninja (08)*Snake Supreme Cobra Commander (09)*Beach Head (10) [Brown Eyes Variant]*Beach Head (10) [Blue Eyes Variant]

Bottom (left to right / front to back): Roadblock (11)*Cobra Trooper (12) [Black Collar Variant]*Cobra Trooper (12) [Blue Collar Variant]*Baroness [13]*Arctic Mission Storm Shadow (14)*Profit Director Destro (15)*Firefly (21)*Cobra Viper (22)

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