"Oh God, not more GI Joe pictures!"

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:17 pm

Nice! I really can't decide which Roadblock I'm going for, the first season or second season version... Oh, and don't drop one of Bazooka's missiles down the launcher. You can get it back out eventually, but only after blood, sweat and tears. Ordered General Hawk myself this morning... Vintage figs are alright when there's no alternative, but when the Joe's leader is a little chap with a giant green cup on his head something's got to give.

There're a couple of HK sellers who do respectable job lots of Cobra troopers - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0268209003 is one I've got on the way, bearing in mind the white webbing can be removed (shame they don't have at least one of the cameras just because it's a cute extra, but there we go). The only problem with the 25ths is getting Cobra generics in the same poses... No such problem with the old version I have, anyway...

EDIT: On-topic -

25th Mainframe, with modded original backpack.

25th Rock 'n' Roll

25th Flash

Original FANG, with Stinger driver because I still don't have a Stinger.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:37 pm

Yay Mainframe! Need Dialtone too.

It's mad that we get eight different flavours of Nobody Vipers, yet no Jinx, Law, Lowlight, Cover Girl, Footloose or Lifeline.

As a sidebar, am I alone in thinking that the Para Viper looks godawful? Like they couldn't decide what gimmick to give it, so they gave it EVERYTHING in a Gary from Leon kinda way.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 7:54 pm

Not mad on the Vipers, going with the regular-ish troopers where possible (the random G2 Vipers I have are probably ebay bound once I get some numbers... having a single Alley Viper and a single Sand Viper, with no plans to buy any more, seems a bit silly). The Elite Air Infantry look a bit mad, but seem to have substitutable normal hat...

Sadly, it looks like the 25th Dialtone was the Resolute-inspired multi-pack chicktone (also with Law in camos, which sort of missed the point). There was a passable G2 Cover Girl, but it would seem that this is rarer than rocking horse shit (the one version of the pack on ebay is a hundred quid, and I can't see Hannibal or a dull version of Spirit being the reason for that). If ti was a tenner, I'd go for it... And the RoC version looks literally nothing like her... So stupid; the original had a sort of simple irony to her - model becomes tank driver/mechanic, goes around in sensible fatigues. The film version presumably has the same model background, and goes on to be... Hawk's secretary. When you're less enlightened than the idiots putting together toyline bios in 1984...

I kinda like the original Jinx, because IIRC she was fairly consistently a foot shorter than anyone else (cf. when Falcon's pawing at her in the motor pool, or when Beachhead's kicking the shit out of her). She also has nail varnish, which is fantastic. Not that a 25th-style version with removable mask and NINJA articulation would be unwanted. It is kinda annoying that they've done five, ten versions of some characters and nothing of others (I mean, a lot of them have fresh toolings, so it's not just 'recolours are cheap').

That said, the Hunt for Cobra line seems to have the odd retro touch to it with guys like Rampage, so some stuff could crop up there - however, I wouldn't hold out for anyone particularly colourful thanks to that joyless turd of a film... Big thugs in body armour and awesome artillery are probably about the limit...

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 8:13 pm

The only Vipers I'm interested in are the regular ones. Got an Air Viper or two on the way, plus the pilot version of the regular. And the funky Extreme Conditions releases. Beyond that, they can all pretty much **** off. What with Vipers, Blueshirts, Drivers, Officers, HISS Drivers, Crimson Guards, Snow Serpents, Tele Vipers and BATS there's no real point to Alley Vipers and Night Creepers and other things.

Though the Python Officer looks kinda nifty.

As far as Jinx goes, surely they just need to do some resculpting and retooling on one of the countless other NINJA toys they've done. Eightyseven different Storm Shadows, the Red Ninjas, the Red Ninja Commander Blokey, the Ninja Viper. How about the one people actually give a toss about?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 8:17 pm

Yeh, the red ninjas especially are weird... I can buy a couple of specialists, but having a whole army of the buggers? No thanks.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 4:46 pm

Today's arrivals: -

The Baroness - still not perfect. Much better sculpt than V9, but I do wish they hadn't done the silver... The original looks so much better, flat black catsuit apart from the Cobra logo.

Doc - yeh, a bit "meh" just because he's not an especially interesting fella. I like the way he's got a flaregun and a flarezooka - I bet kids around the world would keep the character's pacifist ideals with those babies. Not that anyone under 26 would be interested in owning Doc anyway...

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:39 pm

Ah, Doc. The only time he was ever cool and it turned out to be a synthoid.

Oh look, more came today!

Neither Flint nor Duke can really hold their weapons in more than a "I'm holding this to look badass, please don't make me point it because I can't" way. I'm not sure Flint can hold his shotgun at all. Some force may be required to "remould" their hands.

And some others...

It's pure coincidence that they all came on the same day.

Camera's being a bit fussy today. Might be the lighting. Might be that I've never actually read the instruction book. So pics aren't quite perfect, but they do the job.

All today's arrivals in one shot!

And, as the last Robot Hero came in the same shipment and I had my camera out, I thought I may as well grab this shot as well.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:46 pm

Heh, awesome lot, I love it when stuff turns up on the same day and you just get overload. Upgrading to a gloved Flint myself - the non-gloved one can only really do the port arms pose or unconvincingly wave the thing by its' handle, for what it's worth, and tends to spend most of his time pointing his tiny pistol at people. If he's got gloves, though, he can thump people.

Still not sure what Cobra Commander's spinal holster is all about. Oh, and did your Zartan come with a backpack? If not, I had one sent with my Baroness for some reason. I would tell the seller about his mistake, but he seriously overcharged me shipping, so **** him.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 5:56 pm

Yeah, when I saw the bit on the Commander's back, I was like "ooh, that's nifty." Then I tried it and thought "actually... er... no."

Zartan did indeed come with his backpack, but it looks rubbish attached so it's been filed. Along with Storm Shadow's wacky grappling hook, Destro's briefcase that he can't hold and the array of weapons that come with Flint despite him barely having hands. Oh, and Duke's binoculars.

I did get a v10 Beachhead as well, but he popped up in the toon I realised I wanted the closed vest one, so've since ordered the Hall of Heroes edition. So he'll be going spare.

Odd how some of the stands have two pegs and some only have one. I think I prefer the one pegs.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Thu Jul 29, 2010 8:05 pm

I want King Grimlock.

[Luckily I caught the slight misspelling of "want" that would have made this post very different...]

Post by **Hound** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 4:38 am

So here's my very dirty looking MOBAT w/ Steeler driving and Grand Slam riding along.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 6:33 am

Nice - I actually like a bit o' dust on vehicles sometimes, it's not like they'd be getting washed every day.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:48 am

I love that it's called a MOBAT in-universe.

"And this, General... is the MOBAT."
"Awesome, soldier. What's the name stand for?"
"Motorised Battle Tank."
"Motorised?"
"That's right, sir."
"As in... it's got a motor?"
"Yes, sir."
"As opposed to what?"
"Sir?"
"What do the other tanks run off?"
"They don't."
"What?"
"The other tanks... are just to look cool, sir. This is the only model we have that can actually be driven."
"You have one working tank."
"Yes sir."
"I'm Zartan. Thanks for the info."

Cue Cliffy shouting at me because tank engines aren't motors, or something.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 8:51 am

It's accepted that 'motor' is interchangable with 'engine' in most cases, if nothing else to stop ridiculous overuse of the word 'engine' in Grand Prix reports. At least it is by me.

It's the Cobra ones that always make me smile, the way they just through hoops so the acronym is FANG or CLAW or whatever. Just say Cobra Commander decided to call the helicopter a Fang and be done with it, for Christ's sake. You don't need to specify that it's Fully Armed unless there's the Semi Armed variety, the lesser known SANG, around to confuse people...

You've got lots of "Hey, look out for that F.A.N.G*!"

[* = Fully Armed Negator Gyrocopter]

to look forward to when those scans hit, matey. Thankfully, Harry will also explain what A.S.A.P. and other complex acronyms stand for, so you're in safe hands.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:15 am

Phew. That's a relief.

I'm glad they got round Cobra Flight Pods not having a silly acronym in the cartoon by just calling them something completely different that happened to rhyme.

JUMP is probably my favourite silly acronym so far.

I'd swear they only released six of the Best of 80s DVD packs, if not for the dozens upon dozens of loose Paratroopers on eBay... Ultra Rare Alpine my arse...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:24 am

Yeh, I've managed to find Quick Kick for about the standard rate rather than the extortionate amount most were selling him at (which made me hugely glad an offer I'd put in on another one was declined), but still nothing reasonably-priced on Alpine... Damn Chinese factory thieves and their Cobra leanings. I'd take the hit on the one figure on the grounds I've had good deals on enough others to excuse it, but the only ones on there seem to be in the possession of the "make up overseas shipping" brigade, doubling the already extortionate price...

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:32 am

Yeah, I snapped up Quick Kick quite cheap this week. $3 shipping as well. Nice.

Looking on eBay at the mo, I can find one 25th Alpine (as implied, labelled "Ultra Rare... which is clearly bullshit, there's just less people willing to sell them) for $25. Which, y'know, I might be tempted by if not for the fact that the shipping offered is another $31.

Am more than willing to wait it out on the figure. Or find a reasonably priced DVD pack because I'm quite tempted by the Cobra Commander with the white stripe helmet and two usable hands (plus the fact it's a cheeky Movie Credits homage set).

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:40 am

Yeh, way I'm looking at it is I've only been doing this for, what, 6 weeks, and I've wasted enough money by jumping the gun on some inferior versions and overpriced stuff, time to be logical. The DVD set does seem to be fetching a little bit, but like you I'm tempted by some of the odds and sods like Duke's jetpack (almost accidentally bought that version loose until I realised he's permanently yelling "YO JOE!"), the CLAW and the TV camera, while more Cobra troopers never hurt. Plus the Commander's faceplate seems to be chromed, and there's nothing finer than chrome on a toy.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:47 am

Cliffjumper wrote:and there's nothing finer than chrome on a toy.

Words I believe Takara has carved in stone above the entrance to their sweatshop. I mean labour camp. I mean factory.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:54 pm

Jesus, I'm not sure how YoJoe managed to class the Cobra Paratrooper's parachute as removable... It might be with scissors.