Reasonably Intelligent Rambling

Troops of Doom - Pure Awesome Fun!

2012-01-24T06:01:00.003-05:00

I have to admit, I'm a bit biased today when I sing the praises of Troops of Doom. Only because I'm mentioned in this episode!

Kraig Furtado has created a web comic unlike any other. Using a combination of action figures from G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Star Trek, and even Lego, Troops of Doom is just a helluva' lot of fun.

Sometimes the dialog is silly, sometimes the action is fierce, but everything always seems to work together. Kraig has a real knack for storytelling, especially when using inanimate lumps of plastic.

But that's the key element in Troops of Doom. Silly little lumps of plastic are brought to life. It is quite obvious that attention to detail is an important element in all of the work that goes into creating a Troops of Doom episode. The set detail is quite amazing.

I'm pretty sure that the desert environment is a a tan blanket, and if so, it's the best use of a tan blanket anywhere on the web!

Personally, I think Kraig's attention to detail in posing the figures is the strongest element of Troops of Doom. If you look carefully at his work, just the poses can convey the character's attitude more than the dialog. And this attention to detail is quite obvious in every picture crated by Kraig. Check out his work on joedios.com for the solid proof behind my claim!

Again, nothing but high praises for Troops of Doom today - and every day! I have created my own "ad" on the side of Troops of Doom just because I'm a huge fan - that's all - no other reason. TOD just kicks ass.

Become a supporter of Troops of Doom!

Stop SOPA

2012-01-18T05:17:00.002-05:00

Cobra Troopers on Patrol

2012-01-17T06:01:00.006-05:00

Just a few pictures of some Cobra Troopers checking out some ruins.

Basically a complete reuse of parts by Hasbro to create an exceptional troop builder. By adding the goggles and different web gear really makes them stand out a little more.

G.I. Joe: Airtight & Sci-Fi

2012-01-02T16:50:00.012-05:00

Just because these two figures are so damn cool. That is all!

Questionable...

2012-01-02T13:35:00.006-05:00

So anyway...

I recently saw a picture of Shadow Tracker that was exceptionally well done. Some simple mods to the figure and new life was breathed into the figure. So I decided to dig out my Shadow Tracker figure.

Around the same time, there was a brief discussion on Twitter about the merits of some of the Rise of Cobra figures. Night Adder's name came up. Another interesting figure, but, like Shadow Tracker, one that I had never really given much thought to.

Hmmm... I wonder what would happen with a simple head swap?

So this is how "Voodoo" came into existence. Neither Shadow Tracker or Night Adder, Voodoo is a seriously sick SOB. A cruel heartless beast of a man, perfect for a hired operative that even Cobra would like to disavow.

So anyway, due to the size of this figure and the petite nature of the new Renegades Scarlett figure, I had a thought.

Now, I'm not intending to promote or glamorize anything, but situations similar to this occur in real life. A larger, more powerful man takes advantage of a weaker woman. Ugliness, but it's out there.
The different environments that I posed the two figures in didn't really help. Still a bit disturbing.
Yeah, this is just too creepy as well.

So I tried something a little different with the same basic poses. Voodoo overpowering Scarlett and Roadblock about to slam into Voodoo and rescue his friend.

Better? I don't know.

Zombies...

2011-12-31T21:52:00.002-05:00

Cobra Zombie Vipers are some serious crazy stuff. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how these things fit. Stay tuned!

and of course, Vipers...

2011-12-31T21:50:00.001-05:00

The 30th anniversary Vipers kick serious amounts of ass.

More attention is required for them. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T21:42:00.004-05:00

So long, 2011; hello, 2012!

Hope we last past December 21, 2012!

So my blog sucks lately and I promise that I will update it much more frequently! Yeah, right. That still gives me a lot of leeway since I don't update very often anyways.

So maybe I'll try to update a couple times a week. The biggest problem? I'm frikkin' lazy.

So that's a resolution - post frequently and regularly.

Plus there has been some seriously awesome shit from Hasbro these past few weeks in regards to GI Joe.

These frikkin' zombie vipers are some serious shit!

So stay tuned. Maybe I'll get this damn blog rolling a little better in 2012. See ya' in the new year!

GI Joe: Retaliation trailer!

2011-12-12T20:58:00.001-05:00

HELL YEAH!

Sneak Peek - G.I. Joe: Retaliation

2011-12-10T18:32:00.002-05:00

Hell yeah!

Joelanta 2012!

2011-11-25T19:03:00.001-05:00

Troops of Doom is back!!

2011-11-23T20:16:00.002-05:00

After a rather long hiatus for site updates, Troops of Doom is back!

I am a big fan of Troops of Doom and am glad to see Kraig back online.

You can also check out Kraig's work on Joedios.com.

GI Joe Podcasts are a wonderful thing!

2011-11-23T20:05:00.005-05:00

What's On Joe Mind?

Flag Points

Three of the Best by Hasbro

2011-11-22T11:32:00.006-05:00

Without a doubt, Hasbro has done some excellent work with G.I. Joe figures recently. There have been a few misses, but there have been a great many hits.

These three figures stand out to me as easily being in the top 5 GI Joe figures sold this year.

The Cobra Viper gets an incredible redesign into the 30th Anniversary line. A great update for one of my all time favorite Cobra troop builders. These guys were the shit for me back in 1986. I had around 25-26 of the originals. I have one left, the rest got sold on eBay and helped us out of a rough financial patch.

Hasbro's update of the Viper primarily uses pieces from previous figures. I don't know if anything is new for this guy. I think the head is a correction for the "Hall of Fame" exclusive Viper over that 25th Anniversary nightmare (except for the vest). Everything else comes from Pursuit of Cobra figures and everything works great together.

I am up to 9 Vipers right now. I really think I should just stop there. Seriously, how many more do I really need? (25 - 9 = ? No, don't do the math...)

I really had no use for the original version of these guys. Premiering in 1982 along with the original GI Joe figures, the Cobra Troopers were the nameless, faceless soldiers of Cobra Commander. And like many of the early figures, not really the best sculpted figures. True, they were some of the first and sculpting did improve, but the basic Cobra Trooper was never really revisited in the o-ring years.

Along comes the 25th Anniversary line and the troopers get a new sculpt makeover. In my mind, not much better than their original o-ring counterparts. Awkward limbs, bald heads... Ugh.

This was a learning curve for Hasbro and they responded soon after with a vengeance. Again, here is a figure almost completely made of parts from other figures. Maybe all reused parts - I'm not that clever.

And the Trooper kicks serious ass. A little short in the accessory department, but I can come up with extra weapons. These Troopers are awesome!

I'm up to 12 now. STOP THE MADNESS!!

And of course Snake Eyes. It took Hasbro 54 tries to make the perfect Snake Eyes and they finally got it right.

The level of detail on this figure is exceptional. There is a temple Guardian version and the Renegades version out there after this guy. Who cares? This is THE Snake Eyes figure. Even non GI Joe collectors can appreciate just how bad-ass this figure is.

And with two head sculpts, you get your choice of which version of Snake Eyes that you would like. Me? I like the commando goggles over the ninja visor. I prefer Snake Eyes as a Commando w/ Ninja training as opposed to a Ninja w/ some commando training.

100% perfect? Figure - yes. Gear - almost. The swords don't quite fit in his hands. The explosive pack, while a cool nod to version 1, is almost useless. There is still plenty of extra gear out there that can make up for any perceived deficiencies in weapons.

Hasbro has done an incredible job with these 3 figures and with several others. Stay tuned! I'll check out some more soon.

Sorting My O-Ring G.I. Joe Figures

2011-11-21T18:37:00.004-05:00

My O-Ring GI Joe figures have been in a state of neglect for years. I even posted a picture showing the poor guys over on Joedios.com a couple years ago. Well. I'm finally going to do something about it. My goal is to sort each of them into a plastic bag along with their file card and as much of their gear that I can find. I was very unkind to the neon colored weapon "trees" and didn't keep much of that crap.

Sort, sort, sort - pick a file card, find the figure.

Or pick a figure, find the file card.

I think I have used around 125 plastic bags at this point. None left, still more Joe's to go.

Okay, where is Alpine?

This was a lot of fun to sort these guys, very nostalgic. I was easily able to recognize their faces and remember their code names. Well, most of them, I think a couple slipped my mind.

Overall, these guys are in pretty good shape. Tight joints, no paint wear, o-rings holding up. There are a few that need repair. Tollbooth has a broken crotch, but fortunately I have an extra. Sgt Slaughter's t-hook broke, so he needs a little help. There are a few more that have loose o-rings, but most of them are in excellent shape.

My original intention is to sort them and maybe... sell them...

Maybe...

I don't know if I can...

Maybe...

Check this out

2011-10-26T16:52:00.002-05:00

I accidentally found a blog thief while looking at my traffic feed.

Check out these links -

http://gunswallpaper.blogspot.com/2011/07/searching-for-types-of-guns.html

http://reasonablyintelligentrambling.blogspot.com/2011/07/searching-for-types-of-guns.html

http://gunswallpaper.blogspot.com/2011/06/photoshop-fun.html

http://reasonablyintelligentrambling.blogspot.com/2011/06/photoshop-fun.html

http://gunswallpaper.blogspot.com/2011/05/gi-joe-tomahawk-transport-helicopter.html

http://reasonablyintelligentrambling.blogspot.com/2011/05/gi-joe-tomahawk-transport-helicopter.html

Amazing! He has the same exact stuff as me! How clever!

Nope, nope, nope...

2011-08-11T20:52:00.001-05:00

I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his health care scam.

I do not like these dirty crooks, or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals, I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like ex-speaker Nan, I do not like this 'YES WE CAN'.

I do not like this spending spree, I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.

I do not like their smug replies, when I complain about their lies.

I do not like this kind of hope. I do not like it... nope, nope, nope.

More thoughts on "Exorcist" by Max Brooks

2011-08-10T21:09:00.001-05:00

Have you read “Tales from the Cobra Wars”?

Do you have a favorite story from the anthology?

The story “Snake Eyes” is, well, about Snake Eyes. It's pretty good, but too much super-ninja Snake Eyes. I'm real tired of the super-hero Snake Eyes.

There are other very good stories but there are two elements that a re a bit much. Too much Duke and Scarlett seems to get injured in nearly every story that she is featured in. Poor girl.

My absolute favorite story in the anthology is “Exorcist” by Max Brooks. This story is an apparent transcript of a possible recruit for the Joe team, one that specializes in the psychiatric care of soldiers.

There are a couple key quotes from the story that just rocked me to my core.

“Do you know that this is the first time in American military history that the number of suicides has surpassed combat deaths? Do you understand what that means? MORE SOLDIERS ARE KILLING THEMSELVES THAN ARE BEING KILLED BY THE ENEMY!” (author's emphasis)

The implication from this story is something that is rarely touched on in this fantasy toy world of ours. Sure, I know that these are toys, but for many of us, they occupy “real worlds.” I know, not real, but you get the idea. They are just toys.

But what about the psychological impact of such combat conditions against Cobra for so many, many years? How tough is it on the soldier's psyche? Especially these elite soldiers – they are still just human beings. Same goes for the Cobra troops. How much death and destruction can soldiers bear before they reach the breaking point?

How mentally fragile is Snake Eyes? Not the super Arishikage-mind-set mega-ninja, just the man. And in reflecting on the characters behind these toys, think of those out here right now, fighting and dying for freedom – the Real American Heroes.

Steel Brigade vs Cobra Soldiers

2011-07-28T19:45:00.005-05:00

So joedios.com is having a diorama contest that ends on August 3rd. I think I can set up a pretty good dio, but nothing compared to some of the guys on Joedios. I figured I would give it a try. Since I have four each of the Steel Brigade and Cobra troopers, I thought of an idea...

What the...

2011-07-21T16:38:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know these are spam comments, but, damn, they're funny!

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Yeah, okay, whatever...

John Carter of Mars

2011-07-21T13:59:00.007-05:00

It's about time. John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs is finally making it to the big screen - any screen, actually. After being pushed around for nearly 79 years, John Carter will be in the theaters in 2012.

I had read a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was younger, primarily the Pellucidar series and the Caspak trilogy. I had never read any of the Barsoom series. I must make amends!

I inherited the series from my grandfather a couple years after he passed away. He was a serious science fiction fan and I was too young to appreciate that about him. I would have loved to discuss science fiction with him. Perhaps I inherited my love of science fiction from him. I'm okay with that!

So my goal will be to read all eleven of these books well before the movie premieres next year. It really shouldn't be that difficult. I just need to get a couple other books read that I have already started and dig in to these.

The other side...

2011-07-21T13:47:00.003-05:00

Just the other side of the battlefield playset. Not much to see. Customizing potential, I guess.

Sometimes Cobra wins...

2011-07-17T21:25:00.003-05:00

So I get a comment on my previous post - "waiting for next post." Oh the pressure! I had set up a quick dio of some Cobra troops over-running some Joe troops. The good guys don't win all the time.

The Hiss tank nailed the Steel Marauder mech suit and Cobra ground troops are heading in to clean up any resistance.
Each side suffers casualties.
Steel Brigade troops get ready for a counter offensive.
There may be too many Cobra troops to deal with this time.

Alley Vipers backed up by Cobra Resolute Vipers are a tough combination.

Troops on Patrol

2011-07-11T18:34:00.002-05:00

Searching for types of guns?

2011-07-07T06:03:00.003-05:00

This silly ridiculous blog o' mine gets a moderate amount of hits from around the world. Okay, maybe moderate is too strong of a word in describing my traffic. Whatever. I still get a decent amount of traffic. But lately I have been getting tons o' hits to this entry about Marauder "Gun Runners" and the 1/18th scale weapons made for action figures. Yes, toy guns, not real guns.

So how are people from around the world finding this entry? I did a few experiments and found out something interesting when you do an image search on Google for "types of guns."

This is what the first page looks like, at least from my search.

See that 5th entry? That's my picture from my post. Weird. I make a post reviewing 1/18th scale guns and I wind up being found by people from around the world searching for "types of guns."

It's a strange world.

Well, whatever gets me traffic, I guess.

G.I. Joe Raider - 1989

2011-07-05T07:49:00.004-05:00

I'm Worldwide!

2011-06-24T09:48:00.011-05:00

Just a list of countries that have visited this silly little blog in the past couple of days.

(I was going to stop updating this list. but more countries keep checking out this nonsense.)

Jordan Montenegro Ukraine Bahamas

France Serbia Sweden Sri Lanka

Cambodia New Zealand Romania Netherlands

Norway Ireland Slovenia Philippines

Australia Israel Russia Senegal

Tunisia Austria Singapore Bulgaria

Indonesia India Malaysia United Kingdom

Pakistan United Arab Emirates Jordan Greece

Germany Vietnam Czech Republic Canada

Saudi Arabia Brazil Georgia Suriname

Poland Hungary and of course, the United States

Pretty cool! I've got a world-wide audience.

Thanks to all who visit this nonsense! Hope you enjoy it!

Photoshop Fun!

2011-06-20T19:01:00.005-05:00

Just messing around today trying my hand at an aerial shot. My first attempt is with a flight pod and one of the new Cobra Troopers. While trying to figure out what to suspended the flight pod on or from, I spotted an old piece of curtain rod. With a small clear rubber band and a delicate sense of balance, I was able to get the flight pod somewhat secured to the rod.

The next step was a little creative editing in Photoshop Elements. It took a few tries,but I finally figured out the best way to eliminate the curtain rod.

Works for me!

Pursuit of Cobra VAMP

2011-06-17T18:56:00.004-05:00

The Pursuit of Cobra VAMP didn't seem to appear at regular retail chains with any regularity late last year. Fortunately, Ross picked up some of Hasbro's extra stock.

Also fortunately, I lucked up and found one for $11.99! Well below the original retail price.

Random pictures again...

2011-06-04T19:41:00.004-05:00

Custom Rock & Roll using Hollow Point's head and Resolute Duke's body.

Custom heavy combat Beach Head using Skydive's body, Resolute Beach Head's head and POC Beach Head's web gear.

Custom Scrap Iron using Scrap Iron's head and POC City Strike Destro's body w/ a vintage Joe weapon.

Inspiration...

2011-06-02T14:25:00.003-05:00

Something very exciting happened to me today in relation to this post.

Among all the things that I would like to do while on summer break, I think that I will write.

Write something, anything. Just write.

I would like to believe that I have a decent ability to write, but it will never get any better until I write.

And write.

And write and throw it away.

And start over again.

And write some more.

G.I. Joe Tomahawk Transport Helicopter

2011-05-29T19:59:00.003-05:00

I took the Tomahawk out into the yard today for a few photos. Basically one static scene from various angles.

I knew I would have a rough time trying to stand the troops up in the dirt, so Marauder "Gun Runners" to the rescue! I had received a few of the clear IDS stands and figured that this was the perfect opportunity to try them out.

I dug down into the dirt a little, buried the stands with loose dirt. No worries about the troops toppling over!

The Tomahawk is still such an awesome vehicle. Still works great with Pursuit of Cobra figures.

Hey, Hasbro - we need a new Tomahawk! Get on it!

Exorcist

2011-05-21T16:39:00.008-05:00

Inspired by Max Brooks' story "Exorcist" in Tales from the Cobra Wars. An amazing story that really touches an important element of the reality of being a soldier. The mental health of a soldier.

"My God, what have I become?"

"Exorcist" is a transcript of an apparent interview with a combat psychologist and the experiences that he has encountered throughout his life. Probably a pre-recruitment interview prior to joining the G.I. Joe team.

From the story (in regards to looking at psych files) -

"I mean...just one of them, the ex-model, just treating her alone would buy me a sailboat."

"And some of the others, your sniper, your EOD, your SEAL... cool code name, that one,very phallic."

After serving in such intense combat situations against Cobra for so long, how messed up mentally are these guys? How close to the edge are some of these guys?

I know, they are just toys and aren't real, but it gave me a lot to consider in regards to real American Heroes and what they undergo in combat and when they get back home.

Powerful story by Max Brooks. The absolute best story in the collection.

Helix & her team

2011-05-03T19:31:00.002-05:00

Agent Helix is probably the best figure to come out of the Rise of Cobra movie line.

The Truth about Cobra

2011-04-26T15:57:00.004-05:00

Well, according to me...

The coolest part of the G.I. Joe mythos created by Hasbro is that the essential story of the Real American Heroes characters can be lifted up out of it's original location in history and re-booted into a different time period. G.I. Joe fans constantly do that, rewriting, re-imagining the G.I. Joe concept into their own "Joe-verse."

I think I have finally figured out mine, to somewhat include the 80's versions and move on into the 10's. This will be a multi-part post, chunks getting posted here and there.

So on with the show!

"A ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world!"

That's the tag-line from the animated series from way back in the 80's - and it worked back then. Or did it? Did or does Cobra Commander really want to rule the world? Doesn't he know how much paperwork that would involve? Just the sheer complexity of the bureaucracy would be overwhelming! So what does Cobra Commander want?

Again, just my humble opinion...

Cobra Commander is a chaos bringer. He doesn't want to rule the world, he wants chaos and anarchy. He wants nations to collapse and crumble. He wants people to come to him for help and guidance and protection.

He will use every means possible to wreak havoc - from open warfare to societal influences. He will latch onto any socially progressive right-wing/left-wing extremist and subvert their cause to his.

He would watch the world burn around him and gather the survivors to his fold.

Cobra Commander is a mad man.

To Infinity and Beyond!

2011-04-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

A Great Day at Ross!!

2011-04-23T15:41:00.002-05:00

My lovely wife sends me a text yesterday from Ross asking if I would be interested in another HISS tank. Well, yeah! Who wouldn't?

So after several frantic texts, she finally gets me TWO HISS tanks and TWO of the "Twin Terror Battle Gun" sets - with Range Vipers!!

I've seen the Range Viper sets online and knew that they were showing up at Ross, but was never sure that I would make it to Ross and be able to buy them. Of the Target exclusives that Target dropped and Ross picked up (how weird is that?), this was the one that most Joe fans were talking about online. The "Twin Terror Gun" is pretty cool, kind of blah, sort of sucks - but the Range Viper kicks butt!!

Pursuit of Cobra Snake Eyes

2011-04-23T15:28:00.002-05:00

This is one serious kick-ass figure! Hasbro really did an outstanding job with Snake Eyes. What version is this, by the way? 54 so far according to yojoe.com. At least one more coming out this year, but this is the best so far.

I've added some extras to mine. I found a cool black backpack that works great with him. Plus a better looking explosives satchel.

Looks great on card as well. Most POC figures do, even if they turn out to be bizarre nonsense such as tornado-kick Snake Eyes and dance-party Stormshadow.

Even More Random Pictures

2011-02-22T17:07:00.004-05:00

BLAM!

2011-01-21T23:22:00.004-05:00

If you haven't read GI Joe: Cobra #12 yet, do it! Now!

I lied...

2010-12-31T23:54:00.002-05:00

One last post...

I sincerely wish each and every loyal reader and random visitor a happy, prosperous and wonderful New Year.

Congratulations to planet Earth for another successful transit around the sun. Kick ass, big guy!

Oh yeah, leave me some comments? Maybe something "reasonably intelligent?"

Last Post of 2010 - Random Pictures

2010-12-31T23:11:00.006-05:00

Have I mentioned that the Power Team line of vehicles and playsets are un-freakin'-believable? Seriously, these are some really cool items. I've picked up a little bird helicopter, a humvee and the battlefield playset.

The battlefield is a bombed out building with a bunch of extra stuff to go along with it. Oh, wait, the figures? They are kind of crappy. But that's okay, the vehicles kick some serious ass. Hasbro, take notice - PTE kicks yer butt in the quality low priced vehicle category.

So in general, the bombed out building is kind of goofy looking, but when photo'd and cropped, it looks pretty sweet! Plus a little mad Photoshop tweaking can make the pics a little better.

My custom Alley Vipers kicking the Power Team soldiers collective asses. Sorry, PTE dudes, just cannon fodder for me.

Sort of an overall shot of the Alley Viper assault. That's a Cobra Deviant mech to the left (w/o weapon arms - they're kind of stupid). Seriously, a grappling hook and a battering ram? C'mon, Cobra, step up!

Duke doesn't like you and would rather that you left immediately. I would recommend at least looking through the rest of the pictures and at least leaving some sort of reasonably intelligent (hah!) comment.

Beach Head is not to thrilled with you either and would appreciate (again) reasonably intelligent comments. I like this picture - good use of Photoshop tweaking.

Stalker has comments to share with you in regards to your mother. Hey, he said it, not me! Cool ass custom, very easy, kicks serious butt.

Roach (yeah, I stole the ID from Rick, but he started it with extra-ordinary awesome pictures) lays down some fire on some bad dudes.

General Hawk's movie noggin on a POC Beach Head body. Looks cool to me. A little more of a bad-ass now. Col. Quaid, kick-butt field commander of the Joe team.

Helix doesn't like the look of your face and would like you to go away. But leave some reasonably intelligent (there it is again!) comments. Please? Validate me?

Zartan doesn't like you either.

Destro and some of his best buds, plus some Elite Vipers inside the building. They belong to Destro now. Only because I said so.

The Baroness and some body guards. Who is guarding who? Or is that whom? I don't care. She'll kick your ass and make you like it.

Okay, so much with G.I. Joe toys. Dengar doesn't like you and would like to claim the bounty on your head. What do you mean, you don't have a bounty on your head? Watch your back.

Bossk is a nice guy, tho. He says, "Yo, Hommie! Sup? C'mon in and I'll try not to tear out your mammalian throat!" Really, he's a nice guy. Trust him. Kick-ass figure.

Peek-a-boo! I'm here to devour your children!

So, I guess that's it for 2010. Just random pictures with a pretty cool Power Team playset and a random selection of detailed military figurines (okay, they're toyz!). And some silly random comments. If I offend anyone, leave me some reasonably intelligent comments!!! PLEASE!?!?!

More Random Pictures

2010-12-28T16:31:00.003-05:00

THANOS!!

Tossing the Silver Surfer around

Even Thor is no match for Thanos!

Going over final details of the mission.

Boldly go!

Rebel pilot & faithful astromech droid.

Clone troopers!

Barbarian Hulk!

Bossk!

Resolute Cobra Troopers - Part 3

2010-11-28T20:46:00.005-05:00

More Resolute Cobra Trooper pictures.

My seven blue troops, loaded and ready for combat.

The Black Widow kicks some trooper butt!

Group portrait of all of my troopers.

"I really hate these things."

And one BAT turns its head to watch the troopers pass.

G.I. Joe intruder on the premises. "I don't care who he is! Find him!"

"We have his sword, he won't get away!"

Snake Eyes knows that 14 against 1 is far too great of odds. Survival and escape is essential.

Resolute Cobra Troopers - Part 2

2010-11-27T22:13:00.004-05:00

Here is my next set of Resolute Cobra Trooper pictures.

Starting off with three of the red Cobra Troopers. Something about the red troops just didn't quite look right to me, so I changed them! These guys are armed with weapons from Marauder "Gun Runners", my favorite 1/18th weapon dealers! Two of these guys are wearing goggles from the Desert Viper figures.

Blue troops rushing past a printed background - whatever works! Armed with the "NCM" rifle from Marauders.

Cobra troops load up in the RHINO. Sorry, GI Joe, the blue of this vehicle looks too good with the Cobra troops!

Cobra Commander reviews the upcoming mission with his best soldiers.

Another shot with Cobra Commander and some of his soldiers. The blue troop is the "officer", he is wearing the vest from the TRU exclusive Firefly figure from the ROC line and the Red Fang Ninja head. The next two red troops have Night Creeper heads w/o the cloth "thingy". These guys are CC's bodyguards. The gray troop is actually the body from the TRU ROC Firefly with a blue trooper's head and an ATST driver helmet.

This is an older picture - pre-goggles. The Commander again with his troops. These are pre-goggles. Soon, I will be adding the goggles from the Para-Vipers and the Desert Vipers.

I actually took my toys outside and "played" with them in the dirt! Well, sort of... Just posed them and took pictures...

More pictures of the Resolute Cobra Troopers coming soon!

Resolute Cobra Troopers - Part 1

2010-11-24T13:23:00.005-05:00

Okay, just to get my nerdiness out of the way - I think that the Resolute Cobra trooper is one of the best Cobra troop builders that Hasbro has ever put out. They just frikkin' rock. Yeah, there are a couple issues - the legs and tiny feet make for difficult standing at times - but I still don't care. They kick butt!

So I'm going to crank out a few posts highlighting some of my many pictures of my Resolute troops. I've only got 7 blue troops and 6 red troops, but I think that I have made the most of them. Would I like more? Sure! Loads more! Will I ever get any more? We'll see - Joelanta 2011 is on the way!

With seven pictures per post, I've narrowed it down to four new posts. I wonder if I can get them all posted before next Monday?

So let's roll!

Resolute Duke and my first Resolute trooper. Reso Duke is a bad ass, more of a bad ass than the Cobra troop. Just one, need more!

Up to two Resolute troopers. These guys look good in groups!

I don't know how many I have at this point, maybe I'm up to my seven troops. I built this Lego hallway to use with my figures. Lego has amazing uses - works with my Joe figures! Duke has some trouble ahead of him right around the corner.

A side view of the Lego hallway. Pretty cool set!

Here's a shot with most of my troops. I think this is before Joelanta 2010 and my two additional red troops. Plus my favorite version of the Resolute Cobra Commander - I prefer the black version over the blue version.

Helix gets a chance to travel down the hall. Helix is one of the shining stars of the movie line of figures. Awesome!

"Just put a bullet in his brain and let's get this mess cleaned up."

The last picture for this post is from a "Fatality" theme at Joedios.com. The object was to "kill off" some characters - have them meet their end. I guess it's fitting - starting off this post with Duke taking out a Cobra troop and he finally meets his end at the hands of a bunch of them.

Pursuit of Cobra Alley Vipers

2010-11-24T08:50:00.009-05:00

While the new POC Alley Vipers are excellent figures, I decided to try a little different spin on them. I've always thought of the red Resolute Cobra Troopers as kind of blah, not nearly as cool as the blue versions. I wondered what the Alley Viper gear would look like on the red trooper.

So I gave it a try and really liked the result. To the left is the red trooper with the Alley Viper gear followed by the regular Alley Viper. Next is a red troop with the standard helmet and then a regularly geared up red troop.

I'm hooked. Most of my red Resolute troopers get the make over and I think they look better than the original. Better than a standard red trooper and they make a better Alley Viper. The head on the original is a bit unrealistically small and the full helmet doesn't really fit very well - too loose.

Just much better to me.

A bit "loud" with all the red, but then the original Alley Viper was bright orange!

The gear-less original Alley Viper bodies were not destined for the spare parts bin. I used the secondary black helmet and a Pit Trooper vest and turned them into some pretty decent looking Cobra troops. Don't know what sort of "viper" they can be named, but they still look pretty slick.

Just random pictures...

2010-11-02T10:30:00.003-05:00

Getting in a little photo time between grading student papers and honey-do list.

Cobra troopers on patrol. these guys are so cool! Want many, many more, but will be satisfied with the ones I have!

Duke gets dropped off for a solo mission. The Little Bird from PTE is excellent - great price, too!

Spirit/Billy gets spooked by something. Many of the new Pursuit of Cobra figures have some serious influence from Predator. No complaints from me!

Yeah, something was out there. Daemonite from Playmates Wildstorm toy line from the 90's?

Duke gets a "Solid Snake" make over. Easy, easy custom!

Hulkbuster Iron Man busts up some BATs!

The extra head from the new Zartan figure makes for a cool new Joe character!

More from Marauder's Gun-Runners

2010-09-01T05:02:00.004-05:00

Just a few more pictures of troops armed with Marauder Gun Runners weapons.

Cobra Commander and Destro enjoy their new weapons from Marauders!

Resolute Cobra troops get some new toys as well!

Resolute Beach Head, Flint and Stalker are pleased.

Snake Eyes likes his Mac-10's!

Shop Marauder's Gun Runners for all your 1:18 weapon needs!

GI Joe: Resolute - Duke & Snake Eyes

2010-07-31T10:50:00.004-05:00

I'm just not overly impressed with these new versions. They are still both very cool figures, but nothing tremendously exciting.

Duke with the cold weather gear on the left is the new Resolute version of Duke. This is the gear that he wore while he and Scarlett attacked the Cobra overrun Siberian base. A decent portrayal of the character, but just not impressed with just the one arctic geared figure.

On the right, is the original Resolute Duke figure from the original single card. Awesome figure, decent head sculpt, a great improvement on the overalll character design of Duke.

So here's the head swap, arctic Duke on the standard uniform Duke body. I like it. Angry ass-kicking Duke - works for me!

Resloute Snake Eyes on the left and City Strike Snake Eyes on the right. Same exact figure, just different paint apps. Mixing parts might be interesting, given the differences in the base gray color of both figures. I like the shorter sword and scabbard for the new version. The green goggles are pretty cool, too.

On to Cobras next week.

Just because these guys are cool!

2010-07-29T05:05:00.001-05:00

The three top stars of the GI Joe:Resolute set. Very nice updates!

GI Joe Resolute: Flint, Stalker & Roadblock

2010-07-29T04:54:00.002-05:00

A quick look at three of the new Resolute figures.

Flint - Resolute on the left, custom on the right. I liked my custom version, looked pretty good and filled the needed gap in my resolute line-up nicely. This new version is very cool. A great reuse of parts, nice head sculpt and well done web gear. Plus a clip of shotgun shells on his left wrist - nice touch!

Stalker - Resolute on left, custom on right. Again, I think I did a pretty decent job with the custom, but the new version really rocks. Looks like Snake Eyes' torso and Duke's legs. It's a good mix. The new head sculpt is great, captures the dreadlocks from the animation. Another win for Hasbro! Removable knife on the harness also - bonus points!

Roadblock - Resolute on left, Walmart exclusive on the left. Both are fantastic! Best new style figure version of Roadblock. Big, tall, bulky - just captured the character. There's a difference in gear, Reso RB has the gear that first came out with the Night Adder figure (probably originally intended for RB) and the WM version has Heavy Duty's vest - both work. The Reso version has a darker skin tone, would have been better if Hasbro had used the same skin tone. Minor complaint - still a good job by Hasbro.

Duke, Snake Eyes and the Cobras next week.

GI Joe: Resolute Scarlett (poor girl...)

2010-07-29T04:43:00.004-05:00

So much potential with this figure. Great sculpting on the body, just a really good update on the style of the classic figure. But that head, such a massive melon! It doesn't look too bad alone, but when compared to others - no way!

The head sculpt is actually quite good. Nicely sculpted, with just a little attitude. But it is just too dang big! IT"S HUGE! Time for a change.

Resolute Scarlett compared to my custom Scarlett, using Helix' body and Pilot Scarlett's head. The neck is too long when I tried the head swap. Nope!

Reso Scarlett and Original Scarlett. Again, neck too long. Nope.

Reso Scarlett and movie Desert Ambush Scarlett. Hmm...

Reso Scarlett and other movie Scarlett. Neck too long. Nope.

And the winner is... Movie Desert Ambush Scarlett! The head and height of neck worked out great. There's a little bit of a gap that allows for better movement with the long hair. So this is the new look for my Resolute Scarlett - no more massive cranium!

GI Joe: Resolute - Beach Head

2010-07-27T16:38:00.002-05:00

Too many GI Joe fans are too rigid in their thinking of these characters. When the two-pack with Beach Head and Main(Data)frame was released with an unmasked head for BH, some folks were pissed! "Oh no! Beach Head wouldn't have a mustache like that!" or "I never would have thought Beach Head would look like that!" Suck it up, it's just a toy!

I personally liked the unmasked head, looked kind of redneck-ish to me. BH is from Alabama, so... Besides, wouldn't his damn balaclava need to washed once in a while and do these "people" have to wear the same gear on every single mission? C'mon!

With a limited role in Resolute, it was still pretty cool to get this new version of Beach Head. It takes the basic concept of his original uniform, he gets a Resolute make-over.

The result is pretty slick. I really like this figure. BH is one of the gems of the Joe Resolute set.

Here's the Resolute version next to my custom version using the unmasked head with an extra resolute Duke body. The "official" version is a great re-use of parts and has an extra bit of coolness with the knife and scabbard on the web gear. the knife is removable! The collar under the head can be removed; still looks just fine the way it is.

The unmasked head works just great on this new version as well - even better in my opinion. Sometimes it's hot out there in the field and a man just might need to feel a cool breeze across his face.

Thoughts? Comments? Insults? Leave me a comment!

GI Joe: Resolute Cobra Commander - sort of...

2010-07-27T09:23:00.004-05:00

The Resolute Cobra Commander released in the Cobra 7-pack is virtually the same exact figure from the single card. While a cool figure, I didn't need another one.

So I used the basic simple silver helmet along with the ROC Cobra Commander and now?

It's the Cobra Commander form IDW's GI Joe comics!

Well, sort of...

Close enough for me!

A Quick G.I. Joe: Resolute Review

2010-07-27T07:30:00.004-05:00

The G.I. Joe:Resolute sets are here! This will be a pretty quick review, based on first impressions of the figures as I opened the sets.

The first set to look at is the G.I. Joe set. From left to right - Snake Eyes, Beach Head, Duke, Flint, Scarlett, Roadblock and Stalker.

First impressions -

Snake Eyes - just a straight repaint of the City Strike Snake Eyes figure released as a part of the movie line. Excellent figure, both have elements of superior painting, but parts can't really be mixed due to differences in the base gray color of the body.

Beach Head - His first (official) appearance in the Resolute line. Very well done. Great head sculpt. Great re-use of many of the Resolute Duke parts. one of the gems in this set.

Duke (cold weather gear) - A nice angry Duke. He's pissed, that's for sure. A good reuse of assorted parts. I've got one issue with this particular figure, the left shoulder joint seems to be stuck. I need to be careful in freeing the motion.

Flint - Another gem! Flint's first appearance in Resolute. Very well done. Great head sculpt, great reuse of parts.

Scarlett - A hit and a miss at the same time. The body is well sculpted. I think the body comes from the originally planned City Strike Scarlett (maybe?) and is very well done. The head sculpt is actually well done. But, the head is HUGE! Way, way out of proportion! Massive head with the slender body just doesn't work. A head swap is in her future.

Roadblock - a repaint of the Roadblock that came with the Walmart Exclusive Outpost Defender set from last Christmas. The Resolute version has a much darker skin tone. He is also using the web gear from the Night Adder figure. Works very well for the the Joe team's heavy machine gunner.

Stalker - First entry into Resolute. Well done, excellent use of parts. Great head sculpt, captured his dread locks from the animation. He uses a Snake Eyes torso and Resolute Duke's legs for a lean, wiry look.

Good stuff overall. I will be doing another post later with some closer detailed pictures of each figure. Stay tuned.

The GI Joe: Resolute animation was so cool (yeah, there were weak points in the storyline) that I had to make some of my own custom versions. the following picture are some of my customs and some of the official Resolute figures.

From left to right -

City Strike Snake Eyes - officially from the Rise of Cobra line, but based on the Resolute character.

Beach Head - a mix of the alternate Beach Head unmasked head, the 1st 25th version vest and a resolute Duke body. Worked for me!

Resolute Duke - the only official GI Joe: Resolute figure. A great base for additional customs.

Flint - Flint's head from the Flint in disguise figure, his original web gear and a Sgt Stone body. Not bad, pretty cool!

Scarlett - Helix' body with Pilot Scarlett's head. Works well together!

Roadblock - From the above mentioned Walmart set. Excellent figure!

Stalker - a standard Stalker head on the 1st 25th Annv Beach Head body with a Pit Trooper vest. A pretty decent custom.

Most of these guys are now officially "retired."

Now on to a quick look at the Cobra set and some quick first impressions.

Zartan - Not enough adjectives to describe this figure. The absolute best figure of this set. Amazing, incredible, excellent, whatever. Just really well done!

Alley Viper - Pretty decent figure. Great use of parts. Interesting shoulder pads, glued on and flexible allows the shoulder joint to be hidden. Nasty, mean head sculpt!

Destro - Very nice! Tall, regal, very fitting for Destro. Nicely sculpted long coat. I don't care for the robot arm that is included, it has limited articulation and just doesn't work with the character.

Baroness - Suffering from the Scarlett big-head syndrome. Excellent overall sculpting, but the head is just too dang big.

Cobra Commander - Straight re-release of the single card Resolute CC. Still a great figure. He's going to become parts for another custom.

Storm Shadow - Mixed feelings on him. I like the character, but I'm just tired of him. The hood is too big over the head. The vest can come off to reveal a bare chest. I like the head sculpt, but I'm just not overly impressed with him.

Firefly - I think the TRU exclusive Firefly from the ROC line was actually a little better and I used him as a custom. The head sculpt is good. I'm just not too excited by this guy. Looking forward to the POC Firefly coming out soon.

So that's about it for a quick review. More detailed reviews of the figures, especially the Joes, coming in the next few days. Stay tuned!

For the best reviews of anything G.I. Joe, go to GeneralsJoes. Justin Bell does the best work and has some brilliant photography.

Hey, what do you think? Leave me a comment!

GI Joe:Resolute - Arrived today!

2010-07-26T13:37:00.002-05:00

Just arrived mere moments ago! Posting even before I open them! I'm one happy kid right now! Gotta' go, toys to play with!

Original Flocking No Hair Rubs

2010-07-26T07:35:00.003-05:00

My 1/6th Joes have a new home.

Original Flocking No Hair Rubs

No little Joes allowed. Just the big dudes.

G.I. Joe: Resolute Duke - another look

2010-06-16T19:01:00.007-05:00

I find it interesting to look at my live traffic feed and see where people are coming from. Sometimes, some of the posts that I have done become a featured topic in a Joe related forum. A picture of the un-produced Baroness 1/6th figure was recently featured in a thread on hisstank.com.

A post of mine about customizing Power Team head sculpts to work with Hasbro bodies was featured in the forums on onesixthwarriors.com. Cool stuff! My blog actually gets some readers once in a while!

Now if only folks would leave comments - and not the random "selling shoes to make money" or pharmaceutical spam comments - real comments! I get a few, but not much. Even poor random bloggers like me need validation once in a while!

Anyway...

Sometimes I get hits from people who search for Resolute Duke. What's really cool about that is that my humble, sad little blog is #2 on google.com when searching for "resolute duke."

Now that's cool!

So up top there is my 1/6th scale Resolute Duke with a minor update to his uniform.

This is my original version -

Similar enough to the 3 3/4" version, but still needing work.

I found a thin black pull-over and a light brown t-shirt that seemed to work a little better for lil' Duke's uniform.

Looks better! Now I need to keep an eye out for a vest/combat harness that is closer to the small version.

Duke and Duke agree! The XM-8 is a great weapon!

Hey, maybe I'll get bumped to Google's #1 spot in the search for Resolute Duke!

Screaming Duke

2010-05-14T04:40:00.005-05:00

The GI Joe team's First Sergeant has been a target of mixed opinions for years. Since Duke's first appearance back in 1983, he has been heroic at times and the subject of ridicule other times. Over 40 action figures later, he is still considered by some to be a laughing stock of the GI Joe world - c'mon, enough with all the multiple versions of Duke!

The Resolute version of Duke finally brought about some redemption for the poor guy. But this guy is destined for continued ridicule. What was meant to be a heroic yelling angry Duke looks almost laughable. He has either been kicked in the stones or needs a bit more fiber in his diet.

After recently picking up screaming Duke at Joelanta 2010, I'm going to pile on the abuse on this guy. Just too easy a target!

C'mon, Duke, it's just a little snake! Man up!

Would this be considered a negative side effect?

Duke's nightmares continue... Really? This is how he had to be portrayed in film? Really?

There is still hope for Duke, the Pursuit of Cobra version coming out later this year looks very cool!

But I'm still going to put screaming Duke through toy hell! Sorry, dude!

Marauder Gun Runners - A Quick Review

2010-05-11T05:28:00.012-05:00

**Update - July 7th, 2011 - I am continually amazed at the number of hits that this post gets. I don't get a lot of traffic here at this silly blog, but I got 20 hits for this post in the past 8 hours - from all over the world! I don't know if people are actually searching for Marauder's toy guns or actual gun runners or... I don't know.

So... if you stumble across this post in your search for weapons to arm yourself with or whatever your reason is, share a comment! Why did you stop by this post? I'm interested in hearing your story! **

**Update - I've been getting tons of international hits for this post. Some folks searching for gun runners? Planning a revolution?

Suckers - my post is about 1/18th scale TOY guns!

In the immortal words of Captain James T. Kirk - "Well, double dumb ass on you!"

...and now on to the review!**

Marauder "Gun Runners" is an essential part of any 1/18th scale figure collector. They create an amazing array of 1/18th scale accessories for action figures. I heard about them a couple years ago and finally ordered a couple different times, picking up an assortment of weapons and accessories. Amazing, amazing stuff! Incredible detail, ready to be painted if desired. Just really great work. Customer service is great at Marauder's as well! Quick shipment, a couple extras thrown in your order, just can't say enough good things about them! So I thought I would share a few thoughts about some of the weapons that I have purchased from Marauder's.

The above picture shows most of the types of guns that I have purchased (in multiples, of course). The names are directly from Marauder's. I know that first one is on there somewhere, just couldn't find it. Just a clarification, I don't know nothing much about guns, okay? I just know what I like and what I think looks cool!

What follows are just a few pictures of some of my GI Joe figures trying out their new Marauder weapons.

I used a Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes figure and a Star Wars Rebel pilot head to create my mysterious assassin armed with the 50 cal sniper rifle. I think they look good together!

Duke and Beach Head on patrol with the #1 gun. Can anybody out there help me out with the name of this gun? Cobra Troopers load up armed with the NCM assault rifle. Based on the Colonial Marines assault rifle from the movie "Aliens," this gun just works great with my Resolute Cobra Troopers.

Cobra Commander's personal body guards get the pulse rifle (#9). They deserve top notch firepower to protect the Commander.

Snake Eyes gets ready to break down a door and spray to room with his two SWAT mini K's (#6). Excellent weapons for everybody's fave GI Joe ninja.

Helix and a couple of her girls show off some of their new toys. Scarlett has the commando assault rifle (#14), Shira has the SWAT HK machine gun (#5), while Helix tries out the P90 PDW (#2).

And lastly (for now), Duke and two other Delta 6 commandos try out the Scar H Assault Rifle, very cool guns for these armored troops.

So that's a brief look at some of Marauder Gun Runner's work. I'll post some more pictures of some of the other types of guns.

If you need 1/18th scale weapons for your troops, Marauder's is the place to go!

Troops of Doom is back!

2010-04-20T04:37:00.003-05:00

The greatest web comic featuring GI Joe, Star Wars, and Star trek action figures - plus Lego mini-figs - is back! After being on hiatus for several months, with the world holding its breath - Kraig has returned with a celebration of Troops of Doom's 200th anniversary!

Go there now - yes, right now - stop what you are doing and just go!

You won't regret it!

Go!

Joker Squad Revisted

2010-04-05T19:10:00.005-05:00

So much for the Joker Squad...

From left to right -

Jake Farrell - former Rebel pilot, now Cobra scientist

Sgt Harkas - former Joker Squad Commander, now Cobra scientist

Vax Potorr - ex-Joker Squad

Jes Gistang - ex-Joker Squad

Hondo Carr - ex-Joker Squad

Shira Brie - ex-Rebel Pilot

Anson Trask - ex-Joker Squad

John Branon - ex-Rebel Pilot

These Star Wars head sculpts make great customs with GI Joe bodies! Just a little filler in the larger head socket and you are ready to go!

The Doctor's body makes for a great custom base for a cabal of Cobra Scientists.

Joker Squad Review

2010-03-15T07:55:00.008-05:00

The website Entertainment Earth has had some interesting exclusive sets in recent years, most related to Star Wars. There were two sets that featured a variety of Astromech (R2-D2 type) droids. One of the most recent is a set called Joker Squad. Joker Squad is based on a comic series that covers the story of the Stormtroopers of the 407th Division.

“The Stormtroopers of the 407th division-- Anson Trask, Sergeant Harkas, Jes Gistang, Hondo Karr, and Vax Potorr-- are sent to take down one of their own. The 908th division is going to defect to former Emperor Fel's side against the current Sith regime. The 407th is ordered to stop the defection, and Sith Lord Maleval joins them to ensure that they finish the job.”

So I stumbled upon one of these sets at Ross for only $14.99, $25.00 lower than Entertainment Earth’s price. How Ross got these sets and at such a low cost was a bit of a surprise. I did see the set again at a different Ross store. The stores Marshall’s, Ross and TJ Maxx have been known for getting some GI Joe stuff in at some great prices. Supposedly the elusive GI Joe DVD set #5 has been spotted at Ross for only around $12.99 – I haven’t had that kind of luck!

I thought I would take a look at this set and give my two cents on the quality and value of the figures. So here goes…

Lord Maleval, a Quarren Sith Lord armed with a red lightsaber and a lightwhip. Loyal to Darth Krayt, this Quarren villain features a cloth robe with wires inside so you may pose it any way you see fit along with loads of articulation.

Okay, a Quarren Sith Lord? Really? He/it is actually an interesting figure. Decent articulation – swivel shoulders, elbow and wrist movement, ball & socket neck, waist movement, hips, thighs, knees, and feet. Decent sculpting as well. The fabric cloak is interesting with the wire to assist in posing the robe. Overall, I’m not really impressed with him/it and he may wind up on eCrater.

Sergeant Harkas, or "Hardcase" as his men call him, has uniquely decorated armor indicating his rank. This tough-as-nails trooper leads his men against the opposition in the name of the Emperor!

Jes Gistang handles the heavy weapons in Joker Squad, and she's the first-ever female Stormtrooper in the Star Wars action figure line! With slicked-back red hair and a weapon nearly as big as she is, this amazing figure is ready to rain down the pain on her enemies!

Vax Potorr was born on Coruscant, and through a life of hardship, he eventually found his way into Joker Squad. Ready to jump head-first into battle, he has his eye on the enemy and his blaster aimed right at their heads!

Hondo Karr, rumored to be an ex-Mandalorian, is as proficient with his blade as he is with a blaster. Surprising for a Stormtrooper, this anti-authoritarian loose cannon is a bit of a mystery. Can he be trusted with the future of the Empire?

Anson Trask, fresh out of training, is the "noob" of the group. Having just been assigned to his first mission, this soldier is ready to fight alongside his squad mates against a worthy foe-- a group of defectors!

So what do I think of these figures? The head sculpts are excellent, but that doesn’t save them – they suck – big time. Their arms seem a bit too long or their legs are too short – I can’t decide which. The blasters are soft bendy plastic and are just crap. Jes Gistang’s big weapon is a repurposed HEAT Viper’s anti-tank weapon. The overall articulation is decent but just not over-the-top impressive.

The biggest problem is that they are short! Plus they are nowhere near as cool as Clone Troopers. Not even close!

“You clowns replaced us? Seriously?”

“Hey, baby, what’s up?”

“Aren’t you a little short for Stormtroopers?”

The fate of these five Stormtroopers no longer lies with the Empire. Their heads will be reused on GI Joe bodies, unsure right now on how they are going to be used, but the head sculpts are just too cool to waste on these lame Stormtrooper bodies! I should be able to fill the Stormtrooper helmets with putty and stick them on the bodies to make some generic troops.

Just an idea!

Too busy, but lot's of ideas

2010-02-18T22:17:00.002-05:00

Been too busy lately, but have got plans for the near future to get this sad little blog rolling again.

Here are some potential future posts:

Review of Target exclusive R.H.I.N.O. vehicle
Review of Entertainment Earth Star Wars Joker Squad Stormtrooper set
Review of TRU Exclusive Palkia/Dialga figures (What? Pokemon toys? Seriously? Yeah!)
Post some pics of a storyline that I have been posting to Joedios.com

So that's a start. Anyway, hang on, my three followers and other random guests - I might actually finally post something new!

Book Review- insight: Photography & Dioramas by Gianni Lopergolo

2009-12-29T17:19:00.007-05:00

My Favorite Christmas Present for 2009!

I saw this book advertised several months ago and was very impressed by the images that Hasbro had on their website. The pictures were very impressive and beautifully crafted. This book speaks to the amateur and the professional photographer.

I'm a member of Joedios.com and frequently post my brave attempts at diorama photography, but my work is far below Lopergolo's work. There are some wonderfully skilled photographers on Joedios and all of the members can learn someting from the book.

The author of Insight, Gianni Lopergolo, offers much advice on how he created these wonderful images and shares some clever tips and tricks for his pictures.

Insight is much more than a book on diorama photography. Lopergolo has been living with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) for three years and chronicles some of his struggle with ALS. His writing is poignant, uplifting and inspirational. This book will inspire you at what ever your photographic skill level is.

Even more importantly, this book will inspire you as a person. I highly recommend this book to toy fans, photographers, heck - I recommend this book to everyone!

While it would be wonderful to share all the pictures with everyone, I will not do that. Instead, buy the book! But I do want to share some of my personal favorite pictures from Insight.

The pictures in the book cover G.I. Joe (12", 8" & 3 3/4"), Star Wars, Marvel figures, and even Action Man! I'm just a little biased toward Joe figures, so that's what I will be reviewing.

The first three are from the 2005 Bravo Collection of the 12" G.I. Joe line. These figures must have been planned just prior to the cancellation of the 12" line. Horrible, horrible shame! These three figures are amazing! I would have easily bought at least two of each!

Advanced Land Soldier - 2025
Excellent picture!

Advanced Land Adventurer - 2010
Amazing stuff!

Future Ops Code Breaker
The scenery in Lopergolo's sets is just amazing!

Desert Wolf from the Sigma Six line. No digital effects! Compressed air creates the gunshot blasts.

Marine Leatherneck from Sigma Six.

An unreleased 12" Baroness figure from 2002. Why, Hasbro, why? Amazing figure! I would have definitely bought this figure!

Postcard to Home.
Beautiful set up of the 40th Anniversary line.
There are several pictures from the 40th line that are just amazing.

The 3 3/4" line gets some love, too. Looks like a promotional picture for the DTC line. Really cool picture!

The Smokescreen Transport. Did this ever come out? I don't know. The amazing part of this picture is what Lopergolo used to set the scene - very surprising, very innovative!

The Sea, Air & Land 8" set (TRU exclusive) captured wonderfully.

Again, I highly recommend this book. It is an amazing look at some wonderful pictures showcasing the work of Gianni Lopergolo.

Make the investment, add this book to your personal collection, be inspired to seek to improve your own skills as a photographer. And most importantly, be inspired in life.

Set Building with LEGO

2009-12-23T08:17:00.015-05:00

Who would have thought that LEGO would make a great set for using with GI Joe figures? The round pegs on the top of the bricks are just a dead give-away and just don't look good with the Joes.

Here are a few shots of a set that I built with LEGO and used with some of my troops.

Duke gets ready, his only way out blocked by Cobra troopers.

A side view of the previous shot, showing the length of the hall.

Helix gets in on the fun, ready to clear the hall and make her escape.

Here is a shot from the weekend Joedios.com Fatalities Theme. Duke put up a good fight, but he's not going to make it through this mission.

So here is a brief tutorial on how I made the set. Shouldn't it just be a simple process of throwing some bricks together? Yeah, it is, but I thought I'd go into a little more detail.

The first step was to build the wall. I had a bunch of plain bricks and just decided to build a wall as a background for pictures. It actually took quite a few bricks to make the wall. I didn't have enough white bricks to make a solid white wall, so I added the red and black highlights.

A shot to give an idea of the height of the wall. It could be a little taller, but I decided that this would be a corridor in a subbasement somewhere.

This side is the side that will form the hallway.

A look at the roof panel. I used seven 8 x 16 x1 base plates and used the red flat strips to secure them.

I added various detailing on the underside just to give the hall a utilitarian look. I used various Technic pieces as pipes and valves.

Duke and Helix show off the wall and the roof. I added a column for support.

This is a back wall that will serve as the other side of the hall. I didn't have enough of the other typ of bricks to use and I thought that the blue beams with the holes could add some interesting lighting effects.

A look at the fully assembled set with all walls attached.

Helix stands by the corner support column while Duke waves from the back of the hall.

Another view from the side to give you an idea of different photographic angles.

New Dio posted on my Website

2009-10-10T10:29:00.002-05:00

I took a bunch of pictures using my 1/6th scale troops. I've got a little story to go along with it. Check it out here.

Check out my website!

Prehistoric Scenes - Just plain Awesome!

2009-09-26T21:23:00.002-05:00

I absolutely loved these models from back in the early years of the 70s. I wound up with the whole collection. Very cool stuff! Too bad it's all gone!

This first picture shows the first series. Dinos and humans together! Still awesome despite being extremely scientifically inaccurate.

Here's the lay out for the total series. I'll have to post scans of each individual kit.

More Classic GI Joe Coolness!

2009-09-26T21:13:00.004-05:00

Some more paperwork from the classic days of GI Joe!

Interesting replies from Hasbro for some of their mail in orders. Out of stock? Mail the kids some Flag Points as compensation.

An example of Flag Point bonuses for ordering from the bonus catalogs.

The mail-away order form for Duke and the Manta sail board.

The mail away for the Hooded Cobra Commander, along with the Manta sail board.

Cool stuff! I've got more to dig out and post. Stay tuned!

Old School GI Joe Goodness!

2009-09-25T16:53:00.004-05:00

I recently found some old ads that I had cut out years and years ago and had stuck away along with some other GI Joe paperwork. Cool stuff! I thought I'd share it with my "vast" audience.

IMHO, the finest, most awesome GI Joe vehicle! The Defiant Shuttle Complex! $129.99 at Toys R Us - I never saw it anywhere else. I think I bought mine a couple years after the initial release for $99.00.

Tiger Force advertisement - very cool stuff! I still have the Tiger Cat. The picture with the four figures shows that mythical Tiger Force character - Sabertooth. I think that was supposed to be his name. Proof that he existed in some form!

Another great ad - $2.99 for a GI Joe figure - oh those were the days!

Exclusive Night Force stuff from TRU. I was never really impressed with them and never bought any. Damn shame. The Night Striker (black Whale) is a huge pile of win wrapped in a soft taco shell of awesome!

More treasures uncovered and coming soon! Stay tuned! (both of you...)

Layering images in Photoshop

2009-09-15T04:37:00.002-05:00

I'm currently in the slow process of creating a photo montage with my 1/6th scale GI Joes. The basic idea is that the Joes are being pursued by Cobra forces - nothing very new there. The problem is that I don't have any Cobra vehicles or a large amount of Cobra figures. The two main 1/6th scale vehicles that I have are the HMMWV and the Chenowth light strike vehicle. The Chenowth doesn't have any insignia, so it gets to be used as a Cobra vehicle.

I wanted to create the illusion of multiple pursuers and came up with an easy way to do that with photo editing. I thought that if I used a tripod and had my camera in a stationary place and moved the vehicle to multiple locations, I could edit the pictures in Photoshop.

Here's the first picture.

Second shot, moved the Chenowth a little farther back and to the left.

Third shot, a little farther back and again at a different position.

Here's the final result after several attempts. The picture with the most distant vehicle wound up being the background with the other pictures being layered over in order of the distance.

Careful erasing and shifting layers to get the desired effect of multiple vehicles. Worked pretty good to me!

What do you think?

New GI Joe: ROC Exclusives @ Sam's Club

2009-09-13T19:08:00.003-05:00

Sam's Club has ROC exclusives - two packs of vehicles for $24.83. Snake Trak ATV w/ Armored Panther & Rockslide ATAV w/ Mole Pod. No variations on drivers - they look the same with no visible variations. Sorry for the lousy pictures - too close with the camera!

Oh, the carnage!

2009-09-06T17:00:00.003-05:00

My two newest Power Team guys were doomed before they even left the store. Once I got a glimpse of the detailed head sculpts, I knew they were destined for Hasbro super articulated bodies.
So much for the review, time for some carnage! Above is a Power Team head that I used for my tutorial on head swaps between Power Team and Hasbro bodies. The utility knife is ready to go!

One head sliced, needing to be trimmed and another ready and waiting!

The thick o-ring wedged in, ready for test fitting.

The Green Beret gets the treatment as well. Bottom of the neck post sliced, thick washer installed.

And here they are... Both successful survivors of radical head surgery! For a more detailed look at the process, check out this earlier post.

HEY!

YEAH, YOU!

Please feel free to leave a comment!

Power Team Review - Green Beret & SAS

2009-09-06T16:15:00.005-05:00

About a week ago, my wife and I stopped by a local Big Lots and I checked out the toy department to see what kind of "stuff" Big Lots had in stock. I was pleasantly surprised by the first signs of Christmas - Power Team figures at Big Lots! Yesterday, I finally picked up a couple of them - the Green Beret and the SAS soldier. So here's my review of these two guys.

I'm usually very pleased with Power Team figures in general, but when Hasbro cranks out high dollar molded shirt, minimal accessory figures, Power Team just kicks the big H's butt! Power Team figures come with cloth uniforms, usually a load of decently detailed accessories, and a $10.00 price tag that is hard to beat.

I have two big complaints about Power Team figures - the body style and the head sculpts. The body style is amazingly articulated. These guys have some of the best artic around for 12" figures. Rugged, tough and kid-friendly - they are great! But, for me personally, there are minimal limitations on the knee and elbow joints and they wind up looking a little goofy. Besides, I'm partial to the Hasbro super articulated body style, so I'm biased.

The head sculpts range from goofy looking to incredible detail. The two guys I picked were primarily for their head sculpts.

The first on the review block is the Green Beret - not much on the accessory department, but an excellent head sculpt.

The second is the SAS trooper. Again, great head sculpt and pretty good gear with this guy.

Here's a look at the package back. I'm hoping the deluxe set with the UAV shows up again this year. I don't want to miss it again! Most of these guys are great for kit bashing and restocking your 1/6th scale goodies. It's a tough market out there for 1/6th scale stuff!

Here's a close up of the Green Beret. I just like this sculpt. Detailed, a bit aged, five o'clock shadow. There is some character in this face!

Here he is outfitted with most of his gear. The vest is very high quality, very well made. His jeans are well done as well. Plus, he's wearing sneakers! How cool is that!

Here's a look at the GB's gear. Not much to look at. PT holsters are well made but not belt/web gear friendly. Not too thrilled with the AK-47 "ish" weapon. It will wind up in a box buried somewhere. The watch is nicely made and the head set is not so great. Everything else is pretty decent.

Here's a close up of the SAS guy. Another great head sculpt. He's got some pock-marks on the sides of his chin, nice natural lines in the face. Again, there's a character behind this head sculpt.

Here he is outfitted in his gear. The SAS troop has much more gear than the Green Beret and it's all pretty well made.

Here's a look at his gear. The hat? Not so much. The rifle? A British SA80 - this weapon is awesome! Excellent detailing and paint apps. Okay, it's not fine detail, but for the price, it's pretty damn sweet! There's a canteen and three pouches that fit on the web belt (another win) and a pretty decent back pack that has space to store stuff inside. The camo netting thingy? I guess it's a scarf or something. It's well made, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

I'm very pleased with these two figures. They are well made, have excellent head sculpts and decently made gear. I highly recommend Power Team figures for all 1/6th scale soldier collectors!

Too bad I'm going to cut their heads off!

HEY!

YEAH, YOU!

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G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Amazing Crazy Fun

2009-08-08T20:47:00.003-05:00

Well, I hit the theater today to see G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. It was amazing crazy fun. It was a blast! A roller coaster ride of larger than life heroes and villains. Just some brief thoughts...

The Baroness - Hot Hot Hot! Very much the villainess! Not thrilled with the nanomite explanation for her turn to evil, overall very good portrayal.

Stormshadow - excellent portrayal - visually exciting, well played, very cool.

Snake Eyes - not totally thrilled - very cool portrayal, but something not quite right. Didn't like the mouth on the costume. Vow of silence vs. injury - not so much.

Delta 6 suits - exciting sequence, lot's of fun!

James McCullen - very cool! Over the top bad guy!

The Doctor - interesting, creepy, well portrayed

Dr. Mindbender - briefly seen, but very creepy cool. Hope he's around for sequels!

Lt. Stone - Brendan Fraser's character - Cool! I like the guy - decent actor, suits being part of this team of heroes.

The Commander and Destro - not enough of them - I would have preferred that they had gotten away like in the novelization. They'll figure out a way to get free for the sequel(s).

Scarlett - looked awesome, didn't like the non-emotional aspect. The Snake Eyes/Scarlett relationship was downplayed - needed to be more a part of the two characters.

The Vipers - neo's, elites, whatever - not impressed at first, but I learned to like them much more very quickly. First thoughts were that they were basically mindless automatons. Maybe the neo-vipers were, but once other vipers were involved in conversations, they seemed more relevant to the story, not just targets for the Joe team.

The Pitt - amazing, amazing, amazing - too much to see in one showing. Going to have to slo-mo the DVD when it comes out!

Zartan - Arnold Vosloo - very creepy, minor role, but well done - and now he's the... wow!

Still too much spinning in my head - more thoughts later.

I hope it makes a ton of money this opening weekend and sequels are in the future! What a great way to head toward the 50th anniversary of G.I. Joe!

40 years in the making...

2009-08-01T19:26:00.006-05:00

I've been a G.I. Joe fan for a long time. I have no idea when this picture was taken, but I'm guessing that I was around 7 or 8, sometime around 1969-70. I'm the one on the left, by the way. That's my cousin, Randy, behind the G.I. Joe building.

My cousin lived in Massachusetts and his mom used to go to the Hasbro company store and buy him the coolest G.I. Joe stuff. He always had some awesome stuff. I wonder if he still does?

I played with Joe for many years after that, but as I got older, my Joe toys were very worn out and wound up in the trash. My poor yellow AT helicopter was probably more glue than plastic before it was finally "retired."

Years went by, the Real American Heroes line came out in 1982 and the infection was full on. From then on, I've been collecting G.I. Joe pretty regularly. Big guys and small guys.

And now, here I am, seven days away from the release of "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra." G.I. Joe finally makes it to the big screen.

It looks like it's going to be a helluva' lot of fun and I'm sure I'll have a big goofy smile on my face during the entire movie.

Watching "The Mummy" tonight on TV, only because it was directed by Stephen Sommers and he's directing "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" and there will probably be movie trailers. And there were trailers - looks great!

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-07-31T19:17:00.001-05:00

Seven days away...

I can't wait...

Mission Prep

2009-07-29T16:00:00.002-05:00

I decided to show the big Joes some appreciation. Can't go wrong with these guys!

G.I. Joe "movies"

2009-07-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

There's been lot's of discussions across the internet about this new G.I. Joe movie. The fans who grew up with these particular characters, at times, seemed disappointed that the 80's storyline was not used as a basis for the film.

I hate to be one to spoil the surprise, but it is 2009! Twenty-seven years have passed since the 3 3/4" line first appeared in toy stores. Surprise - things have changed! Life goes on, kids, grow up! I don't think that the storyline of the 80's line would be relevant today. But the concepts behind the overall storyline and the characters still works and will always work. It can be picked up out of it's original time period and dropped into any place in history, tweaking the story and updating the characters to reflect current events.

A lot of the Joes were originally Viet-Nam vets - no offense to those vets, but they'd be pretty old by now.

Other G.I. Joe collectors were upset that the original line of G.I. Joes was ignored in the new film. G.I. Joe, at that time, wasn't a specific character. He was an every-man, he became whoever the kid playing wanted them to be. Besides, there have been several films that, for me, brought about what G.I. Joe was all about - being heroes whether they wanted to be or not, being soldiers and fighting for the defense of liberty.

Here's just a short list of my favorite "G.I. Joe" movies -

Saving Private Ryan - my absolute favorite war film - it's extremely tough to watch, but a very powerful film.

We were Soldiers - another excellent war film - I need to watch it again

Blackhawk Down - soldiers as heroes - even against overwhelming odds and facing their ultimate fate

Bravo Two Zero - a little known movie with Sean Bean, British SAS go into Iraq on a covert mission and things go bad, very powerful

Run Silent, Run Deep - classic goodness, submarine warfare in WW2 and the conflicts of command

The Beast of War - a Soviet tank crew gets lost in Afghanistan and face a tyrannical commander and angry Afghans.

Hamburger Hill - powerful Viet-Nam era film, need to see it again, been too long

The Longest Day - more classic goodness, an epic war flim from the glory days of Hollywood

Patton - you can't beat George C Scott's portrayal - epic story, epic battles

Aliens - okay, it's Sci-Fi, but the colonial marines are just awesome - too bad they had to get trashed so badly by the bugs

I'm sure that there are many more worthy films to add to the list, but that's enough for now.

Mini Review of New GI Joe books

2009-07-03T10:56:00.004-05:00

I recently picked up the two G.I. Joe paperbacks currently on the market two days ago. The first is G.I. Joe: Above and Beyond, the prequel to the movie and, of course, the novelization of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

G.I. Joe: Above and Beyond takes place four years prior to the events of the movie and gives some important background information regarding the G.I. Joe team and Duke's impact into events that will become essential to the film.

As everyone probably knows b y now, Duke and the Baroness (Ana) had an early relationship, with Duke and Ana having been engaged. This story delves into what drove them apart and sets the stage for important character development for the movie - primarily Ana's brother, Rex.

Overall, it's a fun read. Lots of excitement, things blowing up, covert missions and an excellent introduction to the already established G.I. Joe team. They have been in existence for years are shadow Duke's military missions for greater purposes.

I won't let out too many spoilers for this book. Again, it's a fun book to read. It definitely is over the top in it's depiction of the action sequences, in the spirit of the silly cartoons from the 80's in which these characters first came to life.

There are some great battles between Stormshadow and Snake Eyes that should prove to be exciting on the big screen. I'm a little worried about Snake Eyes' transition to the big screen. I hope his "silent" character comes across just fine in the film.

The Doctor character is extremely interesting and how he becomes who he becomes is pretty cool! Not the used car salesman, but still a pretty decent origin. James McCullen's transition at the end is cool, but I would have preferred to see the "mask" much earlier in the film.

Cobra Commander and Destro are established at the end of the book/movie and I look forward to seeing more from them in full character mode in subsequent films. On that note, I hope that G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra does well enough to warrant at least a couple more films.

The very end of the book was a great turn of events, one that I saw coming earlier in the book, but it should still play out nicely on the screen and lead to some serious problems for G.I. Joe in future movies.

I read both books in just two days - I'm excited! I've been a G.I. Joe fan all my life, probably playing with my first G.I. Joe when I was around 6 or 7. I loved playing with the big guys when I was a little kid and I loved the Real American Heroes line from the 80's when I was a bigger kid. The toy line for the film looks incredible as well!

Now, as a 46 year old kid, I can't wait to see the movie during the weekend of August 7th. I don't think I'll make it for the opening night, but I'm making plans for August 8th!

A hearty Yo JOE to all G.I. Joe fans everywhere. Come out and support this film! This can set up the brand and keep it alive for a huge event in the future - G.I. Joe's 50th anniversary!

Random pictures

2009-06-23T19:53:00.004-05:00

Just some random pictures...

Some Cobra Troopers observe GI Joe activity off in the distance.

Flint's SkyHawk is downed by enemy fire and he waits for his pick up.

Rebel Pilot signals the rescue ship while his patient R5 unit waits.

Classic goodness - my two surviving "Heroes in Action" figures from the 70's.

Wall-E just wants some new friends, but they just walk by, ignoring him.

Watch the Exclusive Trailer for '2012'

2009-06-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

Whoa...

Friendship 7 Mercury Space Capsule - Yard Sale Goodness!

2009-06-20T15:19:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon this today at a yard sale. It's from a Timeless Collections set that was released exclusively at KayBee Toys back around 2000. It's a little banged up, but still in decent shape. The kid had a tub full of mangled, mutilated 1/6th GI Joes that was just a sad spectacle to behold.

Here's the beauty of today's find - I asked the kid how much? 50 cents! Sweet!

G.I. Joe: Resolute - Duke

2009-06-19T21:01:00.006-05:00

Duke has long been a less than favorite character of many GI Joe fans. Most of his original versions always had that same grinning goofy headsculpt. Not the look for one of the most widely made figures throughout the history of the G.I. Joe:A Real American Heroes characters.

The new animated version of Duke in "G.I. Joe: Resolute" took the bland, blah Duke and made him into a serious bad-ass. The toy version kicks butt as well. One of the best figures of the new 25th style figures.

Duke deals with the new Resolute Cobra Trooper, another outstanding new figure from the G.I. Joe line.

Beach Head gets the Resolute treatment courtesy of the unmasked Beach Head sculpt and an extra Resolute Duke body.

Duke steels himself, as Cobra troopers block his only way out. Lego has amazing uses!

My Resolute team grows - (from left to right) - Clutch, Flint, Duke, Beach Head, and Rock n Roll.

A lucky shot knocks out Flint's SkyHawk and his rescuers finally show up.

Resolute Duke gets a spin as a 1/6th scale version. Not the same as the 3 3/4" version, but it gets the idea across.

Joelanta 2009 Highlights!

2009-05-17T20:57:00.005-05:00

Stopped by Joelanta 2009 today for a couple hours - checking out the vendors and their assorted wares. Lots of cool stuff - way too many boxed WW2 German figures for my tastes! Not much of interest in the 12" scale for me this year.

Every year, the local club creates a massive diorama. This year, the theme was War of the Worlds. Here's the massive tripod they created - easily 12' tall!

The aliens were attacking this building, ripping it open and pulling out people. There's even a guy sitting on a toilet on one floor! Not as ambitious as the zombie project from a few years ago, but still pretty cool!

Just some random shots of the dealer floor follow. Lots of cool stuff from a wide variety of old toy lines.

This is a 1/6th scale R/C assault vehicle. I saw them online at an incredibly low price a couple years ago. Awesome to see it for real today. That would be so much fun tearing around the backyard, but a bit pricey!

Excellent custom vehicle! An alternate universe Nazi Luftwaffe speeder-bike thingy. Based off of the Kenner 1/6th scale Speeder Bike from several years ago. Very slick!

One of the entries in the Iron Joe competition. The two competitors had the park bench as their "secret" item. I liked this one the best - some odd-ball low level superhero perched on the bench. "Will chirp for food." Times are tough for even superheroes!

A couple more random shots of the dealer room. Lots of cool stuff here, but a bit too pricey for my budget!

Awesome 1/6th Little Bird helo!

Some excellent custom 1/6th scale soldiers. Excellent work, very expensive!

Overall, I had some fun. It was great to see some of the local club guys, I haven't seen them in a couple years.

My 14 year old daughter went with me. She had a pretty good time, humoring her goofy dad. I bought her a couple items that sparked her eye. This was the best part of the day, some fun, silly father-daughter time!

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

2009-05-04T05:19:00.000-05:00

G.I. JOE trailer in HD

New preview...
Looks like fun!

Joelanta - May 17th, 2009

2009-05-04T05:00:00.004-05:00

Joelanta is almost here!
May 17th - 10 am until 4 pm
Be there!

GI Joe Resolute - Finale!

2009-04-25T20:20:00.001-05:00

G. I. Joe Resolute Episodes 9 & 10

2009-04-23T21:40:00.001-05:00

G. I. Joe Resolute Episodes 9 & 10 are online! Enjoy!

G.I. Joe Resolute - Episodes 6, 7 & 8!

2009-04-22T20:04:00.001-05:00

G.I. Joe Resolute episodes 6, 7, & 8 are up!

G.I. Joe Resolute - Episodes 4 & 5!

2009-04-20T21:27:00.004-05:00

I haven't even watched these episodes yet. Got to spread the word! RESOLUTE Rocks!

G.I. Joe Resolute Online!

2009-04-18T20:30:00.002-05:00

The long awaited new animated spin on GI Joe is out!
G.I. Joe Resolute rocks! The first three webisodes have been posted to Youtube and they look phenomenal!

This is not the Real American Hero that you grew up with! People die! In one situation, lot's of people die! It's gritty, it's rough, and it kicks ass on multiple levels!

If only the movie would be this good!

Tree Removal in the Backyard

2009-04-10T13:33:00.004-05:00

About a week and a half ago, I noticed some problems with some pines in my back yard. One huge one was leaning dangerously toward my pool pump and outbuilding. Another had actually started coming out of the ground and was only being supported by another tree. They had to go! So I called a tree removal company and they came out yesterday and got to work!

Here's the tree guys assessing the situation and getting ready to start bringing down the trees.

A couple of the smaller ones are down and ground up and now they are working on the big one. No topping the tree, just carefully cutting out wedges to get it to go in the right direction.

It's hard to really pick it out, but the big one is one its way down!

CRASH! The tree is down, missing the outbuilding and the neighbor's fence. Well done!

The last tree was a little more scary. As it started to go, I heard them say "Uh oh!" It just barely missed my outbuilding, it tagged one shingle on the roof on the way down. Missed the pool pump - thankfully! I wanted to get shots of this tree on the way down, but I was watching in a little bit of horror as it seemed to be heading toward the outbuilding. Whew!

The trees are gone, all the debris is cleaned up and I've got a big pile of pine mulch for my flower beds. The guys are due to come back to grind up the stumps today. Hope they get here before the thunderstorms do!

Star Trek - May 8th - Be There!

2009-04-09T11:36:00.001-05:00

Send in the Clones

2009-03-28T20:33:00.006-05:00

Just a little project my son and I worked on one evening a few weeks ago.

Clones storming through a pass heading for combat.

Snake-Eyes - French?

2009-03-28T19:59:00.005-05:00

Over at General's Joes, Justin has posted a link to a script review of GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra on Ideology of Madness. Looks like the link has gone or the story got pulled from IoM, but there were a few hints and spoilers that were just.... wrong.

In the first part of the script review, during a flashback regarding Snake-Eyes, we are taken back to Snake-Eyes as a young French orphan in Viet Nam meeting the young Korean Stormshadow.

Uhh.. okay... WTF? Snake-Eyes is French in the movie? I don't want to disparage the French, but Snake-Eyes is a Frenchman? What the hell? Snake-Eyes is an icon of the Real American Hero line, almost a household name and he's French? Holy crap!

Now I get that in order to broaden the global appeal of the film, there has to be more of an international vibe to the characters. That's fine. Heck the British did that with Action Force. Some characters were reinvented with European backgrounds. No problem, works with the nations that they are being sold in, makes them more acceptable. A team full of Americans just won't sell world wide.

But Snake-Eyes as a Frenchman?
Merde!

I'm still going to go see the movie with an understanding that it's someone else' vision and that's okay. GI Joe on the big screen, in whatever form, is just exciting!

Even if the movie version of Cobra Commander looks idiotic!

Sideshow Snake-Eyes vs...

2009-03-27T20:36:00.004-05:00

Sideshow Toys has been shipping their 12" version of Snake-Eyes. The figure looks incredible, lot's of gear and lot's of detail. It's going to cost lot's of dollars as well - $119.99!

I just can't justify that kind of expense!

I've had a cheaper alternative for years. My 12" Snake-Eyes uses the Hasbro Super-Articulated body with Hasbro & 21st century gear. While not as insanely detailed as the Sideshow version, he looks good enough for me!

Plus, he has a removable mask!

Resolute Duke - Pure Awesomeness!

2009-03-21T09:14:00.003-05:00

"Bring me another... This one is broken!"

Duke has been redeemed! The lame grinning goofball is gone! Long live Duke!

Manic Monday...

2009-03-09T05:47:00.003-05:00

Well, not really.

Over at General's Joes, he's got a tag line that has me thinking a lot these days.

"A blog about the importance (or unimportance) of little plastic men"

...and that sums up a lot.

How important are these things? Yeah, they're fun, but are they important? Really? They don't seem important to me right now.

So for now, I'm putting this stuff away for a while. I've got the pictures taken for this goofy "Manic Monday" story done, but I just don't care right now. Maybe later.

So for my marginal readership, sorry, I'm taking a break.