Troops of Doom is back!

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

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

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

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

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.