Update: Eagle Force Returns

   Eagle Force Returns: https://www.facebook.com/eagleforcereturns has released another illustration showcasing the upcoming launch of a modernized Eagle Force line of 80's action figures.  This time the figure released is the Eagle Force Trooper, one of 4 or possibly 5 army builders to be released in the initial product launch.  Right now, it looks like we will see several action figures intended to be used in quantities for initial army building, then hopefully, if all goes well, we should see more individual figures.  Granted, being completely new figures, neither this new Eagle Force Soldier or the previously announced R.I.O.T. Commando were present in the original toy line.  However, they do fill a requirement in today's action figures for army building and hopefully quantity sales will help build momentum and support sales volume.  It will be interesting to see Captain Eagle leading these new forces against General Mamba and his R.I.O.T. troops.

GI Joe Spotlight: Alley Viper (v13)

    Here is a quick review and some thoughts on Hasbro's most recent incarnation of a Cobra classic - the Alley Viper.  Going back to his 1989 release, I would say the Alley Viper is one of those overlooked figures that, if refreshed correctly can be a nice figure.  As you can see from the original 1989 release, I think one of his biggest setbacks if that of his color scheme.  IMO, this guy would be a COBRA equivalent to a SWAT team member and personally, I cannot recall seeing any SWAT team decked out in bright orange.  However, color does catch your eye and sells toys, and I would say that is why he looked the way he did back in 1989:

      IMO, when looking at recent issues of classic Joes' this is one of the better updates, in particular his color scheme.  I always thought the idea of his separate riot shield was a cool feature and I'm glad that Hasbro has keep it intact for this refresh.  Is looks more impressive and sets off the figure quite well. 

 

      This guy works really well for both army building and also customizing. He has removable webgear, a 2nd rifle and he comes out of the box with 3 different helmet configurations:

Eagle Force - Looks to make a return in 2015

     Way, way back in 1981 I was a very young boy and discovered this interesting line of little, metal soldiers.  They were bigger and way cooler than the little, green plastic ones I had played with up to that time.   What always captivated me about these figures were the neat little comic strips that were printed on the backs of the cards and showed the good guys (Eagle Force) doing heroic things like stopping a bombing and the bad guys (R.I.O.T.) doing decidedly unheroic stuff like stealing weapons and the like.  They were new, the good guys had cool, little plastic guns while the bad guys had a real ninja and a guy who used a flame thrower.  They even had a Jeep, a tank, a plane and mountain base shaped in the form of a big eagle.

 

 

 

     Not too long after I found them, they disappeared and I happened to discover a new line of figures, that was even bigger than Eagle Force, had more vehicles and even his own monthly comic book.  To be honest, I liked the toys, but they were completely blown out of the water when GI Joe made his historic return.  Eagle Force was much smaller and not as posable, but they had a certain "panache" about them that I think resonated with me through those little comics that were on their card backs. I spent the better part of one summer with a handful of figures acting out adventures that germinated from those simple comic strips.  

 

     When I think back about Eagle Force, I always wonder regardless of the action figures, what a full length, monthly comic book about Eagle Force would have been like.  Given the success of the GI Joe comic, and the compelling nature of the existing mini-strips, I think they would have been great.  One cool thing about the figures, as you can see, is that they each had a unique, personal weapon that was illustrated and spec'd through the comic strip.

     All these years later we now know what really happened to Eagle Force.  Mego, the company that produced the line filed for bankruptcy shortly after Eagle Force was introduced.  Looking back, I can see the idea of them being die cast metal as both good and bad.  On the one hand, for a small figure they were solid and well detailed, but from a business standpoint, they must have been expensive to produce.  Especially in an era dominated by injection molded plastic toys.  Both the toys and the comic strip were the creation of one man, Mr. Paul Kirchner. You can read more about this at the Mego Museum site: http://www.megomuseum.com/eagleforce/index.html.

 

 

      So who really cares about an obscure line of little tin soldiers from the early 80's and why am I writing about them as if they matter?  Because it just so happens that I am not alone in my fondness for these action figures.  It appears that 2015 very well may be the year that these figures take on a new persona of their own and step into the highly compatible word of molded plastic, 4" figures becoming like the very GI Joes that eclipsed them some 34 years ago.

   Recently announced on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eagleforcereturns, through a 3 way collaboration by Fresh Monkey Fiction, ZICA Toys and Boss Fight Studios, the good old Eagle Force may be set for a triumphant return.  What I think is intriguing is that while the figures will be upsized and also modernized, they will feature the original characters as they would exist had they aged and still been around today.  At this point in time I'm thinking along the lines of Bob from Acid Rain World as a grizzled, old combat vet.  Here is the first illustration, that of good guy leader, Captain Eagle: 

     
     You will notice that he features his iconic eagle companion and separate webgear vest and also holster and sidearm.  What followed next was illustrations for the bad guys, of both the R.I.O.T. Trooper and new addition, the R.I.O.T. Commando.  Army building, here we come:

    

   I have to admit that when I saw the bio mask in the drawing for the R.I.O.T. commando, my first thought was "Oh look, R.I.O.T. has a recruiting office on Acid Rain World".  But given how good those figures are turning out to be, I can only hope that these measure up.  I also have to realize that the old days of cold war battles are no long around and a modern figure should reflect modern tactics.

     Overall, I am excited about just the possibility of seeing this line come back to center stage.  Given what other figure lines are doing, I expect fully removable webgear, helmets, masks and multiple weapons.  For the two R.I.O.T. figures this is a necessity as they seem to be intended for army building which benefits greatly from out-of-the-box customization.  On that note, I guess we can only wait-and-see as to what happens next.  But I for one hope to be flying high with Eagle Force at this time in 2016. Here is one final shot of the original toys from the Mego Museum, just for old times sake:

 

My Vote: Coolest New Action Figures of 2014 - Oritoy's Acid Rain World: The Last Line of Defense

    For those who are not familiar, Oritoy has quietly been making the best new action figures on the market.  Their product, Acid Rain World is founded upon a storyline taking place on a parallel Earth where in the wake of WWII, global fighting never really ceased.  The end result is a factional populace who now competes over scarce resources and in turn renew their conflicts.  The result on the environment is catastrophic pollution, the common foe that exists alongside the geographical ones.  Acid Rain World is one where mankind fights against himself and also the weather. 

     One interesting aspect of Acid Rain World is that of man and machine.  These machines appear to combine elements of both classic, human piloted Mechs and also Transformers as most vehicles can change into large robots while encasing their human pilots.  What should appeal to most though is these toys are being done on a roughly 1:18th scale and are fully compatible with all current  3.75 / 4 inch figures

Here is a good example of Acid Rain World Machines: A.K.A the Speeder MK 2

 

     Personally, while I've never been one for post apocalyptical story lines, especially when they have men in big robots running around in agonizing display of man's shortcomings, I will say the line is extremely well done.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that these are some of the best action figures I have personally seen.  Is articulation important to you? How about some 30 points of posable articulation? WOW!  Also, each one features removable gear for customization and army building, come weathered and ship in really nice collector grade boxes with foam inserts - very nice indeed.

 

 

 

Overall A Real Winner

      To my knowledge, this is one of the first toy lines to give 3.75" action figures big, armed to mechanical teeth, robots to rampage around in.  That they can transform and are basically collector grade quality with outstanding artwork and weathering right out of the box makes them a big hit and I look forward to what the new year will bring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Modern GI Joes that changed my mind

     I have to admit that I really did not pay much attention to GI Joe when I started collecting action figures again after almost 20 years.  GI Joe is everywhere in the world of action figure collecting and I have always found myself gravitating away from the mainstream, not towards it.  However, as a child of the 80's, you almost cannot escape from GI Joe and I absolutely LOVED the toys when I was a kid. That being said, here are 5 examples of recent production, GI Joe figures that truly caught my eye.

  

     All 5 of these figures have several things in common.  All of them are updated reissues of classic 80's Joes.  They all do a very good job of translating the uniqueness of the original figure into the style of modern action figures and they all have great gear.  I admit to being a novice to collecting action figures, but these modern style of figures offer things I only dreamed of when I was a kid. That means FUN, which is what action figures are all about. It also means that for a customizer, which I happen to be, these are pure bliss and really show off what a big firm like Hasbro can do when it wants to. 

 

#5: POC Crazy Legs

 

 

     Released in 2011, this figure was met with a rather lackluster response from most collectors that I know.  Myself, I like him very much.  He has a sort of retro vibe that takes me back to the mid 80's when I used to play with the original and that is the secret to his success.  He has nice color balance and while not as heavily clad with separate gear as other figures on this list, what he lacks in quantity, he makes up for in detail.  One good example that I like is his jump harness / parachute.  It is a good example of the detachable gear that modern action figures have these days.  Instead of a simple peg for a hole in his back, we get a removable, full restraining harness.  His SMG has a detachable and folding stock. His rifle has a scope, light and "jungle style" extra clip attached. Lastly, both the helmet and goggles are separate moldings as well. 

 

#4: 30th Anniversary Law and Order

 

 

     Back in the halcyon days of cold-war battle fields, a team like Law and Order did not offer much.  With little fire support, limited roles for animal companions and being almost, non-military in general, most kids wondered how they ever made the team.   I was never into the original figure, but I instantly knew who these were, just from pictures.  In this figure, I finally realized what I never understood before with Law and Order: they are designed as a team that in turn, supports a bigger one. Fast forward several decades into the modern, less defined theater of engagement and now, an updated Law and Order seem ahead of their time.   Designed for urban combat, Law has been updated immensely.  With his detachable tac-vest, suppressed SMG, shotgun and 2 different types of sidearm, he now has the firepower to give Alley Vipers a run for their money.  Order also sports upgraded detail and IMO, looks great. 

 

#3:  30th Anniversary Cobra Trooper

 

     Released in 2011 in the 1st wave of the 30th anniversary figures, this guy is the very fist figure I acquired when I got back into collecting action figures.  You can tell in a glance where the idea for him came from.  IMO, he is everything a great action figure should be.  He is one of the nameless, faceless units of COBRA.  In both the GI Joe storyline and the world of action figures he fits his role perfectly: that of an army builder.  Currently, I am putting together a COBRA fireteam based on the 4 man groups of the U.S. military.  With a slight tweak of his gear, this figure can fit into any of the 4 basic roles of a fireteam: team leader, rifleman, grenadier and S.A.W. / automatic rifleman.  The detail and sheer amount of gear on him is excellent. From his RPG, to his removable helmet and webgear to his separate display barbed wire, this guy is just plain fun

 

 

#2: 30th Anniversary Storm Shadow

 

     What can I say about Storm Shadow that has not been said?  I'll bet more people like Storm Shadow than any other small Joe out there.  He was fantastic in the old comic book - he even managed to convince a farm kid from Ohio that a big, rooftop water tower in the city was a cool place to live.   Another from the class of 2011, this guy has so much going for him, that he could easily be the #1 choice.   Besides having great mold detail, the guy is a virtual warehouse of gear and weapons.  He has: A bow, nunchuks, 2 swords, 2 sais, 2 Kunai's, 2 claws, 2 throwing stars and a fan.  If that was not enough, he also has a backpack that doubles as a scabbards for his swords and a quiver.  One thing that I really like on recent GI Joe figures is removable ammo and Storm Shadow makes good use of this by having a removable arrow in his quiver.  Does it seem like the designers gave him 2 of everything?  How about 2 heads!  Yes, you have a pair of heads with different facial features along with 2 different sashes, one in a traditional red and a bandolier with a removable dart pouch that has...wait for it.... a removable dart as well.  Given his shear horde of gear and dual persona, this guy can be configured more ways than I can imagine. IMO, the most customizable figure in the hole line.  You could get 6 or 7 of these and configure them all differently, just with what comes standard. 

 

#1: POC Low Light

 

 

 

 

     My choice for the #1 spot may be a surprise, given how much I like Storm Shadow, but hear me out.  From his removable vest with retro accents, to his large, realistic rucksack and rifle case as a figure he just gets it, plain and simple.   I am a sucker for gear and IMO, his is the best, even better than Weapons-R-Us Storm Shadow.  A sniper figure needs an impressive rifle and Low Light's gives other guys weapon envy.  His rifle has a detachable stock, scope, suppressor and bi-pod to go into a custom fit rifle case.  He also has an SMG, separate goggles, spotting scope, communicator and ammo case.  Once again, he has a separate round for the case.  One cool thing to my eye is his backpack and just how big it is.  It truly gives the impression of a modern combat pack. This guy takes the original Low Light figure, adds arguably the best gear in the series and makes you wonder why you never paid that much attention to him back when he first came out.  He is at once tied to the classic figure, yet takes it up several notches and that is why I have him at the top spot.