1988 Phantom X-19

Did anyone else that grew up in the late 80s/early 90s ever participate in an annual school Christmas fund raising event selling wrapping paper? If so, do you recall the catalog of potential prizes you could claim depending on the amount of wrapping paper sold? Odd questions to be asked but this is where I got my first exposure for the topic of this writeup - the Phantom X-19. I came across it as one of the potential prizes and was very much enamored with it, not enough to go out and sell wrapping paper but it certainly caught my eye, imagination and left a lasting memory for me to seek out as an adult collector. The Phantom X-19 was one of those vehicles that floated around in my subconscious toy collector mind for decades despite never seeing it outside of a wrapping paper catalog and the internet.

When it comes to collecting over the past 10 years I cannot always recollect the exact time I acquired something for my collection. Acquisitions during collecting do not unlock those same core memories or nostalgia like those from childhood or even my late teens/early 20s era but I can confidently say that the Phantom X-19 has come into my collection at some point over the last 10 years. I would say it lived up to the expectations I had for it as a child.  The design even today nearly 40 years later still feels very modern. When watching Top Gun: Maverick a few years ago and the Darkstar experimental jet was shown my mind went immediately to the Phantom X-19. The jet is based on the F-19 (credit to Formbx257), the fighter everyone anticipated would be the Stealth Fighter during the 1980s prior to the F-117 Nighthawk being unleashed onto the world in Operation Desert Storm. ERTL Force One (a very cool not often discussed toy line in it's own right) released a version of the F-19 in the 1980s. My older brother received for his birthday at some point in the late 80s and I remember using it heavily in our plastic army men battles at my grandmother's house over the years through the mid 90s. It's very obvious Hasbro used the F-19 as the basis for the Phantom X-19 and did a great job combining military realism, experimental aircraft design into a great toy. It honestly looks like it could have been a Skunk Works prototype.

The size, features, colors and design of the aircraft really work well together. The sleek aerodynamic profile of the Phantom X-19 along with it's size, being 28" long which is the longest aircraft in the ARAH run (credit Formbx257) gives off a very different look than it's predecessors the Skystriker and Conquest X-30. Where those look much more like standard fighter jets of the era, the Phantom X-19 has always been more of a stealth spy plane used for reconnaissance or a high altitude bomber with it's two guided missiles (or bombs). To me it is the GI Joe equivalent to the Night Raven (not the Condor). The black and grey base being broken up by the bright neon yellow actually works pretty well, it's not a garish use of neon. The wing mounted guns are probably the weakest point just because the pop out feature does not work reliably and the guns would have been better served in a grey or silver color. The sliding rail canopy is a unique feature much like the Night Raven's lowering and raising cockpit. It gives a nice view of both the pilot/co-pilot with the nice tinted blue glass. My favorite features are the airbrake and the landing gear. It's an odd thing to appreciate but I think those small features are fantastic, the attention to detail just makes me appreciate what Hasbro was doing when GI Joe was king of the toy aisle and their creative department was running on all cylinders.

As mentioned above the Phantom X-19 is almost more of a world building piece to me. It plays a role when called upon, it serves as a nice backdrop to the Skystriker and Conquest logjam on an airfield but it's not a jet that I would deem necessary to have more than one of. Need recon photos of a Cobra island or a guided bomb dropped then it is perfect. It's hard to envision it ever being in a dogfight and even as a kid when I first came across it I felt similarly when I would daydream about it and how it would have fit into my adventures. The Phantom X-19 also comes with a pilot, Ghostrider. His design is a good match in terms of colors used although a jet capable of Mach 3 would probably make more sense to have a pilot in a suit like Ace's v1 design. I'll delve into Ghostrider more in a different write-up if I get to it.

Not sure what the popularity of the Phantom X-19 was in it's heyday. I cannot recall ever coming across one "in the wild" as a kid. My only experience was seeing it in the wrapping paper catalog as a prize/reward as mentioned earlier.  Even in the present day collecting climate it does not seem to move the needle like the Skystriker, Conquest, Rattler or Night Raven. In the Joe aircraft hierarchy those are all the top echelon/most iconic jets of the line and the Phantom X-19 and anything release after 1986 doesn't have the same level of popularity. It's release year of 1988 saw it as the largest aircraft available that year. It's design actually fits in really well with that of the Skystorm chopper also released in 1988- two futuristic designs one would come across in an issue of Popular Mechanics from the 1980s that mesh well together. Makes me wonder if Hasbro did that intentionally.

When I check the aftermarket the prices range all over the place depending on condition and completeness (with shipping costs also playing a role). The price range all seems to be pretty static over the past 5 years too. The most common missing item is the front nose cone which I have seen missing from several otherwise complete X-19s on the aftermarket. It's also a fairly expensive piece to procure on it's own. The 3D print community filled the void with several different Ebay vendors offering a nose cone that does fairly well as a replacement. I did purchase a 3D printed nose cone and had it for awhile but eventually bit the bullet to get the original nose cone which cost me $30 or so dollars at the time I purchased it probably 5-6 years ago.

Operating off assumption but I would think most O-ring collectors with the available space to have this jet probably already have one. I do think it's a worthwhile vehicle for a collection and could be a fun restoration project. Even 40 years later it really does not look like it's a dated design especially when compared to the Skystriker and Night Raven which were based off two Cold War era aircraft. 

2003 Slip Stream

The early 2000s GI Joe era did some things better than others and one area Hasbro always did well with during that time in my opinion were re-releases of vehicles and figures from the ARAH era. After the Real American Collection run from 2000-2002 most if not all the vehicles and figures from the 82-94 ARAH run that were released were done so as Toys R Us exclusives (or convention exclusives). That may not be completely accurate but it was the rule rather than the exception. I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the reasons as to why Hasbro released the more familiar ARAH era figures and vehicles along with the newer Spy Troops, JvC, VvV era - was it to satisfy the collector community, introduce a newer generation to the line, budgetary since the molds/designs already existed etc. I am sure their were plenty of factors at play. 

The 2003 Conquest X-30 and Slip Stream were examples of Hasbro doing an excellent job with reintroducing a great vehicle from the peak years of GI Joe in the Conquest and releasing an updated and improved version of the original Slip Stream figure. I won't go on too much about the Conquest X-30 as I no longer have that toy. For whatever reason I decided to sell it off at some point in the last decade. Another one of those decisions I have some sellers remorse on because it really was a great version of the jet with my favorite paint application for any jet in the entirety of the line. I would also argue that the figure which is the main topic of this write-up Slip Stream was an fine update from the original 1986 version. I can't say anything bad about the 1986 version, I happen to like the figure very much and it has a lot going for it. It was a figure released at the creative peak of the line and honestly the only real nitpicky issue I've ever had is that as a fighter jet pilot he did not have the oxygen mask. The 2003 version of Slip Stream remedies that very minor "issue" I have with the original version. 

As I was thinking of a figure to take a look at after 2+ months of ignoring this blog (so much for my once a week Joe content goal!) Slip Stream v2 kind of seeped into my psyche. I want to say it's mostly because the 98 Conquest I acquired last year has been on a shelf in my field of vision with Slip Stream as the pilot. As I ruminated on Slip Stream I realized I have had this figure for half of my life. I got the Conquest on one of my epic Joe hunts in the summer of 2003 and he has been in my collection ever since. So Slip Stream awoken me out of my couple months of minimal Joe interest and I am feeling more connected again to my collection and wanting to dive in. The psychology between myself and GI Joe will never not fascinate me, I can go weeks or months without giving it a thought, seeing my collection and knowing I have no intention to sell it off while at the same time have no significant amount of time to dedicate to or enjoy it only to become inspired again. GI Joe really is that one constant in my life and I am grateful for that.

Slip Stream just looks like a modern fighter pilot. Much of that can be attributed to the fact the body is from the near perfect 1992 Ace (reused for the 93 and 97 versions of Ace as well). Hasbro took it a step further with that Ace body with additional paint apps that really bring out so many of the details in that mold that got lost in the Ace versions. The depth of the flight suit can really be appreciated due to all the paint apps which highlight the details - the flashlight lens is painted, the holster is painted a deep brown, the straps, pouches and buckle all stick out. Enough can't be said about the paint apps. Slip Stream's head is original and it's design is much more in line with what a fighter pilot would actually be equipped with. The olive green used for the oxygen mask just gives it that dash of military realism along with being able to visualize the visor lowering and lifting. The only issues with the figure are that the hole in the chest for Ace's oxygen mask is present since the same mold was used but Slip Stream is not able to utilize it and if the actual oxygen mask had a bit of detail either in paint apps or slight changes to the mold though instead of being a smooth surface. They are small critiques for a figure that Hasbro created an original head for which was not common during this time with the classic ARAH 3 3/4" o-ring constructed figures. I believe Big Brawler, Sure Fire,  Rapid Fire, Lifeline, Sidetrack, Sideswipe were the only other figures to utilize new head construction with existing body molds from the ARAH era in the early 2000s.

Like all other figures from manufactured during this time plastic discoloration occurs more so than with the original 82-94 figures. Luckily the Slip Stream I own looks pretty good and the discoloring is not terrible. The figure did not come with any accessories and was only available with the Conquest -X-30 TRU exclusive. The figure is versatile and looks at home in any of the GI Joe fighter jets from any year of the line. As far as popularity of this version it seems to be pretty much non-existent, the only review I could find of the figure was from General's Joes and the original write-up from some 20+ years ago. I figure this write-up could be an almost original contribution to the Joe community.

1989 Slaughter's Marauders Footloose

 

As a rule I very much enjoy the subteams offered throughout the Real American Hero run. I consider myself a "90s" kid since most of my accessible memories come from the 90-94 years of the run. Of course I have recollections of memories prior but they are a little harder to mine out. The best thing about subteams from my perspective was that it allowed kids access to figures and vehicles that had been released earlier in the line if they had missed out due to being too young or not yet interested in the ARAH line. With that said Slaughter's Marauders Footloose didn't play any role in my childhood and I actually acquired this figure (well not this exact one) during my senior year of high school. For much of the winter and spring of 2000 leading up to my high school graduation I went on a pretty epic run of ARAH collecting since I had a job and some expendable income.

My previous write-up of the Desert Striker really got the memory bank churning as I began to remember all the figures and vehicles I sold off soon after acquiring the Desert Striker for college shenanigans. Out of all the figures the Slaughter's Marauders Footloose really stood out in my memory. It was a figure I really liked and it was always at the center of my collection and display shelf. I would also use him quite a bit for my smaller scaled battles and adventures and recall loading him up on the Tomahawk for one man recon missions in our basement living room. I can't really explain why he was such a key memory for that time of collecting. I did always like the original 1985 Footloose as a figure. My older brother had a pretty beat up one that survived into the 90s that I would play with quite a bit. I would guess that is the root of my appreciation for the Slaughter's Marauders version.

Revisiting the thoughts I jotted down in the paragraph above I think I just moved towards the more realistic offerings from the line for collecting as my Joe adventures starting veering more towards realistic type scenarios and battles. This seems to have been a stage most of us Joe lifers have gone through at some point once we all hit our teen years - embracing the realism, less fantastical elements of GI Joe. Even when I was heavily collecting the new sculpt VvV, Spy Troops, Joe vs Cobra, DTC stuff I still found myself using the more "realistic" figures and vehicles from the era. If I really think about it I'd say that perspective of collecting and the general make up of my Joe-verse followed me right up to 2016 when I jettisoned the modern era stuff and pivoted back to the ARAH 3.75 scale. Needless to say that lines up pretty well with how I would have viewed Slaughter's Marauders Footloose as a 17 year old kid.

I won't say that SM Footloose is a better figure than the original 1985 Footloose. The version 1 was a near perfect fully poseable green army man. With that said the Slaughter's Marauder's version wasn't too far off. I know a lot of the criticism around the Slaughter's Marauder's figures is the puzzling use of blue which disrupts the otherwise very cool woodlands camo paint scheme of the figures but for Footloose it does not bother me too much. The small pops of color add some depth to the figure and the blue used on him when compared with the other figures from the team seems to be the least objectionable. The figure design is essentially just a very good representation of an US infantry solider in the mid 1980s. His equipment was very basic and realistic - helmet, backpack, M-16 with strap and a Law missile launcher. Very simple accessories but they are the perfect pairing with Footloose. At it's core Footloose is just a better updated version of Grunt. 

The only real criticism of the Slaughter's Marauder's subteam is that the thumbs seem to break off with great frequency. When I was looking to re-acquire this figure I couldn't help but notice how many of the SM figures (it affects all of them) had broken thumbs. From what I understand and have read this is more or less due to the figures being made in Brazil and the plastic quality not being as good. One of my two SM Footloose figure's has stress marks on both thumbs. Slaughter's Marauders Footloose is also highly priced even if not complete. I just did a quick search on Ebay and even the incomplete, broken examples are all listed above $20. I only re-acquired Slaughter's Marauders Footloose in the last couple of years and neither figure I acquired was complete. I thought I had his helmet and machine gun but could not locate them for this write-up. For the the photos I took I used one of the excellent M-16s that was used during the 2000s comic book era and an accessory pack Footloose helmet. Overall, I really think this version is pretty strong but if I had to choose just one I'd go with the original Footloose because in my opinion he's a top 10 figure. I also hesitate to use the SM version of Footloose much because I am wary about snapping off the thumbs.

2001 Desert Striker

 

In retrospect my first blog post about my personal Joe collecting journey should have been the Desert Striker rather than the random 2010 Hiss I purchased on a whim a few weeks ago. I came across Mike T's write-up of the 2001 Desert Striker ( https://forgotten--figures.blogspot.com/2004/07/2001-desert-striker.html ) over the holidays and it became the catalyst for me to finally decide to take a stab at a blog of my own. Reading that post unlocked some real core memories for me from 2001 and it being very near the beginning of being an "adult collector" of GI Joe.

The 2001 Desert Striker was not my first purchase as an adult collector of Joes. In fall of 2000 when the Real American Hero Collection was launched I was 18 years old, working part time, going to school part time prior to going off to be a full time student during the spring semester. Needless to say I had some time on my hands and expendable income. I was able to track down some of the RAHC items - namely the MOBAT, Firefly/Undertow, Dusty/Law & Order and the Locust. What escapes my memory from these initial "joe hunts" are alot of the details. This is not the case with the Desert Striker which has unlocked some core memories. 

Fast forward to December 2001, I was home from school on winter break and it must have been after Christmas because I had some spare cash to go out and track this vehicle down. While I cannot recall if the Desert Striker was the driving force of this Joe hunt or if I just wanted to buy something from the line since I had been out of Joe collecting for most of the year. It was a Friday night, lightly raining and I remember listening to 98 Rock during the drive. I remember feeling awkward being a 19 year old buying a toy (a theme that was always present during my Joe hunts) and relieved once I left the store. Once I got home, I waited until everyone was asleep and then went into the backroom in the basement where my parents let me keep my Joes and assembled the Desert Striker. Once done assembling it I wasn't blown away by the vehicle however I did like and appreciate it. It certainly could play a role in me Joe Verse.

When I first acquired the Desert Striker I thought it was very cool that Hasbro essentially given us a VAMP. Sure it was modified but it fit in very well with the other vehicles being released at the time from the early years of the ARAH (MOBAT and Firefly). I do recall thinking it would have been better in the drab olive green but it certainly was not a deal breaker. The VAMP became heavily used in my early adult Joe verse days. It was versatile - Law used it as his patrol jeep, it was used as a light scouting vehicle and also served as a transport for injured Joes getting ferried back from the front  lines.

Looking at the design overall I thought Hasbro did a pretty good job with the Desert Striker. It is unmistakably a VAMP with a few modifications. The overall base design is classic, I don't think their is much debate that the VAMP much like the HISS is a very iconic vehicle. The changes from the original design was mostly good. I think that Hasbro did a good job with the additional front bumper, the ammo boxes and opening hood. The front bumper with the additional ammo or storage boxes always reminded me of the British jeeps during the North African campaign in World War 2. The removable passenger side machine gun was also a very cool switch up from the original VAMP. I think the roll bar was done decent but I have never been a fan of the removable missile launcher that clips onto it. To me that seems like Hasbro just trying to add an additional action feature that was not needed. I did like the back engine cover/flat area, as mentioned before I utilize this quite a bit. The barrels with the dropping spikes were a bit of an odd gimmick as well. Certainly not the worst because I liked the 6 black mines and the barrels were at least removable. The details in the plastic were scarce giving the vehicle a very smooth and undetailed appearance. 

The Desert Striker came with a driver, Flint. It was based off the 1991 Eco-Warriors version but in tan and black rather than the loud bright green and yellow of the original. I do actually like this re-release of the figure but even back then it did not make sense as to why it was chosen to be the driver. If anything the mold looks like it would fit in more as a pilot or paratrooper.  Hasbro did a good job with the colors to match up with the Desert Striker but the fact Flint came with no accessories really downgrades the figure. Even just getting a black version of the helmet from the Eco-Warriors version would have helped.

Overall,  the Desert Striker is an important vehicle to me. It's not the flashiest, it certainly does not seem very popular today. I have no recollection of it's popularity (or lack thereof) back when it was released. It plays a role both in my "Joe verse" and just unlocking some very vivid memories of me as a young man. I still have my original Desert Striker 25 years later. It's funny because I remember a few weeks after getting this vehicle I ended up a bit of my Joe collection I had acquired during my senior year of high school for beer money. A decision I somewhat regret! I am glad to still have this vehicle in my collection, it's still in great shape too. 

Cobra Hiss Tank Pursuit of Cobra 2010

 Cobra Hiss Tank Pursuit of Cobra 2010

I am currently snowed in and injured my back over the weekend. Ah the joys of getting old. So I figured I would take a look at the 2010 Hiss Tank. As you can see my first actual post has nothing to do with ARAH, although one o-ring figure was damaged during the making of this post. Sadly, a 2003 Spy Troops Viper's leg snapped as I was trying to pose him for this. Obviously, the photo above has an AI generated background. I am light on real background effects and am at the mercy of my basement for photos at the moment.

My collecting GI Joes has been pretty cyclical and as mentioned prior I invested heavily in each iteration of GI Joe. The "modern era" was really my last hurrah (everyone's actually) in terms of going to brick and mortar stores Joe hunting. This was honestly one of my favorite pastimes from 2000 right up to 2015ish when GI Joe ended at retail. At about the same time as Hasbro stopped making figures I made the decision to jump back into the vintage o-ring figures, the scale that has always held the most sentimental and nostalgic value for me. Of course as I was going through all the mental gymnastics of my new found collecting philosophy and decided that vehicles from the modern era were allowed as long as they worked within my vision for how I wanted my respective Joe and Cobra armies to be built out.

On whim I came across a one of these new in box on Ebay last week so I figured why not? At one point or another I have had either the black or crimson version of this vehicle and have offloaded them. Here is it back in my collection but this time in desert brown. Hasbro for the most part has been kind to the Hiss in terms of all the releases. For the most part they have stuck with the iconic 1983 mold that has seen several re-releases over the years. The Hiss II offered a larger version with troop transport capability albeit in less desirable colors, the Hiss IV was not great (this coming from a self professed fan of the new sculpt era) and the DTC Hiss is arguably one of the best Cobra vehicles released.

With the modern era Hasbro did some pretty great and innovative things. The modernizing of the Cobra Hiss being one of them. This version of the Hiss has the identifiable traits of the original (namely the treads) but has given the design an upgrade that even 16 years after it's release still looks modern yet futuristic. The sleek, angular, aggressive almost gunship like main body is very well done. The armament is a little more robust than the twin cannons of the original but certainly not overdone. It still has the look of a high speed sentry tank. The spring action gimmick is my only critique of the Hiss V5. It's a cool spin on the classic but can never replace the icon. I immediately regret having a non ARAH era vehicle or figure as my first write up. I will remedy that soon!

RIP 2003 Spy Troops Viper! Although I have a feeling I will just find him new legs at some point.

Trying out this Blog thing

 

    I've long debated starting out my own long form blog dedicated (mostly) to GI Joe A Real American Hero. Going back to the early 2000s I loved the Web 1.0 era of GI Joe - places like the Bivouac, General's Joes, Yojoe.com, Evil Face's 4th circle of Hell, Joedios etc. As time has passed many of those sites have evolved, become inactive or just victims of circumstance as Web 1.0 was left behind.

    From the mid 2010s through early 2020s my main fix for GI Joe was found on youtube mostly via the great Formbx257 and HCC788. However, the long form blogs/essays and ruminations about GI Joe has really become my favorite way to enjoy the hobby. I have long been a fan of Mike T's Forgotten Figures, Nekoman's Viperpit and The Attica Gazette. I look forward to their content and obnoxiously post long winded ramblings in response to their great write-ups.

    So I have decided to take the plunge myself albeit with a much more rudimentary blog. For the past decade my collecting focus has returned to it's roots - GI Joe 3.75 O-ring A Real American Hero. I've been an active participant (for  better or worse) in every iteration of GI Joe that Hasbro has churned out this century. The Real American Hero collection coincided with me becoming an adult collector back in 2000, I supported the New Sculpt era with reckless abandon, welcomed the Modern Era with an open wallet and collected it from 2007 through the 50th anniversary releases that came out a decade ago now. Once 2016 hit though I just came to the realization I wanted to go back the ARAH GI Joe era - the one from my childhood, the toyline that was with me as a far back as I can remember and had remained with me through my formative years, college and adulthood. Most fans of GI Joe can attest to how the toys can evoke long buried memories and nostalgia. It's a fascinating phenomenon and one I have experienced on numerous occasions.

I don't intend to reinvent the wheel and my write-ups and joe musings will pretty much follow the same format as the aforementioned leaders of the long form GI Joe blogs. I will do reviews, some action photos, dio type photos and try to showcase my collection. I hope to post something decent at least once a week.