G.I. Joe Classified Series

Speaking of YouTube, I tried watching the Sunbow cartoon a few months back as background noise while I worked. Most cartoons are a little manic, but hot damn, that show right next door to rabid. Charming, doofy, and definitely more than my withered old brain can handle.
 
I love it. The writers just had free rein to do whatever so some episodes are straight forward action pieces and then some are so batshit insane.

All this talk of restrictions and guidelines that I started got me thinking that it's a bit of a double edge sword, because while there's times like this"this guy is from the 87 wave, I don't need him" there's also times where it's "I don't really care much for this guy, but he's a named character from the 85 wave, so I guess I need him".

(Sorry Air Borne)
 
Boy Wonder said:
All this talk of restrictions and guidelines that I started got me thinking that it's a bit of a double edge sword, because while there's times like this"this guy is from the 87 wave, I don't need him" there's also times where it's "I don't really care much for this guy, but he's a named character from the 85 wave, so I guess I need him".
Click to expand...
This.

But also that's the difference between a restriction and a rule. "I will buy all the figures up through '86" is gonna hit your brain different compared to "I will only buy figures if they came out before '87."

But also also... rules are stupid. Self-made rules are stupider. SO easy to ignore.
 
I've definitely broken it for the Cobra figures they've released. Big Boa, Crystal Ball, Croc Master, etc. Partially to help bolster the Cobra ranks, but also because they're just fun figures.

A big part of my 87 cut off is my dislike of the movie. Hence not getting Falcon, Jinx, Chuckles, Tunnel Rat. I do technically have Law, but I just wanted the dog and am looking to unload him or at worst, use him for fix up parts.
 
It's funny, my addiction to the file cards redeems every character I didn't like in the movie - I felt like Falcon, Jinx (little bit), Chuckles (a lot), Tunnel Rat (though to a lesser degree), and Big Lob were done dirty by the writing there, or more so by the intent (story for kids to sell toys vs. story for all ages to tell a story). The movie versions of those characters are like someone repeating a story they heard third-hand about them and Chuckles being the most morally gray charmer on the team, Jinx being a super-educated prodigy and heir apparent to a ninja clan, Falcon being a charismatic insurgency expert, and Tunnel Rat being a little guy with a lot to prove captured my imagination way more than the cartoon did. (Big Lob's only existing file card is a snooze though.)
 
My collecting 'rule,' as far as I have one is the triple-fold: Do I have nostalgia for this particular character/look OR did I always want the original figure but never got it OR am I having a weak day a this figure is exceptionally cool and interesting to me for some reason?

If it can't hit at least one of those criteria, I just don't need it. And that does exclude a LOT of figures that are just 'oh that's cool' or 'technically I could get that to go with this.' Which helps me a lot without making me feel like I've constrained myself to the point where I need to ignore my own rules.
 
I'll admit most of my self-imposed rules are also based on very real space and budgetary concerns- everything is too expensive and there's a freeloading pile of human garbage sleeping in my future office. Yay life.
The cartoon was buckwild in all the best ways, but not terribly conducive to the US Customs entry process. I should pick it back up again.
 
My non-member Pythona should be here tomorrow. Every new toy reminds me that I need to buckle down and re-do my toy room to make some space, but I've only been planning that for like four years so it's way too early to actually DO it yet.
 
What doesn't help with this line is they're hitting a sweet spot of either extreme nostalgia or "wow that's a great take" for me. I can honestly say the first few characters I've been "eh" on were pretty recent. Hit and Run does nothing for me aesthetically and I have no nostalgia for him (though I'm 100% sure he's going to be a great figure). And of course I'm irrationally angry about someone bit my balls Crazy Legs. I've legit at least considered preordering almost everyone else so far, even if I skipped them - they've been cool enough for me to look VERY closely at them. (No doubt in my mind I will check out these two as well, but zero excitement about getting them, whereas I barely knew who Darklon was and I was like "this figure fucks, I need him.")
 
Yeah, all good points, and you're right about that sweet spot. For me it's between "I had and loved", "I never had and always wanted", "holy shit this figure is neither but looks amazing". Feels dangerous but it's too much fun.
 
I feel very fortunate that, after giving myself at least a day or two of consideration after new reveals, many (probably the majority) of Classified figures I don't already have nostalgic attachment to just don't really do it for me enough to dig out the wallet - especially at CAD prices.

So far the list of 'no attachment, but had to buy it' is Leatherneck, Action Sailor/Diver, Action Soldier, Croc Master, Major Bludd, the first Rock N Roll, and Techno-Viper. Considering how many figures there are in this line that I have no attachment to, that's a damn good list of 'I caved anyway' figures. Remarkable restraint, if I do pat myself on the back for a minute.
 
I'm suffering from "they really haven't delved into the eras I'm not interested in" figures. Especially looking at the made/not made figures list The Scream Man made this week. They hit my favorite eras HARD, so when I come up with a top ten wishlist it's actually tough cos my unmade dream figures are a short list. My "that'd be cool" list is pretty long, but mostly vipers or late stage characters I don't know well. There's really only 5 or 6 named Joes I'd call beloved nostalgia picks I still need, but plenty of "hey I had him, neat" ones.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top