European Joe's

A.I., G.I. Joe and a Chinese webshop… What could go wrong?

Regular readers/followers of the blog will know that I like to scour the internet shops to find special and original G.I. Joe related stuff. This time around I was browsing a certain Chinese webshop where you can shop like a billionaire, when I came across some G.I. Joe art I could not pass on. I’m not 100% sure, but I do believe that this may have been A.I. generated. I can’t really put my finger on it, but something feels off. What do you think?

The G.I. Joe logo is rendered true to its original logo. That’s a plus I guess, as for the rest… Well, they look like some military dudes and dudettes. The background is cool, too. I’m struggling to make something good out of this 🙂

The main character front and (a little of) center, could look a bit like Scarlett if you squint a bit and had a few drinks too many. The guy in the back then probably starts looking like Stalker. The bald guy reminds me of Von Totenschadel (see this post), not sure that’s a good thing.

The people on the right could be interpreted as (from left to right) Lady Jane, Flint (Falcon?) and General Hawk (he does look a bit older than the others).

The guy in the middel has to be Duke if I had to take an educated guess.

For fun and giggles, I asked AI to give me the names of the Joes depicted here. Truth be told, it immediately told me that they are not pulled directly from original art, but that they appear to be an artistic impression.

Center Figure (Red-haired woman in yellow-blue outfit)
This character resembles Scarlett, one of the original and most recognizable female Joes. Known for her red hair and combat skills, she’s often depicted in a bodysuit with a crossbow. The bikini-style outfit here is a more exaggerated, pin-up reinterpretation.
Man in Beret with Mustache (Left side)
Strong resemblance to Sgt. Slaughter, the drill instructor with a signature campaign hat or beret. He’s a fan-favorite and was even voiced by the real-life wrestler in the animated series.
Man in Green with Rifle (Right side)
Could be Flint, known for his shotgun and beret. Flint is a key field leader and often paired with Lady Jaye in the lore.
Other Soldiers in Background
These figures seem to be generic Joes or inspired by characters like Duke, Beachhead, or Gung-Ho, depending on their gear and facial features. The art style leans more toward homage than exact replication.

That’s all for now, until next time. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

If it’s smaller, you can collect more!

For a while now, I have seen these Instagram and Facebook posts about a Hotwheels version of the G.I. Joe SkyStriker. I’d done a search a few times online, but wasn’t able to find one in Europe. Until today that is.

For a small toy, the details are quite nicely done.

Just a small update this time around. See you later, until then, YoJoe and Happy Collecting!

Honey, I shrunk the Joes!

A few years back, I got my hands on a set of G.I. Joe Minimates figures. Apparently, they have made a second set of figures for the 2022 New York Comic Con. I recently came across this set when browsing the interwebs for Joe stuff. Naturally, I got myself a set.

As you can see on the picture above, this set is focused on the Ninja Force sub-team. The cover of the VHS tape inspired box, features Snake-Eyes front and center, flanked by Scarlett and Storm Shadow.

The back shows the fourth figure that is included, Dr. Biggles-Jones.

The inside box is made to look like a VHS cassette, a nice touch of nostalgia for the G.I. Joe fans that used to watch the cartoons on tape..

This nod of VHS renting is recalled on both the front of the inner box (2-night rental sticker) as well as on the back with a reminder to rewind the tape when you return it. Check out the song Rental Patient by fellow Joe fan Wordburglar if you want to submerge yourself into that nostalgia.

The figures themselves are a bit taller than a regular Lego mini figure. Storm Shadow gets his 1992 look with black & white. Scarlett and Snake-Eyes resemble their 1993 figures, all from the Ninja Force sub-team. They come with a lot of accessories and even an extra set of hair for Scarlett.

Dr. Sidney Biggles-Jones only got one semi-official action figure release in 2017, a whopping 24 years after her introduction in the Marvel comic books (issue 135 from 1993). The figure was part of the G.I. Joe Featuring Ninja Force and Transformers box set from the Official G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club. To be fair, this mini figure looks better than that 3.75” version if you ask me.

That’s it for now, see you again soon. Until then… Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

The drought is finally over

It has been a few months since I got my hands on a new G.I. Joe Classified Series figure. The wait is now over. The plastic crack addiction is starting again. Take my sobriety chip. My wallet will start hurting again. Starting off with no Joe, nor a Cobra in the true sense, but with a full fledged Dreadnok. Ladies and Gentlemen, here is Zandar.

Zandar is staying true to the original 1986 3.75” figure, as we’ve been seeing with a lot of these figures. He’s actually showing a little less bare skin this time around. The gold accents from the OG figure have been moved from the knees to the shoulder armor and the belt buckle. The blue has been toned down and the ginger hair has received a more muted color as well.

The figure also has the red face paint like the original, as well as the earring. The pinkish scarf is also a bit more toned down compared to the 3.75” inch figure, but it resembles the pink from Zarana’s jacket. On my figure, there are some white spots on the scarf, Quality control may have been a bit lacking.

When it comes to his gear, the figure is decked out with a scoped harpoon rifle, a large knife,pistol and a backpack. I have to say this is one of the better figure from the line. I never really cared much for the Dreadnoks to be fair, but this figure does look convincing as a crazy biker gang member.

The box is the latest iteration of Classified Series boxes. Smaller than the first run, but with a clear window rather than the fully cardboard ones we got. The art on this one isn’t bad, but not something that will stand out as spectacular. Maybe that was intentional, after all, Zandar is the kid who never got noticed.

That’s it for now. I do believe that more figures will be released/delivered soon(ish). Until then, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Lookin’ back ain’t all that I look forward to

As we start a new year, it’s always good to step back a moment and take a look back. In 2024, there was an increase of 33% in visitors to the blog and an even higher page view increase of 39% compared to 2023. This means that last year has been the best so far for the site! I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my brain farts. I’ve said it before and will say it (over and over) again, the G.I. Joe community is one of the- if not the best – fan and collector’s community in the world. (You can read those last words in Jeremy Clarkson’s voice.)

All joking aside, I really am very grateful for all the comments and messages I receive from all of you. A wise man once said, time is a currency you can never get back. Thank you for spending some of your precious time on my blog. I’m not sponsored and don’t have any ad revenue generated through the site. That’s something I will try to keep that way as long as I can – the no ads thing, if you want to sponsor me, feel free to reach out – I’ve got bills to pay :-).

The last few months of 2024 have seen less posts than I would have liked, not because there hasn’t been any new arrivals for my collection, but rather because I have been struggling with my mental health. I’ve tried to focus on my (paid) work, my home and my family and that meant that there was little to no time available to write. I’m still muddling through, but I will try to get more posts out again soon.

That’s it for now. I wish you all the best for the new year and hope to see you all back soon for more G.I. Joe updates. Happy Collecting and YoJoe!