Tag Archives: Action Diver

#3638: Original Action Team

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

ACTION MARINE, ACTION PILOT, ACTION SAILOR, ACTION SOLDIER, & ACTION PILOT ASTRONAUT

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO (HASBRO)

Fun FiQ Fact #0117: The 3 3/4-inch G.I. Joe line has twice had a period of stagnation ushered in by a 30th anniversary celebration.

I feel like I’ve probably talked about my introductions to G.I. Joe here before, having first learned of the franchise through its 12-inch origins, and finding my first real love of the line with Adventure Team.  My first exposure to the 3 3/4 inch stuff wasn’t actually a Hasbro product at all.  In fact, it was via Fun 4 All’s “keychains” from the late ’90s, which, though I didn’t know it at the time, were making use of molds from Hasbro’s celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary, which saw them shrink some of the original 12-inch Joes down the the smaller scale.  It was a good many years before I actually encountered those original down-scaled figures, but when I did, I opted to go big or go home, with a whole big batch of them.

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

The Action Marine, Action Pilot, Action Sailor, Action Soldier, and Action Pilot Astronaut were released as the “Original Action Team” boxed set in 1994, as part of the “Commemorative Collection” sub-line of the G.I. Joe line.

ACTION MARINE

The Action Marine was one of the two figures in this set that also got single releases the same year, with no modifications, largely because there were no real notable changes to the Marine’s basic look in the main line, or at least not ones that just a repaint could cover.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  This sculpt is, of course, the one that inspired the keychain.  That version was a much softer take on it, so it gets a better chance to shine here.  It’s certainly a sharper look, and more accurate to the 12-inch figures.  I especially like the likeness on the head.  This one’s still got the issue with the shoulders looking rather disconnected, which remains odd, but at least it’s consistent?  His paint work is much like the sculpt: similar to the key chain, but a bit sharper and cleaner.  The finish is matte, rather than shiny, which works a bit better.  The Marine, regardless of release, included a rifle (with mount), backpack, missile launcher, raft, and oar.

ACTION PILOT

The Action Pilot got a single release the same year, but he got two different looks, albeit only in a color-oriented sense.  The sculpt was the same between the two, and, is again the one that inspired the keychain release.  It’s a little sharper, and more defined, allowing you to see how many smaller details went into the whole assembly.  He gets us a standard Joe head, this time without even the peghole needed for the keychain release.  Definitely one of the best parts of this set.  As noted above, the main difference for this release is the color scheme.  While the single was based on the actual toy colors of the fully kitted out Pilot from the original line, this one instead goes for his colors from the illustration on the front of the original Action Pilot box.  It’s a color scheme that the key chains never touched, which is pretty cool.  The Pilot was packed with the same rifle as the Marine (but in olive instead of black), a pistol, backpack, helmet with mask, and a parachute.

ACTION SAILOR

Like the Pilot, the Action Sailor got a single release covering one look, while the boxed set version covered another, once again going for a differentiation of color, rather than sculpt.  The Sailor is actually the one figure here for whom I’ve already looked at both the Hasbro and Fun 4 All versions of the sculpt, since I looked at the single Sailor in addition to the keychain.  It remains my favorite of the 30th sculpts, regardless of which version it is.  There’s just something really strong about how the frogman look translated into the smaller scale, and Hasbro really made the whole thing flow really nicely.  The single release went with the standard black wetsuit look, but the boxed set goes for the later Adventures of G.I. Joe orange-suited look.  It’s a pretty drastically different look, and also one of the best known variations from the original line, so a solid choice (so solid that it’s the one variant look that Fun 4 All copied when they did their own boxed set release).  I also enjoy it because it’s a precursor to Adventure Team, which is, as noted, my favorite incarnation of the brand.  The Sailor is packed with his scuba tank and hose, a pair of flippers, a harpoon gun, flashlight, and seasled with attached missile launcher.

ACTION SOLDIER

Like the Marine, the Action Soldier’s single release is the same as the boxed set version.  The basic Soldier’s a basic soldier, so it makes sense, just like with the Marine.  He’s once more the inspiration for the keychain release.  As I noted on that one, the Soldier is a little bit skinnier than the other three, for whatever reason.  I don’t know if it’s just a difference of how the details read, but it does seem a bit less pronounced on this original version of the mold, which is a plus.  His paint work is notably pretty drab, as you’d expect, but it works pretty well, and makes him nice and generic.  The soldier was packed with a backpack, pistol, rifle, stand, missile launcher (with mount), and a bunker display piece.  While the Marine’s accessories are the same between both of his releases, the Soldier’s accessories change all of the “tree” parts to black, rather than the brown of the single.

ACTION PILOT ASTRONAUT

Hey, look, it’s something new!  Yes, there’s one truly exclusive element to this set, and that’s the Astronaut.  So unique, in fact, that he didn’t even get retooled into a keychain by Fun 4 All.  Feels like a missed opportunity if you ask me.  This one’s sculpt was totally unique, and it’s pretty solid.  I don’t know that it quite beats the Sailor or the Pilot sculpts in my book, but it’s still a very good one.  I particularly like all of the stitching on the suit; it adds a nice touch of realism.  The Astronaut’s paint work is pretty basic, with a lot of molded silver, but the paint application that’s there is clean enough.  The Astronaut notably gets fewer accessories, but also makes up for that in sizing, since he gets his helmet (with working visor), and a whole space capsule.  My release is actually the international version, as noted by the presence of Canadian markings on the capsule, in place of the American markings from the domestic release (though the actual Astronaut was always marked with a US flag no matter the release; I guess even if Canada finances the mission, it’s still an American who goes into space).

THE ME REMAINDER OF THE EQUATION

I’ve wanted a set of the 30th figures for a while.  Honestly, I wanted *this* set, since the Astronaut was only in this one, and I love the whole capsule set-up.  Back in 2020, during some very rough days for me, All Time Toys got a rather sizable 12-inch Joe collection, which I spent many early mornings working on listing, filling my time after dropping Jess off for her treatments.  It gave me something I knew very well to put my focus into, and it made a real difference in my mental state when I very much needed it.  This set was in that collection, the one, lone 3 3/4-inch piece included, and, well, maybe I needed more of a distraction, I guess, but it called to me.  I didn’t ultimately have much time to appreciate it, at least not for a couple of years, but I finally got the chance to open it up more recently…well, it made for a nice distraction.

Thanks to my sponsors over at All Time Toys for setting me up with this figure to review.  If you’re looking for cool toys both old and new, please check out their website and their eBay storefront.

#2260: Action Sailor

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , ,

ACTION SAILOR

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO (HASBRO)

“Since joining the Joes, I’ve held the record for personally sinking more enemy ships than the entire 3rd fleet, and that’s on a bad day!  I’ve torpedoed so many hulls, I’m surprised the ocean hasn’t overflowed with scrap iron!  On dry land, I’m a fish out of water.  I’d rather be on my sea sled than in a tank or jet fighter; luckily I have plenty of courageous teammates to handle those jobs. Making the seas safe from criminal scum is my life’s work, and I can’t think of a better way to do it than as a member of G.I. Joe!”

In 1994, it was the 30th anniversary of the G.I. Joe brand as a whole, but perhaps not the best spot for the brand’s 3 3/4 inch scale, which had ruled the market for 12 years.  In its last gasp of breath before going on a hiatus, the line merged styles with its 12-inch predecessors for a line of commemorative 3 3/4-inch figures based on the original Joes.  Each of the major branches of the military was covered with one figure based on the original packaging illustrations.  In the case of the “Action Sailor” that meant a pretty sick looking wet suit!

THE FIGURE ITSELF

The Action Sailor was released in 1994 as part of the final year of the Real American Hero branding’s vintage run.  He and the other four 30th figures were sold as deluxe boxed items in packaging that replicated the original box.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  While the original Action Sailor was in a more standard uniform, this figure instead gives us the sailor in his Navy Frogman outfit, by far the most distinctive look for this branch.  His mold was brand new to him, but a slightly altered version was used by Fun 4 All later in the ’90s when they put out their Keychains.  As I noted in that review, I find this and the Action Pilot to be the best of the 30th sculpts.  It’s a lot more organic than the soldier and marine were, and gets to add in the details of a fully kitted out design.  This version of the mold is also a lot sharper than the keychain recreation, allowing the details to more clearly be made out, making it all the more impressive.  Also, the better quality plastic means that he’s not as easily broken, allowing me to finally have a diver without the broken pelvis.  Yay!   His paintwork is a fairly basic set-up; the black is just molded plastic, with some silver and flesh toned details mixed in throughout.  The Action Sailor included his sea sled, a scuba tank, two flippers, a harpoon gun, a flashlight, and a hose.  My figure’s missing the gun, flashlight, and hose, but even so, he makes out alright on the accessory front.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

The Action Sailor is important me because the Keychain release is actually what got me into small-scale G.I. Joe.  That one was never quite as impressive as a proper Joe, but I hung onto him for a good while.  It wasn’t until much later that I even knew that non-keychain releases existed, nor did I know of the difference in quality.  This guy came from a small collection of Joes that All Time got in about a month before the huge collection.  He got a little overshadowed, but I was still pretty happy to have the proper Hasbro release after all these years.  He’s not majorly different, but it’s different enough that I felt he was worth the purchase.

#1812: G.I. Joe Keychains

Posted by Ethan Wilson in Reviews and tagged with , , , , , ,

ACTION SOLDIER, ACTION PILOT, ACTION DIVER, & ACTION MARINE

G.I. JOE: CLASSIC COLLECTION — KEYCHAINS (FUN 4 ALL)

Hey, you guys remember when I looked at that G.I. Joe keychain a while back?  Wasn’t that pretty cool? I sure thought so! Here’s another four of those. 

THE FIGURES THEMSELVES

These four were released as a boxed set as part of Fun 4 All’s G.I. Joe: Classic Collection in 1998.  They used the same molds as the single-packed keychains, but in alternate color schemes.  Like the previously reviewed Action Marine, all four “keychains” are fully articulated figures with a removable keychain attachment.  And, just like that figure, all four of mine are missing said attachment, because I didn’t really buy them to be keychains.

ACTION SOLDIER

The most standard member of the team is the Action Soldier, a member of the US Army Corps.  This one in particular is wearing MP gear, showcasing a slight variant.  The figure stands 3 3/4 inches tall and he has 14 points of articulation.  The Action Soldier features a few parts in common with the previously reviewed Marine.  They share a head, pelvis, and upper legs.  The other parts are unique to the Soldiers.  For whatever reason, the Soldier actually has a slightly smaller build than the other three figures, despite the original 12-inch Joes all using the same basic body.  But, I guess a little bit of variety isn’t the worst thing.  The sculpt is a decent offering, though he’s definitely on the softer side detailing-wise.  His paint is the main defining part of this releases.  It’s okay, but rather on the simple side. He lacks any sort of paint on his torso, not even on his web gear or grenades.  Also, what paint he does have is rather prone to chipping, though the Soldier has held up the best of the four in this set.

ACTION PILOT

The pilot is one of the more intricately designed of these figures; unlike the Marine and the Soldier, he and the Diver are actually based on fully decked-out Joes with parts from some of the supplemental sets.  He’s seen here in his full pilot’s gear…or he would be if mine weren’t missing a few pieces.  The Pilot is sporting an all-new sculpt, and while it’s still not quite up to Hasbro par, it’s certainly a stronger sculpt than either of the other two I’ve looked at, and is perhaps the strongest in the set.  The details are more numerous, and the overall construction is a bit less rudimentary.  He also gives us our only true look at the “standard” Joe head, which is a decent replica of the old 12-inch figures.  His paintwork is fairly decent, and certainly better spread out and more complete than the Soldier’s.  The blue/yellow combo is another non-standard look, but it works well, and it’s slightly less situational than the others in the set.  The Pilot was the only one of these to actually include an accessory, which was a removable helmet.  Unfortunately, I’ve lost mine, which is a real shame.

ACTION DIVER

Like the Pilot, the Action Diver is a more intricately designed figure, also patterned on a fully kitted-out 12-inch Joe.  The frogman get-up is actually one of my favorite classic Joe designs, and by far the most distinctive of the Navy looks.  The sculpt is rivaled only by the Pilot in terms of quality.  He’s got one of the most organic sculpts of the bunch, and definitely the one with the sharpest detailing.  I also really dig that clear visor on the goggles; it’s a small touch that really helps the figure.  Unfortunately, the Diver has one main drawback: he’s the member of the set most affected by the low quality plastic used for these figures.  On both versions of the Diver own, the front piece of the pelvis has broken off; it’s a minor issue, and still leaves you with a workable figure, but it’s annoying to say the least.  The Diver is actually the only figure in this set to get more paintwork than his single-carded release.  Since he’s molded in orange (an alternate color scheme that actually hails form Adventures of GI Joe, the less military-themed precursor to Adventure Team), all of the straps and such are actually painted black, whereas the regular figure was just molded in black and thereby left them unpainted.

ACTION MARINE

The final piece of this set is the one figure I’ve looked at before, more or less.  These keychains were based on Hasbro’s commemorative 30th Anniversary figures from 1994, and while those figures included alternate color schemes for both the Pilot and the Diver, the Marine and Soldier didn’t get second releases, so these had to be made up.  The Marine gets a desert camo look, which certainly makes him quickly identifiable as distinct from the standard release.  Also, for whatever reason, he swaps out his lower legs for those of the Soldier, giving him tucked-in boots.  Not 100% sure why, but it certainly works.

THE ME HALF OF THE EQUATION

As I noted in my Marine review, it was these keychains that introduced me to 3 3/4-inch Joes.  This set was actually the last of the keychain offerings I procured.  After finding the standard releases of the Diver, the Pilot, and the Marine, I was quite thrilled to find this pack at the KB just outside the town where my family vacationed over the summers.  At the time, I was in the midst of quite a G.I. Joe kick, and these really hit the spot.  Admittedly, they aren’t the greatest offerings.  They’re fun, but definitely lower quality than a lot of figures from the same era.