Roadblock, Cutter, Tracker, Lady Jaye, Heavy Duty, Gung-Ho, and Dusty

This team has one of the most complicated origins of any custom I've ever done, and one of the weirdest beginnings. I got this set of neon fluorescent paints, seven colors all together. I wanted to find something to do with them, and this idea of a G.I.Joe Covert Ops Team with black uniforms and neon details came to mind. The neon parts of their uniforms could give off some sort of radar scrambler, like Python Patrol, I don't know.

Around the same time, a friend of mine at the time was experimenting with molding plastic and resin parts. So we discussed a project where we would mold the actual body parts of six G.I.Joes (I initially didn't want to use the neon pink) in black, and then I would paint the details.

The criteria for character selection was simple. We knew we couldn't mold the arms, given the rivets, so we basically chose sleeveless figures. Roadblock got in because his sleeves were black.

The project worked! Unfortunately, over time, the plastic-resin-stuff that was used began to discolor and degrade. I still liked Blacklight Brigade, and I still had the original figure parts, so I just painted them all flat black, and then painted in the neon details. Lady Jaye joined the team so I would have a use for the pink color (okaym call me a chauvinist). Even used it on her lipstick.

And so, Blacklight Brigade lived again! This time for good.

An aside. I had these and some of my other customs on display at one of the earliest G.I.Joe Conventions. A couple of the Hasbro representatives there decided to have a little fun with me, and rather loudly in my vicinity said, "Hey, did you see those Blacklight figures? What a great idea. We should steal them!"

I introduced myself in some haste, but also said that if Hasbro wanted to do them officially, they could. Obviously they never did, but it was an amusing enough way to start up a conversation with them. :)