2002-2006 (New Sculpts) Forgotten?

Lance Sputnik · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** Pants

psychoviper wrote:

To repeat what some have already said, the major problem with the line was that they didn't really hit their stride until right towards the end, the inconsistency of quality and scale, the atrocious sculpting on some of the figs, and that for every cool fig, the were about 5 stinkers.

HOWEVER, even though most of that stuff was sub-par crap, when they were good, they were as good as, if not better than the original RAH stuff. Not to mention they gave us the first swivel wrists, working holsters, removable vests and webgear. The weapon sculpts were also some of the best and most realistic ever. And let us not forget some of the more decent comic pack offerings, such as Scarlett that had a feminine face instead of the butch transsexual that was the original figure. We also finally got very decent versions of the October Guard!!! And the Night Ops Hummer was just too sweet.

Just a few examples of amazingly well done figures include:

Snake Eyes 14 (one hell of an update)
Snake Eyes 23 (could have been the most kick-ass figure of the entire line '82 to present if not for those %$#@*& hands that wouldn't hold his weapons) :cry:

Chief Torpedo (one of the best custom bases and generic troops ever)
Crosshair (realism at its finest, specific gear at its best)
Blackout (beautifully done)
Coils (just beautiful and another perfect generic troop or custom base)
Cobra Commander 15 (regal)
Sand Viper (one of the meanest looking Cobras ever)
Destro 10 (the most perfect Destro ever)
Mindbender 5 (finally, he LOOKS like a mad scientist!)
Slip Stream 3 (again, detailed realism so good it makes you cry)
Bombstrike (may be the best female figure of the entire line, except perhaps the original Baroness)
Gung-Ho 16 (the best Gung-Ho ever)
Duke 19 (looks like he just stepped out of Desert Storm)
Torch (another PERFECT update)
Snow Wolf 2 (ditto)
Medi-Viper (finally!!)
Rollbar 2 (though impaired in posability, one of the sweetest looking night-ops/commando figures)
Major Barrage (a fine, fine sculpt if ever there was one)
Barrel Roll 3 (realism, great custom base, perfect generic trooper, amazing gear)
BTR Firefly (if not for those stupid pegs, this could have been one of the best figures of the line. Such amazing detail!)

I'm sure I missed a few. How I wish the line had continued...

Oooh, I disagree with you so much on a few of those... Blackout was SUCH a cool character... but a totally crappy figure. Same stupid problems as all the others - funky long legs, squat barrel torso, and he even had the stupidly positioned hands too. Not to mention the goofy head they gave him.

And I'm sure that your omitting Scalpel was an oversight, since you seem to like the Medi Viper

Viper · **Posted:** Thu May 15, 2008 7:13 am

The new sculpt Overkills are good figures, I still use them. Though I've gotten rid of all but a handful of the new sculpt stuff. Mostly just have BATs & a few characters.

DarkWynter · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

alleyviperelite wrote:

New Sculpt is still my favorite style. My RAH stuff is boxed away and I collect the 25th stuff but I buy it and stand it on a shelf. I like the o-ring design and the newer plastics on the new sculpt stuff. I like the "super hero" build and I like that the figures come in different heights. I will admit there are some BIG stinkers in the line but that's with every toyline. My main display is new sculpt and all of my customs are new sculpt based. And the general dislike of new sculpt stuff has discouraged me from posting my stuff anymore since all anyone cares about anymore is the 25th stuff. I'm still waiting for the price drops though so I can stock up on fodder.

Agreed.

New sculpt was not perfect as it had issues with proportions early on, but dare I say so does 25th with its spindly feminine legs and arms (and manboobs). New sculpt had some articulation problems with a few figures not being able to drop their arms to their waist, as did 25th with figures not being able to sit or move their arms properly. Both are far from perfect, but new sculpt remains my favorite as they are far sturdier and are meant to be played with. I can hand them to my kids/relatives kids and don't have to worry about being handed back a bucket of parts ten minutes later. My favorite ARAH figures (and even that line had some terrible molds) can easily be set up and used right next to the new sculpt with little distraction. You will never be able to please everyone, but for me new sculpt was the best of what has been offered so far and remains my favorite.
That being said I am not putting down anyone’s love for 25th figures. I have gotten several and am trying my hand at customizing them to fit in my Joe verse. They are in my opinion the best knock off brand ever made. To be a real Joe they need to modify that torso joint so as to not be so distracting (yes the web gear does help a lot to hide this flaw) and above all put the O-ring waist back. I'm not going to hold my breath for this and will still be happy even if it never happens. New sculpt has provided me with so much fodder as to last me and my kids a lifetime of play and projects. The 25th figures I do like provides me with some outstanding display figures and keeps G.I.Joe alive with sales, interest, and new blood. I however will remain loyal to new sculpt.

jedsoon · **Joined:** Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:22 am

I tend to agree with pluv. These figures are largely unappreciated now, but in years to come interest could very easily pick up on them.

Late-era o-rings were superior to their ancestors in some ways, being made of more flexible, and therefore more durable plastic. However, many of them suffered from wonky proportions. There were some weak characters and ideas, but those have been produced in fairly substantial numbers since the early 90's, if not before. By comparison, many long-term Joe fans received them only in lukewarm fashion

The Joe fanbase has grown only in small increments in the years since its heyday, with greater numbers likely leaving the hobby than coming in. But its getting ready to explode with the deluge of marketing we're sure to see surrounding the movie. If it's successful, that means a lot of new blood and a lot of new people interested in GI Joe. People who are likely to laugh off a dated and meaningless term like "new sculpt", and might see the last of the o-rings as having more in common with what came before them than what came later (which they do).

Couple these potential changes coming in the Joe market with how it exists right now: the later o-rings are generally being crapped on, sold off, forgotten, given to kids, etc. Because they aren't held in the esteem of earlier releases in many cases, they aren't being cared for or preserved in the same fashion. Which means their numbers are decreasing. And they never sold in the numbers that their 80's counterparts did to begin with.

Increasing scarcity and a changing market could easily affect the demand for these dudes in the future. Nobody can say for certain either way, really.

stad · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2008 10:17 am

psychoviper wrote:

And let us not forget some of the more decent comic pack offerings, such as Scarlett that had a feminine face instead of the butch transsexual that was the original figure.

I actually have no problem with the original Scarlett figure, in the context of the original Joes. Having actually been in the military, I can affirm that all of the females are NOT fashion models, and the Scarlett figure/head is a pretty good representation of some of the females I've actually seen. Or even worked with, when I was in the Medevac. There are no females in Spec Ops line units.

xhairs · **Posted:** Sat May 17, 2008 12:26 pm

man i have all of those figs and more for fodder as i love the modern line for customs . for the 25 i keep 1 moc 1 to open for fodder i only can use the head, gear, arms, legs from them and it sucks.

Tanstoys · **Joined:** Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:02 am

I still like the NS figures better than the ARAH stuff.Some of the figures really sucked but there were a bunch of good ones too and good characters.I like the 25th line better than either but they have flaws too.I hope they make the the good figures from NS into 25th form someday.

ThomasArmada23 · **Posted:** Sun May 18, 2008 12:55 am

I'm going to add my vote of preference of the new-sculpt line over the 25A figures. As much as I like the intentions of the 25A line, I feel on most figures that despite the added articulation, the hands don't seem to hold weapons very well, the arms usually can't be bent at a 90 degree angle at the elbow, and the legs usually can't sit completely at the hips. And, though I may be the only person that holds this particular opinion, I guess I have trouble getting excited about the characters and designs being near-exact retreads of toys I already own.

There was definitely a lot of inconsistency in the new-sculpt line, but the good figures were really good, and I think many of the designs were excellent and represented a different take on Joe. I understand why Hasbro has gone the old-school route, and I'm glad that it seems to be working well for them, but in the end I've felt indifference in regards to them (and believe me, I've tried to like them). I could probably convince myself to buy a few more if they were in scale with the new-sculpt line, but IMO they are too tall.

And yes, if the DTC Wave 4 line is released by the Club for a reasonable price ($28 per figure is not what I consider reasonable), I would like to own a set of them.

Patrick A. Riley · **Posted:** Tue May 27, 2008 2:04 pm

Mike T. wrote:

Quote:

or the blonde beard Wave 8 Gung Ho. Try to find those figures. They are incredibly hard to find and the blonde GH is probably rarer than the Gold Headed Steel Brigade. But, when you do find them, they're dirt cheap because no one cares about them. I think that's the market in a microcosm right there.

I got my blond Gung-Ho for $3.75 shipped two years ago

Of course, the auction title and description were simply:
3 3/4 INCH HASBRO G.I. GI JOE / COBRA FIGURE "NICE"

2002-2006 (New Sculpts) Forgotten?

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