At the 94 Joe convention in NYC Hasbro had a urethane casting of the 2-up sculpt mounted to a board in exploded view to demonstrate how their sculptors worked from metal bucks to create consistent and interchangeable connections between body parts. The casting was unpainted but I looked at it and was just blown away at the detail in the sculpt and how beautiful that face was. There is a tiny detail that I have no idea how they expected to make it through the reduction processes of the time: The mesh part of her uniform had a very tiny Cobra logo at each intersection. Those logos were already crazy-tiny on a 7 1/2 sculpt, there was no way they could have ever been more than tiny blobs when reduced to 3 3/4 in a steel, mass-production mold.
THIS makes things make more sense! The painted prototype seems fairly plain but the two images they made up gave her a really intricate and colourful outfit. Adding all that extra detail seems redundant for that scale but maybe Classfied IS the right avenue for this updated figure...
Calling Ninja Force Scarlett “a figure. That happened. At us.” Is one of the truest truths of late stage GI Joe, I can’t even explain it to someone that wasn’t there. She and that line were suddenly on shelves and it was so evident how GI Joe was struggling to be relevant in an era when that 3-3/4” form factor was just passé in the face of bigger, more Xtreme 90s figures.
Hah right?! I forgot they were even still trying (too hard) but my excitement for a Scarlett figure was dashed with neon, a chonky bod, and Psylocke's 90's long butt.
Oh I totally agree with you sir about therw being a strong likelihood the lost Battle Corps Rangers figures could show up at Super7. Plus we're in that era currently when all 90's G.I. Joe kids are hitting that nostalgic sweet spot and I know this would resonate with them.
Very true! I think the Transformers team unexpectedly learned that when they realized the fans of Beast Wars and Energon were raised on that too and have buying power now.
@@gaytiestoysOh 100%. Around 2020 I watched all of those bizarre 90's MOC Joe figures (Eco Warriors, Mega Marines, Star Brigade etc) jump up in price. I used to troop build Monstro-Vipers MOC and now they're like $150 each which is INSANE as I remember people not being able to give them away at $25 MOC. And even now, 4 years or so later, they're still high up there.
@@gaytiestoys Yes exactly. I've often thought there are about 3 Sections of G.I. Joe Collectors: 1982-to-1985, 1986-to-1989, and 1990-to-1994. I'm more of an '86-to-'89 Joe kid so the Sci-Fi stuff wasn't that weird to me. But yes I've heard Kirk Bozigian say how they had a new generation of kids every year discovering G.I. Joe so the brand had to change and evolve to keep up with the tastes of their next batch of costumers.
@@theobscuratoyfiles1142 agreed, I was there at the start when it was firmly real-world militaristic with Cobra having a bit more of a sci-fi slant but then soon pets and Hawaiian shirts showed up and THEN it got real coo-coo-bananas.
I enjoy your commentary and speculation a great deal; thank you! This would have been a cool alternate to have back in the day. I don't have too-too much attachment to GI Joe anymore.
@@gaytiestoys That is so true. I'm totally dedicated to getting every 6"-7" Dungeons and Dragons figure though. There are more than anyone realizes. To prove your point, too, having branched to other figures that fit in, Jinx is among them and she's my only Joe Classified.
Based on what I've read over the years, the designers would pitch new female characters every year from 1988-1992 and Hasbro management would pitch those ideas in the trash. That's why no ladies in the repaint stuff even. The bean counters won, if it sold less units...it's out. By the time a new Baroness got approved, Hasbro decided to end A Real American Hero. They did Sgt. Savage for a year (originally intended as a side line) and then move GI JOE to the Kenner division. (Where the one female character Mayday went unmade.)
Most of the major Joe and Cobra Women have been made in the new 6" line. I can use the Blue and Red Baroness Figures as the sisters. I think a couple new Female Joe's have been made.
@gaytiestoys Also Quarrel. And the female Sniper, generic female Trooper in a mask, Native American looking Marine, that you can keep as is or make her white, personally I will keep her with the dark skin/ black or Native American look, I really don't know what she is. We also have gotten generic Female Cobras. I have bought 8 of them. Four for Baroness Guards, Four for Sisters Guards.
@@BladeStar-uq6xe YES, "Shooter" finally from the comics. I believe someone named Viper too. I may yet do a video on Raven and some other notables from the cartoon.
@gaytiestoys How could I forget Vypra? I have her Figure! It could be because I'm using some of the Cobra Ninjas as Hand Ninjas. Tell the truth, my Joe's aren't even going to fighting Cobra. I have Fudged a General Thunderbolt Ross figure and I have given him command of the G.I. Joe Team, which means the Joe's will be 'Hulk Hounding'! I use Cobra as an offshoot of Hydra and I am building a Sgt. Nick Fury Jr 'New Howling Commando's' Team made up of Alternate, Generic, and Valaverse Figures. As you might know, one of the original ideas for the revival of G.I. Joe was to tie it more into the Marvel Universe with Sgt. Nick Fury Jr. as the Leader. There were even plans to have Destro going back and forth between G.I. Joe and SHIELD. A behind the scenes enemy of both SHIELD and the Joe's.
I'd like to see Super 7 make the unreleased Ninja Force wave, I think that they changed the name to Ninja Commandos or something, at the time, but it had another Storm Shadow, Road Pig, Flint, Budo, and someone new, named Knockout, or Knockback, or Knockdown, or something. That would be cool to see released. :)
Knock-Out, a Cobra. A great name for a female character, but instead it was weirdo badguy. Some packaged samples of Ninja Commandos exist (jn the hands of elitist collectors it's rumored) but I've never seen Knock-Out's file card.
At the 94 Joe convention in NYC Hasbro had a urethane casting of the 2-up sculpt mounted to a board in exploded view to demonstrate how their sculptors worked from metal bucks to create consistent and interchangeable connections between body parts. The casting was unpainted but I looked at it and was just blown away at the detail in the sculpt and how beautiful that face was. There is a tiny detail that I have no idea how they expected to make it through the reduction processes of the time: The mesh part of her uniform had a very tiny Cobra logo at each intersection. Those logos were already crazy-tiny on a 7 1/2 sculpt, there was no way they could have ever been more than tiny blobs when reduced to 3 3/4 in a steel, mass-production mold.
THIS makes things make more sense! The painted prototype seems fairly plain but the two images they made up gave her a really intricate and colourful outfit. Adding all that extra detail seems redundant for that scale but maybe Classfied IS the right avenue for this updated figure...
Calling Ninja Force Scarlett “a figure. That happened. At us.” Is one of the truest truths of late stage GI Joe, I can’t even explain it to someone that wasn’t there. She and that line were suddenly on shelves and it was so evident how GI Joe was struggling to be relevant in an era when that 3-3/4” form factor was just passé in the face of bigger, more Xtreme 90s figures.
Hah right?! I forgot they were even still trying (too hard) but my excitement for a Scarlett figure was dashed with neon, a chonky bod, and Psylocke's 90's long butt.
Fantastic! This was a fun deep dive, Andrew!
Thank ya! I sent 'em your way for the line wide deeper dive!
I had a thing for ladies with glasses because of the Baroness. Great video, Dudeness. Keep up the excellent documentary creation.
Thank ya kindly good sir. In retrospect such a strange choice to give her big poindexter glasses but it was inspired a legion of burlesque shows.
Oh I totally agree with you sir about therw being a strong likelihood the lost Battle Corps Rangers figures could show up at Super7. Plus we're in that era currently when all 90's G.I. Joe kids are hitting that nostalgic sweet spot and I know this would resonate with them.
Very true! I think the Transformers team unexpectedly learned that when they realized the fans of Beast Wars and Energon were raised on that too and have buying power now.
@@gaytiestoysOh 100%. Around 2020 I watched all of those bizarre 90's MOC Joe figures (Eco Warriors, Mega Marines, Star Brigade etc) jump up in price. I used to troop build Monstro-Vipers MOC and now they're like $150 each which is INSANE as I remember people not being able to give them away at $25 MOC. And even now, 4 years or so later, they're still high up there.
@@theobscuratoyfiles1142 which is insane to ME but I was collecting ten years prior to these late 90s waves so it was for them, not for me
@@gaytiestoys Yes exactly. I've often thought there are about 3 Sections of G.I. Joe Collectors: 1982-to-1985, 1986-to-1989, and 1990-to-1994. I'm more of an '86-to-'89 Joe kid so the Sci-Fi stuff wasn't that weird to me. But yes I've heard Kirk Bozigian say how they had a new generation of kids every year discovering G.I. Joe so the brand had to change and evolve to keep up with the tastes of their next batch of costumers.
@@theobscuratoyfiles1142 agreed, I was there at the start when it was firmly real-world militaristic with Cobra having a bit more of a sci-fi slant but then soon pets and Hawaiian shirts showed up and THEN it got real coo-coo-bananas.
Hail Cobra! of course. These are great. Keep it up!
Hah thanks! And, of course, COBRRAAAA
I enjoy your commentary and speculation a great deal; thank you! This would have been a cool alternate to have back in the day. I don't have too-too much attachment to GI Joe anymore.
There's so much lately it's hard to focus much attachment on any
@@gaytiestoys That is so true. I'm totally dedicated to getting every 6"-7" Dungeons and Dragons figure though. There are more than anyone realizes.
To prove your point, too, having branched to other figures that fit in, Jinx is among them and she's my only Joe Classified.
@@TitularHeroine she's a great update. I did cave and get Shipwreck to sneak in my Ultimates Joes. For the moment...
Based on what I've read over the years, the designers would pitch new female characters every year from 1988-1992 and Hasbro management would pitch those ideas in the trash. That's why no ladies in the repaint stuff even. The bean counters won, if it sold less units...it's out. By the time a new Baroness got approved, Hasbro decided to end A Real American Hero. They did Sgt. Savage for a year (originally intended as a side line) and then move GI JOE to the Kenner division. (Where the one female character Mayday went unmade.)
This absolutely tracks in the years after Jinx. And I absolutely talked about Mayday!
A shipwreck with a similar design was made during the spy troops/ valor vs venom era
Oh right, I always liked that less YMCA style in favour of the more longshoreman look.
Like all of the later Battle Corps, they did 2 colorways of each figure. Baroness was going to be available in black, but also blue.
Hasbro reusing sculpts?! Never!
Most of the major Joe and Cobra Women have been made in the new 6" line. I can use the Blue and Red Baroness Figures as the sisters. I think a couple new Female Joe's have been made.
Yeah Helix has been made; I'd say the last real biggie would by Pythona and then variants like Ninja Force Scarlett or this Baroness
@gaytiestoys Also Quarrel. And the female Sniper, generic female Trooper in a mask, Native American looking Marine, that you can keep as is or make her white, personally I will keep her with the dark skin/ black or Native American look, I really don't know what she is. We also have gotten generic Female Cobras. I have bought 8 of them. Four for Baroness Guards, Four for Sisters Guards.
@@BladeStar-uq6xe YES, "Shooter" finally from the comics. I believe someone named Viper too. I may yet do a video on Raven and some other notables from the cartoon.
@gaytiestoys How could I forget Vypra? I have her Figure! It could be because I'm using some of the Cobra Ninjas as Hand Ninjas. Tell the truth, my Joe's aren't even going to fighting Cobra. I have Fudged a General Thunderbolt Ross figure and I have given him command of the G.I. Joe Team, which means the Joe's will be 'Hulk Hounding'! I use Cobra as an offshoot of Hydra and I am building a Sgt. Nick Fury Jr 'New Howling Commando's' Team made up of Alternate, Generic, and Valaverse Figures. As you might know, one of the original ideas for the revival of G.I. Joe was to tie it more into the Marvel Universe with Sgt. Nick Fury Jr. as the Leader. There were even plans to have Destro going back and forth between G.I. Joe and SHIELD. A behind the scenes enemy of both SHIELD and the Joe's.
@@BladeStar-uq6xe Yes to all of this. It's what I like about the troop building: they're so varied you could slot them in anywhere.
I'd like to see Super 7 make the unreleased Ninja Force wave, I think that they changed the name to Ninja Commandos or something, at the time, but it had another Storm Shadow, Road Pig, Flint, Budo, and someone new, named Knockout, or Knockback, or Knockdown, or something. That would be cool to see released. :)
By the time Joes went neon I was OUT but admittedly I did jump back on the totally 90s comics focused on them and I have a soft spot for 'em.
Knock-Out, a Cobra. A great name for a female character, but instead it was weirdo badguy. Some packaged samples of Ninja Commandos exist (jn the hands of elitist collectors it's rumored) but I've never seen Knock-Out's file card.
@@scockery I just looked him up and, if barechestedness is a thing, he is indeed a Knock-Out.