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Sub-Teams Part IV: D.I.R.E. Tech

September 29, 2026September 29, 2026 Serpentorslair Staffaction figures, Cobra Classified Series, Crystal Ball army, Crystal Ball Classified Series, Crystal Ball GI Joe, D.I.R.E. Hawk, D.I.R.E. Tech, D.I.R.E. Viper, Destro Designs, DIRE Hawk GI Joe, DIRE Viper Classified Series, G.I. Joe Classified Series, G.I. Joe collectors, G.I.Joe, GI Joe action figures, GI Joe Classified 2026, GI Joe Classified figures, GI Joe Classified sub teams, GI Joe DIRE Tech, GI Joe sub teams, GI Joe toy collecting, Hasbro, Hasbro GI Joe Classified, Night Creeper GI Joe, Raptor GI Joe Classified, Serpentorslair, Viper Den Studios, Wolf Spider GI Joe0 comment

My final installment in this series of G.I. Joe sub-team articles hits today. The Hasbro team has done such an excellent job creating new characters that fit so well into the lore while also turning out to be outstanding figures. I absolutely love it. Wolf Spider is my favorite new figure, but there are plenty of great ones. When it comes to the D.I.R.E. Tech crew, though, there’s also some reuse of older parts and designs—and it works incredibly well. When Crystal Ball first came out, I was a little…

The Breaking News Report

Goodbye, Mr. Belding: ‘Saved by the Bell’ Star Dennis Haskins Dies at 75, Leaving Bayside and a Generation of Fans in Mourning

September 28, 2026September 29, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1990s television, 90s nostalgia, 90s TV stars, Bayside High, celebrity deaths 2026, Dennis Haskins, Dennis Haskins 2026, Dennis Haskins dead, Dennis Haskins death, Dennis Haskins dies, Dennis Haskins dies at 75, Dennis Haskins obituary, Gen X nostalgia, millennial nostalgia, Mr Belding, Mr Belding dead, Principal Belding, Richard Belding, Saved By The Bell, Saved by the Bell actor dies, Saved by the Bell cast, Saved by the Bell Dennis Haskins, Saved by the Bell Mr Belding0 comment

Goodbye, Mr. Belding: ‘Saved by the Bell’ Star Dennis Haskins Dies at 75, Leaving Bayside and a Generation of Fans in Mourning For an entire generation, there was one man who always seemed to be waiting at the end of the hallway at Bayside High. Sometimes he was frustrated. Sometimes he was fooled by Zack Morris’ latest scheme. Sometimes he was the only adult in the room who seemed to understand that growing up could be funny, confusing and painful all at once. His name was Mr. Belding. And the…

IACON CITY - The Transformers Forum

Star Trek’s Harry Mudd Was a Transformers Legend: Roger C. Carmel’s Forgotten G1 Legacy

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s cartoons, Bruticus, Cyclonus, Gen X, Generation 1, Harry Mudd, Motormaster, Quintessons, Roger C. Carmel, Star Trek, Transformers, Unicron0 comment

Roger C. Carmel became famous to Star Trek fans as Harry Mudd, then built an unexpectedly large legacy in the original Transformers cartoon. To Star Trek fans, Roger C. Carmel is forever linked to Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd, the larger-than-life swindler whose charm, lies, and theatrical confidence made him one of the original series’ most memorable recurring guest characters. But Gen-X animation fans heard Carmel far more often than many realized. During the final years of his career, he became an important voice in the original Transformers universe, playing several…

Artist Spotlight

Artist Spotlight: Becca Whitaker’s Wild World of Pin-Up Art, Horror & Retro Pop Culture

September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 Serpentorslair StaffArtist Spotlight: Becca Whitaker’s Wild World of Pin-Up Art, Horror & Retro Pop Culture0 comment

Becca Whitaker Artist Spotlight: Pin-Up Art, Horror, Pop Culture & Retro Nostalgia By Serpentor’s Lair There are artists whose work can be recognized before you ever see the signature. A particular use of color, a distinctive approach to character design, or an unmistakable sense of humor becomes a calling card. Becca Whitaker is one of those artists. Working from DeKalb, Illinois—an “island in a sea of corn near Chicago,” as she affectionately describes it—Whitaker has developed a vibrant artistic identity built around pin-up illustration, pop culture, horror, science fiction, nostalgia,…

We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

September 27, 2026September 27, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s nostalgia, action figure collecting, childhood trauma, Cold Slither, depression and mental health, Destro Designs, Destro Is My Spirit Animal, fandom and mental health, G.I. Joe community, G.I. Joe Fandom, G.I. Joe mental health, Gus Rios, healing from trauma, Mark Fogarty, mental health awareness, mental health support, Michael Vandenberg, personal mental health story, R.A. Rayne, self-acceptance, Serpentor’s Lair, toy collecting community, trauma recovery, We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming, Zartan0 comment

By R.A. Rayne I have rewritten this opening a half dozen times now. I knew when I sat down to write this article it would be rough, but I never realized how freeing it would be. Call it luck, divine intervention, or just perfect timing, but this past week Destro Is My Spirit Animal gave us a chance to look at ourselves instead of the world of G.I. Joe. Recently, Mark Fogarty posted a YouTube video on his Destro Is My Spirit Animal channel, where he candidly discussed his experience…

Gilligan’s Planet: The Forgotten 1982 CBS Saturday Morning Cartoon That Sent Gilligan Into Space

September 27, 2026September 27, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s cartoons, 1982 cartoons, Bob Denver, CBS cartoons, CBS Saturday morning cartoons, Classic animation, Dawn Wells, Filmation cartoons, forgotten 80s cartoons, forgotten cartoons, Gen X nostalgia, Gilligan's Island cartoon, Gilligan's Planet, Gilligan's Planet 1982 cartoon, Gilligans Island, Hal Sutherland, Lou Scheimer, Paul Dini, Retro cartoons, retro TV, Saturday morning cartoons, Saturday morning TV, Tom Ruegger, vintage cartoons0 comment

There was a wonderfully strange moment in Saturday morning television when almost any familiar character could be sent into outer space. And in the fall of 1982, CBS and Filmation actually sent Gilligan there. Long before Saturday mornings became dominated by toy-driven action franchises, Gilligan’s Planet took one of television’s most recognizable comedy ensembles, loaded them aboard a homemade spaceship, and stranded them all over again—only this time on an alien world. If you grew up watching cartoons in the early 1980s, there is a decent chance you saw this…

ToyKennections Explores One of the Biggest G.I. Joe Auctions of All Time

September 26, 2026September 26, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s toys, Collectible Action Figures, G.I. Joe ARAH, G.I. Joe auction, G.I. Joe collectibles, G.I. Joe collection, G.I. Joe collectors, G.I. Joe community, G.I. Joe toy auction, G.I. Joe toys, G.I. Joe vehicles, Hasbro G.I. Joe, Rare action figures, Rare G.I. Joe Figures, rare vintage toys, ToyKennections, ToyKennections YouTube, vintage action figures, Vintage G.I. Joe, vintage toy auction0 comment

Today Ken from ToyKennections gives us a look at one of the most epic G.I. Joe auctions of all TIME! Check out the video below and share your thoughts with us in the comments. As always be sure to subscribe to ToyKennections channel on YouTube for all of Ken’s latest videos!

Sub Teams Part 4: Night Force

September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 Serpentorslair StaffBeach Head Night Force, Big Ben Night Force, Charbroil G.I. Joe, Cobra Night Force, Crazylegs Night Force, D.I.R.E. G.I. Joe, Destro Designs, Energon Universe Night Force, G.I. Joe Classified Series, G.I. Joe collecting, G.I. Joe Energon Universe, G.I. Joe Night Force, G.I. Joe Night Force Classified, G.I. Joe sub-teams, GI Joe Night Force, GI Joe sub teams, Lightfoot G.I. Joe, Low-Light G.I. Joe, Night Force figures, Night Force G.I. Joe Classified Series, Psyche-Out Night Force, Quick Kick Night Force, Repeater G.I. Joe, Rip Cord Night Force, Serpentor's Lair, Shockwave Night Force, Shooter Night Force, Vintage G.I. Joe, Viper Den Studios, Wolf Spider G.I. Joe2 Comments

By Destro Designs-Viper Den Studios Everyone knows how I feel about Python Patrol, especially after the previous article. It’s an incredible extension of the Cobra side of the battle and is super indicative of Cobra itself. But without question, my number one favorite G.I. Joe sub-team is Night Force. The team itself is based around a super-elite squad that handles the things that go bump in the night. They conduct operations so important and so sensitive that they have to use the cover of darkness. Bane can think he owns…

SIGOURNEY WEAVER: The Queen of ’80s Sci-Fi — Ripley, Zuul and the Gen-X Sex Symbol Who Changed the Genre

September 25, 2026September 25, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s actresses, 1980s nostalgia, 1980s sci fi movies, 80s science fiction, Alien franchise, Aliens 1986, Dana Barrett, Ellen Ripley, female action heroes, Gen X crushes, Gen X movie icons, Ghostbusters 1984, Ghostbusters II, Ghostbusters Sigourney Weaver, James Cameron Aliens, retro movies, Ripley Alien, sci fi actresses, Serpentors Lair, Sigourney Weaver, Sigourney Weaver 1980s, Sigourney Weaver Aliens, Sigourney Weaver sex symbol, women in science fiction, Zuul Ghostbusters0 comment

SIGOURNEY WEAVER: The Queen of ’80s Sci-Fi — Ripley, Zuul and the Gen-X Sex Symbol Who Changed the Genre There is a reason a generation can hear the name Sigourney Weaver and immediately picture steam rolling through a steel corridor, the warning lights of LV-426, or a Manhattan apartment glowing like the doorway to another dimension. Weaver did more than star in some of the biggest genre movies of the 1980s. She made intelligence, nerve and authority part of the decade’s sex appeal. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Aliens…

5 Retro Action Cartoons You Need to Rewatch This Week!

September 23, 2026September 23, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s cartoons, 1990s action cartoons, 80s nostalgia TV, action cartoons of the 80s, best retro cartoons, C.O.P.S. cartoon, Centurions Power Xtreme, classic action cartoons, classic animated series, Defenders of The Earth, Exosquad cartoon, forgotten 80s cartoons, nostalgic cartoons, retro action cartoons to rewatch, Retro cartoons, Saturday morning cartoons, Serpentor’s Lair Retro Watchlist, toy-driven cartoons, vintage cartoons, Visionaries Knights of the Magical Light0 comment

Defenders of the Earth Visionaries Centurions C.O.P.S. — Bulletproof Exosquad 5 Retro Action Cartoons You Need to Rewatch This Week! Serpentor’s Lair Retro Watchlist 5 Retro Action Cartoons You Need to Rewatch This Week! If you grew up during the golden age of after-school cartoons, action figures, cereal commercials and racing home before the opening credits started, this week’s Serpentor’s Lair Retro Watchlist is for you. Everybody remembers the giants like G.I. Joe, Transformers and ThunderCats. Those shows absolutely deserve their legendary status. But the 1980s and early 1990s were…

Review: Total Action Force: Volume Three

September 23, 2026September 23, 2026 Serpentorslair StaffAction Force book review, Action Force collector book, Action Force figures, Action Force history, Action Force prototypes, Action Force Series 1, Action Force Series 2, Action Force Series 3, Action Force vehicles, Baron Ironblood, Brian Hickey Action Force, Palitoy Action Force, Palitoy toys, Total Action Force Volume 3, Total Action Force Volume Three, Total Toy Books, unproduced Action Force concepts, unreleased Action Force figures, vintage Action Force0 comment

Story by @GIJoeRepairShop Brian Hickey is back! Total Action Force: Volume 3 is a brand new 196-page book published by Total Toy Books. This volume focuses on unproduced concepts, prototypes, and the process of producing the first few years of original Action Force characters and associated figures and vehicles. This successful Kickstarter project is the final volume of the Total Action Force trilogy of books. In the front papers, this volume includes the names of contributors and Kickstarter backers (including this author!). You may recognize several GI Joe community usernames…

Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors: The 1980s Cartoon That Deserved a Real Ending

September 23, 2026September 23, 2026 Serpentorslair Staff1980s cartoons, 1985 animated series, 80s action cartoons, Armed Force vehicle, cartoons that deserve a reboot, classic Saturday morning cartoons, classic toy cartoons, DIC cartoons, Escape from the Garden of Evil, J Michael Straczynski, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors cartoon, Lightning League, Mattel Wheeled Warriors, Monster Minds, nostalgic television, Retro cartoons, Saw Boss, SEOs: Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Serpentor’s Lair, Wheeled Warriors toy line0 comment

“Thundering across the stars to save the universe from the Monster Minds!” If those words immediately triggered a guitar riff somewhere in your memory, then you already understand why Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors deserves another spin on today’s nostalgic watchlist. Premiering in 1985, this animated science-fiction adventure arrived during the golden age of toy-driven cartoons. It shared television space with giants such as G.I. Joe, Transformers, ThunderCats, and M.A.S.K. Yet despite having transforming vehicles, terrifying villains, a memorable theme song, and a galaxy-spanning storyline, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors…

“The Traitor Pt. 2” REVIEW ON HALF THE BATTLE!

September 22, 2026September 22, 2026 Serpentorslair Staffaction figures, G.I.Joe, Hasbro0 comment

On this weeks episode of G.I. Joe Half The Battle, We review the Sunbow G.I. Joe Cartoon Episode, “The Traitor Pt. 2!” Check out this week’s video below and join in the conversation. And as always be sure and subscribe to my YouTube channel for all my latest videos!

The Joe That Sunbow Forgot! | G.I. Joe: Cobra Stops the World | G.I. Retro with Destro Designs

September 22, 2026September 22, 2026 Serpentorslair Staffaction figures, G.I.Joe, Hasbro0 comment

Cobra shuts down the world’s fuel supply, and it’s up to the Joes to stop them! Including a G.I. Joe hero that Sunbow created only to unceremoniously forget him?! I am joined this week by Destro Designs to break it all down.Be sure to follow him and all his exploits! YouTube AND Twitter: @destrodesigns Who is YOUR pick for MVP?What was YOUR favorite DYD moment?Who was YOUR pick for Foul-Up?New here? G.I. Retro is a weekly rewatch of the classic Sunbow G.I. Joe cartoon, one episode at a time. Subscribe…

IACON CITY - The Transformers Forum

40 Years Later, The Transformers: The Movie Is Better Than We Remember

September 21, 2026September 21, 2026 Serpentorslair StaffOptimus Prime death, Rodimus Prime, The Transformers The Movie 1986, Transformers 40th anniversary 2026, Transformers G1 movie, Transformers Movie 1986 retrospective, Transformers movie soundtrack, Transformers The Movie 40th anniversary, Transformers The Movie 4K, Unicron Transformers1 Comment

Forty years ago, The Transformers: The Movie did something almost unthinkable for a film based on a Saturday-morning toy franchise: it treated its world as though everything actually mattered. Characters could die. Leaders could fall. Villains could evolve. Entire planets could disappear. Released in 1986, the movie was initially a theatrical disappointment, but time has been extraordinarily kind to it. Four decades later, Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment have returned the film to theaters in a newly restored 4K presentation for its 40th anniversary. Watching it today reveals something surprising. This…