G.I.Joe 

1986, The Figures Part III: The BAT, an Icon

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios Some of my favorite figures come calling in this edition of G.I. Joe1986. The remainder of the figures I consider icons. As this year progressed, some of my favorite figures came out. The militaristic realism, mixed with a little bit of futuristic elements, made these figures so ridiculously awesome. The BAT (Battle Android Trooper) One of the most noticeably absurd aspects of the Sunbow cartoon was that everyone was the worst shot of all time, and everyone was an escape artist. Whether it…

Read More
G.I.Joe 

The Great Debate: Hair or Hood? | G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra, Part 1 | G.I. Retro

Step back into the world of classic 1980s animation with this fun and nostalgic episode from the G.I. Retro channel! In “The Great Debate: Hair or Hood?,” the discussion dives into one of the most memorable moments from G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra, Part 1! Specifically, is Zartan wearing a hood or is it just his hair? Check out the video in the player below then please head over to the G.I. Joe Retro channel and SUBSCRIBE!

Read More
The POP-EXPOSE 

Ye cannae die, MacLeod: Highlander Toys Through the Years

Story By @GIJoeRepairShop In the late 1980’s, I moved to the Scottish Highlands. I lived not far from the castle and other locations used in the film “Highlander.” It was a point of pride for the locals that such a high-budget Hollywood movie had been filmed there only a few years earlier. The movie itself is a crazy tale of the medieval Scottish Highlands and 1980’s New York. The main actor is French, playing a Scot. The actor playing a Spaniard has a broad Scottish accent, and the actor playing…

Read More
G.I.Joe 

BUZZER: THE BRILLIANT MIND THAT CHOSE THE ROAD TO RUIN

Among the many unforgettable members of Cobra’s infamous Dreadnoks, few stand out quite like Buzzer. At first glance, Buzzer looks exactly like what you would expect from a violent biker gang member. He wears ripped denim, carries a roaring chainsaw, sports dark sunglasses, and thrives on intimidation and destruction. Most people see him as nothing more than a savage thug who enjoys tearing things apart. But according to his filecard, the truth behind Buzzer is far more fascinating — and tragic. What makes Buzzer unique in the world of G.I.…

Read More
The POP-EXPOSE 

Fatalities, Freakouts, and Firestorms: Why Mortal Kombat Shocked the 1990s

When Mortal Kombat first exploded into arcades in 1992, it didn’t just attract players—it triggered a full-blown cultural panic. Kids crowded around cabinets in pizza joints, malls, and arcades, mesmerized by digitized fighters ripping out spines, freezing opponents solid, and finishing battles with gruesome “Fatalities.” To gamers, it was revolutionary. To worried parents and politicians, it was the beginning of the end. At the time, most fighting games looked relatively cartoonish. Street Fighter II dominated arcades with colorful characters and flashy special moves, but its violence was tame compared to…

Read More
G.I.Joe 

1986, The Figures, Part 2: It’s Getting Serious

By: Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios Jumping right into more of the G.I. Joe figures from this incredible year, I’m starting off with what was my favorite Roadblock. I know V1 holds a special place in people’s hearts, but he was largely shirtless, so this one — looking tough as hell in his vest, sporting a white tee and his classic L7A2 GPMG with tripod — just hit differently. A really, really awesome figure. I didn’t get him right away, but I loved this version, and when he started…

Read More
The POP-EXPOSE 

Quarter Munchers & Magic Carpets: The Glory Days of Aladdin’s Castle

Long before online gaming, battle passes, and headset trash talk, there was a magical kingdom hidden inside America’s shopping malls. You could hear it before you saw it. The clatter of tokens, the electronic explosions, the hum of CRT monitors, and the occasional shout of victory from a kid who just beat a high score. And standing proudly above it all was the glowing sign of Aladdin’s Castle. For many kids growing up in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s, and even into the 1990s, Aladdin’s Castle wasn’t just an…

Read More
Uncategorized 

From Saturday Morning to Thirst Trap: Leave Our Cartoons Alone

There’s something strange happening to a generation of men now in their 40s and 50s. The same guys who once sat cross-legged in front of a woodgrain television eating cereal while watching cartoons on Saturday mornings are now scrolling online and turning those childhood characters into objects of adult fantasy. Characters that once represented adventure, humor, heroism, and innocence are being filtered through a lens of endless sexualization. And honestly? It’s depressing. Somewhere along the line, modern internet culture convinced people that everything must be sexualized. Nothing can simply exist…

Read More
G.I.Joe 

New post Lights, Camera, Yo Joe!

By: R.A. Rayne Here we go again! Do we really need another live-action film? We all know what happened with the other films. Unfortunately, Hollywood studio executives usually don’t listen to fans. In March, it was announced that Paramount had rejected a treatment by writer Max Landis and that Danny McBride is developing a script for a new G.I. Joe film. Yes, I did say Danny McBride, the same Danny McBride who has played wild and unusual roles in Hot Rod, Tropic Thunder, and Pineapple Express. Okay, before you start…

Read More
G.I.Joe 

1986: The Figures, Part 1

By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios As my deep dive into all things G.I.Joe 1986 continues, I am going to rap about the figures first, and then the playsets and vehicles. As for the figures, I am going to sort of sidewind all over, but I will leave my favorites for last. One of the more important, but simple, figures is General Hawk. With his release, I was able to saddle him into the base that was comprised of the Bivouac, Machine Gun Nest, and various dio pieces I…

Read More
The POP-EXPOSE 

When the Harlem Globetrotters Visited Gilligan’s Island

Story by @GIJoeRepairShop I have a strange memory from childhood. I know that I’ve watched the Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Harlem Globetrotters were everywhere. They were even on Scooby-Doo. Indeed, they’re still everywhere. Just last month, they had Pope Leo XIV spinning a basketball on his finger! So, their appearance on the show alone isn’t that surprising. As an adult, I have to question how the entire Harlem Globetrotters organization managed to get onto, and then off of, Gilligan’s Island so easily, while…

Read More