JoeCanuck

I can't see Sargent Savage having any commercial success.
It failed back in the day and nowadays even the hardcore G.I. Joe fan ignores it, while the casual fan is unaware of it. Without a nostalgia pull, and no 'fanboy' support it is a weak premise.

Actually, Sgt. Savage did not 'fail' at retail, and in fact tested very well during market research. so much so that it apparently is one of the best tested line of items in all of the GIJOE brands' history.
The story has been that it was compromised by ego-politics between Hasbro and Kenner offices, after Kenner was acquired by Hasbro. The appearance of failure at retail was simply because Hasbro choked production and simply cancelled the line itself.

 But that said, setting a premise in WW2 and having the character revive in modern times simply is too much like Captain America, and doesn't help the branding of a line with that kind of repetition.

On O-rings........I think they are long-gone now. The post-25th Anniversary style construction looks to be here to stay.

I was thinking last night about these figures and gear, and their compatibility with existing stuff.
Marauder has said that the whole point of these things was to make them compatible as possible, in that things like heads will pop on/off just as current modern Joes do. The variable they cannot account for is is the different sizes in existing neck pegs, but they plan to find an average size and go from there.

So that means that head swaps are going to be possible, with enough commonality to provide lots of outside options, and not just internal ones.
And that is what struck me......not just the internal customization, but the broad-base overall customization potential that will exist with these figures.

I mean, just the head gear alone opens up hundreds of options and when the optional add-ons for the head-gear come live, then it goes pretty darn near exponential.
I mean.....if you take one set, say the green head gear set......you've got a boonie hat.....add the headsculpt in the set  and if it fits on POC Jungle Duke.......boom, you've pretty much got your own POC Muskrat.  Add the green harness vest for a different look than Duke's vest.....add on some of those extra holsters, pouches and scabbards.......and you've got a really different looking figure that, frankly even the GIJOE Club would be able to kitbash to the same degree.

But it doesn't stop there. Let's say you found a few of Retaliation Crimson Guardsmen. Swap the heads with the red balaclava sculpt, add the red-deco armour helmet and its a different looking figure right away.  Or don't even use the Guardsman figure, use the red-deco Marauder "Logan" figure and add the leftover rank/insignia from that same Guardsman set.  Call the character a Crimson Grenadier, and he's a heavy weapons support for the Siegies--or whatever you want.

Or take the black gear, and add it to the POC Shock Troopers you have, add the armour plates and stuff.
Give goggles and or scarves to some Joes.
Swap different harnesses.
You could pop the head off an Joe Arctic figure......probably give him a Marauder bare head sculpt, a set of goggles and a Arctic boonie......could be Forstbite, or Windchill.......Blizzard......you name it.
If you get any of the figures and the gear sets, you are certainly going to have left over items  because not all of it is going to fit on each figure.

The options for kitbashing are what I'm really looking forward to with these. I think it'll breathe some new life into a hobby that, well....over the past year and a bit......has gotten plenty stale. That is what's fuelled my own excitement for these figures.

Just a heads-up that there is STILL a opportunity to participate in the pre-order for these figures, even though the Kickstarter project has closed.

Marauder Gun-runners is going to set up a Fundafull order page ( reportedly later today) which will allow backers and late-comers to consolidate and order any items they were unable to get during the actual project period.
There's two additional gear sets that will be available for purchase in addition to the already un-locked items. This will allow backers to kit out any of the figures they want with appropriate coloured gear.
The green-light on the Fundafull page should appear on Marauder's Facebook page later today, or sometime this weekend.

I didn't jump onto the Marauder band-wagon right off either.  I was leery of their stuff, thought it was breakable resin, or what-have-you..........thought the detail might be rough etc.
They were around a couple of years before I took a chance with their series 6 stuff.
BOOM, that broke the ice........the weapons were awesome sauce with amazing on the side.
Then they launched their series 7 Kickstarter and I was right on board for that.


But the thing was that if there was a problem, a question or a concern.......they'd be right there to answer it. Just great customer service, for a small on-line biz. When I did the series 7 stuff, I had a concern about just what I was getting. I messaged them, and they replied, laying it all out for me. Subsequently, I placed an order for an additional series 7 set, just a single set for a buddy of mine. But when I got my stuff, I got so much of it that it seemed like there were extras.....and a considerable amount of them, thrown in. I don't know for sure, but I feel that they took very good care of me with that stuff. I got my money's worth, that's for sure.

Consequently, I've NEVER heard or read of anyone who was grumpy with an order they've done with Marauder---maybe I'm not paying attention, but I'd guess the numbers of unsatisfied customers are pretty low.
Now these new figures might give them trouble because expectations are high, and learning curve is steep. These guys are FUSSY.
The series 7 project was launched from drawings.....prototypes came after the project, and there were hurdles.
 But Marauder insisted on getting things right......the fulfilment was delayed several months while they worked things out.
They kept pledgers updated, and they delivered.

I'd expect the same thing with these figures.....they'll end up great. These guys pay attention to details, they are not slapdash. They have expectations themselves, and I don't think they'd release something half-assed.

But, yeah.......some collectors just sniff at this stuff. They don't venture outside the box, literally/figuratively.  I think that's a shame because products like what Marauder expand the possibilities and imagination of the basic hobby and, imo, help turn it into something special.

I honestly wonder and hope they can top this.

..and she's done.
Final tally is $244.155 pledged and FOURTEEN stretch goals unlocked. Every colour deco offered was unlocked, and all the main accessory items for most colours as well.

I don't know how the plastic they'll be using would take removing the paint apps and then dyeing--it might be something to ask them, but I doubt they would have an answer for it right now.

There is a stretch goal that offers a completely UN-painted figure: the "Pema" goal at the $270,000 level--something the project is not likely to hit.
HOWEVER, it's an unpainted item, and they MAY offer it on their webstore, but again.......might be something to ask them about directly.

I know that in their last Kickstarter project, they offered up some "prototype" powder-blue weapons, but only about 6 people were interested in them, so they chose not to actually have them produced.