Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Oreobuilder]

Yeah, the Desert Patrol Adventure was bit of a dog's breakfast when it came to accessories, but the beige jeep and orange raft are fun additions to the Adventure Team's gear.

Day 26 is about GI joe from the UK - Action Man!


50th Anniversary Day 26: Palitoy Action Man
 
In the 1970’s, Hasbro licensed GI Joe overseas. In the UK, GI Joe became ‘’Action Man’’ and the line featured several British exclusive uniforms. One of these is the iconic ‘’Para’’, featuring a camouflaged shirt, olive green trousers and a red beret. The figure also included a replica of an FN-FAL rifle, which was in use by the British army at the time.

A second and somewhat rarer set was the UN Peacekeeper. This uniform was tan/khaki with the trademark blue beret. I plan on adding the UN sticker on his shoulder.
I included these in this project as a bit of an interlude. There are several UK-exclusive Action Man sets. I plan to make a few more customs based on these sets at a later date.

Enjoy!

OB

[morgardee]

Where did that jeep come from?

[Sundance]

resident Brit goes in to nit-pick mode.

Action Man actually debuted over here in 1966. Between '66 and '69 they used Joe bodies, before Pallitoy pioneered their own 'dynamique physique' bodies, as well as flocked hair and the 'kung-fu gripping hands' which Hasbro copied. the original AM line lasted until 1984!

the rifle is the L1A1 SLR, the British version of the FN FAL. there are differences.

[Oreobuilder]

resident Brit goes in to nit-pick mode.

Action Man actually debuted over here in 1966. Between '66 and '69 they used Joe bodies, before Pallitoy pioneered their own 'dynamique physique' bodies, as well as flocked hair and the 'kung-fu gripping hands' which Hasbro copied. the original AM line lasted until 1984!

the rifle is the L1A1 SLR, the British version of the FN FAL. there are differences.

That is great info my friend. These were last minute additions to the project after the Adventure Team set that was planned was not ready in time. However, i like them so much that I would like to revisit the theme in the near future. That will give me more time to refine my research 

Morg, the jeep is originally from Power Team Elite (PTE). It used to be available at Hart stores around here. In the US, Big Lots has them from time to time. For this project, i modified it by removing the radio, rebuilding the windshield and moving the spare tire from the back to the side and painting it beige.

OB

[Sundance]

there were other body types used after the original Joes, the 'dynamic physique' type debuted in the early 1980s. The African-American Adventurer/Action Soldier type guy was sold here in the 1970s as 'Tom Stone' - the first/only AM figure with an actual name! Although we did also get 'Atomic Man' (the Mike Powers cyborg) and Bulletman.

[Oreobuilder]

50th Anniversary Day 27: Secret of the Mummy’s Tomb

Easily the most iconic vehicle created for the Adventure Team, the 6-Wheeler was included in several sets and was first released in 1970. The Secret of the Mummy’s Tomb included the vehicle with working winch, shovel, net, sarcophagus and a mummy to save from the Earthquake. The set also included a tan shirt and pants and the pith helmet to outfit your Adventurer in desert fatigues.

I’ve had the base vehicle for this custom in my fodder box for a few years now. Originally, it is from Lanard’s Space Force line. I was waiting for an opportunity to turn it into an Adventure Team 6-wheeler. The lines are a little edgier than the original 1970’s vehicle, but many of the characteristics are similar. I added a piece of styrene to the back to cover up the back seat and create a space for the winch. The crane boom is a lego piece.

Pluv did something very similar way before me, so thanks for inspiring this custom: http://www.joecustoms.com/customs/customs_specific_item.php?kind=vehicle&id=1024

The Adventurer is the classic desert variety made to match with the fatigues that were included in the original set.

Enjoy!

OB

[Oreobuilder]

50th Anniversary Day 28: Fate of the Trouble Shooter

Released in 1974, the Fate of the Trouble Shooter set included a vulture to fight. The original vehicle re-used parts from the 6-wheeler but had treads instead of wheels. Its main feature was the ‘’Talking Communications Center’’ that could say 6 different messages.

I started from the same base vehicle as the 6-wheeler. I changed the wheels, added the treads, added some styrene to the back and found some bits and pieces in my vehicle fodder box to build a convincing communications device. This turned out to be one of my favorites from this project.

Enjoy!

OB

[morgardee]

A side note, my personal favorite 12 inch G.I.Joe toy from when I was a child was the hunt for the Mummy set. I was playing with it in the living room with my 7 year old on the weekend. 

Great job.

[Oreobuilder]

Thank you Morgardee 


50th Anniversary Day 29: Big Trapper

Big Trapper was released in 1976 at the tail-end of GI Joe’s original run. By that point, The Adventure Team had grown to include characters such as Major Mike Powers and Bullet Man. That year, in an effort to increase Joe sales, Hasbro created a new enemy for Joe to fight: The Intruders. These super-smart aliens resembled cavemen and had a ‘’bear hug’’ feature that allowed them to trap Joe in their powerful arms.

Big Trapper itself was built on the same frame as the Mobile Support Vehicle and was designed as a vehicle to trap and transport the Intruders. It was equipped with a laser cannon and a cage that had bars that could ‘’bend’’ allowing the Intruders to escape.

For my custom, I used the Captain America 6-wheeled tank as a base. I attached the cage to the back, removed the main turret and re-attached the gun. Rather than making it a ‘’laser’’, I opted for a harpoon. I found scans of the original stickers online. I printed them and added the control panels in the back section as a nod to the original. The end result is more an interpretation than slavishly vintage looking. When I put together my modern Adventure Team, this Big Trapper will probably be one of their vehicles.
I opted to include the Man of Action with Big Trapper. The original Man of Action had flocked hair, so my custom is not 100% accurate. However, the original 1964 head works pretty well in a pinch.

For the Intruders, I decided to have a little fun. I used Marvel’s Puck figure as a base and swap the head with something I had in my fodder. It’s not 100% accurate in that the Intruders should be a bit taller and have some armor. Maybe these are baby Intruders?

Enjoy!

OB

[Sundance]

that second photo of the intruders attack ATC, it looks like the gold dude's winding up to suck Joe in the happy sacks.

[Oreobuilder]

that second photo of the intruders attack ATC, it looks like the gold dude's winding up to suck Joe in the happy sacks.

Lol. I had not seen that until you mention ed it, but now, that's all I can see.

OB

[Oreobuilder]

50th Anniversary Day 30: Training Center

Released in 1972, the Adventure Team Training Center was a giant 36+ inch tower with a zip-line and a bunch of accessories. Properly set up, it was a base where Adventure Team member could go for physical training, target practice, medical help or just zipping down a rope really fast. It included the tower, zip-line, rifle stand and rifles, targets, survival cave, snake, tires, barbed wire and medical kit.

This is the custom that pushed me the farthest out of my comfort zone as it is completely scratch-built with wood. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty proud of it. Going forward, I would like to improve the crane, add a rope ladder and add some details to the top of the tower to make it closer to the vintage version.

The custom Adventurer is a nod to the ‘’Jungle Survival’’ equipment set that included a camouflage shirt and khaki pants.

Enjoy!

OB