Gristle

If I accomplish anything at all through these countless profiles/reviews it’s that I hope I have really turned some people onto some lesser known figures and characters, and perhaps made them think twice about what they perceived as a "bad" figure. So I would ask you: What is a "bad" figure? What makes it bad? The character? The mold? Colors or weapons? Or a combination of all of the above? Call me crazy, or call me hypnotized by the conglomerate that is Hasbro Toys, Inc., but I find it very, very hard to point out a completely “bad” figure. There are many of them out there that are subpar (which is easy to accomplish, seeing as how there are 600 figures and many of them are greats…) but I find it tough to point out a blatantly bad one. Well, Muskrat ’94 pops into my mind, but that’s another story altogether.

So, you’re probably wondering why I’m blabbing on and on about this, hmmm? Am I trying to defend my position? Well, the simple reason is this: To lots of Joe collectors, the words “Bad Figure” are synonymous with the last two years of Joe production, 1993 and 1994. Heck, some Joe fans completely dismiss any figure post-1990 as a lackluster figure and not worthy of notice. I cannot believe how much some of these folks must be missing. I would say a bulk of today’s Joe fans appreciate the post-’90 figures…I find very few who have many faults with the ’91 lineup, for instance. However, there is still that stigma that ’93 and ’94 produced bad figures and nothing else. Well, this is where I come in. J

In the 90’s, I was in Joe heaven. I had a regular job (at a toy store no less) and could afford to buy pretty much whatever toys I wanted to. G.I. Joe, of course was tops on my list. The 90’s brought out some terrific installments, many of which came in the last two years of the Joe run. Here is a perfect example.

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with Gristle when I first bought him of the hooks at the very K-B Toys that I worked at. I had been a HUGE fan of the D.E.F. even back then, and wondered why he wasn’t included in that little subgroup. I think removing the “D.E.F.” badges on that late run of figures was a mistake on Hasbro’s part, considering many folks probably didn’t know what to do with some of those characters, myself included.

To me, though Gristle was immediately included in the Headhunters team, regardless of whether or not it said so on his package. He was Headman’s right hand man, willing to do all the dirty work in exchange for a hefty chunk of the profits. When I first got Gristle, he was in fairly heavy rotation with my other D.E.F. armada, constantly battling in an urban environment.

Then things changed. With Sgt. Savage and Extreme, I took a slight hiatus from Joe (this was pre-internet…)and things got forgotten while I was in college. Even shortly thereafter, when I got back into the collecting, it was more focused on the "major" characters and the military troopers, leaving Gristle somewhat left behind. Then, I read Iconoclasts. As soon as I saw Gristle make his appearance, I grinned widely. A once forgotten major player had been rediscovered! And while I didn’t get a chance to fit him in to Power Struggle rest assured some Gristle appearances won’t be far behind.

So why do I love this figure? Well, as I’ve stated so many times, there is just something about a character with a blank slate. He has no real background, no other influencial media to twist his history around. He is an open character, who you can really do anything you want with, and not get accused of screwing up continuity. That works for Overlord, Hit & Run, and definitely works for Gristle! In my world, Gristle is a criminal, plain and simple. He joined the military at a young age for the simple reason that he wanted to make international connections to start a drug-running operation. Even when he made it into the Special Forces, he was determined to make as much dirty money as possible, and that was the driving force behind his training. Once he was discovered, he went underground, met up with the Headman, and the rest is history. It’s a lot of fun to be able to create these stories from nothing and make a character exactly how you want him to be.

But of course, without the look, the character doesn’t mean much. Gristle is a great example of what Hasbro could do in 1993 and 1994. His mold is simple, yet very effective, with the nice layers of clothing and details intertwined therein. His sunglasses and ponytail really touch off the "criminal" background and give him that sleazy look. The very cool thing is that common sleazy look betrays years of skilled training and even though he is just a drug-runner, he is more than capable of handling his own.

His colors are great as well. Even with the bits of yellow here and there, the deep red and black are great touches, giving him that normal look, but tying him in with the bad side as well. There is nothing on him that screams Cobra, so he can really fit in anywhere he chooses. I often use him as a Headhunters undercover officer, trying to ferret out any police who are trying to infiltrate the drug runners.

That is the great thing about G.I. Joe. With a great mold to work with and some imagination, even the most obscure characters can be brought to life and become very, very interesting!

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