A Small Solider Is Saluting You.

Donald Levine passed away at the age of 86. You may not know the man but you probably know what he helped create. G.I. Joe, the the first Action Figure, NOT Doll, Action Figure. Now I never really played with the original, it was before my time. When ever I came across an original Joe or similar generation Action Figure like Steve Austin figure, I though it was a relative of Ken and Barbies. But second generation Joe, and his predecessors. I have fond memories of G.I. Joe, the vehicles, the accessories. I don't know if it's my first toy, buy it's one of the first I remember, that and Superman from the superpowers line and Luke on Endor from the Star Wars line.

For more info check out ABC News or CBC News

MASK The Number One Action Toy of my past!

MASK or M.A.S.K. stands for MOBILE ARMORED STRIKE KOMMAND. Acronyms were big in the 80's. This toy line had it all, the sets came with a figure and a vehicle and a Mask accessories!, Each vehicle could transform into something else. There were comics, and a TV show. My first memory's were of the toys, I was so young I did not know what they were, I just knew they were cool. Then I saw the cartoon, and fell in love, got the toy catalog and had to get the ones I did not have. They were a Mosaic of all the cool features of all the hit toys of the era. Action Figures, Vehicles, Transforming Vehicles, vehicles that had guns, super powers (The Mask's gave the wearers powers.), cool cartoon, cool comic books, it had it all.
Below I show the the First Wave, or Series 1






Boulder Hill

This was MASK's head quarters, the jewel of the set.












Condor

One of my favorites just because of the simplicity. The rotor arms pivoted up which lower the landing gear at the same time, the rotors folded out, the back wheel folded up!



Firecracker

Not a stand out but very cool!



Gator

Boat mode was much cooler than the jeep mode!



Jackhamer

The second coolest bad guy vehicle, the bad guys were call V.E.N.O.M., again, acronyms were big in the 80's.



Piranha

The coolest bad guy vehicle, I know it's a sub but don't take in water, the internal springs will rust. I know from first hand experience! This was soo cool, it was a motorcycle and side car plus a sub, an attack sub. Two of the coolest vehicles combined!



Rhino

This is tied for the coolest good guy vehicle, very cool very assome! It's like a vehicle and a battle station.



Swtchblade

A very nice bad guy vehicle, actually practical today, and is driven by the bad guy leader!



T-Bob

This is the ARTwo every boy would want! an action figure and a vehicle!



Thunder Hawk

This is the second vehicle in the tie for coolest good guy vehicle. If the good guy leader was not driving it it would have come in second. When I got this I went through the roof,