I know I’ve been hearing a lot from friends of mine who were really interested in my thoughts on tonight’s reveal of the 2013 G.I. Joe Convention Hit & Run, and I’ve fully admitted that it just took me a little by surprise. I was really hoping to see the familiar camouflaged version of the light infantry trooper, especially because the green and black colors would still work fairly well among the Night Force paint schemes we’ve seen in the set so far.
So when the somewhat plain Hit & Run was revealed, I was a bit taken aback.
But, I’ve thought about this a little bit… and yeah, I know I’m consistently accused of looking at the glass half full, when I’m disappointed about something. What can I say, it’s in my nature. I see some real positives with this Hit & Run.
First and foremost, the foundation is now there. The Club has access to the bulk of the tooling to make the fantastic Concept Case Hit & Run. What’s to stop them from putting the regular version in the FSS down the line? The figure scored really high on my Concept Case survey, so one would think that might encourage repeated trips “to the well” so to speak for the Collectors Club. Heck, maybe Hasbro themselves has something planned?
But secondly, was this. I had reported this very cool alternate paint scheme for Hit & Run on a post a while ago, but it had somewhat slipped my mind until I was reminded by Mizak23 in the comments section. Leave it to ole Tim Finn from ARealAmericanBook.com for shining some (possible) light on this.
Is it a true homage? Is it a coincidence? Knowing the Club like I do, I’m thinking it’s a combination. They wanted Hit & Run in here, they had this cool homage, they wanted to use these parts, so they made an amalgamation that pulls elements from various places and gives us what is a pretty cool end result. Check out the comparison image below:
Is it a perfect homage? No. But it’s close enough, plus it has the Night Force elements. I think it’s a bit too close to be a coincidence.
So, the foundation is there, and I feel like there is a good chance we’ll see another one at some point. I’ll be waiting on pins and needles again when the next one comes around. Stay up on the latest and greatest GIJoe Convention news at GIJoeCon.com.
Oh, Justin, Justin, Justin…
While this figure does share parts with the one in the concept case, the torso is different. The torso used here is from Lifeline instead of the one being used on 3-pack Firefly. The secondary parts on his thighs are from Lifeline as well (the concept case version didn’t have any secondary parts there at all). Aside from the head and lower arms, this is pretty much a Lifeline repaint. Not that any of that is a bad thing, although personally, I like the other torso on H&R better than this one.
If they didn’t want to go full on face paint, I think it would have been nice to have some black camo apps, similar to the ones on the TRU Night Force box set. It would have been a nice homage, and made him look more Hit & Run like.
“Hit and Dumb” as far as I’m concerned. That should have been Sneak Peak—if we don’t get him. But hey, at least a head swap and a tad of repainting will give us a tactically colored Lifeline.
so just call it Sneak Peek instead
I think his mountaineering aspect could have been made more apparent with different materials and gear, that would have been interesting to me.
Or, instead of sticking with his webbing, perhaps creating a more “delta” fast-roping looking guy with that type of helmet (see the 1993 Beachhead for an example), and webbing that would carry some of the light arms of a light infantryman.
Short sleeves?
I wouldn’t say “Hit and Dumb.” For a such an interesting characterization or the rather cool original toy figure, none of those aspects of what made Hit and Run interesting to me comes across in this exclusive club figure at all. And there’s nothing that is new to this figure that really makes this new figure any special other than being in the set that I can see.
The color scheme comparison is quite interesting. Pimp daddy Destro’s were interesting, too.
I get what the Club has done. Hit & Run is Sneak Peak. And I bet the exclusive two-pack, like Darklon and Sgt. Major last year, will be between Lt. Falcon , Lightfoot and Crazylegs. This way, an entire modern style Night Force will exist. Tunnel Rat, Outback, Shockwave are already here.
Night Force Lt Falcon has already been promised for the second FSS, so I think he can be removed from the equation in the Con set
It should probably also be noted that the art he posted came with a memo that said that the tank driver would use the same mold as Hit & Run. That kind of implies that it is someone else. So that color scheme probably belonged to a new, unproduced character who happened to use the same mold. Regardless, pulling from the past helps to give this color scheme a ton of purpose….especially if you can just view it as a tank driver while crossing your fingers for a FSS Hit & Run.
Interesting point.
Sometimes…..its really hard to believe you dont get paid to write some of these comments.
Yes, someone in the online fandom who looks on the bright side instead of focusing on the negative. I must be earning a paycheck! 😛
A little honest negativity now and then certainly wouldn’t hurt. As it is, you do, in fact, tend to come off as something of a relentless Pollyanna at best, and at worst… well, as mentioned above, it is actually sometimes difficult to believe that this sort of inflexible positivity towards anything and everything Joe-related isn’t a salaried position of some sort.
He DOES give honest negativity when he feels it’s deserved. Look at his reviews for PoC Jungle Assault Snake Eyes and PoC Arctic Threat Storm Shadow.
So, let me understand this. Negativity automatically equals honesty? Yeah, I don’t buy it. I tell it like I feel it. I’ve never once been “dishonest”. If negativity is what you’re after there are plenty of other places out there for that.
If you’ve interpreted the above as an assertion that, as you put it, “negativity automatically equals honesty”, then you haven’t actually understood it, but if you want to do so, and in so doing, accuse me of questioning your own honesty, well, I suppose I can’t stop that any more than I can your seeing what’s really a rather ugly, awkward Franken-Joe as a “cool homage”.
I like the figure too. No, I’m not being paid to say so.
Thanks, JD. It does seem silly at times…I clearly stated I WAS disappointed, I was just bringing up some possible reasons for the change and possible reasons to actually look on the bright side. But in this day and age if you’re not snarky and negative at least part of the time, you’re obviously being paid off.
I only wish he had streaks of camo painted across his face (like the 2003 Night Force set did). But I have a paintbrush if I decide to do that. I’m not at all disappointed by the figure. I had no idea what to expect because H&R was never in Night Force before and what they did with the ’95-ish colors was a pleasant surprise to me. So this is a very different take on the light infantryman but it works. (oh and Spearhead is my favorite of the Joe figures in the con set… that’s probably weird)
Did anyone ask for snark? I don’t think I did. As it is, I doubt that anyone’s asking you to join the ranks of the “ruined forever!” types either, but again, your tendency to forever “look at the bright side” can be equally frustrating at times.
I think it’s rather refreshing considering the unreasonable amount of scorn towards Hasbro and other officials that this fandom produces. You try and bring reason and logic to a conversation and people want to shout you down as being either a liar or on Hasbro’s payroll. THAT’S what’s frustrating.
There are just some people who will always think of Hasbro/FunPub/Matt Damon as the devil and no amount of reasonable arguments will sway them.
Ok, disregarding where this conversation went after your initial reply Justin, I will assume (and hope) you understood that mine was a tongue in cheek comment. I think we’ve known each other long enough for that. It just blows my mind sometimes how you can still find the positive in what first seems like dismal failure. I actually apprecaite it though. Its why I always check out your site. In this case though it just really caught me off guard as we could all see (read) that you were disapointed Hit n Run wasnt what you were expecting, yet you still turned it around 😉 You’re a hundred times the fan I will ever be. I salute you, sir!
No worries, man, I took your comment as it was intended. It’s all good. 🙂
In 1989 I wished Hardball had been given the Night Force treatment. But he wasn’t. When the club confirmed Night Force was the subject of Nocturnal Fire, I again hoped for a modern Hardball (finally) and that he’d get the Night Force treatment in the set. Alas, no. Drat.
But hey it is what it is… Spearhead, Psyche-Out, Repeater, Charbroil, the Frag Viper, the SAW Viper, and Crimson Asp are all awesome. This set is a must-own.
The positive vibes I get from here is why I like this site. Constructive criticism can be a positive thing, sometimes leading to better stuff down the road if something disappoints one (or many) right now.
I for one appreciate the optimism.
There’s plenty of entitled dbags in the community already and it’s awesome to hear from a fellow fan who thinks, promotes and still enjoy the positives of GI Joe collecting.
Absolutely. That’s among the reasons why this is one of my favorite sites, JOE-related or otherwise. If people want negativity, I’m quite certain they know where to find it.
Repeater, and HnR’s eyes look a little funky.
I give the club credit for giving us a character mold out of the concept case. We already cot a Hit&Run in acurate colors in the 25th aniversary. Its a fresh look for a character that has only been seen in green camo. This also leaves it open for Hasbro to release this character, useing this mold in his camo green acurate colors, to retail later on makeing more available to everyone.
Hey Justin,
“First and foremost, the foundation is now there. The Club has access to the bulk of the tooling to make the fantastic Concept Case Hit & Run. What’s to stop them from putting the regular version in the FSS down the line? The figure scored really high on my Concept Case survey, so one would think that might encourage repeated trips “to the well” so to speak for the Collectors Club. Heck, maybe Hasbro themselves has something planned?”
I would hope so. That concept Hit & Run is an awesome figure.
Is that you Justin Bell?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hasbro-G-I-Joe-vintage-ARAH-Target-Exclusive-Hit-Run-with-Parachute-pack-RARE-/370741287779?nma=true&si=s6o6DDT9OUJFijjAR314QYz9fFg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
fess up!
🙂
Hit N Run one of my favorite figures as a kid is just not what I was expecting. I like the figure it is pretty nice but I just does not remind me of Hit N Run at all. I mean some black face paint really would have gone a long way IMO.
Is it safe to assume the tank driver mentioned was probably Steeler?