[HAL]

I was just watching some classic Joe commercials from the early 80's and noticed this very different looking cobra soldier. This particular commercial was most likely from around '83/'84
Was this most likely a prototype figure?

[Xerofall]

Yes, they were built off of Mego CHiPs figures. Carson at 3DJoes has some better scans of all the prototype stuff from catalogs and Toy Fair magazines, etc... some of them are drastically different than the retail versions.

[Bac]

Does anyone know if the CHiPS kit-bashes survived?

[Itchweed]

Ponch and John were Cobra Troopers?

[Xerofall]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itchweed

Ponch and John were Cobra Troopers?

Yep, and the first 80's GI Joe was a vintage Buck Rogers Tiger Man action figure heavily modified into a "grunt" looking figure for the pitch to Hasbro.

[RolandofGilead]

I remember my friend and I drooling over the pictures of GI Joe's eventual enemies. I loved the idea that the accessories on his uniform looked like they could actually come off. I was just a bit disappointed by the real figures, and had to wait until the 25th Anniversary to finally get the kind of details I dreamed of way back then.

[deanhp]

i just started army building cobra soldiers from 1983. Ill have to check out this cool commercial

[Owner of a Lonely B.A.T.]

I kinda also like Flash's black visor from those prototypes. Sorta like the the darkly shaded view ports of a welders helmet.