the_pauley's men

Continuing the French theme, here are my French Foreign Legionnaires.

From left to right the Palitoy Action Man release, my kitbash of a WWII era Legionnaire made using all Palitoy kit, a present day 'Beret Vert' Legionnaire from the GI Joe Classic Collection, here displayed on a vintage style painted head guy and finally the light blue variation of the Action Man set...

Continuing the French theme, one of the rarer French items this French Officer was released only by a few GI Joe licensees in Continental Europe...

This "crewcut" series was released circa 2004 by Dreams and Visions, licensed from Hasbro. These were based on the painted head Joes but were sculpted with a crewcut hairstyle.

There were four sets released for general sale and like the original painted head series these were across the four services:

Action Soldier - US Army Tank Crewman
Action Sailor - US Navy Ordinance
Action Marine - USMC Raider
Action Pilot - USAF Air Police

The figures were limited to a run of 2,000 of each figure in the original painted head colours of blonde, black, brown and red with vintage style hard-hand Joe bodies. However, to make things more interesting 400 figures with white hair were distributed at random across the range.

The sets were presented in vintage style "window box" packaging.







The Action Pilot: USAF Air Police...













The Action Marine: USMC Raider, with one of the rarer white painted heads...













The prototype for this set came with a different jacket and without webbing...



The Action Sailor: US Navy Ordinance...















The Action Soldier: US Army Tank Crewman...















Despite pre-release pictures of prototypes (below) at toy fairs showing a helmet included with the set, the finished item came without a helmet included...



When Cotswold received complaints from their customers, Dreams and Visions supplied them with helmets to send out to their customers, but these were just the same helmet as the Marine Raider and not a proper tanker helmet. I bought this tanker helmet and googles from Cotswold which finished off the figure perfectly just like the box art...



The troops assembled...





As an example of the incredible detail of these sets. I discovered this superb shirt hidden under the Air Police uniform...



Too good to remain hidden, it inspired one of my favourites out of all of my kitbashes...



However, there was also a rarer fifth set released, an Action Sailor 'Top Gun' set which contained a figure dressed in US Navy dress whites, as well as an extra uniform consisting of a flight suit, boots and a pilot's helmet. This came in the same Action Sailor window box packaging, but also had a unique outer cardboard slipcover. This was a convention only set and was limited to a run of only 400 sets, hence its rarity.





The Top Gun Pilot uniform...









The superb 'Officer and a Gentleman' dress uniform. Far superior to Hasbro's attempt in the GI Joe Classic Collection era...













The troops on parade...

This SAS Beachead Attack set was one of the best bargains I ever scored on eBay. The jammy-minty fairies were really watching over me with this one.
Just over £11 - and it came in the original box as well!

The set was in absolutely pristine condition, with even the stickers looking like they'd just been put on yesterday.

Added a "wooly" hat and a pair of binoculars to the SAS figure as well as a few more bits of kit he might need to in addition what came supplied with the set - grappling hook, first aid kit, gas mask, H&C SMG. Also a spiffy GI Joe Adventure Team black version of the standard morse code/headphones set, which was just begging to be used in an SAS set...

Another SAS eBay bargain. Not quite as much so as the previous post, but at less than £40 for unused in box, not bad.

Another SAS set, Underwater attack, this time assembled piecemeal from several different eBay sales...











I thought he's need the boots for when he came ashore, as per the box art

SAS Parachute Attack.

Initially when I discovered the 40th range, I only intended to buy the sets that I had a child. This was the first 40th set that I bought that was not a set that I had in my childhood. I had never even seen an Action Man SAS set before this.

I was so impressed, it really gave me the collecting bug!

My desert Tommies, just waiting for the Afrika Korps to show their faces.

The two guys with helmets use kit from the Long Range Desert Group set, with the addition of British Infantryman helmets. I hesitate to call them kitbashes as they are essentially LRDG uniforms with helmets in place of the head dress.

The only non-Hasbro/Palitoy kit, is the officer's scarf and the Lee Enfield rifle, both of which are by Cotswold Collectibles. I actually prefer their Lee Enfield to the Palitoy one as it comes with the more realistic looking elastic strap instead of Palitoy's rubber one.



I love this scarf and I've used it in lots of kitbashes. It's a Cotswold repro of the Action Man Go Kart Driver's scarf, but it's great for military officer 'bashes too.



The officer is wearing the shirt and pants form a GI Joe Desert Jeep Driver and the neck covering is the bottom half of a French Foreign Legion kepi covering, which I had spare after I modified one for this kitbash...



I'm a great believer in never throwing any fragments of kit away, not even the bottom of a kepi cover!

WWII Heroes of The Blitz.

All kitbashed figures with the grouping inspired by that recently acquired Action Man Searchlight.



Watch the skies!!!

Platoon.

My first ever attempt, from many years ago, at kitbashing Vietnam era grunts. I was never 100% satisfied with these guys as time passed, so I revisited them this weekend and made a few tweaks / improvements.



Tom Berenger's villainous character in 'platoon' inspired this guy's look.

US Army WWII European Theatre of Operations.

Here are all of my ETO Joes.

The Parson's jacket was a howling omission form the original GI Joe and Action Man ranges. Over the years many one-sixth manufacturers produced this uniform item and finally in the '90s, Hasbro produced it twice (that I know of) , on a Field MP figure and on a despatch rider figure on a motorcycle.

It has always been a favourite kitbash item with me.

Here is how I used this jacket. These are all kitbashes where it is combined with mainly Hasbro/Palitoy kit with some items from Cotswold Collectibles.

From L-R: Soldier with grease gun, Officer, soldier with flamethrower and a field MP sporting helmet and boots from Cotswold..



Rear view.



The officer also comes equipped with his helmet for the combat zone.



Form L-R Medic with helmet and bags by Cotswold, Chaplain with all the clerical bits from One Sixth Scale King, Jeep Driver and Combat Engineer.



Rear view.



Combat Engineer's armband by One Sixth Scale King.



From L-R Communications Soldier, Beachmaster (US Navy personnel), not army, despite the uniform and another Combat Soldier



The inspiration for the Beachmaster kitbash.

Rear view.



Armband by Patches of Pride.



Superb helmet by Cotswold.



The troops assembled.

The ETO guys manning the GI Joe 37mm Anti-Tank Gun.

My GI Joe Scramble Pilots and Fighter Pilots.

Anyone who knows me, knows that a love my pilots. I have literally dozens, but these are just my GI Joe Fighter Pilots, Scramble Pilots and three kitbashes inspired by the range.

First up, the Scramble Pilots

From L - R: For my money, the best GI Joe/Action Man set ever produced, the original Scramble Pilot, a Scramble Pilot in the life raft from the 'Survival' set, then two variations on the set; a yellow "goldenrod' jumpsuit version and a version using the Action Pilot orange jumpsuit.



The Fighter Pilots

From L -R: The prototype helmet version that never made it into production. This perfect replica of the prototype was created by Cotswold Collectibles from Hasbro's original design.

Then the original release version in the gold helmet and a goldenrod version.

I've added belts and guns and holsters, which were not in the original Fighter Pilot set.

TOP TIP: When arming your pilots with Colt 45s, they should have a black handle and not the brown handle version. In the original GI Joe range, Colt pistols for Action Pilots and Action Sailors had black handles and the Action Soldiers and Action Marine Colt 45s had brown handles.



The original pre-release promotional materials showing the prototype version of the helmet, replaced by the gold and black helmet when production started.



Three kitbashed in the style of the Hasbro GI Joe pilots.

From L-R: A pilot in an emerald green Geyper Man jumpsuit and a green helmet by Cotswold Collectibles, a version in an olive drab Geyper Man jumpsuit and a gold helmet by Cotswold. Finally, a guy I christened 'Ultimate Goldenrod Pilot', with goldenrod yellow jumpsuit, yellow belt by Project Are, and the yellow ascot scarf and superb yellow helmet, both by Cotswold Collectibles.



The gang bang shot. Finally a use for all those spare blue caps!



And with the original Scramble and Fighter Pilots front and centre.



I love my fly boys!

My Shore Patrol guys.

First up the original GI Joe versions. On the left is the 1964 version with the kitbag and on the right the 1967 version with the more appropriate radio replacing the kitbag and the original helmet changed to a striped version.

This is a terrific uniform and I'm baffled as to why Palitoy didn't choose to include it in the 1966 Action Sailor line, a decision which meant that the UK didn't get a USN "dress blues" uniform.



The original 1964 set came with the standard sailor "dixie cup" hat, with the helmet available only on a small card.



Next up was is a kitbash inspired by the character played by Otis Young in the film 'The Last Detail'.



The basis of the kitbash is the splendid pea jacket, made by Cotwsold Collectibles. One can never have enough Cotswold pea coats!







The next two guys are kitbashes of Shore Patrol personnel in USN "dress whites". There were something of an afterthought for Hasbro, having never been produced in the 1960s GI Joe run, but they did include them in quite a few GI Joe Classic Collection era sets. Again, a terrific looking uniform with the only blot on Hasbro's copybook being that they put the rank insignia on the right sleeve when it should be on the left sleeve along with the service stripes.







The SPs assembled and ready to raid some bars!

Sack time for two of my guys on the Action Man bunk beds. I used three sets of bed ends to get the height between bunks.

Both wearing two of the variations of the Action Man pyjamas. The plaster cast is from a GI Joe Classic Collection set.



Catching up on Batman.

My two-man sabotage team.



I added some Action Soldier kit in the shape of web belts, grenades, canteens and first aid pouches.



I also added a couple of items to the kit - a wire roll (how else are they going to attach the detonator to the dynamite?) and a map case and map.

Zargonites!!!

Captain Zargon and one of his Space Pirates.



I love the creepy "Stingray" eyes shining through the Space Pirate's visor.

This is one of my favourite series of kitbashes. As you can see above, I like them so much I even designed their own logo for them.

Since posting them first time around, I've made a few tweaks and revisions to some of the guys and eliminated one guy completely as a bad idea.

And yes I know the SAS wore grey berets not black, but this is my totally fictitious, completely made-up SAS Elite Force, a fantasy kitbash that I envisaged as a sort of elite special unit within the SAS.

And they wear black berets - so there!

The idea came about when sorting through my spares box and I noticed a couple of sets of SAS webbing and a pair of jumpsuits with no other matching kit. I also noticed a huge amount of spare black berets from the Action Man Talking Commander.

Shortly after, I saw some SAS insignia, including beret sized ones, on eBay and an idea was born.

It started off with these two Commandos. Both are wearing identical kit; SAS jumpsuits, webbing and M16 rifles from the SAS Parachute Attack set, berets from the Action Man Talking Commander, tall boots from the Action Pilot basic figure, standard issue Hasbro/Palitoy grenades and the flashlights are GI Joe Classic Collection kit, making the kitbash all Palitoy/Hasbro.



I liked the look so much, that this was what moved me toward making all of my kitbashes with 100% Palitoy/Hasbro/Geyper (with a bit of Hasbro-style Cotswold) kit, where possible,to achieve an "in house" look, whereas before in my kitbashes, i freely mixed Dragon and other kit with Palitoy and Hasbro gear.



I also made up my mind not to use the standard SAS gas mask and flash hood on any figure as that look was too closely associated with the official SAS range, so these two guys established the trademark look for the series that I developed to distinguish them from the standard SAS range.



First of all the figures used were Action Man Footballers with the long sideburns hairstyle, tall boots were always used instead of the standard SAS issue short boots and of course the black berets with SAS insignia replacing the Talking Commander beret badge.



Next up was this training instructor, influenced by the Action Man Field Training Exercise uniform. Initially he looked like this...



...but I was never happy with the black polo neck as it made him look too bulky, so now he looks like this...



The jumpsuit is an old Red Devil jumpsuit dyed black and the yellow ascot (in a perfect shade of SAS yellow) and black belt are by Cotswold. Initially I'd used vintage black SAS belts from the SAS Outfit set on some of these figures, but they looked a bit thin and somewhat flimsy compared to the much more slick looking Cotswold belts. The ammo pouch is from the SAS Outfit card.



The shoulder holster is a GI Joe Adventure Team piece and the black pistol is from the SAS Outfit card, making the pistol and the ammo pouches the only official SAS kit used on this figure.



Once again the tall Action Pilot boots and the dagger and scabbard from the Action Sailor Frogman set.



My next recruit was this marksman/sniper. Initially I announced him as my final Elite Force 'bash as I'd run out of beret sized insignia, but the bug had bitten and I was soon hunting for more.



The splendid SA90 rifle is from the SAS Secret Mission set.



The body armour and leg ammo pouch are both by BBI.



Next up was this Turbocopter Pilot.



This spiffy looking black version of the turbocopter is from the GI Joe Adventure Team 'Black Widow Rendezvous' set. I'd just purchased this on eBay and was waiting for it to arrive, when, spookily, another forum member posted almost the exact same kitbash as the one I was planning. I guess everyone loves those men in black!



The helmet is from the SAS Parachute Attack set.



The gun is from the SAS Outfit set and the webbing is from the SAS Secret Mission set and is different webbing from the Parachute Attack webbing.

(I've just suddenly realised on looking at these photos that this guy is the only team member with no SAS insignia! I must remedy that. )



As these guys were shaping up into a unit, I decided that I'd better kitbash them a Commanding Officer, so I came up with this guy.



The superb sweater is by ACI Toys and the gun and holster is from the SAS Outfit set. Notice that I've added a black holster tie to it as the original came without a tie.



The black shirt dickey is by Cotswold Collectibles and avoided the problem of the figure looking too bulky with a full shirt under the sweater. The belt is also by Cotswold and the ammo pouches are from the SAS Outfit set.



The final addition was a pair of Action Soldier pants dyed black. A simple kitbash, but one of my favourites.



So far I'd covered the land and the air, so I decided I'd better get some cover in the water so I came up with this Scuba Diver.



The vest and shorts came from a GI Joe Collectors Club free membership figure that came clad only in those. The belt is by Cotswold and the belt pouches and grappling hook are from the Underwater Attack set.



Air tanks are from the SAS Underwater Attack set as is much of the kit, as I'd accumulated quite a few spare pieces while putting together a complete original set.



The black dagger was a piece of Soldiers of the World kit (not Hasbro/Palitoy SOTW) that was just crying out to be an SAS piece.



Face mask, once again, from the SAS Underwater Attack set.



Life vest from the Underwater Attack set and, flippers are from the Action Sailor Frogman set and the gun is from the SAS Outfit set.



Next up is this sharp looking Pilot kitted out in the standard SAS jumpsuit with a life vest from the SAS Secret Mission set and gun and holster from the SAS Outfit set, again with an added black holster tie. The belt is by Cotswold and the flashlight is GI Joe Classic Collection.



As for that splendid black version of the Scramble Pilot helmet, this was a piece I never new existed until I came across it on eBay. This is a pretty rare Action Man piece and was in fact the original helmet that came in only a few often very earliest SAS Parachute Attack sets, before it was replaced with the more familiar helmet with the internal visor.

It is shown in Kevin King's book, but at the time I hadn't noticed it as I'd skimmed past it, as I already had that set in my collection.



The yellow ascot comes from Cotswold Collectibles and is one of their many colour variations of the original GI Joe MP red ascot.



As a finishing touch I added a black air hose from the Battle of Britain Pilot set, instead of the standard orange one.



At this point I should mention, as I said at the start of the thread, the one kitbash in this series that I abandoned as a bad idea. That was this one that I christened 'Chemical Attack Trooper'.



Initially I was very impressed with him, as were many on UAMHQ when I posted his pics, but within a day or two after looking at him with the rest of the guys he seemed out of place. I think he was too OTT with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. So, apologies to all fans of this figure, but he's been recycled.

However, there were elements of the look that I liked and I kept mulling over a replacement along similar lines, but something simpler and cleaner looking. One of my niggles with the original was the unbalanced look of the figure. Top heavy with kit above the waist, but just boots an pants below, leaving the bottom half looking a bit weedy and spindly compared to the top.

One thought that occured to me was that perhaps some black Space Commando boots would have given a bit more bulk to his lower half; then - EUREKA!!!

SAS Elite Force Space Ranger. A special team established within the SASEF to undertake those anti-Zargonite missions too dangerous even for the Space Rangers.

Standard SAS jumpsuit, with gloves boots, laser rifle and helmet from the Space Commando set.



Initially I had used a Space Ranger Patroller black helmet, but the yellow "light" on the Commando helmet struck me as a perfect compliment for the SAS insignia.



The black tabard is in fact the SAS Basic Figure's flak jacket turned inside out to hide the pockets and ribbing, etc, to give a more streamlined look.



The pistol is from the Space Patroller set and the holster is from the Action Man Cowboy figure, with the belt hidden under the tabard so as not to show the bullets and buckle on the belt.



Finally the chest pack and harness are from the SAS Parachute Attack set, with the pack turned upside down to more prominently display the SAS insignia (and to make it look less like it's the Parachute Attack pack! )



And finally, I've saved my absolute favourite guy to the end. This Night Mission Commando dressed for cold weather maneuvers.

This one was areal labour of love as most of the kit was custom made for me. The parka and pants are black versions of the GI Joe 'Fight For Survival (AKA Action Man Polar Explorer) outfit.

I came up with the idea for the uniform and asked asked the very talented lady who ran the now sadly defunct Project Are, if she could make me an all black version of the Polar Explorer parka and pants combo and she said "Sure, no problem". Little did I know that the end result would look so spectacularly cool!

Belt is by Cotswold and the ammo pack and M16 are from the SAS Parachute Attack set.



Grappling hook is from the SAS Outfit set and the superb backpack is another wonderful Project are piece, which she already sold in a series of very bright day-glo colours. Once again I asked if she could make me one in black.



Wrapped up against the elements.



Binoculars are standard late issue Palitoy/Hasbro and the black turtle neck dickey is also from Project Are.

Not only my favourite figure in this bunch, but also one of my favourite figures in my entire collection. Not because it was an original idea of mine, but because the end result was so damn good, thanks to that talented woman at Project Are.

And all for the princely sum of (wait for it) $30 dollars for the uniform and backpack!!! Yer actual bargain!




The squad assembled...



And with the C.O. and the two guys that started it all...

I know I've posted a lot of this stuff in other threads, but I only recently noticed this forum for collections so I thought I'd gather everything together here.

My collection of GI Joe Astronauts starting with this little beauty...



This is GI Joe piece released in 2000 as a FAO Schwarz store exclusive, based on the original '60s space capsule released for GI Joe and Action Man.  Whereas the original was plain grey plastic with a perspex canopy, this version has a much more elaborate paint job recreating John Glenn's Friendship 7 capsule, the first manned American vessel to go into space...


The transparent canopy on the original has been replaced with a solid version with two small portholes like the real-life capsule.







The heat shield has a paint job simulating re-entry scorching...



The original GI Joe/Action Man astronaut...





I have made a slight tweak by adding the white skull cap with the chin strap like the ones astronauts wear under their helmets...



The astronaut in the capsule...









The GI Joe Talking Astronaut...



Colonel Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on The Moon...







This is another Apollo astronaut from the GI Joe Life Magazine series of figures.  It comes with a miniature copy of the complete Life Magazine commemorating the first Moon landing.  This was a bonus for me.  As a kiddywink I remember spending my pocket money on this very issue and pulling out all the full page photos of the Apollo 11 mission and plastering them over my bedroom wall.  As an adult I have always regretted not keeping the magazine intact, so this mini replica goes some way to making up for that. The set also contains a Joe sized replica of the magazine...



Unlike the suit on the Buzz Aldrin figure this one sports the Apollo 11 mission badge whereas Aldrin's suit bears the NASA badge...



Another GI Joe based on a real life astronaut, Robert L Crippen, pilot of the first Space Shuttle mission...





Ready for lift off...



A while ago I acquired the last piece of my original childhood Action Man pieces in the form of a painted head era Space Capsule in an eBay auction.  Picked it up at a bargain price, but it was really in need of TLC, having arrived in a pretty dilapidated state.  

The capsule was filthy inside and out and the perspex canopy was in a terrible state - absolutely covered in scratches.  The stickers were damaged on the inside and outside and the hand grips on the seat were (of course) broken off.  I left this one lying in a box for a while, but the imminent arrival of another Astronaut figure from eBay, jump started me to finish this project off this weekend.  

And so, after a good old fashioned scrubbing and restoration job, here it is complete with new occupant...



The AM logo on top of the capsule...



The full set of Space Capsule replacement stickers to replace the damaged ones were supplied by Actiongary on UAMHQ...



Here you can see the replaced hand-grip control.   And yes - it is back to front as I realised when I saw this photo!  :speeechle  I've put it on the right way now.  I still need a hand-grip for the other side, so if anyone has a broken off one lying about please PM me...  



A close up of our boy inside the capsule...



Actiongary's superb control panel sticker...



A close up of that once heavily scratched canopy.  Thanks to some liquid scratch remover/restorer recommended by some forum members, I can't believe I'm looking at the same canopy I started working on yesterday afternoon.  It was so heavily scratched, it looked as if it had been dragged up a gravel path.  Now look at it...



Ready for blast off...



This was an immensely satisfying project for me as the capsule was the only Action Man vehicle that I had as a child.  Indeed it was the very first Action Man vehicle ever made (if you don't count the inflatable yellow life raft!) and was one that I absolutely loved.  

I'd had the Astronaut suit earlier in the year for my Birthday, but the capsule was the big prezzy at the top of that year's Christmas list!  I remember the Christmas morning I walked in and saw it sitting under the tree along with the Deep Sea Diver set - I was ecstatic!  Of course there has never been a repro of this capsule.  I have a GI Joe version of it in a very realistic "Friendship 7" black, weathered  paint job, but I really have pined for the same capsule I had as a boy.

Now I've got it!   I love eBay!

Same more recent additions include this Space Shuttle crewman which is  a kitbash.



The jumpsuit is  a Geyper Man piece and the NASA insignia is from Patches of Pride.



Clipboard from the Scramble Pilot set and t-shirt by Cotswold Collectibles.



As a finishing touch the shoes are from the Action Man Cricketer set.



My latest addition to my Astronauts is a rare set that I've been piecing together over some time.   The Space Explorer.



I've gone for a "hybrid" version, using the white equipment/accessories from the GI Joe version of the set as I prefer the all white look to the day-glo orange look of the Action Man version.

Its awesome too see it all in one place mate! You have a truly wonderful collection!

LeStryge wrote:

Can I ask how you display your figures? Do you have them all out, or just some and change them every now and then? You seem to have a lot and they all look so good, with what looks like pristine examples of so many accessories that must have nearly all disappeared from circulation now.
In fact what you have is a museum worthy collection of VAM releases that I'm betting is probably unique.

I have them on display just a few at a time and circulate them, as I don't have a dedicated Joe room. It's one of those jobs that I've been "meaning to get round to", I believe is the phrase. LOL

fantastic collection and bashes , truly an inspiration !

Too much good... no, great... stuff here to even comment on adequately.

So I'll keep it to one fig: the "chrome foil" astronaut space suit. I loved that suit when I was a kid (even though I never had one), and I love seeing it now! Totally brings back the glory days of GI Joe for me! Your astronaut corps is an inspiration! With guys like these still on the job, maybe we will get back to the moon someday!

Wow, where to start? So much to work through and admire!
What a truly amazing collection you have, and what trouble you have taken to improve and upgrade so many figures.
Inspirational stuff!
I'd hate to even guess a value for your collection. You have so many rarities there and multiples of some too.
Awesome post!