If you could bring the O-Ring back...
 

So, let's say hypothetically that Hasbro approached you for ideas to bring ARAH figures back. How would you go about it?

Obviously, this would be a repaint line using existing toolings (save maybe for new heads), and you obviously can't use any "lost" molds.
So, what would you do?

I'd bring back The Real American Hero 2-packs. These guys had the best decos ever, and I would love to see it continue. Some ideas for packs I've had:

Flint & Lady Jaye
Flint: Based on his cartoon appearances, but with more realistic tones for the colors. Black beret, brown hair. He'd use his original head as the Comic Pack head bears no ressemblance to any version of Flint.
Lady Jaye: Using the Comic Pack head, but in nice, realistic colors similar to how the 2003 convention toy was done.

Beachhead & Rock'n'Roll
Beachhead: Based on his 1986 coloration, but using swirled brown and green for his pants much like many TRAHC figures that came before. His shirt and mask would be in dark olive green rather than the bright pine green he originally had.
Rock'n'Roll: Using the Comic Pack version's head, Battle Corps Roadblock's arms and the rest from Battle Corps Gung-Ho, colored in shades similar to how Rock'n'Roll looked in '82.

Short-Fuze & Grunt
Short-Fuze: Using the Downtown mold entirely, in a nice realistic military green.
Grunt: Ripping off my own custom, he'd be built out of the 91 Duke torso, Dial-Tone's arms, waist and legs and a new head sculpt.

Quick Kick & Doc
Quick Kick: Granted Hasbro got his tooling back safe and sound from Funskool, he would be made from Quick Kick's own head and arms, and the 91 Snake-Eyes's torso, waist and legs. Night ops colors, naturally. Perhaps the 2004 "Night Force" digital pattern, all over the torso, waist anf legs.
Doc: Using the Battle Corps Lifeline body, with a new headsculpt. Tan outfit ala 1983, with the protective jacket in black.

Tomax & Xamot
Reusing the same bodies as the old 2005 6-packs, but in the colors their suits sported in the old cartoon. If possible, swap legs with Action Marine legs for higher accuracy.

Snake-Eyes & Storm Shadow
Snake-Eyes: 89 Snake-Eyes in dark grey, with black and grey detailing, sort of like my own custom (but replacing the metallic grey with the nice dark grey used on the Greatest Battles DVD pack Snake-Eyes).
Storm Shadow: 1988 Storm Shadow, with a new "unmasked" head and reusing the "Storm Shadow Unmasked" hood. Colors would be not unlike the old "Ninja Force" Storm Shadow, with "snowy white over black".

Alley-Viper & Night-Viper
Alley-Viper: Using most of the tooling from the most recent versions, but with Firefly's legs instead of Duke's. Swirly grey and dark blue for the base body, with black color for the armoring and gear.
Night-Viper: Original mold in "reverse-color". Black base, dark green gear.

I'll be sure to post some more as I come up with them. In the meantime, I want to hear YOUR ideas!

I'd bring back the TRU/DTC style 6 packs or maybe even BJ's 8-pack, but not be as limited in concepts as they sometimes were. This way...work in some lesser known characters who in vintage style, because it'd be nice to add something new in. These would be 2 sets released every 3 months or so.

Cobra "Tech" set:
Dr. Venom
Medi-Viper
Captive of Cobra (based on the toon, using either Long Arm or the Action Astronaut/comic book flash)
Cyber Viper (if that mold is around)
Cobra Lab Tech (another kit bash with a soft goods lab coat)
Toxo Viper V1

Joe set:
Colonel Sharp (new head)
Big Lob (new head)
Snake-Eyes (unmasked, either v1 or v3)
Sparks (new head)
Salvo repaint (just to save on tooling)
Dodger repaint (ditto)

Joe Navy set:
3 Navy "blue shirts" with a new generic head
1 generic frogman
Shipwreck (non scuba)
Deep Six

Cobra Navy set:
2 Cobra Divers (MASS Device)
1 Hydro Viper
2 Sea Snakes (Or Sea Vipers or some basic "sailor"), kitbashes maybe with a new head
1 Eel v2

Cobra Jungle Team:
Tele-Viper (probably new head, kit bashed body)
2 Jungle Vipers (new head?)
Range Viper
Swamp Viper (Mega Viper)
SAW Viper

Joe Set 2:
Tollbooth (kit bash, using Hardtop's head)
Hawk (comic pack, better colors)
Bullhorn
Desert Wolf (from Sigma Six)
Firewall (just for another female character)
Kamakura


Joe Jungle Team:
Falcon
Pathfinder
Muskrat
Roadblock (comic pack)
Gung Ho (1992 with Mega Marines head, if that works)
Recondo (new head on some body)

Iron Grenadiers:
Destro V2 (or as much of the mold as there is to use plus fill in the blank parts)
3 Iron Grenadiers (I'm not that keen on Night Viper's body...so maybe something else)
1 Iron Grenadier officer
Ferret

Cobra Island Security:
Croc Master
Decimator (we know the head mold exists at least)
K-9 trooper (like Night Adder, who is coming in the ROC line)
Cobra Officer (pointless new deco! :cool: )
Cobra Troopers (pointless new deco!)

Cobra Desert Strike Division (colored to fit in with Moth set):
1 Desert Scorpion (caucasian)
1 Desert Scorpion (dark skinned)
SAW-Viper
Toxo Viper V1
Tele-Viper
Alley Viper (just cus they might look cool in desert camo)

Classic Cobra Blue set (not an official name):
Crimson Guard "cadet" in blue (some Hasbro artwork on ebay showed the CG in blue!)
Heat Viper V1
Cobra Trooper (Female/night stalker, maybe with chase variant hair colors )
Frag Viper
Cobra Trainee (trooper with removable helmet)
Big Boa (kit bashed different body...less boxer, more combat)

Vehicle Drivers Set:
Ice Viper
Wild Weasel
WORMS
HISS Driver
Stinger Driver
Vapor (Air Viper, whatever)

Random Joe set 3:
Crazylegs
Rock'n Roll (comic pack in realistic colors)
Lockdown (sigma six guy that needs a 3 3/4" release)
Jinx (unmasked)
Flash
Psyche-Out V2

Mercenaries:
Major Bludd (sonic fighters head, rest a mix or parts)
Mortal (as a useable figure this time)
Ninja Ku
Zartan V1 (not the comic pack, but real deal all V1)
(new character)
(new character)

Techno Vipers in grey and/or Cobra Blue has always been a dream of mine. Jay, I like the sound of your Night Viper repaint too. And lots of Joes in proper camo colours would sit very nicely with me too. All these ideas are good, I'd just be happy to see the o-ring back period. Now that even the Collector's Club seem to have abandoned o-ring construction it won't ever happen, but we can dream, can't we? :(

I would try to make them more articulated. The hands and feet especially. And I would like to have seen a mercenary unit for Bludd.. Bludd's private troops.. his own soldier of fortune buddies.

It exists already.


It's called Skull Squad.

Ah cool! I guess my lack of knowledge after I stopped collecting is beginning to show...

I have to agree with Craig, everything O-Ring, and more realistic camo on the Joes.

I think they should bring back more fluorescent colors, spring loaded action effects, and over-sized noggins.

;)
No wait, that's what killed things in the early 90's.


Okay, how about rogue mercenaries in various camo patterns. Sierra Gordo, Borovia, and those disguised mercenaries working for Cobra incomics 13-15.

Maybe a Kwinn in khakis?

And I agree, Joes in more realistic camo patterns.

I'd like to see guys like Snow Job, Barbecue, Airtight, Wet-Suit v1, etc. released in classic colors but with new heads that don't feature the headgear. I'd also like to see Gung-Ho v1 with a new head. it needs an update.

Removable helmets would be a nice update. Especially the Cobras.