Talking to the guys on the JBL, we didn't know what to call that 2002+ era Joes. The JvC concept was a relaunch, trying to push things forward. People tended to called 'new sculpts' (or for me to make it more stylish, "NU SKULPT"). But when the 25th hit, THOSE are NEW SCULPTS so what do we call that middle era? A bunch of them started calling them "The Bastard Era" or something very close to that. They aren't quite ARAH and they aren't 25A. It's like Brunch. "It's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch, but you get the best of both..." (or however that line in the Simpsons was, lol)

I don't know if I think of the o-ring as defining GI Joe. Part of me says, "It's just an articulation style..." But then, I think, "well, no other figure (that i can remember) was doing o-rings." Certainly NOT Star Wars and they have YET to do that! It still kills me that most of those SW figures are t or v crotch styles! It's not like a CloneTrooper can sit down, right? I don't see people complaining about that.

BUT... If we take the ultra-fragile Takara Microman figures... IF Takara did something different with their figures, I bet people would say that it doesn't have the standard articulation. MM have a very distinct build, y'know?

I always felt that what made GI Joe awesome was that it was:

1. It was a military toyline (which seems to have gone off on it's own tangent)

2. TONS of colorful characters. From shiny headed Destro to masked Cobra Commander to the mysterious Snake Eyes, the straight-edged Duke, the cooking Roadblock, the laser guy named Flash, the skin suited diver Torpedo, the tripping Tripwire, etc.

3. Vehicles were a gnarly part of GI Joe. It SHOULD still be. Not all troops run on the ground the whole time. We got such gnarly things like the HAVOC, WHALE, VAMP, HISS, and vehicles of ALL sizes.

4. Price value was great for a lil action figure that beat the crap out of Star Wars in terms of articulation. Articulation made GI Joe popular to me. Be it o-ring, elbow joints, knee joints, etc. That stuff is STILL not standard on a lot of toys!

5. Cartoon and comic to help us kids out. We got a visual action form in the cartoon and a more serious storyline with the comic. IF it was in the comic, I probably wanted it. If it was on the cartoon, well, it brought the toys to life.

Can't think of what else off the top of my head...