Dreams and Visions have recently started to distribute their much anticipated Crew Cut Edition GI Joe figures. The figures feature the newer 40th Anniversary body style but come adorned with a unique Crew Cut hairstyle commissioned by Dreams and Visions. The color variations of the hair seem to be limited to; Soldier (Tanker) brown, Sailor (Navy Ordinance) red or auburn, Marine (Raider) blonde and the Air Force (Air Police) painted black. There is an exclusive white or gray version but these were unique to both Comic Con and the FX Exclusive Top Gun figure.
The figure comes packaged in a vintage style window-box reminiscent to vintage style packaging. The figure is tie-wrapped to the inner card with the accessories sewn to the backing off to the right of the figure. The package also is adorned with vintage style artwork from famed GI Joe artist Sam Petrucci. The back panel of the box features a separate comic ad entitled “The Adventures of Andy and George at the GI Joe Convention”. The artistry is strikingly similar to the 1960’s version and features (the now adult) Andy and George bumping into each other with their two sons at the Dreams and Visions booth admiring the Sgt Rock figures. As a collector of vintage GI Joe ads I was very pleased to see the continuation of the saga of Andy and George, those two were partially responsible for my passion of collecting today. Seeing the advertisement where they are starting off the “next generation” of collectors, I saw a lot of my self with regards as sharing the hobby with my own son.
With each article of clothing I have looked at, it is the fine detail work that impresses me the most on these figures. The US Navy Ordinance Handler comes with an extremely detailed uniform;
The peacoat has eight scale buttons sewn to the front and is secured by four snaps. Inside the coat you will find the real beauty of this coat, the lining. A silken material with an inner pocket adds to the realistic touches. The outside of the jacket is made of a thick (and heavy) material that simulates a nice scaled woolen material. When placed on the figure the collar lays flat and the tailoring is near perfect to scale. This is probably the finest examples of a 1/6 scale over-garment available today.
Next he comes with a nice red ordinance sweater and matching beanie cap. The sweater features a nice tight cuff and crew neck that hugs the figure nicely. The rear of the sweater features the stencil; AO1 Chandler USS WASP CV-7. Further research into the WASP I discovered her career came to an abrupt halt during WWII. The USS WASP was hit by three torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-19, 15 Sep 1942, while operating in the Southwestern Pacific in support of forces on Guadalcanal. Gasoline fires became rapidly uncontrollable and she had to be abandoned. She was later scuttled by USS Lansdowne (DD-486). A quick phone call to Dreams and Visions revealed that Petty Officer Chandler was actually one of the survivors rescued after the attack and was used in the research of this figure. So there is a little more history to this figure than meets the eye.
Under the sweater is a nice blue denim utility shirt. It features white scaled buttons down the front, on the pockets and on each cuff. The surprising details of this figure continue with the addition of the Petty Officer First Class rank insignia on the sleeve. Having viewed the prototypes of these figures at the GI Joe Convention I never was aware of the added rank to the sleeve. A very nice touch if I must say.
The dark blue denim bell bottomed trousers are some of the nicest I have seen. The trousers feature four working patch pockets and a black leatherette belt with metal buckle which really add to the “completeness” of this figure.
The three-quarter height black leather boots are similar to some of the earlier custom leather lace-up bots only available on high end figures. The black rubber lug soles and tight stitching aid in strengthening the ankle support of the figure which results in the figure standing erect with all equipment on.
The final two accessories are the bomb and the “mouse-ear headset”. The bomb is a nicely detailed item painted a matte gray with white nose cone. A molded fuse and three tie down rings accent the details. The markings on the bomb are crisp and in scale reading, “ORDINANCE, HIGH EXPLOSIVE, AN-M64 GP, SN 1002-0409483. The mouse-ears are chromed metal with adjustable ear cups. These two items are a nice way to round out the figure’s ensemble and presentation.
At an average cost of $50 per figure, each of these crew cut figures has a great presence within my vintage GI Joe display. Also, finding each of the figures has a unique history such as with Petty Officer Chandler really added to the unique essence of the figure. Coupled with the Andy and George advertisement, the Sam Petrucci artwork and the fresh haircut on a vintage style GI Joe, these guys are a fine addition to anyone’s GI Joe collection. (Vintage or modern era)
