Packaging: On Hasbro's G.I. Joe vehicles, the Hasbro artists often work to recapture the vintage G.I. Joe enthusiasm which makes G.I. Joe such a great collectible. GI Joe was probably one of the first companies that ever worked on realistic dioramas for their advertising. The front of this window box has a small photo of the vehicle from a ground level. The back of the box has a photo of the M-8 vehicle on a piece of plywood with some sand and a couple trees in the background. These dioramas are not as great as some of the ones that are done by dedicated hobbyists at many GI Joe Conventions, but they are pretty good. G.I. Joe has the experience and the resources to produce the best battle vehicles; and they should put in the effort to produce top quality battle diorama photos for their boxes and advertising. Let's Go GI Joe!
Headsculpts: The M-8 set is sold with two figures, or by itself at FAO Schwartz. I got the one with the two figures. One head has the Korean War Millenium Edition head, which looks like the Sgt. Rock head. The other head was the standard World War II Normandy Ranger headsculpt with black hair. I guess that asking for one original headsculpt in this set would have been too much. The Korean War or Sgt. Rock sculpt is excellent.
Articulation: these were both Classic Collection bodies with the flipper hands that were not very popular because they are not very easy to use for gripping weapons, tools, etc. For some reason, these flipper hands seem to show up now and then. I do not think that they are so bad.
Outfit & Gear: The Sgt. Rock figure brings a Tank Commander type outfit with a nice pleather shoulder holster and .45 cal with removable magazine. The other guy brings an economy version of the MP outfit. Jacket, pants, boots, belt, helmet. The tank commander also has goggles. The other soldier has the ultra-cheap looking; rubber nipple-belt.
The M-8 Gun Turret: Two figures fit in very tightly in the M-8's gun turret (see above). One excellent touch is that most of the artillery shells are molded-on into the inner wall of the turret. One shell on each side is removable and loadable into the firing mechanism. The Gun-Turret could have larger seats. This vehicle seems to be undersized and it is probably not really a 1:6 scale vehicle, but closer to 1:8 scale. As it is, the seats hang from the turret base. If this M-8 had a bit more space so the figures could bend their legs, it would be a perfect fit. However, as it is, the figures in the gun turret sit without any bending room for their knees. This M-8 is a perfect example of the hybrid results of the ingenuity of G.I. Joe designers and the tacky cost-cutting shortcuts GI Joe is notorious for. The leg-space is where both the front section and the back section are lacking as far as being realistic is concerned. However, after bending the figures like pretzels, everyone fits right in.
The Tow Cable also works to keep the front section from bouncing out of place. The M-8 has room for weathering and customizing touches and add-ons. A great vehicle!
The M-8's Front Section: The outside of the M-8 has detailed weathering and it looks very good. The M-8 could be at least one inch longer, and that extra space would have given the two guys in the front some needed leg room. The only way the two guys in the front fit in their seats is with their legs crossed. If you want them to fit and also look good, then you should use action figures with Dragon-style bodies. The added knee articulation made it easy to fit them into the front section of the tanks. When I used the James Dean figure which is on a CC body, his shoulder kept bumping the front panel out of place. The ERTL Sportsman figure also fit in just fine, as it has a Dragon-style body.
The M-8's Outer Shell: As you can see from the photos, the action figures can fit together comfortably! The front section has detailed seats and seat backs. While the turret can turn 360 degrees, the figures would have to be taken out in order to do that. With the figures inside the turret, it can turn about 180 degrees, which is reasonable. Once the figures are seated properly, the M-8 looks very good. This vehicle is already weathered, so you can start taking pictures right out of the box!
Price: Toys R Us has these at $79.99 with the two figures, or $59.99 without the figures. Some reports claim that Mejiers Department Stores have them at $49.99. Compared to the 21st Century Willy or the various Hummers that are in the $60.00 range without any figures, this M-8 is a good deal.
