G.i. Joe Classified # 148 Leatherneck
Tough, uncouth and loud, that’s what Leatherneck is. Impatient all the time, Wendell Metzger is a hard man to get along with, to the point that most Joes don’t like him. But when on the battlefield, he’s the guy you can count on to have your back. A marine’s marine, Leatherneck is one of the toughest Joes around. He also harbors a fierce rivalry with fellow Joe SEAL Wet Suit, in the tradition of real-world competition between the Navy and the Marine Corps. It’s one of those “buddy comedy elements” in the old G.i.Joe cartoons that made the show so memorable.
Leatherneck’s facial features are based on former Hasbro toy designer Ron Rudat, the man responsible for designing most of the G.i. Joe figures (and the Cobra emblem) up to 1986. Supposedly, he designed the character Leatherneck based off himself when he was in the Marines.
Leatherneck comes with a sidearm that can be holstered on his right thigh.
I love how his sidearm comes with a scope and extended mags.
He also comes with a big hunting knife that can sheathed on his vest.
Leatherneck’s backpack is the standard issue marine backpack, complete with “camping gear”.
He comes with a really cool-looking watch.
Too bad this radio on his left thigh isn’t removable. It looks very detailed.
I’m not entirely sure why Leatherneck comes with this bracelet. Is it a reference to Ron Rudat?
For heavy firepower, Leatherneck comes with his trusty M-16, complete with grenade launcher.
Removable ammo magazine.
Interestingly, Hasbro decided to include optional closed fists for this guy. Pretty cool, if you want him to look like he’s punching someone in the face, or to just recreate a solid “fist-pumping” “Yo, Joe” pose.
Lastly, I love how the design team decided to include some protective eyewear for this jar-head.
“Yo, Joe!”
Overall, a great update to Leatherneck. I’m glad the design team didn’t stray too far from the classic look for this guy. He’s supposed to be a tough-as-nails marine, pure and simple. Plus, I love the way how the figure’s headsculpt is a very close approximation to Ron Rudat, the Joe toyline wouldn’t be the same without him.
Likewise, Leatherneck was one of the coolest things for me in Season 2 of the Sunbow-era Joe series, as he represented the part of the Joe team that actually looked like the military (as opposed to the YMCA) and respected the vintage toyline’s roots, something that the later DIC-era designers totally ignored and/or forgot.
Hasbro’s oddball pre-order codename for Leatherneck is “Marge”, from the Simpsons.
Gold
