Special Edition Series - INTERVIEW WITH A COBRA TROOPER

    When there were no Joes to buy at your local Target or Walmart, it was the fans that stepped in to keep the brand alive!  Several people have gone above and beyond the call of duty and not only did they keep G.I. Joe alive, they brought it up to a whole new level!!!

    This is what brought my interest BACK to G.I. Joe!  As a kid I collected it and later as an adult I collected it.  But eventually, my interest waned and I was done... After a nearly 10 year break, I discovered that some Joe fans have contributed their amazing talents in various ways and have lit a fire of interest in many of us!!!  I was amazed at all the great G.I. Joe happenings, despite the fact that, at the time, there was no product on the shelves.  

    For the SCC's first installment of the Special Edition Series, we are coming out with both fists swinging!  We are excited to be bringing you our first interview, and the timing is perfect as this month is Cobra Convergence 5.  Please allow me to introduce you to one of Cobra's fiercest fighters - the Salty-Viper!!!

*Name or code name?

    Most everyone knows me by Dan, but a few people in the garrison, and The Finest in general, know me as the Salty Viper (because of my general disposition) or Central Ohio Trooper.  A couple of people even call me Boone.

*Where did your journey with G.I. Joe start? Which year/series?

    I started watching the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (the Sunbow cartoon) with my older brothers pretty much since its release in late 1983.  I have vivid memories of laying on the carpet in my pajamas (that had feet) with my chin resting in my palms, riveted to the giant, wood trimmed television.

*Who was your first figure?  Do you remember why you chose that particular character?

    If memory serves, my very first figures was v1 Dialtone, and I specifically remember that I wanted that character because he had a little handheld computer.  I was drunk on the unrealistic portrayals of what computers could do in 1980s movies.  I am almost positive that my dad bought it for me at Murphy’s Mart.

*Who would your top 3 Joes and top 3 Cobras be?

    This answer changes from time to time for me, but the ones that consistently rank at the top for me are:
    Lady Jaye because she literally would hurl explosive javelins at tanks and planes.  Also, Mary McDonald-Lewis is a super cool person.  One of my favorite pictures I have is of her about to deliver a Judo chop on me.
    Flint because he always seemed to be the one who actually ran the show… and Bill Ratner is a cool guy as well.  He once read a short script I wrote for a charity drive The Finest was doing, and it was amazing.  I actually teared up a bit at a voice from my childhood reading something that I wrote.
    Beachhead simply because I thought that his head covering was awesome.  I am guessing that it gets very stinky on operations with him.
    Baroness because she is just an awesome character and listening to Larry Hama describe her origins made her even more appealing to me.  I also have had the privilege of meeting Morgan Lofting a few times and she was a super nice lady.
    Cobra Trooper because I like the idea of a faceless legion.  The scene in the intro where they are parachuting to ‘COOOOBBRAAAAAA’ still does it for me.
    Zartan because the selfish mercenary was always pretty awesome on the cartoon, and a color changing toy?  Sold.  That scene where he is negotiating his price over the phone while aiming an explosive dart at an effigy of Cobra Commander is one of my favorites.

*When were you out of G.I. Joe?

    I probably got out of G.I. Joe in 1992 when the action figures started getting really gimmicky and neon.  I was going into high school, and there were definitely other things on my mind.

*When did you return?

    I started going to vintage toy shows around 2009 or so and started picking up the odd figure here and there.  I had given away my entire childhood collection to my nephew.

*How and when did you get into cosplaying?

    I am an avid Role Playing Game and Table Top Miniature Game enthusiast, so I have been going to Gen Con for quite a long time, and I was always enamored with the awesome costumes of the other people in attendance.  Specifically, I was desperate to put together a Storm Trooper costume and join the 501st Legion. After doing a lot of research, it seemed like the options for doing a Storm Trooper were somewhat limited with my budget and skills, so I started to research a Cobra Trooper instead.

*Who do you cosplay and why did you pick those characters?

    My first cosplay was a Cobra Trooper, and I chose it because it is essentially the Storm Trooper of G.I. Joe.  I then went on to make a Countdown to Extinction Vic Rattlehead because I am big fan of the music of Megadeth.  After I got Vic together, I made a Eddie the Head mash up with Richard Simmons (complete with Deal a Head cards) because some friends of mine were forming ‘The Council of Ed’ for Dragon*Con and, let’s face it, Iron Maiden rules.  Next it was a Foot Clan ninja, and I basically did that one because a group of friends who were going to Dragon*Con were making them… and I love TMNT.  At that very Dragon*Con it was discovered that I had left part of Vic in Ohio, so it was that Peace Sells Vic Rattlehead was born from a hastily printed real estate sign and a suit we found.  I decided that I needed a ‘good guy’ so a friend from The Finest and I started working on Lifeline, which turned out to be the most complicated cosplay I have.  We still do not have the medical case or the backpack done, but the rest is pretty spot on.  Lastly, I have done a politician Cobra Commander, because making his suit from the cartoon would be a lot harder that just a suit and tie with a visor helmet.

*What was the hardest part of putting these uniforms together?

    Easily the hardest part of all of these was Lifeline’s helmet.  This was not an off the shelf item, nor did we order it from a cosplay prop shop, we made it from scratch.  We went through three hockey helmets, and MANY hours of frustration cutting the foam microphone and trim pieces.  Painting the helmet was… not fun.  Not only did we run into orange peel issues with the paint, but we also managed to partially paint my mom’s brand new sewing machine red… but that’s another story.

*Are there more characters you would like to do in the future?

    Oh yes. I still have not given up on my dream of doing a Storm Trooper from Star Wars.  The problem seems to be that you have a choice of a $900 kit (that I am sure I would ruin while attempting to put it together) and a $2,000 finished suit that you are on a 18 month waiting list for.  I would also like to do a Death Korps of Krieg Imperial Guard Trooper and a Blood Angels Space Marine from Warhammer 40k.  Another one would be the evil warrior Trap-Jaw from Masters of the Universe.  Finally, I would love to do the B-17 Gunner from the Heavy Metal animated movie.  Probably the mutant leader from that movie as well.  I think you will find that most cosplayers have at least ten projects in mind that they will never get to.

*How did you come to join the Finest/8th Ohio Corvus Squadron?

    I literally joined The Finest because they have a published online field manual that details exactly how to put together a Cobra Trooper cosplay.  Once I started researching G.I. Joe cosplay on the internet, it quickly became apparent that The Finest was the premiere cosplay group in the genre.  I am Commanding Officer of the 8th Ohio Corvus Squadron because we split off from the Central Defense – Fighting Fifth due to logistical reasons.

*What can you tell me about the 8th Ohio Corvus Squadron? This is a division of the Finest, correct?

    The 8th Ohio Corvus Squadron is a garrison of The Finest from Ohio.  There are only eight of us in our garrison, which makes us one of the smaller ones, mostly located in central and southwest Ohio.  All our members are great people, skilled cosplayers, and team players. We are dedicated to promoting the brand, supporting the charity, and having a good time with our friends in the Joe community.

*The Finest are big supporters of K9's For Wounded Warriors! Can you tell me about this charity?

    The Finest has worked with Wounded Warrior Project and the USO in the past, but I think we have permanently settled on K9s for Warriors.  First of all, they rescue dogs from shelters which already makes then an amazing organization that everyone in The Finest would be proud to support.  Add to that the fact that they then train the dogs as service animals for veterans with service-connected traumas and you get a fantastic charity.  The way we look at it, K9s for Warriors is saving two lives at once.  To date, The Finest has raised over $100,000 for various military charities, and I am glad to be a small cog in that machine.

*What do you see in the future for the Finest / 8OCS?

    In short, expansion.  I sit on the Command Staff, so I am privy to our recruitment efforts, and I definitely see a lot of membership applications being processed.  The 8OCS itself is only a year old.  Add to that the formation of the Canadian garrison the Eastern Shield Brigade, the California garrison SoCal Coastal Defense, and the two new squads 28th Rough Riders (Texas) and the Southwest Rattler Squadron (New Mexico) and you have a recipe for a growing organization of talented cosplayers.  We even have a specialty group within The Finest that draws members from various garrisons - Destro’s Anvil (Iron Grenadiers) and plans to make further subgroups (Night Force, Tiger Force, Dreadnoks etc).

*What advice do you have for someone who wants to put a uniform together and join the Finest?

    Pay close attention to the details of the character that you are trying to cosplay.  The Finest has fairly high costuming standards, and you will be judged on the accuracy of your costume.  You must be able to work as a team with your garrison, and it is much better if you are able to attend at least a couple of conventions every year.  Also, drink a lot of water, do not overexert yourself in costume, and it is okay to decline pictures when you are eating.

*And the question everyone REALLY wants to know... As a Cobra Trooper, who is harder to work for - Serpentor or Cobra Commander?

    Cobra Commander is more demanding and less talented in terms of tactics, but Serpentor’s habit of saying ‘This I Command!’ after every phrase he utters makes him the worst possible boss. COOOOBBBRRRAAAAAA!!!


    For more information, you can find The Finest - A G.I. Joe Costume Club and the 8th Ohio Corvus Squadron on Facebook. There you can find valuable tips on creating uniforms, information about K9s For Wounded Warriors and much more!

    Much thanks to Dan/Salty-Viper for the picture and interview, but especially his hard work and contributions to the G.I. Joe fan community!!!