SCC Figure Spotlight - DIAL-TONE (Version 1 & 2)

"My Top 40 hit list doesn't consist of the most popular songs, it consists of the most wanted Cobras!" - Dial-Tone, 1994.

COMMUNICATIONS - DIAL-TONE  (Version 1)

    A military force needs to stay in contact with their troops, especially one that is continuously growing like the G.I. Joe Team.  The G.I. Joe Team's first Communications Officer, Breaker, was released in the very beginning in 1982.  The need would arise for more experts in this field, however, and the Joes would recruit another one in 1986 - Dial-Tone.

    Dial-Tone's file card explains that he found a hobby in his younger years of building radio sets.  He later joined the Army as a way to expand his knowledge in the communications field.  Eventually, he discovered how important his "hobby" was.  On the battlefield, it's man with the radio that has the ability to call for reinforcements, an airstrike or an extraction.

    For Dial-Tone's uniform, he wore a dark teal vest with a beige shirt underneath.  He had a black bandolier on his chest carrying extra gear.  He had black pants with the dark teal kneepads and boots.  In various places on the figure were silver, technical gadgets.  On his head he had a black beret and he had a mustache. 

    Dial-Tone came with 2 accessories.  His first was a high-tech looking backpack.  It had some great technical detail molded onto it.  It came to a point which kind of arched over his head.  It had an articulated microphone that you could lower down near his face or put it up when not in use.  He also had a sub-machine gun.  Both were cast in a light-grey plastic.

    My first-ever G.I. Joe figure was Breaker and I think the reason why is because he had the cool backpack that connected to the head-set which then could attach to his helmet.  I liked Breaker, but I was disappointed that the figure did not have a weapon.  Furthermore, he looked a little dull next to my next Joes - Clutch, Grand Slam and Tripwire.  

    Dial-Tone didn't have these issues though!  Dial-Tone had a great color scheme.  I really like the mix of black and brown with the dark green and the silver accents.  The backpack was awesome!  It just looked super high-tech, like he could send a message ANYWHERE!  And the rifle... easily one of the coolest looking guns in the entire G.I. Joe toy-line!  Dial-Tone was fantastic, I really like this figure!  I can't think of any way to improve it!?!?!  So I'm going to give this figure a whopping 5 out of 5 Walkie-Talkies!!!  Yeah!!! 

    Dial-Tone continued serving with the G.I. Joe Team and saw 3 more updates including being a member of Special Missions: Brazil and the Sonic Fighters.

    I remember getting Dial-Tone in the Spring of 1986... my family had headed out for a vacation to Florida to visit my grandparents.  Many of the new toys that year hadn't really started hitting at that point, they were barely trickling out.  On the roadtrip down, I managed to find Dial-Tone and the Devil Fish.  So, both of those toys were instant favorites and gained sentimental value.  (Just for memories sake... I'll mention that also on this trip I found and bought the Transformer Combaticon - Brawl at a K-Mart and I got the Autobot - Prowl on clearance at some tourist shop!)

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COMMUNICATIONS - DIAL-TONE  (Version 2)

    (Editors note:  Yep, I don't have this figure... in fact, I've NEVER had it!  You can't deny though, that this card art from www.GIJoe365.com, is awesome!  Check that site out to see Chris Hemsworth's excellent artwork!)

    A second version of Dial-Tone was came out in 1986.  Strangely this was the same year as the original.  When the 5th Series of G.I. Joe figures were released, a special edition set of figures called Special Mission: Brazil was available at Toys R Us and Kay-Bee stores.

    This set included 5 figures and an cassette tape containing the audio of the "mission".  Among the assortment was 4 repainted figures of current characters and 1 new character - Claymore.  The repainted characters included Mainframe, Dial-Tone, Wetsuit and Leatherneck.  All who were new Series 5 characters.

    For Dial-Tone's Brazil Mission, he wore a black shirt with a brown vest over it.  The bandolier and grenades on his chest were an olive drab while the technical detail on him was painted silver.  His pants were red with olive drab knee pads and boots.  He had the exact same accessories, including the gray color, as Version 1.

    I never had the Special Mission: Brazil set.  I used to see it at my local Kay Bee store all the time, but I just never picked it up.  In fact, none of my friends picked it up either.  I think that the problem was that by the time we saw it on store shelves, we had already bought some of the regular release figures.  It seemed silly to waste money on buying repainted figures when we could just go buy figures that we didn't already have.   

    The colors chosen for the repaints worked for some figures, but not for others.  Dial-Tone fell in the middle.  The top half of the figure was pretty good, but the red pants were weird-looking.  Overall, the figure is okay I suppose.  There just isn't much going on here to interest me.  I think the standard release was superior to this one.  So it looks like Dial-Tone (Version 2) is going to catch a rating of 3 out of 5 Walkie-Talkies!  Not bad... it could have been worse...

    So what are your thoughts on Dial-Tone?  Do you prefer Breaker?  Do you have any special memories of finding this figure?  Which color scheme do you prefer - original or Special Missions Brazil?  Let me know what you think in the comments below...

Continued radio chatter about Dial-Tone (version 1)...

--- Dial-Tone (version 1) made my list of Snoova's Top 10 G.I. Joe Figures!

--- It's interesting that Hasbro continued to give him the same sub-machine gun in his other 3 versions.  Maybe they realized how cool it was too!

--- Fact or Fiction??  Part of Dial-Tone's job is intercepting prank calls to General Hawk from the Dreadnoks...?

--- Next from Dial-Tone.... Sonic Fighters!