Communications Expert - DIAL-TONE, 1994

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

COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT - DIAL-TONE

    Dial-Tone started building his own radio sets when he was just 10 years old.  He continued to upgrade them over the years buying parts and equipment with money he had earned from working at a grocery store.  When he was old enough, he joined the Army as a way to learn more about radio technology and communication.  He became a member of the G.I. joe Team in 1986.

    Dial-Tone got a serious equipment upgrade when he signed up for the Sonic Fighters sub-group.  This team specialized in using various types of new high-tech equipment.  They outfitted Dial-Tone with a heavy, oversized communications backpack.  His ability to transmit and receive signals vastly improved, but unfortunately, his maneuverability on the battlefield was now hindered.  A few years later, his equipment was thankfully scaled down to where most of his gear was built into his helmet and a small backpack giving him more freedom to evade fire while keeping an open signal between himself and base or his teammates.

    Dial-Tone 1994 is quite a departure from his earlier figures.  While many Joes and Cobras alike have embraced neon colors, this was Dial-Tone's first real jump into that category.  I actually like the figure itself!  The neon yellow on his uniform rides the fence leading to crazy town.  Luckily that color is well counteracted by his olive-drab pants and black highlights.  So I like the actual figure - and the unique helmet is odd, but is still cool.

    I don't like the weapon trees.  I never have and never will... but sane colors like black or gray are almost acceptable.  Two things bother me about the weapons trees - #1) neon-colored weapons.  The "psycho-yellow" color of Dial-Tone's gear is really harsh on a man's eyes.  Yikes!  And #2) weapons that don't match the character or their job-position.  Why does Dial-Tone have a large machine gun?  I don't see him carrying this!  I am grateful they included his original submachine gun though... even if the color is awful.

    Dial-Tone 1994 is going to catch a rating of 3 out of 5 AT&T 80's-Style Phone Books!  Good figure, wacky accessories.  Here's how you get him up to a rating of "4"....  Toss his accessories aside but keep the helmet.  Next... steal the Alley-Viper's black version of his submachine gun.  He's not using it anyways...  Then give it to Dial-Tone.  There you go... you're welcome!

    What did you think of this version of Dial-Tone?

    

Incoming bonus information of Dial-Tone 1994...

---  With the look of this figure, I am surprised Dial-Tone did not find his way into Star Brigade.  His job would have been "Moon Communications" or something like that...

---  For some reason, in my collection I have a second Dial-Tone '94 figure.  It's all dirty and you can tell it has been in mud at some point.  I have no idea where in the world this figure comes from.  I know I didn't buy 2 of them and I certainly would never have put it in mud.  Weird...