Super Joe is Hasbro's smaller sized version of their 12 inch G.I.Joe dolls. It's my understanding that Super Joe dolls are more difficult to find than the original G.I Joe dolls. I found mine second hand in the mid 1980s for only five dollars! In my mind he looks like one of the villains from the Superman II movie, so that's who he has been since joining my collection. As Mego never made the Superman II villains in the 8 inch size, this worked out well for me!
This is one of those dolls that I absolutely had to have. The second I saw it, I just connected with it and had to buy it. I've never read any of the comics, but I really like the look and design of this doll. I also like the name Burnout, that's a cool name for a superhero.
Two buttons on Super Joe's back to control his arms.
Gen 13, 11.5 inch doll by WildStorm, 1999
Here is Burnout from the "Gen 13" doll series based on the Gen 13 comic books. If I'm not mistaken the comics were published by WildStorm/Image Comics which is a subdivision of DC Comics. As far as I understand, the characters from Image Comics don't exist in the DC Comics universe which is why I put burnout on the "Other Superhero Dolls" page.. Three dolls were made in this collection: Burnout, Fairchild and Lynch (shown below).
Burnout
I recall Burnout was a pricey doll. I bought him brand new from the comic book store for about $55.00. Back in the late 1990s collecting superhero dolls was not taken as seriously as it is today. It's common now for companies to offer dolls priced at $300.00 and up, but at the time $55.00 was a rare price point aimed at collectors. Although nothing is mentioned on the box, it's my understanding that this doll was made as a limited edition collectable.
In my opinion the head sculpt for this Burnout doll is amazing! His face is both cute and handsome at the same time. He also has that look in his eye that seems to say "I'm going to kick your ass if you piss me off". I also like the fact that the body for this doll is sculpted to be thinner than a standard fashion doll or hero doll, as it looks like how the character was drawn in the comics. In fact this doll is very similar in style to the 8 inch Mego dolls, with 14 points of articulation just like a Mego. Some of the joints are exactly the same as a Mego as well. Unfortunately the movement of the joints is limited, but the doll can still be posed easily enough.
Here is the doll without the costume (oh my goodness he's buck ne'kid!) to show the muscular detail and how the doll is jointed. It's interesting that the arms are painted red. The hands on Mego dolls were made in different coloured plastic to match the costume, but the arms were often skin tone which showed at the end of the sleeve. Painting the arms like this will solve that issue. Collectors appreciate this type of extra detail.
Burnout's one piece doll costume is reminiscent of the 8 inch Mego superhero doll costumes and is very well made. The quality of the stretchy, spandex-like fabric is top notch, far better than I've ever seen on any superhero doll. The only negative about the costume is that the triangle and shoulder circles are decals that were painted onto the fabric, so they crack if the fabric is moved or stretched too much. Additionally, painted details like this on doll clothes tend to stick to things, such as the plastic of window box packaging or other toys, so the doll needs to be wrapped in cloth or tissue when put away in storage to avoid any damage.
Here is the back view of the doll which has a strip of Velcro all along the opening.
Gen 13 Burnout doll in the original box. The design of the box for this doll is amazing! It's perfect!
Back of the Gen 13 Burnout doll box.
Here's the text panel from the back of the box. Click on the image for a larger view.
Burnout artwork from the back of the box.
This is the image of the Fairchild doll from the back of the box. Below is the Lynch doll, which seems to have the same doll body as Burnout.
Burnout artwork from the sides of the box. I edited the two sides together to complete the figure. (Always wanted to do that! :)
Here are the components of the box packaging. There's the window box, the insert showing some awesome artwork, and a plastic formed tray that holds the doll in place. Unfortunately this tray has yellowed over time, it used to be completely clear.
Here's a better look at the background artwork on the box insert, which shows Burnout as he appeared in the comics. Awesomeness!
I really think this Burnout doll is awesome. It's easily among my top ten favourite dolls. The folks at the Wildstorm company did a super-amazing job on this one!
Text and photos copyright Mikey Artelle
