Hasbro Hall of Fame Stalker: head, beret, shirt
Hasbro: M4 carbine, binoculars, canteen
M&C Toys: figure, BDU pants, belt, pistol, holster, backpack (modified)
BBI: boots, magazine pouches
21st Century Toys: small pouch (resin copy)
Formative International: bayonet
Unknown: flashlight
Various detail straps, buckles, jump rings etc. ...oh, and paint


Stalker was the first G.I. Joe I purchased as an adult. I bought the 12" Hall of Fame version just before New Year's Eve 1992, having just received Hall of Fame Duke a week earlier as a Christmas Gift. While I was not thrilled overall with figures in that series, this figure had an old veteran appearance to his face and a nice looking black shirt and beret. I had a love/hate relationship with my Hall of Fame figures; their bodies were poorly articulated and much of their gear and weapons were ridiculously oversized. After collecting newer 12" lines, I boxed these all up in 1997. Compelled in part by nostalgia, a decade later, I broke open those boxes and began applying some customizing techniques I had learned to make my HOF Joes into shelf-worthy action figures. Stalker was my first Hall of Fame conversion.
I had been buying M&C Toys (Power Team Elite) figures for custom fodder for some time, and I had quite a few extra bodies. They are not good for head-swapping as their neck and head are molded as one piece. To swap to the HOF head, the neck had to be carefully cut off and attached with Gorilla Glue to the Hasbro head (see photo). Then the composited head was plugged back onto the ball joint of the M&C body. The M&C body is a reasonable match for the somewhat oversized HOF head; the Classic Collection Joe bodies are a bit smaller and look odd with a Hall of Fame scaled head. Not all 1/6th scale figures are the same scale...go figure. I used slightly larger Hasbro, M&C and BBI gear to get Stalker combat ready. The backpack was a very early release M&C accessory to which I added shoulder straps and closure straps for the pack flaps. This was done with a spare web gear shoulder straps, black grosgrain ribbon and spare buckles. The M&C Toys' leg holster works well once the strap tabs are removed and new straps are glued in place.
This is the way I would rather Stalker had looked when I first bought him in 1992 and he can now strike a pose other and "body builder flex". If you have Hall of Fame G.I. Joes, you know what I mean.

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