Series 10 Year 1991 Total versions of this action figure 1

This figure is from Toyline G.I.Joe 3/4" Real American Hero

+My Review+
[10 March 2009]

Tracker is one of my 10 favourite Gijoes.

I knew about him the first time in 1988, when he arrived in Italy (my country) with the 3rd collection. I was very happy about the Gijoe characters of this new line, especially for Outback and Jinx. I always tried to buy Outback, but it was impossible to found him! Maybe because many children liked him. So, i never had the chance to play with him when i was kid. Some months after he was released, one of my friends came back from a vacation in London with some new Gijoes: there was also Tiger Force Outback. I asked many times to my friend to give me his Outback to play, and in the end, he gave him to me ^^ I was so, so happy! Tiger Force Outback was not so cool like the original one, but, it was better then nothing :) A couple of years ago, i decided to start to collect Gijoes again, and Outback was one of the first to become part of my new collection ^.^
Why i like him so much? I dont know. There are many reasons: first of all, i want him from when i was 12 (now im 32!), then i always thought about him like a Chuck Norris figure, and also, i always liked so much survival, so, everything is perfect about him :) There is also a pure esthetic reason: Outback is a very nice figure! Everything is very detailed, and his accessories are just unique and very original. I like his way to be so simple: white t-shirt, camo pants, and green bandana around his red/blonde wild head ^^

My personal Tracker & Outback ready to fight!

My personal Outback and Tracker
climbing a giant tree!

Some pics of my Tracker with others Joes
+Click on thumbnails to enlarge+

+My Personal Ratings+
from 01 (very bad) to 10 (excellent)

50 on 60

+More Pics+

Outback from various Catalogs & Dossiers
+Click on thumbnails to enlarge+
[image courtesy of Gijoe NL]

+Filecards+

GW Italian Filecard

American Filecard
- original Tracker -

+Packaging+

The first, fantastic, unique Outback
1987

Night Force Outback, packaged with Crazylegs
1988

The exclusive European Outback (UK card)
1990

Outback designed for the Eco Warriors, then
packaged as Battle Corps member
1993

Official Battle Corps Outback
1993

+Others Featuring+

Outback was featured also in some vehicles and accessories: in the Mobile Command Center, in the S.L.A.M. cannon, and in all the Motorized Action Packs.

+What is Survival?+

Survival skills are techniques a person may utilize for an indefinite duration in order to survive a dangerous situation (also see bushcraft). Generally speaking, these techniques are meant to provide the basic necessities of human life: shelter, water, and food. They may prove useful in situations such as storm or earthquake, or in dangerous locations such as desert, mountains, and jungle. Every different situation or location presents a different range of dangers - (see hazards of outdoor activities). An environment may be dry, wet, hot, cold, high altitude, low altitude, desert, rural, urban, wilderness, subterranean, or an island. Techniques exist to fit most situations.
Examples of survival skills include:

-lighting and maintaining a fire
-finding/creating shelter
-finding/preparing potable water
-finding and identifying food
-treating injuries
-climbing, hiking, and swimming
-using specific or makeshift tools
-signaling for rescue
-tracking mental awareness/emotional status

Developments in outdoor equipment and survival techniques have skewed the scale towards man - if he is prepared. However, there is nothing to replace experience in a survival situation. Those who are most prepared physically and mentally stand the greatest chance of survival.

+Outback Origins+

Outback surname "Selkirk" had probably ancient Scottish heritages. Also, there is a kind of cat called "Selkirk Rex" ^^ It was discovered not far from Wyoming, in Montana, around the Selkirk mountain! The cat was noticed as something out of the ordinary by Peggy Voorhees of the Bozeman Humane Society in Wyoming! So, here is the solution of the clue. Outback is a curly cat :P Outback grew up in Big Piney, Wyoming, where he developed his love for the wilderness and his survival skills. Wyoming is the less populated state of USA, and ancient land of lot of Natives famous tribes. Is one of the most beautiful places in United States, and includes places like a part of the Yellowstone Park. Big Piney is a real place, a very small city surrounded by a splendid nature. It is a good place for Outback, but, maybe with a codename like this, it could be better if it was born in Australia ^_^ Anyway, this place seems to be very nice for nature but extremely wild. This give to Outback an experience about cold places, and also deserts, jungles and any other kind of "difficult-to-survive" land.

+Outback & Chuck Norris+

In the past, like today, Hasbro use often faces and names of real people for Gijoes. We have several characters based on living persons. About some of them, we are sure, but... others maybe not. Some Gijoes are very similar to popular actors, musicians, and more. One of this is surely Outback: more then any other Joes is very very similar to Chuck Norris! It could be not a coincidence! Look at this picture: is Chuck from 1985's Missing in Action II. I don't know if im right, but, from when i was kid until today, Outback is Chuck Norris :P

DID YOU FIND...
English errors (sorry, im italian :P), missing data, broken links, or any other mistakes? Did you think something is missing? You have some pictures or info for Gijoe World? Want to help to write reviews? There is some credit i forgot?
Please, write to me!!!

[U.S.A.]
Operative from 1991 to 1994 Current status Unknown

GW Notes Tracker did not appear in the comics, but just in the DIC Gijoe cartoon, for one year. So, we dont know a lot about him, and we dont know how long he serve the Gijoe Team. We suppose he rest with Gijoe until the team was disbanded in the comic.

+Character Biography+

TRACKER was one of the few G.I. Joe trainees to totally elude the instructors during the "Escape and Evasion" phase of the indoctrination course. This prompted the cadre to run through the exercise a second time to see how Tracker performed. This time, the commander employed SPIRIT and SNAKE EYES as the quarry. Tracker ran them into the ground in less than twelve hours, which is a pretty remarkable feat considering that no one had ever been able to pick up their trail before.
"Sometimes the bad guys get smart and think they can throw us off the scent by cutting across a swamp or going up a stream. Whenever the trail seemsto stop at a body of water, we just call Tracker to take it from that point. He just pumps up his covert insertion raft and paddles away until the track shows up on dry land again. It's almost as if he can see footprints on the surface of the water!"

Outback in the jungle!
[image taken from the Benelux Gijoe Dossier n.2 at Gijoe NL]

Comic notes
Tracker never appeared in the Gijoe Comics.

Cartoon notes
Tracker appeared in the DIC cartoon in 1991.
Spoke 17 lines in 3 episodes. First appeared in Long Live Rock and Roll I; first spoke in Kindergarten Commandos. Total appearances: 8. Wore his 1991 outfit, always with the visor. His raft was featured in his first appearance. Prioritized Appearance List: Shadow of a Doubt, Kindergarten Commandos, and Cobra World. Silent: Long Live Rock and Roll I, The Greatest Evil I, Infested Island, A Is for Android, and Basic Training. Tracker is included in the opening sequence for season 2.
[Image and Infos courtesy of Half the Battle]

+the Action Figure+

+Click on thumbnails to enlarge+

Original Versions
Outback had basically two versions: the original one from 1987, and the Battle Corps one from 1993. The 1987 figure was available also in the subsets Night Force (1988 in two-pack with Crazylegs) and Tiger Force (1990 only in Europe), and in Brazil in 1993 with the codename "Forasteiro". The 1987 version of Outback share parts of his body with Big Brawler, a 2001 Gijoe character, and also the torso with Super Trooper and Rapid Fire. The Battle Corps Outback from 1993 was first designed for the Eco Warriors subset, but, when the line was cancelled, he become one of the Battle Corps. Then, some of the body colours were changed for a second version, available the same year. In my opinion, the original Outback is fantastic, the Night version is also very cool, the Tiger Force one, not bad... but the Battle Corps/Eco Warriors version are very, very ugly! Its very offensive for a such nice character.

The original Outback, Night Force Outback,
Eco Warriors Outback recoloured after for Battle Corps Outback

International
Outback was available only in Europe with his Tiger Force version (1990). In Brazil, the same Tiger Force Outback was available as a sonic fighter with the name "Forasteiro". Outback had various weapon, but no flashlight for his leg.

European exclusive Tiger Force Outback,
and brazilian Outback "Forasteiro"

Convention
Outback was available also at 1992 Gijoe Convention bagged with different accessories.

1992 Gijoe Convention exclusive Outback
+Click on thumbnail to enlarge+

1987 Equipment [all new]
Outback had a very nice and unique equipment! His gun was a kind of modified HK 53 A3 or an HK 308 (but im not sure of it).

Outback have also a tan web belt of the same color of the huge survival backpack, this gave to him a very "ready for action and survive" appeal :P Also, there is a very rare detail about his figure: he had a hole in the left leg, this hole was used to hold a flashlight accessory. All those accessories transform Outback to a very well equipped soldier, also if his basic figure is very clean and simple. The same accessories were used for the Night Force & Tiger Force versions, but with different colors (except for the gun).

It's interesting that the flashlight after the original version of Outback, was better paint with the lens of different color from the rest.

Others Equipment
1992 For the Gijoe Convention, the original Outback was bagged with the first flashlight and a different weapon: the kayak-gun of 1989 Stalker.
1993 Outback had, as all the Battle Corps figures, a mix of old weapons and a firing missile launcher.
1993 In the brazilian version, Outback have a sonic fighter backpack and also a mix of weapons.

1987 Body
Original Outback body was entirely new.
His body parts were used again in:
1988 All body for Night Force Outback.
1988 Torso for Super Trooper.
1990 All body for Tiger Force Outback (Only in Europe).
1991 Torso for Rapid Fire.
1992 All body (with same colours) for Gijoe Convention.
1993 All body for "Forasteiro" (Brasil Tiger Force Outback).
2001 All body (except the head) were used to create Big Brawler.
2003 His chest, arms, legs and waist were used to create Funskool (India) Big Brawler (in this version, the leg hole for the flashlight was closed).
1993 Body
The 2nd Outback body was entirely new.
His body parts were used again in:
1993 Battle Corps Outback - 2nd edition.

+Price Guide+

Outback is not easy to find "perfect". My personal figure also have a broken gun, and the "survival" logo was faded. So, if you looking for a perfect Outback, be sure to have: the flashlight for the leg, the hole in the leg with no broken parts of old flashlights (:P), the "survival logo" not faded, the gun in good condition (the strap must be unbent and attached), and the same must be for the web belt, sometimes could be broken. As you can read, Outback is a nice character, but not easy to find in good mint condition.
Here is a price guide for the various versions of Outback
You can find Outback 1987 at 12-16$ (loose) or 40-60$ (Moc)
You can find Outback Night Force at 40-48$ (loose) or 140-180$ (Moc)
You can find Outback Battle Corps 02-04$ (loose) or 06-10$ (Moc)

+Outback DTC Gijoe Collection+

[images courtesy of Gijoe Club, Joe Battlelines & Steel Brigade]

I found this version of Outback at the website Steel Brigade, and also reviewed at Joe Battlelines.This version, together with others Joes and Cobra, was created for the 4 wave or Gijoe Real American Hero collection, and then cancelled. Then, Hasbro decided to give another chance to this figure and the other characters of this wave, so, this new Outback was released.
In any case, i dont think this version of Outback is particulary cool: i dont like it at all.

+Outback 25th Anniversary/Modern Era+

This is the last Outback done. Its from 2009 exclusive 7-packs wave 25th Anniversary/Modern Era. The figure is very similar to the original Outback, and it will be sold as part of 7-packs and probably also with the Attack Cannon (F.L.A.K.) accessory. Both the version (i think they will be the same mold), will be released during 2009. I dont like at all the 25th line, but its a good chance to have a perfect-shape Outback weapon :P Mine is broken ;)

+Outback Codename Analysis+

Outback had different names around the World

Rest of the World Outback
France & Belgium Survival
Holland Achterdeur
Brazil Forasteiro

The codename "Outback" is clearly inspired to one of the most wild region of Earth: the Australian Outback. Outback refers to remote arid areas of Australia, although the term colloquially can refer to any lands outside of the main urban areas. The term "outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas deemed "the bush". Note that the terms outback and bush refer to European settlers concepts of the lands of Australia - Indigenous Australians had in many cases a different perception of moving through and usage of the land. The outback is home to the Australian feral camel and dingoes. The Dingo fence was built to restrict dingo movements into agricultural areas towards the south east of the continent. The marginally fertile parts are primarily utilised as rangelands and have been traditionally used for sheep or cattle farming, on cattle station which are leased from the Federal Government. While small area of the outback onsist of clay soils the majority has exceedingly infertile paleosols.