 Retelo & Homer
Communications Specialist & Carrier Pigeon
Operation: Recall Wave 2 Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F009 No. Y1W2F1
Manufacturer: Locomotion Media Group
Includes: C5TSR/EW CMOSS Backpack, Straps, CP-44 FPV Recon Drone, Taccom Helmet, Suppressed Sidewinder PDW, Carrier Pigeon, Figure Display Stand, Art Poster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $30.00 Kickstarter, $25.00 on web store
Availability: July 2026
Other: Are We Not Men?
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If you just want a new figure to make you feel like you got a brand new G.I. Joe around 1989, this is it. From a concept by R. Carson Mataxis, who seems made the design when he was a kid, Operation Recall Retelo & Homer is what sold me on trying the line. While not an exact match for the Hasbro aesthetics, it captures the spirit perfectly and reminds me of some of what made the line great as it went over the hill with wild print pants and animal buddies. A bird pal, a drone, a backpack, a helmet, and a gun? That's a lot of stuff.
The eyes aren't a perfect match for Hasbro and the beard is a little flat compared to the original figures, but it still fits in nicely with that line's vibe. And more importantly, its vehicles.
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This figure is loaded. He has a helmet, a stand, a rifle, a pigeon, a backpack, and a drone you can mount on his back or his backpack. When all geared up, he's a bit back-heavy. As such I am grateful to have the display stand. Everything connects nicely, with zero fuss.
It's pretty amazing just how much this looks like the drawings that Carson made as a kid. He documented the whole process so you can see all the detail and concept art. It's bonkers to think that he got to the finish line, but I guess if you had the entire creative team on speed-dial you can make this kind of thing happen. The figure's beret was dropped, but some aspect of nearly everything else seems to be there, from the rolled-up sleeves to the camo pants. You can see some refinements over time, like the mini keypad on his arm or the added perch on the backpack, but this is pretty much a kid's drawing come to life. The sculpting looks great, with generally sharp detailing that is, admittedly, a little washed out by the clear coat. But you still get the bandoliers, the belt buckle, and the laced-up boots with sculpted tread. There's a flare gun in his holster, and the gloves look great. Also, the wrists swivel.
Deco is excellent, although some details didn't quite make it for mass production. While we have all-over tiger stripes on the pants, which is impressive, there's an added light layer of green camo that seems to have disappeared in the slightly lighter green plastic. If you squint you can see it, but I don't know that it adds to the already great figure - just the green pants with black stipes are great. I dig the painted gear on the torso, the gloves are great, the wrist equipment looks fine, looking like a 1990s Joe with a higher paint budget.
While it changed a fair amount from the prototype, it feels legit, if a little slicker than I was expecting.
The gear, on the other hand, is perfect. An all-new helmet has shades and a microphone, and fits perfectly. The backpack not only fits in the back hole, but has straps around the arms. They also included a perch for Homer, a fully-painted pigeon with astonishingly small details. His little beak and eyes are painted, and they even gave him the little message tube for around his leg. And a helmet, and a backpack with a little vest. It's adorable, and just years beyond anything Hasbro would have made at this size (and their price points.) The rifle looks nifty, but to me, a gun is a gun. It's a gun! Sculpted detail is crisp and it easily fits in his hands.
Rounding out the set is a bird-themed quad copter drone. It has a backpack peg on it too, so you can mount it on a figure's back or the backpack itself. It's unable to stand on its own, but it's a heck of an added accessory. It's almost overkill as it gives Retelo two flying buddies but on the bright side, it's not like you're left feeling they left something out.
This figure offered us a rare insight in seeing a figure develop from a sketch, to prototypes, to a fully-realized professionally-made product. You get a lot of gear in the box for the asking price, and the deco is generally better than what you would expect from the lines which inspired this figure. It seems to take inspiration from the late 1980s and I really like how this figure turned out, but it's going to stand out on a shelf of old Joes. I would say Operation: Recall made too many changes to be a perfect fit with old Hasbro toys, but it is a lot of fun as its own thing. I'm not sure if I have the constitution to collect the entire line with numerous redeco figures and troop variants, but I'm still interested in getting a few more.
A third wave is slated for October 2026, but the creators have yet to show off any test shots. It looks like the December/January figures were shown off in August, so I guess there's still hope they might make 2026 - but I'm not holding my breath. (And that's OK, two waves per year is a heck of a great start.)
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
See more Locomotion Media items in Figure of the Day:
Day 3,093: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Mzimu Corps (Pecan) Action Figure
Day 3,093: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Dark Reapers Action Figure
Day 3,103: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Breacher & Hellhound Action Figure
Day 3,123: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Retelo Action Figure
See more Operation: Recall items in Figure of the Day:
Day 3,083: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Mzimu Corps (Pecan) Action Figure
Day 3,093: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Dark Reapers Action Figure
Day 3,103: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Breacher & Hellhound Action Figure
Day 3,123: Locomotion Media Group Operation: Recall Retelo Action Figure
