JoeDeclassified.com

My name is Chris, I'm 36, and I'm from south central Wisconsin.

I've been collecting G.I. Joe since 1982, and I’ve been active in the online and real-world community for almost a decade. I’m a Admin at Joesightings, a Moderator at Joebattlelines, and the Editor-In-Chief here. From 2002 - 2007 I was a “Completionist Collector”, but midway through the 25th Anniversary line I stopped. I was getting fed up with so many repaints, rehashes, and “Vomit Characters”, that I finally broke the completion mentality and only bought what I really liked. (That lowered my collecting about fifty-percent!) I also used to troop build: formerly 20 of each trooper type, then ten, now it’s down to two or four. As much as I like seeing droves of Cobra troops ready for battle, I don’t play with my toys anymore---haven’t since I was a kid, so large numbers of troops just displayed are impractical for me, as my space is fairly limited.

What are my collecting habits? I collect for personal satisfaction, enjoyment, and knowledge, not for monetary value or rarity per se. Granted I have some very rare and expensive pieces in my collection, but I was never a MOC/MIB collector and I never will be. My own personal philosophy is: a toy is made to be played with, or at the very least, manipulated or handled. If I wanted something to merely look at, I’d buy a painting or focus on the art aspect. I completely understand the MOC/MIB philosophy and the justifications, but it just doesn’t work for me.

Outside of G.I. Joe, I also collect Thundercats, Exo-Squad, and select lines of Transformers, but not to the level of ‘Joe.

My nickname of "Werecat" should be obvious---I'm a cat person. I've studied lycanthropy and therianthropy as a serious pursuit for over 20 years, so the notion of a werecat is right up my alley. Although genetically I don't think I have any feline DNA, I'm told that I'm mostly Korean and Norwegian, with a bit of French and perhaps Japanese thrown in for good measure.

I have a great interest in the occult, and I’m a practicing shaman in Unconventional Totemic Shamanism (think Eastern European shamanism, not Native American Indian), and I also use Chaos Magic (Hine method), Sigilism, Norse Hamr, and a few other systems for my pathworking. Most recently, I’ve been developing a new system I generically call “Ailuranthropic Sorcery”, which focuses on feline-themed shapeshifting, transformation, and trait-acquirement through guising (ritualized costuming).

I graduated from college with a degree in English and a minor in Fine Arts, and later I graduated at the top of my class from the Wisconsin Police Academy. Professionally I'm a licensed police officer, free-lance writer/editor, and a business manager. Writing however, is my true love. I'm an award winning and published free-lance writer (both academically and commercially), and I'm currently working on three long-term projects. (It's absolutely fantastic not to have a deadline on a project!)

In my free time I’m a voracious reader, but I also enjoy women, sketching, painting, reading, shooting, customizing ‘Joes, working out, biking, hunting, occasionally playing video games, and even less frequently, watching the TV. I'm also a former first generation "perky" goth, but every once and a while I still enjoy dressing up and dancing at the clubs.