Complete G.I. Joe animated series coming on DVD!

shoutjoedvdThis really is a great time to be a G.I. Joe fan.  Check out the latest news from  TVShowsOnDVD.com:

Excited fans have been happy to know that new season set releases are in-the-works from Shout! Factory for the original G.I. Joe animated series from the ’80s. Now hard-core fans will be even happier to hear that they won’t have to collect individual season sets, if they prefer to have it all in one big bite!

In a story posted today by trade journal Home Media Magazine, Asst. Managing Editor John Latchem talks with Shout! President Garson Foos, who publicly acknowledges their deal with Hasbro for the first time. The story concentrates on the first DVD release: June 16th’s The Transformers – The Complete 1st Season: 25th Anniversary Edition. But near the end of the story, Latchem lets the cat out of the bag about something more substantial:

Foos said Shout! Factory would follow the release with special complete-series sets of “The Transformers” and “G.I. Joe” later this summer. In the case of “G.I. Joe,” Rhino lost the rights before completing its release slate, which means many of the episodes will finally be released for the first time.

So, as you can see, fans will be able to get G.I. Joe – The Complete Series, with every episode officially available on DVD for the first time in history, before Summer 2009 is out! And fans can also get Tranformers – The Complete Series at or around the same time, containing episodes that are “restored to the original broadcast versions with a new stereo soundtrack created from the original audio”. Sweet.

And what’s even sweeter is that we’ve confirmed with sources close to the project that these releases will contain additional bonus material, above and beyond what’s going to be available in the individual season sets. No details are available yet on what that will be, or what the “special” packaging Foos hints at would consist of (assuming we are interpreting that correctly), or when exactly these would be available to purchase. But we’re on top of it, of course, so stay tuned for more updates as developments occur!

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