Storm Shadow is so fast, he outran most of the white on his clothes! Read the review before he runs off again!
Ninja Force Storm Shadow
Alexx Shorts: Dollar General exclusive Storm Shadow
Monthly Archives: August 2012
Amazing “vintage” Adventure Team commercial– featuring 1:18 Joes!
It’s time to place blame where blame is due. The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club is turning me into an Adventure Team fan. Those nefarious scoundrels in their evil headquarters on Cattle Baron Drive in Texas have managed to take my initial impression of the fuzz-headed Joes as “those older dolls” and turn them into full blown Jonny Quest-styled heroes. Part James Bond, part Indiana Jones– the Adventure Team has come to life in the form of the monthly Adventure Team Chronicles comics in the Collector’s Club newsletter. In fact, and here’s the frightening portion of this confession, I read the AT comic BEFORE I read the A Real American Hero strip.
So, imagine my newly-found AT giddiness when the Club posted the following video up on their Facebook page. Posted by YouTube user “vidmystery”, the commercial showcases the modern 1:18 AT figures in the style of a classic 1960’s commercial. Seriously– that’s just too much awesome for one short video! (This seems to be the Club’s official YouTube page– so my hat’s off to the video’s actual creator!)
Remembering Chris Latta
Today would have been Chris Latta’s 63rd birthday.
Chris Latta
Born on August 30, 1949, Christopher Charles Collins was an actor, comedian, and voice artist whose talent breathed life into countless characters. Among his most famous were the Sunbow animated versions of Cobra Commander and the treacherous Decepticon Starscream. Other characters included his first voice role Sgt. Knox (Starblazers), Wheeljack (Transformers), Gung-Ho (Duh!), D’Compose (Inhumanoids), and the debut appearance of Montgomery Burns (The Simpsons). Other live-action appearances include Road House, Married… With Children, and Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot!
Chris Latta died on June 12, 1994.
Happy birthday, Chris. You’ve touched countless lives through your performances.
William Shatner introduces Chris (Latta) Collins at the Improv
G.I. Joe Collector’s Club: Figure Subscription Service cut off fast approaching
The oft-delayed sign-up period for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service (or GIJCC FSS) is rapidly drawing to a close. Midnight on September 4th is it so if you’re a hard-core G.I. Joe fan that wants these “made-to-order” figures you’ll have to act soon. Estimates put the cheapest option for the 12 named and 1 bonus figure to be just over $350.00, putting it on par with a boxed convention set in terms of pricing.
In addition to some new images of Quarrel and TNT, the Club posted this information on their Facebook page yesterday:
Deadline for the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club FSS subs is Midnight CST on 9/4/2012! If you’re subbing, that’s the cut-off!FIGURE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE Update!The Figure Subscription Service ends at midnight on September 4th central time. DON’T MISS OUT! Go to the club site for the official link.Please note that if you are checking your FSS order, you do this at the FSS site NOT the club store. The two systems are independent even though they are able to use your same login and passwords.NOTE ABOUT SINGLE FIGURES: There will not be a large quantity of single figures ordered for the club store so if you are interested in most of the figures offered, we recommend that you subscribe and sell the items you are not interested in to others. This will ensure that you receive the figures that you really want.
If you log in to check your order(s) (click My Account at the bottom after you log in), and you are not seeing your invoice or emails, please drop us an email using the link at the bottom of the My Account page and we will have your file reconstructed. Your invoices are in the system but there are a few accounts that are not displaying correctly. After the subscription period ends, we will only send out emails to the FSS subscribers concerning shipping/billing updates and all of those emails will appear in your My Account.Thanks for your patience and support of this new system
To sign up for the GIJCC FSS or “Club Sub”, follow the link below:
Here’s a look at everything from “Wave 1” of the Club’s fledgling FSS:
How Diamond Select is transforming my G.I. Joe collection
I’m a child of the 80’s. While I was born in the early 70’s, my formative years took place firmly during the “decade of excess” and it made an indelible impression upon me. My childhood was filled with many of the 80’s properties– the A-Team, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Back to the Future, MASK, Transformers, and a certain line of 1:18 scale military figures that were “Real American Heroes”. (Sorry He-Man– you were just too goofy for my tastes.)
Some of these properties had toy lines that were compatible with G.I. Joe and some didn’t. As a kid I’d have done just about anything to have Wild Bill flying Airwolf while KITT transported Chuckles and Shipwreck to rescue the A-Team who were pinned down by Cobra and the Decepticons. However, it just didn’t happen. Knight Rider had a VERY small toy line that consisted of some Hot Wheels cars and a larger “talking KITT”, MASK was too small, most Airwolf toys were die-cast, and the Galoob A-Team figures were– well, goofy at best. (I still own a set, however. Yeah I know… mark of shame.)
Last year’s release of the theatrical adaptation of the A-Team gave me some decent figures of the team and a van to boot. (Still need to post a review of those too!) Now the folks at Diamond Select Toys are helping me to fill in some other gaps.
Back to the Future: (Slated for October 2012)
I loved the BTTF films back in the day. The twisting and overlapping plot line of Marty’s family life always held my attention but one of the real stars of the film was the Delorean. Doc Brown said it best: “If you’re going to make time machine out of a car you might as well do it with some style!” My favorite version? The hover-conversion model from the beginning of Back to the Future 2. It took the awesomeness of the Delorean, tossed on a “Mr. Fusion” home reactor, and gave us a hover conversion! Seriously– what’s not to like about that?
Well, along came Diamond with their BTTF line and VOILA! A 1:15 scale toy that will seat G.I. Joe/Star Wars/1:18 scale figures!! Imagine the possibilities– now that 25th Anniversary Matt Trakker figure has a ride of his own!
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DC21012#.UD9hgtZlQl4
Check out this video of the prototype… meant to leave our mouths watering for more:
3DJoes.com – a whole new way to view your G.I. Joe figures…
I first got involved in the online G.I. Joe community back in the late 1990’s and eventually became a site admin back in late 2003/2004. Since then I’ve seen all manner of G.I. Joe sites come and go– review sites, dio-story sites, forums, fanfic, “Release the DiC Series on DVD” sites, etc. However, I received a tweet yesterday that led me to something that took me completely by surprise.
Imagine being able to look up any G.I. Joe figure or vehicle– and then rotate that piece of plastic goodness 360 degrees to examine every detail. That’s the concept behind 3DJoes.com. Currently only displaying the 1982 line-up, the sight offers an unprecedented way to view your favorite Gen 1 ARAH figures in all their 3.75″ glory. It’s such a fantastic idea it makes me wonder why no one had ever thought of it before.
Seriously– go check it out. It’s a sight that promises to get a great deal of use from this particular admin– especially when the later 90’s era Joes are uploaded.
Alexx Shorts: Dollar General exclusive Snake Eyes
So you want some color on your Snake Eyes? Welcome to the 90’s!
Alexx Shorts: Dollar General exclusive Duke
Technically this is only Duke if you squint your eyes, so come on in and read about whoever this guy is!
Coil Con 2012: Dodger announced as second exclusive!
G.I. Joe fans are an enterprising and industrious lot. If there’s not a convention anywhere near them, then they’ll start they’re own. More importantly, if they want an exclusive G.I. Joe figure for that event– they’ll make their own! Take, for instance, the 2012 Coil Con Dodger:
“A simple and elegant reuse of existing tooling” would be my first comments on this figure. It uses the AWESOME 30th Anniversary version of Duke for the body and the open mask head of the G.I. Joe Renegades Cobra Trooper to give it identity. It’s an inspired parts choice that really evokes the original 1989 BF2K Dodger figure. Coil resident designer/fabricator/”figure guy” Jay Hunger really knocked one out of the park with this one. It really makes me wish I didn’t have a family-related conflict that weekend as I’d snatch these up like a second Renegades Storm Shadow at retail!
Coil Con will be held on September 8, 2012, at Kokomo Toys and features specials guests including:
- James Kavanaugh (author- RAHC Guide)
- Robert Atkins (artist – G.I. Joe, Snake Eyes)
- Gary “Gyre-Viper” Head (archivist, podcaster – Joe SpecOps podcast)
- Gary Godsoe (podcaster – What’s On Joe Mind).
For more information, visit http://www.coilcon.com
JBL Review: More G.I. Joe reviews coming soon… really!
Yeah, remember a few weeks ago that whole promise of “one G.I. Joe review a week”…
Sounded pretty good, didn’t it? Yet– there is a decided lack of new reviews posted in the past two weeks. You might even find yourself wondering- “What happened?”
Trust me– more reviews are coming. Sadly a plumbing issue took place at Casa del JBL… right over the photo setup! Everything is fine now but the delay cost me some time that I’m working to get back. Just check out the gallery below to see a few preview images of some of the figures that will be covered in the next two weeks here– including some fan favorites that were long overdue for an update!
After that– I’ll be “hopping around” a bit in terms of new reviews. This means that we’ll be dipping back into the classic Gen 1 G.I. Joe A Real American Hero line as well as the Gen 3 “Modern Era” figures as well. The past few years have left me with quite a backlog of product both opened and unopened that needs to be freed from its plastic prisons! So, if there’s something that you’d like to see JBL cover in a review– shoot me a line or post a reply below and I’ll add it to the queue. (See, I do take requests! Just no “My Little Pony” stuff… no Bronies here!)
Anyway, enjoy the preview images and keep your eyes posted on JBL! There’s more new content coming!
