Monthly Archives: September 2013

New G.I. Joe carded artwork poster available from 3DJoes.com!

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3DJoes.com 1982 - 1985 card art poster project.

3DJoes.com 1982 – 1985 card art poster project.

Here at JBL, we’re suckers for good G.I. Joe artwork and the website 3DJoes.com.  So, imagine the utter glee that was experienced by one admin in particular when the following announcement went up on 3DJoes regarding their recent carded artwork poster project!

Carded 3DJoes” posters are here!

The first “Carded 3DJoes” poster is here! It features every single carded figure from 1982-1985. That’s 49 unforgettable Joes and Cobras on one 24″x36″ poster!Paper details: All 3DJoes posters are printed on 65 lb. sterling premium gloss paper stock. According to my printer, 65 pound paper is the thickest you can use and still roll them without creasing or damaging. It wont easily crease, pinch, or wrinkle. These posters are definitely frame worthy, but the paper is thick enough that if you just want to tack them up, that will work too.

Printing details: We use a four color printing process (CMYK), not digital. Four color prints are much higher quality than digital laser prints. To see behind the scenes at the printer, check out my “3DJoes of the 80s” album on Facebook.

Cost: All 3DJoes posters are an even $20 a piece, plus an estimated $9 for shipping. Comic/Collectibles dealers: please contact me for bulk purchase discounts. Orders of 20 or more are half off!

Why: Proceeds will help pay the $80/month that I’m paying to Arqball for their pro subscription. More info on that here: Pricing » Arqball Spin Blog  Fan response has been great and visitors enjoyed 47,000 spins last month, so hopefully I’ll sell plenty of posters!

Wow!  1982 – 1985 were considered by many to be the peak years of the original A Real American Hero toy line.  These were the years that introduced fans to most of the line’s core characters from Snake Eyes to Cobra Commander to Firefly to Shipwreck to the Dreadnoks!  49 nine of your favorite characters stunningly reproduced on heavy card stock in a gorgeous 24 x 36 image?  This promotion already had me at “poster” but the fact that this is also helping to offset site maintenance costs for 3DJoes.com just makes it a complete no-brainer!Seriously– we’re moving into third quarter now and that means holiday shopping has begun.  (Or, at least, you might want to think about getting started.)  What better gift for the Joe fan in your life than one of these posters hanging proudly on the wall of their office/den/Joe room!

Check out the “Carded Joes 82 – 85” page over at 3DJoes.com for ordering information!

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – 1990’s style!

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G.I. Joe Ninja Force

Until the debut of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, our favorite Real American Heroes have had a dubious association with live action productions.  The Rise of Cobra didn’t exactly reignite the fires of the fandom and, aside from some fan films, the team really hadn’t dipped its toe in the pool any further.

However, there are a few near-forgotten gems from the 1990’s from when the line was in direct competition with toy lines such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  It was the age of “EXTREME” everything and Ninja Force was the headlining sub-team on the covers of the comics.  It was also when Hasbro attempted live-action portrayals of the Joes in television commercials.  (Frankly, I think the guys from the Cobra 1st Legion have better costumes!)

Check out this “Ninja Force” gem and feel free to leave your own thoughts below:

G.I. Joe Retaliation Wave 3.5 reviews are coming…

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“The best laid plans of mice and men”… it seems to be a mantra around JBL lately.

I had been planning on getting reviews posted of G.I. Joe Retaliation wave 3.5 shortly after Coil Con IV as I was able to procure a good supply from Kokomo Toys.  However, WordPress issues and work wackiness seemed to be facets of a multi-pronged attack by Cobra to prevent any new content from going live on the site.

Thankfully– the site seems to be functioning normally now and things at the office have died down a bit.  (What?  This ISN’T my day job?!)  So, it’s back to shooting images and getting the reviews ready.   So far wave 3.5 seems to be limited to online stores with limited sighting at retail.  In my area (Central Illinois) the line has been dropped by both Target and Kmart (yes, we still have a few) while Walmart has scaled it back to just a pair of pegs reserved for the figures.  Toys R Us has yet to restock and hopefully won’t just jump to wave 4.

It’s an interesting time to be a Joe collector as the movie’s delay until March seems to have thrown off Hasbro’s entire time frame for product.   The three new figures in wave 4 are going to prove particularly elusive as they’re packed in a case with figures that have been out for months now.  The sole troop builder the Cobra Night Viper is starting to command premium prices on Ebay and many online stores are already sold out.

However, all is not bleak on the western toy front– the GIJCC’s FSS 2 should be shipping before too long giving fans SOMETHING new to add to their collection and Hasbro’s Derryl DePriest promised that Toy Fair 2014 will hold a few surprises for fans.    It gives us all a chance to catch our breath after the onslaught that was G.I. Joe Retaliation– a line that was produced in far more conservative numbers than it’s cinematic predecessor.

So, reviews will continue here in the coming weeks.  I’ve got some back-end work to do on the review page templates to make them “less archaic” but there’s a ton of product sitting in my “to do” pile that is just begging for some attention.  (Plus now that I have Kwinn in hand I really want to review the Club’s Dr. Venom figure!  “The bear is angry with the weasel!”)

So, stay tuned to JBL.  More new content IS indeed coming!

g.i. joe retaliation wave 3.5

Meet Larry Hama and Neil Ross at Retro Con 2013 this weekend!

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Looking for something to do this weekend in the Philadelphia area?  Check out Retro Con 2013 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!

Chock full of 80’s goodness, Retro Con has grown even larger in its second year!  Featuring a plethora of exciting guests, over 150 dealer tables, classic “star cars” (weather permitting), and even a special screening of Back to the Future on the big screen it’s bound to make fans of G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, classic video games, etc feel like a kid again.

Organized by uber-fans Tony and Rosemary (Ward) Tuski and featuring a door ticket price of only $14.00, it’s an affordable and fun way to indulge your inner nostalgia child!

Just check out this guest list:

  • Larry Hama – writer,artist for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel, IDW, Devil’s Due) and writer for Hasbro’s file cards
  • Bob Budiansky – writer for Transformers (Marvel Comics) as well as author of Hasbro’s Tech Spec cards
  • Neil Ross – voice actor for G.I. Joe, Transformers, Voltron, InHumanoids and more! (Shipwreck, Dusty, Slag, Springer, Keith, Pidge, etc)
  • James Rolfe – the “Angry Video Game Nerd”, internet game reviewer
  • Don Fullilove – mayor “Goldie Wilson” from the Back to the Future trilogy
  • Mark Bellomo – author The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe: 1982 – 1994, Transformers: Identification & Price Guide, and Totally Tubular 80’s Toys!
  • Doug Walker – the Nostalgia Critic from www.thatguywiththeglasses.com
  • Mr. Lobo – host of the nationally syndicated Cinema Insomnia!
  • The Cobra 1st Legion – the ever-growing G.I. Joe costume organization! www.Cobra1stLegion.com
  • The Mandalorian Mercs!
  • And many more!

In addition there will be door prizes, a costume contest, and a chance to have your picture taken with such “star cars” as K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand), Black Beauty, a Jurassic Park jeep, a full-size TARDIS, the Delorean from Back to the Future, and more!

Seriously, this is the kind of event that makes me wish I wasn’t living in Central Illinois.  It promises to be a fun-filled day for all.  Plus, while you’re there, stop by and say hello to the cast of The Breaux Show, a weekly internet radio show covering genre news, movie reviews, and Deer Park Water.  (Yes, you read that correctly.)

For more information, check out www.RetroCons.com!

 Retro Con 2013

Cobra 1st Legion is on the move at local events!

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The Cobra 1st Legion is on the move once again!  These dedicated cosplayers have wowed the fandom in the past not only with their amazing costumes but also with the high-quality photo shoots they’ve produced at locations such as Alcatraz Island!  However, this 200 member strong group isn’t just content to show off their uniforms– they’re also focused on increasing positive awareness of the G.I. Joe brand and focused on giving back to their communities!

The Legion has several events coming up in the near future– both entertainment and community driven!  You’ll be able to spot their members at the following:

For more information on the Legion, visit their Facebook page Cobra 1st Legion  or Cobra1stLegion.com and find out more about this dynamic group of individuals spreading the word about our favorite Real American Heroes!

Cobra 1st Legion