G.I. Joe Convention Repulsor Revealed at Last!

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Fred Meyer

The final figure from the 2014 G.I. Joe Convention “Zombie Initiative” set has been revealed! Say “Hello” to the Toxo-Viper Commander – Repulsor!

He may be a Toxo-Viper Commander but he’s HEAVILY based on the 1991 Sludge Viper – a figure who in development was considered for the name “Repulsor”. For his construction, he’s the 2011 Techno-Viper from the neck on down. He’s the final release in the entire set which features colors “straight out of the 90’s”. It’ll be interesting to see a final image of all 15 figures together to see how cohesively they all come together.

To recap, here’s the figures in this year’s G.I. Joe Convention set:

Zombie Hunters: Outback, T’J Bang, Steel Brigade Commander
E.C.O. Force: Flint, Ozone, Clean-Sweep
Cobra Lab Rat x2, Toxo-Vipers x 3, Toxo-Zombies x 3, and Repulsor with Dawg (NEW K-9).

For more information on the 2014 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention, visit GIJoeCon.com

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G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Admiral Keel-Haul Review

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Fred Meyer

One strength of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service has been its roster of characters. For every TNT and Surefire, there’s been a Big Boa, Cesspool, and even a Nano BAT. The FSS has breathed life into some of the more obscure figures who might never have received an update otherwise. Case in point: Admiral Everett Colby – code name: Keel-Haul!

The good Admiral has the distinction of being the vehicle driver of the largest G.I. Joe vehicle ever produced– the incredible USS Flagg. He’s also one half of the second-to-last shipment of FSS 2.0! So, does this new version of Keel-Haul “blow me down” or should be just be consigned to Davy Jones’ locker?

Check out the review in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

Dawg is the next G.I. Joe Convention Reveal!

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Fred Meyer

We’re 45 days out from the 2014 G.I. Joe Convention and G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has released another preview image from this year’s “Zombie Initiative” convention set. Not exactly a figure this time– but a zombie pit bull! Meet Dawg!

It’s not Repulsor but instead it’s his faithful Compound Z companion! Dawg is an all-new sculpted piece that fits in with the rest of the Zombie Initiative theme this year. Speaking of Repulsor, here’s what the GIJCC has to say about the final figure to be revealed:

REPULSOR is the director of security at Cobra Industries and keeps the TOXO-VIPERS in line with the help of his K-9 counterpart!

So, the GIJCC is definitely going with a more Resident Evil theme this year with the “zombie dog”. Very interesting… although this makes me wonder even more what exactly his handler is like! Just looking at him reminds me of an undead version of Bandit from Jonny Quest– even though Bandit wasn’t a pit bull.

That leaves Repulsor as the final preview option:

Zombie Hunters: ~~Outback~~, ~~T’J Bang~~, ~~Steel Brigade Commander~~
E.C.O. Force: ~~Flint~~, ~~Ozone~~, ~~Clean-Sweep~~
Cobra Lab Rat x2, Toxo-Vipers x 3, Toxo-Zombies x 3, and Repulsor ~~with Dawg~~ ~~(NEW K-9)~~.

For more information on the 2014 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention, visit GIJoeCon.com

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Girls of The Finest Calendar to Benefit Wounded Warrior Project

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Fred Meyer

The fans of the G.I. Joe community are some of the most charitable around. Countless times have I seen fan groups holding events and raising funds for charity– giving of their time and energy to help those who are less fortunate. Such is the case with The Finest – a G.I. Joe costume club whose current IndieGoGo project is helping to raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.

The premise is this– for a contribution of $25.00 on their IndieGoGo project site, fans will receive a full color printed calendar (as well as a digital .PDF copy) featuring “the Ladies of the Finest” in some fantastic G.I. Joe-themed photo shoots. It’s all tastefully done and features characters both familiar and brand new! It’ll be a perfect way to start off 2015 and help our wounded veterans as well. However, there are multiple contribution tiers as well– each with their own unique contribution rewards! Remember, once printing costs are covered, all proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Project!

With 46 days left they’re just over halfway to their stated goal of $7500.00. C’mon Joe fans– let’s push them over the top, help the brave men and women who receive assistance from the Wounded Warrior Project, and get a slick fan-generated calendar to boot! The deadline to fund the project is April 11, 2014 so make your contribution today!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/girls-of-the-finest-2015-calendar

Price and Images for HAVOC Mk II from G.I. Joe Collector’s Club

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club had a surprise when they announced Cross Country as the 2014 membership renewal figure and that was the release of an exclusive HAVOC Mk II that would also be available. Today, David Lane unveiled the final sample images as well as the pricing information.

Here’s the latest information from “Commander Lane”:

G.I. JOE H.A.V.O.C. MK-II (Add-On Vehicle purchased separately) will be available in late spring from the GIJCC Store. This 2014 Limited Edition club exclusive vehicle will be $42 + shipping!

Based on the colors of the original H.A.V.O.C. driven by CROSS-COUNTRY, this vehicle features an opening canopy, free-rolling wheels, a moveable windshield wiper and hi-velocity X-1 torpedoes. Plus, you can elevate the vehicle’s launcher to rotate 360 degrees and fire four missile accessories!

[Vehicle will be bagged with accessories and some assembly is required. Cross-Country figure NOT INCLUDED.]

The H.A.V.O.C. [Heavy Assault Vehicle Ordnance Carrier] MK-II combines the stamina of a tank with the handling of an off-road vehicle. The result is a machine that makes its own road over tough terrain to battle the evil forces of COBRA.

Source: G.I. Joe Collector’s Club

It’s not a bad looking vehicle although I don’t know if I need ~~another Snowcat~~ um… HAVOC in my collection at this time. Still for those fans who don’t own a vintage version and want a vehicle with which to display Cross Country this isn’t a bad price. When you consider that there won’t be any new 1:18 Joe product out until Fall the Club just might have a perfect window in which to sell these bad boys.

Cross Country is available as a free figure to those individuals with a current membership in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club as of March 16, 2014. For more information, visit GIJoeClub.com today.

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G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary – Derryl DePriest talks with Bloomberg

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary has received a fair amount of coverage at Toy Fair 2014 by the mainstream media. Derryl DePriest, Vice President of Boys Marketing for Hasbro and life-long G.I. Joe fan, sits down with Stephanie Ruhle of Bloomberg Television as part of their “Market Makers” series.

(If the embedded video is not working you may view the original interview HERE.)

I have to say that Derryl handled himself well in the face of some pretty direct and pointed questions. Yes, the “military” question came up but so did some interesting insights in terms of innovation going forward. (3D printing? YES!) So did the question of whether or not G.I. Joe is a good role model today. While the interviewer tries to take things in a political direction multiple times, Derryl keeps the focus on the strengths of the G.I. Joe brand. and touches on the brand’s origins, the transition to the Adventure Team, and the focus on Kre-O as a source of innovation.

It’s always a pleasure to listen to Derryl discuss G.I. Joe. His personal passion for and commitment to the brand is obvious in every word. It’s good to know that our favorite “Man of Action” has such an able ambassador!

Toy Fair 2014 Recap from The Breaux Show

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Fred Meyer

Looking for more news from Toy Fair 2014? Check out this in depth walk-through of Hasbro’s showroom courtesy of good friend of JBL The Breaux Show!

Check out this nearly two hour long recap from this Sunday’s live radio show in which intrepid reporter Mike Breaux walks his audience through the entire Hasbro presentation and tour of all of the product lines shown. Along with over 250 images he provides insights from the showroom including how the Kre-O Firebat will interact with the Terrordrome playset.

Since this Toy Fair 2014 video might be a bit long for a lunch break, here are some time marks to jump to if you just want to watch certain subjects:

9:30 – My Little Pony
16:45 – Star Wars
35:30 – Marvel (including Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, Avengers Infinite, etc)
57:25 – Kre-O (G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers)
1:10:00 – Transformers

I’d like to extend a big thanks to Mike for his help with JBL’s Toy Fair 2014 Coverage.

G.I. Joe Convention Toxo-Zombie has Arrived!

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Fred Meyer

We’re 50 days away from the 2014 G.I. Joe Convention and it’s time for another preview image from the Zombie Initiative set! This time the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has unveiled Cobra Toxo-Zombie!

Remember how the original 1992 Toxo-Zombie was based on the 1991 Toxo-Viper v2? Apparently so do the guys at Boss Fight Studio and the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club as this figure is a straight homage to the vintage original and is heavily based on the previously-revealed G.I. Joe Convention Toxo-Vipe r! It’s a solid update to the original that utilizes the Toxo-Viper construction as well as some pieces of the 30th Anniversary Zombie Viper.

The Cobra Toxo-Zombie comes complete with everything shown.

That leaves the following as the next preview options:

Zombie Hunters: ~~Outback~~, ~~T’J Bang~~, ~~Steel Brigade Commander~~
E.C.O. Force: ~~Flint~~, ~~Ozone~~, ~~Clean-Sweep~~
Cobra Lab Rat x2, Toxo-Vipers x 3, Toxo-Zombies x 3, and Repulsor with Dawg (NEW K-9).

For more information on the 2014 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention, visit GIJoeCon.com

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G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Article from the BBC

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Fred Meyer

It would seem that the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary is “kind of a big deal” in the toy world– especially when coverage of the event stretches all the way across the Atlantic to the U.K.

Kim Gittleston, a business reporter for the BBC who is currently covering the New York Toy Fair, published an excellent piece yesterday entitled “How Did G.I. Joe Become the World’s Most Successful Boys’ Toy?” It’s an excellent piece that covers the entire history of the brand, from its early beginnings to its most current state and includes quotes from noted Joe personalities like Derryl DePriest, Kirk Bozigian, and even friend of JBL and GeneralsJoes.com admin Justin Bell. (Honestly, it’s a much better and less biased piece than the earlier AP article that ran a week ago.)

It’s good to see the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary getting coverage both domestically and internationally. This shows that not only does the brand have reach but that there’s still life in old Joe yet!

(Thanks to Adrian Faulkner for the heads-up and congrats to Justin Bell on the quotation!)

G.I. Joe Kre-O Images and Info from Toy Fair 2014

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Fred Meyer

When it comes to G.I. Joe and Toy Fair 2014, it was the Kre-O line that truly stood out at yesterday’s Hasbro Brand Entertainment Event in NYC. The only Joe product shown “on site”, the tiny building block line took everyone by surprise with the sheer diversity of the line showcased. From 24 new individual figures to some killer boxed sets, Hasbro proved their commitment to Kre-O with a Toys R Us exclusive G.I. Joe line that is sure to please many fans.

Note: You may view JBL’s complete Toy Fair 2014 coverage/info page here.

I’ve recapped the Kre-O information that was posted yesterday and have also added in the “on site” images provided by Mike Breaux of The Breaux Show who was gracious enough to cover the event for JBL. Now, how do I get my hands on that Gung-Ho again?

Kre-O individual figures (Available March 2014):

Air Adventurer (classic Adventure Team)
Airborne
Atomic Man (aka Mike Power – classic Adventure Team)
Budo
Chuckles
Cobra Air Trooper
Cobra Eel
Cobra Shock Trooper
Cobra Viper
Doc
Footloose
Lady Jaye
Low-Light
Nemesis Enforcer
Night Creeper
Night Viper
Nunchuck
Scrap Iron
Snow Serpent
Tomax
Torch
Tripwire
Wet Suit
Zartan

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Did I also spy Alpine in there?! It’s a solid group of figures– including two additions from the Adventure Team roster although they seem to have lost their flocked hair!

Kre-O Boxed sets (Available March 2014):

Outpost Defense with (97 pieces) – includes Cobra Ferret and Outpost Defender, Storm Shadow v2 and Beach Head.
Firebat Attack with (292 pieces) – includes Firebat, Wolverine, Bazooka, Recondo
Cobra Terror-Drome (856 pieces) – includes Gung Ho, Hawk, Mainframe, Serpentor, and Xamot

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Hasbro’s official press images:

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Toy Fair 2014 press release copy:

Beginning in March, exciting new KRE-O building sets will let kids and collectors alike build vehicles and environments to play out the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA fantasy. Collectible blind-bagged KREONS of popular G.I. JOE characters will also hit shelves, including characters from both the heroic G.I. JOE team like LADY JAYE and FOOTLOOSE, as well as the villainous COBRA organization like TOMAX and SCRAP IRON. As part of the 50^th anniversary celebration, Hasbro and Toys“R”Us are bringing one of the most popular G.I. JOE vs. COBRA playsets from the 1980s back in KRE-O form with the KRE-O G.I. JOE TERROR DROME Building Set. This iconic set features over 850 pieces and will be available in the fall.

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G.I. Joe news, action figure reviews, and discussion

Monthly Archives: February 2014

G.I. Joe Convention Repulsor Revealed at Last!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club FSS Admiral Keel-Haul Review

Dawg is the next G.I. Joe Convention Reveal!

Girls of The Finest Calendar to Benefit Wounded Warrior Project

Price and Images for HAVOC Mk II from G.I. Joe Collector’s Club

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary – Derryl DePriest talks with Bloomberg

Toy Fair 2014 Recap from The Breaux Show

G.I. Joe Convention Toxo-Zombie has Arrived!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Article from the BBC

G.I. Joe Kre-O Images and Info from Toy Fair 2014

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