Rank & File v1 is now available online!

Rank & File cover

A few weeks back JBL reported that “noted author” James Kavanaugh was releasing a new reference book entitled Rank & File centered on the “no-ring” era of G.I. Joe figures.  Now, we’re happy to report that Rank & File is now available online!

That’s right, the first volume of this amazing guide series to the “modern era” of G.I. Joe is available for just $20 + shipping.  (US & International)

Trust me, Rank & File lives up the high standard set by the RAHC Guide that covered 1997 – 2007.  I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy at Joe Con 2015 from “the man himself” and have been pouring through it ever since.  (Expect a review in the near future!  Really!) From the detailed photography to the intuitive layout, this book is sure to become a “much used tome” on your G.I. Joe reference shelf!

So run, don’t walk, over to RAHCGuide.com and snag your copy of Rank & File v1 now!  Quantities are limited and you won’t want to miss out on this terrific companion to your ARAH Generation 3 G.I. Joe collection!

Hasbro shifts digital content to Vimeo

Vimeo logo

Hasbro animated series are coming to Vimeo!

As reported yesterday by Wired.com, Hasbro Inc announced yesterday that they were partnering with video sharing site Vimeo to be the exclusive online host for many of the toy-maker’s animated series.   Currently available are Transformers (Generation 1) and Jem & the Holograms with other series including G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and My Little Pony to follow later this year.

Per the announcement, episodes of the Hasbro series will be $.99 to rent for 24 hours or $1.99 to purchase individually.  Entire series may be purchased for $40.00.

Is this a good move for the Pawtucket-based Hasbro, Inc?  By the numbers, it means that Hasbro’s animated properties will be delivered to a significantly smaller audience.  As of Q1 2015, subscription-based Netflix had an audience of just over 60 million global subscribers. As of December 2013, Vimeo was sitting at 22 million subscribers.  It’s not a strict apples-to-apples comparison as far as the dates go but it indicates that Vimeo doesn’t quite have the reach that content posted on Netflix does.

There’s also the issue of the the pricing model.  Increasingly, more and more digital content has gone “pay-to-play” requiring viewers to either rent or purchase episodes on a platform-to-platform basis.  Vimeo follows that model meaning that fans will have to pay around $40 to own a full season of their favorite nostalgic series.  This puts it on par with the cost of owning the content on DVD and Blu-Ray from retailers such as Amazon.com but it leaves casual fans a bit out-of-the-loop.  Rather than being able to randomly browse through a few episodes of a series before getting hooked, viewers will be have to pay to rent or view episodes on an series-by-series basis.  This could limit the Hasbro content’s overall reach when it comes to new viewers rather than diehard fans who most likely already own the content in tangible form anyway.

What do you think?  Is the move to Vimeo better for Hasbro?  Will is help grow the audiences for their animated properties?  Will you be making the jump to the new video-sharing service in order to follow the adventures of your favorite characters?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Joe Con 2015: The convention wrap-up is posted!

Joe Con 2015

Sure, it’s been over a week since Joe Con 2015 ended and most of the news from the event has already washed over the fandom like a tsunami.  However, it’s become a bit of a tradition here at JBL HQ to post a summary of the event.  I’ve updated the Joe Con 2015 coverage page with links to previous posts and added in some new commentary as well.

Also, a big thanks to the crew at ToyWorldOrder.com for recording Dave Tree’s awesome UK Action Force panel which I’ve embedded in the coverage.

Also, keep your eyes and ears tuned to JBL as the 2015 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention set review is coming!  Pics are mostly done and now it’s on to the text!

Joe Con 2015: Club announces FSS 4 and renewal figure

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service logo

At Joe Con 2015 the final “big announcement” panel was the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club annual round table.  Brian Savage, David Lane, Pete Sinclair, and Lanny Lathem took to the stage to discuss this year’s convention set as well as to unveil both the line-up for FSS 4.0 as well as next year’s renewal figure.

The crew from the Club was upfront about one thing– last year they took a lot of flack over the images used in the panel which were intended to illustrate the choice of character but that were not necessarily representative of the figure’s final deco.  As such, this year images were minimal as many of these figures are VERY early in the production process.

Also, figures released in the FSS are often chosen because they will NOT be released in that deco in a future convention set.  The FSS is a way to allow these characters to get to collectors and fill in gaps in individual collections.

We’ll start with FSS 4.0: Continue reading

Joe Con 2015: Hasbro retail two-packs unveiled!

Wow– there’s a lot to report for Joe Con 2015!

The Hasbro panel was yesterday and Derryl DePriest and Mark Weber revealed a whole new slate of products that will be exclusive to both Toys R Us and BigBadToyStore.com.  The line is essentially a continuation of the 50th anniversary series and will be available on August 1, 2015. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize some of these figures from previous concept case displays.

Swamp Steam

  • Croc Master & Blowtorch
  • the two announced-but-not-released figures at last

Swamp Steam 2pk
Continue reading

Joe Con 2015: Hasbro three packs revealed!

The Hasbro panel was yesterday at Joe Con 2015 and Derryl DePriest and Mark Weber revealed a whole new slate of products that will be exclusive to both Toys R Us and BigBadToyStore.com.  The line is essentially a continuation of the 50th anniversary series and will be available on August 1, 2015.  As with previous offerings, it’s a mix of existing parts and pieces that have only been glimpsed in concept cases of previous shows.

Chase for the MASS Device

  • Cobra Commander, Cobra CLAWS Trooper, Duke
  • revisits figures from the elusive final 25th Anniversary DVD pack

Chase for the MASS Device 3pk

Continue reading

Joe Con 2015: Images of Hasbro Vehicle Packs

We have new product images from Hasbro fresh from Joe Con 2015!

First off, I’d like to apologize for the tardiness of this posting.  I’ve been commuting back and forth to Joe Con each day which means my internet access has been restricted to the times that I’m actually back at JBL HQ.  However, let’s get on to the good stuff.

The Hasbro panel was today and Derryl DePriest and Mark Weber revealed a whole new slate of products that will be exclusive to both Toys R Us and BigBadToyStore.com.  The line is essentially a continuation of the 50th anniversary series and will be available on August 1, 2015.   Here are the vehicle set breakdowns and the images, both official and in case shots, for the vehicle packs:

Desert Duel Vehicle Pack

  • Cobra Basilisk w/ Elite Horseman
  • FOE (Forward Observation Encampment) Striker w/ Chuckles
  • NEW Chuckles head based on Mike Costa comic appearances

Desert Duel
Continue reading

Joe Con 2015: Custom Contest Entries

joe con 2015 custom preview

One of the highlights of Joe Con 2015 (and pretty much any Joe Con) for this fan is the annual custom contest.  Just seeing the creativity and the sheer talent that the fan community displays each and every year is honestly one of the most inspiring aspects of this hobby.

I’m not a customizer myself but I have incredible respect for those who take brush and knife to one figure to produce something entirely new!

Here are JBL’s initial pics of this year’s custom contest entries from Joe Con 2015:

Joe Con 2015: Day 2 Hasbro & Club panels today!

Joe Con 2015

Joe Con 2015 is about to begin!

It’s early and the JBL staff is about to head down to Joe Con 2015 for day two of the festivities.  Today is the biggest day of the event with key panels occurring today at both 11am CST (Hasbro) and 3pm CST (Collector’s Club).  We’ll be live tweeting out both of those events so, if you haven’t already, consider giving JBL a follow on Twitter and then tune in for BOTH panels as they happen.

For those of you interested in images from the events, I’ll be posting pics up on the site later tonight from Hasbro’s product cases which are set to debut at 1pm CST today.  (Since this admin is commuting from home each day I don’t have full access to my PC until the evening.)  However, over on JBL’s Facebook page I’ll toss up some early images throughout the day.

Also, and a bit of a mea culpa here, it looks like I’ll be re-shooting the custom contest pictures this morning.  Due to the strong fluorescent lighting too many of the images came out “dark” and that’s just not acceptable to this photog’s eyes.  So, there’s a bit of a delay but I’d rather be about quality over quantity!

So, that’s the news from the front for now!  JBL is about to hit the road once more!

 

Joe Con 2015: Day 1 – shots from the floor

Tiger Force Pickup

Joe Con 2015 Day 1 is officially history!

Just a quick update from a tired admin who is uploading photos now.  So far, Joe Con 2015 has proven to be a great time spent catching up with old friends and getting my annual immersion in Joe culture.  It was even a time to make some new friends and finally meet folks face-to-face that I’ve only been able to interact with online.

However, enough about me.  Below are pictures from the convention floor, day 1!  Shots of the real-life Thunder Machine, the Tiger Force pick-up truck, and costumes and dealers galore!

Don’t worry– there’s more images from Joe Con 2015 coming including shots of the dioramas and the custom contest entry!