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
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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

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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
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Joe Con 2015: Hasbro info gleaned from Con Comic

Joe Con 2015 has begun!

Technically it began a few days ago but last night was package registration and souvenir purchasing at the store.  In true Joe Con fashion, getting through the lines was a lot like the intended cruise on Gilligan’s Island – it was a 3 hour tour!

This year’s convention comic contains an introduction by new brand manager Mark Weber which offers some clarity as to the direction the brand will take in 2015.

Mark Webber intro

  • The G.I. Joe 50th line will continue as a shared Toys R Us/BigBadToyStore.com line in the Fall of 2015.  New product will be shown at the Hasbro booth this weekend. (PLEASE have Concept Case Gung-Ho!!!)
  • There will be a new SDCC 2015 G.I. Joe exclusive that will be sold at the SDCC with limited quantities to be available on HasbroToyShop.com later.

I’ve included scans below of both the cover and the intro page with the full introductions.  Now it’s time to pack the car and head back down to Springfield for Joe Con 2015 day 2!  (Really 1.5)  Expect some souvenir pictures up on JBL within the next 24 hours as well as new Joe Con 2015 pictures this evening!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Arctic Threat Review

g.i. joe 50th anniversary arctic threat

The G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Arctic Threat review is long overdue!

Of all of the two-packs released thus far, this one features a pairing of characters that makes the most sense.  Snow Job is the G.I. Joe team’s premiere cold weather specialist and the Cobra Battle Android Troopers are immune to the frozen temperatures of the Arctic regions.  One is a highly trained specialized and championship marksman while the other is a relentless killing machine.  In almost any context, this is a recipe for excitement!

Is this two pack worth a purchase?  Or, is it along the lines of the “Heated Battle” which is still lingering on the pegs in stores?

Check out Snow Job and the Arctic BAT as part of the Arctic Threat review!  It’s posted in the 50th Anniversary Review Index!

Also, you can now get your 50th Anniversary fix at the Zone Comic Shop!  Check out their website for your current G.I. Joe needs!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Social Clash Review

g.i. Joe social clash review

 

The G.I. Joe Social Clash review has been posted!

Of all of the 50th Anniversary sets available this year, the Social Clash was one of the most anticipated by fans.  Featuring the mass market release of the “Concept Case” Lady Jaye as well as a re-release of the Baroness, this two-pack was part of the “second wave” of product hitting both Toys R Us and BigBadToyStore.

Were these two ladies worth the wait?  Or was it a case of the anticipation being greater than the realization?  Check out the Social Clash review over in the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Eagle’s Edge Review

 

G.I. Joe 50th anniversary Eagles edge

It’s a new week with a new G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary review!  This time JBL takes on the Eagle’s Edge three-pack featuring General Hawk, Leatherneck, and a brand-new Destro!

It’s an interesting mix of old and new– a mix of G.I. Joe Retaliation and Pursuit of Cobra as Hasbro attempts to celebrate a half century of “America’s Moveable Fighting Man.”  I won’t lie– there’s some good, some bad, and some ugly but it’s still three classic characters in one reasonably-priced retail three-pack that’s currently available at both Toys R Us retail locations and online at Bigbadtoystore.com.

Check out the individual reviews in the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Review Index!

Plus, check back this week as JBL debuts a series of Halloween-themed reviews tomorrow!  Plus, the Social Clash review is coming soon!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Reviews Return!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary HEAT Viper

It’s been a bit but the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary reviews continue with the first two two-packs in the line– the Heated Battle and the Night Marksmen!

I’ve been sitting on these for a while now– digesting what may be some of the last new 1:18 Joes from Hasbro for a while.  As with much of this 32nd Anniversary of A Real American Hero 50th Anniversary of G.I. Joe line, it’s a case of “what was old is new again.”  These two packs feature three characters who have seen prior releases and one that makes his debut in the generation 3 style of construction.

So, were Blowtorch, Low-Light, HEAT Viper, and Night Viper worth picking up?

Head on over to the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Index and check out one Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Hallmark Ornament Hits Oct 4th

So far, the celebration of the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary have seemed a bit lackluster.  Hasbro’s efforts have been minimal and are primarily focused on the A Real American Hero era which ran from 1982 – 1994.  Thankfully, another company has seen fit to pick up the slack and is commemorating Joe’s first 18 years with something a bit more fitting.

gi joe 50th anniversary hallmark ornament

This commemorative G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary ornament will be released tomorrow at Hallmark stores around the nation as part of their second wave of collectible ornaments.  According to both The Joe Report, who first broke the story back in April, as well as Hallmark’s website, this piece is one of the more limited edition offerings this year and isn’t guaranteed to be available for long.  Joe carries a price tag of $19.99!

So, if you’d like to add some additional G.I. Joe holiday cheer this year to your tree or if you’d like to get one of the few actual pieces released this year that commemorates the ORIGINAL G.I.jOE you’ll have to get up early and fight the crowds at your local Hallmark location.

 

Happy 50th Anniversary Jonny Quest!

Jonny Quest

Happy 50th Anniversary Jonny Quest!  That’s right– it was 50 years ago today in 1964 that animated action/action series from Hanna Barbera made its debut on ABC and sparked a cult following that lasts to this day.

With its combination of action and science fiction, Jonny Quest took audiences by storm in the 1964 – 1965 Fall season.  The series featured grim action, frequent character deaths, and a much more realistic tone and visual style than anything previous developed by Hanna Barbera – a studio better known for series such as The Flintstones and eventually Scooby Doo. It was comic artist Doug Wildey that gave the series its distinctive style.  The artist took inspiration from then-cutting edge technology featured in magazines like Popular Science and Popular Mechanics as well the comic series Terry and the Pirates and even the first film in the James Bond franchise Dr. No.  Villains and menaces were presented in a realistic fashion and the action was far more cinematic than other animation at the time.  While there were a few exceptions, the series treated its subjects and its stories as seriously as possible and avoided many of the cartoon cliches that were often played for laughs.

Jonny Quest balanced action and humor through the use of its multi-generational and multi-ethnic cast.  While Jonny may have been the title character, the focus of the series was divided up between this genius scientist father, quasi-mystical childhood friend Hadji, and coolest bodyguard ever Race Bannon!  When the series called for dark action, the focus shifted to Dr. Quest and Race while Jonny and Hadji were stars of the more lighthearted adventure sequences.  Last, but not least– there was Bandit, Jonny’s trusty dog whose bark was always more prevalent than his bite.

The “Quest team” faced menaces from lost species to sinister secret organizations to an extra-dimensional energy creature that evoked memories of the classic film Forbidden Planet!  Mummies, Nazi criminals, and even a pterosaur were all menaces that were overcome by this fearsome foursome and their trusty dog!

It wasn’t just the visual style that made Jonny Quest unique.  One has only to watch a few minutes of the series before the distinctive musical style of Hoyt Curtin finds you tapping your fingers to the cool beats of the jazz orchestra.  Rather than the bombastic marches of the Hollywood series, the Adventures of Jonny Quest had a decidedly cool and modern feel that sets the series aside from its peers to this day.  Sadly, an official soundtrack album to this series has never been released, although a solid bootleg album of Curtin’s music can be found through “other means.”

Wait a minute– what does Jonny Quest have to do with G.I. Joe?  One has only to look at the 1970 launch of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team to see the connections.  A daring team of ex-soldiers and scientists turned adventurers and explorers travel the world to avert natural disasters, confront nefarious villains, and even save the occasional endangered species.  Sound familiar?  The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club must think so; the next time you call up their office just listen carefully to the hold music.  (Not to mention several mentions in the Adventure Team newsletter comic and bios.)

The series lasted for only one season on ABC but it returned to the airwaves a few years later on CBS and then a few more years later on NBC making it one of the only series ever to air on all three major networks.  It has served as an inspiration for countless television, comic and movie series over the intervening decades and is still shown on sporadically on Cartoon Network.  Not bad for a half-century old series.  Sure, there were a few follow-up movies and an attempt to modernize the series in the late 90’s but none of these captured the same spark and flair of the original 1960’s series. Now if only we could get some decent 1:18 scale figures of these characters!

Why was Jonny Quest so popular?  Why has it endured for a half century?  I think it’s the fact that Jonny Quest embraces so many genres in one convenient package.  It’s horror, science fiction, spy thriller, and adventure series all rolled into one package.  The stories combined so many elements from 60’s super-science to pulp era villains that its almost hard to drop JQ into one single category.  If you took James Bond, Indiana Jones, Reed Richards, Jack Armstrong, Nathan Drake, and MacGyver and threw them all into a centrifuge the resulting combination would be Jonny Quest!

Happy anniversary, Jonny Quest!  You’ve been often copied but never equaled!