G.I. Joe FSS 5 reveals Shattered Glass Xamot

The final reveal is here!  Reflect upon the G.I. Joe FSS 5 design for Shattered Glass Xamot!

G.I. Joe FSS 5 Shattered Glass Xamot

So here it is– the Shattered Glass Xamot figure.  (Posted late due to some server issues yesterday.)

I’ll be honest– I like him.  I like him quite a lot but not for the reasons that the GIJCC might have intended.

The “Shattered Glass” storyline ran in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club newsletter’s Adventure Team comic for around 12 installments.  In this tale, the members of the Adventure Team were catapulted into a parallel universe in which Cobra was essentially the resistance to a tyrannical government led by Joe Colton and overseen by G.I. Joe.  What started off as an Adventure Team story quickly descended into a series of ARAH cameos in a riff on the “Worlds Without End” classic Sunbow episode that really went on far too long in this Joe fan’s opinion.

G.I. Joe Sunbow Tomax Xamot

One of the best parts, however, was seeing Xamot presented in a suit that was VERY similar to the office attire that he and his brother wore in the classic Sunbow series.  That’s right kids– forget “Shattered Glass” and all of its muddled plotlines.  This is the Extensive Enterprises version of Xamot that many of watched each weekday afternoon during our youth!  For that reason alone, I’m totally excited about this figure, which uses the same basic build as the Marvel Universe Professor X figure or, more recently, the Club exclusive Joe Colton from the Zombie Initiative convention set.

Now, can we hold out hope that a matching Tomax is the 13th figure in G.I. Joe FSS 5?  (Or is that too logical for the GIJCC?)

To subscribe to the FSS, head on over to GIJoeClub.com and JBL for more G.I. Joe FSS 5  news!

The G.I. Joe FSS 5 Roster:

  • Concealment Specialist – Ambush
  • Flamethrower – Charbroil (Classic deco)
  • Iron Grenadier Courier – Darklon (more modernized version than previous convention version)
  • G.I. Joe Strategic Commander – General Flagg (similar to Battle Corps version)
  • Cobra Battle Corps Cobra Viper – based on Iron Anvils from 2015 Convention version
  • Anti-Armor Trooper – Salvo (more Pursuit of Cobra styled, based on existing tooling)
  • Combat Journalist – Scoop (using the Sky Patrol Airborne head sculpt from this year’s con set)
  • Cobra Falconer – Raptor
  • Advanced Recon – Sneak Peek (based on FSS 4 Tiger Force version)
  • SKAR Infantry Officer – Steel Raven (based on Club magazine comics – FEMALE character)
  • Cobra Shattered Glass Xamot (from the Club Comic Adventure Team storyline with new head sculpt)
  • Z-Force Mechanic Gaucho (pairs with Jammer)

Carded Pythona and Mike Power now at the Collector’s Club Store

The Carded Pythona figures and the Mike Power – Atomic Man 1:16 renewal figures are now available at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club store!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Pythona carded

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club really hit one out of the park this year with the Pythona membership renewal figure and attendees of Joe Con 2016 were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to by special carded versions while at the event in Loveland, CO a few weeks ago.  Now, members who weren’t able to make the trek to Colorado also have the opportunity to snag a carded Pythona of their very own!

I won’t sugar coat it– I love this figure.  (As you can tell from the review we posted about three weeks ago.)  She’s absolutely worth owning – both as a modern construction figure and as piece of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero history.  Considering that this is the first-ever figure of the Cobra-La Emissary/Assassin, this figure probably won’t stick around forever.

However, the Club isn’t just catering to the 1:18 crowd.  The latest additions to the Club store also include two options for acquiring the KILLER 1:6 updated Mike Power action figure!  The Atomic Man and his accessory set can be purchased individually or bundled together at a moderate savings.

If you’re going shopping, here are some handy direct links.  (Good for you, bad for your wallet.)  Each item is limited to one per membership.

Check out these and more exclusive items (Dr. Isotope anyone?) over at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club store!

 

 

Kindle Worlds Poll for New 2016 G.I. Joe!

Kindle Worlds G.I. Joe Poll

The Hasbro Kindle Worlds Poll for a new 2016 G.I. Joe is now open!   Hurry over to the article on Hasbro Pulse and cast your vote for one of FOUR exciting fan-created characters through Monday November 9, 2015!

Before you vote, we’ve collected links to the stories featuring each of the four Kindle Worlds characters.  Check ’em out below, read the stories, and then cast your vote for your favorite character.

Here’s the official details on the contest including thoughts from brand manager Mark Weber: Continue reading

G.I. Joe Adventure Team Novel Hits Kindle Worlds

G.I. Joe Adventure Team Mystery of the Sunken Tomb

By now, many of you are probably familiar with Amazon.com’s Kindle Worlds program.  In a nutshell, it is a platform that allows authors to write and publish short-stories and novels based upon their favorite copyrighted works.

It was just over a year ago that Amazon announced that G.I. Joe was now part of the Kindle Worlds program and in the intervening months publication of Joe fiction saw solid growth.  Predictably, however, the selection was heavily dominated by the A Real American Hero era with novels featuring the further adventures of characters such as Duke, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes.  However, when one considers the history of G.I. Joe there were many eras that were left untouched and neglected.   Until now.

Continue reading

G.I.jOE Woos Jem in Honda Commercial

g.i. joe jem honda

Even at 50, G.I.jOE still has a way with the ladies!

Honda’s current retro “Happy Honda Days” ad campaign has featured a number of classic toys having all manner of adventures in and around the latest Honda vehicles.  However, none of these spots have caught my eye as much as the ones featuring good old Adventure Team Commander G.I.jOE!  In this latest spot, Joe gets his “woo on” and serenades Jem in an effort to melt her icy heart.

Guess what– it works!

Also, Honda is apparently willing to donate $50,000 to the Orange County Children’s Hospital if the video is the “most viewed” from its Holiday Tunes playlist.  If you enjoyed it, consider giving it a share!

It’s good to see that someone is acknowledging the older figures in the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary year.

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!

G.I. Joe Adventure Team Sea Adventurer Review

G.I. Joe Adventure Team Sea Adventurer

 

The G.I. Joe Adventure Team Sea Adventurer was the last piece released in 2011 as part of the Collector’s Club’s foray into merging the 1:18 and 1:6 continuities.  Part sailor, part engineer– he’s a specialist who is more at home in the oceans than he is on the land.  When the call of the Adventure Team went out and the mission was set at sea, he was the man that answered!

Is this version of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team Sea Adventurer worth purchasing?  Does he measure up to the legacy of the Adventure Team line that ran from 1970 – 1976?  (A fact that is completely ignored by Hasbro’s “50th Anniversary line” this year.)

Check out the review of the 1:18 scale version of the Sea Adventurer in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Air Adventurer Review

G.I. Joe Collector's Club 1:18 Air Adventurer

 

The G.I. Joe Air Adventurer must be a real daredevil of a pilot.  Clad in his signature orange jumpsuit, he hops into the pilot’s seat of his bright yellow helicopter and flies right into danger with no care for his own safety.  He’s got a mission to accomplish and nothing is going to stand in his way!

In 2010, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club attempted to bridge the gap between the 1:6 and 1:18 segments of their membership by releasing the Adventure Team members in the smaller scale.  The Air Adventurer was third in the series of four and was packaged with the Club’s interpretation of the original Adventure Team copter.

Did this daring pilot successfully make the transition to the smaller scale?  Or, does his bright color scheme scare off even the most die-hard of G.I. Joe fans?

Check out the review in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club 1:18 Land Adventurer Review

G.I. Joe Collector's Club 1:18 Land Adventurer

 

JBL delves back into the world of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team with a review of the Collector’s Club exclusive Land Adventurer!

From 1970 – 1976, the G.I. Joe brand transformed and Joe went from being an active duty soldier to a “man of action”.  He became a combination of scientist and adventurer– travelling the globe and taking on missions that would have left the cast of Jonny Quest envious!  In 2010, the folks at the GIJCC decided to bring the concept to a new generation of fans by introducing the Adventure Team into the popular 1:18 scale.  Following in the footsteps of the Adventure Team Commander, the Land Adventurer was the second Adventure Team member to see release in this new format.

Was the endeavor successful?  Did the smaller version convey the same sense of rugged adventure as his 1:6 predecessor?

Check out the review in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out this Joe fan’s opinion!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club 1:18 Adventure Team Commander Review

G.I. Joe Collector's Club 1:18 Adventure Team Commander

There’s just something about the Adventure Team Commander.  He’s a former soldier who leads a team of adventurers and scientists in missions across the globe that range from disaster relief to artifact recovery to rescuing endangered species.  In other words, he’s a “Man of Action” with a kung-fu grip!

Up until 2010, the Adventure Team Commander existed only in his original 1:6 scale form.  (I’m  not counting the various “Joe Colton” figures.)  However, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club decided that that Adventure Team Commander was ready for a change and released him and his team in a series of 1:18 scale sets.  Did the original “Man of Action” make the transition smoothly?

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