GIJoeCon 2018: Convention sets are still available!

GIJoeCon 2018 is now 91 days away and this year’s exclusive sets are still available!

GIJoeCon 2018 bannerOkay, that headline is slightly misleading.  The 1:18 Python Peril: Marauders to the Rescue 15 figure convention sets had previously sold out during the preview period. That’s right– before fans even had the reveals for all nine figure builds, the sets (both attending and non-attending) were gone! Apparently, announcing that this was the final year for a Fun Publications run event was good for sales!

The folks at the GIJCC, however, were able to secure an additional run from the factory and more Python Patrol vs. Slaughter’s Marauders sets were produced– both for Homefront Heroes and convention attendees.

As of this morning, those sets are STILL available!

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GIJoeCon 2018: Meet Slaughter’s Marauders Footloose

GIJoeCon 2018 is a few months away and the reveals have begun!  First out of the gate is Slaughter’s Marauders Footloose!

GIJoe Con 2018 Slaughter's Marauders Footloose

SLAUGHTER’S MARAUDERS
INFANTRY TROOPER: FOOTLOOSE

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure.
– Modern Era Release of Character based on 1989 SM design.
– Includes removable helmet, harness, assault rifle, rocket launcher,
knife, pistol, flashlight, backpack, and G.I. Joe Logo Stand.

(Note: Photo depicts action figure mock-up and final product may slightly differ.)

Hmm… this is interesting. Very interesting indeed…

It’s no secret that, when faced with between the decision to either adhere to vintage aesthetics or modernize a character design, the Club always chooses vintage.  Such is the case with Slaughter’s Marauders Footloose who is sporting a near-identical color scheme to the 1989 vintage figure.  The parts build should come as a surprise to no one as it is the same as was used for the 2012 Club membership incentive Footloose but the color scheme was a bit of a wild card.   Continue reading

2016 SDCC G.I. Joe Exclusives still in stock at HTS!

SDCC Crimson Strike pack

The 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives are still listed as IN STOCK at HasbroToyShop.com!

Color me a bit surprised on this one.  Yesterday was “HTS Day” for many Joe fans who found their browsers perpetually directed to HasbroToyShop.com, hoping for a chance to snag one of the 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives at the retail price.  Around 10am CST yesterday, the products went live and the site’s bandwidth was overwhelmed.  However, after a few hours the digital dust cleared and something interesting happened.

The 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives were still IN STOCK.

The same is true as of Wednesday morning.  So, if you’re looking for either of these sets and passed on the frenzy yesterday, use the links below and grab the 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives hassle-free!

If you’re still on the fence about either of these, check out JBL’s reviews of both the Crimson Strike Pack or the Kre-O Construction Commandoes in the Exclusives Review Index!

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Review

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter's Marauders

The 2015 SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set has been reviewed!

When it comes to both Sgt. Slaughter and Kre-O, I know of no bigger fan than Todd Weinzierl of JBL’s sister site Magnum6Delta.com.  So, when it came time to review this set I had to seek out the expert– and luckily he was willing to share his thoughts on the SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set that has taken the fandom by storm this summer.  After all, many fans thought that they’d never see Hasbro have the opportunity to produce another Sgt. Slaughter figure again!

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New images of the SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set!

SDCC 2015 Kre-O Slaughter's Marauders inserts

The Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set has taken the fandom by storm since images first dropped online earlier this week.  Now, thanks to the good folks at Hasbro and Hunter PR, we have even more images of this amazing set.

Here’s the offical press release from Hasbro with all of the details:

KRE-O GI JOE SLAUGHTER’S MARAUDERS VS DESTRO’S IRON GRENADIERS Set

(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available through HasbroToyShop.com or Booth #3213 at Comic-Con International in San Diego)

ATTEN-TION! Sgt. Slaughter makes his KREON debut to lead the MARAUDERS into battle against DESTRO and the IRON GRENADIERS in this special edition set! Comes with 12 KREON figures — including BARBECUE, FOOTLOOSE, DARKLON, VOLTAR, and, in another KREON debut, DESTRO in his infamous leopard-print coat. Also includes pieces to build a SGT. SLAUGHTER TRIPLE T tank! This special edition set comes packed in special throwback “boxed set” packaging resembling your favorite ’80s & ’90s VHS cassettes, complete with Sgt. Slaughter and DESTRO file cards and art that re-creates classic G.I. JOE packaging! You’ll have a blast with this set, AND THAT’S AN ORDER!

Following the convention, a limited number will be available on HasbroToyShop.com.

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SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Set Confirmed

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter's MaraudersKre-O Slaughter’s Marauders are invading SDCC 2015!

Back at Joe Con 2015, the Hasbro team revealed several 50th Anniverary-themed SDCC exclusives for this year’s con.  However, they hinted that one more “very special set” was coming.  Attendees speculated briefly over what it might be but, in all honesty, it was quickly forgotten in light of the on-hand items shown.  (GUNG-HO!)  A few days ago, an image leaked out that seemed to indicated that a Kre-O set based on Sgt. Slaughter was coming.

Now, thanks to the intrepid folks over at Uproxx, we have confirmation that Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders are coming!  Not only that, but Sgt. Slaughter himself will be on hand on Saturday July 11, 2015 at the Hasbro booth for two separate autograph signings.  Having had the privilege of meeting the man himself again last year at a logo baseball park, I can say that fans are in for a real treat with the Sarge himself attending!

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Review: 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Footloose

G.I. joe Collector's Club footloose

JBL has a brand-new guest review of the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Footloose renewal figure!

No, you didn’t step through a wormhole and land back in 2012!  Long-time G.I. Joe fan (and hopefully frequent JBL contributor) Otto “The Otter” Phillips offered to lend a hand and contribute some guest reviews to help fill in the backlog here at JBL HQ!

His first feature is a childhood favorite that received an updated version as the 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club membership renewal figure.  Was Otto happy with this figure?  Did it live up to the nostalgia of his childhood?

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

Were you a fan of Footloose?  Would you like to see more contributions from Otto?  Let us know in the comments below!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club: Store launch, take 2. Noon today.

Okay, let’s try this again: the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club will open their online store around NOON CST today.  Really.  This time they mean it.  The email even says so.  Again.

Here’s the email from Brian Savage:

“The issue that caused the problem with Friday’s relaunch of the store software has been corrected.  We will go live at noon on Monday, August 6, CDT.
We will continue to add our older inventory into the stores each day.  We did not want the loading of older inventory to delay the stores’ reopening.

For the Transformers Club members:  There is not anything new at this time, we are just updating your store code. 

For the Joe Club members:

Once again:  note that there are LIMITS on the loose Footloose, carded Footloose and signed carded Footloose membership figures.  

You are limited to ONE of each (per membership account) until we see how the demand goes.  We can track exactly how many of each are ordered by account.  If you place more than one order, we WILL CANCEL all of your orders and charge you a 25% administration fee.  Please do not try this as we want as many members as possible to get these figures at the offering price.  Quantities are limited. 

Thanks for your support!

Brian”

NOTE: Failure to launch the store a second time does not allow members to charge the club at 25% Annoyance Fee.

In all seriousness, I do with the GIJCC well in trying to get the site back up and running after their internet security debacle earlier this year.  However, let’s hope that they’re not putting the cart before the horse with this announcement… again.   After all, if NASA can send a rover the site of an SUV to Mars and safely lower it to the ground from a jet-powered flight back via sky crane, surely the club can get their store working again, right?

Here’s the direct link to the store: https://www.toyarama.com/store/g-i-joe-club-memberships-c1.php?template_package=gijoe

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club store to reopen TODAY!

It’s been a rough year for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club in terms of their online presence.  A major data vulnerability left their membership’s financial information compromised which resulted in the rebuilding of both their website and their online store.  While the former has been functional for some time, it is the latter that was the subject of an email sent out to members last night:

This quick update is going out to all members of both clubs.

Both stores are closed until tomorrow at approximately noon CDT when we are planning to bring the G.I. Joe Club Store online.  The Transformers Club Store will come back online at the same time.

For the G.I. Joe Club members:

Please note that there are LIMITS on the loose Footloose, carded Footloose and signed carded Footloose membership figures.

You are limited to ONE of each (per membership account) until we see how the demand goes.  We can track exactly how many of each are ordered by account.  If you place more than one order, we WILL CANCEL all of your orders and charge you a 25% administration fee.  Please do not try this as we want as many members as possible to get these figures at the offering price.  Quantities are limited.

In addition, we are still adding items to both stores, so it will take approximately another week to get all of our inventory back in the new stores.

Thanks to both groups for your patience and the two great conventions this year!

Brian

That’s right Joe fans– not only is the Club Store going back online but fans JUST might have a chance at snagging a carded Footloose in the process.  Now, I’m not psychic in any way but the thought of two different fan clubs both hitting their online store around the same time means that there are likely to be some server issues.  Be prepared for some MattyCollector-esque freezes and other hiccups as the club is essentially hit with a DoS attack.  Hopefully the new servers are up to task and fans can snag the Footloose they’ve been dreaming of!

It’s good to have the G.I. Joe Club back up to speed!

EDIT: Here’s the link to the new store at the “Toyarama” domain: https://www.toyarama.com/store/

Opinion: “The GI Joe Collector’s Club needs to be immediately disbanded”

Once upon a time, if a person wanted to voice their opinion about a topic to the general public and and not do so in “real time”, he or she submitted a “Letter to the Editor”.  The author could write up their opinions and position and have it posted for all to see.  Along came technology and this concept evolved: businesses and institutions use social media to better communicate with their clients, fan clubs have forums and message boards, and groups of fans are able to come together in the form of online communities.  All of this breeds a climate where ideas can be freely exchanged and both praise and criticism can be shared.  It’s the “Letter to the Editor v3.0”.

No one can dispute the fact that 2012 has been a year of blunders and missteps for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club.  Pretty much anything that could go wrong with the Club’s various endeavors has and the organization has been left scrambling to communicate details and a positive message.  However, it would seem that the issues might go back further than that.  Presented below is an item that dropped in my inbox today– an editorial from a long-time member of the Collector’s Club who has had enough.  It is presented in its entirety– with only the author’s identity removed at his/her request.

 The GI Joe Collector’s Club needs to be immediately disbanded: One betrayed former collector’s 11 year long rant

I’m done. DONE. I have enjoyed collecting both 12″ and 33/4″ GI Joe figures for over 20 years now. I’ve enjoyed it with my children.  I’ve enjoyed showing that what Daddy wore when he was in the service, while they were fascinated with characters like Snake Eyes and Destro.  But now, thanks solely to the GI Joe Collector’s Club, an organization who exists only to cater to people like me, I am so disgusted with the hobby as a whole, I am walking away.

Over the last 10 years, the GIJCC has become increasingly greedy, arrogant, mismanaged and unapologetic to the people it professes to serve. I blame it on the dollar signs I saw in the eyes of Brian Savage (the Club owner, directer, patriarch, resident Kool-Aid mixer, der Fuhrer, etc) when he got the OK from Hasbro to take over the Transformers Collector’s Club several years ago. The Transformers brand is a worldwide seller, with many more members with much, much deeper pockets. The GIJCC has been a small, family run club for many years, so giving them a cash cow like Botcon was bound to turn them into the money grubbing, greed-mongering, carpet-bagging bridge trolls they have become. But as I have watched their slow decline, I held out hope that the core tenets of my precious GI Joe fan club would remain unchanged in the face of it’s more lucrative younger brother, that they would still put on a family friendly event that we could afford, still put out product I can be proud to display and play with, and still make me and my children happy. As of today, I have had enough. Continue reading