Merry Christmas from your friends at JBL!

Merry Christmas from  your friends here at JBL!

JBL christmas 2015

Today is Christmas Day!  Whether or not you celebrate it for its religious significance, today is day in which much of the western world seems to set aside differences and grievances and instead focuses on a spirit of giving and compassion.  For children, it’s a day in which brightly wrapped packages appear under a decorated tree– each promising hours of excitement to come.  For parents, it’s a day to watch over their children or even grandchildren as they embrace Christmas with open arms.

For all of you who read this, I’d like to express my wamest wishes for a safe and happy holiday to your and your families.  While our favorte brand of adventurers, soldiers, and Real American Heroes are no longer in stores, we can still enjoy the spirit of the season and look back fondly on the days when boxes of familar Hasbro products were unwrapped and new adventures with G.I. Joe were ahead.  G.I. Joe will return– and whether or not it is in a form familiar or in a brand new aspect, we all hope that name “G.I. Joe” will continue to foster the imagination of future generations.

Or rather, as the “Great Snake” himself once put it so succinctly:

 

Happy Holidays from JBL!

Christmas holiday g.i. joe Renegades

Happy Holidays from JBL!

2014 certainly has  been an “interesting” year for G.I. Joe.  It was the year of the 50th Anniversary which celebrated more with whimper than with a bang.  There was the Toys R Us exclusive 50th Anniversary line, and the Hallmark ornament but otherwise Joe received precious little attention from Hasbro to celebrate his half century of inspiring kids around the world. Even this year’s G.I. Joe convention was a more muted affair with Hasbro not in attendance.  Even the Kre-O line seemed to fade this holiday, with Toys R Us slashing prices just before the holidays.

However, the year is soon to draw to a close.  With that, comes a brand new year with brand new possibilities.  After all, the G.I. Joe brand has been nothing if not adaptable in its 50 years on toy shelves. When Joe returns, and I’m certain it will return, it may not be as the Adventure Team, Super Joe, Sgt. Savage, Renegades, Extreme, Sigma 6, or even the celebrated A Real American Hero but that’s the beauty of the brand.  It has evolved over time and adapted to play patterns of the children of its time.

Thanks for visiting JBL in 2014.  We may not be the biggest, most talked about or frequently updated, or flashiest site on the web, but as long as there are fans of G.I. Joe out there, we’ll keep the lights on and the forums open, just in case anyone wants to stop on by, crack open a frosty Yo Joe cola, and talk about G.I Joe– regardless of scale, size or format.

Again, thanks for the stopping by and Happy Holidays!  Here’s to a brighter 2015!

Happy Holidays from JoeBattlelines.com

Happy Thanksgiving from JBL!

Thanksgiving Christmas G.I. Joe

 

Happy Thanksgiving from JBL!

Sure, it’s not “Joe news” but this time of year it’s nice to take time out of a crazy schedule to appreciate the things that you have.  In the United States, today is the day that millions of Americans sit down with family and friends over a sumptuous meal and try to remember all of the things that they have to be grateful for.  As such, JBL would like to extend some “thanks of our own” on this blustery morning here in Central Illinois.

I’d like to thank each and every person reading this message right now.  It sounds corny but it’s true.  JBL isn’t a for-profit site– content here isn’t created to try and generate revenue.  Instead, new reviews, articles, and the occasional bit of news are all posted to help serve as a resource for the G.I. Joe fans around the world.  As such, I’d like to thank you for stopping by for you’re the reason this site exists!

I’d also toss a shout out to all of the various G.I. Joe creators I’ve met and interacted with over the years.  Without each of your unique talents and vision, the brand that we know today wouldn’t exist.  I know I’m going to miss a plenty of names but to folks like Larry Hama, Kirk Bozigian, Chuck Dixon, Buzz Dixon, Ron Wagner, Herb Trimpe, Brandon Jerwa, Josh Blaylock, Mike O’Sullivan, Ron Rudat, the late Don Levine, the crew from Boss Fight Studio, and others– thank you for your vision, creativity, and perseverance. Sure, Joe seems to have fallen on some hard time lately but the vibrant fandom is keeping the memory of “Man of Action” and “Real American Hero” alive today.

Also, to all of the friends that I’ve made through this hobby, just a quick note of thanks.  I won’t list all of you but I just wanted to say thanks for the support and the acknowledgement that “JBL is still there!”

Lastly, to the men and women of our Armed Forces, I’d like to say thank you.  Past and present, you are truly the REAL American Heroes!

May you all enjoy a blessed day!

Plus, check back next week as we round out the 50th Anniversary Reviews!

JBL Thanksgiving

Happy Holidays from JoeBattlelines!

Happy Holidays from JoeBattlelines.com

The xmas holidays have this high value: that they remind Forgetters of the Forgotten, & repair damaged relationships.
– Mark Twain in a letter to Carlotte Welles, 30 December 1907

Just a quick shout out to everyone who visits this site whether frequently or occasionally– a quick moment to wish any and all who celebrate it “Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays”!   Whether you enjoy the day with friends and family or quiet reflection, it’s a day to reflect on the blessings that each of us share and to remember those who are less fortunate than us.  For children it’s a day filled with the excitement of a new present; for adults, it’s a day to put aside the cares of every day living and just enjoy the spirit of the season.  It’s a day in which mankind shows the best that it has to offer its fellows.  It’s also the day in which TBS broadcasts the story of a young boy and his quest for a Red Rider BB gun for 24 hours straight!  (Something that my friends over at TheBreauxShow remember all too well!)

I’d also like to thank everyone who visits this site on a regular basis.  JBL isn’t the biggest Joe site on the web and it was inactive for far too long during the past couple of years.  It’s meant a lot to me that people still stop by, check out the news and the reviews, and even post on the forums.  (All seven of you!)  As the admin, I’d like to just humbly say “thanks for sticking with us.”

So have a safe and happy holiday, don’t shoot your eye out, and thank you for visiting JoeBattlelines.com.  We look forward to celebrating the 50th Anniversary of G.I. Joe in 2014!