Monthly Archives: April 2015

Joe Con 2015: Hasbro info gleaned from Con Comic

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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!

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Joe Con 2015: Price increases hurt this year for souvenirs

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Joe Con 2015

Ah Joe Con 2015… you’ll go down as “the year the Club broke the fandom’s wallets.”

The Club Store is now open at Joe Con 2015 for the Golden Ticket holders and the prices for the exclusives have been revealed.    Hold on to your hats, kids!  This is going to hurt!

Joe Con 2015 Tiger Hawk

  • Iron Grenadier Air Assault 2 pack – $72
  • Tiger Shark w/ Felino – $83
  • Tiger Sting w/ “Sgt Kazenbogen” – $83
  • Tiger Force Helicopter Crew (Alpine, Skystriker, Frostbite) – $86
  • Tiger Hawk Helicopter – $168
  • Iron Anvil Officer Paratrooper – $34
  • KreO Tiger Force 6 pack – $39

Seriously… I appreciate the fact that Club’s expenses are higher this year because of having to air freight the souvenirs over to the US but seriously?!!  Due to poor planning and lack of appropriate timetables, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has essentially doubled the prices for the overall souvenirs.

Especially since many of these vehicles are near duplicates of the vintage versions readily available on the secondary market.

The sad part is that one prices go up they rarely seem to go down.  I hope this isn’t the case with the Club but I have the feeling that I’m going to be disappointed.

Here are few quick images from Steve Unger, Jr and Jeff Patton of the G.I. Joe Discussion Facebook Group:

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Joe Con 2015 Tiger Hawk in case
Joe Con 2015 price list
Joe Con 2015 Tiger Hawk
Joe Con 2015 Tiger Shark w/ Felino
Joe Con 2015 Iron Grenadier Annihilators
Joe Con 2015 Tiger Sting w/ Bazooka
Joe Con 2015 Tiger Force Helicopter crew

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Joe Con 2015: The migration continues!

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Bandit goes to Joe Con 2015

Over the past 48 hours, Joe fans from all across the globe have been making their way to a Central Illinois town called Springfield for Joe Con 2015.

As the JBL staff prepares to head down later today it just seemed appropriate to have some travelling music and what better music than Jerry Reed‘s tune from the classic comedy Smokey & the Bandit?  (So it’s from 1977– I’m old!)

Save travels Joe fans!  Keep and eye out for Illinois Smokies and we’ll see you at Joe Con 2015 later tonight as JBL coverage continues!

Joe Con 2015: Souvenir Item Details… sort of…

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Joe Con 2015 Tiger Force vs Iron Grenadiers

Another piece of Joe Con 2015 news– this time related to the souvenir items.

Thanks to folks already in Springfield, IL we have this list of what’s coming:

  • Iron grenadiers air assault 2-pack LE 900  (Possibly TARGAT)
  • TF helicopter crew 3-pack LE 800 (Possibly Tiger Force Frostbite, Sky Striker, Tiger Force Alpine)
  • TF helicopter LE 600
  • Tiger shark w/felino LE 800
  • Tiger sting w/sgt katzenjammer-Bogen LE 800
  • Iron anvil officer w/parachute LE 600

So, it looks like the Tiger Force Tomahawk is going to indeed be “a thing” this year and the forthcoming Club exclusive Sharc submarine may be getting a Tiger Force repaint. (I’d rather have that over a straight up redo of the vintage Tiger Shark!)

Continue reading →

Joe Con 2015: Attendee exclusive Sting Raider

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spoiler_alert_cropped

It’s Golden Ticket registration night at Joe Con 2015!  While those that paid a premium price for what is purported to be premium service wait in line to pick up their Tiger Force vs Iron Grenadiers convention sets, we have our first bit of information!

Thanks to Madmac41, we have this image of the attendee exclusive item:

Joe Con 2015 Sting Raider

That’s right Joe fans– the 2004 Cobra Sting Raider appears once more on the side of darkness!  This time, it’s an Iron Grenadier submersible!

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We’ll have more news all weekend long as the JBL admin is heading to Joe Con 2015 tomorrow night!  Keep your eyes on our Twitter feed during the Saturday Hasbro and Collector’s Club panels and check back each evening for more coverage of Joe Con 2015!

Cobra Invasion Team Firefly review

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g.i. joe retaliation firefly

G.I. Joe Retaliation Cobra Invasion Team Firefly has been reviewed!

Joe Con week is usually a pretty busy time for JBL– especially when the admin is actually attending the event this year.  However, there is still plenty to talk about in the world of G.I. Joe as this latest review by Otto Phillips proves!

Firefly has been called the “Boba Fett” of the G.I. Joe world– a skilled mercenary who maintains an air of mystery and works for the highest bidder.  He’s long been a fan favorite and yet Hasbro seemed to have trouble finding the perfect update to the character for ARAH Generation 3.   The 25th Anniversary version was decent and the first Retaliation version was different but it took a three pack to get the Cobra Saboteur “just right”…

Check out Otto’s review in the G.I. Joe Retaliation Index and find out just how well he feels this version of Firefly holds up compared to the original!

Rank & File: More info from author James Kavanaugh!

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Rank & File cover

No sooner did we post the press release info for the forthcoming Rank & File guide to ARAH generation 3 Joes than “Noted Author” James Kavanaugh Jr reached out and provided some addition information on the all of the volumes in this new and exciting series:

Basic Information

The MSRP for The Rank & File Guide Volume 1 is $20.  Volume 1 will be first available at Joe Con in Springfield, IL and available to purchase online after the show at www.rahcguide.com.  Buyer will pay all additional shipping and handling costs.  If you have purchased the R.A.H.C. Guide, the process will be very similar.   This guide was self published and produced in quantities reflecting the R.A.H.C. Guide’s sales so do not hesitate in ordering if owning a guide is a priority. You can join the mailing list at: rahc.guide@gmail.com and like on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/RAHCGuide to get the latest updates between press releases.

 

In order to get content to the fans as quickly as possible, the decision was made to divide the series up into, as of this announcement, up to six volumes.  They working divisions are as follows:

 

Volume 1:  Introduction, 25th Anniversary, Resolute

Volume 2:  The Rise of Cobra, Pursuit of Cobra

Volume 3: Celebrating 30 Years of A Real American Hero / Renegades, Retaliation, Basic G.I. Joe Asst., 50 (should include 2015 figures and possibly beyond).

Volume 4:  Convention Exclusives, G.I. Joe Collector’s Club (up to at least 2015)

Volume 5:  Complete and organized Accessories section comprised of Volumes 1 through 4

*** Depending on sales and other factors*** Volume 6:  Complete Sealed Packages comprised of Volumes 1 through 4.

James was also good enough to share a custom image from the book with JBL that showcases the quality of the work contained within!  Check out this look at two of the admin’s favorite figures from the G.I. Joe Resolute line! Continue reading →

Rank & File – new guide to debut at Joe Con 2015

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Rank & File cover

Rank & File is coming!

Long-time friend of JBL and noted author James Kavanaugh Jr returns to the published world with his second G.I. Joe reference guide!  (His first book, the RAHC Guide, is an essential tome here at JBL HQ!)  Not only that, but the book will make its fandom debut at Joe Con 2015 with online sales to begin shortly thereafter!

Check out the press release that dropped in the G.I. Joe Discussion Facebook Group over the weekend: Continue reading →

Spectre teaser trailer released!

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James Bond 24 Spectre

The teaser for the newest James Bond film “SPECTRE” is here!

Okay, this actually dropped earlier in the week but it’s been a bit crazy here at JBL HQ and this is the first chance I’ve had to get it posted.  Yes, it’s not G.I. Joe but this is one of those times where my other interests and “admin powers” align.   So, without further adieu:

I’ll just go ahead and say it now: “WOO HOO!!!”  I was a big fan of director Sam Mendes’ entry into the Bond franchise with Skyfall and it looks like Bond 24 will deliver much of the same cinematic experience.  From the opening shot of the ruined MI-6 headquarters and Moneypenny passing Bond the forensic evidence from his now-destroyed family home, it looks like SPECTRE will be picking up right where its predecessor left off!

I’ll be blunt– this film looks to be bringing SPECTRE back to the status that it enjoyed in the early Connery films like From Russia With Love and Thunderball.  It’s once again portrayed as a shadowy secret organization that prefers to manipulate events from behind-the-scenes as opposed to taking direct action..  Its members are everywhere and one never knows who to trust when SPECTRE is involved.  It’s everything that the writers attempted to do with the Quantum organization in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace but utterly failed to accomplish.

I realize that this is just merely a teaser trailer but consider this long-time Bond fan’s anticipation set to “11” for this latest entry!

SPECTRE opens on November 6, 2015.

James Bond

 

Joe Con 2015 – Of price increases and parachute drops

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Joe Con 2015

We’re one week out from Joe Con 2015 in Springfield, IL and the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has posted an update to their FAQ page.   The new text is below:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

03-31-2015

Q: If I received multiple emails for package pick-up, which one do I go by?
A: The emails are sent out by invoice number, class participants, exhibitors and people on the tour. You can go by any one of them, but we recommend you use the earliest time you received for package pick-up.

 

Q: How much money should I bring to buy all of the 2015 convention exclusive souvenirs?
A: Costs have gone up because of the complexity of the deco on the items and air freight caused by the dock workers issues on the west coast. There is also an additional souvenir item this year and one that is a large vehicle. If you want to get one of everything you will need approximately $600 for the convention 3 3/4″ items and $200 for the 12″ items.

 

Q: I was able to purchase a box set, but the attending bagged sets were sold out. When non-attending allocation goes live will I be able to order a bagged set then?
A: No. You have to purchase a non-attending set to get the few loose sets reserved for that group. We will verify each order and those that try to break the rules will be deleted less service fees.

 

Q: Will there be any bag sets at the show or can I call the office and have one added to my box set?
A: No.

 

Q: On Friday are there general admission passes available?
A: No. Registered attendees only on Friday. This is a private preview no general admission.

 

Q: Is the freebie item per registered person/badge or is it by box set? I got 2 boxed sets, so how many of the freebie item do I get?
A: Attending items are by boxed set(s). Each person will only have one name badge and one voucher to use for the souvenirs until limits are raised.

 

Q: Are we going to need to print our confirmation that was emailed to us and bring to package pick-up?
A: You will need a copy to prove which time slot will be yours for package pickup. The slots are by invoice number. More instructions will be emailed to you before the event.

 

Q: Has the parachute drop been confirmed one way or the other yet?
A: Unfortunately, the venues we were trying to get for the drop did not work out. Therefore, there will not be a drop this year. However, you will be able to purchase the parachute figure starting on Thursday night and it will be very close for everyone to get a figure.

Okay, let’s address three of these FAQ’s in short order: Continue reading →