Yes, the admin of the site is stuck at home this year but JBL staff will be on site to provide updates from the 2011 Collector’s Convention in Orlando! CmderinChief (aka “Gary”) is live and one the scene in Florida and between drinking mojitos and chasing Mickey around, he’ll be manning JBL’s Twitter feed!
Follow Gary’s exploits on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/joebattlelines!
Okay, it’s not G.I. Joe, but it was another pretty awesome series in the 80’s. I can remember buying my first (and only) MASK vehicle and wishing that the Condor motorcycle was in scale with my Joes. However, if Matt Trakker can make a cameo appearance in the Joe 25th line then this qualifies as good 80’s nostalgia news. No release date has yet been announced.
Given the quality of Shout Factory’s G.I. Joe & Transformers sets, this is going to be another great addition to anyone’s DVD rack!
For Immediate Release
SHOUT! FACTORY AND FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES
BRING POPULAR CLASSIC ANIMATED SERIESM.A.S.K.
TO HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND DIGITIAL DISTRIBUTION
Los Angeles, CA (March 30, 2011) – Shout! Factory and FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) announced today a deal to bring the renowned classic animated series M.A.S.K. to the home entertainment marketplace. Under its multi-year agreement with FME, Shout! Factory will be the exclusive home entertainment distributor with digital rights to the first 65 action-packed episodes of M.A.S.K. (known to fans as the original series aired in 1985) in North America. The announcement was made by Shout! Factory’s founding partners Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos; and Jeff Siegel, FME VP of Home Entertainment, The Americas.
“This deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises continues to build on our proven success with some of the premiere animation and family-friendly brands in the marketplace. We are delighted with this opportunity,” state Shout! Factory founding partners. “M.A.S.K. has been one of the fan favorite classic animated series in TV history, with a highly successful presence in many countries across the world.”
Siegel stated, “FME is dedicated to bringing content from our extensive catalogue, including a classic series like M.A.S.K., to the home entertainment marketplace. We are thrilled for Shout! Factory to bring this long lost, retro series from the 80’s to its fans in North America.”
Popular animated television series M.A.S.K. debuted on television and in wide syndication during the 1980s, features M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand), a secret organization led by Matt Trakker that fights crime in an unusual way. By donning specially charged masks, they have extraordinary powers to fight the villains of V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem). In addition to the masks, our heroes and their counterparts have super vehicles capable of a wide range of defensive and offensive actions, from changing a car into a jet or becoming a submarine. Throughout the years, M.A.S.K. boasts a large fan following and spawned a series of toyline, comic books and video games.
This is old news but appropriate considering that the 2011 Collector’s Convention with the now-sold out “Mission Brazil II” sets is this week.
You won’t see this on TV nationally but check out Hasbro’s commercial for the annual Joe Con!
Justin over at GeneralsJoes.com has some bad news for fans of the current animated Joe series airing on Hasbro’s HUB network:
G.I. Joe: Renegades
Well, consider the unfortunate news confirmed. I spoke with Public Relations at The Hub, and they have confirmed that G.I. Joe: Renegades will cease airing original episodes after the summer. They have declared the series “On Hiatus” in anticipation of the upcoming film sequel.
This sounds remarkably similar to the situation with Transformers: Animated after the third season, as it was phased out in favor for a style closer to the live action Transformers films. Considering how much stronger fan support Renegades seem to generate, especially when compared to the Rise of Cobra film, this is a disappointing turn of events, to say the least.
Let’s all hope that the next live action film franchise is closer to the spirit of A Real American Hero than the previous film was, so the animation doesn’t potentially suffer for it. The entire text of the communication from The Hub is below.
You can read the rest of the news, including a quote from Hub’s PR department over at GeneralsJoes.com.
It would seem that the creative direction of the G.I. Joe franchise is once again at the mercy of Paramount Pictures.
(A big thanks to Justin for all of his hard work digging up the facts on this.)
HelaViper, the twisted genius behind the life-size SNAKE armor and many impressive costumes seen at recent Joe Cons is back with his latest offering… a life size paired Ally Viper shield and helmet combo!
After a self-imposed hiatus (two babies 16 months apart ;)) I’ve headed back to the workshop!
Ready for pre-order now, I will have a limited supply of these combo’s at the con, so pick-up one at the show for the show price of $350.00!
Because of continued requests, this handcrafted, wearable helmet is now available with the shield.
To purchase a shield or request more information, visit this thread in the forums! Also, be sure to follow Cremeans Creations on Facebook for the latest updates on new items!
There’s an added incentive to attend the Collector’s Convention this year… and it’s not from the Collector’s Club!
March 2011 – Debuting at the 2011 G.I. Joe Convention, the adventure continued in 1997 and is now completely documented in the R.A.H.C. Guide!
After a brief hiatus in 1994, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero gained a resurgence in pop culture causing a re-release of some favorite characters in their classic molds. This revival eventually induced some experimenting with these classic characters in bold and exciting new directions. Not only did fans get to revisit some of their most cherished icons within the G.I. Joe mythos, they were introduced to new characters that are now known and loved.
This full color, 172 page compendium fully explores all six series that were produced within the second generation O-ring torso era (1997-2007) including the Built to Rule line and the Collectors Club special releases. This guide beautifully illustrates the era’s 689 action Figures, 135 vehicles and play sets and 1,349 accessories including all known variations. Not only is every accessory present and accounted for, they have each been assigned a unique number and identified throughout the resource guide. The accessories are then culminated in a separate section clearly displayed and organized by category. Each action figure has been carefully examined between its initial run and further re-releases to ensure that an accurate sample is clearly and concisely presented for the collector who is identifying individual action figures or sorting through unorganized lots.
Subscribe to the R.A.H.C. Guide’s e-mail list at rahc.guide@gmail.com to stay in tune with all the latest updates and obtain ordering info!
This is the guidebook that I’ve been waiting years for. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m an unabashed fan of the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra and Real American Hero Classics era and this tome is going to do those figures justice! If you’ve met James, you know he’s a passionate Joe fan and it shows in ever single page and image from this impressive work.
My only regret is that I have to wait until after the con to snag a copy! It cannot get into my hands soon enough!
Recently news of two “surprise waves” for the Pursuit of Cobra line hit the internet. Consisting most of rehashes of existing parts, these filler waves exist to fill the gap between now and the 30th Anniversary waves in the fall.
Wave 3, 2011 – Due April, 2011; MSRP $6.99
Wave 4, 2011 – Due April, 2011; MSRP $6.99
For “in person images”, check out Justin’s awesome Toy Fair 2011 coverage at GeneralsJoes.com!
It’s times like this that I miss no longer attending Toy Fair. However, Justin of GeneralsJoes.com was diligently on the scene and has provided some great information to accompany Hasbro’s latest slew of press images. It would seem that 2011 marks the return of a fan-favorite vehicle that many had assumed was lost for good – the SKYSTRIKER!
Not only that, but eagle-eyed fans of G.I. Joe Renegades should like what they see being added to Cobra’s arsenal!
Mid-Size – Due Summer, 2011; MSRP $19.99
G.I. Joe Skystriker w/ Ace – Due Summer, 2011; MSRP $29.99
For more pics, check out Justin’s AWESOME coverage at GeneralsJoes.com!
Hasbro really knocked one out of the park this year with their SDCC exclusives! Based on Devil’s Due Press’ first volume of “G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers”, this year will see the release of a non-tranformable “Starscream” Skystriker as well as a pilot version of Cobra Commander. However, the icing on the plastic cake comes in the form of the Commander’s accessory– MEGATRON himself!!!
Even though I won’t be attending SDCC, I’ll be doing my darnedest to get my hands on one of these!
Hasbro issued the following press release concerning their G.I. Joe offerings for 2011.
HASBRO LAUNCHES NEW G.I. JOE TOY LINE TO CELEBRATE “30 YEARS OF G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO”
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (February XX, 2011) – After nearly three decades, the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA battle rages on and legions of fans couldn’t be happier. When the fight between these two foes commenced in the early 1980’s – as G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO – it brought the world’s first action figure to life for a whole new generation of fans. To celebrate this milestone, Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is introducing new and updated versions of many fan-favorite characters, vehicles, and play patterns from the past 30 years. Hasbro’s 2011 G.I. JOE line will include the re-launch of 12” A REAL AMERICAN HERO figures, re-imagined versions of classic 3.75” figures and vehicles, and new characters from “G.I. Joe Renegades,” the hit animated series that premiered on the Hub last Fall.
Hasbro invented the action figure category when it launched its G.I. JOE brand more than 45 years ago. The 2011 G.I. JOE line of action figures and vehicles lives up to that legacy with new sculpts showcasing favorite G.I. JOE and COBRA characters. Fans will love adding the new STORM SHADOW, FLINT, and SCARLETT figures, among many others, to their collections and kids will enjoy the characters from the “G.I. Joe: Renegades” program showing up in action figure form.
The brigade of 3.75” figures will have iconic vehicles to add to their arsenal, including a new version of the iconic H.I.S.S. tank and the SKYSTRIKER JET. The original SKYSTRIKER JET, released early in the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA series, has been at the top of fans’ wish lists since it was discontinued in the mid 1980’s. It will come with a 3.75” pilot to help navigate G.I. JOE through treacherous COBRA territory. Also, debuting is the BLACK DRAGON Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft taken directly from the new programming. Continue reading
