Meet Larry Hama and Neil Ross at Retro Con 2013 this weekend!

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Looking for something to do this weekend in the Philadelphia area? Check out Retro Con 2013 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!

Chock full of 80’s goodness, Retro Con has grown even larger in its second year! Featuring a plethora of exciting guests, over 150 dealer tables, classic “star cars” (weather permitting), and even a special screening of Back to the Future on the big screen it’s bound to make fans of G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, classic video games, etc feel like a kid again.

Organized by uber-fans Tony and Rosemary (Ward) Tuski and featuring a door ticket price of only $14.00, it’s an affordable and fun way to indulge your inner nostalgia child!

Just check out this guest list:

Larry Hama – writer,artist for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (Marvel, IDW, Devil’s Due) and writer for Hasbro’s file cards
Bob Budiansky – writer for Transformers (Marvel Comics) as well as author of Hasbro’s Tech Spec cards
Neil Ross – voice actor for G.I. Joe, Transformers, Voltron, InHumanoids and more! (Shipwreck, Dusty, Slag, Springer, Keith, Pidge, etc)
James Rolfe – the “Angry Video Game Nerd”, internet game reviewer
Don Fullilove – mayor “Goldie Wilson” from the Back to the Future trilogy
Mark Bellomo – author The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe: 1982 – 1994, Transformers: Identification & Price Guide, and Totally Tubular 80’s Toys!
Doug Walker – the Nostalgia Critic from www.thatguywiththeglasses.com
Mr. Lobo – host of the nationally syndicated Cinema Insomnia!
The Cobra 1^st Legion – the ever-growing G.I. Joe costume organization! www.Cobra1stLegion.com
The Mandalorian Mercs!
And many more!

In addition there will be door prizes, a costume contest, and a chance to have your picture taken with such “star cars” as K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Two Thousand), Black Beauty, a Jurassic Park jeep, a full-size TARDIS, the Delorean from Back to the Future, and more!

Seriously, this is the kind of event that makes me wish I wasn’t living in Central Illinois. It promises to be a fun-filled day for all. Plus, while you’re there, stop by and say hello to the cast of The Breaux Show, a weekly internet radio show covering genre news, movie reviews, and Deer Park Water. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

For more information, check out www.RetroCons.com!

Coil Con IV is Saturday August 24! Midwest G.I. Joe gathering!

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Last weekend the East Coast was treated to the New Jersey Collector’s Convention but this week it’s the Midwest’s turn! Coil Con IV is coming to Kokomo Indiana on Saturday, August 24!

An annual tradition that has grown in attendance over the past four years, Coil Con promises a day filled with G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe, and more G.I. Joe. The JoeDeclassified travelling exhibit will be in attendance, featuring concept art, prototypes, and all manner of insight into the world of design for our favorite Real American Heroes. AVAC’s Lab will be on hand with custom cast parts. Kokomo Toys is slated to have G.I. Joe Retaliation wave 3 in stock. Numerous other dealers including ROMA Collectibles will be onsite to help fill in any holes in fans’ current collections. Plus, they’ll be FREE hot dogs! Starting at 9:00am EST on the grounds of Kokomo Toys, it promises to be an exciting day under the Coil Tent!

This year’s guest list includes a roster of personalities from across the Joe fandom including:

James Kavanaugh, author of the popular RAHC Guide
Gary Godsoe, host of “What’s on Joe Mind” podcast
Mike Irizarry, host/resident “sarcastician” of the “What’s on Joe Mind” podcast
Gary Head “Gyre-Viper”, G.I. Joe archivist and collection curator for JoeDeclassified.com

No Joe Convention would be complete without some sort of exclusive item to take home and Coil Con IV is no exception. This year, fans can purchase the following limited-availability items:

Cobra Naja Bhoot with motorcycle vs. Jesse Mach with Street Hawk – $125.00 (Featuring head sculpt by Coby Brown!)
Naja Bhoot 28mm gaming miniature produced by Bryan K. Borgman creator of Kaiju-Kaos
Naja Bhoot exclusive print from attending artist Sean Forney

For more information on attending this exciting regional gathering, check out the official website: CoilCon.com! Check back on Monday for some pictures of the event itself.

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NJCC giveaway Mirage revealed! Limited availability on August 18, 2013!

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The New Jersey Collector’s (NJCC) returns to Cherry Hill this Sunday and they’ve got a full slate of giveaways/door prizes including another awesome fan-produced figure: Mega-Marine Mirage!

The figure you’re looking at is completely fan-produced– courtesy of the talents of guys like Kevin Watts, raginspoon,CobraStickers.com, and the casting master, nova. An update to the original 1993 Mega-Marine figure, Mirage takes a 20 year old figure design and brings it firmly forward into the 21st century with style!

Here’s the word from the convention organizers, quoted from HissTank.com:

We are now just a few days away from the August 18th Summer NJCC, here is full gallery 40+ images of NJCC Mirage!

Mirage was introduced in 1993 as part of the Mega Marines subline of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero! Make sure to check back to see the full figure with card art and sticker sheet.

New Jersey Collectors Con Summer Show Date August 18th 2013!

Holiday Inn Cherry Hill – New Jersey
2175 West Marlton Pike (Rt. 70), Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Sunday, August 18th, 2013

The door prize announcements will start at 9AM and conclude at 3:30PM with our last door prize announcement.

9AM TRANSFORMERS CONSTRUCT-A-BOTS BUNDLE
10AM MARVEL LEGENDS SDCC 2013 THUNDERBOLTS SET
10AM SDCC GOLD PIMP DADDY DESTRO
11AM G.I. JOE vs TRANSFORMERS SDCC 2013 BOX SET
12AM MY LITTLE PONY SDCC EXCLUSIVE DJ PON-3
1PM BLACK SERIES BOBA FETT & HAN SOLO IN CARBONITE SDCC 2013 BOX SET
2PM MARVEL UNIVERSE DEADPOOL CORPS SDCC 2013 SET
3PM FORTRESS MAXIMUS ENCORE 23
3PM SDCC GOLD PIMP DADDY DESTRO
3:30PM TRANFORMERS SDCC 2013 METROPLEX BOX SET
3:30PM PX-01 GENESIS

I’ll be honest here– this figure is a knock-out in my opinion. It’s a modern update of a classic design that is still immediately recognizable as Mirage! The overall parts combo works to produce a figure that shows that fan-produced customs can meet if not exceed the quality of Hasbro-produced pieces at times. My only regret with this figure is that I have no way to attend the con this weekend and therefore won’t be able to snag one. For those of you who are lucky enough to do so, appreciate him for the 1:18 piece of plastic awesome that he is!

This is just proof that when the “A-Team” of nova, raginspoon, cobrastickers, and Kevin Watts come together on a project good things will happen.

Check out some pics of this amazing figure below:

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New Jersey Collectors Con figure revealed as G.I. Joe’s Salvo!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Fans of custom figures in the G.I. Joe community are probably familiar with the name “Kevin Watts.” Know for his imaginative parts use and mind-blowing painting skills, Kevin is the mastermind behind the Canv-HISS project showcased at the 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention. He’s also the project lead behind last year’s amazing Metal-Head fan figure that was given away at the New Jersey Collector’s Convention. Well, it would seem that Kevin and his talented crew of customizers are back in action once again– and have revealed this year’s NJCC exclusive giveaway figure.

Salvo!

Right now, I really really HATE Kevin. I had the same reaction after last year’s Metal-Head figure. It’s not because it’s a bad figure or anything like that. It’s due to the simple fact that there is no way I’ll be able to obtain one of these. The figures are door-prizes– given away to attendees of the NJCC and are not officially sold in any other capacity. Also, they’re custom figures produced by hand– meaning that the production run is INSANELY low. I was fortunate to see a “prototype” of this figure at Joe Con this year and I can say that is doesn’t disappoint.

If you’re in the area, here’s information on the NJCC:

New Jersey Collector’s Con

Holiday Inn Cherry Hill – New Jersey
2175 West Marlton Pike (Rt. 70), Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Sunday, April 28th, 2013

NJCC Facebook page.

More information on this figure and the event can be found over at HissTank.com.

2013 JoeCon: The final summary of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention has been posted!

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention has come and gone and the summary of this year’s JoeCon has been posted.

I’ve updated the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention page with the latest con summary including links to all of the previously posted content as well as a final wrap-up of all things that I observed in Indy. It’s not a complete record of EVERYTHING– simply because that wouldn’t have been possible. For example, I missed out on the What’s on Joe Mind taping because of a call from Madmac41 that the Concept Vault figures had been put on display. So, any omissions are not intentional slights– but rather a reflection of the fact that one person can only be in one place at a time.

Also, due to some registration wackiness, my convention set will be arriving when the Homefront Heroes sets ship. However, I’ve got some quick images up and reviews of the souvenir items will begin THIS WEEK! (Lady Jaye is most like going up first.)

It was a great overall experience to reconnect with so many friends I’ve not seen in years.

Anyway, check out the 2013 JoeCon Summary directly or hit up the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention Index to peruse previous years!

2013 JoeCon: Sunday voice actor panel with Bill Ratner and Mary McDonald-Lewis

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Wow– one of the single greatest events of JoeCon 2013? That would be the Sunday voice actor panel with two of the greatest stars of the Sunbow G.I. Joe animated series– Bill Ratner and Mary McDonald-Lewis. That’s right, the voices of the original Flint and Lady Jaye were on stage together and they didn’t disappoint!

To open the Sunday panel, Bill and Mary took the stage and performed an impromptu script reading with a little help of Fun Publication’s own Pete Sinclair. The story was entitled “Flint & Lady Jaye Have a Baby” and detailed the events of a G.I. Joe mission in which Lady Jaye reveals that she’s expecting. After foiling the efforts of Cobra and returning to headquarters, they decide upon a name for their daughter– Marissa. It was a nice homage to both the Sunbow G.I. Joe and Transformers animated series and marked the first time that the two had performed their respective signature characters since production on the original series ended. Honestly– it was a fan written script performed at a convention and it still caused me to grin from ear-to-ear when two of my favorite animated characters seemingly returned to life in an auditorium in Indianapolis. In many ways, it was like being a kid again and rushing home from school to catch the animated adventures of Flint and Lady Jaye each weekday afternoon.

Following the performance, the two took audience questions and related a number of anecdotes about the production of the original Sunbow series. (Who knew Michael Bell carried a “man purse” or that Chris Latta was always late coming back from lunch?) Mary Mac and Bill both discussed the differences between voice acting and stage acting as well as their fondness for the days of radio performances. In the end, the hour went by far too quickly and the audience gave these two a standing ovation. 2013 marks the first ever JoeCon appearance for either of them and it would be fantastic to see their return in the future.

To catch-up on what these two talented voice actors are working on currently, visiting the following links:

Check out a few images from the panel below:

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2013 JoeCon: Hasbro panel detail summary

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

If you’ve been you’ve been following the JoeCon coverage here at JBL over the past few days– thank you! It’s been several years since I’ve been both at a con and an active part of the Joe community and there was some personal apprehension about coming back to this event after being away for nearly 4 years. However, I can honestly say that it’s good to be back in action again.

Earlier today, I posted live coverage of the Hasbro panel on Twitter. What follows here is a more detailed summary of the information that was presented earlier.

Hasbro had a very small presence at JoeCon this year. Consisting solely of Derryl DePriest and John Warden and a single display case, fan weren’t quite sure what to expect. In fact, the Dynamic Duo from Pawtucket opened their presentation by saying that they were showing the same slide show that was used at Toy Fair and that nothing new would be presented. However, some good information came out of their discussion.

In terms of G.I. Joe Retaliation, the highly anticipated wave 3 will be available later this year– and it’s looking like late July/early August. The order has been sent to the factories in China and production has begun. Figures like Kwinn, Data Viper, Ultimate Duke, Ultimate Roadblock, and Ultimate Flint will be hitting stores with a great deal of fan and retailer anticipation. During this part of the discussion, John Warden broke down some interesting facts for the wave.

Continue reading →

2013 JoeCon: The rest of the custom figures on display!

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

I promised yesterday that I’d go back and take pictures of the remaining custom figures on display at JoeCon. Thankfully, there was enough of a break in the schedule today that I was able to fulfill that particular promise. Again, the custom work by these folks is not to be underestimated! Just some truly brilliant and exciting pieces shown here in Indianapolis.

G.I. Joe customizers– my hat goes off to you all!

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2013 JoeCon: Hasbro’s concept case v2

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

This year at JoeCon many fans seemed disappointed that Hasbro didn’t have more to showcase in terms of new product. During the Hasbro panel, it was announced that there was nothing new to see due to the six month delay of the release of G.I. Joe Retaliation. So, attendees steeled themselves and found other news to be excited about.

I was sitting in the “What’s On Joe Mind” panel when my cell phone rang. It was Madmac41 telling me to get my keester down to the dealer’s room and bring my camera. So, I sauntered down, spotted him, and then dropped to my knees in awe. (Literally.) There, in the midst of the Hasbro case were new “concept case” figures and right smack dab in the middle of them was the greatest Marine to ever grace the team’s roster: GUNG-HO! (Suck it, Leatherneck.) Seriously– completely unannounced and unexpected.

There’s no guarantee that these figures will get made but are merely presented as means of gauging interest. So, this is one of the few times that I’ll ask anything of the fandom– if you have the opportunity, drop the name GUNG-HO at every opportunity. After all, he was one of the core characters in the Sunbow series as well as Larry Hama’s Marvel run.

With no further comments, here are the 2013 Concept Case figures:

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2013 JoeCon: Quick Hasbro panel details

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Posting a quick JoeCon update from the Hasbro panel via mobile.

Hit JBL’s twitter feed for the “as they happened” comments and details. I’ll collect everything later in more detail. Stick with JBL for more 2013 JoeCon news from the floor in Indy!

http://www.twitter.com/joebattlelines

JoeBattleLines

G.I. Joe news, action figure reviews, and discussion

Category Archives: Conventions

Meet Larry Hama and Neil Ross at Retro Con 2013 this weekend!

Coil Con IV is Saturday August 24! Midwest G.I. Joe gathering!

NJCC giveaway Mirage revealed! Limited availability on August 18, 2013!

New Jersey Collectors Con figure revealed as G.I. Joe’s Salvo!

2013 JoeCon: The final summary of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention has been posted!

2013 JoeCon: Sunday voice actor panel with Bill Ratner and Mary McDonald-Lewis

2013 JoeCon: Hasbro panel detail summary

2013 JoeCon: The rest of the custom figures on display!

2013 JoeCon: Hasbro’s concept case v2

2013 JoeCon: Quick Hasbro panel details

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