Save G.I. Joe petition now live at Change.org

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Fred Meyer

Bummed by the Collector’s Club news this week? Do you want to help Save G.I. Joe? Look no further than one fan’s petition and make your voice heard!

We live in an age of social activism. It is far easier to rally the troops behind a cause than at any other point in history due to the 24/7 interconnected nature of our society. As such, when all of the news about the potential end of Fub Publications’ relationship with Hasbro and the cessation of new G.I. Joe Collector’s Club memberships after March 16 dropped this week, many fans were shell-shocked.

What did this mean for the brand? Was G.I. Joe going to go away? Would there never be another Joe Con again? Where would fans get their tangible and social G.I. Joe fix? Is this really the deh of teh line!1!!!???

Over on Change.org, there’s a petition to #SaveGIJoe. While the future of the brand itself is at least being discussed as part of the forthcoming Hasbro Cinematic Universe many fans still want to let Hasbro know that G.I. Joe (and the annual Joe Con) still has a following and is still important to them. As such, the petition was started as a show of support not for Fun Publications or A Real American Hero but for the larger brand of G.I. Joe itself. Yes, much of the focus is about the annual Joe Con but, according to one of the organizers of the petition, the goal is (and I’m paraphrasing here) to remind a billion dollar company to not only remember what the last 50+ years has built but to see what the next 50+ years could bring.

If you’d like to throw your name in to support the Save G.I. Joe petition, head on over to Change.org and not only sign but add in your own comments as well. Plus, you can use the hashtag #savegijoe to further the message on your favorite social media platforms.

And now you know…

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Kindle Worlds G.I. Joe Poll Winner Announced

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Fred Meyer

Hasbro announced the winner of the G.I. Joe Kindle Worlds Poll this weekend in a surprise post over at Hasbro Pulse. Without further adieu, the winner is…

Bill Nedrow’s Stiletto!

As featured in G.I. Joe Body Count, Stiletto will be joining the ranks of the G.I. Joe team in action figure form in 2016! Congratulations to Bill on this amazing opportunity to see his character “come to life” in plastic form. Well done, sir!

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Kindle Worlds Poll for New 2016 G.I. Joe!

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The Hasbro Kindle Worlds Poll for a new 2016 G.I. Joe is now open! Hurry over to the article on Hasbro Pulse and cast your vote for one of FOUR exciting fan-created characters through Monday November 9, 2015!

Before you vote, we’ve collected links to the stories featuring each of the four Kindle Worlds characters. Check ’em out below, read the stories, and then cast your vote for your favorite character.

Here’s the official details on the contest including thoughts from brand manager Mark Weber: Continue reading →

Girls of the Finest 2016 Calendar project is at 87%

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The Girls of the Finest 2016 Calendar project is now 87% funded!

That’s a fantastic total and one that the online community should be proud of. These lovely ladies have so far raised $7,380 of their $8,500 goal to help support the USO. However, their not resting on their laurels just yet– the Girls of the Finest 2016 calendar project still has 13% of their goal to go!

If you’re on the fence about supporting this project, this is the time to step forward! A simple contribution of $25 secures one printed copy of the 2016 calendar, as well as a unique postcard and trading card from the photo shoots! Sure, you could go out and buy any old calendar for the office or the Joe room for next year but wouldn’t you much rather show your support for the USO by backing the Girl’s of the Finest 2016 calendar?

However, don’t take my word for it– here are some words of encouragement from members of the finest themselves!

To show your support, visit the Girls of the Finest 2016 Calendar project on IndieGoGo today! With your help, this project can succeed!

Girls of the Finest Calendar Drive Hits 70%

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The 2016 Girls of the Finest Calendar drive is now 70% funded with just 12 days to go!

What a project! As we discussed previously here at JBL, the lovely ladies of the Girls of the Finest calendar from 2015 are back and are once again asking for your help in raising funds to support a worthy cause. Even better, they’re offering an amazingly high-quality 2016 calendar as an incentive for folks to donate to the project– with the proceeds going to benefit the United Service Organizations.

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Support Collecting the Art of G.I. Joe on Kickstarter

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The Kickstarter for Collecting the Art of G.I. Joe is now LIVE!

If you’ve been to 3DJoes.com any time recently you might have already seen the hardcover edition of this book listed. It’s an incredible coffee table volume that spotlights the amazing package art from the 1982 – 1983 releases from the classic G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. The hardcover volume collects newly digitally restored artwork in an incredible 8″ x 11″ volume that shows just what made the classic packaging so attractive. The only downside of this volume was that it carried a hefty price tag of $205.

Enter the Collecting the Art of G.I. Joe Kickstarter!

A pledge of $45.00 (plus shipping) will secure your very own paperback copy of Collecting the Art of G.I. Joe vol 1! With a modest funding goal of $6,000.00 this project will make paperback copies of the book available to more fiscally-conscious fans everywhere!

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Coil Con 6 is August 15 – 16 in Dayton Ohio

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Fred Meyer

Coil Con 6 will be held this year in Dayton, OH on August 15 – 16! That’s right Joe fans, the 6th annual event is hitting the road and expanding to two full days!

It’s been exciting to watch Coil Con grow each year from its beginnings in Kokomo, IN on the grounds of Kokomo Toys to last year’s change of venue to Indianapolis. However, this year proves to be the biggest year yet with the expansion to a two day event and the change of venue to Dayton, OH!

This event is entirely fan-driven and offers G.I. Joe collectors from across the Midwest a chance to gather together and share a common love of “all things Joe.” There are dealers, special guests, and many opportunities just to kick back and share the love of the hobby.

While the official site hasn’t been updated yet, the announcement was made throughout many groups and communities on Facebook late last night. For more information on scheduled events, guests, and lodging, keep your eyes peeled to both CoilCon.com as well as the official Coil Con Facebook page.

JBL had a blast at Coil Con IV and I’m planning on trying to make it back to this year’s event. If you’re planning on attending, give a shout out in the comments below!

Rank & File v1 is now available online!

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Fred Meyer

A few weeks back JBL reported that “noted author” James Kavanaugh was releasing a new reference book entitled Rank & File centered on the “no-ring” era of G.I. Joe figures. Now, we’re happy to report that Rank & File is now available online!

That’s right, the first volume of this amazing guide series to the “modern era” of G.I. Joe is available for just $20 + shipping. (US & International)

Trust me, Rank & File lives up the high standard set by the RAHC Guide that covered 1997 – 2007. I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy at Joe Con 2015 from “the man himself” and have been pouring through it ever since. (Expect a review in the near future! Really!) From the detailed photography to the intuitive layout, this book is sure to become a “much used tome” on your G.I. Joe reference shelf!

So run, don’t walk, over to RAHCGuide.com and snag your copy of Rank & File v1 now! Quantities are limited and you won’t want to miss out on this terrific companion to your ARAH Generation 3 G.I. Joe collection!

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Coil Con V is September 13, 2014 in Indianapolis!

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Fred Meyer

It’s that time of year again– Coil Con V is happening in just over a week!

Nothing says “end of summer” like Coil Con, the fan-run convention that brings together G.I. Joe collectors from across the Midwest! This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever as the event has outgrown its previous venue in Kokomo, IN (at ever-amazing Kokomo Toys) and instead takes over the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel in Indy!

In addition to a toy drive to benefit the Child Life initiative at the Indianapolis Children’s Hospital, this year’s event will feature a host of vendors, the door prize/raffle table, and the always exciting travelling exhibit of JoeDeclassified.com. Plus, if you’ve not already seen it, check out this preview of Shrike, this year’s exclusive Coil Con figure! (JBL received permission to mirror the images below.) He’s the creation of Coil Club designers Jay Hunger & Brian Kauffman and will be part of a 2 figure set that’s limited to only 40 pieces!

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This year’s roster of guests includes:

Sean Forney – comic artist, SMComics.com
Bryan K. Borgman – creator, Kaiju Kaos minatures game
James Kavanaugh – author, R.A.H.C. Guide
Gary “Gyre-Viper” Head – JoeDeclassified.com archivist & fandom Elitist
Gary Godsoe – show-runner of What’s on Joe Mind podcast
Mike Irizarry – co-anchor on What’s on Joe Mind podcast

Check out the Coil Con V event page over at CoilCon.com for the full details and make preparations to join your fellow Joe fans in Indy in just over a week!

Plus, check out these photos from last year’s event held at Kokomo Toys! C’mon– you KNOW you want to go!

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3DJoes.com Kickstarter is Now LIVE

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Fred Meyer

The staff at JBL are big fans of the website 3DJoes.com. (Let’s not forget its sister site Vintage3DJoes.com!)
Running a website is a labor of love and, for the most part, it’s a strictly not-for-profit endeavor. All of those costs that go into keeping a site up and running are typically absorbed by the site owner unless he or she happens to generate some ad revenue. Or, if you’re very very clever like Carson Mataxis, you can sell some truly AWESOME posters to help offset the costs.

Unfortunately, to produce such high quality posters also costs money– which is where the 3DJoes.com Kickstarter comes in. Here’s the announcement from Carson:

For two years I’ve been building 3DJoes.com, the ultimate G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero archive! 3DJoes is the only interactive, three dimensional museum of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero nostalgia. Best of all, it’s ad-free.

To help pay for the site, I’ve created three awesome posters (check them out here). I’ve taken a HUGE gamble each time I’ve printed one of these posters. The last couple posters have gone on a credit card and they have each taken over four months to break even. I simply cannot put another poster on credit, but that won’t stop me!

I’m ready to make three more, and I need your help! Each poster costs $3,000 to produce. SO, I’ve set the goal at $3,300 (to cover Amazon and KS fees) and hope to at least produce one of the following posters. If we hit the first stretch goal ($6,600), we’ll make two, and if we hit the second stretch goal ($9,900), we’ll make all three!

As always, I’m impressed with the level of detail that Carson puts into restoring each image to optimum quality. If you’ve seen his previous work, you’ll know that the final product is the best possible version of each piece of art. Now, imagine that level of meticulous detail applied to the vehicle artwork, or the 1986 – 1987 Joes, or even smaller pieces like post cards of the “To The Rescue” or “Yo Joe!” posters. Or, if artwork isn’t necessarily your cup-o-Joe you can walk away with a fantastic embroidered hat– just for supporting a truly terrific fan resource.

Even better– top-tier supporters can walk away with some of their items autographed by two of the minds behind the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero era — Larry Hama and Kirk Bozigian!

With 42 days to go, the project already has 42 backers and has raised $2,816.00 of its modest $3,300.00 goal. Let’s push that over the top and ensure that 3DJoes.com can keep on spinning! The deadline to contribute is September 3, 2014 at 8:01pm CST.

Show what support you can and let ’em know that the fan community supports 3DJoes.com!

3DJoes.com Kickstarter Project