Changes to G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Memberships in 2016?

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Fred Meyer

Are changes coming to G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Memberships beyond 2016?

It was reported earlier today over at Allspark.com that there are changes coming to Transformers Collector’s Club memberships in 2016. To be more specific, regardless of when a member enrolls, all memberships will expire on December 31, 2016. This has also led to speculation on their forums about the future of the annual BotCon convention which is currently managed by Fun Publications.

Given the interconnected nature of the Fun Publications organizations, it didn’t take long for speculation to begin about the nature of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club memberships as well. Sure enough, a quick check of a membership page uncovered this new piece of verbiage at the bottom of the membership description:

Please note that at this time we are only accepting memberships and renewals for the 2016 calendar year. All memberships will end with the December 2016 issue. For example: if your membership renewal has a February start date, you will receive the FREE membership figure in the late spring along with 11 monthly issues. If your membership renewal has a March start date, you will receive the FREE membership figure in the late spring and 10 monthly issues.

Really? So, no matter when someone enrolls in 2016, their membership ends in December. Which means that the cost of a membership is the same, regardless of the number of issues of the newsletter received.

So, what does this actually mean? Is the Club transitioning their memberships to a calendar year model? Or, does this mean that Fun Publications will no longer be the entity behind the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club going forward? Or, is it merely verbiage that was ported over from the Transformers side of the organization by accident. We’ve reached out to Fun Publications and we’ll let you know what we find out going forward.

Right now there’s no OFFICIAL word as to what the future will hold for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club and the annual memberships. We can only wait and see what information, if any, the Club chooses to disseminate in the coming weeks.

EDIT: We reached out to directly to Brian Savage at the GIJCC who was good enough to send us back a prompt response.

All I can tell you is exactly what you read online. There is no additional information at this time.

So for now, this is all we know but I’m sure the coming weeks and months will reveal more information.

2016 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Pythona Mock-Up!

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Pythona mock-up has been unveiled!

Every so often the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club catches my by surprise. Today is one of those days.

When Pythona was revealed as the 2016 membership incentive figure I was a bit skeptical. Sure, the Club said that they would be releasing a Pythona figure but given the Club’s history of wash, rinse, repaint I found myself wondering if they could really pull off the new headsculpt and complicated paint deco that would be needed to bring this Cobra-La emissary to life.

Color me surprised. Pleasantly. In fact, she looks pretty good when compared to the animated appearance of the character:

Continue reading →

Marissa Fairborn & Afterbreaker Review

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The Marissa Fairborn & Afterbreaker G.I. Joe & the Transformers set have been reviewed!

Thanks to our good buddy Otto “The Otter” Phillips, JBL has a fresh review of this shared exclusive set from both the G.I. Joe & Transformers Collectors Clubs. Featuring the future daughter of Flint & Lady Jaye as well as Techno-bot team member ~~Afterburner~~, um… Afterbreaker, this set has something for fans of both lines.

Is the Marissa Fairborn & Afterbreaker two-pack worth your hard-earned cash? Did Otto finally convert over to being a full-time Transformers fan? The answers to these questions and more can be found over at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index!

G.I. Joe Club Sub Viper & Wave Crusher now in stock!

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The long-awaited Wave Crusher & Sub Viper set is now IN STOCK at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club store.

Apparently the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club doesn’t care that the new 50th Anniversary product is hitting stores now and that the SDCC exclusives just went up for sale at HTS as today they’ve opened up sales on both the Wave Crusher and the two G.I. Joe / Transformers crossover sets! After all, aren’t all collectors independently wealthy?

Regardless, this repaint of the 25th Anniversary Night Specter (SHARC) comes complete with an exclusive Sub Viper figure. It was stated at Joe Con 2015 that sales of future vehicle sets such as the announced Dreadnok Heartwrencher are dependant upon sales of the Wave Crusher and Sub Viper.

If you’re looking to snag the Wave Crusher and Sub Viper, it’s listed for $49.00 at the Club store.

G.I. Joe Club Exclusive Wave Crusher and Sub Viper

And now you know…

G.I. Joe Club Old Snake & Stealth BATS in stock!

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe/Transformers “Old Snake & Stealth BATs” set is now IN STOCK at the G.I.Joe Collector’s Club store!

The past few years have seen more G.I. Joe/Transformers crossovers than I would have thoguht possible including three SDCC exclusives from Hasbro. This year Fun Publications, the company behind both the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club and the Transformers Collectors Club, announced two different crossover sets– one featuring Marissa Faireborne, the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye, and a second featuring a beloved character from the Transformers episode “Only Human.” In this episode, the villain Drath approached an indvidual named “Old Snake” for his synthoid technology, something that Cobra had used numerous times in the G.I. Joe cartoon. Old Snake, as most fans will immediately recognize, was intended to be the future version of Cobra Commander! Continue reading →

FSS 4 Tiger Force Sneak Peek Revealed!

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Fred Meyer

Dare I say it! Check out this “sneak peek” of FSS 4 Tiger Force Sneak Peek!

TIGER FORCE ADVANCED RECON: SNEAK PEEK

(Based on the European exclusive Tiger Force action figure!)

Includes: removable helmet & vest, assault rifle, binoculars, field radio, NEW periscope, and figure stand.

The reveals from FSS 4 are coming fast and furious these days! With the July 15th signup deadline fast approaching the Club seems driven to finish all of the previews this week! After Tiger Force Sneak Peek, only two more reveals remain!

Continue reading →

FSS 4 Bullhorn is revealed!

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe FSS 4 Bullhorn digital mock-up has been revealed by the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club!

G.I. JOE INTERVENTION SPECIALIST: BULLHORN

(Based on the 1990 G.I. Joe action figure!)

Includes: removable headband & harness, assault rifle, bullhorn, gas mask, weapons case with sniper rifle, pistol, and figure stand.

Continue reading →

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal Review

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Fred Meyer

The FSS 3 Crimson Guard Immortal has been reviewed!

Whew! With that, the FSS 3 reviews are done! As part of the final shipment, the Crimson Guard Immortal was one of the most anticipated figures in the entire FSS. Originally shown at the 2012 Joe Con as part of the imfamous first “Concept Case reveals”, this figure has been on the fandom’s radar for some time. When it was announced in 2014 as part of the FSS 3, fans were both surprised and excited for the opportunity to finally get their hands on this “elite of the elite” trooper.

Was the Crimson Guard Immortal worth the wait? Did Fred and Chris agree on this one? Is the review full of bad Highlander puns? Will I stop with the questions and just get to the point already?

Check out the review either by clicking on the picture above or jumping over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index. Afterwards, leave your own thoughts about this figure in the comments below.

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite Review

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Fred Meyer

G.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite has been reviewed!

Okay, I realize that this one is a bit late. It’s on me– as Chris, my FSS partner-in-crime, had his text to me some time ago. Some fans might be a bit wary after last year’s “Grand Slam Gate” reveal when it comes to the 13th bonus figures but the Collector’s Club stepped up this year to complete the 1985 roster with this previously absent vehicle driver.

What did two sometimes-wordy Joe fans think of the G.I. Joe FSS 3 Frostbite figure? Was Frostbite worth the wait? Is he just another repaint? Am I asking too many questions?

Head on over to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out!

Update on G.I. Joe FSS & Joe Con 2015 Reviews

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Fred Meyer

Sigh… I hate this kind of post. I really do.

Joe Con 2015 and G.I. Joe FSS reviews are coming. Really. I had photos shot for these reviews for weeks now and even have the web page built. Joe Con 2015, Joe Con 2013, and the FSS reviews for Hit & Run, Alpine, Crimson Guard Immortal, Big Ben, and Frostbite are about 85% ready to go!

So, you might find yourself asking, what’s the holdup?

Between my current real-life job and some family obligations, I’ve just not had the time to sit down and really finish the writing. Knock on wood I can sequester myself away this weekend for a bit and finalize my portion of the text.

However, I don’t want to leave folks hanging. Below is a preview gallery of images from many of the G.I. Joe FSS and Joe Con 2015 reviews that will be hitting here soon. Consider it a bit of a “mea culpa” for being so tardy.