Review: Figure Subscription Service Widescope!

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Fred Meyer

G.I. Joe Collector's Club Figure Subscription Service Widescope

Figure Subscription Service Widescope & Lamont

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service shipments have been hitting in rapid fire recently! It was barely month ago shipment #1 dropped an all-Tiger Force deployment in the mailboxes of subscribers and shipment #2 arrived just before the Thanksgiving holiday!

New figures mean new reviews here at JBL and this time I’ve pulled in some help! Chris “Werecat” Chung has jumped in to help discuss the latest addition to the generation 3 G.I. Joe figure roster: Widescope and his trusty pal Lamont!

What do two reviewers think of this newest SWAT team member from the Figure Subscription Service? Hit the Collector’s Club Review Index and find out! Also, check back tomorrow as Chris and I take on the Range Viper Commander better known as Skullbuster!

Review: Figure Subscription Service Tiger Force Shipwreck

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Fred Meyer

After a long dry spell it would seem that the floodgates of new G.I. Joe products have been opened! The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club recently shipped out the first installment of their Figure Subscription Service 2.0 and now the second shipment is on its way! So, as fans are keeping an impatient surveillance on their mailboxes, JBL takes a look at the second half of the first shipment of FSS 2.0 – Tiger Force Shipwreck!

Can the G.I. Joe team’s salty sailor pull off the Tiger Force color scheme in generation 3 construction? Check out the Collector’s Club Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion! (Feel free to leave your own comments below.)

Cross Country Announced as G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Renewal Figure

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Fred Meyer

It’s that time of year again– when the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club reveals the membership renewal figures for the forthcoming year in an attempt to encourage fans to sign-up/renew their membership. After a string of successful endeavors over the past few years including Dial-Tone, Footloose, and Iceberg the club pulls out all of the stops with this year’s reveal of HAVOC driver Cross Country!

Based on the debut 1986 version of Cross Country the figure looks pretty darned solid in this fan’s eyes and I’d be remiss if I didn’t sense the involvement of Boss Fight Studios in this design somewhere. According to the Club:

2014 CROSS-COUNTRY (3 3/4-Inch Modern Era Action Figure)

CROSS-COUNTRY is the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club FREE Membership Incentive Figure for 2014! This FREE figure will be sent to any G.I. Joe Club member that chooses the 3 3/4-inch figure option and whose membership is active by March 16th, 2014.

This club exclusive CROSS-COUNTRY action figure features a NEW head sculpt, NEW vest with holster, figure stand, classic file card and accessories, including: assault rifle, pistol, and NEW vehicle wrench. Members can expect to receive this bagged figure with all his accessories in late spring/early summer of 2014!

It’s a nice recreation/update of the original figure that brings Cross Country firmly into the Generation 3 era of 1:18 construction. I do miss the character’s goofy grin that was so prevalent on the original 1986 design but I can live without also seeing his “chipmunk cheeks” recreated as well. (Seriously, it looked he either had the mumps or was storing nuts for the winter in there!) What is more surprising is that the GIJCC revealed the release of the “HAVOC Mk II” as an optional accessory for purchase later. Essentially just a repainted Snowcat I’m not certain how it will go over with a membership that has already purchased two Figure Subscription Service waves in the past year. Consider me definitely down for Cross Country and a probable “pass” on the HAVOC Mk II.

All of the renewal information for both 1:18 and 1:6 can be found at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club links below.

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Figure Subscription Service 2.0 is Shipping!!!

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Fred Meyer

It may be a long time until new G.I. Joe product is on store shelves but some fans will have a surprise waiting for them in their mailboxes very soon! The first shipment of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service has shipped and a few lucky fans already have theirs in hand!

Caution: Spoilers ahead for those who want the shipment to be a surprise. However, for the remaining 95% of the fandom, the identities will be revealed below.

Master customizer and all-around great guy Alyosha of Broken Arrow Toys posted a few quick shots of his shipment on Facebook over the weekend to reveal that the first shipment is a box of Tiger Force goodness! That’s right Joe fans, Tiger Force Shipwreck and Airtight should be arriving on subscribers’ doors very very soon.

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I have to admit– this shipment is a mixed bag for me. Let me start off by saying that I’ve NEVER been a big fan of the original Tiger Force color scheme. Sorry gang, but yellow and black striped shirts seem like they’d blend better at Mardi Gras than in any of the world’s jungles. As such, I’ve never owned much in the way of Tiger Force ANYTHING save for the Valor vs. Venom Tiger Force Alpine & Crosshairs two-pack and the Toys R Us Exclusive Tiger Force 6 pack. Not one vintage piece is found anywhere in my collection. HOWEVER, I have to say that these are growing on me. Airtight is probably the Joe whose original color scheme is closest to his original release and, well, Shipwreck is Shipwreck. Thanks to Sunbow I have a soft spot in my Joe fan heart for the character and cut him a lot of slack. (In some ways he’s Sunbow’s equivalent to Deadpool.)

Expect some reviews of the final product once they drop on my door step in the coming days. However, so far I don’t hate them like I thought I would. However, I’m going to go on record and say now that I’d still rather see some more 1:18 Adventure Team in the next FSS than I would more Tiger Force! (Or Sgt. Savage!!!)

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FSS 2.0: Carded Cesspool Revealed!

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Fred Meyer

It’s been awfully quiet on the G.I. Joe toy news front lately. However, the good folks over at the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club decided to spice things up a bit with a bit of an unveiling today. Over on their Facebook page they unveiled a carded sample of one of the figures from FSS 2.0— the Cobra CEO: CESSPOOL!

Cesspool, not to be confused with the uber-awesome Merc With a Mouth Deadpool, was Cobra’s analogy to the 1989 movie version of the Joker. Disfigured in a chemical accident, he was one part brilliant businessman and two parts chemically-induced nutjob. Granted, good old Cesspool was used only sparingly in both the DiC series and in the Marvel Comics run but, by all appearances, this figure does a SOLID job of capturing the classic ARAH figure and bringing him forward into the Generation 3 era. Based on the body of the Techno-Viper and featuring an AMAZING headsculpt from Boss Fight Studio, this was one of the figures that immediately convinced me to sign up for the second round of the FSS.

One cool detail that I noticed when ~~drooling over~~ looking at the image above is that Cesspool’s right eye is now completely “dead”. LOVE IT! I’m not entirely sold on the card art which seems just a bit too jolly even with the giant scar but I also have ZERO intention of leaving this figure sealed. (GASP! I know! I’m not a real collector!) Going just on the figure alone this one looks to be a good addition to the Cobra shelf.

No ETA on when FSS 2.0 will start shipping but this just ramps up the excitement a bit. So while you’re waiting for him to arrive, check out JBL’s Review of the 1991 Cesspool figure!

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G.I. Joe FSS 2.0: Keel-Haul and Big Bear revealed!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Fred Meyer

With the deadline to sign-up for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service 2.0 approaching in 12 days, the final two mock-ups have been revealed!

Big Bear:

First, there was the Joe Con 2012 Operation Bear Trap set. Next, came the reveal of Dragonsky as part of the FSS 2.0 service. Finally, the latest member of the Oktober Guard has been unveiled! Big Bear has never been a huge presence in my mind when it comes to the Oktober Guard and yet I’m happy to see his inclusion in this round of the FSS. After all, you can never have too many people fighting “For the peace-loving people of the Warsaw Pact Nations!” It’s also nice to see elements of the body of the cancelled Alpine Mech Pilot seeing some use. Plus, this head would make for a great Marko Ramius from “The Hunt for Red October.”

Keel-Haul:

I don’t know why but I’ve always had a soft-spot for the character of Keel-Haul. (Or “The Admiral” as I referred to him.) With his aviator jacket, cocked cap, and Burt Reynolds moustache he was a bit of a retired bad-@$$ in my Joeverse. After reading his filecard, the Admiral was one of the Joes that saw field action rather than spending his days resigned to the wheelhouse on the USS Flagg. When it comes to his FSS version, I’m liking what I’m seeing– although the inclusion of the flag is a bit puzzling. However, I’ll say this– there’s never a bad reason for a Joe to hold up the Stars and Stripes respectfully– or in this case the flag of the Flagg itself!

Check out all of the other released mock-ups below. If you’re inclined to sign-up, check out the FSS 2.0 page at GIJoeClub.com and place your order before the deadline!

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G.I. Joe FSS 2: Cesspool & Bombardier mock-ups unveiled!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club is pulling out all of the stops during this Figure Subscription Service sign-up period– with two more mock-up being unveiled today! The deadline to sign-up is May 22, 2013 and only two more mock-ups remain a mystery.

Bombardier:

Maybe I’m a “bad” G.I. Joe collector but I’ve never been very interested in collecting international figures– until now. The GIJCC took the “blonde Flash” from a few years ago and brought him firmly forward into the Generation 3 era of G.I. Joe. This new version is faithful to his Palitoy origins in terms of initial gear and parts construction. However, he goes completely over the top into “cool” with the inclusion of the Rise of Cobra missile drone accessory. Now if only the Club will give him the name of “Dave Tree” in honor of the Joe detective who shed light on the mysterious origins of this figure!

Cesspool:

Cesspool is one of those figures that I discovered later in life. I was out of actively collecting G.I. Joe when he was released in 1991 and it wasn’t until I wrote the 1991 Cesspool ARAH Review for JBL that I discovered just how amazingly interesting the character was. From his twisted backstory as a cost-cutting CEO to his disfiguring scarred countenance, the character of Vincent D’Alleva really appealed to me. His inclusion in FSS 2.0 was one of the swaying factors in this particular Joe fan’s decision to sign-up. While the Club’s mock-up is mostly digital, I’m happy with the parts combination and am looking forward to seeing a more tangible prototype in the future. This guy is almost the Joker of the G.I. Joe world– what’s NOT to love?!

If this hasn’t convinced you to sign up for FSS 2.0, maybe the final two releases will!

G.I. Joe FSS 2.0: Desert Scorpion and Widescope unveiled!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club isn’t content to let me post one update today for the FSS 2.0! Nope, they’ve got to unveil TWO more characters in the second round of the Figure Subscription Service: Desert Scorpion and Widescope!

Desert Scorpion:

Fans have been clamoring for the Desert Scorpion ever since the second wave of Mechs was cancelled. (Both Alpine and Desert Scorpion were to be released as mech pilots.) Honestly, he’s not a bad “Franken-Joe” at all and, if my eyes don’t deceive me, that’s the Valor vs. Venom Desert Scorpion insect accessory seeing some new life. Not too shabby at all!

Widescope (and Lamont!):

I’m a sucker for new characters and the GvC era of G.I. Joe was chock-full of them. Sure, we have Shockwave (sorry… SHOCKBLAST) in the Generation 3 era already but who’s to say that the Joes can have only one SWAT specialist? Plus, Widescope comes complete with Lamont– his trust canine partner! With Mutt & Junkyard, Law & Order, and now Widescope & Lamont the Joes are going to have a pretty full kennel! (No, I didn’t forget about Timber– but he walks alone.)

Remember, the deadline to sign-up is May 22, 2013! Check out the Figure Subscription Service 2.0 page at GIJoeClub.com for more details!

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Tollbooth and Tiger Force Shipwreck are latest G.I. Joe FSS reveals!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club unveiled two more mock-ups of figures that will be included in Figure Subscription Service 2.0 late last week! (However, the admin of JBL had that day off and was away from the internet for most of the day. Something about “wanting a three day weekend” or some such nonsense.)

As was posted previously, sign-up for FSS Round 2 is in full swing so the reveals are trickling out. For the latest two mock-up unveilings, the GIJCC pulled out a classic repaint and a new-to-Generation-3 update of an ARAH vehicle driver.

Tollbooth:

I’ve always had a soft spot for the driver of the Bridge Layer. Maybe it was because I received the original vehicle back in the 80’s as completely unexpected Christmas present or maybe it’s the fact that the driver carried a sledgehammer but something about the character made a strong impression upon this Joe fan. The GIJCC chose well both in terms of parts and accessories– two of the construction cones that previously came with the 30th Techno-Viper are a perfect inclusion! Plus, this is the first LOGICAL use of the mattock that was included with the Resolute Roadblock! As Thomas O’ Mahoney suggested on JBL’s Facebook page, toss in a shovel from the G.I. Joe Retaliation Trooper and he’s ready to get to work on some battlefield fortifications!

Tiger Force Shipwreck:

When it comes to sub-teams, I prefer Night Force over Tiger Force. (I’m still impatiently waiting for my 2013 Homefront Heroes Joe Con set to arrive!!!) So, this figure isn’t exactly one that is high up on my personal Want List. In fact, it’s pretty low on that totem pole. It’s not that this is a bad figure design– the Club has done a really decent job of replicating the color scheme of the ARAH original. It’s just that most of the Tiger Force color schemes were goofy in the 80’s and they’ve not aged particularly well. Plus, this figure uses the 25th Anniversary 5 pack Shipwreck head which has never looked like Hector X. Delgado to me. He’ll most likely end up on shelf behind my Tiger Force Flint and Tiger Force Duke figures.

Sign-up for FSS 2.0 runs through May 22, 2013! After that, it’s secondary market prices which tend to skew higher.

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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: