G.I. Joe Retaliation returns to AMC Theaters August 5 – 7

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Would you like to see G.I. Joe Retaliation on the big screen just one more time? Would you consider donating to the Autism Society of America, Will Rogers Institute, or Autism Speaks?

If you answered “Yes” to either of these questions, AMC Theaters has a deal for you. Introducing the “Spend Your Summer Nights at AMC” program!

The program is simple– for the rest of the summer AMC Theaters is hosting a special screening of a previously-released film each Monday – Wednesday night at 10pm. For only $3.00, you can have the chance to revisit a number of blockbuster films on the big screen one more time including The Amazing Spider-man, Django Unchained, and G.I. Joe Retaliation! That’s right– the incredibly fun Joe movie directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Bruce Willis, the Rock, and Ray Park will be on the big screen from August 5 – 7.

So, not only can you revisit all the thrilling action of the Joes taking down Cobra one more time but you can also feel good about doing so by knowing that your ticket dollars will go to help one of three key children’s medical charities. C’mon– what could be better than that?

As they said in Starship Troopers– do your part! Hit AMC Theaters today! (Okay, maybe I added that last bit.)

Check out AMC’s Spend Your Summer Nights at AMC website for more information!

SDCC 2013: G.I. Joe vs. Transformers set revealed!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The 2013 San Diego Comic Con exclusive G.I. Joe vs. Transformers set has been announced via USA Today and trust me, this SDCC set is a doozy!

Listing at only $99 and available at the HasbroToyShop.com booth, this year’s set includes the following:

Jetfire (modified Skystriker)
Hound (modified 25th Anniversary VAMP)
Snake Eyes
Baroness (new head sculpt!)
Ravage (with leash)
Blaster (with 3 cassettes)
Bludgeon (based on the forthcoming Budo body!)

Just looking at this list it’s easy to see that Hasbro is going for broke with what is billed as the “epic conclusion” to their series of G.I. Joe vs. Transformers exclusives. With two larger vehicles, three figures, and a slew of new accessories it’s easily the most impressive piece in the series. (Last year’s Shockwave HISS w/ Destro and Constructi-BAT was no slouch, however.) For the cost, this set is a STEAL!

For me, one of the high points of the entire set is the Baroness and Ravage which hearkens back to the cancelled statue that was based on early artwork from Dreamwave’s G.I. Joe vs. Transformers crossover comic series. The new Baroness head is awesome and, well, Ravage has been one of my favorite Transformers since G1 debuted! Plus, the VAMP has been and always will be my favorite G.I. Joe vehicle– throwing in Jetfire just makes this set PURE WIN to me. The use of the forthcoming Budo body to produce Bludgeon is just the icing on the cake. (Nice work by John Warden and the guys in Pawtucket on this one!)

Check out Brian Truitt’s article on USAToday.com for some great quotes from both John and Derryl DePriest about this set and start making plans now to snag this one– I have the feeling that Hasbro could never produce enough to meet the demand this time!

[Show as slideshow]

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!

[Show as slideshow]

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!

[Show as slideshow]

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.

[Show as slideshow]

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:

[Show as slideshow]

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: Collector’s Club Roundtable and FSS 2 details

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

The main events of JoeCon 2013 are winding down with today’s G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Round Table meeting. As usual, Lanny, Brian, David, and Pete broke down the design work that went into this year’s convention sets– including all of the various elements that made up the first-ever Kre-O exclusives. However, that’s not all that was discussed.

David Lane broke down the roster for the forthcoming Figure Subscription Service round 2. Sign-up should start sometime in April and run until early May– encompassing “two pay periods” but for less than 30 days. As far as the roster is concerned, David stated that the selections were based on the feedback received in the convention surveys; the more requested a figure, the better the likelihood it will receive consideration. When asked about Pythona and other Sunbow characters, the answer came back that they have appeared in the survey results but never in large enough numbers to warrant inclusion. (Somehow, Sure Fire gained enough of a following, however.)

The 2013 roster includes:

Widescope
Dragonsky
Night Force Falcon (with new equipment)
Bombadier (UK)
Tiger Force Tripwire (Brazil)
Tiger Force Shipwreck (Brazil)
Admiral Keel Haul
Tool Booth
Cesspool
Skullbuster
Cobra Desert Scorpion
Big Bear

The next FSS could ship as soon as August 2013, leaving fans with only a one month gap between FSS 1 and 2.

Other tidbits from the panel include the goal of opening con registration six months before the event and having a more regular schedule for the event itself. Working with Kre-O figures proved to be a brand new challenge and may or may not happen again. Due to logistical issues with the height of the parachute drop, the paratrooper figure was changed to a Kreon to prove more practical at a lower height. Some of the Night Force convention figures also feature a glow-in-the-dark series of paint apps but not all.

Here are the slides from the presentation which include a few mock-ups of figures from FSS. These are merely digital creations at this time and are NOT physical prototypes.

[Show as slideshow]

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: