Tag Archives: 1:18 scale

G.I. Joe Retaliation Wave 3 Joe Colton reviewed!

Posted on by

It’s been a while since any new G.I. Joe reviews have been posted at JBL and there is a good reason.  After a year long search, I finally bought and moved into a new house over the holidays. The good part is that there is a lot more room for Amanda, the cats, and I.  The bad news is that most of Joe stuff is still in boxes– and that includes the photo setup.  However, some quick jury rigging allowed me to shoot a few pics recently of my most anticipated figure from the entire G.I. Joe Retaliation line: Joe Colton!  Sure, the photos are quite up to my usual standards but they proved to be a lot of fun to shoot!

I won’t lie– I don’t see this figure as the bearded General that Larry Hama first introduced us to back in G.I. Joe vol 1 #86.  Instead, I picture him as a certain plucky New York cop who always seems to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when terrorists attack.  That’s right– I’m talking about Officer John McClane of the Die Hard franchise.

Regardless of how you use this Bruce Willis action figure in your collection, check out JBL’s first review of 2013 in the G.I. Joe Retaliation Review Index!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Snake Eyes Joe Colton Roadblock

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Muskrat & Psyche-Out revealed!

Posted on by

Another night and two more reveals by the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club from the 2013 Joe Con set!   Tonight’s unveiling? Muskrat & Psyche-Out!

muskrat

NIGHT FORCE: SWAMP FIGHTER – MUSKRAT

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– NEW Head with a NEW Removable Boonie Hat,
Combat Vest is also Removable
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Tactical Shotgun,
Machete, Pistol with Suppressor, and Knife

 

psycheout

NIGHT FORCE: PSY OPS OFFICER – PSYCHE-OUT

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1988
– NEW Head with NEW Removable Sonic Emitters,
[Attachments fit on Arms and Sonic Generator]
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Assault Rifle, Pistol,
Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) Backpack,
Sonic Generator Device and Sonic Emitter Cones

I never thought I’d say this but of the two figure Psyche-Out is the CLEAR winner! From the headsculpt to the reuse of the 30th Duke body, he’s head and shoulders above most updates to classic designs. Muskrat is solid but the blue is throwing me off somewhat. However, as it has been pointed out to me the blue vest is removable. Otherwise, the club continues to hit a home run in terms of successful updates to classic characters.

Bring on Hit & Run and Repeater!

con-cobra-mortal
con-frag-vipers
con-letal
con-nocturnal-fire-set
charbroil
teaser-image
muskrat
psycheout
crimson-asp
saw-viper
hitandrun
max
repeater
spearhead
Joe Con Nocturnal Fire
charbroil-comp
charbroil_head
[Show as slideshow]

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Charbroil is HOT!!!

Posted on by

Last night, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club updated the 2013 Joe Con page with the latest preview image from this year’s Night Force set.  Charbroil has been revealed!

NIGHT FORCE: FLAMETHROWER – CHARBROIL

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– NEW Re-tooled Classic Helmet that is Removable
– NEW Re-tooled Flamethrower Tanks Backpack
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Flamethrower,
Backpack with Connection Hose, Flame Burst
attachment, and Pistol

charbroil

Okay, let me just say this now: WOW!  I’ve never been a huge Charbroil fan and when the Club announced that he was part of the set I just assumed that this would be a repaint of the Toys R Us exclusive version that debuted in the Rise of Cobra line a few years ago.  I couldn’t have been more wrong– as this figure uses the body of the brand spanking new Retaliation G.I. Joe  Trooper!  That means that this figure is going to have some pretty fantastic poseability!  Even better– he’ll be sporting a brand new removable helmet!

Okay Collector’s Club– you’ve made this set incredibly hard to resist and we’re only four figures in!   I can’t wait to see what the next reveal has in store for us!

con-cobra-mortal
con-frag-vipers
con-letal
con-nocturnal-fire-set
charbroil
teaser-image
muskrat
psycheout
crimson-asp
saw-viper
hitandrun
max
repeater
spearhead
Joe Con Nocturnal Fire
charbroil-comp
charbroil_head
[Show as slideshow]

G.I. Joe Con 2013: First three figures from Nocturnal Fire previewed!

Posted on by

With registration for the 2013  G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention imminent, the folks at the GIJCC have posted previews of the first three figures from this year’s Night Force set!  First up are Cobra Mortal, Cobra Letal, and Cobra Frag-Vipers!

WARLORD: COBRA MORTAL

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on “White” Variant Action Figure from Venezuela
– Includes Cobra Logo Stand, Crossbow, Knife,
Sword, Sub-Machine Gun, and Satchel

COBRA GRENADIERS: FRAG-VIPERS

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Troop Builder THREE Action Figures in Box Set
– NEW Head Based on Action Figure from 1989
– Includes Cobra Logo Stand, Grenade Thrower,
Backpack with Connection Hose, Grenades,
Sub-Machine Gun, Pistol, and Knife

FRAG-VIPER COMMANDER: COBRA LETAL

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on Variant “Green” Action Figure from Brazil
– NEW Head Shared with the Frag-Viper Troopers
– Includes Cobra Logo Stand, Bazooka Launcher,
Backpack with Removable Shells, Pistol, Knife,
and Sub-Machine Gun

So far, I’m liking what I’m seeing.  Some nice use of new tooling for the accessories of the Frag-Vipers and for the head gear on both them and Letal as well as a solid reuse of existing parts for the rest of the figures.  Cobra Mortal looks decidedly evil and you’ll never lose Letal in the dark with that day-glo speed skating suit of his!  Typically with these previews, the Club starts with the least-anticipated figures and works their way up to the ones that will make fans cry with joy– so I can anticipate some Night Force figures being revealed in the coming days.    I must say that I’m more excited about these troop builders than I was the Iron Grenadiers from last year so with only three figures in the GIJCC has my FULL attention.

Check out the pics mirrored below and visit GIJoeCon.com for more information.

con-cobra-mortal
con-frag-vipers
con-letal
con-nocturnal-fire-set
charbroil
teaser-image
muskrat
psycheout
crimson-asp
saw-viper
hitandrun
max
repeater
spearhead
Joe Con Nocturnal Fire
charbroil-comp
charbroil_head
[Show as slideshow]

G.I. Joe Con 2013 brochure is ONLINE!

Posted on by

G.I. Joe Collector's Convention 2013

The 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention is happening in just over two months in Indianapolis!  So far, all that had been revealed about the 1:18 offerings for the con was some Night Force themed artwork hinting that “G.I. Joe was giving Cobra a reason to be afraid of the dark.

All of that changed this weekend (technically Friday afternoon) when the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club unveiled the 2013 convention brochure!  Along the requisite price increase (now $360.00 for this year’s set), some interesting details were revealed in this paragraph:

Nocturnal Fire

G.I. JOE: Night Force is a covert unit specializing in nighttime surveillance and defensive operations. Each team member has been selected for their enhanced skills, sophisticated hardware and advanced technology to surprise and vanquish any enemy!

This fan favorite and highly requested team contains several of the classic Night Force members and some new additions
available for the first time in the modern era 25A style. Our special edition Nocturnal Fire squad includes: Charbroil, Hit & Run, Muskrat, Psyche-Out, Repeater and Spearhead with Max (NEW Bobcat).

The Cobra Demolitions Team is ready to take on any obstacle that gets in their path of destruction. Led by the mysterious Cobra Mortal, he employs Cobra Letal and the deadly saboteur Crimson Asp (NEW female character). Their specialized troopers include: Cobra Frag-Vipers x 3, Cobra S.A.W.-Vipers x 3.

Each of these great teams comes with their classic weapons, accessories, figure stands and file cards in this exciting fifteen figure boxed set.

So, classic Night Force members Charbroil, Muskrat, Psyche-Out, Repeater, and Spearhead & Max are seeing release in the 25A construction with Hit & Run joining the team.  That leaves Lightfoot, Crazylegs, and Sneak Peek as the only classic members to not have an update.  Could there be an attendee 3 pack in the works?

Plus, on the Cobra side, Cobra Mortal sees his second release from the Club and his first new construction figure, the Frag-Vipers receive a new paint scheme both as troopers and as Letal, and a new female figure is introduced into the mix.  Plus, the first Generation 3 release of a SAW-Viper!  Could a Night Boomer from the new mold Skystriker be far behind?

I have to admit that I’m LOVING this set concept.  First off, I NEVER thought that Psyche-Out would ever see a Generation 3 update!  Plus, Muskrat has long been one of those characters that I’ve wanted to see more of.  For Charbroil, we have only to look at the Toys R Us exclusive Rise of Cobra version for inspiration but a brand-new Repeater in his Night Force colors is pure AWESOME! Seriously, the heavy gunner’s design has always appealed to me and I found the TRU exclusive version from a few years ago to be lacking.  Plus, a NEW Cobra female!  Seriously– that is what I love to see in the line– NEW CHARACTERS!  Yeah, this is one of those sets that I’ll have to pony up the cash for– even if it is more than my monthly car payments.

For more information, check out GIJoecon.com!

 

Look who’s getting reviewed soon– Joe Colton! (Or more importantly JOHN McCLANE!)

Posted on by

A very special G.I. Joe: Retaliation box arrived in the mail here at “JBL HQ” last week.  Normally I wouldn’t order a figure early like this nor would I pay significantly more than retail (as I’m cheap) but the subject matter was just too good to be ignored.

Some folks may call him Joe Colton from G.I. Joe Retaliation but for the majority of us he’ll always be Officer John McClane of the NYPD!

I wanted to toss up a quick headshot photo to alleviate folks concerns about the head likeness and the neck.  The head sculpt is SOLID and the dreaded “Recondo neck” has been fixed!  (Thanks John Warden!)

Expect a review coming this week!

G.I. Joe Retaliation Bruce Willis

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Wave 2 is SHIPPING!!

Posted on by

figuresubscriptionservice

Subscribers to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service should start watching their mailboxes– the second shipment of figures for the FSS has started to arrive!  Over at HISSTank.com, customizer and caster Raginspoon posted that he received his second box from the FSS– and has revealed what the figures are.

If you’re one of the folks that wants to be surprised, don’t click the link.  It pretty much spoils everything and contains links to his Ebay auctions.  However, if you’re like me, you’ve already clicked the link and know exactly who is arriving.  Now, I’ve got no quarrel with anyone who chooses to reveal the newest arrivals– waiting like this can really drive me batty.

Keep checking those mailboxes folks– new Joes are on the way!

G.I. Joe Collector's Club FSS wave 1

 

3DJoes.com: Posters are on the way!

Posted on by

3DJoes.com G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe fans are a lucky group sometimes.  Compared to other fandoms, we have some of the most detailed and organized online resources on the internet.  Looking for when a figure was released?  Check out YoJoe.com.  Interesting in perusing custom work?  Hit JoeCustoms.com.  Need some diorama inspiration?  JoeDios.com and DioWarriors.com have got your back.  Plus, let’s not forget the plethora of Joe review sites out there from GeneralsJoes.com to JoeADay.com to JBL (when I get updates posted.)  However, if you’re looking for 3D turnarounds of your G.I. Joe figures– look no further than 3DJoes.com!  Taking the fandom by storm last year, 3DJoes has consistently updated their site with figures and vehicles all the way through 1989 with no signs of stopping.

Like any fansite, however, there are costs involved.  In order to keep 3DJoes.com spinning, the minds behind the site are offering a unique and exciting fundraiser that’s sure to be the highlight of any Joe fan’s wall!

Posters are on the way!

The first 3DJoes poster will feature every figure from 1982-89. The second will feature every figure from 1990-94. There will be a whopping 244 figs on the first poster and 236 on the second. They will each be 24″W x 36″H.

The image to the right shows the first poster, which is currently in progress. I have made it through 1988. The last four rows are just placeholder Night Force Falcons (a personal favorite). As soon as I find and document the last six 1989 Night Force figures (if you have them, please contact me using the links at the top) then I’ll be able to finish up 1989 and finish this poster.

The image below shows a close up of what the poster will look like. I’m currently going into Photoshop to clean up the images and digitally remove the figure stands. It’s going to be awesome!

The first poster, “3DJoes of the 80s” should be available in the next few weeks. Cost will be determined by the quality of paper you want, and I’m probably going to use Zazzle for distribution. Proceeds will help pay the $80/month that I have to start shelling out to Arqball for the 3D photos. Viewers enjoyed 47,000 spins last month and the kickstarter grace period has finally worn off, so now I have to start paying for the pro subscription. More info on that here: Pricing » Arqball Spin Blog

If you want 3DJoes on your wall, please submit your contact info below and I’ll email you as soon as the first poster is ready to order. If you’re not already following @3DJoes on twitter, then please do… and tell your fellow G.I. Joe friends.

Help me get the word out and keep 3DJoes spinning ad free!

Seriously, the 3DJoes site is one of the more unique twists on a figure archive to drop on any fandom in a long time.  As such, I’d like to see it continue on for a good long time.  Plus, the concept of one giant poster covering the A Real American Hero figures from ’82 – ’89 is pure awesome!  What Joe fan isn’t going to want one of these on the wall of their office/studio/Joe room?  Just check out the preview images below!

Hit the 3D  Joes Merchandise page and drop your contact information if you’re interested in learning more.

3d-joes-poster-2
3d-joes-poster
[Show as slideshow]

 

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Subscription Wave 2 ships in two weeks!

Posted on by

figuresubscriptionservice

Many G.I. Joe received an extra present just before the Christmas holiday– the first pair of figures from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service had landed on their doorstep!  Of course, as soon as those first two figures shipped, fans began to speculate as to when the next round would be arriving.  Brian Savage sends out this update to let “eagle eyed” fans know that the wait is almost over:

We are getting ready to prepare the second shipment. We anticipate they they will ship about two weeks from now. Please have any address changes in the system by Wednesday (1/09/13) at 5pm Central Time.

Also, we are planning to do the installment billing for the second payment on or about January 21st. Please ensure that your credit card information is correct and that your debit cards have enough funds. Everyone’s billing amount is different so please refer to your first invoice to know what your amount will be. If you don’t have your invoice, you can log in and look at your order..

For those of you who paid in full, you can ignore the billing information.

Thanks for your support! We hope that you are enjoying your first figure shipment!

Now the speculation begins– with Jinx and Dice already shipped, who will be next?

Dice
Desert Grunt
Nano-BAT
Quarrel
Topside
firstfiverevealfweb
figsubpackaging
ironclaw
jinxfweb
tntfweb
383009_10150402870317679_7647037678_8122753_467447345_n
01_cover_girl
02_topside
barrelrollfweb
surefirefweb
covergirl2web
bigboafweb
374880_10150393321892679_7647037678_8090462_1507278753_n
nanobatartweb
03_iron_klaw
[Show as slideshow]
1 2 3

Collector’s Club: G.I. Joe FSS figures are shipping!!

Posted on by

G.I. Joe club figure subscription service

For those of you that signed up for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service it’s time for some holiday cheer!  The Club announced earlier in the week that some of the FSS orders would start shipping before the holidays and now it seems that some folks have already received theirs!

According to a thread over at HISSTank.com,  board member Raginspoon and site admin Destro have received their figures.  The Club initially asked that folks not discuss what figures were received until everyone had theirs so as “not to ruin the surprise”.  (In other news, fairies are real and unicorns make good bacon!)  However, as folks are excited to finally have some of these pieces in-hand pics have been posted over at HISSTank.  I don’t want to jinx this with any spoilers but fans are going to be happy, no matter how they slice and dice the reports popping up on the web.

Here’s the shipping announcement from the Club, posted better late than never:

I hope that you are all having a great holiday season so far.  Today it was confirmed that our container was aboard a train and headed to the Dallas terminal.

We still don’t have an exact delivery date to our warehouse, but we are anticipating that we will get some of the sets out before Christmas.

The Christmas holiday will probably see the shipments split so please have patience while they are enroute to you.

We now anticipate that they will all be shipped before New Years.

Merry Christmas!

Brian

Now, while you’re waiting for your first shipment to arrive, enjoy some PR pics of what is coming to subscribers:

Dice
Desert Grunt
Nano-BAT
Quarrel
Topside
firstfiverevealfweb
figsubpackaging
ironclaw
jinxfweb
tntfweb
383009_10150402870317679_7647037678_8122753_467447345_n
01_cover_girl
02_topside
barrelrollfweb
surefirefweb
covergirl2web
bigboafweb
374880_10150393321892679_7647037678_8090462_1507278753_n
nanobatartweb
03_iron_klaw
[Show as slideshow]
1 2 3