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!
Long-time friend of JBL and noted author James Kavanaugh Jr returns to the published world with his second G.I. Joe reference guide! (His first book, the RAHC Guide, is an essential tome here at JBL HQ!) Not only that, but the book will make its fandom debut at Joe Con 2015 with online sales to begin shortly thereafter!
Fan-favorite author, toy expert, and comic archivist Mark Bellomo is back with another round of auction on Ebay featuring a metric ton of pieces all signed by the “godfather of G.I. Joe” — Larry Hama! Hitting just in time for the holidays it’s a great opportunity to shop for the Joe fan in your life and snag some fantastic pieces by the franchise’s single greatest creative contributor! These are pieces from Mr. Hama’s personal collection that he is parting with which makes this a very unique opportunity.
Know that your purchase will not only be appreciated but will also go to toward a good cause.
Reminder. The SECOND ROUND of eBay auctions featuring items signed by LH from the Larry Hama Collection are up and running. They end in a day-and-a-half. There’s some 25th anniversary comic packs, vintage stuff, G.I. Joe Convention exclusives, etc.:
2014 marks a very special occasion for the ENTIRE G.I. Joe fandom. Next year will mark the 50th Anniversary of G.I. Joe – the ORIGINAL action figure! However, the question on many fans’ minds right now is how exactly will that milestone anniversary be acknowledged and which facets of G.I. Joe will it encompass? After all, the G.I. Joe brand has evolved quite a bit over the past 50 years.
A quick timeline of G.I. Joe through the years:
America’s Movable Fighting Man: 1964 – 1969
The Adventure Team: 1970 – 1976
Super Joe: 1977 – 1978
A Real American Hero: 1982 – 1994
Sgt. Savage & His Screaming Eagles: 1994 – 1995
G.I. Joe Extreme: 1995 – 1997
G.I. Joe vs. Cobra: 2002 – 2005
G.I. Joe – Sigma 6: 2005 – 2007
G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary Collection: 2007 – 2009
The Movie Era (Rise/Pursuit of Cobra & Retaliation): 2009 – 2013
Now clearly, the bulk of the G.I. Joe timeline was heavily influenced by the A Real American Hero cast of characters and yet the anniversary is technically that of the original “Movable Fighting Man”. Those initial five years were dominated by realistic representations of servicemen before Joe transitioned into the adventurer role that defined the Adventure Team years. However, it seems that the 12″ market has transitioned from mass market to high-end with companies like Sideshow and Hot Toys taking over the market that once belonged to G.I. Joe. Could Hasbro still celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Movable Fighting Man without the 1:6 scale?
The precedent is there– in 1994 Hasbro released a “30th Anniversary” line commemorating the original G.I. Joe offerings. However, these figures weren’t just released in a 12″ format but instead were rendered in the then-current 3.75″ o-ring construction used for the soon-to-be completed “A Real American Hero” line. (A 12″ anniversary line did also exist.) Available both in action sets and in a fantastic boxed set, this line-within-a-line paid proper tribute to the past while still embracing the current reality of the market and retailer expectations.
Could such a nod to the first action figure happen again only in 1:18 generation 3 construction? Will there be another limited release of 12″ figures as happened with the Adventure Team reissues from Walmart and Hot Topic of close to a decade ago? No one knows at this point. Right now, fans will just have to wait until February and the 2014 Toy Fair held in New York. However, thanks to Pixel-Dan and ToyNewsInternational, this interview with Derryl DePriest offers a few tidbits about what is to come.
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 ClubFigure 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?
If you’re like most Joe fans, YoJoe.com is domain that you visit fairly often. It’s the original and most comprehensive database of G.I. Joe-related materials on the internet with every figure, vehicle, and accessory cataloged and photographed for reference. Sometimes it was a bit cumbersome to navigate but that was just part of the YoJoe experience. After all, the site’s basic format has been unchanged since the late 90’s.
However, the staff over at YJ wasn’t content to just sit on their collective status quo. Enter: YoJoe 2.0!
Introducing YoJoe! 2.0
Concise, Streamlined Pics and Information
Archive updates have been pretty quiet around here over the last few months, but it’s been busy behind the scenes. Today we’re excited to announce the beta rollout of a brand new version of YoJoe.
The first part of the rollout is the 3 3/4″ Action Figure Archives. It’s a totally new index layout that lets you navigate by text-link or thumbnail, with fewer page loads to get to the figures you want to see and a lot more information all together in one place.
Figure version lists are easier to navigate and all relevant pictures are on the same page. Filecard images? Card backs? All Geared Up pics? You no longer have to navigate away from the archive entry to view them.
And this is only the start. Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll continue to overhaul the other sections of the site, until every corner of YoJoe is up to date. Faster loading pages, clean and sleek layouts, and better images.
We’ve already added in new figure entries for you to look at. Take a look at the new archives and let us know what you think. Remember, this is a beta. If you like it, let us know. If you see a problem or a mistake or ways to improve it, let us know. If you have better pics, send ‘em in. You’ll get full photo credit if we use them.
Welcome to YoJoe! 2.0
Congrats guys! The cleaner navigation and instant access to figure thumbnails is a HUGE improvement! I can only imagine how many hours of blood sweat and tears went into this but the hard work has paid off. The site looks great and will continue to be my default online reference until the last o-ring in my collection snaps!
It seems that everything drops on the weekends I’m away from my computer.
The G. I. Joe Collector’s Club released a new “video preview” of the 2012 1:18 renewal figure– G.I. Joe Infantryman Footloose! The figure is a great homage to the original, right down to the helmet and rocket launcher. Lucky fans who were able to acquire one of the Special Mission: Brazil 2 convention sets last year have already had the opportunity to preview the new head sculpt in person as Claymore and Footloose have always been “tooling twins.”
Last year’s renewal figure Dial Tone sold out in record time and is now commanding some decent prices on the secondary market. If you’re at all interested in this figure, make certain your club membership is active as of March 16, 2012. Just visit GIJoeClub.com to ensure Footloose will be arriving at your barracks!
It’s been forever since I’ve written a review for JBL. However, that hasn’t stopped me from still reading reviews of Joe products both old and new. As such, I’ve been LOVING the “Many Faces Of…” series that Zed has been posting over at ZedsJoeSite.com. Sure, I may not always agree with his ratings but I still enjoy seeing such a comprehensive look at the many versions of a single character that Hasbro has inundated fans and collectors since the relaunch of G.I. Joe back in 2000.
It seemed a no-brainer that both Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow would be featured given the fact that they seem to have a new version released every third Thursday of the month. However, I was extremely pleased to see that Zed takes on Cobra’s premiere saboteur in his latest installment!
