Tag Archives: A Real American Hero

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Desert Scorpion Reviewed!

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Cobra Desert ScorpionIt’s been a bit of a dry spell but thanks to the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club, fans have some new Joe figures to get excited about!

The third shipment from the Club’s Figure Subscription Service hit just before the holidays bringing with it both Tollbooth and the Cobra Desert Scorpion.  In cooperation with JoeSightings.com, Chris Chung and I take a look at the second figure from the FSS delivery.  Is he the new hotness or did he leave us cold?  (Get it?  It’s a weather joke!  ‘Cause it’s cold outside and he’s from the desert?  Yeah, I’ll stick to my day job…)

Plus, don’t miss some very special images contributed by the renowned Gyre-Viper of JoeDeclassified.com!

Check out the review in the Collector’s Club Review Index and find out the opinions of two Joe fans!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Tollbooth Reviewed!

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club Tollbooth

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Tollbooth is in the house!  (Or is he building the house?)

Fresh off the Christmas holiday JBL is back with another review from the latest shipment from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service!  Once again I’m joined by “Esteemed Professor of G.I. Joe-ology” Chris Chung of JoeSightings.com to take a look at this latest release from the club.  Tollbooth was one of the most hotly anticipated figures in FSS 2.0 since his reveal at this year’s Joe Con. Does he live up to the hype or is he about as exciting as a Christmas fruit cake?

Check out the review in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Review Index and find out two Joe fans’ opinions as we reach the halfway mark of FSS 2.0!

Review: 2012 SDCC Jinx (white variant) Reviewed!

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2012 SDCC Jinx variant

I love being able to get caught up on older reviews.  Take, for example, the 2012 SDCC Jinx exclusive figure!  I was able to get the red version posted shortly after the convention but the white one has taken significantly longer.  However, what better way to spend a cold winter day than writing and reading a G.I. Joe figure review!  (Okay, I can think of a few but go with me, okay?)

If you’ve already got the red version, is this figure worth picking up?  Is an unmasked head really warranted?  How does she compare to other SDCC variants offered in the past?

Check out the review at the Exclusives Review Index and find out this Joe fan’s opinions!

G.I. Joe Convention 2014: Zombies vs. Eco-Warriors Theme Announced!

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G.I. Joe Con 2014

 

Zombies are EVERYWHERE these days– from The Walking Dead, to Resident Evil and lastly at the G.I. Joe Convention 2014!

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has released the brochure for the 2014 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention in Dallas, Texas and this year’s theme ties directly into the current craze of “zombie-mania”.  It features the return of the neon-clad Eco Warriors as well as a group referred to as the “Zombie Hunters” vs. Cobra’ s own squad of undead environmental misfits.

Here’s the description for the 1:18 scale set:

COBRA forces have acquired the “Compound Z” formula and have started testing it on their own soldiers. They believe by creating zombie warriors they can rule the World and turn its population into mindless creatures. G.I. JOE headquarters is split on how to handle the zombie affliction: save or eradicate?

GENERAL HAWK has formed two groups to solve this deadly problem. Who will be successful? Will it be the Zombie Hunters whose mission is to eradicate those infected or
will it be the E.C.O. (Emergency Chemical Operations) Force trying to rescue and find an antidote for those afflicted? And, what about the team members who become zombies, are they a casualty of war? If too many are turned, who will be left to complete their mission? Only time will tell and it’s running out!

The 2014 G.I. JOE vs. COBRA convention set contains highly requested teams and some new additions available for the first time in the modern era 25A action figure style. This special edition set includes:

Zombie Hunters: Outback, T’J Bang, Steel Brigade Commander

E.C.O. Force: Flint, Ozone, Clean-Sweep

Cobra Lab-Rats x 2, Toxo-Vipers x 3, Toxo-Zombies x 3, and Repulsor with Dawg (NEW K-9).
Each of these great teams comes with classic weapons, accessories, figure stands and file cards in this exciting fifteen figure boxed set.

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Review: 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Iceberg Incentive Figure

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club Renewal figure Iceberg

There’s nothing like a cold front to put a Joe fan in the mood for an arctic trooper!  Case in point: my G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Iceberg Renewal Incentive figure arrived last year on the hottest day of the year thus far.  It was June and the mercury was about to escape from the thermometer– so I wasn’t really thinking that it was an idea time to review poor ole Iceberg.

Flash forward a few months and it’s freezing outside!  In other words– it’s PERFECT weather for an Iceberg review!

Was this figure worth the cost of renewing my membership in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club for an additional year?  DOes Iceberg turn into a killer whale when dipped in water? Check out the review in the Collector’s Club Review Index and find out one Joe fan’s opinion!

Figure Subscription Service Skullbuster Reviewed!

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Figure Subscription Service Skullbuster

Another day and another Figure Subscription Service review!  (Hmm… this could be habit forming!)

The purple-clad leader of the Cobra Range Vipers comprised the second half of the most recent FSS shipment and it’s his turn on the review stage.  Sure he’s got an unorthodox color scheme that seems more at home on Eternia but he’s also got the firepower to back up his choice of attire!  We’re now four figure into the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service 2.0 and I have the feeling that the best is yet to come.

How did Skullbuster from the Figure Subscription Service fare in the eyes of two G.I. Joe site admins?  Hit the Collector’s Club Review Index and find out!

Review: Figure Subscription Service Tiger Force Airtight

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Figure Subscription Service Tiger Force Airtight

When it comes to new product, G.I. Joe fans are in the middle of a dry spell.  That last Retaliation wave only contained 3 new figures and is proving as elusive as finding a sasquatch in the middle of New York City.  However, last week the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club shipped the first two figures from their second Figure Subscription Service.  Here’s where I spoil the surprise– it was an all Tiger Force shipment!  I was initially pretty luke-warm about these two figures when they were announced however, sometimes having a figure in hand can make all the difference.

So, how does Airtight hold up? Check out the review of Tiger Force Airtight in the Collector’s Club Review Index here at JBL!  Look for Shipwreck to drop by Monday!

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

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G.I. Joe Collector's Club Cross Country 2014

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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Sgt. Slaughter to Appear at Retro Con 2014

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sgt slaughter

The fan-run convention Retro Con gets better and better with each new announcement. First, the event for 2014 has been extended to two days.  Next Zack Hoffman (the voice of Zartan from the Sunbow animated series) is added to the guest roster.  However, yesterday Retro Con pulled out all the stops– wrestling legend and “real life” G.I. Joe Sgt. Slaughter is now scheduled to appear for both days of the nostalgia event!   You can read the original announcement here.

Autographs or posed photos will be available for $20 with a discount being available for both. So grab your vintage Sgt. Slaughter file cards and make plans to head to Oaks, PA!

Long-known to fans of G.I. Joe from his appearances in the second season of Sunbow’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series, Sgt. Slaughter joined WWE (then WWF) in the early 80’s and quickly achieved celebrity status.  Brandishing his signature move “the Cobra Clutch”, he delighted wrestling fans each week with his hard-nosed drill sergeant persona.  Yet it may be his appearance in the animated G.I. Joe: The Movie that permanently endeared him to Joe fans around the world with his leadership of the Renegades and his “itty bitty ditty bag.”

Retro Con 2014 will run from September 27 – 28 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.  To keep up with the latest on Retro Con 2014, keep your eyes peeled to JBL and follow them online on Twitter at @Retrocons and at www.RetroCons.com.

Zack Hoffman, the Voice of Zartan, Will Be Attending Retro Con 2014!

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Zack Hoffman voice of Zartan

Retro Con 2014, the annual celebration of all things 80’s, has just announced that Zack Hoffman, the voice of Zartan in the Sunbow animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, will be appearing at the two day event!

We’re happy to announce the addition of Zack Hoffman to our guest list! Zack is best known for giving voice to master of disguise ‘Zartan’ on the original 1980′s GI Joe cartoon created by Marvel Sunbow Productions!

Zack has also recorded hundreds of commercials throughout a career spanning over 30 years in the industry. In addition you may recognize him as the movie director in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, when Pee Wee reclaims his bike after briefly impersonating a nun!

Most recently Zack has created his own One Man Show call Tuxedo Man, with another entitled The Last DJ coming soon! Check out his website to follow all his works past and present!

Zack will be on hand all weekend to sign autographs free of charge. We only request you limit your items signed to 2 or 3. We thank Zack immensely for agreeing to come out for the show!!

He joins fan-favorite author Mark Bellomo, renowned voice actor Larry Kenney (Lion-O, Thundercats), and internet movie host Mr. Lobo on the guest list.  For its third convention, Retro Con will expand to a full two days to September 27 – 28 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.  Last year’s guests including Sunbow voice actor Neil Ross and the “godfather of G.I. Joe” Larry Hama!

For more information, visit RetroCons.com or follow them on Twitter at @Retrocons!