Tag Archives: Conventions

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Review

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SDCC Kre-O Slaughter's Marauders

The 2015 SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set has been reviewed!

When it comes to both Sgt. Slaughter and Kre-O, I know of no bigger fan than Todd Weinzierl of JBL’s sister site Magnum6Delta.com.  So, when it came time to review this set I had to seek out the expert– and luckily he was willing to share his thoughts on the SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set that has taken the fandom by storm this summer.  After all, many fans thought that they’d never see Hasbro have the opportunity to produce another Sgt. Slaughter figure again!

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SDCC exclusive Desert Duel set is up on ToysRUs.com!

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Looking for the SDCC Desert Duel set that is an exclusive to EntertainmentEarth.com?  Well, check out Toys R Us’ SDCC exclusives page.  It’s up for order RIGHT NOW!

SDCC exclusive desert duel

To recap why this set is so unique, it not only includes all of the standard pieces but it has the exclusive Night Fox and Cobra Air Trooper figures!  That’s right– two extras figures are included that won’t be found in the standard version.  The entire set includes:

  • Cobra Basilisk w/ Elite Horseman
  • FOE (Forward Observation Encampment) Striker w/ Chuckles
  • NEW Chuckles head based on Mike Costa comic appearances
  • EXCLUSIVE Night Fox action figure
  • EXCLUSIVE Cobra Air Trooper

The entire set is $59.99 and is available with FREE shipping!  So, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation?  To order yours, either click on the image above or use the handy link below:

SDCC Desert Duel at Toys R Us

(A big thanks to Mike Breaux of TheBreauxShow.com for the tip!)

SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike set review!

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SDCC 2015 G.I. Joe Crimson Strike

The SDCC 2015 Crimson Strike set has landed at JBL!

G.I. Joe has had a pretty good run of SDCC exclusives over the past few years.  Starting with the infamous “Pimp Daddy Destro” and going all the way through the Danger at the Docks, fans have found themselves anticipating the announcement of each year’s newest piece.

The Crimson Strike is, by all means, a reverse of the forthcoming Silent Strike set that will debut at Toys R Us in August 2015.  Here, G.I. Joe and Cobra have essentially traded vehicles– with the Cobra Scythe taking to the air while the G.I. Joe Chimera attempts to stave off its attacks.  Somewhere on the ground, a random Alley Viper Officer runs around causing chaos.

Is the Crimson Strike set worth the effort to track down?  Does the HISS work as a G.I. Joe vehicle?  Is the Skystriker really flying for Cobra now?

Check out the review by either clicking on the picture above or by visiting the Exclusives Review Index!

A big thanks to both Hasbro and the folks at Hunter PR for helping JBL acquire this set!

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Set Confirmed

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SDCC Kre-O Slaughter's MaraudersKre-O Slaughter’s Marauders are invading SDCC 2015!

Back at Joe Con 2015, the Hasbro team revealed several 50th Anniverary-themed SDCC exclusives for this year’s con.  However, they hinted that one more “very special set” was coming.  Attendees speculated briefly over what it might be but, in all honesty, it was quickly forgotten in light of the on-hand items shown.  (GUNG-HO!)  A few days ago, an image leaked out that seemed to indicated that a Kre-O set based on Sgt. Slaughter was coming.

Now, thanks to the intrepid folks over at Uproxx, we have confirmation that Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders are coming!  Not only that, but Sgt. Slaughter himself will be on hand on Saturday July 11, 2015 at the Hasbro booth for two separate autograph signings.  Having had the privilege of meeting the man himself again last year at a logo baseball park, I can say that fans are in for a real treat with the Sarge himself attending!

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Coil Con 6 is August 15 – 16 in Dayton Ohio

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Coil Con 6

Coil Con 6 will be held this year in Dayton, OH on August 15 – 16!  That’s right Joe fans, the 6th annual event is hitting the road and expanding to two full days!

It’s been exciting to watch Coil Con grow each year from its beginnings in Kokomo, IN on the grounds of Kokomo Toys to last year’s change of venue to Indianapolis.  However, this year proves to be the biggest year yet with the expansion to a two day event and the change of venue to Dayton, OH!

This event is entirely fan-driven and offers G.I. Joe collectors from across the Midwest a chance to gather together and share a common love of “all things Joe.”  There are dealers, special guests, and many opportunities just to kick back and share the love of the hobby.

While the official site hasn’t been updated yet, the announcement was made throughout many groups and communities on Facebook late last night.   For more information on scheduled events, guests, and lodging, keep your eyes peeled to both CoilCon.com as well as the official Coil Con Facebook page.

JBL had a blast at Coil Con IV and I’m planning on trying to make it back to this year’s event.   If you’re planning on attending, give a shout out in the comments below!

Joe Con 2015: The convention wrap-up is posted!

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Joe Con 2015

Sure, it’s been over a week since Joe Con 2015 ended and most of the news from the event has already washed over the fandom like a tsunami.  However, it’s become a bit of a tradition here at JBL HQ to post a summary of the event.  I’ve updated the Joe Con 2015 coverage page with links to previous posts and added in some new commentary as well.

Also, a big thanks to the crew at ToyWorldOrder.com for recording Dave Tree’s awesome UK Action Force panel which I’ve embedded in the coverage.

Also, keep your eyes and ears tuned to JBL as the 2015 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention set review is coming!  Pics are mostly done and now it’s on to the text!

Joe Con 2015: Club announces FSS 4 and renewal figure

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

At Joe Con 2015 the final “big announcement” panel was the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club annual round table.  Brian Savage, David Lane, Pete Sinclair, and Lanny Lathem took to the stage to discuss this year’s convention set as well as to unveil both the line-up for FSS 4.0 as well as next year’s renewal figure.

The crew from the Club was upfront about one thing– last year they took a lot of flack over the images used in the panel which were intended to illustrate the choice of character but that were not necessarily representative of the figure’s final deco.  As such, this year images were minimal as many of these figures are VERY early in the production process.

Also, figures released in the FSS are often chosen because they will NOT be released in that deco in a future convention set.  The FSS is a way to allow these characters to get to collectors and fill in gaps in individual collections.

We’ll start with FSS 4.0: Continue reading →

Joe Con 2015: Hasbro retail two-packs unveiled!

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Wow– there’s a lot to report for Joe Con 2015!

The Hasbro panel was yesterday and Derryl DePriest and Mark Weber revealed a whole new slate of products that will be exclusive to both Toys R Us and BigBadToyStore.com.  The line is essentially a continuation of the 50th anniversary series and will be available on August 1, 2015. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize some of these figures from previous concept case displays.

Swamp Steam

  • Croc Master & Blowtorch
  • the two announced-but-not-released figures at last

Swamp Steam 2pk
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Joe Con 2015: Custom Contest Entries

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joe con 2015 custom preview

One of the highlights of Joe Con 2015 (and pretty much any Joe Con) for this fan is the annual custom contest.  Just seeing the creativity and the sheer talent that the fan community displays each and every year is honestly one of the most inspiring aspects of this hobby.

I’m not a customizer myself but I have incredible respect for those who take brush and knife to one figure to produce something entirely new!

Here are JBL’s initial pics of this year’s custom contest entries from Joe Con 2015:

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Joe Con 2015: Day 2 Hasbro & Club panels today!

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Joe Con 2015

Joe Con 2015 is about to begin!

It’s early and the JBL staff is about to head down to Joe Con 2015 for day two of the festivities.  Today is the biggest day of the event with key panels occurring today at both 11am CST (Hasbro) and 3pm CST (Collector’s Club).  We’ll be live tweeting out both of those events so, if you haven’t already, consider giving JBL a follow on Twitter and then tune in for BOTH panels as they happen.

For those of you interested in images from the events, I’ll be posting pics up on the site later tonight from Hasbro’s product cases which are set to debut at 1pm CST today.  (Since this admin is commuting from home each day I don’t have full access to my PC until the evening.)  However, over on JBL’s Facebook page I’ll toss up some early images throughout the day.

Also, and a bit of a mea culpa here, it looks like I’ll be re-shooting the custom contest pictures this morning.  Due to the strong fluorescent lighting too many of the images came out “dark” and that’s just not acceptable to this photog’s eyes.  So, there’s a bit of a delay but I’d rather be about quality over quantity!

So, that’s the news from the front for now!  JBL is about to hit the road once more!