2016 SDCC G.I. Joe Exclusives still in stock at HTS!

SDCC Crimson Strike pack

The 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives are still listed as IN STOCK at HasbroToyShop.com!

Color me a bit surprised on this one.  Yesterday was “HTS Day” for many Joe fans who found their browsers perpetually directed to HasbroToyShop.com, hoping for a chance to snag one of the 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives at the retail price.  Around 10am CST yesterday, the products went live and the site’s bandwidth was overwhelmed.  However, after a few hours the digital dust cleared and something interesting happened.

The 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives were still IN STOCK.

The same is true as of Wednesday morning.  So, if you’re looking for either of these sets and passed on the frenzy yesterday, use the links below and grab the 2016 SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives hassle-free!

If you’re still on the fence about either of these, check out JBL’s reviews of both the Crimson Strike Pack or the Kre-O Construction Commandoes in the Exclusives Review Index!

SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Review

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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New images of the SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set!

SDCC 2015 Kre-O Slaughter's Marauders inserts

The Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders set has taken the fandom by storm since images first dropped online earlier this week.  Now, thanks to the good folks at Hasbro and Hunter PR, we have even more images of this amazing set.

Here’s the offical press release from Hasbro with all of the details:

KRE-O GI JOE SLAUGHTER’S MARAUDERS VS DESTRO’S IRON GRENADIERS Set

(Ages 6 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available through HasbroToyShop.com or Booth #3213 at Comic-Con International in San Diego)

ATTEN-TION! Sgt. Slaughter makes his KREON debut to lead the MARAUDERS into battle against DESTRO and the IRON GRENADIERS in this special edition set! Comes with 12 KREON figures — including BARBECUE, FOOTLOOSE, DARKLON, VOLTAR, and, in another KREON debut, DESTRO in his infamous leopard-print coat. Also includes pieces to build a SGT. SLAUGHTER TRIPLE T tank! This special edition set comes packed in special throwback “boxed set” packaging resembling your favorite ’80s & ’90s VHS cassettes, complete with Sgt. Slaughter and DESTRO file cards and art that re-creates classic G.I. JOE packaging! You’ll have a blast with this set, AND THAT’S AN ORDER!

Following the convention, a limited number will be available on HasbroToyShop.com.

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SDCC Kre-O Slaughter’s Marauders Set Confirmed

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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G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Eagle’s Edge Review

 

G.I. Joe 50th anniversary Eagles edge

It’s a new week with a new G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary review!  This time JBL takes on the Eagle’s Edge three-pack featuring General Hawk, Leatherneck, and a brand-new Destro!

It’s an interesting mix of old and new– a mix of G.I. Joe Retaliation and Pursuit of Cobra as Hasbro attempts to celebrate a half century of “America’s Moveable Fighting Man.”  I won’t lie– there’s some good, some bad, and some ugly but it’s still three classic characters in one reasonably-priced retail three-pack that’s currently available at both Toys R Us retail locations and online at Bigbadtoystore.com.

Check out the individual reviews in the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Review Index!

Plus, check back this week as JBL debuts a series of Halloween-themed reviews tomorrow!  Plus, the Social Clash review is coming soon!

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Items Hit Ebay

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Social Clash Lady Jaye Baroness

It was bound to happen sooner rather than later.  Ebay seller viperskingdom has listed several items from the forthcoming 50th Anniversary collection up for auction.  I’ve mirrored some of the images below but all of his auctions may also be found HERE.

First, the pictures, then some commentary….

Okay, I’m just going to go straight to the elephant in the room– the incredibly poor paint applications seen on the Lady Jaye figure.  Really– that’s one of the worst paint decos I’ve seen since the 2000 relaunch of the brand with the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra era.  This is the same head that was used by the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club for the Night Force Lady Jaye that was a 2013 Joe Con convention souvenir which means that fans have already seen how this head can turn out.  They’ve now got something to compare this “G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary” version to.  (I still argue that it’s really the “32nd Anniversary of ARAH”.)  Those same fans have also come to expect a certain level of quality from Hasbro produced items.

This isn’t it.  It’s like QC just took the night off and let the interns take a shot at painting.

As for the rest of the line?  Well, quite honestly– it’s uninspired.  Rather than celebrating the wide half-century history of a brand that redefined action figures for generations the marketing folks at Hasbro cobbled together a collection of repaints and some concept vault figures and called it a night.  While the more recent Joe fans might like the offerings, this long time Joe fan finds them lazy, uninspired, and downright insulting to the collectors of the 1:6 era that put G.I. Joe on the map in the first place.

Sure, there’s going to be a Snow Wolf and a “mostly new” Leatherneck, but overall this line is nothing even close to what it really should have been.

Check out the rest of viperskingdom’s current G.I. Joe auctions on Ebay.

Collector’s Club unveils G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Images

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary VAMP

We’ve got some G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary images– courtesy of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Facebook page!  Eagle-eyed fans will recognize some of these figures from the Concept Case from Joe Con 2013.

I’ve mirrored them below but I’d also encourage everyone to stop by their Facebook page and give ’em a “Like” to stay abreast of the latest GIJCC news!

Also, check out the continually updated JBL Toy Fair 2014 Coverage as the day progresses!

Holiday shopping alert – Larry Hama signed items and cover sketch!

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero 195 cover sketch by Larry HamaAs the holiday season approaches, consumers everywhere are left with the dilemma of what to get for those friends and family members on their respective lists.  Even more perplexing can be the question: “What do you get for the G.I. Joe fan on your holiday list?”  Well, thanks to Joe fan and published author Mark Bellomo, this might have become a lot easier.

As of last night, Mark opened the floodgates and has listed a plethora of Joe-themed goodness up on internet auction site Ebay.  However, what makes a lot of these items truly unique is that they are signed by the “godfather of G.I. Joe Larry Hama”– and many of them come from his private collection!  In corresponding with Mark he’s revealed at even more items are coming– just keep an eye out on  his eBay page for future updates.

Check out the Joe goodness that is listed!

Normally this type of news wouldn’t make the front page here at JBL but for a chance to own something truly unique– a piece signed by Larry Hama himself– well, we’ll make an exception.

Yet, as as they say in the infomercials: “But wait, there’s more!” There is something even cooler on Ebay as well– Larry Hama himself has listed the original cover sketch for IDW Publishing’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #195!  With just over a day remaining, here’s a great chance to own a real piece of G.I. Joe history with a piece that features Shockwave, Lady Jaye, and the ever-popular Roadblock!

 

New G.I. Joe carded artwork poster available from 3DJoes.com!

3DJoes.com 1982 - 1985 card art poster project.

3DJoes.com 1982 – 1985 card art poster project.

Here at JBL, we’re suckers for good G.I. Joe artwork and the website 3DJoes.com.  So, imagine the utter glee that was experienced by one admin in particular when the following announcement went up on 3DJoes regarding their recent carded artwork poster project!

Carded 3DJoes” posters are here!

The first “Carded 3DJoes” poster is here! It features every single carded figure from 1982-1985. That’s 49 unforgettable Joes and Cobras on one 24″x36″ poster!Paper details: All 3DJoes posters are printed on 65 lb. sterling premium gloss paper stock. According to my printer, 65 pound paper is the thickest you can use and still roll them without creasing or damaging. It wont easily crease, pinch, or wrinkle. These posters are definitely frame worthy, but the paper is thick enough that if you just want to tack them up, that will work too.

Printing details: We use a four color printing process (CMYK), not digital. Four color prints are much higher quality than digital laser prints. To see behind the scenes at the printer, check out my “3DJoes of the 80s” album on Facebook.

Cost: All 3DJoes posters are an even $20 a piece, plus an estimated $9 for shipping. Comic/Collectibles dealers: please contact me for bulk purchase discounts. Orders of 20 or more are half off!

Why: Proceeds will help pay the $80/month that I’m paying to Arqball for their pro subscription. More info on that here: Pricing » Arqball Spin Blog  Fan response has been great and visitors enjoyed 47,000 spins last month, so hopefully I’ll sell plenty of posters!

Wow!  1982 – 1985 were considered by many to be the peak years of the original A Real American Hero toy line.  These were the years that introduced fans to most of the line’s core characters from Snake Eyes to Cobra Commander to Firefly to Shipwreck to the Dreadnoks!  49 nine of your favorite characters stunningly reproduced on heavy card stock in a gorgeous 24 x 36 image?  This promotion already had me at “poster” but the fact that this is also helping to offset site maintenance costs for 3DJoes.com just makes it a complete no-brainer!Seriously– we’re moving into third quarter now and that means holiday shopping has begun.  (Or, at least, you might want to think about getting started.)  What better gift for the Joe fan in your life than one of these posters hanging proudly on the wall of their office/den/Joe room!

Check out the “Carded Joes 82 – 85” page over at 3DJoes.com for ordering information!

JoeCon: Iron Grenadier Heavy Trooper and Elite Trooper revealed

Two reveals in two days from the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club from their 2012 1:18 convention set.

First up, we now have details regarding the “official storyline” of the set- now dubbed Operation Bear Trap:

“By popular demand, the 2012 convention set stories and enemy factions are revealed…

OKTOBER GUARD Box Set: The 1990s brought us many captivating Cold War stories but this one was kept Top Secret for over two decades! Recently declassified documents revealed the original Oktober Guard (G.I. Joe’s Russian and Warsaw Pact equivalent) team’s “Special Mission” in Siberia to rescue their captured General from the ruthless Iron Grenadiers in OPERATION: BEAR TRAP!”

Secondly, we have our first look at the two “troop builders” in the set- the Iron Grenadier Elite and Iron Grenadier Heavy troopers:

 

The MARS troopers are based on a cancelled Iron Grendier pack showcased a year ago and borrow heavily from the Resolute pool of available molds.  Visually, it’s an interesting take on the Laird Destro’s personal army with the long coats and apparent cold weather gear.  However, from a play standpoint, the IG Heavy Trooper is going to be a virtual statue from the waist down as was the case with the Resolute Destro.  The IG’s are a nice addition to any collection but I find myself FAR more excited about the Oktober Guard than I am for these guys.

Lastly, GeneralsJoes.com is reporting that Destro will NOT be making an appearance in this year’s set.

For more information about the 2012 Collector’s Convention, visit GIJoeCon.com!