G.I. Joe Con 2013: Final four Noctural Fire Night Force members revealed!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Registration for the 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention will go LIVE next week but the Club has given fans one final preview to whet their appetites. The final FOUR members of Night Force have been revealed!

NIGHT FORCE: MACHINE GUNNER – REPEATER

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– NEW Head with Molded Army Ranger Hat,
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Backpack with Steadi-Cam
Attached Machine Gun, Ammo Strip with Ammo Box,
Removable Combat Vest and Knife

NIGHT FORCE: LIGHT INFANTRYMAN – HIT & RUN

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on Unreleased Action Figure Concept
– NEW Head with NEW Removable Helmet and
Goggles, NEW Tactical Harness with Backpack
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Assault Rifle,
Grappling Hook, Duffel Bag with Carry Strap,
Explosvive Mines, Pistols, and Knife

NIGHT FORCE: POINT MAN – SPEARHEAD

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Based on TRU Exclusive Action Figure from 1989
– Removable Helmet/Goggles, and Combat Vest
– Includes G.I. Joe Logo Stand, Assault Rifle,
Machine Gun with Bi-pod, Ammo Strip,

NIGHT FORCE: BOBCAT – MAX

– NEW Bobcat [Included with SPEARHEAD]

With these final reveals, the last of the boxed set figures have been revealed. Honestly, it’s a SOLID group with Repeater taking top honors in this Joe fan’s eyes. I can’t tell what torso is being used bot those feet seem to be from the new “Battle Kata” Roadblock figure that drops in Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe Retaliation line. This is yet another instance of movie tooling making its way into this year’s convention set. The vest appears to come from a Roadblock of a different era– the incredibly awesome Resolute figure! Plus, it’s Repeater!! Sure, he’s got the 30th Iron Grenadier’s weapon with the “ginormous ammunition box” but it still looks good. Sadly, no steadi-cam mount, however.

Hit & Run is an interesting figure. Many fans were hoping that he would be the vault figure design showcased at last year’s Joe Con. Instead, he seems to borrow elements from that design. I’ll have to look and see what parts are used to bring him to life but I might be seeing some parts from the 30th Lifeline figure that has been heavily reused of late. (I have a confession to make– my 30th Lifeline is still carded until I can get around to writing a review of him. Sad, I know…) One thing I do miss is the signature camouflage paint on his face. For a Night Force set I’d have thought some black tiger-striped face paint would have been a sure thing.

Spearhead looks to be a solid homage to the original figure– right down to the ammo belt that crosses his chest. I’ll be curious to see if it’s just glued together in the final product as this appears to be the same belt that has come with most of the line’s recent heavy machine gunner figures. I’m thinking he’s built on the 30th Anniversary Shock Viper/Viper frame with the same vest that came with the Comic Pack Firefly from back in the 25th Anniversary line.

Max— well, he’s Max! He’s a brand new sculpted bobcat that will hopefully join the ranks of my G.I. Joe animal brigade in the near future. (P.E.T.S. anyone?) After all, someone has to keep Timber, Junkyard, and Order in line and it sure isn’t Polly. (Freedom finds himself above such petty duties.)

So, all-in-all, Noctural Fire is shaping up to be a solid set from the Collector’s Club. There are some clear winners (PSYCHE-OUT!!!), some “interesting” choices (LETAL), and some classic troop builders and new faces. I find that overall I’m putting this set on par with the excellent Mission Brazil set from a few years ago. Now I’ve just got to make certain that my schedule is free and that I can hit the Con this year. (It’s right around someone’s birthday…)

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G.I. Joe Con 2013: Crimson Asp and Saw-Vipers revealed!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Fred Meyer

Tonight’s reveal from the 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention set Nocturnal Fire came a bit later than previous nights but once again the Club has unveiled TWO new figures!

COBRA SABOTEUR: CRIMSON ASP

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– NEW Head on NEW Female Cobra Character
– Includes Cobra Logo Stand, Grenade Launcher,
Assault Rifle, Explosive Charges, Flamethrower,
Connection Hose and Backpack

COBRA MACHINE GUNNERS: S.A.W.-VIPERS

– 25th Anniversary Style/Fully Poseable Action Figure
– Troop Builder THREE Action Figures in Box Set
– Modern Update Based on Action Figure from 1990
– Includes Cobra Logo Stand, Removable Helmet,
Squad Automatic Weapon (S.A.W.) Machine Gun
with Removable Ammo Box, Backpack,
Tactical Vest with Radio and Removable Knives

Okay, I’ve got to say that this is an interesting pair. Crimson Asp has some nice details, using the Resolute Baroness body to good effect. Her head sculpt reminds me of the one-eyed Russian spy from the animated series Venture Brothers and her overall color scheme seems better suited to a Marvel Comics HYDRA agent than a Cobra saboteur. She most definitely did NOT come from the Firefly school of Saboteur Chic.

On the other hand, the Cobra SAW-Vipers are a near perfect update of the original ARAH era figure. The body is covered with the same tac vest as the Iron Grenadiers from the 30th Anniversary line with the Retaliation G.I. Joe Trooper’s dual knife sheaths taking the place of the steady-cam gun mount. It’s an interesting use of parts and one that shows a great deal of innovation on the part of the GIJCC. The arms may look familiar– they were last seen on the 2012 Joe Con Oktober Guard Stormavik figure!

So tonight’s reveal is one solid win and one that I’m not entirely sure about yet. Still, Nocturnal Fire is shaping up to be a very promising set indeed!

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

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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!

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

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!

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

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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

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!

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

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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.

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G.I. Joe Con 2013 brochure is ONLINE!

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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!

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

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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?

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

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Fred Meyer

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:

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G.I.Joe Con 2012: Operation Bear Trap sees second production run

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Fred Meyer

The 2012 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention sets featuring the Oktober Guard sold out in near record time. Those who were hoping to snag a non-attending Homefront Heroes set had to either be incredibly lucky to have been online when they were listed or have ties in the Springfield underground. Realizing that this rapid of a sellout leads to an unhappy membership, the GIJCC raised the possibility of a second production run but made no guarantees. Well, that run has now come to fruition. This email went out to all Collector’s Club members late yesterday:

“Attention Comrades!

The official G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club is proud to announce a special limited edition second-run of the “sold out” and extremely popular 2012 Operation: Bear Trap! convention set.

This exclusive Oktober Guard vs. Iron Grenadiers set includes fifteen modern era 3 3/4-inch action figures with weapons and accessories. You will get the classic Oktober Guard characters such as Colonel Brekhov, Daina, Schrage, Stormavik and Horror Show. Plus, for the first time ever… the Oktober Guard General: Iron Bear. The Iron Grenadiers have unique troop builders that include: Iron Grenadier Elite Troopers x4, Iron Grenadier Elite Guards x2, Iron Grenadier Heavy Weapon Specialists x2 and also for the first time ever… the Iron Grenadier General: Voltar!

Don’t miss this limited edition second-run of these fantastic Oktober Guard vs. Iron Grenadiers action figures. You must be an official G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club member to order. Visit the Club Store to pre-order before the Nov. 30th, 2012 deadline! (Product will be shipping in the spring of 2013, exact date TBD). Cost is $360 per set (plus shipping). Only boxed sets will be produced and the production run will only be what is pre-ordered. Don’t miss this final opportunity to own this highly sought after set! Check it out at GIJoeClub.com/shop.

For pictures of the individual figures from GIJoeCon.com click here!”

I don’t know what this bodes for the future but for those of you who missed this set, now is the time to try and snag a fantastic update on the Oktober Guard. Once this particular site admin gets finished moving and unpacks, the review of those figures might FINALLY be posted.

Here are a few shots of this awesome set from the Collector’s Club.

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G.I. Joe Kre-O debuts at pre-NYCC Hasbro event

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Fred Meyer

Last week, Hasbro announced that G.I. Joe would be getting the Kre-O treatment this February exclusively at Toys R Us. Last night, as a special media event in NYC, Hasbro unveiled the building block product that will be hitting store shelves early next year. Consisting of boxed “battle sets” consisting of figures and bricks to build vehicles and bases as well as blind-bagged individual figures, the team from Pawtucket unveiled Joe’s first really attempt at conquering the small “Lego figure” world.

Here are two galleries of official press images:

Blind bag figures:

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Vehicles & Playsets:

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Honestly, these figures create a bit of a dilemma for me as a G.I. Joe collector. On one hand, they represent a bold new direction for the Joe brand and feature some details that show the line was developed by someone who gets the brand. (Quick Kick’s “Frozen Fudgee” and a fuzz-headed Adventure Team Commander? That’s just awesome!) Plus, the character selection– which includes fan favorites like Snake Eyes but also features Kamakura and Torpedo is great. (One could argue that Torpedo merely repurposes parts from the Battleship movie line of Kre-O figures.) Lego-like figures extremely popular with collectors and kids alike– as the success of lines released by both Lego and competitor Mega-Blocks can attest.

On the other hand, this line is a pretty radical departure for G.I. Joe in terms of retail presence. Kre-O items aren’t typically found in the figure aisles of most retailers. G.I. Joe’s last attempt at conquering the construction block world– the ill-fated Build To Rule line– met with mixed reactions and little retail success. Plus, Kre-O will be hitting shelves around the same time as the movie merchandise which means that collectors, who are the primary audience of the brand now, will be focusing their efforts and $$$ on the more traditional 1:18 offerings.

Only time will tell if this line can succeed where previous attempts have failed. Personally, I think I’d be more inclined to snag these if the figures were closer in scale and style to Art Asylum’s popular Mini-Mates lines. I’m not a Lego figure collector myself– although I have to admit that I’m tempted by the mini Kamakura and AT Commander figures. Joe fans, however, are more habitually geared toward looking for product in the action figure aisles of retailers and many of us just might forget to look for these guys when February rolls around. I can’t help but wonder if the line would have a great potential for success if it had hit TRU stores in the coming weeks– at a time when G.I. Joe is all-but-absent from stores after the disappointing rescheduling of G.I. Joe: Retaliation earlier this year. For me, these might just be a casual purchase but I don’t see myself going “all completionist” on this. Of course, that’s just one Joe fan’s opinion.

Additional coverage of the Kre-O debut can be found over at ToyNewsI.com

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G.I. Joe news, action figure reviews, and discussion

Tag Archives: Exclusive

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Final four Noctural Fire Night Force members revealed!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Crimson Asp and Saw-Vipers revealed!

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

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

NIGHT FORCE: FLAMETHROWER – CHARBROIL

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

G.I. Joe Con 2013 brochure is ONLINE!

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

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

G.I.Joe Con 2012: Operation Bear Trap sees second production run

G.I. Joe Kre-O debuts at pre-NYCC Hasbro event

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NIGHT FORCE: FLAMETHROWER – CHARBROIL

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