G.I. Joe FSS 5 unveils Steel Raven

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Fred Meyer

With only one more reveal to go, the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club unveils the G.I. Joe FSS 5 Steel Raven!

S.K.A.R. INFANTRY OFFICER: STEEL RAVEN
(Based on the G.I. Joe: Extreme animated series character and GIJCC comic stories!)

Includes: removable hat & jacket, sub machine gun, auto pistols x 2, computer pad, and figure stand.

NOTE: All images are Photoshop representations, final product, accessories and/or colors may vary!

Interesting… very interesting.

I’m going to admit it now– I don’t know much about the character of Steel Raven. I know that she had 2 – 3 appearances in Season 1 of G.I. Joe Extreme before becoming a more prominent character in Season 2. (Despite the fact that I own a fan-produced copy of the series on DVD I’ve only ever watched a few episodes of the series.) I also know that she’s been featured more recently in the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club magazine comics as part of the “runaway Mindbender” story. Aside from this, she’s a bit of a blank slate for me– and that’s just fine. After all, wasn’t part of the original mandate of the FSS to produce figures that fans may have never seen before?

The parts combination seems pretty solid. I’m not quite feeling the disparity in the placement of the brown for her overcoat between the upper and lower torso but that could just be a result of the Photoshop mockup. It’s hard to tell if that’s the same head that was used for Crimson Asp from the 2013 Nocturnal Fire set or not. (My gut instinct says that the Club would have called out any newly tooled parts had they been used.) Still, overall I’m digging it.

To subscribe to the FSS, head on over to GIJoeClub.com and JBL for more G.I. Joe FSS 5 reveals and news! Continue reading →

G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary – what can fans expect in 2014?

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Fred Meyer

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.

The 1994 30th Anniversary line included:

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.

UPDATE: As we get close to the 2014 International Toy Fair there might be some news on the horizon regarding the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary!

UPDATE: Hasbro’s official efforts have been covered in the G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Review Index!

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Card art for all 12 “Club Sub” figs and terms & conditions released!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Fred Meyer

Okay, it’s a mega-update for the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Figure Subscription Service (aka “Club Sub”) and it’s full of card art and terms and conditions!

First off, over the past few weeks the GIJCC has been releasing images of the card art for all 12 of the revealed FSS figures. Now, this has caused some degree of controversy over the perceived quality of the art. Personally, I feel that’s for each fan to decide on their own. All 12 artwork previews are posted below for your viewing pleasure.

Secondly, the club has released a few head shots of the forthcoming figure including close-ups of Jinx, Topside, Big Boa and, most recently, Iron Klaw. It seems the beret on the former G.I. Joe Extreme cast member is removable!

Lastly, the GIJCC has posted a link to a “Terms and Conditions” document for the FSS. (No, the pricing STILL isn’t available– just the same $20 – $25 range that has been tossed around for months.) It’s a PDF download and can also be accessed on the FSS Subscription page of GIJoeClub.com.

Check out ALL of the released images of the FSS offerings belows!