Coil Con V is September 13, 2014 in Indianapolis!

Coil Con V

It’s that time of year again– Coil Con V is happening in just over a week!

Nothing says “end of summer” like Coil Con, the fan-run convention that brings together G.I. Joe collectors from across the Midwest!  This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever as the event has outgrown its previous venue in Kokomo, IN (at ever-amazing Kokomo Toys) and instead takes over the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel in Indy!

In addition to a toy drive to benefit the Child Life initiative at the Indianapolis Children’s Hospital, this year’s event will feature a host of vendors, the door prize/raffle table, and the always exciting travelling exhibit of JoeDeclassified.com.  Plus, if you’ve not already seen it, check out this preview of Shrike, this year’s exclusive Coil Con figure!  (JBL received permission to mirror the images below.)  He’s the creation of Coil Club designers Jay Hunger & Brian Kauffman and will be part of a 2 figure set that’s limited to only 40 pieces!

This year’s roster of guests includes:

Check out the Coil Con V event page over at CoilCon.com for the full details and make preparations to join your fellow Joe fans in Indy in just over a week!

Plus, check out these photos from last year’s event held at Kokomo Toys!  C’mon– you KNOW you want to go!

2013 JoeCon: The final summary of the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention has been posted!

2013 Joe Con

The 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention has come and gone and the summary of this year’s JoeCon has been posted.

I’ve updated the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention page with the latest con summary including links to all of the previously posted content as well as a final wrap-up of all things that I observed in Indy.  It’s not a complete record of EVERYTHING– simply because that wouldn’t have been possible.  For example, I missed out on the What’s on Joe Mind taping because of a call from Madmac41 that the Concept Vault figures had been put on display.  So, any omissions are not intentional slights– but rather a reflection of the fact that one person can only be in one place at a time.

Also, due to some registration wackiness, my convention set will be arriving when the Homefront Heroes sets ship.  However, I’ve got some quick images up and reviews of the souvenir items will begin THIS WEEK!  (Lady Jaye is most like going up first.)

It was a great overall experience to reconnect with so many friends I’ve not seen in years.

Anyway, check out the 2013 JoeCon Summary directly or hit up the G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention Index to peruse previous years!

JoeCon 2013: Thursday night roundup

JoeCon Night Force Chuckles

Yes, technically I realize that this is being posted very early Friday morning but it was a pretty chaotic first night at JoeCon 2013.  (It’s also the first time my girlfriend has been to one but more on that later.)

Registration was pretty much registration.  In spite of the staff’s best efforts, the lines were long for the club store.  In the Golden Ticket era of cons, regular attendees are limited to one of each item on Thursday night which should mean that everyone has a crack at most of the items available.

So far the only item to sell out were the extras of the bagged Iceberg figure, coming later this year to Collector’s Club members who renewed before the March deadline. The carded figures are still available, however.

Surprisingly, of all of the souvenirs, the $145 Night Boomer seems to be the least popular with most of the folks I saw in line passing on it.  Given the fact that the Skystrikers are showing up at discount stores now for about 10% of that price AND include a pilot, it’s not surprising.  The Boomer itself looks good, but with no pilot included I personally don’t see the value in snagging one.  If I’m going to spend that kind of dough then I’m going to pick up an SDCC Starscream from a few years back!

However, the rest of this year’s souvenirs are actually pretty solid, aside from some paint issues with the eyes.  Lady Jaye looks overall good albeit a bit masculine in the head sculpt.  (Yes, I said it. I also played the game of “Is it a man or woman with a few folks in the lobby and got a lot of nods of agreement on her true gender.)  The NF Specialists two pack of Chuckles and Freestyle is also pretty decent although Freestyle has some “derpy eye” syndrome on many of the figures I’ve seen.  Chuckles looks good– but has a “lot going on” in terms of gear.  He’s pretty much covered in a harness and helmet which hides his signature Hawaiian shirt a bit too much.  However, that’s easily solvable by removing some gear.

The most impressive souvenir thus far is Steeler and the FLAK.  It took me completely by surprise and is kind of an “out of left field” choice for a figure to be added to Night Force.  However, Steeler comes with his visor for the FIRST time in the generation 3 era of Joe.  Plus, I’m a real sucker for the FLAK.

Of the con set figures that I’ve been able to examine (with a sleeping roommate so all of this is on the D/L), Spearhead, Repeater, and Psyche-Out are the strongest of the Joes with Letal being my stand-out favorite of the Cobras.  Yes, that’s right, I’m officially a fan of “Kermit the Frag Viper”– just maybe not for the reasons that the Club might have intended.

In terms of the KRE-O pieces available, the NF set is surprisingly nice– although I kind of wish that a Frag Viper had made it in instead of two SAW Vipers.  Of course, that’s just my opinion.  We’ll get a better look at the parachute figure later today.

However, the coolest item of the night wasn’t from the Collector’s Club but rather from a fan-based website called Handmadestuffs.com.  I happened to have a quick conversation with the owner when she produced the most amazing stuffed Snake Eyes plush.  My girlfriend’s eyes lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July and I found myself immediately purchasing him.  He’s over 12″ tall, is articulated at the head and shoulders (?!!!) and looks as though he were factory made– which he isn’t!  Completely amazing!

I’ve posted a few snapshots with more to follow later.  It’s been a VERY long day especially as this is my first Joe Con in about 4 years.  I’ve been able to meet up with a lot of old friends and, in many ways, it feels like no time has passed while in other ways the fandom scene has REALLY changed in that time.  Still, it is GOOD to be back!

JoeCon 2013: Club exclusive prices and details

G.I. Joe Collector's Convention 2013

JBL has landed at Joe Con and we’ve got some quick intel on the con exclusives. The Golden Ticket private sales are going on now so pics of the items should be hitting the web before too long.

  • The Night Force Specialists 2-pack consists of Freestyle, a new female pilot, and Chuckles. Con price: $60
  • The FLAK w/ Steeler has a con price of $66
  • The Night Force Boomer is sold sans pilot and has a con price of $145
  • The KREO Night Force 6 pack is going for $33
  • Lastly, the KREO paratrooper will be $14

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Charbroil unmasked!

I’m a bit tardy on posting this but the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club has unveiled the “man behind the mask” for their forthcoming Charbroil convention figure!  Take a look and see if he looks familiar:

The GIJCC has shown us once again that a simple swap of color palate can produce an entirely new character.  Eagle-eyed fans will recognize this as the Hydro-Viper from the stunning Defense of Cobra Island 7 pack released a few years ago that was recently reused as the Figure Subscription Service Dice figure!

I’ll admit it– the change in hair color works.  (The Dice image is courtesy of GeneralsJoes.com.)  It helps to differentiate Charbroil from Dice enough that they don’t appear to be twins at first glance.  Sure, it’s a cost-saving method by the Club to reuse an existing figure tool for the head but it’s one that works for the most part.  It’s nowhere near as bad as the case of limited genetics that was the original 1982 line-up!!

For more information on the 2013 G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention, visit GIJoeCon.com!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: No registration this week. Maybe next week.

G.I. Joe Collector's Convention 2013

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club sent the following email out to its membership.  Apparently registration is a “maybe” for next week.

Hello all,

Well, we have had an unforseen issue that is being resolved.  No registration this week.  Maybe next week, I just don’t know.

I  am just as frustrated with this as you are, so, I will no longer cry wolf.  There are 3 programmers working on this intermittent
error and we do not have a timeframe.  I’ll just tell you the earliest it could happen is Monday but, that is not a promise.

Thanks for your patience,

Brian

Yeah… so, let’s just all look at pics of the Nocturnal Fire con set and hope for better news next week.

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Registration goes live February 1st!

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club sent out the following email last night to let members know that registration for the 2013 convention should go live TODAY!

Hello all,

Barring any unforseen issues we will start registration on Friday, February 1.

If you can’t log in, check your log in at gijoeclub.com/shop.  If you have expired, you will not
be able to receive member pricing.

If you are registering with another member, you will need their log in and password to receive
member pricing.

If you complete your order with non-member pricing, we CANNOT adjust your pricing.   Please
understand what you are ordering and confirm the pricing before you check out.

Please take a look at the souvenir T-shirts, Hat and Beanie that you can add to your order at the end.
You will find pictures under the exclusives tab.  The Night Force shirt and both hats glow in the dark.

If you have not read the brochure, please do so before you register as you have 8 minutes to complete
your registration before the system puts your items back into stock.   You cannot hold them in your
cart longer than that amount of time, however you can start over.

Sets are limited and we cut the 12″ sets down by 1/3rd so they are really limited this year.

We do reserve the right to limit any member’s quantities if we deem them excessive.

Attending and Non-attending can both register Friday.

I’ll send out an email when the link is live.

Thanks for your patience, see you in Indy!

Brian

In a rare first, both attending and non-attending members can register at the same time!  Normally non-attending registration must wait until attending applicants have gone first, typically dealing with a limited stock of convention sets remaining.  Perhaps, after last year’s debacle with the near instantaneous sell-out of the Oktober Guard the Club has seen fit to increase production numbers to more reasonable levels, ensuring that more of their membership can enjoy the year’s convention set.

Also released were images of the 2013 convention t-shirts including an AWESOME GLOW-IN-THE-DARK Night Force t-shirt and hat!!!

For more registration info, keep your eyes and browsers peeled at GIJoeCon.com!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: The first group shot of Nocturnal Fire is up!

The G.I. Joe Collector’s Club released the first “composite image” of the 2013 1:18 scale Convention set Nocturnal Fire today!


(click to make larger)

Sure, we’ve seen the previews over the past week but there’s something about seeing all of the figures together in one shot that shows how everything comes together.  The Joes look good together while the Cobra forces are a bit less cohesive.  (You can’t blame Letal for this one– Crimson Asp and the SAW Vipers aren’t helping.)  Still, Cobra Mortal manages to look above it all in his spotless white uniform.  It’s a diverse group of figures pulling from a variety of sources of inspiration– and it’ll set Club members back a cool $360.00 to bring it home!

For registration information, keep your eyes peeled to both JBL and GIJoeCon.com!

G.I. Joe Con 2013: Bill Ratner joins the guest list!

Bill Ratner

If you’re a fan of the Sunbow G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series you’ll want to be at this year’s G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention!  Just added to the guest list is Bill Ratner- better know as the voice of Flint, the team’s premiere warrant officer!  Ratner will be joining Mary McDonald-Lewis (Lady Jaye) for what is sure to make for some exciting panels and fan interaction!  I mean– who didn’t like Flint?  (Plus, some of us remember Mr. Ratner from the Variety Arts Radio Network productions of The Adventures of Doc Savage!)

Check out the official announcement from the Club below:

01/28/2013 – We are thrilled to announce an additional guest to the GIJoeCon line-up. On hand for the entire weekend will be Bill Ratner, voice of Flint from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Heroanimated series!

Check out our special guest showcase and read their project bio’s…Click here! All will be scheduled for discussion panels and autograph sessions over the convention weekend.

Mr. Ratner was a guest on the popular What’s On Joe Mind podcast– featured in Episode #70!

For more information, visit GIJoeCon.com!