by generalsjoes | Jan 14, 2012 | 30th Anniversary, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Toys, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, G.I. Joe: Renegades, Pursuit of COBRA
As always, full credit must be given to notpicard who has been able to dig up some fantastic stuff over the past week or so. Late last week he directed me towards a couple of different sites he uncovered online, and while the style of the art from the two sites is quite different, they have one thing in common. Some bad ass G.I. Joe conceptual drawings and paintings!
First, I’d like to point out Indigo Studios, who were apparently the folks behind the Pursuit of Cobra paintings that served as backdrops for the slideshow at the G.I. Joe Convention in 2009. They may have been used elsewhere, but I’m not sure where. All I know is I am absolutely in love with these paintings, and I am fired up that there is now a place to see them in all of their medium res glory. They really capture the whole Pursuit of Cobra aesthetic pretty perfectly, I must say. I do find it a bit odd that the human characters don’t bare much resemblance to the Pursuit of Cobra characters we got, but the vehicles and environments make up for that. You can find Indigo Studios right here, and I’ve mirrored the fantastic images below.
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Next are some images from SoupGraphix.com, who appear to be a graphic design company much more animated in spirit, but equally cool. They appear to be behind some of the recent Convention logos, and apparently had some input into the G.I. Joe: Renegades logo, too. There are some pretty neat ideas below that we have not seen anywhere. Question is, are they unused logos from projects past, or potential clues about stuff still to come? Regardless, I’ve mirrored a few of the images below, hit up SoupGraphix.com to see the rest.
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I friggen love this stuff. Thanks again to notpicard for his eagle eye lookin’ out!
by generalsjoes | Jan 10, 2012 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Miscellaneous Reviews
Rejoice, G.I. Joe fans! DiC has arrived!
Yes, the infamous DiC series of G.I. Joe animation is widely panned from a critical perspective, and doesn’t match up with the Sunbow stuff, but the fact remains those of us who are long time Joe fans have been without a reliable source of DiC animation ever since it debuted. And yes, even though it has its share of quirks, there is some indelible charm with DiC’s offerings, even if it’s just smiling at all the 90’s characters who fans have rarely seen on their TV screens.
Well, Shout! Factory has now released Season 1 from the DiC era and it is marvelously goofy. I’m not sure what’s better, watching Sandstorm knock over a rock mountain that takes out a Desert Scorpion, or later in that episode, watching Sandstorm again hang-gliding from the roof of a Cobra castle.
Yes, Sandstorm as in Dusty’s coyote.
Glorious.
Check out my review of the DiC Season 1 DVD set right here. Priced very affordably at $19.99, it’s worth your time, goofy or not.
by generalsjoes | Jan 6, 2012 | 30th Anniversary, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Toys, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Pursuit of COBRA
This has been kicking around in my head for a long time…probably ever since the announcement of the death of the o-ring format. Certainly many fans hold that treasured construction close to their heart, but I am literally stunned at how fast and furiously the movement has been to the new “modern era” style. Even five years ago, if the figure wasn’t an “o-ring” it was immediately cast aside as inferior, and now here we are in 2010, and the fandom at large as moved far away from the o-ring format, and has happily embraced something totally different.
With the (albeit remote) possibility out there that G.I. Joe: Retaliation may re-invent the wheel yet again, I really got thinking…over the past 28 years, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero has undergone a number of format changes and face lifts. Which were the best or most impactful?
Now for this list, I’m not counting the o-ring. That was a standard from day one. I’m specifically talking about enhancements. A change or progression that moved the toyline along and continued to revolutionize the industry. So, let’s get to it.
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by generalsjoes | Jan 3, 2012 | 30th Anniversary, Comics and Cartoons, Film, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 2, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club, G.I. Joe Comics, G.I. Joe Toys, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, G.I. Joe: Cobra Strikes, G.I. Joe: Renegades, G.I. Joe: The Movie, IDW, Pursuit of COBRA
I figure there are lots of folks probably doing the whole “Best of” lists for 2011 (myself included eventually!) so I figured I’d take a somewhat different approach. Rather than considering only the “best” or “worst” I figured I’d take a look at significance. And because I’m wishy washy, I couldn’t narrow it down to just 10, I had to sneak an 11th in there just for discussion purposes.
Click the “Read the Rest of this Story” link below for the full article.
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