The GI Joe Collectors’ Club has sent word along that their fall membership drive is barreling full steam ahead, and they have opened up a new G.I. Joe “Ultimate Battle” Contest! Details for this contest can be found on GIJoeClub.com.
Also as a part of the fall membership drive, they are showing a sneak preview of the upcoming Adventure Team Sea Adventurer with Sea Wolf! You can see a snippet of the image mirrored below, with a full image over on GIJoeClub.com.
The full press release can be read after the jump. (more…)
From what I can gather, the interview was done a number of months ago, but was just recently posted. Wildly enthusiastic G.I. Joe fan Gyre-Viper got an opportunity to talk with Mr. Merklein, and has posted the video interview on YouTube for all to see.
Guys like Mr. Merklein are overlooked in the toy industry, but his work on the original G.I. Joe line cannot be overstated. He did initial sculpting for many of the figures that we all know and love, and without talented guys like him, our favorite toyline would be only a shadow of what we know. The ideas are where everything starts…but the design of the figure itself is what carries the line for nearly 30 years, and the guys behind the pens, paintbrushes, and sculpting tools don’t get nearly the credit they deserve.
Too many fans think that just because they can do a custom, they can somehow do “better” than the Hasbro designers. I would challenge them on that. These guys are some damn talented artists, whether you like the end result or not. Kudos to Gyre-Viper for getting this interview done, and an even bigger kudos for sharing it with the rest of the Joe fandom, so we can peek inside the mind of one of the legendary creators of these timeless characters that we know and love.
Check the YouTube link below for Part 1 of the interview. There are multiple parts, and I will embed all of them after the jump.
I hesitate to call this an “interview” because when I have a chance to talk with Mark Bellomo about G.I. Joe and toys, it feels a lot less formal than that. When Mark let me know about Totally Tubular ’80s Toys, I knew it was a good chance to talk to him a little bit about the book, and about the world of G.I. Joe in 2010, and as expected, his answers really deliver the goods. He’s got terrific insight, some invaluable information, and it’s just a great read.
Mark Bellomo has been able to take his love of toys and really build a secondary career out of it, and I think he’s got some terrific “behind the scenes” insight that toy fans would love to know.
To read the full interview, click the “Read the Rest of this Entry” link below. And of course, do yourself a favor and consider picking up Totally Tubular ’80s Toys at Amazon.com. You can also check out my full review right here. (more…)
I figured it was pretty much a done deal when the silhouette was shown alongside Dial Tone a short while ago, but the GI Joe Collectors Club has now confirmed that we will indeed be getting a Sea Adventurer to finish off the awesome Adventure Team figures, and he will come with a repainted Mantis vehicle from the Valor Vs. Venom and Rise of Cobra toy line.
Unfortunately, Lody from HissTank.com does not mention the initial source of this information, but I assume it’s from the latest Collectors’ Club newsletter, which should be arriving in some folks’ mailboxes currently. Lody mentions the description saying that it will come with an Adventure Team Joe in blue, and a repaint of the Mantis submarine in white.
Toy Nutz, also on HissTank.com has also posted a customized version of the Mantis, with some approximation of what we might expect. Gotta say, I’m not real big on the Mantis, but my twisted sense of completism will force me to pick this thing up. The figure should be cool, and who knows, maybe I’ll warm up to the Mantis in person, but as it stands, not my first choice.
Check out the custom images below. This is not necessarily an indication of what the final product will look like!
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For anyone interested in this item, or interested in more information from the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club, hit up GIJoeClub.com and join up!
Most G.I. Joe fans who have been around know the name Mark Bellomo. Long time G.I. Joe fan, toy authority, and writer of the Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe Volume 1 and the Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe: Volume 2, Mr. Bellomo has been around the block for a long time, and is about as well educated a toy guy as I’ve met in my decades within this industry.
As such, whenever he’s producing a new volume, I always pay close attention. This time around, he chose not to focus on a singular toyline and instead broadened his attention to an entire decade, working with Krause Publications to release Totally Tubular Toys of the 80’s.
I’ve gotten my hands on this fine new book, and I’ve posted a review for it right here. Trust me, if you’re a child of the 80’s, you want this book. If you know a child of the 80’s, you want this book. If you just like the toys from the 80’s, you want this book. A terrific read that manages to go above and beyond mere toys, and really look at the entire commercial structure of our favorite decade.
Check out the review here.
And if you like the looks of the book, keep your eyes peeled to GeneralsJoes this week, as I’ll be interviewing the author Mark Bellomo and posting it later this week. He’s a smart guy who knows the industry well, and always has some great insight. It’ll be a must read, I guarantee it.
Fort Worth, TX – October 26th, 2010 – Fun Publications, Inc, licensee for the Hasbro G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club, is pleased to announce new additions to its Fall 2010 Membership drive.
Customizers from across the G.I. Joe fandom can participate in the 2010 G.I. Joe custom contest, available to all club members. Details for the contest can be found at www.GIJoeclub.com
Next up, members have the opportunity to check out the offerings from the Transformers Collectors’ Club while receiving an EXCLUSIVE Dial-Tone art print by G.I. Joe Cover and Dossier artist Dan Khanna. That item can be found here
Lastly, speaking of Dial-Tone, he finally makes his official near finalized debut as there is now an actual production sample available to be viewed. Utilizing the 25th Anniversary sculpt, the 2011 3 ¾ inch membership incentive figure Dial-Tone features a stand, classic file card and accessories, including: 9mm parabellum submachine gun, pistol and an updated version of the original 1986 style radio communications backpack with positional microphone arm!
For more information on the G.I.Joe Collectors’ Club and all of its offerings, please visit www.GIJoeClub.com.
About HASBRO
Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, G.I. JOE and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. (C) 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About FUN PUBLICATIONS, INC.
For over 15 years, Fun Publications, Inc. has been a Hasbro licensee offering fans and collectors of pop culture memorabilia news, exclusive product and family events through different print offerings, websites, collector clubs and brand specific conventions such as GIJoeCon and BotCon. Located in Fort Worth Texas, Fun Publications reaches a large audience, serving the United States and many other countries such as Japan, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia and Canada. For more information visit www.TransformersClub.com, www.GIJoeClub.com, www.GIJoeCon.com, and www.BotCon.com.
