by generalsjoes | Oct 26, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Reviews, G.I. Joe Toys, Miscellaneous Reviews, Pursuit of COBRA
So, yeah, those 25th Anniversary stands are cool and all, with the names plastered on ’em. But how useful are they really? With that funky tiered shape, and a pretty small area for actual feet to be placed, I’ve had my share of frustration with them. But SmallJoes is to the rescue!
With a couple of decades of experience with figure stands, the SmallJoes guys have engineered a nicely sized, well balanced, and 4-pegged figure stand (in black and clear!) to use with most modern era action figures, including G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Marvel, and others. They were kind enough to send me a nice sampling, and I have reviewed them right here.
Short answer? They’re great. They’re the same size and overall shape as the G.I. Joe ones, yet manage to cram in a lot more flexibility and functionality. Can’t go wrong.
by generalsjoes | Oct 19, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club, G.I. Joe Convention, G.I. Joe Toys, JoeCon 2011, Show and Convention Coverage
With the JoeCon coming much earlier in the year next year, we’re getting some nice early hints about what to expect for the Convention set in 2011. Thanks to “The Commander” over on the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club forums (which members and non-members should really visit more often) we have the following clues:
- “My, you look good in that camo pattern!”
- “Time for a Rumble in the Jungle!”
The first clue was courtesy of the latest Collectors’ Club newsletter, while clue #2 came on the forums. I’m loving what I’m seeing so far. On the Convention request forums every single year, I’ve been practically begging for a jungle-themed set…certainly seems like this would be the year.
I have my own little guess, too… on the Collectors’ Club forums a number of months ago, I hypothesized that if the Club was moving to the modern sculpts, they should consider a “Special Missions: Brazil” type of theme. Use existing characters like Footloose, Dial Tone, Leatherneck, and Claymore, and do them up in jungle camouflage. This would get the fans the 25th homage Footloose and Leatherneck they want, and would also help nicely develop the more obscure (yet awesome) Claymore character from the original Toys “R” Us Exclusive set back in the day.
It seems clear from the 2011 exclusive Dial Tone that the Club is thinking along these lines, so let’s see what further clues bring! Once again, I strongly suggest fans visit the Collectors’ Club forums to stay abreast of all the upcoming convention updates.
by generalsjoes | Oct 12, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club
I know there has been a lot of recent discussion about the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club newsletter, especially with the announcement of Dial Tone as the 2011 incentive figure. Well, in my mind, even if many fans weren’t wild about Dial Tone, the newsletter is still a pretty cool commodity, and John Warden is a big reason why.
Warden is the lead designer on the G.I. Joe line these days and has a deep impact on the figures you see on store shelves, and over the past few months, he’s contributed to the newsletter with some fantastic articles about recent figures. He’s already spoken about the SDCC Exclusive Sgt. Slaughter, the upcoming Wave 3 Snake Eyes, and this month, he talks at great length about the awesome Jungle-Viper. Some of the insights are fantastic.
He mentions that he came up with the figure in a dream, and immediately sketched the basic idea, and yes, the Cobra Night-Vipers were a very strong influence on the overall design. The red dots scattered throughout his optical “ghille suit” are actually miniature cameras, which give him a great view around him and “eyes in the back of his head”.
Speaking of eyes, many Joe fans have wondered why Jungle Viper’s eyes are white…according to John Warden, the “…eyes are a ghostly white, a side effect from relying on the optics for sight for months on end.”
Insight like this is awesome, and really makes for an interesting read. The details I mentioned above are just scratching the surface…there are three whole pages of text and great pre-production images that answer a LOT of fan questions about this character…and it sounds like there is plenty more to come! If you like what you hear, hit up GIJoeClub.com and join up! It’s worth it.
by generalsjoes | Oct 11, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, Sunbow
So yes, I realize I’ve paid a lot of attention to G.I. Joe: Renegades, and even if that series is not airing within the next month or so, there is still something for Joe fans to celebrate. Beginning tonight at 12:30 midnight (Eastern Time), G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, the Sunbow series that put the name on the map, will begin airing on The Hub. It will be proceeded at 12:00 by the original Transformers. While the time of the airing precludes a new generation of Joe fans from watching (without the services of a DVR, anyway) I think it’s awesome that this series will once again be appearing on television.
To celebrate this great occasion, I wanted to reprint an article I wrote a long time ago…since The Mass Device 5-Parter begins tonight, let me (re) present the Top Five Memorable Moments from the MASS Device mini-series. Check ’em out after the jump, and tune into The Hub tonight to relive your youth! Be sure to check out the Hub’s Television Schedule to see when other great nostalgia-rich shows are airing.
(more…)
by generalsjoes | Oct 11, 2010 | Customs, Dio-Stories, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary
I’ve covered the awesome guys from TS118 plenty of times in the past…and they’ve given me good reason to do so. They do some absolutely awesome work. A big thanks to GlenMarc (Flash) once again for putting us in the loop for one of their latest projects…another Dynamic Modular Diorama, entitled “Operation: Snake Rising”. Here are some notes:
– Inspired by oriental movies and ninja-themed displays.
– Displayed last weekend October 2-3, 2010 at the Robinson’s Place Manila Mall (Philippines) in celebration of Collecticon 2010, organized by Hobbiworx and PinoyToyKolektors (PTK).
– Brought to you by the same team that came up with O: Shock and Awe, O: Killzone, O: Forced Entry, O: Gothic Serpent, O: Sidewinder Verde, O: Grayia Seize-r, and O: Ivory Blanket…the Philippines only local 3 3/4 (1:18) Joe online community..TS118
– This diorama changes display every three to four hours. It is the first of its kind in the Philippines for action figures (regardless of scale). We dubbed it as a “dynamic modular diorama” or DMD. In this case, it is called Dynamic Modular DOJO-rama.
– Took 3 weekends of preparation and actual dio-work to complete (figures/structures/vehicles). Mostly done on Saturdays only.
– Collaboration done by at least 8-10 members (builders, pledgers/financiers, consultants, etc.).
– Dojo panels allowed the team to display it as U-shaped to show dojo interior, or in a straight line to simulate the dojo facade.
– Featured GI Joe customs in 25A body (Slice, Dice, Jinx DDP, unmasked SS & SE) plus hidden mickeys (Deadpool Sensei, Kakashi Sensei, Deathstroke, Rha’s Al Ghul, and a tribute to the legend…BRUCE LEE).
They also have a dedicated Photobucket album here, and I’ve mirrored a number of the awesome images below:
no images were found
Along with all of this, they’ve posted some videos of set up, too…I’ll embed all of those after the jump.
(more…)
by generalsjoes | Oct 7, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club, G.I. Joe Toys
As promised the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club has officially revealed the 2011 Membership Exclusive incentive figure, Dial Tone!
Where the infamous G.I. Joe Communications Officer has been given a recent sex change in the IDW and Resolute universes, the Collectors’ Club features him in his familiar 1986 glory, filling a major hole in the 25th Anniversary line up.
Utilizing the torso from the 25th Anniversary Buzzer, arms and legs from Sgt. Airborne, and a newly tooled head and communications backpack, Dial Tone looks ready to fill in that vacancy in your 1980’s display shelf. A great looking update, and a good path to start going down for the Collectors’ Club, I have a feeling this will draw new people in a big way. Click the thumbnail preview below to check out the entire image!
Also of note is the newly shaded image for the upcoming Adventure Team “Sea Adventurer”…judging by the shadow, he looks to be coming with a repainted “Sting Raider” from the Valor Vs. Venom and Rise of Cobra line. Very cool little tidbit! Check it all out at GIJoeClub.com!
