by generalsjoes | Apr 15, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary
Hey everyone, Gary here adding to VenomFest 2010! For those of you who know me in the online fandom or at the conventions KNOW that I have been a very VOCAL member of the community who has been calling for a Dr. Venom figure. Now, I admit, I have not been the lone voice – there have been others. Without their constant pestering of the club they may not have ever considered him; and to have him as the enemy antagonist against the Adventure Team is an awesome way to tie-in the two mythos.
What is the allure of Dr. Venom? I don’t know, many things I guess. I know I liked his character ever since I was a kid. In the first 20 issues, Venom was by far the most evil of the henchmen. I even remember in the letter’s section at the end of each issue, fans asking Hasbro for a figure way back then. I was kind of surprised to discover that until the club’s official announcement, Venom appeared in the second most number of issues to NOT have a figure made after him. A travesty!! Seriously, characters that have appeared in less issues, or less cartoon eps get a figure (see Big Lob), but not Venom?? Let’s face it, his Marvel lifetime spans less than 10 issues, but what a 10 issue stretch it was! Venom’s legacy lasted MUCH longer. It was his Brainwave Scanner that provided the fictional element to shift a plot rather quickly. Plug anyone into the scanner – make them good – make them bad – reprogram them – whatever!
How does one boil down Venom into the 10 “Best of” moments? There were so many. Here are my Top 10 Best of Venom moments:
10.) Dr. Venom’s Debut: Woah! Who is this crazy mad scientist dude?? You can’t have a top 10 list of his best moments without mentioning his debut. Right off the bat you knew this guy was ruthless, cunning, and without scruples what-so-ever. His debut pre-dates Destro, Bludd and Zartan and frankly his evil streak goes deeper than Cobra Commander. While his debut lacked the tease of Destro, it was set up in a way that you hoped you saw more of him in the issues to come. Ironically, his comic debut is also the debut of Billy – although not specifically named.
9.) Dr. Venom makes Snake Eyes his beeyotch: Venom is the only guy in the comics other than Storm Shadow who took the fight to Snake Eyes. Whether it was hooking him up to the Brainwave Scanner or pistol whipping him with a Luger, SE looked considerably more human versus the good doc. Not bad for a middle aged mad scientist. “Nobody dares to strike Dr. Venom!!”
8.) Dr. Venom – The Casanova: What isn’t Venom an expert on? Apparently he has thoughts on the matter of love. Venom real quickly picked up on the fact that there was a bit more to the Destro-Baroness relationship than being evil colleagues. Following the explosion of the Baroness’ HISS in Operation: Night Attack, a distraught Destro stood on the verge of a breakdown, all the while being chased down by Clutch, Scarlett and Hawk. Never without a pithy thing to say, ol’ Venom graced us with this: “Doesn’t he (Destro) realize that love is simply overestimating the difference between any one given woman and another? Bah! Gross sentimentality is such a waste.” You’re all heart Doc!
7.) SNAKE Armor Inventor: Ah, probably something you didn’t know. Yes, the good doc invented SNAKE Armor. Servos help the person in the suit to move its legs and arms. Servos in a suit…..where have I heard that concept before?? Similar to the Brainwave scanner, the suit taps into the “pilot’s” mind for control. It was proven in issue #19 that a strong willed person can overcome the SNAKE mind control and assume operation of the armor. Also, SNAKE Armor cannot shoot at anything in Cobra Blue.
6.) SE uses the Ninja Death Trick TWICE on Venom: Ah yes, it was when SE was strapped into the Brainwave Scanner that he pulls out the famous Ninja Death Trick. This trick allowed SE to slow down his breathing and heart rate to the point where he appeared deceased. We witnessed the first time SE did this in issue #10. SE dups the trick again in #12. Venom places SE inside a their Sierra Gordo “legitimate business front” building and set it aflame. While riding away on his escape boat, the vision of the burning building causes Venom to recall a dojo a scene collected during SE’s first encounter with the scanner. Venom knows he’s been had, but still writes off SE as going to die in the burning building. Later Venom realizes what we all know now – try as you might, you just can’t kill Snake Eyes.
5.) Team Venom escape the flooding bunker: Good thing the Doc was a man of science and not brawn. He realized that he had to flood the bunker in order for the pressures to match inside with what they were outside in order for the heavy door to open. Heck, even The Mythbusters proved this. The doc may not be Mr. Wizard-like friendly, but it was with his know-how that allowed he, Kwinn and SE to escape a watery grave.
4.) Cheesy Bond-like quips: While not a poet on the level of Major Bludd (then again, Dr. Seuss is more of a poet than Bludd), what is a evil henchman without a vocabulary full of cheesy quips? Check out a couple of these on for size. I picked 5 for space, but if anyone is curious, I can post the rest in the comment section:
- Venom maximum cheese: “So it was Cobra Commander who sold me out! He must be having quite a big laugh on me right now as he attempts to use my toxin without my secret catalyst… In fact, the laughter must be infectious.”
- Don’t cross Venom because: “Dr. Venom never forgets!”
- Venom while holding a syringe full of his toxin greeting Scar-Face at the Libyan airport: “Welcome to Libya, Scar-Face, it’s time for your…inoculation”
- Venom’s last evil diatribe after shooting Kwinn in the back: “So, what have you got to say now? No more mumbo-jumbo aphorisms about weasel spirits? No last lunge to try to strangle me with your last breath?”
- Venom’s Last Words: (Grenade) “…Fallen from a dead-man’s hand…” WHAMM! The grenade goes off killing Venom.
3.) The escape from Sierra Gordo: What do you do when you are part of an odd-trio of characters and you are trying to fly out of a banana republic before it melts down into a civil war? Well, fly out of course!! On top of being a top knotch evil scientist, Venom is apparently a multi-engine certified pilot. What does the team spy sitting on the tarmac at Sierra Gordo International Airport…..a WWII era British Lancaster Bomber! HOW CONVENIENT! Not only was Venom able to pilot that bucket-o-bolts out of there, but he was able to do it while feather propping engine #2 to start, all the while getting shot at and dealing with a skeptical Kwinn as your default engineer. Surely one of Dr. Venom’s more prouder moments.
2.) Father of the Brainwave Scanner: In issue #10, he explains how it works on Snake Eyes: “…the electrodes attached to Snake Eyes head are recording his brain-wave reaction to the visual image on the TV monitor. In this case, it is an apple…the computer will continue to flash thousands of images and record their corresponding brain-wave signature until it has amassed a personalized vocabulary of the subject thinking patterns reduced to digitized (images). Very soon, our image vocabulary will be complete, then we can REVERSE the process! The computer will be able to ‘read’ the subject’s thoughts, enhances them and projects them as a visual image on the TV monitor.” Wow, what a mouthful Doc! The Brainwave scanner was also instrumental to the creation of Serpentor. Dr. Mindbender tweaked it to give the ability reprogram people. The entire town of Millville became a victim of it. The Scanner was also important to the later reprogramming of Storm Shadow, Billy, Destro, Zartan and the Baroness at the end of the Marvel run. You would think this would be #1, but that goes to the last moment we see Venom…..
1.) Death of Venom: What a way to go Doc! Blast Kwinn in the back only to have him turn around and toss a live grenade at your feet. KA-BLAM-O!!! At the end of it all, four lay dead and we have an end of an era! What did we learn from this? Bad karma comes to those who shoot others in the back.
So there ya have it! Venom’s top 10 moments – as I see them. In my opinion the 10 issue run from #10 to #19 were some of the best issues ever in the Joe Marvel Universe. I had a GREAT time reliving these moments! When you are done reading all of GeneralsJoes VenomFest articles, head on over to the club site and order yourself the Dr. Venom/AT Commander set. I can’t wait to see Dr. Venom carded. It is LONG overdue and it will be a beautiful sight to see!
When shall we start the campaign for Billy?? Anyone? Anyone??
by generalsjoes | Apr 14, 2010 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Comics, IDW
USA Today uberfan writer Brian Truitt has posted some cool details and a couple of cover images from the upcoming Issue #155 1/2 of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, coming for Free Comic Book Day on May 1st. As if that weren’t enough, he also spends some time interviewing the immortal Larry Hama, who talks about the return to his familiar stomping ground. Hama reveals some tidbits about the issue (which becomes an ongoing series with #156):
“Issues 155 ½ and on take place mere months after the events of No. 155: G.I. Joe headquarters has been mothballed, and the team’s been dispersed to different places all over the world. The Cobra organization is still alive and slithering, though — Cobra Commander is literally dreaming of rolling H.I.S.S. tanks into Washington, D.C. — and it takes full advantage of having no real American heroes running around. “They have to somehow get back together, and all the Cobras are trying to track them down and do them in,” Hama says. “It’s everybody against the Joes.”
Check out the full interview right here!
by generalsjoes | Apr 8, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club
It’s been a quiet year for G.I. Joe, that much is for sure, especially compared to the furer that was 2009. With no movie, no Resolute animation, and pretty much no new toys, what can G.I. Joe fans do to keep their interest sparked and remain invested in the brand?
I strongly suggest taking some time out of your busy day to check out Blood for the Baron. Anyone who loves G.I. Joe, will find a LOT to love about that site. Built and run by fans of the UK version of G.I. Joe, “Action Force”, Blood for the Baron has a metric ton of G.I. Joe related content that is sure to excite the Joe fan in all of us. Not only are there figures that we never saw first hand, but there is a whole, rich history that was written strictly for the Palitoy brand that simply never existed on US soil. The whole Red Shadows, Black Major, Baron Ironblood mythology is so awesome.
Sure, it doesn’t really fit in with the American mythology, but fans with open minds can still really appreciate the story that they crafted overseas, especially considering these were toys designed for kids, and that licensed comics back then were mostly just phoned in. And don’t think for a second that the fact these were written for kids means they’re not captivating. I’ve been re-reading a lot of the Battle Action Force comics in recent weeks, and even at 36, these books are an absolute BLAST.
I took some time to talk to Jamar Miller and James Marshall (who owns and runs Blood for the Baron), and got some recommendations from them on key points to check out at the site:
- Action Force Data Files – A quick comic with data files on a number of key Action Force and Red Shadows characters. Not very thorough, but a really nice “quick peek” at some names that you might recognize, but not really know a whole lot about.
- Battle Action Force Comics – This is the goods right here. A full archive of all of the Battle Action Force comics released through Palitoy. But this is a massive collection that can be somewhat overwhelming.
- The BFTB Colouring Project – These are formerly black and white comics that the Blood for the Baron team has painstakingly colored, and this might break things up into some more manageable chunks for public consumption.
Of course, all of this has been sparked by the fantastic looking Vacation in the Shadows convention set that the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club is releasing this year. Looking at these updated versions of the Red Shadows characters, and the rich, fantastic history of the brand overseas really gives Joe fans a lot to absorb, even when nothing new is on the screen or on the shelves. Take advantage of this dead time!
by generalsjoes | Apr 8, 2010 | Exclusives, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Reviews
Vintage o-ring figures are become tough to come by these days, so I like to take whatever chance I can to get my hands on them. Well, all you need right now is to be a member of the Tri-State Vipers regional message board. Designed as a community forum for folks in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut), the boards have formed a great group of guys and girls who get together on a regular basis and enjoy the world of G.I. Joe.
Well, as a treat to members of the forum, as well as a way to earn some cash for board and site improvements, the folks at Tri-State also teamed up with NomadCustoms to produce a special exclusive figure, the Tri-State Viper! I was lucky enough to get my hands on a pair of these, thanks to the guys over there, and I’ve reviewed the figure right here!
But what you really want to know… how do you get one? Check out the forum here, and also take a look at the guidelines below:
Please read the following rules and conditions:
* A donation of $20 is necessary in order to have a figure put aside for you. All proceeds go directly back into the board for future endeavors.
* A figure is not guaranteed until payment is sent!
* The figure is limited to one per member, while supplies last!
* You will not be guaranteed a figure until we receive your donation.
* From now until April 12th, ONLY members who have been a part of the board prior to 2010 will be able to pre-order. Starting on April 12th, the pre-orders will be open to everyone who’s a member of the board.
* To purchase your figure please send a pm to crimsonguardvet76. You MUST include in the pm whether you intend to pic up the figure at the G.I. Joe convention in Rhode Island or if you would prefer it mailed to you.
* Crimsonguardvet76 will then reply with payment information and the PayPal address.
* The figures will be making their premiere at the G.I. Joe convention in Rhode Island! Members who wish to pick up the figure at the con must have first pre-ordered the figure. Payments will not be accepted at the con!
Anyone who cannot make the con will have their figures mailed out to them after the con has concluded. Shipping will be via Priority Mail (approx. $5–international rates will apply), so that shipping cost will have to be tacked onto the $20 figure fee.
by generalsjoes | Mar 29, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Toys
This is something I’ve been thinking about for a little while…with rumors persisting that a lot of the o-ring product is probably too damaged to use, I can see the Club quickly running out of options for parts for the classic style figures. As such, they’ll need to (by necessity) move on to the Anniversary construction. No idea what the time frame on this might be (if it’s even the case) but I would imagine soon enough, we’ll see the migration over to the new style construction for GIJCC related product.
So, now the question is… if the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club wanted to get some mileage out of the 25th Anniversary tooling, would you have any issues with them producing vintage homage figures like Dial Tone, Low Light, or Airtight as convention exclusives or membership incentive figures?
Considering the fact that Hasbro seems adamant that they’re not interested in fully revisiting the 25th Anniversary, so the Club may be our only chance of getting the critical holes filled in the cast for 25th Anniversary figures. Yet, I still remember the furor that the Transformers Collectors’ Club endured when they produced the remaining Seekers as part of their Botcon exclusives a few years ago.
So, the question remains… would you be willing to spend more money on convention or membership incentive figures to get the remaining figures in the 1986 – 1994 line up? Would that be better than not getting them at all? Or would that just be a slap in the face?
From my own perspective, I typically purchase the convention and membership incentive figures anyway, so I’d welcome getting these figures any chance we get. It’s obvious Hasbro isn’t going to go out of their way to do it themselves, so isn’t a more expensive option better than nothing?
Thoughts?
by generalsjoes | Mar 23, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary
Just a few minutes ago I posted about how Joe fans could do themselves a good service by checking out some of the lesser known aspects of G.I. Joe history… and here’s another great way to do it.
Over at HissTank.com, notorious forum member Gyre-Viper has posted some of his holy grail items in his collection. Sure, I think we all knew he was all over the Asian scene, but turns out, he’s got plenty of domestic connections as well! Some very nice pieces in his collection, including an original sculpt for the unproduced Rocky Balboa action figure, a couple of Sigma 6 pieces, and my personal source of jealous rage, the unproduced Iron Klaw test shot.
Do yourself a favor and check it out! I’ve also mirrored the pics below.
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