As I write this, the majority of G.I. Joe related news out of Toy Fair has been reported, with the latest updates from both Jada Toys and Jazwares just pushed through this morning.
G.I. Joe: Classified
Most of us are aware that from the G.I. Joe: Classified 6″ perspective, the only figures we saw were Snake Eyes (Pulse Exclusive), Duke, Roadblock and Scarlett. This was disappointing for most of us, though keep in mind the reveals of Snake Eyes and Duke were both leaked by fan sites, so the Hasbro presentation could have had a lot more oomph if not for that. Below is a gallery of great images courtesy of Chris from The Full Force who was in attendance at Toy Fair reporting on behalf of GeneralsJoes.
You can see some various apparel in the images above, too, which is a cool touch.
Speaking of leaks, while only three figures were revealed from Wave 1 of the G.I. Joe: Classified line, thanks to some enterprising online retailers, we do know that Wave 1 should also have Destro and another Snake Eyes in it, so we should expect to see those figures revealed at some point. Because the tentative release date is June (which is before SDCC) I’d expect to see those revealed hopefully within the next 4 – 6 weeks, though that’s complete conjecture on my part. I know I’m pretty interested to see how the Wave 1 Snake Eyes will differ from the Pulse Exclusive version, and I’m absolutely dying to see what Destro looks like.
The cool thing about a lack of items revealed at Toy Fair is that there’s still a lot to look forward to over the coming months.
Jada Toys
We also learned that Jada Toys has acquired the license to produce die cast vehicles based on the G.I. Joe universe, and in fact the first two vehicles were revealed in the form of a 1:32 scale VAMP and HISS, along with some potential sneak peeks at a VAMP Mark II, Snow Cat and even stuff like a Night Raven, Dragonfly and MOBAT. Craaaaazy.
This has been a source of much back-and-forth among the fan community ever since it was first revealed. Chris and I were of the opinion that there was no way Jazwares would be making action figures, but a HISSTank report from the Nuremberg Toy Fair seemed to dispute that.
However, the word from Toy Fair is that Jazwares is indeed making– figures. Sort of.
According to a few reports, Jazwares will be making G.I. Joe “Domez” figures, which are static collectibles encased in transparent plastic domes. See the image of Jonesy below, which is from the Fortnite line, but should give some indication of what we might see on the G.I. Joe side.
Meanwhile, Chris and I jumped on a call first thing this morning to go through the Toy Fair recap, and you can find that News Burst on YouTube and also embedded below.
Thanks as always for following along, Toy Fair is always an exciting time and it certainly looks like there will be no shortage of G.I. Joe toys and licensing news going forward.
None of this is anything we haven’t seen already this weekend, but Hasbro has sent along the official press images and details for the revealed G.I. Joe: Classified figures. You can view them below.
G.I.
JOE Classified Series Snake Eyes Deluxe Action Figure (Hasbro Pulse Exclusive)
(Ages 4 and Up/ Approx. Retail Price: $39.99)
The triumphant return of G.I. JOE begins on Hasbro Pulse with exclusive collector’s edition Snake Eyes Deluxe Action Figure, the first time the iconic character has been depicted in 6-inch scale. Snake Eyes is a total mystery, but his unique combination of skill, stealth, Arashikage training, and strength of character make him one of the most elite operatives among the members of G.I. JOE. This Snake Eyes figure features design and accessories inspired by the original 3.75-inch figure released in 1982, nodding to the epic history of Snake Eyes figures that came before while providing exciting updates that bring the G.I. JOE ninja into the modern era. In addition to multiple points of articulation that make it highly poseable, the figure comes with an exclusive Arashikage Ninja Clan-inspired gear storage rack that features premium detailing and can be loaded up with included accessories such as the character’s signature katana, sheath, and multiple other pieces of ninja gear. This Snake Eyes figure also comes in exclusive packaging for Hasbro Pulse, featuring foil effects and original artwork from Tracie Ching and Miq Willmott. Available for pre-order on HasbroPulse.com on February 21, 2020 at 8AM EST.
G.I. JOE Classified Series Duke Action Figure
(Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail
Price: $19.99 / Available: June 1, 2020)
YO JOE! G.I. JOE explodes into a larger-than-life era with brand new 6-inch scale figures, evolving classic characters fans know and love into a highly articulated 6-inch scale with premium deco and details. The G.I. JOE Classified Series Duke Action Figure features a classic design updated to bring the decorated G.I. JOE operative, a go-to squad leader capable of commanding any type of situation, into the modern era. The figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation making it highly poseable and accessories inspired by the character’s rich history, including Duke’s signature blaster rifle. The G.I. JOE Classified Series Duke collectible package will also make a mark on shelves, featuring display-worthy custom artwork from Francesco Francavilla. For G.I. JOE fans new and old, the G.I. JOE Classified Series line of actions figures captures the pulse-pounding excitement of G.I. JOE in a 6-inch scale. Available at most major toy retailers and for pre-order on HasbroPulse.com on February 22, 2020 at 4PM EST.
G.I. JOE Classified
Series Roadblock Action Figure
(Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $19.99 / Available: June
1, 2020)
YO JOE! G.I. JOE explodes into a larger-than-life era with brand new 6-inch scale figures, evolving classic characters fans know and love into a highly articulated 6-inch scale with premium deco and details. The G.I. JOE Classified Series Roadblock Action Figure features a classic design updated to bring the iconic G.I. JOE one-man wrecking crew, a gentle giant with exceptional strength and the courage to face any threat, into the modern era. The figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation making it highly poseable and accessories inspired by the character’s rich history, including a heavy artillery blaster. The G.I. JOE Classified Series Roadblock collectible package will also make a mark on shelves, featuring display-worthy custom artwork from Mike Thompson and Ken Lashley. For G.I. JOE fans new and old, the G.I. JOE Classified Series line of actions figures captures the pulse-pounding excitement of G.I. JOE in a 6-inch scale. Available at most major toy retailers and for pre-order on HasbroPulse.com on February 22, 2020 at 4PM EST.
G.I. JOE Classified
Series Scarlett Action Figure
(Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $19.99 / Available: June
1, 2020)
YO JOE! G.I. JOE explodes into a larger-than-life era
with brand new 6-inch scale figures, evolving classic characters fans know and
love into a highly articulated 6-inch scale with premium deco and details. The G.I.
JOE Classified Series Scarlett Action Figure features a classic design updated
to bring the iconic G.I. JOE field operative, a competitive martial artist with
intelligence levels that are off the charts and a self-styled warrior of
justice who’s not afraid to bend the rules to do what’s right, into the modern
era. The figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation making
it highly poseable and accessories inspired by the character’s rich history,
including Scarlett’s signature crossbow. The G.I. JOE Classified Series
Scarlett collectible package will also make a mark on shelves, featuring display-worthy
custom artwork from Phil Noto. For G.I. JOE fans new and old, the G.I. JOE
Classified Series line of actions figures captures the pulse-pounding
excitement of G.I. JOE in a 6-inch scale. Available at most major toy retailers and for pre-order on HasbroPulse.com on February 22, 2020 at 4PM EST.
So if you’re anything like me, you sat through nearly three hours of Hasbro presentations, and didn’t really come away with anything new regarding G.I. Joe: Classified (or the Snake Eyes film).
To be fair to Hasbro, the Duke reveal yesterday was a leak, not official, so it’s not entirely their fault that nothing new was shown today.
However, there are some additional interesting tidbits.
In a Full Force video of the showroom, some numbers are visible on the G.I. Joe: Classified Packaging:
Which, of course, begs the question… who are numbers 02 and 03? Those would likely belong to a couple of the villains who we didn’t get to see at Toy Fair for whatever reason, my guess being perhaps Destro and The Baroness, but honestly anything is possible.
To check out the full video courtesy of The Full Force, check below:
Along with this, over on his Facebook page, Mike Thompson (the Roadblock package artist, who also worked on the Rise of COBRA line) posted some fantastic images of Roadblock, while on Twitter, Francesco Francavilla revealed his work on the Duke packaging.
So, yes, in the grand scheme of things, a somewhat disappointing turnout for A Real American Hero, but with promises of more still to come, and hopefully sooner rather than later. If Wave 1 truly is scheduled for release in June, they’ll have to show something before SDCC.
For those of you who are members of Hasbro Pulse Premium, you can pre-order Scarlett, Duke, and Roadblock on the Hasbro Pulse Toy Fair page now. The approximate ship date is June 1st, according to the listings.
Pre-orders should be open to the public by 4:00pm Eastern.
Contrary to rumors and in contrast to the HISSTank rumor from Nuremberg Toy Fair, Jazwares apparently are not making G.I. Joe figures with their agreement with Hasbro.
Twitter user FakeEyes22 is on site at Toy Fair in New York, and appears to have spoken directly to Jazwares who report they are not, in fact, making G.I. Joe action figures.
So I came out of the gates hard yesterday morning with the G.I. Joe: Classified info revealed by IGN but my workday schedule was such that I didn’t really get a chance (at least not here) to talk about the inadvertent reveal from later in the day, courtesy of WalMart.com and HISSTank.
The upcoming G.I. Joe: Classified 6″ Duke has officially been revealed.
And I’ll tell you what– as someone who isn’t real crazy about Duke, this figure is probably my favorite of the first four revealed. A nice blend of military and sci-fi, some obvious throwbacks to his old school designs, and a weapon that is laser-based, yet still resembles more realistic military weaponry.
Good stuff and a nice further springboard into Toy Fair news later today.
