And it’s another great one. I posted a short while ago about Jim Sorenson’s upcoming book focused on the art of the Sunbow G.I. Joe animated series…well, the JDSO podcast wasted no time in actually getting him on the show to talk about it. We now know this book will be called “The Field Manual”, and should provide some interesting behind the scenes information to any Joe fans out there.
Best part of the interview is the idea that if this book does well, there’s a good potential for future books to come, from the Resolute or Renegades universe. How cool would that be?
For all of the latest and greatest intel on this book or potential future projects, be sure to keep an eye on Jim Sorenson’s blog.
It’s a great interview, and you also get the same level of G.I. Joe news and information that you’ve come to expect. Check out the JDSO Podbean Page, or hit up the embedded player below to listen.
Taking a page from Hasbro’s handbook, Sideshow is riding the coat tails of G.I. Joe’s most popular character, the enigmatic Ninja commando Snake Eyes…but also like Hasbro, they’re doing such a great job giving him updated looks that even the most disparaging fan can’t help but be at least a little impressed.
Featuring his classic look and an awesome Commando aesthetic, this quick peek at G.I. Joe’s most infamous member already has my mouth drooling. Plus he comes with Timber! Sideshow announces a more in depth look at the Production Blog on March 13th, with pre-orders launching next Thursday, March 15th.
Get your keyboards ready, this one could be a hot one. Check out the sneak peek right here, or simply the mirrored image below.
In an announcement that seems like has taken forever, an Amazon.com listing and TV Shows on DVD confirm that Shout! Factory will be releasing volume one of the first Season of G.I. Joe: Renegades on DVD June 5th!
While not quite the full season Blu-Ray set that many of us were hoping for (a la Transformers Prime) it’s certainly a step in the right direction, and hopefully a sign of more releases still to come.
As of yet there is no package art or episode details, but the Amazon listing mentions 286 minutes of footage, which breaks down to thirteen episodes. Hopefully we’ll hear an even better announcement soon. After watching Transformers: Prime episodes on Blu-Ray, I’m absolutely dying to see G.I. Joe: Renegades in a similar format. But at this point I’ll take what I can get.
I’ve heard word that many comic shops didn’t get these issues in this week, so if that’s the case, you may want to turn away, lest have some spoilers heaped upon you. Larry Hama has been exploring this somewhat strange “Blue Ninja” storyline for a while now, and yes, it continues here…but something strange happened. It’s kind of grown on me.
Kind of.
To check out the full review click the Read the Rest of the Story link below.
As Robert Atkins is en route to Southampton, England to attend Roll Out Roll Call 3, he has posted a great image of the exclusive print that the folks at RORC 3 plan to have available at the show!
It is an absolutely awesome Red Shadows piece that you can see here, or mirrored below.
Also, Robert is in the midst of a new project, and he needs our help! He is currently working with Quinn Johnson on a pretty neat looking new super hero comic project called Elders of the Runestone, and they have launched a Kickstarter page to help fund it. You can check out the video below, and please, if you can, take a few moments to go to Kickstarter and help fund Robert’s exciting new project.
So for a while I was talking up this fantastic gathering of fellow geek bloggers who had all joined together to form The League of Extraordinary Bloggers, with big thanks to Cool and Collected for headlining the whole thing. Unfortunately the past few weeks have kind of been a whirlwind, especially with the Retaliation figure reveals, so I’d missed out on submitting my tale with the rest of the League. I was a bit bummed, but once I saw this week’s topic, I just knew I had to contribute.
The topic of this week’s League mission is the following:
“What media announcement had you throwing fist pumps and doing roundhouse kicks in the air? Did the final result live up to your dreams?”
Now, as usual, I’ve got a distinct G.I. Joe twist to this one. Click the “Read the Rest of the Story” link below to check it out.
A short while ago I talked up Yetibrew Design’s awesome custom HISS Tank canopies that many collectors seemed eager to get in their hot little hands. Well, Ian over at Yetibrew has been listening to some feedback, and invariably people were asking for an updated HISS canopy that the driver could see through!
The great thing about a small operation is that they take all customer feedback to heart, and Ian did a great job turning this item around so quickly. Check out a small gallery of this new canopy below and hit up Yetibrew to grab yourselves some! The full updated information is quoted below:
“Late last month I was approached by someone who wanted their canopy to have clear windows so I have created two options for collectors who would prefer to have windows instead of the armored look. The first option pertains to the material choices available for the original canopies on Shapeways. Users can now select from several transparent and frosted materials that will allow users to paint around the windows to match color of their tanks. The second option is a two part assembly where the windows are a separate piece which is ordered separately from the canopy frame. As of yesterday, canopy frames are available for both the RAH and 25th Anniversary HISS tanks and the window insert is universal. “
Big thanks to GeneralsJoes Twitter followers LtHowlett and Skot who both pretty much simultaneously let me know that IGN has posted a great video of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hyping up Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.
It doesn’t reveal a whole lot of new information, but it certainly showcases The Rock’s personality and his enthusiasm when tackling this character. He speaks a bit about Roadblock’s “bond” with Snake Eyes, the “gun Kata” fighting style, and how the character remains skilled in the culinary arts and enjoys quoting a little poetry.
I will say it’s interesting how The Rock talks about Roadblock evolving into a “leader”, almost looking like he’s saying something he shouldn’t… does this confirm Duke’s exit from the film mythology? We’ll see in a few short months!
Check out IGN.com for the video, or hit it up embedded below!
In what is invariably a sad moment from the toy giant, Hasbro has announced that they are cutting nearly 170 jobs throughout the United States and Canada. A dangerous combination of weak Holiday sales, rising costs, and a struggling US economy has resulted in job cuts, with about 80% of those cuts coming in the United States, and 55 within Rhode Island itself.
Rumor has it that even some design teams within boys toys were hit by these cuts, though for obvious reasons, specific information is not currently available as to which brands were impacted. The full report is below, and this is a sobering reminder that there are flesh and blood people…many of them… involved in the day-to-day operations that bring these excellent 4″ pieces of plastic to our favorite retailer. If they work for Hasbro, chances are they’re very talented, so hopefully most (if not all) of them will land on their feet.
I personally extend my thanks and sympathy to anyone involved, and I hope for the best for any folks who may have been impacted by these cuts.
“(Reuters) – Hasbro Inc (HAS.O) is cutting about 170 jobs as the second-largest U.S. toy company tries to recover from sluggish sales during the holiday season.
Eighty-two percent, or 140, of the job cuts are in the United States, according to company spokesman Wayne Charness, including “about 55” in Rhode Island where Hasbro is based.
“These moves were made to address both the under-performance in the U.S. and Canada segment, and the need for different skill sets in the company’s workforce to be better aligned with a quickly evolving business,” Charness said.
All employees affected will get “competitive” severance packages, including outplacement services, he said.
Hasbro will take some related charges in the first quarter, but they won’t be material, he added.
The maker of Nerf foam toys and Monopoly board games suffered from weak post-Thanksgiving demand, especially for its games and puzzles, in the United States and Canada.
Larger rival Mattel also missed sales expectations in the holiday quarter, but still outperformed Hasbro and gained share from Mattel, according to data from NPD, a market research firm.
Hasbro, based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, has 5,900 employees worldwide, including about 1,400 in that state.”
