So as I filter through the pictures coming out of SDCC from Toy News International, something strikes me.
The Pursuit of Cobra HISS seen here.
That thing is black. Like totally black. Like just how the fan’s wanted to see it totally black. Very interesting. Running change? Another release? Trick of the light? Hopefully folks attending SDCC can get us some answers.
Okay, maybe I’m the only one who didn’t know this… I haven’t seen much speculation online as to where Dr. Venom’s head came from, though Lanny Latham from the Collectors’ Club did confirm that it was retooled from the vintage line. I’d combed through the archives and couldn’t quite figure it out. But thanks to some dilligent GeneralsJoes commentors, who set me straight in my review post, I know now that Venom’s head was retooled from the Mortal Kombat Liu Kang!
Great detective work. I love digging this stuff up, and I’m consistently surprised at how much mileage the Club can get out of those older tools (the ones still left in existence, anyway). Check out the comparison image below. Many features look similar…the hair, the nose. But obviously the neck ball was removed, and the hair must have been trimmed up a bit as well. Any thoughts from anyone else?
Star Wars fans have a lot to celebrate, with loads of new toys on the way and the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando Florida. If you’re visiting the convention, stop by and visit us at booth 333! In the meantime, check out the great new in stock Star Wars figures we have available including the newest 2010 Star Wars Saga Legends and Clone Wars waves. There’s nothing like new cardbacks and new figures to renew your interest in a line, so don’t hesitate to check these out!
The Star Wars love at PGT doesn’t even end there this week, as we now carry 12 Inch figures, including preorders for Medicom’s two newest announcements, Boba Fett and Jango Fett. These two make for a beautiful pair of high-end collectibles that will make any Star Wars fan jealous.
For everyone else out there, check out our newest Masters of the Universe Classics acquisition, Count Marzo, one of the most dynamic figures in the line yet.
We’ve also got a ton of hard-to-find Justice League Unlimited preorders up for your perusal, including favorites like Mr. Terrific, Batman Beyond, and the Starro Spore Superman.
Finally, if you just aren’t in the mood for plastic, check out these super cool new Funko plushies of Superman and Batman!
And as always, check out the Past Generation Toys Blog, PGT on Facebook, and PGT on Twitter for updates on the world of toys and collectibles!
So good friend of GeneralsJoes, Toy News International landed in San Diego earlier today, and has uploaded images from the SDCC Preview Night of the G.I. Joe display. And as expected, so far there isn’t a whole lot of new stuff to talk about.
From all appearances, the display looks remarkably the same as the one we all saw at JoeCon a month or two ago (which shouldn’t really be a surprise).
I do believe we will hear a LOT of new information tomorrow during the Renegades panel, but for preview night, so far not a whole lot to get excited about. Hopefully as the weekend goes on, Hasbro will reveal some more toys or toy designs, and maybe even a Renegades figure or two.
Check out the gallery at TNI right here.
Yesterday I covered the GIJCC Adventure Team Commander. Today, we’re focusing our attention on the other half of that two-pack, the GIJCC Exclusive Dr. Venom! It took over two decades, but finally Cobra’s first mad scientist appears in plastic form. You can check out the review in the GIJCC Reviews section or this link.
As always, too, if you like what you see, pick up the 2 pack at the GIJCC Shop.
On the eve of SDCC, another Convention is making headlines, this time the Canadian JoeCon, North of the border in Toronto. Over on the CanJoeCon Facebook page, they have debuted the comic cover for this year’s exclusive Convention Comic!
Check out the awesome cover below, done by art wizard Jason Loo.
I’ve had a chance (and privilege) to take a peek at this comic, and I think you guys are really gonna love it. It’s a fun read, and it will forever change the Canadian Joe Con universe. Definitely find a way to get your hands on one if you can’t make it to the Con. If you can, then scoop it up, it’s necessary reading!
For all of the details on the Canadian JoeCon, as usual, check out the website directly.
So, yeah, technically the actual event doesn’t kick off until tomorrow (check out the full schedule of G.I. Joe related events right here!) but tonight is “preview night” which often showcases some of the new toys and items of interest for the rest of the year. I’m not necessarily convinced we’ll see much new stuff in the way of little plastic men, but I know for a fact that Renegades mania is going to really get ramped up after tomorrow’s panel.
Of course, GeneralsJoes will work to provide you the absolute best coverage I possibly can, but I’m just one guy doing this for fun…so if you’re interested in keeping up to date on all of the latest news and intel, check out UGO.com’s coverage of Comic-con! Sure, they’ll be unravelling all of the G.I. Joe related news that comes out of the show, but they’ll also tackle Marvel, DC, images, interviews, Hollywood, and pretty much all of the cool stuff out of Comic-con.
Not only that, but starting today, UGO is also giving away Comic-con exclusives! Today they’ll be handing out various exclusives from G.I. Joe, Transformers, and the Marvel Universe, and all of the details can be found right here.
Starting tomorrow (July 22nd), they will have FIVE of the SDCC exclusive Galactus figures. Those details can be found here.
So even if you’re like me and stuck at home, thanks to UGO, Comic-con will come to you!
I personally cannot wait to see what’s on the horizon, not just for Joe stuff, but Marvel toys, Marvel animation, Transformers, and more great stuff from the geek world as it invades Hollywood and mainstream media. Gonna be a great long weekend!
IDW Publications has revealed their comic solicitations for October just in time for SDCC, and there are some interesting news nuggets to be had.
First and foremost is the beginning of a G.I. Joe: Renegades comic based on the animated series starting this fall! Excellent. That is probably the thing I’m most looking forward to at SDCC…more info about Renegades.
Also of note is the cover for the October issue of the main G.I. Joe title. Up until now, Storm Shadow has been notable by his unexplained absence throughout the title, but apparently that’s going to change very soon… also, it looks as though G.I. Joe #23 will finally debut Helix in the mainstream G.I. Joe book.
Click the “Read the rest of this entry” link below to get the rundown on all of the October G.I. Joe solicits.
A big thanks to The Terror Drome for gathering this info so I could get it posted more easily while on the road this morning.
(more…)
Okay, I’ll admit it up front. I wasn’t real sure about this when I first heard about it. Granted, I’ve got all sorts of faith in what Larry Hama can do with a pen when he puts his mind to it, but we were neck deep in the midst of IDW’s new continuity, did we really need to dip our toes back into the Marvel continuity well?
Honestly, I didn’t think so.
To avoid spoilers, though, I’ll continue this talk after the “jump”.
(more…)
Although a few days late (mostly due to SDCC prep, I’d imagine) the latest round of Q & A answers are starting to come in. This is what I received from the questions I asked:
1) During Botcon, Hasbro and the Transformers: Prime producers confirmed that the animated series might not be ready for The Hub’s debut in October. Do you anticipate the same situation for G.I. Joe: Renegades?
A) The new series will launch in the fall around the same time as the Hub network launches, though it is still too early to give specific release dates.
2) Looking at G.I. Joe toys produced in the early 2000’s compared to what we have now, the differences are night and day. What do you think are the core reasons for that? Is it technology, a new philosophy, or simply new sculpting and design techniques that have evolved over the past eight years? Has moving away from the o-ring format given you more flexibility in design and detail work?
A) Every year brings new innovations in design and every generation of G.I. Joe brings with it a new expectation for the level of detail and articulation. When the team looks back even to the original release of the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary figures in 2007 and compares them to the Pursuit of Cobra figures of today – it is clear that there are differences in the level of sculpted detail and the acuity of the articulation. Certainly philosophy has played a part, but design in general is often influenced by the world we live in. The design team doesn’t rest at any one style, they know that there is always room for improvement. Technically speaking, the move away from the “o-ring” has allowed for a greater lever of flexibility and has allowed us to create details without having to worry about that detail hindering articulation. While we’re very pleased with the amazing figures the design team is delivering, as we look into the future, we know that the G.I. Joe line will only continue to improve in sculpting detail and design.
