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The state of GeneralsJoes – 2018

Hey, all.  So what’s new?

If you’re a regular visitor to GeneralsJoes, you’re probably thinking that a lot of stuff is new, I just haven’t been talking about it.  And yeah, you’d be right.

Why is that?  Honestly, I don’t really have an answer.  I think it’s a lot of things. 

After holding the torch of the G.I. Joe fandom for near twenty years, I think I’ve gotten a little tired.  I’ve posted hundreds of reviews over twenty years, thousands of news stories, and seen many of the same themes come and go.  Popularity swings from one extreme to the other, but a solid core of devoted, motivated fans who love the brand and want to continue to see it evolve.

One thing social media has done is provided an outlet for many of those motivated fans to continue expressing their feelings of the brand at large and as things have become more social media driven, I’ve felt like a place like GeneralsJoes hasn’t had a very large role in that.  Mostly my own fault, but it is the truth.

Also I can’t help but say that my own motivation has been somewhat lacking.  As many of you are aware I’ve begun focusing a lot of time and energy on my career as an independent author, an endeavor I’ve found to be exceedingly rewarding and unbelievably enjoyable.  Unfortunately as a husband and father with a 50 hour a week job, I only have so much time outside of daily life to contribute to what are essentially “hobbies” at this point.  Posting new FSS reviews or writing 20,000 words on a new novel?  The novel is going to win out at this point.  I need to do what’s best for my own self worth and my own reward system.

Lots of you will say it’s a lack of news or interest that’s driving the site into relative silence, but I can promise you that’s not the point.  My site begun in 1998 when we were getting maybe 15 new figures a year (and then none in 1999).  My site has  survived the Direct to Consumer doldrums, the disintegration of one of my favorite brands, Sigma 6, the rise and fall of the G.I. Joe film franchise, and GeneralsJoes was right there the whole time.  It didn’t go anywhere, and it’s still not going anywhere.  I’m never going to abandon this site, I’m never going to abandon the G.I. Joe brand,  I just have only so much time to go around, and for the moment that time is being spent on other endeavors.  I truly hope everyone reading this understands.

That being said, if there is anyone reading this who wants to assist in keeping the heartbeat of GeneralsJoes alive, please drop me line (justin AT generalsjoesreborn.com).  I hate to see the site dwindling into obscurity, I desperately want to keep it active and keep it relevant, but there’s only so much I can do personally, and as I said, for my own mental well-being and self-reward, I really want to continue to focus on being an author.

Who knows, if my author career takes off to the point where I can do that for a day job, then that changes my whole landscape.  I don’t see that happening for a while (if ever).

That being said, there are rumors that the next G.I. Joe film will be landing in early 2020.  Along with that will likely be a new action figure line.  The G.I. Joe Collectors Club is officially winding down with their last convention in Chattanooga this coming year.  The good news is that there are so many fans of the brand still keeping the fires lit, and trust me when I say I’m doing the same thing, I’m just doing it a bit more quietly than some others.  That may change in 2018, but I can’t promise anything at this point.

Until then, keep hitting The Full Force, 3D Joes, YoJoe, JoeBattleLines, HissTank, and so many other online G.I. Joe fandoms who are doing a much better job keeping the torch lit than I am.

Like I said, I’m not going anywhere, and if anyone wants to help keep the light on, please drop me a line.  Time will tell how things look going into 2018.

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