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Details revealed about vintage-themed mystery G.I. Joe figures

So with big thanks to Gyre Viper and JoeDeClassified, we got a very nice look at some potential upcoming figures to be released this year.  With much of the focus being placed on the G.I. Joe: Retaliation movie line, this figure assortment (which contains some very old school classic deco’s) sort of came out of left field and has many fans scratching their heads.

Well, looking to find some answers, I asked around a little bit to see what I could find.

A reliable source tells me that these figures are themed as a low price-point assortment, mostly targeted for Dollar Stores.  The idea of the assortment was to take some of the well known core characters and get them into retail outlets, but to do it in interesting ways, and ways that existing tooling would allow.

With the idea of paint applications, apparently some decisions had to be made for cost purposes, and even though a figure like Cobra Commander looks to be somewhat bland, he has the same paint apps as anyone else, they’re just applied differently.  As far as paint applications go, too, each paint app adds cost to the overall product, so to keep pricing low, the number of different paint applications also had to be kept low. While the price has yet to be revealed, we can expect to see these priced lower than the mainline items.

Release dates are uncertain, but we should expect to see these hit Dollar Stores this summer.

Obviously at this point, these details could be subject to change, but I consider this information to be extremely reliable.  Again, to see some images of these figures, check out JoeDeClassified.com.

If nothing else this assortment brings a certain enlightenment to me.  Ever since its release, I’ve always hated the Ninja Force Storm Shadow.  I wasn’t entirely sure why, but it’s clear to me now.  I think the design and the limited articulation of the original figure significantly impacted my overall opinion of the uniform itself.  Seeing this similar design on a much better base figure really gives new light to the look of the figure in a way I didn’t appreciate back in the 90’s.  It’s amazing that after 15 or so years, taking old school deco’s and applying them to newer figures can still bring things to light after all this time.

A great looking assortment, and great news about them potentially hitting discount and dollar stores.  Hopefully there’s more still to come!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation early sample-palooza with G.I. Joe and Cobra Troopers

As we discussed a short while ago, eBay has started brimming with early samples of the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures, and now some folks stateside are starting to get these samples in hand.  The result is some very cool and detailed images showcasing some neat aspects we may not have seen before.

First, over at Carded Heroes, Jay takes a good look at the upcoming G.I. Joe Trooper.  I’ve mirrored just a few images below, but you should definitely go to the source, as there are a ton of images there.

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These pictures only serve to further infatuate me with this new Joe Trooper.  The accessories are amazing, and I love the fact that you can put pretty much all of his weapons on the figure itself.  Such a bad ass looking troop builder.

Next, on the ToyVerse, Troynos has turned his camera towards the Cobra Trooper, revealing some more great details there, too.  I love the consistency between this figure and the Retaliation Storm Shadow.  They look very similar (though I don’t think they use the same tooling).  Again, I mirrored a few images below, but many more are available directly at the ToyVerse.

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Looks like things will be heating up over the next 6 – 8 weeks leading up the G.I. Joe: Retaliations mass release at retail.  Looking forward to it!

Updated press images from upcoming Wave 3 Pursuit of Cobra

Well, it looks like things have changed a little bit since Toy Fair, and mostly for the better.  Site sponsors Big Bad Toy Store and Past Generation Toys have posted some new press images for the upcoming 3rd wave of 2011 Pursuit of Cobra figures, and there is a very interesting alteration:

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While most of the subtle coloring differences are mostly a result of Photoshop, one look at Cobra Commander tells us that his legs are being reused from the previous version instead of the classic Cobra Commander look.  I think it’s a big improvement.  It will be interesting to see what the final result looks like.
Thanks to The Terror Drome for the info.

Secrets revealed in Previews Magazine?

Well, it would certainly appear so, according to Ragi Foesmasher of HissTank.com.
Previews typically lists figures set for release a little ways in advance, and they report the following:

“For over twenty-five years, the G.I. Joe has been defending America and the cause of freedom from the evils of Cobra! Characters like Blowtorch, General Hawk, Steel Brigade Trooper, Cobra Trooper, Cobra Commander and the Jungle B.A.T. enter the fight for the fate of the world as these collectible 3.75″ figures! Blister card packaging.”

Uhhh… wha–?
It’s pretty unusual for Hasbro to be able to keep assortments like this under wraps right up until release, but kudos to them for doing it, if that’s what this is.  What sort of format these figures will come in raises some questions as well…obviously they’ve all been released as Anniversary figures already (except for the Steel Brigade Trooper), so are these some sort of Pursuit of Cobra upgrade figures?  Curious…
According to the poster, this edition of Previews will hit comic shops in two weeks.  It appears “on Page 360 will be a listing for item code FEB111522. With a title of GI JOE AF ASST 201103. The picture is of Wave 4 and the shipping date is 4/27/2011.”
Guess we know what to look for at Toy Fair!

G.I. Joe Convention Exclusive Leatherneck and Cobra Trooper images

Late last week we got a little sneak peek at the upcoming Python Patrol Cobra Trooper that is coming with the 2011 Convention Set.  We also received email notification that images for the rest of the Convention figures would be going live this week.
The GI Joe Collectors’ Club has delivered on that today, with images posted for the upcoming JoeCon Special Missions Brazil Leatherneck as well as the Python Patrol Cobra Trooper!  Immediately I can’t help but notice that they went traditional with the Leatherneck figure!  Awesome move.
Not only does that give the fans the Leatherneck they’ve been looking for, but also puts to bed any thoughts that this set will simply be a Special Missions: Brazil re-issue.  Also of note, Leatherneck is NOT using Buzzer’s torso!  Another great improvement.
Check out the images below, and keep your browser pointed directly at GIJoeCon.com for the latest news and announcements for next year’s G.I. Joe Convention in Orlando!

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