Well, not totally, but I think most of us are aware of Funskool and their license with Hasbro for the use of their G.I. Joe characters and tooling. Some how, somewhere, someone stumbled upon a Youtube video of an advertisement for Funskool G.I. Joe product that aired in India…and it’s awesome.
A strange combination of Sunbow animation, Funskool products, and even some products that have never been seen under the Funskool banner, this is a pretty neat look at a licensed product from outside the country.
If you’re a relatively new G.I. Joe collector you may not appreciate the impact Funskool had on the hobby from an online perspective. Back in the day, when G.I. Joe figures were not nearly as prevalent, Corey Stinson and a few other folks took some initiative and was able to get Funskool product in the U.S. for a great price. American collectors could get Hydro-Vipers, Crimson Guard Immortals, Night Vipers, Toxo-Vipers, and many other figures that closely resembled the domestic product at a fraction of the price. You did take a chance with the quality of the toys themselves, as many Funskool items had paint slop and wonky joints…but many of us were willing to trade that chance for a relatively inexpensive way to build our armies.
Aside from some of the more common figures, Funskool has become a real focus of some high end collectors as well, with some of the rarer figures fetching some big dollar offers. It’s really a fascinating piece of G.I. Joe history, and for folks who have nothing to shop for these days, it might serve you well to look at some of these hidden gems in G.I. Joe history:
Ever since I saw these great looking posters online for the 2012 Assembly Required show, I’ve been dying to get a closer look. Thanks to the awesome guys at Codename: Iowa I have had that chance, and I’m happy to say these offerings have more than met my expectations.
To celebrate Black Friday weekend, Codename: Iowa is offering the entire run of their 2012 exclusives for $175 on their Goodsmiths store. That’s 31 minimalist posters, 2 screen print posters, 2 sets of buttons, and a t-shirt! There are not many of these in existence, if you want them, now is the time.
* Minimalist posters *
These posters are minimalist designed based on the action figures that where found on store shelves in 1982 and 1983. Each poster is 12.25″ x 18.25″ printed on 100 lb. cover weight, acid-free paper. These two sets have a total of 31 posters. They come sealed in a clear bag with a display card showing all the characters on the back. Only 30 sets have been made and ever will be made in this format.
* Screen Printed Posters *
12.5″ x 19″ poster
1 color screen printed on Neenah Classic Linen, 80 lb cover
Signed and numbered. Only 25 of each.
* Minimalist Button sets *
These buttons are minimalist designed based on the action figures that where found on store shelves in 1982 and 1983. Each set has 16 buttons on a custom card fashioned after the iconic packaging.
Other items you see in the review are promotional items like name tags, a keychain and other items not specifically mentioned in the review were all bonus items randomly packaged into the sets for sale. Another very cool bonus from the Codename: Iowa guys.
These are truly one-of-a-kind items, so hit up my review at the link below, and pick them up at the Codename: Iowa Goodsmiths store.
To stay up to date on all of the Assembly Required 2012 happenings, keep looking at the Codename: Iowa Facebook page as well.
It’s been a while since G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was considered a cultural phenomenon, but production company The Loyal Subjects seems to think the brand still has some serious cultural significance.
Under license from Hasbro, The Loyal Subjects are producing a line of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero mini-figures that will come blind-bagged and will be available at many of your favorite online retailers. The roster of characters includes:
Snake Eyes
Destro
Cobra Commander
Storm Shadow
Zartan
Duke
Gung-Ho
Snow Job
According to HissTank.com there will also be two chase figures, though I’m not sure what to expect there. Along with these great looking mini-figures, skateboard decks have also been designed by The Loyal Subjects.
You can check out images of these fine products below, expecting to be for sale in February or March, 2013! You can see some more details on Big Bad Toy Store here and here. Thanks to Dan Uthman on Twitter for the info.
The next evolution of G.I. Joe comics is upon us, and the solicitations for February, 2013 reflect this new shift. With no new monthly Cobra or Snake Eyes titles, the IDW universe officially moves on to 2013 and beyond with the first issues of Special Missions and the Cobra Files hitting in March and April respectively.
Check out what we can expect from the new G.I. Joe #1 as well as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #187 after the jump.
This past weekend, Iowa saw an influx of G.I. Joe fans with the Assembly Required convention…JoeDeClassified made the trip as well as Gary from What’s on Joe Mind. By all reports it was a fantastic show with a great turn out, but what made this show really stand out were the exclusives.
While a lot of shows are putting a strong focus on toy-themed exclusives, Assembly Required went the artwork route and produced some fantastic minimalist prints, buttons, and very unique posters to represent the show.
These are some very high quality and gorgeous looking items, and with some of them left over from the show, they are now on sale via Codename: Iowa. Check out the online store and pick up some of these very unique and interesting items. These will not be produced again, so grab ’em while they’re hot!
