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What’s on Joe Mind Special Edition 47 – JoeCon in Loveland!

Seems strangely appropriate that the next G.I. Joe Convention would be in “Loveland” Colorado…and the guys (and girl!) from What’s On Joe Mind have finally recorded some new content to talk about JoeCon’s 2016 location!

A warm welcome to new contributor Joe Colton as well as Colorado native (and kickass artist) Troy McKie who comes on to talk about his home state and what to do in or around Loveland.

Check out the latest special edition at our Podbean site, or embedded below.

Whoa! What happened to Special Edition #46?! Well, we’re still working on it.  In the meantime, we moved on to #47 to react to the GIJCC’s JoeCon site announcement. This year we are finally headed back west as a tiny burg named Loveland will enter our lexicon next to such cities as San Francisco, Dallas, New Orleans…and yes, Indianapolis.  What is there to see and do in the area? As always our intrepid crew tracks down a local to fill us in with the info that only locals know. So sit back, relax and listen to the gang re-assembling to talk about JoeCon 2015 – in Loveland, Colorado…and as always, sharing dirty stories about one Noted Author. You don’t want to miss it!!

G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Kre-O Six Pack

Big BrawlerDial ToneLifelineRecondoSgt. Stalker
WreckageGeneral MayhemIron AnvilMetalheadUndertow Officer
UndertowIron Anvil OfficerAnnihilatorAlpineFrostbite
SkystrikerTiger Sting w/ BazookaTiger Shark w/ FelinoTigerhawkMantis
Con Set RecapKre-O Six Pack

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With G.I. Joe Kre-O all but gone at mass market retail, it was questionable as to whether or not we’d even see a Kre-O set at the Convention this year.  I’m happy  to say the Club came through with one, and it’s pretty nice to boot.

Like previous year’s, we got a multi pack of good guys vs. bad guys, this time featuring (appropriately) the Tiger Force vs. Iron Grenadiers.  Unfortunately the Iron Grenadiers side focuses on the Undertow crew, which is a shame, as I would have loved to have seen Metalhead’s crooked smirk and funky goggles in Kre-O form.

We’ll look at the Tiger Force set first.

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Stalker leads the Kre-O Tiger Force crew, and they did a great job approximating his Convention look.  I really like the painted green webgear, and I was nicely surprised at the expressive look on his face.

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Recondo was the second Tiger Force figure included, and I fully expected it to simply be the same retail release Recondo tampos on a Tiger Force deco, but it’s actually totally different.  The holster placement is completely new, and it doesn’t rely on previous deco at all.  Very interesting choice.

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Wreckage is the third Tiger Force member, and like Recondo, I immediately compared him to Firefly, and while he’s a very close comparison, he’s also not exact, with a slightly tweaked collar.  I’m not sure how Kre-O deco’s work, maybe they have to be more individualized, but I do find it curious that tampos that could have been reused weren’t.

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For the Iron Grenadiers, we have the Undertow Officer, who looks neat enough with a separate masked head and unmasked head as well as a separate hairpiece and a ton of accessories (including a fish!).

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The two Undertow troopers came out pretty well, too, and all three of these figures have great little Iron Grenadier logos on them to boot.  The bad guys are loaded down with separate heads and gear.

I was quite surprised to see the Collectors Club doing a Kre-O set this year, and was pleasantly surprised that it actually sold out at the show as well.  The character choices are nice (though as I said, I’d have loved a Metalhead/Iron Anvils team on the Iron Grenadier side) and the execution is certainly Hasbro level.  Whatever is happening with Kre-O at retail, I’m glad the Club is continuing it and giving those of us who love it some outlet for more product.  I also really like the new display stands they went with, a lot lower profile and more functional than the old blocks.

Pretty good set.

Kre-O Six Pack
  • Character Choices
  • Deco
  • Accessories
  • Builds
3.6

Summary

I’m thrilled the Club is continuing the G.I. Joe Kre-O theme and the execution here is solid. I would have preferred some other Iron Grenadier character choices, but the deco’s are unique and express the look and feel of the characters well. A decent set, and I’m glad we’re getting some new kind of Kre-O product.


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G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Tiger Sting w/ Sgt. Katzenbogen “Bazooka”

Big BrawlerDial ToneLifelineRecondoSgt. Stalker
WreckageGeneral MayhemIron AnvilMetalheadUndertow Officer
UndertowIron Anvil OfficerAnnihilatorAlpineFrostbite
SkystrikerTiger Sting w/ BazookaTiger Shark w/ FelinoTigerhawkMantis
Con Set RecapKre-O Six Pack

joecon-2015-tiger-sting (2)

I think most of us saw this coming, what with the release of the 50th Anniversary VAMP Mark II last year, but it’s still pretty neat to see it in production.

Like the previous VAMP and the Stinger, Hasbro added some key parts to make the VAMP MK II for Toys “R” Us retail last year, and the Club has now leveraged that into the Tiger Sting, a Tiger Force version of that same VAMP.

Like the retooled vehicle, this one is bulkier and has more “bling” than its vintage counterpart, plus a nicer rocket system with tubes and other tooling adjustments to make it stand out from the original.

joecon-2015-tiger-sting (1)

Step-for-step this updated Tiger Sting is painted like the vintage version with the yellow and black stripes as well as the unique faded white towards the nose of the jeep. The technique is pretty flawless, and one has to wonder if that was part of the “complicated deco” that lifted prices a bit higher this year than they have been in the past. It’s a great look, even if those of us in attendance did have to fork over some extra bones for it.

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The vehicle feels solid and sturdy, and I’ve been a big fan of the modern retools of vintage vehicles since they started doing them. On the surface, it’s tough to tell many differences between this vehicle and a much less expensive vintage counterpart, but if you’re using modern figures and getting your hands on the vehicles often, you will certainly notice the difference.

BAZOOKA

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Then of course, we have Sgt. Katzenbogen, AKA Bazooka behind the steering wheel. Both Bazooka and Roadblock were rumored 25th Anniversary figures before the line phased out in 2009, and so you had to think they would make an appearance here somewhere. I’m actually a bit surprised that Roadblock didn’t appear somewhere in the Con set, but considering his new role as Hollywood icon in G.I. Joe land, it probably makes sense that Hasbro wants to keep him in their back pocket for future use.

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Bazooka simply uses the same base figure as the 25th Anniversary version, which is fine, because he was a later generation 25th Anniversary figure and looks pretty good. He’s got a very unique appearance with his baggy football jersey and moustached face, so rather than reinvent the wheel, it totally makes sense to carry that look forward into Tiger Force.

His deco is spot on for the vintage, with the new white jersey and green pants, though it’s an odd departure compared to the rest of Tiger Force. It actually speaks to some of my issues with Tiger Force to begin with… I mean what are they really? They’re supposed to be a cohesive subteam, but there are so many different looks, colors, and decos going on… I struggle with it.

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But Bazooka maintains that vintage look nicely into a modern format, and part of me smiles at the fact that they put him an Alpine together in a Con set. It makes sense.

Accessories

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Pretty much the typical stuff here. He comes with his helmet (mine has some unfortunate black splotches on it), rocket launcher, with four rockets, and his familiar backpack which holds the rockets. He’s got everything he needs to have.

The rockets feel a bit soft and “gluey”, and I’m not entirely sure why, but that’s a minor little issue, I suppose.

joecon-2015-bazooka (6)

For vintage fans who are looking for new versions of their Tiger Force favorites, congratulations, the Tiger Sting does that for you. It’s not necessarily what I’m into, but the Club executed it really nicely, so fans who are looking for that (and I understand that many of you are), go crazy. It’s a fun vehicle with a great paint scheme and comes with a really nice looking rendition of Tiger Force Bazooka.

Tiger Sting w/ Bazooka
  • Vehicle Design
  • Vehicle Paint Deco
  • Vehicle Play Features
  • Figure Character
  • Figure Sculpt
  • Figure Articulation
  • Figure Paint Deco
  • Figure Accessories
3.4

Summary

With the 50th Anniversary line bringing us the VAMP Mark II, its appearance in the Tiger Force Convention Set was all but assured. Looking back at the box art for the Tiger Sting, too, we should have guessed who would have come with it. Bazooka comes to us as a straight repaint for his 25th Anniversary version, something that would kind of irk me originally, but Bazooka’s tooling actually still works pretty well, and he matches his vintage colors well. A good update that fits with the Con theme nicely.


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G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Tiger Shark w/ Felino

Big BrawlerDial ToneLifelineRecondoSgt. Stalker
WreckageGeneral MayhemIron AnvilMetalheadUndertow Officer
UndertowIron Anvil OfficerAnnihilatorAlpineFrostbite
SkystrikerTiger Sting w/ BazookaTiger Shark w/ FelinoTigerhawkMantis
Con Set RecapKre-O Six Pack

joecon-2015-tiger-shark (2)

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Water Moccasin in general, though I know it’s considered by many to be a vintage classic Cobra vehicle. For my money, I’ll take the Moray Hydrofoil over the Water Moccasin every day, and yes I realize they perform different functions, but the Moccasin was just never real high on my “must play with” list, even as a kid. In fact, I never even bought the 25th Anniversary re-tool, nor did I buy the Rise of Cobra update, OR the Convention exclusive from 2011. Weird. I don’t think it was even by design, it’s just kind of worked out that way.

joecon-2015-tiger-shark (1)

So, even though they started re-releasing Water Moccasins like 6 or 7 years ago, this is the first one I’ve really gotten my hands on. I think Hasbro did a great job on the retool for this vehicle, giving it a bit more bulk and more functional rear wind vanes, as well as a larger cockpit and the general modern robustness that you can expect with these newly tooled vintage inspired vehicles.

Honestly, I like this vehicle more than I thought I might. It feels larger, heavier, and more solid in my hands, especially compared to the old school Water Moccasin, and there is a sense of feel component to toys that is important.

The deco is inspired by the vintage Tiger Shark, which was a repainted Water Moccasin, something that both Tiger Force and Python Patrol were known for. While they didn’t exist purely on vehicles from the other side, they certainly made liberal use of them. Tiger Force had the Tiger Rat, Tiger Shark, and Tiger Paw, while Python Patrol had the Conquest. In that frame of reference it’s not too difficult to see where this updated Tiger Shark fits in.

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Looking immaculately like its vintage counterpart (for better or worse) the Collectors Club translated the retooled vehicle for Tiger Force quite well, honestly.

FELINO

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As for the driver… the Club has said many times that they try and squeeze in some foreign characters whenever they can, and instead of giving us Dusty, they gave us Felino, who is a South American repaint. Unlike Dusty, Felino has the unique green Tiger Force pattern from neck to ankle (kind of like the Toys “R” Us Jinx) instead of the plain green pants. The result is a figure that could pass for Tiger Force Dusty in a display if you wanted to, or you can just use him as Felino, however you so choose.

It’s an interesting choice, and honestly, part of me wonders if they went this route because of the fabric on the helmet. I can imagine that might be a difficult manufacturing technique, and while Tiger Force Dusty has it, Felino does not, so maybe that played into their decision to go with Felino instead? Who knows, but ultimately I don’t think it’s a huge deal either way.

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The figure is fine overall. Dusty is a decent 25th Anniversary figure, though the lack of range of motion in the arms has always bugged me. Felino’s legs are not the same legs as traditional Dusty, instead looking to be Ace’s legs, which is okay, they still match fine and don’t stand out too much.

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As mentioned, Felino has the full uniform deco, which works fine for me as well, an appealing green and yellow triped Tiger Force look that is a nice departure from the more traditional vintage deco. It’s funny, but the similarity between this figure and Jinx never really resonated before, and now that I see this I can get a much better idea of Jinx’s place on the team as well. Nice touch.

Accessories

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Felino comes with many of the typical Dusty accessories, including the harness, machine gun with bipod, and removable helmet. Nothing staggering, but a nice group of functional weapons that suit the character well.

Listen, I’m not a huge fan of the Water Moccasin, and I’m not a huge fan of Tiger Force, so I think folks can understand if I’m not a huge fan of the Tiger Shark. You can buy a vintage one on eBay for a fraction of the price.

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That being said, I cannot argue with the execution, and the Club did what they set out to do. Their mission was to make a new version of the classic Tiger Shark, and they did that well. Spicing up the driver by making it a foreign character was icing on the cake. I’m not sure it’s a Convention item I feel like I have to have, but for those folks who are into it, they did a nice job and I can see it drawing some after market interest.

Tiger Shark w/ Felino
  • Vehicle Design
  • Vehicle Paint Deco
  • Vehicle Play Features
  • Character
  • Figure Sculpt
  • Figure Articulation
  • Figure Paint Deco
  • Figure Accessories
3.3

Summary

Pulling from some South American inspiration, the Collectors Club revisits the Tiger Force Dusty, but through the Brazilian lens of Felino, a foreign repaint of Dusty, adding some spice to the Convention releases. Along with Felino, we get the Tiger Shark, a Tiger Force themed repaint of the Sting Raider, which is a pretty great modern retooling of the Water Moccasin.


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G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Tigerhawk

Big BrawlerDial ToneLifelineRecondoSgt. Stalker
WreckageGeneral MayhemIron AnvilMetalheadUndertow Officer
UndertowIron Anvil OfficerAnnihilatorAlpineFrostbite
SkystrikerTiger Sting w/ BazookaTiger Shark w/ FelinoTigerhawkMantis
Con Set RecapKre-O Six Pack

joecon-2015-tigerhawk (1)

This thing. Huh.

The Tomahawk has been one of my all time favorite vehicles ever since it was first released. I was a lucky kid, and by and large, I got most of what I asked for during my formative Christmas years. The Tomahawk and Terror Drome were highlights of my 1986 Christmas season and I clung to that damn helicopter for over 20 years. My childhood version of this awesome aircraft finally met its end probably about 10 years ago when I accidentally tipped over a lamp in my garage, which in turn knocked the copter from its perch and smashed half of its rotors. I managed to salvage another Tomahawk from somewhere, and then when Hasbro released the newly tooled version, I finally felt contentment in my need for a fully engineered and capable dual-rotor transport copter.

So, do I really need another one?

Well, no, but let’s be brutally honest here… out of any of your items in your collection, how many do you truly NEED. Collecting is about wants, ain’t it?

So did I really WANT another one?

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Again, the answer to that question is probably no, especially at a Convention price point, but a funny thing happens when you end up in a congested line with a few hundred other collectors and see a new and sparkly item for the first time. Your lack of interest suddenly gets flopped around and all of a sudden you become VERY INTERESTED. VERY INTERESTED INDEED.

The Tiger Hawk helicopter obviously uses the same tooling as the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Eaglehawk from two years ago, but with a unique new Tiger Force deco. It is eerily reminiscent of the vintage deco to the point where one might believe this was a vehicle designed back in the 80s aliongside the Tiger Rat. It looks gorgeous. The yellow, black, and faded white are picture perfect vintage throwbacks, with just the right hints of faded red/orange to match the other Tiger Force vehicles.

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If I have any complaints about the deco it would be the infamous smiley face that these Tiger Force vehicles all have. The face here looks a bit too far up-turned like a goofy, toothy grin much more than the sneer that is supposed to inspire fear in the Cobra enemies.

Beyond that one odd deco choice, though, the Tiger Hawk is a pretty great looking updated Tiger Force vehicle. It’s got great color matching and style matching with the existing vehicles, and unlike other Convention exclusives, it actually presents something new. Where the Tiger Shark and Tiger Sting are mostly just redone duplicates of classic vehicles, the Tiger Hawk brings something pretty new to the table, you just need to be prepared to pay for it.

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I also enjoy how the Club leveraged the Tiger Hawk into a meaningful place within the confines of the Con set. Building the three pack around the helicopter makes sense, with the pilot (Skystriker) and two operatives (Alpine and Frostbite) dove-tailing into the vehicle placement nicely.

At the end of the day, buying the Tiger Hawk is a decision that you have to take seriously, as it’s one of the most expensive Convention vehicles we’ve seen to date. But if you’re a Tiger Force fan, it would be tough to consider your Tiger Force collection complete without this vehicle at the head of the table. It really is executed nicely and would fit in a modern or vintage collection quite well.

Tigerhawk
  • Vehicle Design
  • Paint Deco
  • Play Features
4.2

Summary

One of the all time classic vehicles in G.I. Joe’s Real American Hero history, Hasbro’s recent re-release of the Tomahawk made a Convention item almost assured, even at a steep price. The Collectors Club took that challenge and indoctrinated it into the Tiger Force theme nearly seamlessly. The question ultimately remains of how much is it worth to the average collector. It’s undoubtedly a fantastic piece, but it can be a challenge to justify the price.


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