by generalsjoes | May 6, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Collectors Club, G.I. Joe Convention, G.I. Joe Toys, JoeCon 2010, Show and Convention Coverage
As usual, the Convention started with a sprint that quickly led to the abrupt halt that is known as “pre-registration”. Actually, to be fair, the lines were not bad at all this year, and I give all the credit in the world to the line monitors who did an absolutely awesome job. They all deserve commendation. Especially for those damn orange vests they had to wear. :shifty:
In all seriousness, the lines all moved at a very brisk pace and things went smooth as silk. I did have to step out for about 40 minutes to help Mark Bellomo unload his car down through the freight elevator, which added some excitement. Click the “Read the rest of this entry” link below to get a run down.
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by generalsjoes | Apr 27, 2010 | G.I. Joe
I showed you folks the excellent MSGiJoe Collectors’ Club Adventure Team HQ and the Terror Drome downloadable dio playsets a few weeks ago…and now they’ve updated again!
This time around they’ve got a fantastic Red Shadows Command Center, available in high resolution at their forums right here. Check out a very small sampling of the images below. I love this sort of stuff, kudos to the MS GIJoe Collectors’ Club for making this available!
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by generalsjoes | Apr 16, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Collectors Club
Well, I don’t suck because I didn’t pre-register…I’ve been registered for a looong time. I suck because I neglected to remind everyone else that they should pre-register.
I know a lot of the popular collector mentality is simply to stop by a store and buy a toy. But to me, being a part of the G.I. Joe community is so much more than simply shoving my dirty money into a cashier’s hand. It’s all about the community.
Ever since I relaunched GeneralsJoes as a blog and news site, I’ve fought myself on the subject of a forum. Part of me loves the community building that a forum generates, but another part of me knows that I simply do not have the time or energy to devote to a forum and do one the “right” way. So if it can’t be done the right way, I refuse to do it the wrong way. Besides, there are more than enough forums out there already.
But even though community is built from the forums, the community and friendships that you build at JoeCon lasts lifetimes. There are guys that I’ve met face-to-face only a few times in my life, and those times were at JoeCon. And I consider them some of my greatest friends I have. Typing back and forth is great, sure. But hanging out at the bar, in person beats any amount of finger-clacking you can do.
You don’t like the o-rings…I get it. The Red Shadows bore you… I guess I can appreciate that sentiment (as warped as it may be). But the conventions are about so much more than plastic, rubber, and paint applications, and I just hope that folks realize that.
Missing last year’s Con was a tough gig for me…even though I was busy at the time witnessing the birth of my second child. I am ecstatic that I’m going to make it again this year, and I really look forward to seeing all the familiar faces, as well as some new faces this time around. Two weeks away. I cannot WAIT.
Hopefully I’ll see you in Providence!
by generalsjoes | Apr 8, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Collectors Club
It’s been a quiet year for G.I. Joe, that much is for sure, especially compared to the furer that was 2009. With no movie, no Resolute animation, and pretty much no new toys, what can G.I. Joe fans do to keep their interest sparked and remain invested in the brand?
I strongly suggest taking some time out of your busy day to check out Blood for the Baron. Anyone who loves G.I. Joe, will find a LOT to love about that site. Built and run by fans of the UK version of G.I. Joe, “Action Force”, Blood for the Baron has a metric ton of G.I. Joe related content that is sure to excite the Joe fan in all of us. Not only are there figures that we never saw first hand, but there is a whole, rich history that was written strictly for the Palitoy brand that simply never existed on US soil. The whole Red Shadows, Black Major, Baron Ironblood mythology is so awesome.
Sure, it doesn’t really fit in with the American mythology, but fans with open minds can still really appreciate the story that they crafted overseas, especially considering these were toys designed for kids, and that licensed comics back then were mostly just phoned in. And don’t think for a second that the fact these were written for kids means they’re not captivating. I’ve been re-reading a lot of the Battle Action Force comics in recent weeks, and even at 36, these books are an absolute BLAST.
I took some time to talk to Jamar Miller and James Marshall (who owns and runs Blood for the Baron), and got some recommendations from them on key points to check out at the site:
- Action Force Data Files – A quick comic with data files on a number of key Action Force and Red Shadows characters. Not very thorough, but a really nice “quick peek” at some names that you might recognize, but not really know a whole lot about.
- Battle Action Force Comics – This is the goods right here. A full archive of all of the Battle Action Force comics released through Palitoy. But this is a massive collection that can be somewhat overwhelming.
- The BFTB Colouring Project – These are formerly black and white comics that the Blood for the Baron team has painstakingly colored, and this might break things up into some more manageable chunks for public consumption.
Of course, all of this has been sparked by the fantastic looking Vacation in the Shadows convention set that the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club is releasing this year. Looking at these updated versions of the Red Shadows characters, and the rich, fantastic history of the brand overseas really gives Joe fans a lot to absorb, even when nothing new is on the screen or on the shelves. Take advantage of this dead time!
by generalsjoes | Apr 6, 2010 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Collectors Club, G.I. Joe Toys
Posted over at HissTank.com, Gyre-Viper once again gets his purple-fingered mitts on some soon to be released G.I. Joe items, this time around, from the Vacation in the Shadows Convention set! Sure, we’ve seen official production images of these awesome figures, but Gyre-Viper gives us some great comparison shots with some of the originals, which is just plain bad ass. Seeing Red Laser next to the updated Red Shadow is all sorts of cool. A great idea for him to do this, and some images that I’m really enjoying.
I’m not sure about anyone else, but this year’s set has really stoked the fire for Action Force for me, and I think Joe fans are doing themselves a disservice if they don’t check out how the universe unfolded over the pond. Some great untold stories that I hope to spend some time on as we lead up to the Con.
Thanks again to Gyre-Viper for taking these pics! Good stuff.
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