Page 1 May 2006 May 2006 817-448-9863 Fax

TM
May 2006
225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108
y now, I hope that you have seen online
our great convention set announcements!
We have really been working hard this
year to bring you some surprises. Our big
announcement for the 12” set is the retooling of
the Vintage Head to fit the current SuperArticulated body. This is a merging of the best
of both worlds. The Vintage Head gives the figure a nostalgic feel with that great face sculpt
we have all come to know and love. The SuperArticulated body gives the figure the ability to
assume poses that were NEVER possible with
the Vintage body. We have named this club
exclusive version of G.I. Joe the Super-Vintage
body. Expect to see a lot more of this figure in
future releases. Here is a photo of just part of
the convention set. Another great new piece in
this set is the bear. He is awesome and really
adds to this adventure. Check online at mastercollector.com for full set images and pictures.
Also, let me warn you now that this is a HUGE
set. The box is 23” x 14” x 5.5”. It is quite
impressive and it comes with more terrific art
by Larry Selman.
B
The big news for the 3 3/4” set is that we have
reproduced a very hard to get figure that was distributed only in South
America – Cobra Mortal (see page 10)! This figure is made in the traditional style in hard plastic so that the vac-metal will stick to the figure.
We have ramped up this figure as well with additional paint applications
that the original did not have. So, now that the mysterious loner from
South America has been revealed, you have probably figured out that
Cobra Commander has hired these mercenaries to eliminate Sgt.
Slaughter. In Cobra Commander’s mind, he reasons that by eliminating
the Sarge, he will destroy the heart of G.I. Joe’s training program and
affect the quality of their recruits for years to come.
Don’t miss getting these sets and the great celebration of G.I. Joe coming to the New Orleans Sheraton June 29-July 2! Our room block at the
hotel is almost full! As of this writing, there are less than 40 rooms
available for the weekend nights. Don’t wait too long to get your hotel
room at the Sheraton as it will sell out! This convention will be fun for
the whole family, from the swamp tour to the D-Day Museum, to the
private sales room preview; we have an exciting full schedule lined up
for you! All activities (other than tours) will be at the Sheraton Hotel
on Canal Street with a special rate of $119 (regular rate is $169). Registration forms are available online or give us a call at 817-448-9863
and we will drop one in the mail to you. You
can make your hotel reservations using the link
from the convention area at mastercollector.com
or by calling 888-627-7033 or 504-525-2500.
Again, don’t miss this great event and this
opportunity to help New Orleans rebuild their
economy.
Sales of the 40th Anniversary Dress Pilot and
Combat Soldier have slowed a bit. We have
still not reached the breakeven point in this project and so at this time, future projects are on
hold. If every club member who collects 12”
figures bought just one more of each figure, we
would be well on our way to the next release.
So please, tell all of your collecting friends to
help keep this series alive and order a set today!
Don’t forget they also make a great gift!
Response to the M.O.T.H. Jungle Theatre set
has continued to be very strong. We are very
excited about this set and I hope you are as
well. If you have not placed your pre-order,
you can still do so by calling 800-772-6673 or
817-448-9863 and one of our customer service
representatives will be happy to assist you. We
anticipate that these figures will ship around
817-448-9863
Fax 817-448-9843
the first of June. In case you are wondering,
the second in the series Operation: Flaming
M.O.T.H. Desert Theater will be available for
first purchase at the convention in New Orleans!
Pictures will be available in the convention coverage at the end of June.
In addition, due to multiple requests, we have
come up with a couple of ways to make the 12”
carded give-aways from the 2004 and 2005 conventions availalbe to folks who missed those
great shows. So, here’s the deal: Any members
who are coming to the New Orleans Convention
can pre-order for pick-up at the show two (any
combination) of either the Dress Pilot or
Combat Soldier 40th Anniversary figure for $84
and get the British RAF Service Dress Uniform
card for $15 ($99 total); if you pre-order for
pick-up at the show any four Dress Pilots or
Combat Soldiers (any combination) for $168,
you get the RAF card for FREE. You must preorder these items and you must pick them up at
the show. This will help us know exactly what
to put on the truck. We will aslo be selling the
Navy Honor Guard set at the convention to
members. We know that collectors who missed
these past conventions have really wanted to get these pieces, so here is
your big chance. Quantities are very limited.
The free Club figures are still scheduled to ship around the end of May
or the first of June. You can still order additional figures and/or accessory sets, please call 800-772-6673 or 817-448-9863. Additional
Nullifiers will be available for $20 each plus postage. Additional
Foreign Adventurer accessories or figures can still be pre-ordered. The
accessory set by itself sells for $25 plus postage. Additional figures
WITH the accessory set are $35 each plus postage and the Foreign
Adventurer figure with no accessories is $20 each plus postage.
New items to pre-order are: DTC Wave 2 ‘06 assortment Airtight,
Outback, Lt. Falcon, Munitia, Cobra Officer, Night Viper (6 figures total)
$36.00 (the ship date on this has moved to June so we have extended
the pre-order deadline); S6 2.5” Vehicles Night Ops Vamp or Cobra
Attack Jet $23.00 ea ppd; S6 Dragonhawk (ship date has moved to June)
$43.00 ppd; S6 Commando Artic Duke $23.00 ppd or S6 Commando
Wave 3 ‘06 Set (4 figures) Artic Duke, Hi Tech w/Hound Sentry, Destro,
and Jungle Snake Eyes $70.00 ppd.
Don’t forget to check the online store for our
weekly specials. Put gijoeclub.com/shop in
your bookmarks! Also for our foreign members,
we have now implemented a new service called
Global Priority Mail. This is a faster, lower cost
service for items under 4 lbs that will fit in a
box 12” x 12” x 12”. It is not available for
everything, but it will provide a lower cost for
the bulk of our products. Check it out today!
Congratulations to our advertising winner for
April. Van Reimer, IN, has won a free G.I. Joe
figure! Each month, we pick a random ad winner from the G.I. Joe classifieds. Your ad must
contain a specific G.I. Joe item you are trying to
buy or sell, so send in your ad today! Use the
online links to submit your FREE 30 word ad.
Don’t delay, put this down and do it right now!
Thanks for your support; we look forward to
seeing all of you in New Orleans!
Let’s Go with G.I. Joe!
-Brian
G.I. Joe® is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc. G.I. Joe® is used with permission under license with Hasbro, Inc. The G.I. Joe Collectors’Club™ is a trademark of Fun
Publications, Inc. Contents may not be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of Fun Publications, Inc. Convention events, sets, and guests may change without notice.
Page 1 May 2006
by
David
S.
Lane
This past March, our esteemed Club Director, Brian Savage made a
promotional appearance on a live television program
called ‘Attack of the Show’!
On the Set!
My Behind-the-Scenes report:
, David
ereira
Kevin P
e,
n Savag
a
i
r
B
,
e
n
ane
Sarah L
La
If you’re not familiar with it, the show is broadcast on G4, which is a channel that is available in 53 million
cable and satellite homes nationwide. Their programming includes a
variety of pop culture topics, such as video games, TV show reviews,
movie critiques, and celebrity interviews. Their target audience of
males (18-34) gets a daily dose of sports, computer technology, animation, website interactivity, and Internet based fun. The channel also
offers a wide selection of other shows, including Action Blast, which is
an hour of animation showing Transformers: Beast Wars and B-Daman
(both are based on popular Hasbro toy lines). It should also be of primary interest that the channel will be re-airing the 80’s fan favorite
Marvel/Sunbow produced G.I. JOE animated series this fall.
With their obvious interest in Hasbro
properties, it was clear that AotS needed to feature a segment on G.I. JOE.
Thus, Mr. Savage was offered a gracious invitation to be interviewed and
provide his insight on the popularity of
the past and present G.I. JOE series.
This was a great opportunity to promote the latest toy products and provide information about our Collectors’
Convention in New Orleans this summer. Plus, the added bonus of mentioning that Sgt. Slaughter will be appearing as a special guest was sure to
excite both wrestling and G.I. JOE
fans nationwide.
The AotS is hosted by Kevin Pereira, a twenty-three year old video
gamer extraordinaire and techno-geek, along with his smart blonde
counterpart - Sarah Lane, a computer technologically professional in
her own right (and possibly my long-lost cousin?!?) It was interesting to see them between rehearsals, as they would jump into the
show’s chat room to answer questions or continue updating their
daily blogs. They really have it
made…it’s a tough job
when your
work consists
of discussing
everything
from the
latest South
Park
episode to
various
happenings in
pop-culture.
Since
the teleRehear
vision chansal
nel is headquartered in my
backyard of Los Angeles, California, I was
recruited to select the G.I. JOE products for the creation
of a diorama on the show. Coming from a background in television
production, I know about the time constraints and fast pace of a live
show. Thus, I had to be ready with my materials and plan of attack. I
met with the show’s Segment
Producer and discussed the layout
and design of the diorama. Upon
showing my selected convoy of vehicles and army of action figures, I
worked with the Art Department to
format a paper mache desert terrain.
Of course, I chose my favorite vintage style 3 3/4-inch action figures
and vehicles. Using the COBRA
MOUNTAIN playset as a centerpiece, I rallied a dozen CRIMSON
STRIKE VIPERS against a squad of
G.I. JOE: STEEL BRIGADE troopers. The final set-up looked great
under the lights and behind the camera. Let the battle begin!
G.I. Joe Club Director, Brian Savage
Page 2 May 2006
HASBRO Interview
with John Warden
by David S. Lane
(DSL) John, please tell us about your job as Design Manager on the G.I. JOE
brand and any personal background information that you would like to share
with the Club.
(JW) As Design Manger, I’m responsible for the consumer experience of
G.I. JOE. I work with the other designers here on the G.I. JOE brand to
develop toys that deliver rich play for our consumers. Our goal is to make
every single G.I. JOE purchase a layered, complex, deep play experience –
one that sweeps our fan deep into the world of Joe! In addition to the fantasy-building part of my job, I’m responsible for the creation, performance,
and execution of the design as well. About 2 years ago, I was part of the
team tasked with the evolution of G.I. JOE into what is now SIGMA 6. I’ve
been here at Hasbro since 1999. Along the way, I’ve worked on several
brands, but none have given me the honor that G.I. JOE has! I’m surrounded by some of the best guys in the business and making toys for the
best action figure brand! My first job was at Kenner, where I was part of
the Star Wars Team. I had the privilege of designing the 300th figure of
Boba Fett. In a way, my job here on the Joe Design Team is a childhood
dream come true. I grew up in
the 80s and had a whole lot of
the 3 3/4” RAH figures and
vehicles. More specifically, I
collected COBRA stuff. I had
just about everything there was
back then. I was an enormous
fan. I couldn’t wait to go to the
toy store to see what Hasbro
was going to put out next!
(DSL) What are some of the G.I.
JOE products and/or promotions
that you have worked on this year?
(JW) This year, I’ve been working on the formation of the
SIGMA 6 fantasy – especially the
original 8” SIGMA 6 figures and
their action-packed gear.
(DSL) That is very cool. Can you explain the product design process
from start-to-finish?
(JW) Sure! First we set a design vision – the document that lays out our
goals for the toy brand. Inside this document, we capture what it is we want
the kid to feel when he’s playing with the toy. To begin, we make rough
sketches to try to capture the look and feel of the toy we want to create. The
next step is to solidify the rough sketch into a “design-control” drawing,
basically a blueprint for the plastic part. The control drawing is given to a
sculptor, who crafts a gorgeous little one-of-a-kind model out of brittle wax
or resin. Engineering comes on board and helps to make sure the thing
works, the little springs and gears are moving the way they are supposed to
and we have enough room to make it work. Lastly, a final “check-model” is
made. We then work with Hasbro
Far East to make sure the model is
exactly what we’re looking for
because the check-model is used as
a pattern to cut the steel of the
molds that make the plastic toy.
Colors are decided upon and a
painted model is made … and there
you have it!
(DSL) What type of interaction does
the design team have with marketing and the properties group over
current G.I. JOE licenses?
(JW) We work and interact with all
of those departments and more!
Another huge help in our job is the
Hasbro Funlab. This is a research
group where we bring in kids who
like G.I. JOE to play with our toys.
We look at the data together and
evaluate the performance of the toy
or concept. Design, Marketing, and the Properties groups work together
with GONZO Studios in Japan to create the G.I. JOE: SIGMA 6 Cartoon.
Each of us brings a different piece of the puzzle to the table.
(DSL) Out of all your work, what has been the most challenging and what
is your favorite piece? Also, how does it feel seeing your items on toy
store shelves?
(JW) Wow that’s a hard question to answer! Of all the Joe stuff, I guess I
would have to say the Wave 1 SIGMA 6: SNAKE EYES figure. I still
remember being under a tight deadline, hunkered over my laptop, finely
tuning every detail of the design-control drawings for that figure, especially
his Magnetic Whip-Star and Sword. I am very proud of those two accessories in particular – what an honor to create the sword for the world’s
finest Commando! Seeing my toys on the shelf is an indescribable, miraculous feeling. Even today, after all these years, I still get butterflies in my
stomach when I see something I helped to create, brought to life right there
on the toy shelf staring back at me. It is an awesome feeling of satisfaction
and happiness to see a kid pick it up and ask his parents to buy it. But, I’d
have to say, the best feeling of all is to watch my own son (age 7) playing
with an action figure I designed.
(DSL) What can you tell us about working with GONZO Studios and the
SIGMA 6 animated series? Got any news about Season two?
(JW) My job working with GONZO was to supply them with toy reference as
well as fantasy on how each of the pieces of gear performs in battle.
GONZO employs some of the most talented guys in the business. It is great
working with them. Season 2 is
gonna be amazing! We are set to
launch a new line of awesome
SIGMA 6 Mission Scale vehicles
– and these will get some amazing screen time in the new show.
Fans can expect to see plenty of
vehicle action – even more than
season 1. In addition – we’re
introducing two new members to
the Sigma Team. One of them
will turn out to be a traitor –
you’ll have to tune in to find out
who!
(DSL) If someone wants to get
into the Toy Design business,
what do you recommend?
(JW) Being a designer is just as much about seeing the world around you as it
is about creating something new. You need to not only be able to draw and
visualize in 3-D, but you need to be able to understand how the consumer will
be interacting with your product. I graduated from the Department of
Industrial Design at Ohio State University. I’d suggest that someone interested in designing toys should practice their drawing skills and take stuff apart to
understand how it’s made. Try to go to a school that has a design department,
and once you’re there, do the best you can to get an internship with a toy
company. It’s a very competitive field, but we’re always looking for someone
new and dedicated!
(DSL) Do you have any final thoughts or comments to share with our readers?
(JW) I wanted to spread a word of thanks to all of the fans out there (young
and old) who have embraced the SIGMA 6 line. All of us here at Hasbro
work very hard to make the toys
the best we can. It warms my
heart to read the reviews of the
figures, knowing that there are
people out there that appreciate
the details we carefully put into
every one of the figures. It is an
even better feeling to know that a
new group of kids is enjoying G.I.
JOE the way I did when I was a
kid. I also want to spread a word
of gratitude to all Joe Fans.
Thanks to all of you, the rich
world of G.I. JOE stays alive for
future generations to enjoy.
Yo-Joe!
(DSL) Thank you for sharing
your talents and we look forward
to seeing your work on the
shelves this summer.
“Until next time troops!” – Dave
Page 3 May 2006
G.I. Joe in Japan:
Part V
The Legacy
amazing results. While these figures were by no means inexpensive,
they were immediately popular
with both fans of the characters and
with the general 1/6th scale collector market. The continued success
of these figures helped to make
Medicom one of today's toy industry powerhouses.
by James Long
1995 also saw another company
enter the 1/6th arena, a company
calling itself "Toys McCoy." Better
known for their "Real McCoy's"
[sic] designer apparel line, the people behind the company decided to
combine their skill in tailoring with
their interests in 1/6th scale figures
and in the career of actor Steve
McQueen, giving birth to their Toys
McCoy label. To avoid the hassles
of creating their figure from scratch,
Toys McCoy took a route similar to
that used by Medicom; leasing the
use of a body from an outside
source. Using Takara as an intermediary, Toys McCoy was able to get
the rights to use the body Hasbro
had utilized for the 30th anniversary
G.I. Joe figures.
The coming of the 1990s brought with it continued collector interest in the 1/6th
scale G.I. Joe, in Japan as well as America. When Hasbro finally began producing
12" figures again with the Hall of Fame G.I. Joe line, these figures were soon
being released to Japanese stores by Hasbro's Japan-based branch (which was
named, appropriately enough, "Hasbro Japan"). While these sets certainly caught
the attention of vintage G.I. Joe collectors, the failure of the animated G.I. Joe
series and the resulting disappearance of the Real American Hero Joe line did
nothing to enamor collectors with these 12" figures based on the RAH characters.
Instead, these collectors had far more
interest in realistic military equipment
and uniforms. As a result, the figures
and gear produced by Cotswold
Collectibles found an eager market
abroad, and were soon being imported
and sold through a variety of collectible stores. Some Japanese fan
groups, Saru-Inu Ya being the most
notable, followed Cotswold's example
by producing their own highlydetailed uniforms and equipment.
These efforts mostly replicated
German and Japanese military uniforms from World War II, and were
sold through specialty shops and
through mail order ads in modeling
magazines like Hobby Japan.
By the mid-1990s, the continued
demand for 12" figures helped lead to
the formation of a small start-up company called Medicom, which dedicated itself to producing high-quality toys with
mass-market collector appeal. One of their first efforts was to launch "Project
1/6th," a line of 1/6th scale figures titled "Real Action Heroes." Like the "Allies
of Justice" line Takara had released in 1971, the figures in the Real Action
Heroes line were based on popular TV action characters. This time, though, they
weren't focusing on characters that were airing on television at the moment,
instead they chose characters from live-action and animated series of the 1970s
and 1980s, characters with nostalgic appeal for the
adult collectors who could afford a high-end product.
In order to make their new line a success, Medicom
knew it would need a well articulated figure. Who better to look to for inspiration than G.I. Joe, the most
popular 1/6th scale figure of them all. So, instead of
reinventing the wheel by creating their own Joe-like
figure, Medicom took the more cost-effective route of
striking a deal with Takara to use a slightly modified
version of their 1984 "Combat Joe" body. Christened
"New Combat Joe," this body would form the basis of
the Real Action Heroes figures for years to come.
The line launched in 1995 with the release of
"Devilman," based on the 1972 animated TV series of
the same name. The figure was very successful, and
was soon joined by a growing legion of Real Action
Heroes characters. Rather than producing simplified
version of the characters, as Takara did in their "Allies
of Justice" and the subsequent "Henshin Cyborg" lines,
Medicom strove to make each character look as close
to their original source as they could get, often with
Page 4 May 2006
For the head, Toys McCoy contacted the model company Billiken,
which had released a set of 1/6th
scale celebrity heads in the mid1980s, including that of Steve
McQueen as he appeared playing Virgil Hilts in the 1963 movie "The Great
Escape." While this head was ostensibly made for the modelling market, it was
perfect for use on a G.I. Joe body. Toys McCoy secured the use of the Steve
McQueen head mold, and with it,
created their first Steve McQueen
figure, a 3,000-figure limited edition based on the Virgil Hilts character. Despite costing more than
twice that of the Real Action
Heroes figures, the enduring popularity of both Steve McQueen and
The Great Escape helped the figure
sell out rapidly.
From that auspicious start, Toys
McCoy has kept busy catering to
1/6th scale collectors with deep
pockets and an eye for exceptional
quality. After one more Steve
McQueen figure with the 30th
Anniversary G.I. Joe body, that of
his Josh Randall character from the
1958-61 TV
western
"Wanted Dead
or Alive," they
were able to
obtain the use
of the G.I. Joe
Classic
Collection
body, greatly
improving the
articulation on
their figures.
Since then,
they've had several more
Steve McQueen figures,
like Junior Bonner from
the 1972 movie of the
same name and Papa
Thorson from McQueen's
final movie, 1980's "The
Hunter." Toys McCoy has
also broadened their scope
to include other characters
and celebrities, like a
Marilyn Monroe dressed
for her 1954 U.S.O. tour of
South Korea, Seattle
Mariners Right Fielder
Ichiro Suzuki in his then-current
Orix Blue Wave uniform, and one
of their most popular figures, an
incredible replica of Indiana Jones.
In February of 1997, Hasbro Japan
began distributing the new Classic
Collection G.I. Joe figures in Japan.
These proved much more popular
than the Hall of Fame figures had
been. Continuing a not-so-proud
tradition from the 1960s and 1970s,
Hasbro occasionally utilized this
alternative market as a place to
dump products that did not receive
much retail support in America. As
a result, several figures that were
more difficult to find in the States,
like the first two Civil War G.I. Joe figures, could be found with relative ease in
Japan. Regardless, consumer interest in the superior Classic Collection line over
its Hall of Fame predecessor helped increase Joe's profile in Japan. Because of
this, Hasbro Japan was soon being commissioned to produce several G.I. Joe figures exclusively for the Japanese market.
The first of these was a series known as "Sports Joe in NCAA," wearing basic
athletic wear with the NCAA logo, and available only at stores selling NCAA
sportswear. The Sports Joe figure used the same body as the 30th Anniversary
G.I. Joe figures, with blond hair so light that it almost looked white. The first
figure appeared in the summer, and was wearing gray shorts, a matching polo
shirt, and white hightop sneakers.
A second figure followed in the
autumn, where Joe was now seen
wearing a black and green hooded sweatsuit. The third and final
figure in the NCAA series came
in the spring of 1998, wearing
blue, white, and yellow shorts
with a matching mesh polo shirt.
While the Sports Joe figures had
only limited availability, Hasbro
Japan's next effort was directed at
the general retail market. This set
paired a military-style G.I. Joe
figure with a
Sports Joe
figure to create the
"Father &
Son" set,
released in
December of
1997. The
premise of
the set was
that the military G.I. Joe,
the "Father," was an Air
Force pilot during Vietnam,
while the athletic Sports
Joe, the "Son," was the college-aged offspring of the
elder Joe. The G.I. Joe came
dressed in his flight suit,
jacket, and helmet, while the
Sports Joe came dressed in
the uniform of the "San
Francisco Joes" collegiate
baseball team, for which he
was the star pitcher. In a
nice act of reciprocation,
these highly detailed uniforms were created by the folks
at Toys McCoy. Since both Joes
were being depicted as young
men, something was needed to
differentiate between the two figures. So, G.I. Joe used the
Classic Collection Body with the
Masterpiece Edition G.I. Joe
head, while Sports Joe used the
30th Anniversary body and head,
with both figures sporting the
same light-blond hair. As you
might expect, the set was quickly
snapped up by eager Japanese
G.I. Joe collectors who were
thrilled to finally have their own
exclusive G.I. Joe set.
Hasbro Japan soon followed this successful set with the "Hoost Vs Hug" 2-figure
set which commemorated the Grand Prix of the martial arts sport competition K1 in November of 1997, where Dutch kickboxer Ernesto Hoost defeated the 1996
K-1 Grand Prix Champion, Kyokushin Karate and kickboxing fighter Andy Hug
of Switzerland. The set featured likenesses of Hoost and Hug on Classic
Collection G.I. Joe bodies. Both figures came with the clothing they wore in
their final match, as well as the championship belt and crown awarded Hoost
upon winning the match and the Karate uniform Hug usually wore.
December of 1998 saw the third and final Japan exclusive 2-figure set to be
released by Hasbro Japan, returning once again to the "Father & Son" combination that had worked so well the year before. Rather than creating an original
G.I. Joe and Sports Joe set as they had done previously, they decided to look to
outside media for their inspiration. As a result, the theme for this Father & Son
set was taken from a popular baseball comic named "Star of the Giants," created
by Ikki Kajiwara and Noboru Kawasaki. This 3,000-piece limited edition included figures of father Ittetsu
Hoshi, using the Classic
Collection body, and his son
Hyuma Hoshi, who had a
30th Anniversary G.I. Joe
body. In the comic, Ittetsu
had trained Hyuma since
childhood to be a pitcher for
the Tokyo Giants baseball
team after his own pro ball
career faltered. The set
included Hyuma in his
Giants uniform and Ittetsu in
his old Japanese military uniform, as well as additional
accessories like the special
metal spring and leather harness Ittetsu created for
Hyuma to strengthen his
arms and a pick and shovel
for Ittetsu to use for his job
as a construction worker. The
set even included a Hoshi
Continued on page 12...
Page 5 May 2006
Page 6 May 2006
Page 7 May 2006
everal new offerings of the popular GI Joe Comic
Book 3 packs have been
made available to collectors through the DTC
program. Past comic
book 3 packs have
offered collectors three
vintage style 3 3/4”
Joes/COBRA figures
along with a copy of a
classic comic book in
which the respective
characters appeared.
The most recent DTC
comic packs include the
following:
S
Issue #9 with Alvin
“Breaker” Kibbey,
Agent Scarlett &
Cobra Commander
Issue #75 with Dreadnoks Ripper, Thrasher & Buzzer
Issue #25 with Tommy Arashikage, Lonzo R. Wilkinson
& CLASSIFIED
Issue #16 with Spirit Iron-Knife, Agent Courtney Krieger &
Hannibal: Reborn
It should be noted that the last of the aforementioned comic 3 packs is
the Devil’s Due Comic #16 which was voted on by collectors as the
Fans’ Choice Winner. This comic book 3 pack is different than those
previously released as it contains new sculpt figures as opposed to the
vintage style figures.
Issue #9 with Alvin “Breaker” Kibbey, Agent Scarlett &
Cobra Commander
Out of the three figures offered in this comic book 3 pack, Alvin
“Breaker” Kibbey is the one that makes this set worthwhile. This is
only the third version of Breaker that has ever been issued (that is, if
you care to count that abomination of a Breaker figure included in the
1997 Stars and Stripes Forever boxed set from TRU). Breaker is a
repaint of the 2004 General Abernathy tooling along with a nicely
sculpted new head. The color selections are in keeping with the comic.
Breaker captures the feel of his comic book representation and is a great
addition for those fans of the comic book figures. Agent Scarlett is basically the 1982 version along
with a newly sculpted
head and lower legs. The
new head sculpt is good
Page 8 May 2006
DTC Produ
GI JOE CO
3 PA
for the most part and the color selections
are true to the comic. Personally, I find
this figure a bit boring. For something different and a little more
interesting, I would have rather seen a version of Scarlett in her
bath robe just as she appears in this same issue #9. COBRA
Commander is comprised primarily of the 1991 COBRA
b
Commander tooling along with the 2004 COBRA Commander
head and the lower arms of 1984 Roadblock. The interesting
Terry W
feature of this figure is that it has been molded in a translucent
blue color. This gives COBRA Commander a “holographic” appearance which is the way he appeared in issue #9. This version of
COBRA Commander is something different and is actually kind of cool.
Overall grades: Breaker: B+, Scarlett: C+, COBRA Commander: B-.
Issue #75 with Dreadnoks Ripper, Thrasher & Buzzer
Dreadnoks have been a long time favorite of collectors and this comic
pack is sure to satisfy those Dreadnok fans. Ripper, Thrasher & Buzzer
have all been reissued in their original toolings along with newly sculpted heads and updated color schemes. The new head sculpts for all three
Drednoks are improvements over the originals, especially Thrasher’s
new head sculpt. The
original Thrasher head
sculpt may be one of
the least favorites
among collectors given
its “dorky” appearance.
The new color schemes
are pretty much in
keeping with the originals except for
Thrasher’s new deco.
The new deco sports
more blues and greens
which doesn’t look
quite as nice as the
original black and gray
colors. Ripper and
Buzzer both come with
accessories that are
true to those that came
with them when they
were initially issued.
Thrasher now comes with a
pistol and machete instead of the lacrosse style club that he
originally came with when he was issued with the
ct Review:
OMIC BOOK
ACKS
Dreadnok Thunder Machine. Overall,
this is an excellent set and is highly recommended. It is my favorite comic 3 pack from this review.
Overall grades: Ripper: A-, Thrasher: B+, Buzzer: A-.
by
Wheeler
Issue #25 with Tommy Arashikage, Lonzo R. Wilkinson
& CLASSIFIED
The story line of this set is based upon the period of time when
Storm Shadow, Stalker and Snake Eyes were soldiers together
on tour in Southeast Asia. The three were all members of a long range
reconnaissance patrol. These figures have all been cobbled together
from previously used toolings and decoed in jungle warfare colors.
Tommy Arashikage/Storm Shadow is made up of the 1984 Road Block
body, 1984 Storm Shadow’s arms and a newly sculpted head.
Wilkinson/Stalker uses the upper torso of the 1984 Duke tooling along
with the new Stalker Head sculpt. The CLASSIFIED/Snake Eyes figure uses the 1992 Gung Ho torso, waist & legs and has the head of the
comic book Hawk figure with a glued on hat. While some of these
toolings have been overused in recent years, the new heads and jungle
colors make the final figures look quite good. I’m glad to see Hasbro
try something new like
this for the comic book 3
packs. I hope we see
more of this type of
approach with future
comic book sets.
Overall grades: Tommy
Arashikage: B, Lonzo R.
Wilkinson: B+, CLASSIFIED: B+.
is Spirit Iron-Knife which
is a straight up repaint of
the 2005 DTC Spirit
Iron-Knife figure. While
it is a bit too soon to
reissue this figure, I find
the new black colored
shirt and pants to be a
big improvement over
the first issue green
color. Agent Courtney
Krieger (i.e. Cover Girl)
is the second figure in
the set. This is only the
second time that
Courtney/Cover Girl has
been issued. This new
sculpt figure of Cover
Girl is probably the best
looking female new
sculpt figure that Hasbro
has done to date. The
sculpted long hair looks especially nice. The color selections
are very well done and work well together. The last figure in
the set is Hannibal: Reborn. This character is based upon a
clone experiment of Professor Mindbender. Hannibal is the genetic recreation of a famous Carthaginian general that fought against the
Roman army. The concept is a little out there, at least it is to me. I personally do not find this figure very appealing. The character looks like
something right out of the pages of “The Punisher”. I have a hard time
working Hannibal into my Joe universe. The sculpt is okay but really
needs some work at the elbows. When the arms are bent at the elbows,
the lower arms have the appearance of looking barely connected to the
upper arms. It almost looks like a scarecrow when the arms are bent. I
just do not care for this figure at all. Fortunately the other two figures
in this set make it worthy of purchase.
Overall grades: Spirit Iron-Knife: B+, Agent Courtney Krieger: A-,
Hannibal: Reborn: D-.
Hasbro’s recent offerings in the GI Joe Comic Book 3 Packs are solid
and have something to offer to most all collectors. I would say that the
comic book 3 pack with issue #75 (the Dreadnok 3 pack) is the best of
the four reviewed while the Devils Due comic book 3 pack is the weakest of the four. As I have stated before, I prefer the vintage style sculpts
over the new RAH figures because they have the look and feel of classic GI Joe. I hope that Hasbro stays away from using the new sculpt in
future comic book 3
pack releases.
Issue #16 with Spirit
Iron-Knife, Agent
Courtney Krieger &
Hannibal: Reborn
As mentioned in the
opening, this comic book
set contains the Devil’s
Due Comic #16 which
was voted on by collectors as the Fans’ Choice
Winner. The set contains
three characters specific to this particular issue. This set is also
the first comic book 3 pack to contain new sculpt figures as
opposed to the vintage style figures. The first figure in the set
Page 9 May 2006
200
Conv 6
e
Prev ntion
iew!
Here are the figures from this year’s G.I. Joe Collectors’ Convention
3 3/4” figure set “Cobra’s Most Wanted: Mercenaries”! This set has been
very well received and is a big hit with collectors. Check out Cobra
Mortal, Major Bludd, Skull Squad Trooper, Overlord, and Coil Trooper.
Remember, each set comes with 6 Coil Troopers and 6 Skull Squad
Troopers! Come to New Orleans this summer to get your set as well as the
limited edition Sgt. Slaughter which will be available at the Convention!
There will be other exclusive souvenirs as well! See you there!
Page 10 May 2006
G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Order Form - MORE ITEMS available at gijoeclub.com/shop
All prices here include shipping in U.S. Foreign orders, please add additional shipping.
Online prices do not include shipping. Shipping is calculated by individual order online.
Convention Premiums
Qty
1999 Continental Color Guard Figure set*** (comes with shirt: size M, L, XL, XXL)
2000 Convention Flying Tigers Figure Boxed set LE 750***
2001 Convention Pegasus Bridge Figure Boxed set LE 750*
2001 Convention Extra Brit. and German* (Ltd. to ONE per 2001 Conv. set)
2002 Battle of Leyte Gulf Figure set LE 750***
2002 Convention Extra Captain figure set* (Ltd. to ONE per 2002 Conv. set)
2002 Convention Extra Nude talking figures* (Ltd. to ONE per 2002 Conv. set, or Extra Captain set)
2003 Convention Kursk Tanker Boxed set LE 500*
2003 Convention Extra Kursk loose figure set* (Ltd. to ONE per 2003 Conv. set)
2003 Convention Extra Nude talking tankers* (Ltd. to ONE per 2003 Conv. set, or Extra Kursk loose set)
2003 Convention Blue Command Baroness Bust*
2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” 12” Boxed set LE 500
2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” loose sets (Ltd. to ONE per 2004 boxed set) LE 100
2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” 2 nude figures (Ltd. to ONE pair per 2004 boxed set)
2004 Convention “Dreadnok Rampage: Escapades in the Everglades” Boxed set LE 750
2004 Convention Aged Adventurer LE 300 (less than 35 available)
2004 Convention Field Hospital Tent set
2004 Convention Dreadnok Stun LE 750
2004 Convention Zanzibar and Trasher LE 800
2004 Convention Zartan Morphing 3 figure set LE 800
2004 Convention “Dreadnok Rampage: Escapades in the Everglades” 15 figure loose set (Ltd. to ONE per 2004 boxed set)(22 left)
2005 Convention “Battle of Britain” 12” Boxed set LE 500
2005 Convention “Battle of Britain” 12” lose figure set LE 100 (9 left)
2005 Convention “General Mayhem: M.A.R.S. Invades” Boxed set LE 750
2005 Convention “General Mayhem: M.A.R.S. Invades” loose sets (Ltd to ONE per 2005 boxed set) LE 400
2005 Convention Steel Brigade Commanders Three Pack LE 800 (less than 75 left)
2005 Convention Steel Brigade Troopers Two Pack LE 1,000 (less than 60 left)
2005 Convention Iron Mech LE 800
Sub-Total
$320.00
$320.00
$310.00
$150.00
$320.00
$160.00
$80.00
$325.00
$160.00
$80.00
$40.00
$320.00
$160.00
$30.00
$220.00
$72.00
$100.00
$40.00
$40.00
$50.00
$110.00
$310.00
$165.00
$210.00
$115.00
$60.00
$35.00
$34.00
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Heavy Water 3 3/4”*
$20.00
Talking Astronaut*
$63.00
Talking Commander*
$63.00
Sea Adventurer*
$50.00
Black Adventurer*
$50.00
Clear Plastic Display Dome for 12” Parachute*
$38.00
German WWI Club figure*
$31.00
Clear Zartan 3 3/4” Club figure*
$20.00
Limited Edition Regular AT Print**
$30.00
Adventurer-fix-me-up kit* (4 holsters, 4 pistols, 4 AT logo stickers) circle: Brown or Black
$24.00
Desert Patrol British Jeep Driver*
$24.00
Stealth Firefly Palisades Bust* (LE 250)
$40.00
DTC Wave 2 ‘05 assortment Footloose, Major Bludd, Snow Serpent, Range Viper, Salvo, Barrel Roll (6 figures total)*
$36.00
40th Anniversary Combat Action Soldier #23 Combat Field Jacket, Combat Field Pack Set, Combat Helmet Set, Combat Rifle Set**
$51.00
40th Anniversary Dress Pilot #25**
$51.00
40th Anniversary Combat Action Soldier #23 & 40th Anniversary Dress Pilot #25*
$96.00
Sigma 6 Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Duke Jet Pack and Cobra Commander (CF)) or (Spirit (CF) and Duke Jet Pack) or
(Heavy Duty Fire and Snake Eyes Battle Armor (CF))**
$38.00
Sigma 6 Small Box Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Storm Shadow Crossbow & Kamakura (CF)) or (Aero BAT & Tunnel Rat (CF)) $27.00
DTC Wave 2 ‘06 Troop Builders Cobra Officer, Night Viper (2 figures total)**
$19.00
DTC Wave 2 ‘06 Comics: #101 Dragonsky, Lt. Mikhail Gorky, Sgt. Sonya Misha, #44 Lady Jaye, 2 Cobra Gas Mask Troopers (2 pieces)** $26.00
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S6 Small Box Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Soldier Firefly & Duke in Wetsuit (CF)) or (Snake Eyes Night ops & Long Range Desert gear)* $28.00
S6 Action Set ‘06 Wave 1 Nightstrike Duke Hanglider, Snake Eyes Cycle, Duke Quad,, Strike Team Ninjas, Strike Team, Overlord, BATs (6 pcs)*$28.00
S6 Mission Sets ‘06 Wave 1 Sand Rail Desert, Barracuda Jet Boat, Cobra Mech (3 pcs)*
$38.00
First Four: Storm Shadow Statue (check web site for picture)*
$60.00
M.O.T.H. Jungle Theatre: Jungle Frag-Viper, Jungle Night-Viper (Club Exclusive)**
$32.00
Foreign Adventurer Figure only**
$27.00
Foreign Adventurer Figure and Accessory Set**
$42.00
Club Nullifier*
$25.00
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DTC Wave 2 ‘06 assortment Airtight, Outback, Lt. Falcon, Munitia, Cobra Officer, Night Viper (6 figures total)*
S6 2.5” Vehicle circle the one you want: Night Ops Vamp or Cobra Attack Jet
S6 Dragonhawk (2.5 scale)*
S6 Commando Artic Duke
S6 Commando Wave 3 ‘06 Set (4 figures) Artic Duke, Hi Tech w/Hound Sentry, Destro, Jungle Snake Eyes
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May 2, Preorder Deadline
June 2, Preorder Deadline
$36.00
$23.00
$43.00
$23.00
$70.00
Pre-order for pickup at the convention in New Orleans
2006 Convention Special: Any two 40th Anniv. sets (Soldier or Dress Pilot) $84 for pair get RAF War Service card for $15 $99.00
2006 Convention Special: Any four 40th Anniv. sets (Soldier or Dress Pilot) $168 for 4 get RAF War Service card FREE $168.00
Please write in which figures you want for the above______________________________________________________________
For more products http://www.gijoeclub.com/shop
Watch for our weekly special on the club web site http://www.gijoeclub.com/shop
*Additional shipping per set: Canada $10, Europe $25, Pacific Rim $35.
**Additional shipping per piece: Canada $5, Europe $10, Pacific Rim $15.
***Additional shipping per set: Canada $12, Europe $30, Pacific Rim $40.
Additional Shipping Foreign Orders
GRAND TOTAL
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Name __________________________________________ Phone Day ____________________
Address ________________________________________ Phone Eve ____________________
email address:
City________________________________ State ____________________ Zip ________________
I have included a Money Order or Check or charge my: ( ) Visa
( ) Disc. ( ) MC for (total amount) ________.
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Signature ___________________________________________ I agree to pay this charge per my card holder agreement.
(CC billings will be listed under Fun Publications.)
Send to G.I. Joe Exclusive Club Offers, 225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108 • 817-448-9863 Fax 817-448-9843, 9-4:30 Central Time
Order Terms and Conditions
Expect delivery in 6-12 weeks after deadline dates. All orders are subject to a 25% cancellation or return fee. No returns accepted after 30 days. If you cancel or return an order, you will
receive your refund less 25%. We also have a Firm Order Policy. This means that we do not order, hold, or place aside any quantities of products until we receive payment with your order (we do bill your
credit card right away to make sure that it is valid). All orders are processed on a first come, first served basis. We cannot guarantee a C10 box. We do not warrant the respective manufacturer’s work, but they
do. Prices include shipping and applicable tax. Orders paid for by check, please allow an additional 21 days for your check to clear for items in stock. Prices are subject to change without notice.
All domestic orders are shipped via UPS ground. To ship via Post Office, please include an additional $2 per order.
†Partial case packs of Accessory Cards or Basic Figures cannot be returned. SALES ARE FINAL.
Page 11 May 2006
...continued from Page 5
family table which hid a music
box which played the theme song
from the animated Star of the
Giants TV series.
Hasbro, tips on restoration of vintage pieces, examples of some of
the beautiful custom creations being
made by fellow collectors, and even
write-ups on the official G.I. Joe
conventions put on by the American
G.I. Joe Collectors' Club. Sadly,
despite the high quality and obvious
love for the hobby that went into
each issue, G.I. Joe Collector lasted
only 12 issues, with the last issue
appearing in December of 1999.
While these figures were all available at retail stores, Hasbro Japan
also created a pair of more exclusive figures during 1998. One of
these, the "G.I. Joe Stealth
Mission" figure, was created exclusively for the 1998 World Character
Convention, held at the Tokyo Big
Site convention center on
November 22. This figure was a
clear plastic Classic Collection G.I.
Joe, topped with a translucent head
from the Action Man figure Hasbro
was then producing for the U.K.
market. Limited to only 200 figures, the Stealth Mission Joe was
very popular, and sold out quickly.
During this time, K-1 fighter Andy
Hug was a popular figure in Japan.
As a result, he was in high demand
as a spokesperson for various commercial products. One such product
he endorsed was the "Gomen"
instant ramen produced by Nissin
Food Products. Nissin contracted
Hasbro Japan to produce an exclusive Andy Hug figure, dressed as he
appeared in their commercial for
Gomen ramen, to be used as a promotional giveaway. Buyers of the
ramen could mail in a coupon for
the figure, with a selection of 100
winners drawn at random from
those who mailed in the coupon.
While his clothing was new, Hasbro
Japan used their
existing Andy
Hug head sculpt
on a Classic
Collection body
for this luck-ofthe-draw premium figure.
The end of 1998
saw some behindthe-scenes
changes for G.I.
Joe. Hasbro Japan
was scaling back
their operation, and one casualty of this was that Hasbro Japan would no longer
distribute current G.I. Joes to the Japanese market. Fortunately for Japanese Joe
collectors, distribution of the line was almost immediately transferred to Tomy,
who began releasing the Classic Collection G.I. Joe line in 1999. Unfortunately,
without the direct ties to the line that Hasbro Japan had, Tomy did not produce
any exclusive-to-Japan releases like their predecessors had. In fact, the Joes they
released were exactly the same as those being released to stores in America, with
only the addition of a Japanese language product information sticker containing
the name of the figure, pricing information, Tomy's address, and the like, stuck
on the bottom of the box.
During this period of time, G.I. Joe collectors across Japan began to come together. In September of 1997, Joe collector Shuji Ochiai formed the G.I. Joe
Collectors Club of Japan and began publishing their club magazine, "G.I. Joe
Collector." Each bi-monthly issue of this slick magazine was filled with articles
on vintage G.I. Joe sets, news of the latest Joe products being released by
Page 12 May 2006
Before this happened, the club did
manage to pull off a major first by
organizing the "G.I. Joe & Real
Heros Show" [sic], a convention
that was held in the Tokyo Tower
Bowling Center on September 18th
and 19th, 1999. While it's true that
Japan had seen plenty of hobbyrelated conventions before, this was
the first such show dedicated to G.I.
Joe and other 1/6th scale figures.
The show attracted companies like
Tomy with the latest G.I. Joe releases, Takara selling their imports of
the "Soldiers of the World" figures,
Toys McCoy with their latest figures, and custom makers such as
Saru-Inu Ya. Even Cotswold
Collectibles with their Elite Brigade
figures and U.K. collector Alan Hall
with a wide selection of vintage
Action Man toys made the trip
overseas to take part in the show.
While not the largest G.I. Joe event
to ever take place, the G.I. Joe &
Real Heros Show proved that G.I.
Joe collectors in Japan were just as
enthusiastic about Joe as their counterparts in other
countries.
Unfortunately,
Tomy's involvement with the G.I.
Joe line did not last
very long, and as
the new millennium was dawning,
dusk was setting on
the availability of
the Classic
Collection G.I.
Joes in retail
stores. Specialty shops and online retailers took up some of the slack by importing current figures from their own overseas sources, but without the visible presence in toy stores, G.I. Joe was essentially back in the hands of the collectors
once again.
Next issue will feature the final installment of James Long’s
incredible overview of G.I. Joe in Japan! Join us next time for:
Part 6 - The Remnants.
®
G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Annual Membership:
U.S. $36, Canada $57, all others $82. Includes 12 club newsletters, a 1 year 12 issue subscription to Master Collector, and a free 30 word ad each month. Send Check or Money Order to
225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108. Fax 817-448-9843,
[email protected], Discover, MasterCard, and Visa accepted. Submissions for the
newsletter are due by the 1st of each month and are very welcome. -Brian Savage, Editor