Last week Gizmodo posted a very cool video about the design and construction of Transformers, but I didn’t post it, just because…well, it was Transformers. However, today, they’ve followed up that video with another video, this time a peek into Hasbro’s model shop.
This is where some of the magic happens, folks. Figure sculpting, paint, construction…a lot of that happens in the Model Shop. For folks who went on tour at Hasbro in 2010 during JoeCon, we got a very quick walk through and it was some of the most interesting stuff we saw in the entire process. The way industrial design, artistic flair, and electronics all merge together into one fascinating department of toy magic. Pretty awesome.
There are many steps before a toy gets to this point, from concept work, input drawings, etc… but the Model Shop is awesome in its own right as well. Check out the video on Gizmodo, or embedded below. Watch for a Storm Shadow cameo!
Yes, it was G.I. Joe: Renegades that brought me to The Hub, but Transformers: Prime has kept me here with the absence of G.I. Joe animation. Getting steadily better with each episode, we now have the second season of Transformers: Prime out on Blu-Ray!
Shout! Factory was kind enough to supply me with a review copy, and you can check out the review in my Miscellaneous section, or via the direct link below.
I don’t talk much about Transformers here, but when a buddy of mine fires up a Kickstarter to focus on some terrific third party Transformers product, I feel like I should let some folks know.
Transforming Collections is a great book focusing on third party items, something that Hasbro isn’t wild about, but many fans are extremely interested in. Philip Reed runs Battlegrip.com which does some great toy reviews and reports on toy news, and he has tons of real world experience, so I’m expecting to see a great book.
Transforming Collections has reached its Kickstarter goal, but Phil is trying to hit a new stretch goal allowing the book to be produced in hardcover. There is still a ways to go, but Phil’s done great stuff for the toy world, so I figured I would repay some of his hard work with a little publicity for his Transforming Collections book. You can also follow Philip on Twitter as well.
A full detail sheet for the San Diego ComicCon Exclusives has been released by Hasbro, and of course, the requisite G.I. Joe items are listed:
G.I. JOE 3.75″ KIM ARASHIKAGE SPECIAL EDITION FIGURE
(Approximate Retail Price: $14.99 each; Ages: 4 & up; Available through HasbroToyShop.com, Booth #3329 at San Diego Comic-Con)
The baddest female ninja around will return in the blockbuster film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, scheduled to hit theaters on March 29th, 2013 in 3D, but first, KIM ARASHIKAGE is making an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con. As the latest G.I. JOE Comic-Con special edition figure, Hasbro will be releasing two movie likeness versions of the fan-favorite ninja. The primary KIM ARASHIKAGE figure is dressed in her classic red ninja suit with a double bladed bisento, while the unmasked variant is wearing a white costume and wielding a kusarigama.
G.I. JOE H.I.S.S. TANK VEHICLE WITH SHOCKWAVE DECO AND 3.75″ DESTRO & B.A.T. SPECIAL EDITION PACK
(Approximate Retail Price: $59.99 each; Ages: 4 & up; Available through HasbroToyShop.com, Booth #3329 at San Diego Comic-Con)
After the extreme popularity of last year’s G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS crossover San Diego Comic-Con special edition, Hasbro has done it again! In 2012, the iconic G.I. JOE vehicle, the H.I.S.S. TANK, will get a DECEPTICON SHOCKWAVE make-over, including a G1 SHOCKWAVE blaster attachment. The set comes with a 3.75-inch DESTRO action figure with special edition DECEPTICON deco, a 3.75-inch COBRA B.A.T. figure with special edition CONSTUCTICON deco. The set also comes with several ENERGON cubes on a cart, a briefcase full of money, and a small boom box with 3 cassette tapes- better known to TRANSFORMERS fans as the classic alt-mode of DECEPTICON spy SOUNDWAVE along with RATBAT, LASERBEAK, and RAVAGE. Yo, Joe AND Roll Out!
While the Jinx figure(s) maintain the very attractive $14.99 price point, the Shockwave HISS Tank is $10 more expensive than the Starscream Skystriker was last year. This could be a result of increased production costs, or the fact that more figures are included here. Regardless, still a decent price for a fully sized vehicle and two figures with a ton of accessories in a great display box.
Official images for these items can be seen below.
Hasbro PR has made available the press images for upcoming San Diego ComicCon Exclusive “Shockwave” HISS Tank w/ Destro and Constructicon B.A.T. as well as Kim “Jinx” Arashikage in both her regular red uniform and in the variant white uniform. Along with the press images, we get our first official looks at the box art for Shockwave and the card art for both Jinx figures.
Of note, according to GeneralsJoes Twitter friend Twitziller, the Jinx card art may represent the first time a 25th homage figure was released with “digital” explosion background. Someone feel free to correct us if we’re wrong, but I can’t seem to remember another figure using that.
The guys jump back into our regular weekly show with a full compliment this time around as Chuck, Gary, Mike and myself all come together to uncover more G.I. Joe related secrets! I’m sure everyone remembers that little 16 bit G.I. Joe themed game that was floating around the internet a few weeks ago, Attack on Cobra Island? Well, we dig down into the center of it in this show, tracking down and interviewing the mysterious creator behind the video game. He gave us some terrific insight and information about the game, tells us its current status (PS, you can download it RIGHT NOW) and what happened with the whole Hasbro situation.
We also took a few minutes to talk to Counterpunch from the Seibertron Twincast Podcast to uncover how Transformers fans feel about Fun Publications and the Collectors’ Club, and I think G.I. Joe fans will find some of his responses very interesting. Check it out at our Podbean page, or via the embedded player below. Don’t forget, Show Notes are after the jump.
No, it’s not a review of the as yet non-existent G.I. Joe: Renegades Season 1, which makes me a very sad panda. But Transformers: Prime is a pretty darn good series in its own right, and seeing this action-packed animation in Blu-Ray quality is a sight to behold!
I had a chance to check this full season out extensively, and I can say it’s better than watching it the first time around, especially if you don’t have The Hub in HD (I don’t).
Check out my review of Season One of Transformers: Prime at the link below!
Various members of the fan community have been reaching out to Hasbro in many different ways to express their displeasure over the credit card security issues within Fun Publications, and Fun Publications’ reaction to those issues. Through their PR firm, Hasbro has released the following statement:
“To the G.I. Joe and Transformers fan communities and Fun Publications customers,
Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention and for giving Hasbro the opportunity to respond to a matter that impacts its G.I. Joe and Transformers brands. Please know we take all consumer concerns very seriously and are in regular contact with Fun Publications (our licensee) about the possibility of a breach in security to their online purchasing system for the G.I. Joe and Transformers Collectors’ Clubs. Fun Publications is also taking this matter very seriously and is diligently working at identifying any problems, the number of customers affected and ways to ensure it does not happen to any more customers. Hasbro wants consumers to have a positive experience at all touch points for its brands, including transactions with its licensees. As such, we are confident that Fun Publications has detailed instructions and pertinent information available for those consumers who believe they may have been targeted by credit theft via their portals.
Based on our extensive conversations with the Fun Publications team Hasbro wants to convey the following to the fan communities:
Fun Publications has assured us that they are taking necessary measures to curb additional issues, and they are working with third party experts to identify the problem. They anticipate knowing and communicating the cause of the breach as soon as possible to those affected.
– They believe that the number of customers affected is low relative to the volume of sales transactions made.
– However, if you believe fraudulent charges have been made to your credit card after making a purchase with any portals for the G.I. Joe or Transformers Collectors’ Clubs, we urge you to contact Fun Publications immediately and provide them with the information requested at <https://www.transformersclub.com/tccccinfo.cfm> or <http://gijoeclub.com/ccinfo.cfm> by using the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of these pages.
– Fun Publications can also be reached at the following number for additional consumer affairs inquiries relating to the G.I. Joe and Transformers Collectors’ Clubs at (817) 448-9863during regular business hours.
– As more information becomes available, they will be contacting all affected customers who have notified them about the issue.
Thank you again to all of the fans of our Transformers and G.I. Joe brands for their continued support and for the opportunity to respond to this matter.”
The ultimate resolution of this situation remains unknown, but here’s hoping things get back to normal for all involved.
I’ve talked quite a bit about the UK Convention Roll Out Roll Call III on the What’s on Joe Mind podcast (in fact, this week’s episode will feature an interview with David Tree, who is the mastermind behind the convention), but I haven’t mentioned it here on the site lately.
With HissTank.com member “Blot” revealing the awesome Roll Out Roll Call III exclusives, this seemed like a good time to do it!
The infamous Cobra Snake Armor will make a huge, triumphant return at Roll Out Roll Call III, with a whole new aesthetic! But, wait… that’s not all! There will also be an exclusive Red Shadow “Dreadnaught” featuring an awesome G.I. Joe/ Transformers crossover… and an o-ring Baron Ironblood!
These are some truly awesome looking exclusives…makes me want to run out and buy a plane ticket.
Check out these amazing exclusives mirrored below.
There is so much lined up for the show, from amazing guests to presentations & panels to competitions to exclusives.
The 2012 exclusives have been revealed.
RORC-04 V.I.P.E.R Armour is proving to be our most anticipated show item ever. Available in 3 colours and limited to just 30 of each colour at £49.99 each.
RORC-05 Dreadnought is an evil reworking that would sit nicely in any Transformer or GI-Joe collection. Limited to 25 at £24.99 each.
The exclusives will available to Weekend Ticket holders from 20.00GMT tonite, so if you still need to order a ticket, please make sure you book before 19.30GMT to ensure your account is active for 20.00GMT exclusives ‘go-live’.
This is just a reminder to let folks know that on March 6th, the complete first season of Transformers: Prime will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc! What does this mean for Joe fans? Well, perhaps if sales are brisk enough for Transformers: Prime that means something good down the pipe for a potential G.I. Joe: Renegades… maybe I’m reaching at straws, but I’ll take that chance.
I’ll be reviewing the Season boxed set closer to release, but until then, check out these great clips that have been posted online! I actually really enjoy Transformers: Prime, and hopefully some attention on this boxed set will motivate Shout! Factory and Hasbro to get something similar done for G.I. Joe: Renegades. We’ll see. Enjoy the clips below!
You can also read the Press Release at the Read the Rest of this Entry link below.
