Good morning!  Some technical issues got in the way, but I have now posted a report from Mysterious Stranger, who was kind enough to travel to San Diego and cover ComicCon for GeneralsJoes.  As we know now there wasn’t much in the way of new information from Hasbro, but Sideshow Collectibles was on hand with two brand new figures to show off (The Baroness and Major Bludd) as well as in hand samples of some other upcoming figures like Snake Eyes and the Crimson Guard.

Mysterious Stranger took plenty of pictures and spoke with some Sideshow Collectibles representatives.

Click the read the rest of the story link below to read the report and see the great images from the show.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been lax on the updates throughout the weekend, my apologies.  Promised the wife it was going to be a “work on the house” weekend, and it was!

While I certainly kept my eyes on ComicCon to see what exciting new things were slated for the rest of this year and next, there wasn’t a whole lot of new G.I. Joe information.  This isn’t surprising, considering JoeCon was such a short time ago.

However, some G.I. Joe sites who had folks at the show spent a few minutes talking to Hasbro, and got some great information.  I’ve linked them below:

• YoJoe.com Interview with Derryl DePriest

YoJoe asked some great questions of Mr. DePriest, discovering that yes, Wave 1 G.I. Joe: Retaliation figures would be restocked next year, and they also dug into the whole Ross situation and the Dollar General exclusives.  Definitely hit up that link above, some really great information.

• The Terror Drome Interviews Hasbro Brand Team

The Terror Drome also had reps in attendance who spent a few minutes with Derryl and they asked about the whole SDCC/HTS exclusive situation, but most importantly, the question about articulation on vehicle drivers got a great response:

“DD: Yes. That’s the other thing I’ve heard. I know fans are not happy by far to put it mildly with the articulation that we did on the drivers. I want to look at getting those drivers back out with more articulation and you have my commitment that we won’t be doing these lesser articulated drivers anymore. Whether that means vehicles come with or without drivers, I don’t know that answer yet. But we’re going to try to correct that.”

So it looks like Derryl and Hasbro are going to either try to retrofit some of the drivers with better articulation, or just may end up dropping driver figures from certain vehicles going forward. The fans have spoken…  I just hope everyone remembers the outcry here when Hasbro starts selling vehicles without drivers in 2013 (if they do).  I’ve seen many fans say that they would rather buy a vehicle with no driver than a vehicle with a driver with restricted articulation, so we’ll have to see what 2013 brings us.

A big thanks to these folks for bringing the news to those of us who couldn’t attend.

It’s only preview night, but already we’re getting some G.I. Joe related intel hot off the presses!

Sideshow Collectibles has their booth rolling, and contained within are an incredible looking Baroness and Major Bludd!  The head sculpt and robotic arm on Bludd are especially bad ass, but Baroness is certainly no slouch either.  Both figures look amazing and are currently on display at booth #1929.

The folks over at HissTank.com have already begun posting images, and I’ve mirrored a few images from Sideshow on Twitter below as well.  I’ve got someone on site in San Diego who will be reporting back with his own share of intel and images as the weekend goes on.  You can check out HissTank’s images right here, and if anyone wants to send some others along, I’m listening!

• HissTank.com Sideshow Collectibles Baroness
• HissTank.com Sideshow Collectibles Major Bludd

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Talk about your turn around time!  Good friend of GeneralsJoes Mysterious Stranger only got his Sideshow SDCC Exclusive Falcon a day or two ago, and he’s already turned around another great review of the figure!

While I’ve been sitting at my desk drooling over this figure, Stranger put his money where his mouth was and we continue SDCC week with another look at a great looking SDCC exclusive.  Check out the latest review in the Sideshow Collectibles category, or by hitting the link below:

• Sideshow Collectibles SDCC Exclusive 12″ Lt. Falcon

Enjoy!

In celebration of San Diego ComicCon, which is quickly approaching, I completed my review of the soon to be released SDCC Exclusive “Shockwave” HISS Tank!  Kindly supplied by Hunter PR and Hasbro, I was extremely fortunate enough to get my hands on this a couple of days early so you SDCC attendees know what you’re getting into and why you’re waiting in that six hour line!

Check out the review on my 25th Anniversary Page, and also at the direct link below.  I know this doesn’t really belong in the 25th Anniversary necessarily, I’m still struggling to find a place.

• SDCC Exclusive “Shockwave” HISS w/ Destro and B.A.T.

I think most of us figured that San Diego ComicCon might not be chock full of G.I. Joe goodness, and the  Hasbro Press Release more or less confirms that.  Still, for Joe fans heading to San Diego, they will apparently have the G.I. Joe: Retaliation product there for gazing as well as some movie props!

Do not expect to see the Concept Case, though, we were told at JoeCon that was a JoeCon only event.

Check out the important (IE, the G.I. Joe related) portions of the Press Release below:

“G.I. JOE

From action figures and animated series to movie and video games, the G.I. JOE brand from Hasbro has been an enduring pop culture icon for generations of fans. At Comic-Con, the Hasbro booth will provide G.I. JOE enthusiasts with an up close look at the entire upcoming G.I. JOE: RETALIATION line including newly announced items revealed at the G.I. JOE convention as well as the recently announced G.I. JOE MICRO FORCE line. The Hasbro booth at Comic-Con will be an opportunity for fans to see them in person before they hit shelves in the spring of 2013. The G.I. JOE: RETALIATION movie from Paramount Pictures is scheduled to hit theaters on March 29th, 2013 in 3D and starsDwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palickiand more. As G.I. JOE fans know (and knowing is half the battle), the vehicles and costumes featured in the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga are just as important as the characters. As a special opportunity for fans, Hasbro will have props from the movie on display including the FIREFLY character’s motorcycle and the COBRA COMMANDER character’s iconic helmet.

Hasbro and the G.I. JOE publishers at IDW will also be celebrating the ongoing legacy and heritage of G.I. JOE comics by welcoming G.I. JOE comics legend, Larry Hama to its booth for an autograph session on Saturday, July 14 from 1:00-2:00pm. Tickets for the autograph session will be available at the Hasbro booth on Saturday morning beginning at 9:00am and G.I. JOE comics are available for purchase at the IDW booth (#2643).”

The full Press Release can be found right here.  Within the text of the Press Release you can also see when the IDW Panel is happening, for the latest comic news.  Larry Hama will be present and it’s just about the only G.I. Joe themed panel out there:

“IDW & Hasbro; Thursday, July 12 at 10:00-11:00am in Room 9

Join IDW Senior Editor John Barber (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), editor Carlos Guzman, and Hasbro’s Director of Global Publishing Michael Kelly as they reveal secrets and upcoming plans for Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and more! A new Transformers series will be announced—as will a new license! All this and special guests Larry Hama (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero), Chris Metzen (Transformers: Autocracy), Flint Dille (Transformers: Autocracy), Livio Ramondelli (Transformers: Autocracy), Andrew Griffith (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), Brendan Cahill (Transformers: Robots in Disguise), Mike Costa (G.I. Joe: Cobra) and surprise guests!”

No this is NOT a pre-order.  This item is IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP!

Have at it, this figure looks AWESOME.

If this figure ends up half as amazing as it looks, Sideshow Collectibles G.I. Joe fans should be extremely happy.

In recent years, Sideshow has pretty much gone the repaint route when it comes to their SDCC Exclusives.  From the Jungle themed Red Ninja to the Crimson Cobra Commander, while they’ve added some awesome new accessories, most of the figure has just been a repeat of one already done.

While technically the same is true of this Lt. Falcon figure, the end result is…well, almost breathtaking.  This is a modern militarized update to a classic G.I. Joe figure and a picture perfect example of how redesigns should be done.  Sideshow Collectibles takes mostly existing parts from previous G.I. Joe releases, but combines them with some added new accessories and the end result is a stellar update to one of my favorite characters, Lt. Falcon.

Gone are the days where a Don Johnson voiced “gold-plated goof off” took a beloved character (to me) and almost ruined him.  Sideshow Collectibles has taken the character, totally resuscitated him and catapulted him into the 21st Century.  That new “battle hardened” head sculpt is amazingly cool.  Many folks have noted a slight resemblance to Channing Tatum, and yes, I can see that, too…and if you subscribe to the notion that Falcon is Duke’s half-brother, I find absolutely nothing wrong that that tribute.  It’s not overly obvious, and in my opinion it does nothing to negate any of the coolness of this figure.

A huge kudos goes out to Now Back to G.I. Joe as well, who was able to partner with Sideshow Collectibles to bring a full blown in hand review of this excellent figure to the masses before SDCC even hit.  A ton of fantastic pictures and some great written details…they knocked this one out of the park.

Check out the review right here.  I’ve mirrored just a couple of images below, but the review has a ton more that you will want to check out for yourself.  Also, be sure to follow Now Back to G.I. Joe on Twitter as well as Jose G. to stay nice and up to date with some terrific G.I. Joe content.

This is good stuff.

Also make sure you stay tuned to Sideshow’s SDCC Page so you can pre-order this guy when  he becomes available.  Even if you’re not going to SDCC, you can still place the order!

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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.

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Well, I think this certainly took folks by surprise!  Sideshow Collectibles announced their San Diego ComicCon Exclusive today, and it’s none other than that “gold-plated goof off, Lieutenant Falcon”!

Thankfully, Sideshow went with much less of the “goof off” version and much more the bad ass real-world Green Beret military look.  Sporting some fantastic tiger stripe camouflage, a great head sculpt, and the awesome gear we’re used to, Sideshow is giving us a terrific addition to the G.I. Joe roster here.  Sure, there aren’t many new parts, but the combination is outstanding.

The preview arrived via the latest Sideshow Collectibles newsletter, and I’ve mirrored the image below as well.  Good stuff, and thanks to Mysterious Stranger for the information.