Archive: Kurt "Airtight" Schnurr - Hostile Environment Specialist (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Airtight was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Many fans were surprised by the announcement of Airtight in the 30th Anniversary line, but in hindsight Hasbro's decision makes sense. As a character who appears in the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series and doubles as a tribute figure, by filling a hole from the 1985 role call, Airtight appeals to both kids and collectors alike. The card art may read G.I. Joe: Renegades, but the figure screams A Real American Hero.

Sideshow Collectibles Confirms Baroness 12-Inch Figure for 2012

In an interview with Cool Toy Review, Sideshow Collectibles' Brant Bridges reveals that the design team at Sideshow is putting the finishing touches on a 1/6-scale female body, which will debut on a 12-inch G.I. Joe Baroness figure, sometime in mid-2012.

"We’ve got a new female body in the early production phases. We’re working through test shots and things. We’ll be debuting it this year in the G.I. Joe line, as Baroness. That’ll be in the mid part of 2012..."

Bridges also notes a new muscular, male body is in development (in collaboration with Bigshot Toyworks) and that a scar-faced Cobra Trooper will eventually find its way into the line, sometime down the road. You can read the full interview on Cool Toy Review.

What's On Joe Mind? Episode 39

Episode 39 of G.I. Joe fancast What's on Joe Mind? is now available. Episode highlights include a chat with guest Chris Sims of ComicAlliance.com; guest news on Roll Out/Roll Call 3; the unfortunate reports that no G.I. Joe: Retaliation merchandise was shown at U.K. Toy Fair; and thoughts on HissTank.com's March Madness thread, which pairs down the top 64 characters collectors would like to see done in modern-era style.

Comics: Cobra #8

Written by Mike Costa and art by Antonio Fuso and Werther Dell'Erera, Cobra #8 concludes the Cobra Civil War as we find out the fate of Firewall, Lady Jaye, and Chameleon after a two-pronged Cobra attack.

G.I. JoeCon 2012 Venue and Date Change Announced

The G.I. Joe Collector's Club has announced a venue and date change for G.I. JoeCon 2012, moving the annual meetup a week back (June 28 - July 1) to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

"Please note that due to circumstances beyond our control with the anticipated venue for the convention, the dates of GIJoeCon will now be June 28-July 1 at a new venue, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. We apologize for any problems or issues this change of date has caused. We hope to see you all in New Orleans June 28-July 1 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Convention (attending and non-attending) registrations will start sometime in February. Again we apologize for any problems or issues this change of date has caused."

The new date now overlaps with the release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation on June 29. To make hotel reservations, visit the convention's official Web site at GIJoeCon.com.

Archive: Seymour "Sci-Fi" Fine - Elite Combat Trooper

Sci-Fi was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

While the notion of fluorescent-colored figures typically makes G.I. Joe collectors cringe, Sci-Fi is an exception. Market research suggested that The Rise of Cobra movie figures' all-black deco made the figures difficult to differentiate and created confusion among parents, kids and even some collectors. To remedy this, Hasbro decided to develop their 30th Anniversary G.I. Joe offering by adding characters that were a little more "colorful," in both the literal and figurative sense. Not necessarily fan favorites, characters such as Sci-Fi, Airtight and Lifeline were well received--despite their bright coloring--because they were well-designed and well-equipped interpretations of their classic predecessors.

Comics: Cobra #7

While Cobra searches for their new Commander, the Joes look for a possible mole in the organization, and Black-Out plans on leaving something for his former teammates to remember him by. Mike Costa's and Antonio Fuso's Cobra #7 escalates the action and brings several long-running plots to a head.

Archive: Ripcord - Paratrooper (G.I. Joe: Renegades)

Ripcord was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the third wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Ripcord is another victim of the accessory changes and cuts that plagued the 30th Anniversary line. If you look closely at the figure's pre-production sample, revealed at G.I. JoeCon 2011, you'll notice an additional pistol and a unique vest, one that better resembles the vest worn by Ripcord in the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series, which were not included with the figure. In fairness to Hasbro, the figure was revealed almost a year prior to its scheduled release date, however, the vest continued to be shown with the figure at both San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con--two events closely leading up to the figure's retail release.

G.I. Joe Retaliation Advertising Blitz Begins

The on-line advertising blitz for G.I. Joe: Retaliation has started and ESPN.com's NFL section is, ironically, among the first sightings. Ads have been spotted in a couple different sizes, each touting the movie's trailer, its June 29 release date and in some instances links to the movie's social media streams. All of the ads lead to the full trailer on the G.I. Joe movie Web site including an user-interactive ad that plays an abridged teaser of the trailer.

Comics: G.I. Joe #8

Written by Chuck Dixon with art by Wil Rosado, G.I. Joe #8 concludes the Cobra Civil War as the contestants make their final moves and The Council chooses the new Cobra Commander.

Retrospective: The Best of 2011

Frustration from the glut of merchandise clogging retail pegs and blocking the release of subsequent waves of highly-anticipated figures seemed to be the theme of 2011. When new G.I. Joe figures finally made their way into our collections, the countless accessories, innovations in articulation, and intricately-detailed sculpts made the class of 2011 among the best we've ever seen in the 25th Anniversary-style era. Hasbro surprised with the release of the Sky Striker as part of the 30th Anniversary line, disappointed with the cancellation of the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series, and energized with the trailer for the live-action movie sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Not to be outdone, licensees such as IDW Publishing and Sideshow Collectibles continued to impress with their offerings of G.I. Joe merchandise, an indication of the strength of the G.I. Joe brand. In retrospect of 2011, A Real American Hero, Generals Joes and The Terror Drome team up to bring you the best of G.I. Joe 2011.

Comics: G.I. Joe #7

Written by Chuck Dixon with art by Wil Rosado, G.I. Joe #7 continues the Cobra Civil War as the Joes face Cobra threats on two fronts: the crew on the Tuna realize the ship is not as secure as they thought, while Flint's team in Springfield recognize just how deadly a single B.A.T. can be.

Archive: Zombie-Viper - Cobra Trooper

The Zombie-Viper was released in the winter of 2011 as part of the fourth wave of figures in the G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary line. The 30th Anniversary line celebrates 30 years since the release of the modern, 3-3/4-inch G.I. Joe action figure. As part of the celebration, Hasbro not only included figures of classic characters from the 1982 A Real American Hero comic and television series, but also those from the G.I. Joe: Renegades animated series.

Zombies are experiencing a pop-culture resurgence. Capitalizing on the undead phenomenon, Hasbro began developing the Zombie-Viper story in the Pursuit of Cobra line. The Pursuit of Cobra's wave 5 Cobra Commander figure includes a case with a secret blue-colored element--a raw ingredient used to create Compound-Z. A series of experiments in secret Cobra labs saw the secret element developed into a weaponized chemical, which was stored in canisters included with the Hazard-Viper, as part of the first wave of 30th Anniversary figures. Finally, the newly created chemical, Compound-Z, is injected into Cobra infantry troopers via a hose-fed containment helmet, turning them into Cobra's undead soldiers--Zombie-Vipers.

Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #172

Written by Larry Hama and art by S. L. Gallant, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #172 follows Flint's team escape from Darklonia with two critically wounded (and their Tomahawk not doing much better). Meanwhile, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, and Billy confront the Blue Ninjas, a mysterious splinter faction of the Arashikage Clan

Sideshow Hints Next 12-Inch G.I. Joe Figures

Fielding questions--on Facebook--for their Ask Sideshow column, Sideshow Collectibles dropped a few of hints about the identity of their next G.I. Joe sixth-scale figures. According to Sideshow, they have a short list that includes Shipwreck and three other characters. Here's the question with Sideshow's response:

Question: "When can we expect to see Great Joes like Snow Job, Mutt w/Junkyard,and Gung-Ho?"

Answer: "Of the Joes that we would like to tackle next, you've named two of our favorite four. Shipwreck is missing from your list, but who has the other slot? Hmmm..."

Comics: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #171

Written by Larry Hama and art by S. L. Gallant, G.I Joe: A Real American Hero #171 follows Flint, Lady Jaye, and Roadblock on their mission to extract Darklon from his own country, while Sneak Peek debriefs Chuckles about his whereabouts for the last couple years.