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.