Correction to Part 1: I somehow neglected to remember the movie night is now FRIDAY so keep this in mind as you read and plan.
Part 2 focuses on the rest of the con.
FRIDAY – THE CON STARTS
You might not want to party too hard Thursday night/Friday AM as the next day starts early with the annual parachute drop. I must admit, this year’s 12″ CG Paratrooper looks like a win, which is remarkable considering the horrid streak the club has been on with us 3.75″ collectors. Rest assured Joe fans, if there is ONE thing the club can do without fail is 12″ stuff. In the past you must sign up and sign a waiver to be a volunteer to throw the parachute figures. They have taken us to the top level of an hotel’s atrium/lobby and they have taken us to the top of buildings before. There is no telling where they have picked for us to throw from. It is a fun experience nevertheless. Looking at the GIJCC pics from their ’01 con there, they went to the roof of the hotel and were TETHERED by harnesses anchored by a steel chain. Good Lord, someone had liability concerns!!
So tonight’s the big night…midnight premiers all over the country to launch G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA. It’s been a long, strange trip filled with hills, valleys, bumps and bruises, but for better or worse, the movie is here. I’ll be very interested to read reactions, opinions, thoughts, and feelings, so let me know what you liked, what you didn’t like and if it was anything like you expected.
Even more important than many of our thoughts, though, is how the public as a whole embraces the film and what kind of money it makes. I’ll be keeping a close tab and will be updating the site as appropriate. Lets hope for some big numbers to catapult our favorite toyline back into the public eye once again!
g_sk1lls from the ToySoldier118 forums has notified me that several folks from those forums are appearing on Morning TV show, Umagang Kay Ganda (A Beautiful Morning) at some point between 5:00am and 8:00am local time this morning. There will be toy discussion, dioramas, and displays of several generations of G.I. Joe toys in celebration of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
g_sk1lls also sends along the following profile for the TS118 Boards:
“Founded in April 2004, TS118 is the Philippines’ only local online community that focuses on 1:18 scale action figures, usually military in theme. While primarily, but not necessarily confined only to collecting the widely popular GI Joe 3 3/4 inch toy line, members also collect other brands that fall into similar scale such as BBI Elite Forces, Forces of Valor, 21st Century XD, Star Wars, DCIH & Marvel Universe among many others.
TS118 members are a varied mix of true blue GI Joe fans, hobbyists, and collectors, figure and vehicle customizers, diorama makers, and military enthusiasts from all walks of life, bridging social class, ethnicity, and fandom.
The group has already participated in numerous toy events since 2005, and have gained recognition and acclaim, both from local and international discussion boards and toy groups with their unique Dynamic Modular Diorama displays (these showcase scenes that change every 2-3 hours while telling a story), customized figures, and hidden characters that add to the fun factor of their exhibits.”
They’re fairly well known for their diorama displays at various toy shows and such in the Philippines. A big thanks to g_sk1lls for passing the info along!
Ryan from IndyMogul.com has let me know about a pretty funny G.I. Joe “Recruitment Video” he’s done up to coincide with the release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA. You can check it out on YouTube here, or embedded below. Pretty funny stuff!
Folks who have been paying attention know that YoJoe and JoeReloaded have teamed up for a “Guess the Box Office” contest for G.I. Joe: The Rise of COBRA. Full details on the contest can be found here. You can place your guesses both on YoJoe and JoeReloaded. Also note that some new prizes have been added to the prize pool. You can now also win two movie posters, an EA poster for the game, and a copy of the EA Comic that comes with the game.
So, hurry up if you want to place your bets! The box office fun starts tonight.
