by generalsjoes | Feb 17, 2011 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Renegades
First we got a great clip of the upcoming Brothers of Light episode. Then G.I. Joe Renegades appeared on iTunes. Then . Now, the G.I. Joe: Renegades section on Hubworld.com has been revamped and we have the latest episode posted, “Firefight”!
Introducing Cobra saboteur and arsonist Firefly, as well as former Cobra agent turned rebellious firefighter Barbecue, Episode 10 leads right up into the now infamous “Homecoming” 2-Parter. It’s all onward and upward from here.
Check out the G.I. Joe: Renegades section at Hubworld.com, and check out the episode itself right here.
by generalsjoes | Feb 17, 2011 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe Comic Reviews, G.I. Joe Comics, G.I. Joe Reviews, IDW
From the first minute I laid eyes on the original G.I. Joe: Cobra title way back I knew we were on to something good. Over the years, G.I. Joe has been many things…in the cartoon, it was campy satire. In the comic, it was a hybrid military realism with supernatural science fiction.
But never has it really been gritty film noir. I mean, how could it be? We’re talking about a property with genetic engineering, technologically impossible weapons and vehicles, and no laws of physics or scientific sense. How can someone possible build a gritty, dark, and “real world” universe out of that?
Well, somebody could, and somebody did. A couple of somebodies named Mike Costa and Christos Gage. They showed the world that the bright, super-powered, laser firing world of G.I. Joe could hide a dark underbelly. Initially written as a short four-issue limited series, G.I. Joe: Cobra redefined Cobra’s image in the IDW world and introduced many readers to the property to rave reviews.
As I think everyone expected, after the first series ended, a second series was sure to come, which was then extended to a continuing series, and it has continued until now. Thirteen issues later we’ve seen backwoods Crocodile experts, a secret cult worshipping snake gods, and a mysterious gypsy who can read minds. But through it all, that dark and dreary noir style brought a sense of realism and despair to the universe (but only in the best way possible, of course).
So now, as we stand on the precipice of another “re-invention” (so to speak) of the IDW universe, we can reflect back on G.I. Joe: Cobra and see how well it did what it did, and finally, how it ended. Which of course, begs the question, where do we go from here?
To avoid spoilers, click the “Read the Rest of this Story” link below for the full review.
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by generalsjoes | Feb 17, 2011 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary
Anyone who has been around the online fandom has heard of the name Bill Merklein by now. Back in the 80’s he was a big part of the design process for the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line, and his own two hands sculpted many of our favorite figures.
Gyre-Viper and Roshan had the privilege of being able to sit down and talk with him one-on-one quite a bit over the past year or more, and one of the things that came from this conversation was the fact that many fans really don’t know what goes into sculpting, designing, and producing a toy. Well, Mr. Merklein agreed to film a very detailed sculpting tutorial focusing mainly on the head sculpting techniques he has used over the years.
Keep in mind, while he’s working at a 1:1 scale in the videos, all of these skills and techniques can be utilized at a 1:18 scale as well. And remember while watching these that this is the guy who sculpted Zartan, Recondo, Mutt & Junkyard, and plenty of other 80’s figures from your youth…I would estimate most of your favorites. Check out the videos below, and give a huge thanks to Gyre-Viper, Roshan, and video editor jaimanstone for getting this all together. This really is a rare opportunity and a very insightful series.
Click on the “Read the Rest of this Story” link below to check out all of the videos in their entirety.
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by generalsjoes | Feb 17, 2011 | G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary, G.I. Joe Toys
It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but G.I. Joe fan James M. Kavanagh, Jr. has continued his very hard work on the upcoming R.A.H.C. guide featuring profiles of those infamous years post 1994 where G.I. Joe leaped back into toy aisles and back into many collector’s hearts.
He has painstakingly crafted an excellent guidebook with images, text, and some really nice details that any G.I. Joe fan would love. Some images that James sent along a little while ago are mirrored below.
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James also sent along another press release, just to provide an update, and you can read it below.
“Hello and welcome to another update on the R.A.H.C. Guide.
To anyone who’s dealt with the nasty weather, I hope they are starting to thaw out. To the rest of you, be glad you were sitting pretty. The Weather Dominator tried to knock out Dayton, OH’s power to no avail. The R.A.H.C. Guide is even closer to bringing you a reference guide to one of the most intricate eras of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Much like the “A Real American Hero” genre, the R.A.H.C. Guide has combined a team of experts in their fields. Every action figure, accessory and vehicle/play-set was photographed by Nick O’Donnell of 808 Studios, a premier wedding photographer and much, much more. Nick’s images are simply phenomenal, I wish I could make the guide about twice as big as it is, the detail and quality are indescribable!
While working on the guts of the guide, the guy at my then job Scott DM Simmons came strolling in only to casually inform me he had worked for Kenner and Hasbro as a photographer. He was all too familiar with my project; he shote them the first time! His vast knowledge of action figure photography stemmed from [his] step-father’s work on all the vintage Star Wars product shots! This father/son duo made for the perfect team to produce the spectacular front and back (yes, I did say back cover) you’ve been teased with.
And how could such a dynamic package be wrapped up, or should I say introduced? Why none other than a foreword from super fan Justin Bell! While these action figures evolved throughout the late 90’s to early 21st century, Justin was there reviewing, promoting, customizing, and creating such dynamic dio-stories. Justin’s hard work and dedication never ceases to amaze me and I was truly ecstatic when he agreed to [write the] foreword.
So that only leaves two questions remaining: when and how much? Well in the tradition of G.I. Joe updates I am going to say that I now understand why the major questions can’t always be answered and to rest assured that I am in the process of finding a printer that will tackle the level of quality and detail this project deserves at a price that’s fair for this specialized material. I will say that you should be receiving a third update very soon. That’s all, now let’s go back to discussing Toy Fair!!
Sincerely,
James M. Kavanagh Jr.
“KuuKuuSon”
by generalsjoes | Feb 17, 2011 | Comics and Cartoons, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe: Renegades
Facebook has been the place to check today, as The Hub has added some updates concerning G.I. Joe: Renegades to their excellent Facebook page.
First and foremost, they’ve announced a mini-marathon for G.I. Joe: Renegades that runs from 3:00pm to 6:00pm on The Hub. According to the TV Listings on Zap2It.com, the episodes that are being aired are:
- Rage (Episode 3)
- Dreadnoks Rising (Episode 4)
- Busted (Episode 8)
- The Enemy of my Enemy (Episode 9)
- Homecoming Part 1 (Episode 11)
- Homecoming Part 2 (Episode 12)
This will hopefully get G.I. Joe: Renegades out in front of some more eyes and maybe give us some good news in March when it comes to finding out about renewals.
To celebrate this mini-marathon, The Hub’s Facebook Page has also posted a nice little Q & A session with some of the creators. Check it all out right here.
