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Top 10 G.I. Joe Stories of 2014

I set out to write this article, and was immediately surprised by the fact that there was actually some stuff happening with the G.I. Joe brand in 2014.  I know the fandom is eager to jump and say that G.I. Joe was high and dry in this momentous year, and from a practical perspective, it was, but even so, there were lots of things happening this year worth exploring.  Not on any grand scale, however.

I suppose that’s a commentary on the state of G.I. Joe these days, where it remains somewhat relevant, but just barely.  And one is forced to ask what’s worse? Being totally irrelevant, or being just relevant enough to cling around, but not relevant enough to try and push harder.  It’s like the brand is stuck in this murky middle ground where it’s got the slightest hint of popularity enough for Hasbro to keep it hanging on, but not enough to get a real push.  Yet, until it fades away completely, it likely won’t get a full rejuvination either.

All that being said, there were still some discussion points throughout 2014, and here are my top 10.  I’m going to try very hard to maintain a sense of positivity and optimism, because dammit I still love G.I. Joe, even if the rest of the world currently couldn’t give a crap.  🙂

Check out the list after the break.

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Gentle Giant plans for G.I. Joe have been confirmed – Jumbo O-Ring figures incoming!

Just yesterday we reported about the mysterious advertisement on the Gentle Giant Facebook page and hypothesized about what it might mean… now we find those hypotheses confirmed! Gentle Giant is indeed doing jumbo sized versions of the vintage o-ring figures! They’ve revealed a few of them at ComicCon already, with images courtesy of HissTank.com. The following figures have been revealed:

– Zap
– Stalker
– Grunt
– Snake Eyes
– Rock n Roll

My opinions on these? Mixed, to be honest. I love what they’re doing, and it’s a fun idea, but I’m not sure these will draw me in. Eventually I’ll likely end up with a few, but I don’t see myself going whole hog, especially on the straight arm versions. I will admit, though, it’s great that they come with their gear. That’s a cool touch.

Very cool to see someone investing in the brand, though, I hope they catch on with the collecting community! Thanks again to HissTank.com for the images.

EDIT – Big thanks to Matt from Twitter and AwesomeToyBlog for snagging some more great images! They’re added to the gallery below.