Please take a few moments today, tonight, this week, to appreciate all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. So many of us truly don’t understand the cost our military has endured, and what the families left behind have lost. Regardless of your political views on war, these men and women have fought and died defending our country, and we owe them more than we can ever repay.

On an extremely personal note, I wanted to share with you my involvement with the Colorado Freedom Memorial. (www.cfmf.net) This will be the first Monument in America to honor local veterans of all wars, by name, in one place. Regardless of one’s rank, one’s branch of service, and one’s generation of conflict – giving your life for your country is the highest price to be paid.

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Transforming Batcycle.  Have you been holding off on buying this vehicle from the Batman Brave and Bold line?  I know I have.

Packaging.  Why is this the only item in the entire line without a window box?  Does it play great but present poorly?

Price.  $19.99  More than I paid for the Blue Beetle Ship.  This problem was solved today.  Today, May 28, 2010, I found the Transforming Batcycle at Target for $14.99. This "temporary price reduction", as the tag on the shelf called it, puts it at the same price as the Batman/Firestorm figure and Metal Men accessory packs.  Still unable to determine exactly what was inside, I took a gamble.

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From the AFi Mattel Interview: [i]"JLU fans tend to be louder rather than numerous"[/i].

I think Mattel failed to take into account a number of issues in terms of setting up their on line sales for JLU product.

1. Fans are MAD that they have been unable for years to find figures shown at SDCC or Toy Fair.  Mattel continues to pump out figures for retail which I have NEVER seen.  Even now, of the more recent figures, I have seen only Firestorm*.  Mattel, I am MAD that you have not fixed this.  You say it is a Target issue.  Hasbro has no trouble keeping their lines on the shelf.

2. Fans put up with the limited to zero new tooling because we know this is a budget line.  That means it should be available at a budget cost at retail.  The 3 packs are now 15$.  I would not mind that except to get them I would have to buy them from someone else and pay shipping ON TOP OF that.  I bought Firestorm for 9$.  But does Mattel think I should have to pay 9$ plus shipping for Aquaman, Barda, and Deadshot?  Does Mattel think I should pay extra to solve the problem that they cannot get product to my store?

3. Loud – Yes.  I started  JLU polls specifically because Mattel’s offerings at SDCC 2006 made no sense in terms of what I, personally, as a fan of the show and the DCU, wanted to see in the line.  I collected the top wants of other fans, over a hundred (126) of them to give Mattel a sense of what a group of fans wanted, not just one.  Boy Wonder’s team responded by giving us Hawkman, Mr. Miracle, Fire, Ice, etc.  Subsequent polls have been smaller (75) and larger (144).  Toy Guru’s team has given us adult Supergirl, Cheetah, Mr. Terrific, Capt Atom, Question, Batman Beyond, etc.  I’m not sure which team we have to thank for Solomon Grundy and Grodd, but I am grateful. I think the polls have helped.

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Welcome to the latest installment of Game On!, my blog within a blog covering the wonderful world of tabletop gaming.

Like many collectors, I tend to have a fairly obsessive personality. So, when something really catches my interest I can easily develop tunnel vision.

Ever since the Four Horsemen’s announcement, less than a month ago, about acquiring the license to The Outer Space Men I’ve found myself thinking about them more often than I should, pouring over Mel Birnkrant’s incredible website (surely the most exhaustive website pertaining to a vintage toyline that I’ve ever seen), sitting on Amazon.com with The Outer Space Men graphic novel in my cart (with only it’s pricepoint and my current lack of funds preventing me from ‘pulling the trigger’)and looking for old sci-fi novellas and short stories from the 30s through the 60s to read and get in the OSM vibe.

Yeah, I got it pretty bad.

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I met Eric Torres a few years ago at our local Phoenix Comic Con. He had a table set up with product featuring some of the most visually arresting imagery I’ve seen. It stopped me in my tracks. So I went over and asked excitedly: "What is all this stuff!?" Turns out, Eric is a graphic designer who is using his immense talent to create, through words and illustrations, a fantasy world called Rynaga. This pet project of his has already spawned a really cool book and a super-sweet card game called Iconica. This past week Eric invited me to an Iconica game night. He said there’d be treats.

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A long time ago, in a city far, far away…….I saw ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ for the first time, 30 years ago this weekend. And I haven’t been the same since. But probably not for the reasons you’d think. I was already committed to the ‘Star Wars’ saga by the time this film rolled around at the ripe old age of nine. I had eaten, slept and worn ‘Star Wars’ since the summer of 1977, and to say I was excited for ‘ESB’ is the understatement of my lifetime. But that’s also why the damage was done that fateful weekend.

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Way back in October of 2006 I wrote a blog entitled Finally, Sports Figures Done Right. It was about Gracelyn Toys then brand new line of 5" articulated NFL players called RePlays.

As a casual sports fan (I’m definitely a fan, just not a fantatic) I had only a passing interest in previous sports lines such as Starting Lineups and McFarlane’s SportsPicks.  From a creative point of view I thought McFarlane Toys was done a fabulous job with SportsPicks. They looked amazing. Player and team choices left something to be desired, unless you were a fan of the big market teams with superstar players.

I picked up a SportsPicks figure here or there, but just like I wrote nearly 4 years ago I wanted more. I wanted poseability.

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I’m not a movie snob nor am I Comic Book Guy. So I’m a little hesitant to blog about comic based movies. What I am is hyped over my recent viewing of Iron Man 2. One of the (not-so-immersed-in-geek-culture) friends I went with texted me earlier in the day to say they were reading reviews and, “did I know that Marvel wants to connect all its hero franchises?” They were referring to news regarding the talent and story lines of the recent and upcoming Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor movies being brought together for the eventual Avengers movie. This is, of course, very exciting. Especially if Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth can bring to life their alter egos: Steve Rogers and Thor respectively, the way Robert Downey Jr. nailed Tony Stark and Ed Norton portrayed Bruce Banner. Lots of potential there. Anyway, I wanted to spend a little time recapping all of Marvel Comic’s movie endeavors to date. So here goes . . . 

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GI JOE: A Real American Hero is, hands down, my favorite toyline of all time. I love the Joes vs Cobra storyline, I love the characters and I especially love the toys!

The other day I came across a video (first saw it on JoeCustoms.com) that is going to be part of an in-production documentary about the genesis of Hasbro’s Real American Hero line. It features interviews with Hasbro designers & executives, and even Larry Hama, the Marvel writer who became the heart and soul of both the toyline and the comic book.

The documentary, entitled GI Joe -  Operation: Blast Off is being made by Dusty Rudat, the son of Ron Rudat. Ron was one of the guiding forces behind this reinvention of the GI Joe brand at Hasbro.

Here’s the clip I saw. I am eagerly awaiting the final production. It should be must-see-viewing for anyone who calls themself a GI Joe fan.

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It’s amazing what you can find out there in the Intertubes.

Through a series of links starting initially on Paul Nomad’s (formerly of Action-Figure.com) Facebook page I discovered a new small toy company called ZICA Toys.

Upon visiting their site I saw they were hard at work on a couple of very interesting projects.

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When you hear the term ‘boardgame’ what comes to mind?

Monopoly? Life? Maybe Risk or even Axis & Allies if you like your games a bit more on the strategic side.

I love a good boardgame, but I like my games to be epic.  Thankfully there’s several companies out there producing amazing boardgames that are both fun to play, challenging to master and epic in both scope and theme.

My favorite boardgame makers are Fantasy Flight Games and Days of Wonder. Both companies produce games of outstanding quality in both the areas of gameplay and components.

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The second half of the GI Joe Sneak Peak panel was devoted to a reveal so secret, it was marked "For Your Eyes Only" (cue sappy James Bond music).  Again, no photography was allowed.

Hasbro is teaming with the Discovery Channel to create HUB, a new kids TV channel.  And the reason this is being mentioned here?  The first show to be announced for the network is a new GI Joe animated show!

 HUB Announcement

They have brought together the talents of Arron Archer, Ted Biaselli, Jeff Kline, Mike Vogel to create "GI Joe Renegades"!

There was one cell of the animation.  Someone with blonde hair wearing green army fatigues.  Think of it as a GI Joe "Year-One." All the characters you love, but before you met them.  How did they get their cool code names.  How did the characters get to where they are today.

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Last time out I wrote about my love for The A-Team.

However, the 80s television series is not the only A-Team for which I have great nostalgia. To quote Yoda, "No…there is another."

That other A-Team…in fact, my first A-Team would be none other than the GI JOE Adventure Team.

Long before GI JOE shrunk and encountered the evil forces of Cobra he traveled the world on various adventures. This was the GI JOE of my childhood.

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One of the most eagerly awaited panels of the convention was the new toy sneak peak.  Since no pictures were allowed, here are my notes from the panel.  I apologize in advance if I mixed up any of this. I do know there are items I missed.  They were showing things too fast to write them all down.  Here is what I did get.

11 AM
Toy Preview Panel
(no pictures of product allowed)

Hasbro Design Team.

Line name changing to "Pursuit of Cobra" this fall (Fall 2010).  Cobra has risen, so "Rise of Cobra" is ending and the pursuit is beginning.  New packaging to reflect this change in direction.

3.75 inch figures

Wave 1
*Snake Eyes – commando head, satchel bag, new wrist articulation.
*Duke
*Cobra Shock Trooper – based upon modern army soldiers.
*Stormshadow
*Shadow Tracker

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The GI Joe 2010 Convention was held May 1st and 2nd, at the Providence, RI Civic Center and Westin Hotel.  Here is one of the highlights, Cobra’s Finest.

The members of Cobra’s Finest cosplay as GI Joe characters, well the villains of GI Joe actually.  Cosplay is more than just wearing a costume.  Its a love of the genre.  A love deep enough that you are willing to spend hours, days, months, working on a costume so detailed the character springs to life.  Yes, you can buy a costume, but not these folks.  They’ve sweat and toiled over these.  And when they put them on, they take on the part of that character.  Taking on the role is the what separates cosplay from wearing a costume.

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