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.
GI Joe is on the run from someone. Someone who might or might not look like a snake. (Tons of applause from the audience at this.) Things are not what they seem. There is a public face to Cobra. "Did we say that out loud?" (more applause).
Pursuit of Cobra as the toy tag line will end in 2011. Fall 2011 toys will be tied to the new animated series. GI Joe Renegades will be the new inspiration for the 3.75 inch line. Same scale, same articulation as current offerings.
Range of characters is broad. Linear story telling. 2 part and 3 part stories. Synergy between studio and toy maker. Core character focus in beginning, expanded cast going forward.
Writers are hard core fans and experienced. Frequently asking "Can we introduce so and so." Access to as big a world as possible. Show is ‘raising the bar’ on this network.
Random comments:
Cobra commander has classic mask.
Destro wears mask on purpose.
Girl Ninjas? "Yes."
Signature weapons with named characters.
Classic vehicles.
Well known voice actors, but we can’t tell you who.
Timber the wolf.
Cool! I loved both the Sunbow and DIC cartoons even though they were worlds apart. I really liked Resolute. I’m thinking this Year One treatment will go over just as well. I just find it funny that the Pursuit of Cobra line hasn’t been released yet and it’s already being replaced with the new cartoon theme for 2011. LOL.
Yeah exactly what’s the point of POC? “Here’s the peg warmers for a while before we switch to yet another new direction”. I’m not complaining about the POC figures, they look fantastic but it is a little odd.
As far as the cartoon is concerned, who is even going to have Hub on their cable network? I wonder if it will be on a pay tier like Boomerang and Disney Kids is for me?
Maybe girl ninjas means we can finally get an updated Jinx!
If you have Discovery Kids in your digital cable/satellite package, then you’ll have The Hub, because that’s what they’re replacing. It’s going to be in over 60 million households and looking pretty damned good from what I’ve read about it as well as the talented, capable people in charge of the network, which launches on October 10, 2010. 10/10/10.
It has been leaked that the original voices of Duke and Scarlet, Michael Bell and B.J. Ward have a cameo in Renegades as the voices of Dukes parents. I have not got any other conformations at this time
Hmmmm. Not sure how I feel about this retcon. I really enjoyed Resolute because it kept the visuals of the old series, but updated the violence/maturity of the story. If they change much of that, we might be crossing over into Sigma Six territory.
The people at the panel tried to explain it was not so much a retcon, but a “before you knew them”, or a “year-one”. To me that means this series would happen before Resolute, not contradict it.
nice to see gijoe back animated for thought resolute was cool. as for jinx the execs did state she does show up on the show. though hate that they keep changing the gijoe toy line to match before one can finish trying to complete a line of characters. plus no polly for the new show.