G.I. Joe thread - 09/13/2024: Pulsecon - Dreadnoks, Dogs and Cereal

[TriBlurr]

All Joe discussion here.

Classified Recent Releases
- Alpine
- Iron Grenadier
- Storm Shadow V2
- Iron Grenadier BAT
- Raptor with Sergent Ledger
- Road Pig with Rawkus

Retro Carded
- Retro Cobra Commander
- Retro Stalker
- Retro Cobra Trooper

60th Anniversary
- 60th Anniversary Action Marine: Sniper
- 60th Anniversary Action Pilot: HALO Jumper

Walmart: Nightforce
- Nightforce Falcon & Quarrel

Target: Tiger Force VS Python Patrol
- Tiger Force Tripwire & Roadblock 2-Pack
- Tiger Force Wreckage with Tigerpaw

Hasbro Pulse Exclusive
- Mad Marauders Lowlight & Spirit
- Steel Corps Commander vs Shadow Guard

Amazon/Fanchannel
- Cobra Stinger with Driver
- Joe x Transformers Triple T Kup with Sgt. Slaughter and Leatherneck

Convention
- Pulsecon Starduster

Preorders

Mainline Release
- Zandar
- Leatherneck
- Dial-Tone
- SAW Viper

Walmart: Nightforce
N/A

Target: Tiger Force VS Python Patrol
N/A

Retro Carded
- Retro Rock n Roll
- Retro Dr. Mindbender
- Retro Cobra Viper

Hasbro Pulse Exclusive
N/A

Famazon
N/A

Fanchannel
N/A

Convention
N/A


Upcoming:

Render Reveals/Sneak Peeks

Cobra CLAW with Pilot
Heavy Duty (Deluxe)
Law and Order
Footloose
Cobra Bunker with Trench Viper
Search for MASS Device Snake Eyes and Polar Bear

2024/2025 Pipeline Names

- Nemesis Immortal
- FRAG Viper
- Blowtorch
- Darklon
- Crystal Ball
- Snake Eyes V4

Haslab

COBRA RATTLER with Wild Weasel (100% Funded)
- Tier 1: Cobra Jacket Patches (Unlocked)
- Tier 2: Rattler Gunner Figure (Unlocked)
- Tier 3: Pilot Baroness Figure (Unlocked)

DRAGONFLY with Wild Bill (100% Funded)
- Nightforce Rip-Cord (Unlocked)
- Glenda (Unlocked)
- Night Force Crazy Leggs (Unlocked)

Rumors/Leaks

Thundermachine
Snowcat
Optimus Prime Mobat with General Hawk

 

[Kalidor]

Man I loved the Tiger Force and Python Patrol *vehicles*. Not sure I would want/need just the figures.

 

[electricidad]

Some Rit Dye, and I made my own Stalker. No berets will fit without a haircut. I kind of want to see Classified's offering before I start hacking away at his dreads.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

Man I loved the Tiger Force and Python Patrol *vehicles*. Not sure I would want/need just the figures.

I have nostalgia for some of the Tiger Force and Python Patrol figures. Being the young' I am, I missed a LOT of the "classic" figures and characters the first time around. For me, Tiger Force Duke was the first chance I ever had to get a Duke figure. Same with the Python Crimson Guard.

That said, I'm not sure I see the value in Outback or BAT in those sub teams. Outback would be one of those "deep cuts", but I am not sure how necessary such a deep cut would be this early on. The BAT has never been a part of the segment, but troop builders are easy options.
I'm eager for the Viper though (even though my first Viper was the Sonic Fighter version)

 

[lastmaximal]

I hope the Retro 3.75 stuff continues.

 

[Steevy Maximus]

I hope the Retro 3.75 stuff continues.

I don’t. I feel the product team is/was following the Star Wars model TOO closely. Star Wars can get away with crap because its Star Wars (and it’s back on an upswing thanks to stuff like Mandalorian and Clone Wars/Bad Batch). GI Joe just doesn’t have the brand or character cachet to do that.
To me, Retro represents all that is wrong with the handling of GI joe. It’s trying to keep chasing that “old money” with Retro packaging and the same stuff we’ve gotten many times over (largely). All with a degree of half assery that I don’t think they could have gotten away with in Star Wars and Marvel. The market and management changes since 25th hit 14(!) years ago has guaranteed that Retro will NEVER come close to being the line fans want.

Further, with Hasbro moving a lot of its production to Vietnam, they have “cleared the slate” in terms of tooling. They aren’t bound by the limitations of what they have like with 50th and the first 3 waves of Retro…but the two most recent waves constituted the same two figures with some part variations. To me, that‘s not a resounding vote of confidence.

I have zero issues with 3.75 stuff, but I think Hasbro needs to be taking pages from Transformers. Despite its collector “focus”, Generations has continued to (seemingly) successfully walk the line between being a collector line…while still being accessible to kids (boosted, IMO, by the new Core Class direction).
That’s what GI Joe needs, not continuing to try and ape what is being done by Star Wars and Marvel.

 

[electricidad]

Croc Master might be a pass for me. No real affection for the character. I'm happy with the Amazon Storm Shadow, so this is a wait-and-see proposition. Croc and Storm Shadow might be the only 2022 figures I pass on.

Spirit, Stalker and Dusty are a go. So are the twins and Zarana. Wondering how easy the Crimson Guard is going to be to get--if I get one, I want to get two, to flank Cobra Commander. I've liked each Classified figure, and all the army builders have been particularly strong. I can see the Crimson Guard being incredibly difficult to get at retail price.

Curious as to the pricing for Outback, Python B.A.T. and Python Viper in this Target exclusive. (Because of the randomness with which orders are cancelled, I'm running about 50% with Target exclusives. I'm lowering my expectations.)

Still no word as to the Alley Viper, and that was one of the first figures to appear on card back art.

 

[Zamuel]

Out of curiosity, will the thread allow similar Joe adjacent things like Lanard's The Corps to be discussed?

 

[CoffeeHorse]

I don't see why not.

 

[Autobubbs]

I thought it was 50% knowing, 50% violence.

 

[NovaSaber]

 

[Daith]

Why Tomax and Xamot are individual releases is got me scraching my head a bit. I mean Joe fans will understand the mirrored nature of the twins but without file cards anyone else would be wondering wtf would they bother releasing the same figure flipped even with the naming thing. It makes more sense for them to be packed together.

 

[Dake]

Are there really a lot of people out there buying these who don't know who Tomax and Xamot are?

 

[TriBlurr]

Considering up till now anything in a non standard box has been an exclusive of some kind. Packing the twins seperate is probably being done to get them on retail shelves other than Target.

 

[Zamuel]

Going through Dollar Tree, I discovered the Final Faction figures. While there were obvious shortcuts here and there, I was surprised to find that they were decent Joe-esque figures for only a dollar. Looks like they actually put effort in. Though researching them a bit, it seems like they've actually been out for a while so everyone probably already knows about these.

 

[lastmaximal]

I don’t. I feel the product team is/was following the Star Wars model TOO closely. Star Wars can get away with crap because its Star Wars (and it’s back on an upswing thanks to stuff like Mandalorian and Clone Wars/Bad Batch). GI Joe just doesn’t have the brand or character cachet to do that.
To me, Retro represents all that is wrong with the handling of GI joe. It’s trying to keep chasing that “old money” with Retro packaging and the same stuff we’ve gotten many times over (largely). All with a degree of half assery that I don’t think they could have gotten away with in Star Wars and Marvel. The market and management changes since 25th hit 14(!) years ago has guaranteed that Retro will NEVER come close to being the line fans want.

Further, with Hasbro moving a lot of its production to Vietnam, they have “cleared the slate” in terms of tooling. They aren’t bound by the limitations of what they have like with 50th and the first 3 waves of Retro…but the two most recent waves constituted the same two figures with some part variations. To me, that‘s not a resounding vote of confidence.

I have zero issues with 3.75 stuff, but I think Hasbro needs to be taking pages from Transformers. Despite its collector “focus”, Generations has continued to (seemingly) successfully walk the line between being a collector line…while still being accessible to kids (boosted, IMO, by the new Core Class direction).
That’s what GI Joe needs, not continuing to try and ape what is being done by Star Wars and Marvel.

Perhaps I should say "I hope 3.75" Joe continues", as it's my preferred scale and they've shown they can still change things up a bit with the figure tooling. Just used that term because, well, that's 3.75" is called right now. We've for all intents and purposes lost modern 3.75" for Marvel, and all that's left are those 5POA Retro style figures that serve a very different purpose. And the last few years of lacking 3.75" product (both in terms of new product and readily-available fodder) have been frustrating enough, and if this is the break that keeps 3.75" Joe from fully going the way of 3.75" Marvel, I'll take it.

But I am absolutely with you on the need for change and to dial back on the past. I've always been on record as wanting them to reinvent and move forward from the "classic" identity of the brand, which they've historically had a hard time shaking but is really the only way they're going to make it thrive anew. I would love it if both scales saw some forward movement rather than have only Classified be more open to a bit of novelty and Retro be, well, Retro by definition.

(Funny, "aping what is being done by Star Wars and Marvel" is kind of what comes to mind when I look at how they shifted from 3.75" to 6" and threw all their weight behind that, essentially starting over in a new scale.)

 

[Haywire]

Has anyone found those GI Joe not-Lego sets in the wild? If so, what stores had them? I have been lurking the aisles of the nearest Tuesday Morning with no luck. My wife found the Snakes Eyes set at Ollie’s, but nothing else. I’d kind of like to get the Snow Cat and Night Raven sets if I can find them...

 

[LiamA]

Has anyone found those GI Joe not-Lego sets in the wild? If so, what stores had them? I have been lurking the aisles of the nearest Tuesday Morning with no luck. My wife found the Snakes Eyes set at Ollie’s, but nothing else. I’d kind of like to get the Snow Cat and Night Raven sets if I can find them...

What a coincidence. I found today the Cobra Rattler at the Ollie's near me.

 

[electricidad]

Brand New Target Exclusive G.I. Joe Classified Series Listing Found - HissTank.com

Twitter user 80sToyBoy has discovered three brand new listings for Target Exclusive G.I. Joe Classified Series figures. Once again, the real character names are obscured by assigning code names. Hyperion Dione Rhea It is interesting that all three codewords are 3 moons of Saturn. At the moment...

news.hisstank.com

Three more rumored figures for Target exclusive (sure) Tiger Force wave:
Dione
Rhea
Hyperion

If these are Tiger Force-style repaints of existing figures:
Dione=Duke
Rhea=Roadblock
Hyperion=Gung Ho (?) Beach Head (?)

 

[electricidad]

My local Wal-Mart just got a wave of TF Studio series; the Aurra Sing Star Wars Black wave; and the Marvel Legends Age of Apocalypse wave (which I didn't even realize was out yet).

But no Joe.