I was totally being facetious, but I’m just glad you crazy kids are having a good time here on the ole internet.

Stupid Poe's Law!

Sorry, I feel like if no one had taken me at face value, it would have saved the world 90 paragraphs. And clearly, if the current political climate were really the driving force behind the success of GI Joe, the francjise would be doing better than ever seeing as how Americans voted in the real world analogue of the Cobra organization. So let’s just place the blame for the dearth of product in recent memory on the previous years’ shitfest films and lack of any kinda mainstream presence for years outside of those stinkbombs.

Not your fault. That topic comes up every time GI Joe figures are discussed anywhere. I quoted your joke because it was easier than dissecting the seriously misinformed.

And those films actually extended the shelf-life. ROC toys sold relatively well, and Retaliation kept the toy line from being cancelled sooner. So the films aren't to blame at all. On the contrary. They let us get a few more waves out and some extra new toolings we wouldn't have gotten otherwise and some last vehicles. Otherwise retailers were ready to drop it but Hasbro was able to convince them to support that since it was a blockbuster movie.

Which from there led to the last TRU exclusive wave where TRU had to be convinced to get it to begin with. And it did sell relatively decently. But not enough for major retailers to pull it back in.

As much moaning as 'fans' do about those movies, they managed to give the toy line extra legs to last longer. If not for them, the brand would have died at shelves much much faster and we wouldn't have gotten any Renegades products either. Let alone some of the amazing TRU releases that came out of it because of ROC.

Wonder if they could do some sort of animated revival on Netflix like Voltron. I really thought Resolute would make a kickass series and help bring back interest in the toys.

Gotcha. And you’re right, even the mindless drivel sustained several years worth of product on shelves, more than I remember since the early 90s. Commercially successful, but not by enough.

Media is definitely something needed, but not something like Resolute. Has to appeal to kids. Even Voltron doesn't use a "resolute" style edginess.

For wider product to move, a way to gain wider audience attention with a hit series is a good move and is normal marketing.

To sustain without a series, it has to appeal to "coolness" factor standalone. Blending both, (like what Voltron and others have done) and it could be highly profitable. The problem there is many 'fans' wanted direct military things, and that did end up killing the brand as a whole. Once you take the scifi elements out of GI Joe, and make it too much a replica of real world military, it's not sustainable at the higher cost margins. This is why Corps Elite survives. It maintains lower cost, but also ups the 'coolness' factor by mixing it up.

Same to how Retaliation did so well. It had wider material within it. Whether it was Alley Vipers or Cyber Ninjas. Along with the tweaked Snake Eyes with his body armor. It had a stronger appeal from coolness factor.

And you're right about Captain America. He also represents the ideal from moral center, which is why his character is so beloved. He's iconic to that kind of degree. Though many misinterpret that because of his flag drapery.


As for the MOTU relaunch in 2002, that actually did really well. It died because of CN and how the toyline was oversaturated with He-man figures and not many other characters. Mattel killed it by bad figure lineup choices, and CN cancelled it because of moving on to other shiny things. It could have been saved with the next season if Mattel would have fixed the toy line up issues sooner. The show was actually extremely well received too. That was back in the early days when CN was extremely fickle and rather mean to shows that weren't their own. In spite of that, it still lasted several seasons.

Thundercats on the other hand, died cause of Chima and poor marketing. Toy line actually did really well at first. But then the product didn't vary it up enough, and it attempted a TMNT pattern of keeping the characters on shelves and filtering in new. It was a good idea, but not enough new was making it to shelves fast enough. Then Chima came along which essentially caused T-Cats to get axed because they were too similar, and with Chima being Lego and the success of Ninjago, CN wanted to go with that hoping for that same Ninjago style of success. Which is also kind of funny, because one of the main people behind new T-Cats, was behind Chima and wanted both to succeed. Not one ending up killing the other. So that's an "oops."

I have a bunch of the Cobra guys for Sigma 6. My favorite was the Black Armor Cobra Commander because he had the faceplate and not the weird open helmet with the cloth over his mouth that the Blue one had.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1835/...3442460c00.jpgUntitled by Phantomcrow, on Flickr

I also have one of the last Sigmas made the Chrome Wildfire Commander. The chrome was fun but I bought him for the Air Chariot for my Black Commander.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1886/...81cf607e6c.jpgUntitled by Phantomcrow, on Flickr
I also still have Destro, Evil Firefly, Zartan, Storm Shadow, an Iron Grenadier, a couple BATS, the Dark Ninja Master and LT. Stone. Stone has Spy gear that makes him a cobra agent that make him look like Scrap Iron, so I used him as that. I really like how Firefly had a decent character change on the show.

awesome, good choice. i bought Destro, waiting for him (rubs hands) im gonna get most of them, im gonna focus on sigma 6 now. have a feeling CC will be hard to find. i hear alot of hating on this line, dont know why thou. i think they are really badass. oh well, more for me. super happy i discovered this line.

The show designs really were fun overall.
Except for the fact they fit no where in my collection, they are absolutely amazing designs and really pose-able. And the gear was fun too. Snake Eyes with his converting tonfa swords was an ingenious addition, and smaller scales really can't do that. Plus it was cool how they could combine or combine with his combat knife.

I still use his magnetic shuriken for my gi joe display too.

i just noticed something, the Sigma 6 duke and the other good guys look like the figures from that movie called Small Soldiers, anyone notice that?

I'm not adding much to these discussions but I would love to see Joes redone with todays articulation and styles. Marvel Legends style...

Jam ‘em in an electrical socket and see if they power up.

I'd even be interested in 2-up versions of the vintage 3 3/4 figures.

I think Renegades did a good job striking a balance between the military stuff and the more fantastic elements of the series. It's a shame it only got one season.

No vehicles at the 6" scale. IMO one of the best things about Joes were the vehicles and playsets. I still don't know why SW collectors buy 6" Black Series when there are so few vehicles... IMO SW was always about the vehicles and playsets too... that's why the 3.75" Clone Wars line was so amazing IMO... it had tons of vehicles. Only Marvel was mostly just about the character themselves... so dropping MU and going exclusively to 6" scale made sense to me for the Marvel brand.

Ok so i had an issue with USPS like always waiting for my Sigma 6 Destro. went to the post outlet & told them i wanted to speak to the supervisor. besides this issue, ive always had problems with them but gonna start reporting everything from now on. did such a good job complaining, they sent a carrier over to my house in 10 mins and gave me my box. told him you will be seeing more of me in the future.

Anyway, back on topic, did a color tweak on destro. painted his pants so he can look like the original cartoon look. Purists will like this color mod. added a Matte black to the pants and he looks wicked! .....pics coming soon cause he is stilll drying lol ....Yo Joe!!

good idea!


https://media.giphy.com/media/yEtv1wWZpmG2s/giphy.gif

Not a lie was told.
(Hash tag, Make Cobra Fiction Again)

I know that it goes against tradition and would probably flop, but I thought I'd reiterate for the thread that I'd love a Joe line in the same scale and styling as Hasbro's other six inch lines. I wants it, badly.

But I'd want the really fun weird stuff, like Refrigerator Perry.

I had that Fridge figure and loved it. The football/mace weapon was a classic.

i like the fridge figure also and sgt slaughter

That is so funny. I can imagine that. I love the inventively weird period from about 87-91. Like Psych-Out... wow. Metalhead, Scoop, Raptor, Captain Gridiron, Road Pig, Super Trooper, the Cobra-La 3-pack, Crystal Ball, Crazy-Legs, the Hydto-Viper with his Scooby Doo villain monster mask, Chuckles being a poor man’s Magnum PI, and then that guy with his football flail... you know what I mean. Them cray cray jawns from days of yore.

Long live G

Bulletman 3.75 now available (for 1 month only) at Amazing Heroes KS = https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...project_build#



https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1...893ce~mv2.webp
http://www.vintage3djoes.com/uploads...77396_orig.jpg
https://sep.yimg.com/ay/guru-planet-...ard-back-1.gif

Don't forget to buy Uncle Sam 3.75 as well. I remember a comic book ad for the G.I. Joe Club back in the 80s. It had Duke doing an Uncle Sam pointed finger pose, too. Anyone got an image of that ARAH comic ad?
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1...041bf~mv2.webp
https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/sam.jpeg
https://orig00.deviantart.net/3990/f...568a1c8275.jpg