Page 1 May 2006G.I. Joe®is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc. G.I. Joe® is used with permission under license with Hasbro, Inc. The G.I. Joe Collectors’Club™ is a trademark of FunPublications, Inc. Contents may not be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of Fun Publications, Inc. Convention events, sets, and guests may change without notice.

May 2006 817-448-9863 Fax 817-448-9843225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108

TM

By now, I hope that you have seen onlineour great convention set announcements!We have really been working hard this

year to bring you some surprises. Our bigannouncement for the 12” set is the retooling ofthe Vintage Head to fit the current Super-Articulated body. This is a merging of the bestof both worlds. The Vintage Head gives the fig-ure a nostalgic feel with that great face sculptwe have all come to know and love. The Super-Articulated body gives the figure the ability toassume poses that were NEVER possible withthe Vintage body. We have named this clubexclusive version of G.I. Joe the Super-Vintagebody. Expect to see a lot more of this figure infuture releases. Here is a photo of just part ofthe convention set. Another great new piece inthis set is the bear. He is awesome and reallyadds to this adventure. Check online at master-collector.com for full set images and pictures.Also, let me warn you now that this is a HUGEset. The box is 23” x 14” x 5.5”. It is quiteimpressive and it comes with more terrific artby Larry Selman.

The big news for the 3 3/4” set is that we havereproduced a very hard to get figure that was distributed only in SouthAmerica – Cobra Mortal (see page 10)! This figure is made in the tradi-tional style in hard plastic so that the vac-metal will stick to the figure.We have ramped up this figure as well with additional paint applicationsthat the original did not have. So, now that the mysterious loner fromSouth America has been revealed, you have probably figured out thatCobra Commander has hired these mercenaries to eliminate Sgt.Slaughter. In Cobra Commander’s mind, he reasons that by eliminatingthe Sarge, he will destroy the heart of G.I. Joe’s training program andaffect the quality of their recruits for years to come.

Don’t miss getting these sets and the great celebration of G.I. Joe com-ing to the New Orleans Sheraton June 29-July 2! Our room block at thehotel is almost full! As of this writing, there are less than 40 roomsavailable for the weekend nights. Don’t wait too long to get your hotelroom at the Sheraton as it will sell out! This convention will be fun forthe whole family, from the swamp tour to the D-Day Museum, to theprivate sales room preview; we have an exciting full schedule lined upfor you! All activities (other than tours) will be at the Sheraton Hotelon Canal Street with a special rate of $119 (reg-ular rate is $169). Registration forms are avail-able online or give us a call at 817-448-9863and we will drop one in the mail to you. Youcan make your hotel reservations using the linkfrom the convention area at mastercollector.comor by calling 888-627-7033 or 504-525-2500.Again, don’t miss this great event and thisopportunity to help New Orleans rebuild theireconomy.

Sales of the 40th Anniversary Dress Pilot andCombat Soldier have slowed a bit. We havestill not reached the breakeven point in this proj-ect and so at this time, future projects are onhold. If every club member who collects 12”figures bought just one more of each figure, wewould be well on our way to the next release.So please, tell all of your collecting friends tohelp keep this series alive and order a set today!Don’t forget they also make a great gift!

Response to the M.O.T.H. Jungle Theatre sethas continued to be very strong. We are veryexcited about this set and I hope you are aswell. If you have not placed your pre-order,you can still do so by calling 800-772-6673 or817-448-9863 and one of our customer servicerepresentatives will be happy to assist you. Weanticipate that these figures will ship around

the first of June. In case you are wondering,the second in the series Operation: FlamingM.O.T.H. Desert Theater will be available forfirst purchase at the convention in New Orleans!Pictures will be available in the convention cov-erage at the end of June.

In addition, due to multiple requests, we havecome up with a couple of ways to make the 12”carded give-aways from the 2004 and 2005 con-ventions availalbe to folks who missed thosegreat shows. So, here’s the deal: Any memberswho are coming to the New Orleans Conventioncan pre-order for pick-up at the show two (anycombination) of either the Dress Pilot orCombat Soldier 40th Anniversary figure for $84and get the British RAF Service Dress Uniformcard for $15 ($99 total); if you pre-order forpick-up at the show any four Dress Pilots orCombat Soldiers (any combination) for $168,you get the RAF card for FREE. You must pre-order these items and you must pick them up atthe show. This will help us know exactly whatto put on the truck. We will aslo be selling theNavy Honor Guard set at the convention tomembers. We know that collectors who missed

these past conventions have really wanted to get these pieces, so here isyour big chance. Quantities are very limited.

The free Club figures are still scheduled to ship around the end of Mayor the first of June. You can still order additional figures and/or acces-sory sets, please call 800-772-6673 or 817-448-9863. AdditionalNullifiers will be available for $20 each plus postage. AdditionalForeign Adventurer accessories or figures can still be pre-ordered. Theaccessory set by itself sells for $25 plus postage. Additional figuresWITH the accessory set are $35 each plus postage and the ForeignAdventurer figure with no accessories is $20 each plus postage.

New items to pre-order are: DTC Wave 2 ‘06 assortment Airtight,Outback, Lt. Falcon, Munitia, Cobra Officer, Night Viper (6 figures total)$36.00 (the ship date on this has moved to June so we have extendedthe pre-order deadline); S6 2.5” Vehicles Night Ops Vamp or CobraAttack Jet $23.00 ea ppd; S6 Dragonhawk (ship date has moved to June)$43.00 ppd; S6 Commando Artic Duke $23.00 ppd or S6 CommandoWave 3 ‘06 Set (4 figures) Artic Duke, Hi Tech w/Hound Sentry, Destro,

and Jungle Snake Eyes $70.00 ppd.

Don’t forget to check the online store for ourweekly specials. Put gijoeclub.com/shop inyour bookmarks! Also for our foreign members,we have now implemented a new service calledGlobal Priority Mail. This is a faster, lower costservice for items under 4 lbs that will fit in abox 12” x 12” x 12”. It is not available foreverything, but it will provide a lower cost forthe bulk of our products. Check it out today!

Congratulations to our advertising winner forApril. Van Reimer, IN, has won a free G.I. Joefigure! Each month, we pick a random ad win-ner from the G.I. Joe classifieds. Your ad mustcontain a specific G.I. Joe item you are trying tobuy or sell, so send in your ad today! Use theonline links to submit your FREE 30 word ad.Don’t delay, put this down and do it right now!

Thanks for your support; we look forward toseeing all of you in New Orleans!

Let’s Go with G.I. Joe!

-Brian

Page 2 May 2006

This past March, our esteemed Club Director, Brian Savage made apromotional appearance on a live television programcalled ‘Attack of the Show’!

If you’re not familiar with it, the show is broad-cast on G4, which is a channel that is available in 53 million

cable and satellite homes nationwide. Their programming includes avariety of pop culture topics, such as video games, TV show reviews,movie critiques, and celebrity interviews. Their target audience ofmales (18-34) gets a daily dose of sports, computer technology, anima-tion, website interactivity, and Internet based fun. The channel alsooffers a wide selection of other shows, including Action Blast, which isan hour of animation showing Transformers: Beast Wars and B-Daman(both are based on popular Hasbro toy lines). It should also be of pri-mary interest that the channel will be re-airing the 80’s fan favoriteMarvel/Sunbow produced G.I. JOE animated series this fall.

With their obvious interest in Hasbroproperties, it was clear that AotS need-ed to feature a segment on G.I. JOE.Thus, Mr. Savage was offered a gra-cious invitation to be interviewed andprovide his insight on the popularity ofthe past and present G.I. JOE series.This was a great opportunity to pro-mote the latest toy products and pro-vide information about our Collectors’Convention in New Orleans this sum-mer. Plus, the added bonus of mention-ing that Sgt. Slaughter will be appear-ing as a special guest was sure toexcite both wrestling and G.I. JOEfans nationwide.

My Behind-the-Scenes report:

The AotS is hosted by Kevin Pereira, a twenty-three year old videogamer extraordinaire and techno-geek, along with his smart blondecounterpart - Sarah Lane, a computer technologically professional inher own right (and possibly my long-lost cousin?!?) It was interest-ing to see them between rehearsals, as they would jump into theshow’s chat room to answer questions or continue updating their

daily blogs. They really have itmade…it’s a tough job

when yourwork consistsof discussingeverythingfrom thelatest SouthParkepisode tovarioushappen-ings inpop-cul-ture.

Sincethe tele-vision chan-nel is headquartered in mybackyard of Los Angeles, California, I wasrecruited to select the G.I. JOE products for the creationof a diorama on the show. Coming from a background in televisionproduction, I know about the time constraints and fast pace of a liveshow. Thus, I had to be ready with my materials and plan of attack. I

met with the show’s SegmentProducer and discussed the layoutand design of the diorama. Uponshowing my selected convoy of vehi-cles and army of action figures, Iworked with the Art Department toformat a paper mache desert terrain.Of course, I chose my favorite vin-tage style 3 3/4-inch action figuresand vehicles. Using the COBRAMOUNTAIN playset as a center-piece, I rallied a dozen CRIMSONSTRIKE VIPERS against a squad ofG.I. JOE: STEEL BRIGADE troop-ers. The final set-up looked greatunder the lights and behind the cam-era. Let the battle begin!

Kevin Pereira, David Lane, Brian Savage, Sarah Lane

On the Set!

Rehearsal

G.I. Joe Club Director, Brian Savage

by DavidS. Lane

by DavidS. Lane

Page 3 May 2006

HASBRO Interviewwith John Warden

by David S. Lane

(DSL) John, please tell us about your job as Design Manager on the G.I. JOEbrand and any personal background information that you would like to sharewith the Club.(JW) As Design Manger, I’m responsible for the consumer experience ofG.I. JOE. I work with the other designers here on the G.I. JOE brand todevelop toys that deliver rich play for our consumers. Our goal is to makeevery single G.I. JOE purchase a layered, complex, deep play experience –one that sweeps our fan deep into the world of Joe! In addition to the fan-tasy-building part of my job, I’m responsible for the creation, performance,and execution of the design as well. About 2 years ago, I was part of theteam tasked with the evolution of G.I. JOE into what is now SIGMA 6. I’vebeen here at Hasbro since 1999. Along the way, I’ve worked on severalbrands, but none have given me the honor that G.I. JOE has! I’m sur-rounded by some of the best guys in the business and making toys for thebest action figure brand! My first job was at Kenner, where I was part ofthe Star Wars Team. I had the privilege of designing the 300th figure ofBoba Fett. In a way, my job here on the Joe Design Team is a childhooddream come true. I grew up inthe 80s and had a whole lot ofthe 3 3/4” RAH figures andvehicles. More specifically, Icollected COBRA stuff. I hadjust about everything there wasback then. I was an enormousfan. I couldn’t wait to go to thetoy store to see what Hasbrowas going to put out next!

(DSL) What are some of the G.I.JOE products and/or promotionsthat you have worked on this year?(JW) This year, I’ve been work-ing on the formation of theSIGMA 6 fantasy – especially theoriginal 8” SIGMA 6 figures andtheir action-packed gear.

(DSL) That is very cool. Can you explain the product design processfrom start-to-finish?(JW) Sure! First we set a design vision – the document that lays out ourgoals for the toy brand. Inside this document, we capture what it is we wantthe kid to feel when he’s playing with the toy. To begin, we make roughsketches to try to capture the look and feel of the toy we want to create. Thenext step is to solidify the rough sketch into a “design-control” drawing,basically a blueprint for the plastic part. The control drawing is given to asculptor, who crafts a gorgeous little one-of-a-kind model out of brittle waxor resin. Engineering comes on board and helps to make sure the thingworks, the little springs and gears are moving the way they are supposed toand we have enough room to make it work. Lastly, a final “check-model” ismade. We then work with HasbroFar East to make sure the model isexactly what we’re looking forbecause the check-model is used asa pattern to cut the steel of themolds that make the plastic toy.Colors are decided upon and apainted model is made … and thereyou have it!

(DSL) What type of interaction doesthe design team have with market-ing and the properties group overcurrent G.I. JOE licenses?(JW) We work and interact with allof those departments and more!Another huge help in our job is theHasbro Funlab. This is a researchgroup where we bring in kids wholike G.I. JOE to play with our toys.We look at the data together andevaluate the performance of the toy

or concept. Design, Marketing, and the Properties groups work togetherwith GONZO Studios in Japan to create the G.I. JOE: SIGMA 6 Cartoon.Each of us brings a different piece of the puzzle to the table.

(DSL) Out of all your work, what has been the most challenging and whatis your favorite piece? Also, how does it feel seeing your items on toystore shelves?(JW) Wow that’s a hard question to answer! Of all the Joe stuff, I guess Iwould have to say the Wave 1 SIGMA 6: SNAKE EYES figure. I stillremember being under a tight deadline, hunkered over my laptop, finelytuning every detail of the design-control drawings for that figure, especiallyhis Magnetic Whip-Star and Sword. I am very proud of those two acces-sories in particular – what an honor to create the sword for the world’sfinest Commando! Seeing my toys on the shelf is an indescribable, miracu-lous feeling. Even today, after all these years, I still get butterflies in mystomach when I see something I helped to create, brought to life right thereon the toy shelf staring back at me. It is an awesome feeling of satisfactionand happiness to see a kid pick it up and ask his parents to buy it. But, I’dhave to say, the best feeling of all is to watch my own son (age 7) playingwith an action figure I designed.

(DSL) What can you tell us about working with GONZO Studios and theSIGMA 6 animated series? Got any news about Season two?(JW) My job working with GONZO was to supply them with toy reference aswell as fantasy on how each of the pieces of gear performs in battle.GONZO employs some of the most talented guys in the business. It is great

working with them. Season 2 isgonna be amazing! We are set tolaunch a new line of awesomeSIGMA 6 Mission Scale vehicles– and these will get some amaz-ing screen time in the new show.Fans can expect to see plenty ofvehicle action – even more thanseason 1. In addition – we’reintroducing two new members tothe Sigma Team. One of themwill turn out to be a traitor –you’ll have to tune in to find outwho!

(DSL) If someone wants to getinto the Toy Design business,what do you recommend?

(JW) Being a designer is just as much about seeing the world around you as itis about creating something new. You need to not only be able to draw andvisualize in 3-D, but you need to be able to understand how the consumer willbe interacting with your product. I graduated from the Department ofIndustrial Design at Ohio State University. I’d suggest that someone interest-ed in designing toys should practice their drawing skills and take stuff apart tounderstand how it’s made. Try to go to a school that has a design department,and once you’re there, do the best you can to get an internship with a toycompany. It’s a very competitive field, but we’re always looking for someonenew and dedicated!

(DSL) Do you have any final thoughts or comments to share with our readers?(JW) I wanted to spread a word of thanks to all of the fans out there (youngand old) who have embraced the SIGMA 6 line. All of us here at Hasbro

work very hard to make the toysthe best we can. It warms myheart to read the reviews of thefigures, knowing that there arepeople out there that appreciatethe details we carefully put intoevery one of the figures. It is aneven better feeling to know that anew group of kids is enjoying G.I.JOE the way I did when I was akid. I also want to spread a wordof gratitude to all Joe Fans.Thanks to all of you, the richworld of G.I. JOE stays alive forfuture generations to enjoy.Yo-Joe!

(DSL) Thank you for sharingyour talents and we look forwardto seeing your work on theshelves this summer. “Until next time troops!” – Dave

G.I. Joe in Japan:Part V

The Legacy by James Long

The coming of the 1990s brought with it continued collector interest in the 1/6thscale G.I. Joe, in Japan as well as America. When Hasbro finally began producing12" figures again with the Hall of Fame G.I. Joe line, these figures were soonbeing released to Japanese stores by Hasbro's Japan-based branch (which wasnamed, appropriately enough, "Hasbro Japan"). While these sets certainly caughtthe attention of vintage G.I. Joe collectors, the failure of the animated G.I. Joeseries and the resulting disappearance of the Real American Hero Joe line didnothing to enamor collectors with these 12" figures based on the RAH characters.

Instead, these collectors had far moreinterest in realistic military equipmentand uniforms. As a result, the figuresand gear produced by CotswoldCollectibles found an eager marketabroad, and were soon being importedand sold through a variety of col-lectible stores. Some Japanese fangroups, Saru-Inu Ya being the mostnotable, followed Cotswold's exampleby producing their own highly-detailed uniforms and equipment.These efforts mostly replicatedGerman and Japanese military uni-forms from World War II, and weresold through specialty shops andthrough mail order ads in modelingmagazines like Hobby Japan.

By the mid-1990s, the continueddemand for 12" figures helped lead tothe formation of a small start-up com-

pany called Medicom, which dedicated itself to producing high-quality toys withmass-market collector appeal. One of their first efforts was to launch "Project1/6th," a line of 1/6th scale figures titled "Real Action Heroes." Like the "Alliesof Justice" line Takara had released in 1971, the figures in the Real ActionHeroes line were based on popular TV action characters. This time, though, theyweren't focusing on characters that were airing on television at the moment,instead they chose characters from live-action and animated series of the 1970sand 1980s, characters with nostalgic appeal for theadult collectors who could afford a high-end product.In order to make their new line a success, Medicomknew it would need a well articulated figure. Who bet-ter to look to for inspiration than G.I. Joe, the mostpopular 1/6th scale figure of them all. So, instead ofreinventing the wheel by creating their own Joe-likefigure, Medicom took the more cost-effective route ofstriking a deal with Takara to use a slightly modifiedversion of their 1984 "Combat Joe" body. Christened"New Combat Joe," this body would form the basis ofthe Real Action Heroes figures for years to come.

The line launched in 1995 with the release of"Devilman," based on the 1972 animated TV series ofthe same name. The figure was very successful, andwas soon joined by a growing legion of Real ActionHeroes characters. Rather than producing simplifiedversion of the characters, as Takara did in their "Alliesof Justice" and the subsequent "Henshin Cyborg" lines,Medicom strove to make each character look as closeto their original source as they could get, often with

amazing results. While these fig-ures were by no means inexpensive,they were immediately popularwith both fans of the characters andwith the general 1/6th scale collec-tor market. The continued successof these figures helped to makeMedicom one of today's toy indus-try powerhouses.

1995 also saw another companyenter the 1/6th arena, a companycalling itself "Toys McCoy." Betterknown for their "Real McCoy's"[sic] designer apparel line, the peo-ple behind the company decided tocombine their skill in tailoring withtheir interests in 1/6th scale figuresand in the career of actor SteveMcQueen, giving birth to their ToysMcCoy label. To avoid the hasslesof creating their figure from scratch,Toys McCoy took a route similar tothat used by Medicom; leasing theuse of a body from an outsidesource. Using Takara as an interme-diary, Toys McCoy was able to getthe rights to use the body Hasbrohad utilized for the 30th anniversaryG.I. Joe figures.

For the head, Toys McCoy contact-ed the model company Billiken,which had released a set of 1/6thscale celebrity heads in the mid-1980s, including that of Steve

McQueen as he appeared playing Virgil Hilts in the 1963 movie "The GreatEscape." While this head was ostensibly made for the modelling market, it wasperfect for use on a G.I. Joe body. Toys McCoy secured the use of the SteveMcQueen head mold, and with it,created their first Steve McQueenfigure, a 3,000-figure limited edi-tion based on the Virgil Hilts char-acter. Despite costing more thantwice that of the Real ActionHeroes figures, the enduring popu-larity of both Steve McQueen andThe Great Escape helped the figuresell out rapidly.

From that auspicious start, ToysMcCoy has kept busy catering to1/6th scale collectors with deeppockets and an eye for exceptionalquality. After one more SteveMcQueen figure with the 30thAnniversary G.I. Joe body, that ofhis Josh Randall character from the1958-61 TVwestern"Wanted Deador Alive," theywere able toobtain the useof the G.I. JoeClassicCollectionbody, greatlyimproving thearticulation ontheir figures.Since then,

Page 4 May 2006

G.I. Joe in Japan:Part V

The Legacy by James Long

Page 5 May 2006

they've had several moreSteve McQueen figures,like Junior Bonner fromthe 1972 movie of thesame name and PapaThorson from McQueen'sfinal movie, 1980's "TheHunter." Toys McCoy hasalso broadened their scopeto include other charactersand celebrities, like aMarilyn Monroe dressedfor her 1954 U.S.O. tour ofSouth Korea, SeattleMariners Right Fielder

Ichiro Suzuki in his then-currentOrix Blue Wave uniform, and oneof their most popular figures, anincredible replica of Indiana Jones.

In February of 1997, Hasbro Japanbegan distributing the new ClassicCollection G.I. Joe figures in Japan.These proved much more popularthan the Hall of Fame figures hadbeen. Continuing a not-so-proudtradition from the 1960s and 1970s,Hasbro occasionally utilized thisalternative market as a place todump products that did not receivemuch retail support in America. Asa result, several figures that weremore difficult to find in the States,

like the first two Civil War G.I. Joe figures, could be found with relative ease inJapan. Regardless, consumer interest in the superior Classic Collection line overits Hall of Fame predecessor helped increase Joe's profile in Japan. Because ofthis, Hasbro Japan was soon being commissioned to produce several G.I. Joe fig-ures exclusively for the Japanese market.

The first of these was a series known as "Sports Joe in NCAA," wearing basicathletic wear with the NCAA logo, and available only at stores selling NCAAsportswear. The Sports Joe figure used the same body as the 30th AnniversaryG.I. Joe figures, with blond hair so light that it almost looked white. The firstfigure appeared in the summer, and was wearing gray shorts, a matching polo

shirt, and white hightop sneakers.A second figure followed in theautumn, where Joe was now seenwearing a black and green hood-ed sweatsuit. The third and finalfigure in the NCAA series camein the spring of 1998, wearingblue, white, and yellow shortswith a matching mesh polo shirt.

While the Sports Joe figures hadonly limited availability, HasbroJapan's next effort was directed atthe general retail market. This setpaired a military-style G.I. Joe

figure with aSports Joefigure to cre-ate the"Father &Son" set,released inDecember of1997. Thepremise ofthe set wasthat the mili-tary G.I. Joe,

the "Father," was an AirForce pilot during Vietnam,while the athletic SportsJoe, the "Son," was the col-lege-aged offspring of theelder Joe. The G.I. Joe camedressed in his flight suit,jacket, and helmet, while theSports Joe came dressed inthe uniform of the "SanFrancisco Joes" collegiatebaseball team, for which hewas the star pitcher. In anice act of reciprocation,these highly detailed uni-forms were created by the folksat Toys McCoy. Since both Joeswere being depicted as youngmen, something was needed todifferentiate between the two fig-ures. So, G.I. Joe used theClassic Collection Body with theMasterpiece Edition G.I. Joehead, while Sports Joe used the30th Anniversary body and head,with both figures sporting thesame light-blond hair. As youmight expect, the set was quicklysnapped up by eager JapaneseG.I. Joe collectors who werethrilled to finally have their ownexclusive G.I. Joe set.

Hasbro Japan soon followed this successful set with the "Hoost Vs Hug" 2-figureset which commemorated the Grand Prix of the martial arts sport competition K-1 in November of 1997, where Dutch kickboxer Ernesto Hoost defeated the 1996K-1 Grand Prix Champion, Kyokushin Karate and kickboxing fighter Andy Hugof Switzerland. The set featured likenesses of Hoost and Hug on ClassicCollection G.I. Joe bodies. Both figures came with the clothing they wore intheir final match, as well as the championship belt and crown awarded Hoostupon winning the match and the Karate uniform Hug usually wore.

December of 1998 saw the third and final Japan exclusive 2-figure set to bereleased by Hasbro Japan, returning once again to the "Father & Son" combina-tion that had worked so well the year before. Rather than creating an originalG.I. Joe and Sports Joe set as they had done previously, they decided to look tooutside media for their inspiration. As a result, the theme for this Father & Sonset was taken from a popular baseball comic named "Star of the Giants," createdby Ikki Kajiwara and Noboru Kawasaki. This 3,000-piece limited edition includ-ed figures of father IttetsuHoshi, using the ClassicCollection body, and his sonHyuma Hoshi, who had a30th Anniversary G.I. Joebody. In the comic, Ittetsuhad trained Hyuma sincechildhood to be a pitcher forthe Tokyo Giants baseballteam after his own pro ballcareer faltered. The setincluded Hyuma in hisGiants uniform and Ittetsu inhis old Japanese military uni-form, as well as additionalaccessories like the specialmetal spring and leather har-ness Ittetsu created forHyuma to strengthen hisarms and a pick and shovelfor Ittetsu to use for his jobas a construction worker. Theset even included a Hoshi

Continued on page 12...

Page 6 May 2006

Page 7 May 2006

Page 8 May 2006

Several new offer-ings of the popu-lar GI Joe Comic

Book 3 packs have beenmade available to col-lectors through the DTCprogram. Past comicbook 3 packs haveoffered collectors threevintage style 3 3/4”Joes/COBRA figuresalong with a copy of aclassic comic book inwhich the respectivecharacters appeared.The most recent DTCcomic packs include thefollowing:

Issue #9 with Alvin“Breaker” Kibbey,Agent Scarlett & Cobra CommanderIssue #75 with Dreadnoks Ripper, Thrasher & BuzzerIssue #25 with Tommy Arashikage, Lonzo R. Wilkinson & CLASSIFIEDIssue #16 with Spirit Iron-Knife, Agent Courtney Krieger & Hannibal: Reborn

It should be noted that the last of the aforementioned comic 3 packs isthe Devil’s Due Comic #16 which was voted on by collectors as theFans’ Choice Winner. This comic book 3 pack is different than thosepreviously released as it contains new sculpt figures as opposed to thevintage style figures.

Issue #9 with Alvin “Breaker” Kibbey, Agent Scarlett & Cobra CommanderOut of the three figures offered in this comic book 3 pack, Alvin“Breaker” Kibbey is the one that makes this set worthwhile. This isonly the third version of Breaker that has ever been issued (that is, ifyou care to count that abomination of a Breaker figure included in the1997 Stars and Stripes Forever boxed set from TRU). Breaker is arepaint of the 2004 General Abernathy tooling along with a nicelysculpted new head. The color selections are in keeping with the comic.Breaker captures the feel of his comic book representation and is a greataddition for those fans of the comic book figures. Agent Scarlett is basi-

cally the 1982 version alongwith a newly sculptedhead and lower legs. Thenew head sculpt is good

for the most part and the color selectionsare true to the comic. Personally, I findthis figure a bit boring. For something different and a little moreinteresting, I would have rather seen a version of Scarlett in herbath robe just as she appears in this same issue #9. COBRACommander is comprised primarily of the 1991 COBRACommander tooling along with the 2004 COBRA Commanderhead and the lower arms of 1984 Roadblock. The interestingfeature of this figure is that it has been molded in a translucentblue color. This gives COBRA Commander a “holographic” appear-ance which is the way he appeared in issue #9. This version ofCOBRA Commander is something different and is actually kind of cool.Overall grades: Breaker: B+, Scarlett: C+, COBRA Commander: B-.

Issue #75 with Dreadnoks Ripper, Thrasher & BuzzerDreadnoks have been a long time favorite of collectors and this comicpack is sure to satisfy those Dreadnok fans. Ripper, Thrasher & Buzzerhave all been reissued in their original toolings along with newly sculpt-ed heads and updated color schemes. The new head sculpts for all threeDrednoks are improvements over the originals, especially Thrasher’s

new head sculpt. Theoriginal Thrasher headsculpt may be one ofthe least favoritesamong collectors givenits “dorky” appearance.The new color schemesare pretty much inkeeping with the origi-nals except forThrasher’s new deco.The new deco sportsmore blues and greenswhich doesn’t lookquite as nice as theoriginal black and graycolors. Ripper andBuzzer both come withaccessories that aretrue to those that camewith them when they

were initially issued.Thrasher now comes with a

pistol and machete instead of the lacrosse style club that heoriginally came with when he was issued with the

DDTTCC PPrroodduu

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Terry W

Page 9 May 2006

Dreadnok Thunder Machine. Overall,this is an excellent set and is highly rec-

ommended. It is my favorite comic 3 pack from this review.Overall grades: Ripper: A-, Thrasher: B+, Buzzer: A-.

Issue #25 with Tommy Arashikage, Lonzo R. Wilkinson & CLASSIFIEDThe story line of this set is based upon the period of time whenStorm Shadow, Stalker and Snake Eyes were soldiers together

on tour in Southeast Asia. The three were all members of a long rangereconnaissance patrol. These figures have all been cobbled togetherfrom previously used toolings and decoed in jungle warfare colors.Tommy Arashikage/Storm Shadow is made up of the 1984 Road Blockbody, 1984 Storm Shadow’s arms and a newly sculpted head.Wilkinson/Stalker uses the upper torso of the 1984 Duke tooling alongwith the new Stalker Head sculpt. The CLASSIFIED/Snake Eyes fig-ure uses the 1992 Gung Ho torso, waist & legs and has the head of thecomic book Hawk figure with a glued on hat. While some of thesetoolings have been overused in recent years, the new heads and junglecolors make the final figures look quite good. I’m glad to see Hasbrotry something new likethis for the comic book 3packs. I hope we seemore of this type ofapproach with futurecomic book sets. Overall grades: TommyArashikage: B, Lonzo R.Wilkinson: B+, CLASSI-FIED: B+.

Issue #16 with SpiritIron-Knife, AgentCourtney Krieger &Hannibal: RebornAs mentioned in theopening, this comic bookset contains the Devil’sDue Comic #16 whichwas voted on by collec-tors as the Fans’ ChoiceWinner. The set containsthree characters specific to this particular issue. This set is alsothe first comic book 3 pack to contain new sculpt figures asopposed to the vintage style figures. The first figure in the set

is Spirit Iron-Knife whichis a straight up repaint ofthe 2005 DTC SpiritIron-Knife figure. Whileit is a bit too soon toreissue this figure, I findthe new black coloredshirt and pants to be abig improvement overthe first issue greencolor. Agent CourtneyKrieger (i.e. Cover Girl)is the second figure inthe set. This is only thesecond time thatCourtney/Cover Girl hasbeen issued. This newsculpt figure of CoverGirl is probably the bestlooking female newsculpt figure that Hasbro

has done to date. Thesculpted long hair looks especially nice. The color selectionsare very well done and work well together. The last figure inthe set is Hannibal: Reborn. This character is based upon a

clone experiment of Professor Mindbender. Hannibal is the genet-ic recreation of a famous Carthaginian general that fought against theRoman army. The concept is a little out there, at least it is to me. I per-sonally do not find this figure very appealing. The character looks likesomething right out of the pages of “The Punisher”. I have a hard timeworking Hannibal into my Joe universe. The sculpt is okay but reallyneeds some work at the elbows. When the arms are bent at the elbows,the lower arms have the appearance of looking barely connected to theupper arms. It almost looks like a scarecrow when the arms are bent. Ijust do not care for this figure at all. Fortunately the other two figuresin this set make it worthy of purchase.Overall grades: Spirit Iron-Knife: B+, Agent Courtney Krieger: A-,Hannibal: Reborn: D-.

Hasbro’s recent offerings in the GI Joe Comic Book 3 Packs are solidand have something to offer to most all collectors. I would say that thecomic book 3 pack with issue #75 (the Dreadnok 3 pack) is the best ofthe four reviewed while the Devils Due comic book 3 pack is the weak-est of the four. As I have stated before, I prefer the vintage style sculptsover the new RAH figures because they have the look and feel of clas-sic GI Joe. I hope that Hasbro stays away from using the new sculpt infuture comic book 3 pack releases.

cctt RReevviieeww::

OOMMIICC BBOOOOKKAACCKKSSby

Wheeler

Page 10 May 2006

2006ConventionPreview!

Here are the figures from this year’s G.I. Joe Collectors’ Convention3 3/4” figure set “Cobra’s Most Wanted: Mercenaries”! This set has beenvery well received and is a big hit with collectors. Check out CobraMortal, Major Bludd, Skull Squad Trooper, Overlord, and Coil Trooper.Remember, each set comes with 6 Coil Troopers and 6 Skull SquadTroopers! Come to New Orleans this summer to get your set as well as thelimited edition Sgt. Slaughter which will be available at the Convention!There will be other exclusive souvenirs as well! See you there!

Page 11 May 2006

G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Order Form - MORE ITEMS available at gijoeclub.com/shopAll prices here include shipping in U.S. Foreign orders, please add additional shipping. Online prices do not include shipping. Shipping is calculated by individual order online.

Convention Premiums Qty Sub-Total1999 Continental Color Guard Figure set*** (comes with shirt: size M, L, XL, XXL) $320.00 x ______ = __________2000 Convention Flying Tigers Figure Boxed set LE 750*** $320.00 x ______ = __________2001 Convention Pegasus Bridge Figure Boxed set LE 750* $310.00 x ______ = __________2001 Convention Extra Brit. and German* (Ltd. to ONE per 2001 Conv. set) $150.00 x ______ = __________2002 Battle of Leyte Gulf Figure set LE 750*** $320.00 x ______ = __________2002 Convention Extra Captain figure set* (Ltd. to ONE per 2002 Conv. set) $160.00 x ______ = __________2002 Convention Extra Nude talking figures* (Ltd. to ONE per 2002 Conv. set, or Extra Captain set) $80.00 x ______ = __________2003 Convention Kursk Tanker Boxed set LE 500* $325.00 x ______ = __________2003 Convention Extra Kursk loose figure set* (Ltd. to ONE per 2003 Conv. set) $160.00 x ______ = __________2003 Convention Extra Nude talking tankers* (Ltd. to ONE per 2003 Conv. set, or Extra Kursk loose set) $80.00 x ______ = __________2003 Convention Blue Command Baroness Bust* $40.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” 12” Boxed set LE 500 $320.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” loose sets (Ltd. to ONE per 2004 boxed set) LE 100 $160.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention “Unknown Heroes of WWII” 2 nude figures (Ltd. to ONE pair per 2004 boxed set) $30.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention “Dreadnok Rampage: Escapades in the Everglades” Boxed set LE 750 $220.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention Aged Adventurer LE 300 (less than 35 available) $72.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention Field Hospital Tent set $100.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention Dreadnok Stun LE 750 $40.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention Zanzibar and Trasher LE 800 $40.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention Zartan Morphing 3 figure set LE 800 $50.00 x ______ = __________2004 Convention “Dreadnok Rampage: Escapades in the Everglades” 15 figure loose set (Ltd. to ONE per 2004 boxed set)(22 left) $110.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention “Battle of Britain” 12” Boxed set LE 500 $310.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention “Battle of Britain” 12” lose figure set LE 100 (9 left) $165.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention “General Mayhem: M.A.R.S. Invades” Boxed set LE 750 $210.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention “General Mayhem: M.A.R.S. Invades” loose sets (Ltd to ONE per 2005 boxed set) LE 400 $115.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention Steel Brigade Commanders Three Pack LE 800 (less than 75 left) $60.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention Steel Brigade Troopers Two Pack LE 1,000 (less than 60 left) $35.00 x ______ = __________2005 Convention Iron Mech LE 800 $34.00 x ______ = __________

Regular ProductsHeavy Water 3 3/4”* $20.00 x ______ = __________Talking Astronaut* $63.00 x ______ = __________Talking Commander* $63.00 x ______ = __________Sea Adventurer* $50.00 x ______ = __________Black Adventurer* $50.00 x ______ = __________Clear Plastic Display Dome for 12” Parachute* $38.00 x ______ = __________German WWI Club figure* $31.00 x ______ = __________Clear Zartan 3 3/4” Club figure* $20.00 x ______ = __________Limited Edition Regular AT Print** $30.00 x ______ = __________Adventurer-fix-me-up kit* (4 holsters, 4 pistols, 4 AT logo stickers) circle: Brown or Black $24.00 x ______ = __________Desert Patrol British Jeep Driver* $24.00 x ______ = __________Stealth Firefly Palisades Bust* (LE 250) $40.00 x ______ = __________DTC Wave 2 ‘05 assortment Footloose, Major Bludd, Snow Serpent, Range Viper, Salvo, Barrel Roll (6 figures total)* $36.00 x ______ = __________40th Anniversary Combat Action Soldier #23 Combat Field Jacket, Combat Field Pack Set, Combat Helmet Set, Combat Rifle Set** $51.00 x ______ = __________40th Anniversary Dress Pilot #25** $51.00 x ______ = __________40th Anniversary Combat Action Soldier #23 & 40th Anniversary Dress Pilot #25* $96.00 x ______ = __________Sigma 6 Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Duke Jet Pack and Cobra Commander (CF)) or (Spirit (CF) and Duke Jet Pack) or(Heavy Duty Fire and Snake Eyes Battle Armor (CF))** $38.00 x ______ = __________Sigma 6 Small Box Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Storm Shadow Crossbow & Kamakura (CF)) or (Aero BAT & Tunnel Rat (CF)) $27.00 x ______ = __________DTC Wave 2 ‘06 Troop Builders Cobra Officer, Night Viper (2 figures total)** $19.00 x ______ = __________DTC Wave 2 ‘06 Comics: #101 Dragonsky, Lt. Mikhail Gorky, Sgt. Sonya Misha, #44 Lady Jaye, 2 Cobra Gas Mask Troopers (2 pieces)** $26.00 x ______ = __________

May 2, Preorder DeadlineS6 Small Box Wave 2 ’06 circle the pair you want: (Soldier Firefly & Duke in Wetsuit (CF)) or (Snake Eyes Night ops & Long Range Desert gear)* $28.00 x ______ = __________S6 Action Set ‘06 Wave 1 Nightstrike Duke Hanglider, Snake Eyes Cycle, Duke Quad,, Strike Team Ninjas, Strike Team, Overlord, BATs (6 pcs)*$28.00 x ______ = __________S6 Mission Sets ‘06 Wave 1 Sand Rail Desert, Barracuda Jet Boat, Cobra Mech (3 pcs)* $38.00 x ______ = __________First Four: Storm Shadow Statue (check web site for picture)* $60.00 x ______ = __________M.O.T.H. Jungle Theatre: Jungle Frag-Viper, Jungle Night-Viper (Club Exclusive)** $32.00 x ______ = __________Foreign Adventurer Figure only** $27.00 x ______ = __________Foreign Adventurer Figure and Accessory Set** $42.00 x ______ = __________Club Nullifier* $25.00 x ______ = __________

June 2, Preorder DeadlineDTC Wave 2 ‘06 assortment Airtight, Outback, Lt. Falcon, Munitia, Cobra Officer, Night Viper (6 figures total)* $36.00 x ______ = __________S6 2.5” Vehicle circle the one you want: Night Ops Vamp or Cobra Attack Jet $23.00 x ______ = __________S6 Dragonhawk (2.5 scale)* $43.00 x ______ = __________S6 Commando Artic Duke $23.00 x ______ = __________S6 Commando Wave 3 ‘06 Set (4 figures) Artic Duke, Hi Tech w/Hound Sentry, Destro, Jungle Snake Eyes $70.00 x ______ = __________

Pre-order for pickup at the convention in New Orleans 2006 Convention Special: Any two 40th Anniv. sets (Soldier or Dress Pilot) $84 for pair get RAF War Service card for $15 $99.00 x ______ = __________2006 Convention Special: Any four 40th Anniv. sets (Soldier or Dress Pilot) $168 for 4 get RAF War Service card FREE $168.00 x ______ = __________Please write in which figures you want for the above______________________________________________________________

For more products http://www.gijoeclub.com/shopWatch for our weekly special on the club web site http://www.gijoeclub.com/shop

*Additional shipping per set: Canada $10, Europe $25, Pacific Rim $35.**Additional shipping per piece: Canada $5, Europe $10, Pacific Rim $15. Additional Shipping Foreign Orders = __________***Additional shipping per set: Canada $12, Europe $30, Pacific Rim $40.

GRAND TOTAL = __________Name __________________________________________ Phone Day ____________________

Address ________________________________________ Phone Eve ____________________

City________________________________ State____________________ Zip ________________I have included a Money Order or Check or charge my: ( ) Visa ( ) Disc. ( ) MC for (total amount) ________.

Name as on card______________________________________ Card No. ______________________________________Expires: Mo.__________Yr. ________

Signature ___________________________________________ I agree to pay this charge per my card holder agreement.(CC billings will be listed under Fun Publications.)

Send to G.I. Joe Exclusive Club Offers, 225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108 • 817-448-9863 Fax 817-448-9843, 9-4:30 Central Time

Order Terms and ConditionsExpect delivery in 6-12 weeks after deadline dates. All orders are subject to a 25% cancellation or return fee. No returns accepted after 30 days. If you cancel or return an order, you will

receive your refund less 25%. We also have a Firm Order Policy. This means that we do not order, hold, or place aside any quantities of products until we receive payment with your order (we do bill yourcredit card right away to make sure that it is valid). All orders are processed on a first come, first served basis. We cannot guarantee a C10 box. We do not warrant the respective manufacturer’s work, but they

do. Prices include shipping and applicable tax. Orders paid for by check, please allow an additional 21 days for your check to clear for items in stock. Prices are subject to change without notice. All domestic orders are shipped via UPS ground. To ship via Post Office, please include an additional $2 per order.

†Partial case packs of Accessory Cards or Basic Figures cannot be returned. SALES ARE FINAL.

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Hasbro, tips on restoration of vin-tage pieces, examples of some ofthe beautiful custom creations beingmade by fellow collectors, and evenwrite-ups on the official G.I. Joeconventions put on by the AmericanG.I. Joe Collectors' Club. Sadly,despite the high quality and obviouslove for the hobby that went intoeach issue, G.I. Joe Collector lastedonly 12 issues, with the last issueappearing in December of 1999.

Before this happened, the club didmanage to pull off a major first byorganizing the "G.I. Joe & RealHeros Show" [sic], a conventionthat was held in the Tokyo TowerBowling Center on September 18thand 19th, 1999. While it's true thatJapan had seen plenty of hobby-related conventions before, this wasthe first such show dedicated to G.I.Joe and other 1/6th scale figures.The show attracted companies likeTomy with the latest G.I. Joe releas-es, Takara selling their imports ofthe "Soldiers of the World" figures,Toys McCoy with their latest fig-ures, and custom makers such asSaru-Inu Ya. Even CotswoldCollectibles with their Elite Brigadefigures and U.K. collector Alan Hallwith a wide selection of vintageAction Man toys made the tripoverseas to take part in the show.While not the largest G.I. Joe eventto ever take place, the G.I. Joe &Real Heros Show proved that G.I.Joe collectors in Japan were just asenthusiastic about Joe as their coun-

terparts in othercountries.

Unfortunately,Tomy's involve-ment with the G.I.Joe line did not lastvery long, and asthe new millenni-um was dawning,dusk was setting onthe availability ofthe ClassicCollection G.I.Joes in retail

stores. Specialty shops and online retailers took up some of the slack by import-ing current figures from their own overseas sources, but without the visible pres-ence in toy stores, G.I. Joe was essentially back in the hands of the collectorsonce again.

Next issue will feature the final installment of James Long’sincredible overview of G.I. Joe in Japan! Join us next time for:Part 6 - The Remnants.

family table which hid a musicbox which played the theme songfrom the animated Star of theGiants TV series.

While these figures were all avail-able at retail stores, Hasbro Japanalso created a pair of more exclu-sive figures during 1998. One ofthese, the "G.I. Joe StealthMission" figure, was created exclu-sively for the 1998 World CharacterConvention, held at the Tokyo BigSite convention center onNovember 22. This figure was aclear plastic Classic Collection G.I.Joe, topped with a translucent headfrom the Action Man figure Hasbrowas then producing for the U.K.market. Limited to only 200 fig-ures, the Stealth Mission Joe wasvery popular, and sold out quickly.

During this time, K-1 fighter AndyHug was a popular figure in Japan.As a result, he was in high demandas a spokesperson for various com-mercial products. One such producthe endorsed was the "Gomen"instant ramen produced by NissinFood Products. Nissin contractedHasbro Japan to produce an exclu-sive Andy Hug figure, dressed as heappeared in their commercial forGomen ramen, to be used as a pro-motional giveaway. Buyers of theramen could mail in a coupon forthe figure, with a selection of 100winners drawn at random fromthose who mailed in the coupon.While his clothing was new, HasbroJapan used theirexisting AndyHug head sculpton a ClassicCollection bodyfor this luck-of-the-draw premi-um figure.

The end of 1998saw some behind-the-sceneschanges for G.I.Joe. Hasbro Japanwas scaling backtheir operation, and one casualty of this was that Hasbro Japan would no longerdistribute current G.I. Joes to the Japanese market. Fortunately for Japanese Joecollectors, distribution of the line was almost immediately transferred to Tomy,who began releasing the Classic Collection G.I. Joe line in 1999. Unfortunately,without the direct ties to the line that Hasbro Japan had, Tomy did not produceany exclusive-to-Japan releases like their predecessors had. In fact, the Joes theyreleased were exactly the same as those being released to stores in America, withonly the addition of a Japanese language product information sticker containingthe name of the figure, pricing information, Tomy's address, and the like, stuckon the bottom of the box.

During this period of time, G.I. Joe collectors across Japan began to come togeth-er. In September of 1997, Joe collector Shuji Ochiai formed the G.I. JoeCollectors Club of Japan and began publishing their club magazine, "G.I. JoeCollector." Each bi-monthly issue of this slick magazine was filled with articleson vintage G.I. Joe sets, news of the latest Joe products being released by

Page 12 May 2006

G.I. Joe®Collectors’Club Annual Membership:

U.S. $36, Canada $57, all others $82. Includes 12 club newsletters, a 1 year 12 issue subscrip-

tion to Master Collector, and a free 30 word ad each month. Send Check or Money Order to

225 Cattle Baron Parc Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76108. Fax 817-448-9843,

brian@mastercollector.com, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa accepted. Submissions for the

newsletter are due by the 1st of each month and are very welcome. -Brian Savage, Editor

...continued from Page 5