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Editorial - G.I. Joe is dead, long live G.I. Joe


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GI Joe is dead. Currently.

 

This has happened before. No retail presence, no cartoons, no movies. Eventually, though, it came back and it will come back again. The brand is still alive. By that I mean the trademarks for all these names and characters; Snake Eyes, Cobra Commander, Roadblock, etc, etc, etc, they're all still there for someone to use eventually. And in this age where creators would much rather rehash something old than come up with NEW ideas, thinking that GI Joe will never be touched again, will never get another go around, is crazy. It just might be a while.

 

Yes, many entities had a hand in failing GI Joe; Hasbro, Paramount, the retailers...no property could withstand that kind of 1,2,3 punch. On top of that, you have the fact that it's just not as popular with the kids as a lot of other stuff.

 

I love GI Joe and I have a lot of great GI Joe product but I'm not bitter. It's a bummer that it's going away, particularly on the 50th anniversary. But I have a solid collection that I'll be enjoying for years. I'll save for those few missing Night Force guys I need. keep my ear to the ground for the bones that TRU throws us every once in a while, and most likely be there when GI Joe resurfaces again.

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The need to do a 6" line ,and do a new 12" line with the sa bodies and make the cano look more realistic like DML,SS,BBI,ect.,and for the 3 3/4 line make the more real and not fake and fix the plastic they use too.

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I just dont think there is anything left for them to do with the line,G.I.JOE had its day (and it was awsome!) maybe if we are lucky hasbro will lay joe to rest and come back in 2022 for the 60th with some fresh new ideas?

 

TM

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It's ironic for me that the current era of G.I. Joe seems to be coming to a close...I was fortunate enough to score an Eaglehawk on sale the other day, I've recently been enjoying a second, third, and fourth viewing of Retaliation, and my sweet, sweet wife just bought me a case of the "Ultimate" wave of figures online yesterday. I always get excited about G.I. Joe around Easter-time every year. I've said it many times in the past, how I must have gotten Joes on Easter as a kid, or maybe new waves of figures came out in the spring, but late spring/early summer is always a time I associate with G.I. Joe, and this spring is no different. So my interest is up again, yet all indications are pointing to a lull in activity concerning the world of G.I. Joe.

 

I suppose I'm one of those collectors that doesn't currently have a huge Joe collection, so a hiatus would allow me to back-up and get some older stuff I've been putting-off getting, and there's plenty of vintage items I don't have, so maybe a breather from new stuff might be somewhat of a good thing for me right now, although I'm definitely interested in getting some of the club subscription figures.

 

Also, it's sad to see the third film be put on the backburner when I feel like the second one, although not perfect by any means, seemed to have built some momentum in reinvigorating G.I. Joe as a viable brand.

 

I almost feel like though as if the "Ultimate" wave of figures for me personally might be somewhat of a last hurrah, as it were, as if it's like the grand finale of collecting modern Joes for me, and it's very bittersweet. It's so strange to be so excited about a property that may very well be going into stasis. I really hope I'm wrong. What I would really love to see is a return to the "DTC" model of producing and selling Joes. I know the club stuff is like the expensive version of it, but I'd like to see an affordable online exclusive line like the DTC stuff was, but done with the POC/30th Anniversary/Retaliation sculpts along with cool new vehicles. Oh, and a 6-inch series like the Star Wars Black line would be nice also...

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I've heard what this article is saying before, and nothing personal, but these ideas have been battered around, and shown to have problems for a long time.

 

Joe already has trouble because of the military connection, a violent COD game isn't going to happen, and would likely hurt the brand, not to mention Hasbro has few connections in the video game industry, and even it was amazing, it would be a clone in a crowded marketplace.

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This is just sad.Hasbro just gave up.What they could of done for the line is to make the figures 6 inch like the Black Series in Star Wars.Its only a suggestion though

 

I really dislike the six " idea, for you Wheeljack it might make sense because you collect other lines. I don't think Joe would survive with a 6" line. Most joe collectors would shun the scale change, and it would involve lots of new parts that would be expensive, and the climbing cost would make figures even less appealing to parents, so it wouldn't gain new fans. It would just be a quick cash grab for the few 6 " collectors who would like Joe, and those Joe fans who will buy anything that says Joe on it.

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This is just sad.Hasbro just gave up.What they could of done for the line is to make the figures 6 inch like the Black Series in Star Wars.Its only a suggestion though

 

I really dislike the six " idea, for you Wheeljack it might make sense because you collect other lines. I don't think Joe would survive with a 6" line. Most joe collectors would shun the scale change, and it would involve lots of new parts that would be expensive, and the climbing cost would make figures even less appealing to parents, so it wouldn't gain new fans. It would just be a quick cash grab for the few 6 " collectors who would like Joe, and those Joe fans who will buy anything that says Joe on it.

 

I have to disagree with that. Assuming GI Joe was popular enough to justify two scales running simultaniously, I see no reason why 6" wouldn't work. I can point to Star Wars (and I know the rules are different for Star Wars in almost any circumstance) but fans who have bought the 3 3/4" for 30 years are still into the 6" stuff. If a toy line is done well I think it has a shot, no matter what it is.

 

That's all moot, however.....

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G.I. Joe needs to make Joes more of a black ops operation.No futuristic vests or over the top characters.The military unit led by Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson in Transformers DOTM came off, to me, more like Joes,in a realistic way.I know HASBRO wants characters to look different for the action figure line's sake but I think a uniform team would be better for the big screen.Kind of like the night force,or tiger force line of Joes.And stop it with the sex symbols.Joes don't have to look like they just fell out of a "100 most beautiful people" magazine.Think Seal Team 6.Cobra needs a remake,too.They're design is great for action figures but a bit over the top for the big screen.I know HASBRO is targeting kids too but that doesn't mean they have to make everyone look like they're sporting NERF gear.Kids are a lot more mature these days and could use a bit more realism in the next Joe film.

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Man, what a shame...I got my Ultimate case in the mail the other day, and as I was checking each figure out in the package, I noticed Ultimate Flint had some black paint on his nose, and it looked like his right forearm was disconnected from his bicep joint. So I decided to open him up and see if the damage was bad enough to try and contact Hasbro for a replacement. I was able to scratch the black paint off of his nose fortunately, and his forearm snapped back into place well-enough. But my point is I was absolutely stunned at the level of insane detail this figure sports. It's so sad to see G.I. Joe figures of this quality being produced at a time when the line may be coming to an end, however temporary it may be. I can only assume the rest of the wave is just as phenomenal in-hand, and it makes me wish there was a real push to put out more...

 

I think the only way G.I. Joe could be relevant for kids these days is to be tied to a COD-style game...they're all the rage, even with the younger ones. That's this generation's picture of a modern military adventure, so anything less in intensity of course will not compare. It's the gritty war/military aspect that Hasbro has to skirt around to keep parents and retailers happy, so many G.I. Joe toys become somewhat of a oxymoron; it's the notion that you have this fighting force that's combating a terrorist organization. How can you water that down and dress it up as a kid-friendly action adventure and it maintain any long-lasting support at all? You can't, because kids are fickle...all they care about is the next installment of the popular video game they play day and night. You have to do one or the other. I just think game tie-ins are the key to widespread success these days. Skylanders is good example of that model of marketing...whoever came up with that is a genius; kids love the games, and the tie-in figures they buy are just snapped-up left and right. I just think if Hasbro truly want to snag the kids, they have to put some real development into a serious and unreserved video game series, like someone else said on another post.

 

As long as they're unwilling to embrace the heart and soul of what makes G.I. Joe cool, it will always fail to live up to what we fans see in it and be truly successful. The initial concept wasn't kiddified and watered-down for us, and we made it a household name. There was blood (at least in the comics), real-world weapons, battles, serious and violent storylines, and we ate it up. I think kids would eat it up today also if the powers that be could unabashedly present them with a true, serious, and hard-core G.I. Joe that can compete with the likes of COD, Gears of War, and all of the other sci-fi/military properties that are so popular with kids today.

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Editorial - G.I. Joe is dead, long live G.I. Joe

 

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GI Joe is been death for me since Spy Troops. All these new super duper articulated figures that don't look anymore like the ARAH are a big disgrace for the line. I been and continue collecting ARAH Joes from 1982-1994 or even some repaints till 2001.

 

Put one of these new figures at the side of one of your originals and you will know what I'm talking about, is like having totally different toy lines to match up. Even the Johnny Quest action figures match better with the ARAH toy line.

 

What Hasbro has to asses is to go back to the basic line like in the 80's, because right now there only focus is Marvel and Star Wars...

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