A few days ago we received some disheartening news, there will be no new GI Joe line in 2016 from Hasbro. No, nothing at retail, no Internet only offerings, no retailer exclusives... nothing! So, it looks like the only product available to us will be FSS 4.0, which we were already expecting, whatever the SDCC exclusive will be (most likely Stiletto), and the Joe Con offerings. Well, that is better than nothing, but it still sucks that we can't hop down to Toys R' Us or Target and pick something up for under $20.
Hasbro has a grand plan in their "shared universe." As you probably know, this will combine a struggling GI Joe with M.A.S.K., Micronauts, ROM, and Visionaries. Where the *bleep* is C.O.P.S. Is there not room for the Central Organization of Police Specialists? What would mesh better with GI Joe and M.A.S.K. than C.O.P.S.? After all, Beachhead's grandson is on the C.O.P.S. team. As for the other properties, M.A.S.K. is long overdue for a comeback and will mesh well, with VENOM possibly being a subsidiary of Cobra. ROM The Space Knight looks like it could be cool, if done right (the caveat for pretty much anything). Micronauts has some potential, but they will really have to try hard to sell it to the casual movie goer who doesn't remember the original line. Visionaries, again will probably be a hard sell, even to the nostalgia crowd, as there is little to no fan fervor out there for it. How do the tired, worn out Transformers movies factor in to it? The point of all this is that it will probably be a while before we see GI Joe product on the shelves, while they retool for the "shared universe."
And what would GI Joe look like as part of this "shared universe?" Will it return in its 4" glory or will it follow the Marvel properties as a 2" product? Or will it follow the Star Wars model of limited articulation, but have a hard-to-get Black series? I know, too many questions, and not enough answers. I doubt even Hasbro has the answers at this point.
What's a GI Joe collector to do? How do we get our fix? I have a few ideas.
1.
Go To JoeCon - This may be our last chance to enjoy the camaraderie of the Con and our last chance to get those exclusives. The club is ending all memberships on December 31, which could mean the club is not going to be around come 2017. It is a real shame. The club was great at getting us those off-beat characters that would not have a mass retail appeal. On the other hand, they have had their issues, including the great credit card hack scandal (of which I was a victim).
2.
Get Whatever The SDCC Offering Is - All speculation is that the SDCC exclusive will be Stiletto, the winner of the fan vote from last year. The easiest way will probably be eBay, which means heavy mark-up. Then there is the HasbroToyShop route, which usually turns out to be a nightmare.
3.
Customize, Customize, Customize - Snap up whatever 50th Anniversary stuff is available and use them as fodder for customization! If Hasbro isn't going to make Joes this year, I'll make my own! Make your own characters or recreate the classics.
4.
Fill In The Gaps - Chances are, you don't own ever piece of GI Joe ever made. Well, pick up the stuff you missed. Maybe there is a vintage figure you have been putting off buying? Or is it time to delve into the vintage international offerings? There is lots of stuff out there to collect. Get it while the getting is good!
5.
The Start-Ups - Thanks to Kickstarter and GoFundMe, we have had lots of new lines hit the Internet. Marauders Task Force has given us some awesome offerings, and their female line, the Valkyries should hit the mail by summer. Time to add some troop builders to your Joe or Cobra forces! If Hasbro doesn't want our money this year, we'll give it to someone else.
I have high hopes that the GI Joe brand is in good hands. Mark Weber seems confident and capable as the brand manager and I can only hope he doesn't have his hands tied by executives who want to pinch pennies. We have had our "product pauses" before, and GI Joe always seems to return. You can't keep a good man down for long!
