From the 1980s on, the G.I. Joe franchise has been built on a unique combination of military and sci-fi design sensibilities. Even so, plenty of Halloween-appropriate elements tend to slip through the cracks. In keeping with the spirit of the season, here are 10 of the spookiest G.I. Joe figures to ever hit the toy aisles.
We may be in a bit of a pre-SDCC funk as far as huge reveals go, but "ooh" and "ah"-worthy product images are always trickling out here and there. The recurring theme of the week seemed to be official shots of previously-teased items, but there were still a few surprises in store. Now, on to my personal highlights!
These might be made from existing molds, but the vibrant decos have really won me over. It doesn't hurt that I'm a bit of a sucker for "gift set" releases in general. Unfortunately for many of us, this appears to be a European Disney Store exclusive.
Yeah, I know the question that's been on all of your minds. "When is it Weekly Want time again?!" Wait no longer, delectable denizens of Geek-Skull; the latest batch of action figure and collectible images is at hand!
Is it seriously the end of the month already? The calendar can't be argued, so we may as well get our retrospection over with before moving on to March. Here are 10 of Castle Geek-Skull's favorite comic book covers of February 2015!
While the larger than life Cobra Commander is likely the most well known G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero character, Snake Eyes isn't much further down the list. With nearly 100 different toy releases and a role in every iteration of the franchise, he's always been a central figure of its mythos. He escalated to leading status on "rule of cool" alone. This guy is a completely silent ninja commando with katanas, Uzis, and grenades strapped all over his pitch-black attire, and he just happens to have a pet wolf. Yeah, that sells.
Despite the inherent challenge in revolving traditionally speech bubble-driven stories around a character that never speaks, it only makes sense to capitalize on his popularity by giving him a comic book of his own. The original Marvel run was even retitled G.I. Joe: Starring SNAKE EYES at one point. The five-issue Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra story isn't the first time IDW Publishing has slapped his name onto one of the titles, either. I imagine copies would sell on marquee value alone, but the added "heel turn" is sure to grab a bit more attention this time around. The question is, how does it hold up as the first of a series?
Several of the items highlighted in this installment of Weekly Want left me with my arms flailing in the air like a hyperactive schoolchild. While they also deserve praise in standalone posts, leaving them out here just wouldn't be right. I'm going to shut up now and let the pictures speak for themselves!
In my attempt to keep up with pop culture goings-on this year, there were a lot of developments I never could have predicted. It seems awesome television announcements or crazy character appearances were turning up all over the place. Take my silken hand as I lead you down the path of 14 of my favorite unexpected surprises from 2014!
The most recent episode of NBC's comedy series Community ("G.I. Jeff") was a wonderful pardoy/homage of Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon and toyline from the 1980s. While there were many jabs taken at the Joes (my favorite of which lampshaded the silliness of the COBRA twins Tomax & Xamot), the effort taken in working with Hasbro to make the episode a true tie-in of sorts created a tone that felt much closer to "loving" than "mocking."
Everyone with the slightest interest in toy collecting knows just how repetitive local shopping can be. In general, you're more likely to see the same stuff you've already been staring at for months with each visit to the likes of Toys R Us or major department stores. While this may leave some disappointed, a shelf-full of last season's stock doesn't bum me out nearly as much as the unfortunately regular sight of stolen action figures:
It's not uncommon for toy collectors and "kid-at-heart" types to look back fondly on their action figure vehicles. From Technodromes to T.I.E. Fighters, the various pimped-out rides of our heroes and villains were often among the most coveted pieces of our collections. However, not every vehicle was worthy of such affection. In fact, some were downright nonsensical! Let's take a look at five of the goofiest vehicles (and vehicle assortments) ever:
