****** GI JOE 3 3/4" NEWSLETTER ****** Issue #2 May 16, 1996 http://www.ecnet.net/users/mucds/joehq.htm Greets all! Welcome to the second issue of the GI JOE 3 3/4" Newsletter. "I thought this was a mailing list?" you might be asking. Well, it is, but not in the strict traditional sense that you might be familiar with, such as a BITNET listserver where electronic mail sent to a central "hub" is redistributed to all the list members. Instead you are a member of a "mailing list" for the GI JOE 3 3/4" Newsletter. However, this isn't just a newsletter in the strictest sense of the word either. Here are some goals we have set out to achieve: - to give you a source of (hopefully new!) information about GI JOE 3 3/4" collecting and related items of interest to GI JOE 3 3/4" collectors. - to receive your feedback on what you would like to see in this newsletter. - to provide an official(?) forum for you to post your questions, comments, ideas, criticisms, and other contributions. - to introduce you to fellow collectors on the list. - anything else you can think of but I can't read your mind so if you have some ideas "lemme hear 'em!" List moderator: Corey Stinson (mucds@bgu.edu) Editor: Corey Stinson (mucds@bgu.edu) Contributing editor: Josh Zyber (jzyber@acs.bu.edu) Contributing editor: Benjamin Ian Thomas (BThomas828@aol.com) Webmaster: Corey Stinson (mucds@bgu.edu) Table of contents: ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Web Page is up! 2. Olmec Toys buys GI Joe 3 3/4" molds 3. GI Joe 3 3/4" Collector's Guides 4. Wanted Section 5. Dealer Section 6. Issue #3 Preview 7. "Introductory Policies" - a few corrections 8. Subscription Information/Missed An Issue? ======================================================================== WEB PAGE IS UP! A very basic web page is up to support our Newsletter called.... Headquarters! Our URL is: http://www.ecnet.net/users/mucds/joehq.htm It doesn't have a whole lot of functionality right now but you should defintely check it out and then give us some feedback. It isn't too asthetically pleasing either but we will move toward that as time permits. Here's what it currently available on the page: - archive for all the back issue of the Newsletter - provide a dumb facility to subscribe to the Newsletter mailing list or to request back issues via e-mail. - provide a GI Joe 3 3/4"-specific forsale/trade/wanted classified ad area. Check it out ASAP and let us know what you think! ======================================================================== OLMEC TOYS BUYS GI JOE 3 3/4" MOLDS Olmec Toys, makers of African-American toys, have bought 3 3/4" GI Joe figure molds from Hasbro to use in re-launching their "Bronze Bomber" military action-figure line. I received the following information from Olmec concerning the Bronze Bomber series: "Originally fashioned after a Black Army unit from World War I and II, the Bombers are back. These fully poseable 3 3/4" figures are now enforces of justice who assume identities of great kings of Africa. Each figure comes with a trading card and an action packed comic book. Average retail price is $3.99; recommended for ages 5 years and up." A representative from Olmec toys informed me that we can expect to see the Bronze Bombers in stores in the 4th quarter of 1996. He did not yet know what stores would be carrying the line. [ed: Toys R Us would be a good place to check, I've primarily seen Olmec's toys lines there.] I am supposed to be receiving at catalog from Olmec. I believe you can order their products directly through it. I will post more details in a later issue after I've received the catalog. As I understand it, Tomart's Action Figure Digest Issue #30 ran an article (w/ pictures) on the Bronze Bombers. I have not yet seen this article but others have, and had this to say on the USENET rec.toys.misc newsgroup: "According to the latest Tomart magazine, Olomec [ed. Olmec] (the black owned toy company) has bought a bunch of 3 3/4 inch Joe molds and will be releasing a new series of Bronze Bombers. The figures will have African American heads and tribal shields, the Cobra villains will be pretty much unchanged except for new coloring. As far as I could tell, this is the roster: villains are Secto-Viper, Motor-Viper, Strato-Viper, and Darklon. The good guys include Track-Viper, Wild Boar, and Skidmark. I couldn't tell the rest, there were 8 good guys and 4 bad guys. Of course, I'm sure the names will be changed. I think this is a fine addition to the 3 3/4 inch G.I. Joe collecting world." Not everyone had such a positive opinion: "If somebody wants to make a toy line where all the heroes are African American, they're welcome to. But those Bronze Bombers looked like _junk_! Poorly sculpted heads, 2nd rate repaint jobs, and "tribal shields" that look like they're made out of cardboard. _Very_ disappointing, IMHO." It's important to note that the figures pictured in Tomart's could very well be early models of the Bronze Bomber series. It should be interesting to see how Olmec does with the ex-Hasbro Joe molds. Hopefully they will make available additional quality 3 3/4" action figures playable with your GI Joe collection! ======================================================================= GI JOE 3 3/4" COLLECTOR'S GUIDES If you don't already have these guides you are missing out on a required asset to your 3 3/4" GI Joe collecting. The collector's guides are a two-book series by James DeSimone. The guides encompass the entire 3 3/4" GI Joe line from 1982 to 1995. They also contain the Hall of Fame 12" series 19??-1995. The guides are formatted in such a way that each Joe is pictured loose with all the accessories he/she came with neatly arranged for easy identification. Each book has an index listing the figures pictured therein by release date and by alphabetical order. There are some items pictured which you may not have seen before including GI Joe convention premiums and other rare items. These books are not price guides, merely an aid to completing your GI Joe 3 3/4" or Hall of Fame collection. The books are officially entitled: The Official Collector's Guide to Collecting & Completing Your GI Joe Figures and Accessories Volume I The Official Collector's Guide to Collecting & Completing Your GI Joe Figures and Accessories Volume II Each volume sells for approximately $10. I currently know of two dealers that have both volumes for sale (I'm sure there are more): Cotswold Collectibles - cotswold@whidbey.net John's Collectible Toys - (508) 797-0023 FAX: (508) 797-0099 ======================================================================= WANTED SECTION Note: this also appears in the classified wanted area of our web page. In the future this section may appear exclusively there. 5/13/95 Needed: bow that goes to the all white storm shadow original Fire Fly's walkie-talkie Adam S Adelstein asa@acsu.Buffalo.EDU 5/9/96 Need two vehicles: Equalizer and Warthog. Donald Haring st915fd7@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu 5/6/96 I am looking for Defiant playing set. Could you help to find complete defiant? I mean complete in parts. Loose box is ok. Welly Gunawan tazsgh@aol.com ======================================================================= DEALER SECTION - Doug Sturk (DTKirk@aol.com) This guy has a variety of things for sale, some harder to find. standard disclaimer: No one listed above has given any special "kickbacks" or favors to be listed. In some cases they don't even know they're being listed. No dealer will be given a list subscriber's e-mail address. You must contact the dealer on your own behalf. Transactions between you and anyone listed above are in no way the responsiblity of the GI Joe 3 3/4" Newsletter. ======================================================================== ISSUE #3 PREVIEW! - GI Joe 3 3/4" fan fiction, part I of an original GI Joe story brought to you by Ben Ian Thomas. - 3 3/4" Joes that were manufactured but never released, at least not yet! See you next issue. Yo Joe! ======================================================================== INTRODUCTORY POLICIES - A FEW CORRECTIONS There was some question as to my intentions when stating in Issue #1 of the newsletter that list members should not send unsolicited e-mail to other members of the mailing list. I would like to expand upon that a bit. I certainly do not want to discourage private discussion of any topics whatsoever between members of the list. In the same token I feel that netiquette dictates that list members not mass-mail all the other lists members with advertisements or for-sale lists of any kind. Obviously there is no way I can police this issue and I have no desire to! :) To reiterate: I encourage you to correspond with any and all of the other mailing list members! Use your own good judgement when doing so and, of course, with all of your Internet correspondence. I would ask that if you are selling 3 3/4" GI Joe or related items that you notify the list moderator so that your email address and a brief description of what you are selling can be posted in the next list issue until such a time that we can enact a classified ad area on our web page. [ed: that area is now active. Post your ad there!] ======================================================================== SUBSCRIPTION INFO Currently all subscriptions, unsubscriptions, and e-mail address changes are being handled manually. If you require one of the above simply send a message to the list moderator requesting such. Did you miss an issue or did your issue get trashed? Just let the list moderator know and we'll correct the situation immediately!