****** GI JOE 3 3/4" NEWSLETTER ****** Issue #5 August 12, 1996 http://www.ecnet.net/users/mucds/joehq.htm 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. News Bits 2. 3 3/4" Joe in 1997! 3. GI Joe vs. Star Wars POTF2?? 4. "Shot In The Dark" - part III (original GI Joe fan fiction) 5. The Barracks 6. Collector's Guide to Foriegn-Made 3 3/4" 7. A GI Joe 3 3/4" listserv - Your Input Requested 8. Newsletter Q & A 9. Dealer Section 10. Subscription Info ======================================================================== NEWS BITS Our web page has been given a facelift. If you haven't visited recently please do and give us some feedback on the new look. Also, the custom 3 3/4" Joe section has opened and we have one contribution already. If you have done custom 3 3/4" Joes please contact the webmaster and submit your work to be displayed on our site! Eugene Son's 3 3/4" Joe page "Fort Wadsworth: The Pit" is now open for inspection. Eugene is featuring scans of 3 3/4" Joe figures and useful collector notes for each figure. A well thought out and graphically pleasing site! Point your web browser to: http://www.users.cts.com/king/e/eson/yojoe.html The GI Joe 3 3/4" Survey has been written and will be up on the web page as soon as I get it converted to HTML. Check for it soon! ======================================================================== 3 3/4" JOE IN 1997! This seems to be barely past the rumor stage, if even, but nevertheless very worth passing along. Thanks to Kevin LaPorte for making known to me this small tidbit of information recently published in the Master Collector Newsletter: Apparently Hasbro is planning 3 3/4" Joe gift sets for 1997. Two gift sets are being considered. Each set would consist of four figures, one set Joe, the other Cobra. This appears to be good news as it indicates that Hasbro/Kenner is thinking about the 3 3/4" Joe collectors. More on this as I hear more. ======================================================================== GI JOE VS. STAR WARS POTF2?? In our free market economy competition among companies' products can take on many forms. One of the forms recognized the least is a competition between two product lines from the same company. We've all heard many reasons why the 3 3/4" Joe line was cancelled. Waning interest by both collectors and kids, lack of new and creative ideas on the part of Hasbro's designers, the shift of the (supposedly) preferred action-figure format from smaller (3 3/4") figures to larger (5"-6") figures, etc. With the lack of new Joes on store shelves I recently became interested in the Star Wars POTF2 line. Compared to Joe they really aren't all that great but there are aspects of the line that are interesting. As I sat one day looking at the POTF2 figures I had aquired I asked myself this question: "Would I be buying these figures if new GI Joe 3 3/4" characters were out on store shelves?" My answer (yes, I talk to myself :) was "No." Granted there are some collectors out there who collect MANY toy lines but I am one of the collectors that prefers focusing on a few, or even one. This set the "what if?" wheels in my head into motion. What if one of the reasons that Hasbro/Kenner altered the format of GI Joe was to reduce competition with its own upcoming 3 3/4"-format Star Wars POTF2 line? I'm sure that POTF2 was licensed and well into the planning stages in 1994 when the cancellation of 3 3/4" Joe as we knew him was announced. Did POTF2 really help to contribute to the cancellation of the 3 3/4" Joe line? Is POTF2 Hasbro/Kenner's new "flagship" product in the 3 3/4" format? Does it really matter? If POTF2 really did help to bring about 3 3/4" Joe's demise I must say it angers me a bit to think that I am now buying the toy line partially responsible. It makes me wonder if I am dancing on the string of a marketing concept being explored by Hasbro/Kenner. POTF2 has certainly shown that there is still a strong interest in 3 3/4"-format action figures. The void left by GI Joe is being recognized by other toy companies such as Lanard Toys with their Corps line and Galoob with their upcoming Johnny Quest line. Hopefully Hasbro/Kenner will recognize the void left by the cancellation of 3 3/4" GI Joe and rectify the situation before it is filled by other companies. Just something to think about. - Corey Stinson (mucds@bgu.edu) ======================================================================== G.I. JOE SHOT IN THE DARK part 3 Ben Thomas, BThomas828@aol.com and bithomas@eos.ncsu.edu ------------------------------------------------- The usual disclaimer. All characters and vehicles in this story, with the exceptions of Armada and the Black Phoenix, are trademarks of Hasbro/Kenner. ------------------------------------------------- The Paralyzers pelted the dense jungle, currently serving as cover for the Range Vipers, with heavy cannon fire. The drivers of the treaded avengers knew that their prey could not run far, not with several of their companions engaged in fierce combat outside of the jungle. "Here they come!" yelled Lightfoot. "No, there they went!" The rock formation lit up brightly as Backblast countered the armor assault with rocket fire toward the rightmost tank. However, the sudden movement aggravated the bullet wound in his side, and his aim was thrown off. The Paralyzer driver made an impassioned attempt to evade the oncoming oblivion, but the rocket still impacted at a point vital enough to render it immobile. The other Paralyzer then collided into its partner tank, the driver unable to brake quickly enough. Ordinarily, the driver would have maneuvered around the wreckage easily, but he, the victim of a fatal katana wound, could not even breathe, much less steer an armored vehicle. Fortune smiled only briefly upon the surviving driver. He reacted quickly enough to avoid the charging Paralyzer, but in his confused state he failed to notice either the madman emerging from the jungle or the ATV he was driving. As a result, the driver soon sported large tire tracks and crushed vital organs. Hit & Run howled maniacally as he fired continuous rounds from the Ferret's large cannon in the vicinity of the two Cobra ninjas and their cohorts. But, as cool and collected as ever, Dice tossed a smoke grenade perfectly in the Light Infantryman's direction. In a cruel twinst of fate, blinded by the cloud and further distracted by violent coughing, he could not avoid the rock formation ahead, just as the Paralyzer driver did not avoid his ATV. Pathfinder turned just in time to witness Hit & Run's accidental practice for the '96 Olympics. Though he had managed to hold his own in a fight against a master swordsman, Slice only required the moment's diversion to ground the jungle trooper with a foot sweep and then deliver a sharp blow to the cranium, knocking the Joe unconscious. "Dice! To the fortress!" Slice somersaulted backwards onto the moving Scorpion jeep, with Dice once again at the wheel. They sped back to the island's only city, missing a great business deal in the process. If they had known, they could have charged the passenger riding underneath a high taxi fare. ************************************* Through a plentiful helping of good luck, the four remaining Joes kept out of sight from the other patrol teams. As the night sky beckoned, the Joes reached the outer wall of the city-fortress. Lightfoot pulled a scanning device from his backpack and ran it over the fortress wall. "I think this is our best choice, Sergeant," he finally suggested. "My explosives can punch a hole through the material at this point." "Set them to go off in two minutes, then." The Night Ranger then motioned for the team to return to the jungle cover. "Places, everybody." The ensuing explosion set enough ears ringing, a condition that was only aided by the familiar screech of blaring alarms. Stalker knew the Viper security teams would converge to the blast location, but no good ranger entered a danger zone without some good planning to back him up. He had studied the city maps generated from the satellite pictures; he knew where they would find the least traffic. Yet, with all of the precautions, a team of Vipers still managed to locate them. Quickly, Stalker proceeded to double over, as if wounded severely. The other Joes caught on to the commander's act and performed their own injury acts. They had wisely decided earlier to not discard the Range-Viper uniforms. "Uhh . . . got to get them . . ." the `injured' Stalker muttered. "Did you see where the intruders ran?" the lead Viper questioned. "We need to know!" "Uhh . . . I think they . . . they went . . . that way . . ." he painfully replied, pointing to the west. "We will avenge you, brother!" the Viper screamed in response. Someone call a medic team now!" *********************************** A team of Medi-Vipers rushed down the hallways of the central fortress. A lone Crimson Guard paced in front of a large barred door, bayonetted rifle in hand. "Excuse me," the first Medi-Viper called, "Where has the prisoner been relocated? He needs immediate medical attention!" The Siegie looked at the MV warily and responded, "He hasn't been moved. He's still being held on the fourteenth floor in his cell." "Thanks for the help," the MV shouted as the team rushed to the staircase. "How do they expect us to do our job if they can't even tell us where to go?" The Siegie simply shook his head in disdain. ************************************* Snake Eyes adroitly continued his ascent up the elevator shaft, even with no lighting to guide his way. Upon reaching the level of his destination, a quick survey revealed his objective to be located at the other end of the hall. In mid-stride, however, he was knocked backwards, the force approximating the same as a brick wall. As he looked up, he saw the outline of a large man with several pieces attached to his body. "Going somewhere?" END PART 3 ======================================================================== THE BARRACKS Some of you may recall a one-issue magazine titled THE BARRACKS from a few years ago. This isn't quite the same thing, although it does pertain to G.I.Joe. THE BARRACKS is a four-issue fanzine mini-series, focusing on the 3 3/4" G.I.Joe line. The issues will present year-by-year articles about G.I.Joe, 1982-1994, as well as special articles about specific aspects of G.I.Joe, such as the comic book and animated series, special teams, and so forth. Not a lot of pictures. I simply don't have that capability, but the premiere issue features articles on G.I.Joe 1982-1985, as well as articles about the animated series, the comic book, and a complete listing of each issue of the comic book, including title and a brief plot synopsis. If you're interested in the premiere issue or, better still, subscribing to all four issues, email me. YO JOE! Thanks. Subscription to all four issues is $20.00. That includes postage. These are likely to be pretty big magazines. To order contact Thomas Wheeler at GITrekker@aol.com. First issue is just about ready. (The Barracks was a publication of Main Publishing, and is used with permission of publisher Jim Main. No direct relationship between the original magazine and this fanzine mini-series should be implied.) - Thomas Wheeler (GITrekker@aol.com) ======================================================================== COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO FOREIGN-MADE 3 3/4" JOE For those of you interested in learning more about foreign-made 3 3/4" Joe or would like to have a guide to help you collect them I'd like to aquaint you with "The Joe Files." This is a twelve page guide with descriptions of 3 3/4" Joes made in the UK, Brazil, Argentina, India, China, Japan, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Canada, and Mexico. Several full-color and black-and-white pages of photographed foreign figures are included. You will be surprised at the eye-catching variations that other countries, especially Argentina and Brazil, have come up with for 3 3/4" Joe! To purchase a copy of the guide send your name, address, and $5 + $1 for p/h to either: M. Livanos W. Wong 190 East 72nd St -or- PO Box 3207 NY, NY 10021 Church St. Station NY, NY 10008-3207 ======================================================================== A GI JOE 3 3/4" LISTSERV - YOUR INPUT REQUESTED I'd like to request your opinion on something, a GI Joe 3 3/4" discussion listserv. For those of you not familiar with a "listserv" mailing list let me elaborate a bit. A "listserv" is a hub for a mail distribution list. When a member of the listserv sends an email to the hub it is redistributed to the all members of the listserv. This creates an email discussion forum, quite similar to a USENET newsgroup, but handled entirely through the electronic mail facility. I think this would be an excellent way for members of the Newsletter mailing list to discuss GI Joe 3 3/4" collecting with each other. The Newsletter does not have the ability to create this type of member interaction. This listserv would not replace the Newsletter, nor would you have to be a listserv subscriber to receive the Newsletter. If you find this concept intriguing, want more information, have concerns, questions, etc. please email me at (mucds@bgu.edu). If I get enough postive feedback I will take the appropriate steps to make this listserv a reality. A decision on whether or not we will go ahead with this will be made before the next issue of the Newsletter. ======================================================================== NEWSLETTER Q & A Well, only one person had a question for this issue of the newsletter. If you have a question you'd like to pose to the GI Joe 3 3/4" collecting community this would be a great place to do it! Steve Reitter <104543.2042@compuserve.com> writes: >I would like to know if anyone knows were I can find back issues of the >G.I. Joe comic? There are several places, on and off the Internet, where you can obtain back issues of the GI Joe comic. The first, most reliable, but possibly the most expensive is to check with the many professional back issue dealers that publish ads regularly in any comic book. With no 3 3/4" Joe in stores and the comic discontinued I would expect back issue prices to be lower than they used to be. Another place to check is the back issue section of your local comic book shop. These types of shop's inventory can vary from no issues, to a few, to a large amount. It's worth your time to check at any decently organized comic shop. Yet another place to check are the comic book areas on USENET. The following USENET newsgroups are probably appropriate places to ask where one could obtain back issues or to watch for advertisements containing GI Joe back issues: rec.arts.comics rec.arts.comics.marketplace rec.arts.comics.info rec.arts.comics.misc alt.comics.classic rec.arts.comics.european If anyone else can advise Steve on good places to get GI Joe back issues contact him at the address above. ======================================================================== DEALER SECTION Rommel Whitfield - Rommel has a nice selection of the later Hasbro mail-in items, such as Rapid Deployment Force, MIMP, for undisputably good prices. Contact him to see what he has left. David Gentry - David has an interesting variety of stuff for sale including a lot of vehicle drivers, defintely request his loose figures list. A note: while being a dealer of 3 3/4" Joe, David doesn't know that much about them. Carefully work out the details of any order w/ him before sending money. In the last issue we ran an article on Andres Cabrera who was selling 3 3/4" Joe repair kits, essentially the rubber-band waist-to-torso connector and instructions on how to replace it. Here is another place (thanks Josh) that sells the replacement bands, sans instructions (but who needs them?): Figures, Inc. PO Box 19482 Johnston, RI 02919 (401) 946-5720 credit card orders: 1-800-882-7078 last known price: 20 for $10 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. ======================================================================== 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! Don't forget - all back issues are archived on the Newsletter web page