European Joe's

Impel Trading Card #20

We have arrived at the 2oth card. I started this series back in February, and I´m trying to get some writing rhythm going so that I can get posts out more frequently. Any feedback and/or tips you may have, please let me know by adding a comment to one of the posts, sending a Tweet or email. Don´t hold back, every comment can help me become better at this 🙂

Now without further ado, let get talking about Card #20, Shockwave.

I have to confess, that I´m not very familiar with this figure. I never had it as a kid, and can´t say I ever saw him in the stores (or I just can´t remember seeing him).

Albeit that the figure never made an impression on me, I did have a TPB comic of the Special Missions (in DUTCH!) which included #22. In this issue, Lady Jaye, Chuckles, Hit & Run and Shockwave are enlisted by the FBI to assist in a hostage situation where a family is held captive by some terrorists. I won´t spoil the story here, but the ending of this story sure made an impact on little me back in the day. (A review of the story can be found here.)

The card art is a bit strange, the guy is a SWAT member, but is shown running through what appears to be a jungle setting. I suppose Joes should be able to work in any environment, so I´ll go with it. The card describes him as being a gifted singer. Was there ever a musical episode of the cartoon? Other than Cold Slither, I can´t think of any. Maybe there should be a Broadway version of G.I.Joe The Movie. Can you picture that magnificent intro played by a classical orchestra with a full musical cast on stage performing? EPIC!

Looking back, I don´t know why I haven´t looked harder to find a Shockwave figure. I really liked the story and he played a major part in it. Then again, by the time I read the comics (I only had 3 TPB of the Special Missions in Dutch), it would have been around 1994 (I was 12 or there about). After 1994, it was very hard to find Joes in the stores here and I was still far from discovering eBay and online shops.

Since April this year (see Comic book update), I have completed my Marvel ARAH run and thus my focus is shifting now back to collection more figures and vehicles. Of course, the odd paraphernalia associated with G.I. Joe and Trading Cards will always spark my interest. And Action Force, Funko Pops, The Corps (I´ve got my eye on The Beast right now, just waiting for a reasonable shipping cost), LEGO (or other building blocks that can be used with the Joe Kre-O´s), or well, basically anything geek.

That´s it for now. Come back next time when another one bites the … Sorry, no spoilers 😉

Happy Collecting & YoJoe!

Ms. Kim Arashikage

Just a short intermezzo today. My first Joe signed by Larry Hama has arrived today (purchased through eBay). It´s the 2012 SDCC exclusive Kim Arashikage figure. The seller included a picture of Mr. Hama signing the figure, so I´m guaranteed of a genuine signature.

Well, this is one thing I can delete from my bucket list. The next big thing will be trying to get my hands on a signed Comic Book. Probably through eBay as well, unless I can find a sponsor to get me over to the US for a convention where Larry Hama will be attending.

For now, Happy Collecting and YOJOE!

Impel Trading Card #19

We’re back with the Impel Trading Cards! The following cards take us back to the Joe team after seeing some of the coolest vehicles and playsets.

Up next is card #19, David L. Katzenbogen, better known as Bazooka.

Apart from the big stache, he stands out because of the bright red football shirt, that appears to belong to New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan. The card art shows him defending a structure (the G.I. Joe Headquarters? – see the post on Card #18).

His filecard depicts him as a swift, strategic thinker. And in the comics, that seems to be the case. The Sunbow Cartoons, however, show Bazooka as being a bit of an oaf.

There are 8 figures made (4 as Bazooka, 3 as Sgt. Bazooka and 1 Sgt. Katzenbogen – Hasbro, get your rights straightened please). Of those, I only have the latest figure, the 2015 version (the fourth version named Bazooka). This figure was not dressed in red, but in 50 shades of blue as part of the 50th Anniversary line. He was packed in the Sneak Attack pack with Specialist Dusty and Firefly.

Before that, I already had the Kre-O version of Bazooka (that came with the Firebat Attack set). He is actually called Sgt. Katzenbogen here as well. This set also includes a Firebat with pilot and the Wolverine tank with Recondo as it’s driver – sadly no Cover Girl here 🙁

Recently, I have seen Bazooka die 2 times (once in G.I. Joe: Resolute – we got this on DVD here a while back and again in the IDW new run of G.I. Joe – issue 15). He seemed like a nice guy, liked by all the Joes. I leave you now with the words Stalker dedicated to his fellow Joe.

David L. Katzenbogen died so that Bazooka could be born. Bazooka died so his fellow Joes could live. Bazooka gave it all for his country and for the Joes. He made some mean firehouse chili and he was always there where the lead was thickest. When the last bugle calls for you – pray you’re half the Joe your brother was.

Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

G.I. Joe 365 – 1982 cards

I mentioned in a previous post that the G.I. Joe 365 project by Christopher Hemsworth was going to release the drawings in the form of cards (not exactly trading cards, since you buy the whole set of a year in one go).

Everyone will agree that the art is sublime and so I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to buy these. I’ve currently bought the first 2 years (1982 & 1983). Hint: Follow me on Instagram if you want to see snaps from the newest additions to my expanding collection.

As I’m writing this, the 1984 set is made available as well. I will be ordering the set when 1985 is released – to save on shipping 🙂

chris chris_b

Included with the 1982 pack, is a card of the artist himself. Much like the original G.I. Joe filecards, you get the specialities and some background information on the character. Again, on the back, there is amazing art as well.

The 1982 cards show the 16 figures from that year. These include Breaker, Cobra Officer, Cobra Trooper, Flash, Grunt, Rock ‘n Roll, Scarlett, Short-Fuze, Snake Eyes, Stalker, Zap, Clutch, Grand Slam, Hawk, Steeler and Cobra Commander. So we get the original 13 members of the Joe team, 2 Cobra underlings and the Big Snake himself.

If – like me – you like the art, check out the site (www.gijoe365.com), follow on Twitter and Instagram and leave a like on Facebook.

Note that this post is by no means sponsored by the G.I. Joe 365 project or it’s designer. All art is the property of its owner.

Note too, that there appears to be something in the Halifax water causing G.I. Joe fans to become creative. We already had Wordburglar’s fantastic Welcome to Cobra Island album (listen for yourself and get it here), and now the G.I.Joe 365 project by Christopher Hemsworth. I have to go and visit that magical place sometime…

For now, Happy Collecting and YoJoe!

Impel Trading Card #18

Welcome Home, Joes!

The 18th Impel Trading Card brings us back home to the G.I. Joe Headquarters.

Impel_C_18 Impel_C_18b

The card art here reminds me of the Marvel Comic issue #24 where Cobra Commander is being held on top of a mountain in a pre-fab fortress. As I said many times before, the first Joe toys we got here in Belgium were those from 1986 I think. Toys from the first few years, need to be found online as collector now, rather than been seen in stores or received as gifts when I was a kid.

I still find the concept of this HQ odd as straight from the start of the comics, the PIT (iteration 1), was shown in the comics as the Joes´ base. I guess that is why I made the link to the pre-fab base used to imprison Cobra Commander (briefly).

That being said, I do find it pretty neat that you can have a place for the MOBAT and VAMP inside the HQ and with the helipad to land the Dragonfly, it´s a very complete playset to show off the early Joes and vehicles.

I don´t have the HQ in my collection (yet). I have the 1987 Mobile Command Center and the Conquest of Cobra Mountain set from 2003 that I´ve been using to display my figures on. I still plan on building a custom HQ for my Joes, I just need to find some time to draw up some plans and start building. And clean up my workplace first 🙂

As I´m writing this, I´m enjoying the last days of the summer holiday in a Holiday House in the Netherlands. I haven´t had a lot of time off during the summer and truth be told, the weather was not that great, so I didn´t really mind. This week however, temperatures have been on the rise and have been over 25 degrees Celsius (that´s over 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time this year.

I´ve got my toes in the water, ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today! (link)

See you in September!

Happy collecting and YoJoe!