Joecon 2017

 
The annual GI Joe convention, or JoeCon, is wrapping up today in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It looked like a fun experience with tons of fans dressed as their favorite Joe or Cobra, contests, special guests, panel discussions, and loads of new action figures and vehicles on the dealer floor. Unfortunately, the GI Joe Convention is not as well covered as the San Diego Comic Convention, Toyfair, Disney's D23 or the bigger experiences. Some bits of information I did pick up follow.

Special guests included comics artists, authors, Brad Sanders voice of Big Lob from the animated GI Joe the Movie, Hasbro Executive Derryl DePriest, and the legendary Larry Hama, Godfather of GI Joe.

Panel Discussions covered topics such as the original 12" GI Joe Adventure Team, The origins of GI Joe with Larry Hama and former Hasbro Product Manager Kirk Bozigan, GI Joe Collectors Club Round Table, Amazon Kindle Worlds and more.

Lots of new action figures with the updated modern era articulation were released including the 2017 JoeCon exclusive Force of Battle 2000, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Battle Force 2000 sub-team. The 15 figure box set came with the original six members of Battle Force 2000, 8 Battle Android Troopers V1.8 and a B.A.T. Squad Leader, as well as an all-new comic book pitting the two factions in a battle for survival. Not sure why it is called Force of Battle 2000 instead of the original Battle Force 2000, the figure stands are marked as Battle Force 2000 and the vehicles all have a BF2K call sign on them.

FORCE OF BATTLE 2000!

We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the G.I. JOE BF 2000 team with this untold tale of the original team members from a recently declassified special mission.

The G.I. JOE BF 2000 team is the walking, breathing proving grounds for tomorrow's battlefield technology today! These highly trained specialists are entrusted with one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art prototype weapons. Their mission is to field-test experimental equipment under battlefield conditions.

COBRA has developed a new laser weapon system so dangerous that it threatens the safety of the entire planet! The G.I. JOE: BF 2000 team is called into action and must travel through the Pacific Northwest into British Columbia to dismantle the operation. What they don't know is that COBRA is ready for them with a battalion of their upgraded B.A.T. (Battle Android Troopers) guarding their base. This G.I. JOE team will be fighting against insurmountable odds, and must pull their individual specialties together to battle these deadly threats. Will the cold and calculated programming of the COBRA B.A.T. SQUAD LEADER be the end of this G.I. JOE team?  
- from the official 2017 GI Joe Convention Brochure

Other action figures included a 3 pack of  Cobra Laser-Vipers, an "Ultimate Enemies" 2 pack with Battle Force 2000 member Dee-Jay and a new Cobra known as Corrosion (which were just repaints of the same mold) and the modern era debuts of Big Lob and Back-Stop. Vehicles included the Battle Force 2000 Vector Jet which was a repaint of the Conquest X-30, odd considering there was an actual completely original Vector jet released in 1987 with the Battle Force 2000 line. The Cobra B.A.T. Rocket Glider and Battle Force 2000 Marauder Snowmobile, both repaints. 

Most attendees agreed that the dealer floor was their favorite part of the convention, and with set ups like the one above I can see why. This reminds me the toy aisle in Murphy's Mart or Circus World during the mid 1980's.

The sad but expected news was restated, there are no plans to launch a retail line without the support of a GI Joe movie. The first two movies under-performed and were widely criticized by film critics and thought to unfaithful by the fans, plus Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's schedule is so loaded right now the next GI Joe movie is years away. Hasbro is committed to a shared universe with the Transformers, M.A.S.K, Micronaughts and their other lines, with the hope that it would boost both box office ticket sales as well as retail toy sales. Comics publisher IDW is currently connecting their Hasbro licensed properties in the popular Revolutionaries crossover event. Perhaps Universal Studios could take some pointers.

Last but not least, it was also announced that the 2018 GI Joe convention will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sadly, unless plans are changed, it will be the last JoeCon.....or at least the last one officially endorsed and supported by Hasbro.

Just like all things people are passionate about, be it comic books, movies, or even toys, there will always be gatherings organized and fans will continue to attend. At least I hope so.