Rudy Panucci’s Video Recap of 2017’s Kentuckiana GIjOE Toy Expo Held August 5th in Louisville, KY

Toy Expert and Pop-Culture Blogger, Rudy Panucci (Photo: Rudy Panucci)

Bottom Line: Here’s another great video from the MASTER of pop-cult videos—Mr. Rudy Pannuci! Our sincerest thanks to Rudy for taking the time to cover this year’s EXPO and for his production of yet another superb video review. Be sure to leave any comments or compliments you may have for this famous “PoPCulteer” on his blog found HERE and keep up-to-date with future Rudy videos by subscribing to his YouTube channel HERE. Go, Rudy! Go, JOE!

4th Annual Kentuckiana GIjOE Toy Expo to be Held This Saturday in Louisville, KY——Don’t Miss It!

Bottom Line: Hosted by the Kentuckiana Division of the GIjOE Collector’s Club, this exciting “toy expo” will be held in the beautiful city of Louisville, KY on this coming Saturday from 10AM to 3PM. Admission is just $2 and “early birds” can get in at 9AM for $5. You can bet your favorite footlocker that this show will be chocked FULL of great GIjOEs and a whole mess’a great fans and collectors. So… if YOU love GIjOEs and other vintage toys, YOU need to be in Louisville this Saturday. Gas up your ol’ family wagon and… git ‘er done! Go HERE for complete info.

G.I. Joe Pays Mattel’s “New Ken” a Friendly Visit

Bottom Line: You’ve surely seen Mattel’s “New Ken” line of assorted figures for 2017-18 by now, so we won’t repeat any of that information here. But we did think you’d like to eavesdrop on Joe’s first meeting with his new competition for Barbie’s heart. Let’s listen in. Enjoy! (Click pic to enlarge.)

 

G.I.Joe Convention 2017 This Weekend, Orlando, FL

Bottom Line: You already know it’s going on. If you don’t, well… it is! And if you’re there, HAVE FUN! If you’re not… there’s always next year—in Chattanooga, TN. June 21-24, 2018. Go, JOE!

Blimey! “Action Man Day 9” This Weekend in the UK

Bottom Line: How did this great event sneak up on us again this year? Oh well, fans in the U.S. will either have to catch the next Concorde SST flight (that ain’t happening again anytime soon) or simply wait until next year. Regardless, our best wishes go out to all of our AM friends and fans living in the UK. Have a great time, mates! And… GO, ACTION MAN!!!

New G.I. Joe Club Pic Confirms Exactly What Is Inside “Return to the Hidden Temple” Boxed Set

Gaze Upon Them— Here’s a peek INSIDE the JoeCon 2017 12″ exclusive box. (Photo: GIJCC)

Bottom Line: Just a quick update to our previous article of May 11th, 2017. Here’s what’s you’ll find inside the 2017 JoeCon 12-inch exclusive boxed set. Surrounded by black foam, you’ll find two excellent uniformed figures (one painted-hair w/nose-picker hands and one fuzzhead with KFG grips). Both come with oodles of equipment, a giant snake, the mystical serpent’s staff thingy, a convention lapel pin and a mini-comic book (not shown). Is all this new Joe-swag worth the club’s usual asking price of $375 (for club members) or $460 (for non-members)? As the Bible revealed, snakes can be QUITE tempting to many humans. Will YOU succumb to their shiny seducements?

FLASH!———JoeCon 2017 12″ Convention Set Box Art Finally Revealed: Larry Selman Strikes Again!

TWICE as NICE— As this photo of page 3 of the May 2017 issue of the GIjOE Collector’s Club magazine excitedly reveals, fans can expect to receive two more Larry Selman masterpieces on the box made for the JoeCon 2017 12″ convention exclusive 2-figure set. Click to enlarge.

Burnin’ ’em Back to Hell— This Marine Jungle Fighter is clearly taking no prisoners tonight. But who’s that angry guy behind him? Absolutely SUPERB artwork by Larry Selman. Click to enlarge.

It’s his, AT LAST!— This scene of the Jungle Adventurer, clearly thrilled at his discovery of the mystical Serpent Scepter, is wonderfully brought to life by master artist, Larry Selman. WOW! Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: We couldn’t find any images of this new box elsewhere online, so we just snapped some quick pics of the club’s magazine page (p.3) that shows the artwork. And yes, once again, Classic Collection master artist, Larry Selman, has produced two exceedingly wonderful paintings for yet another exciting set. Are you planning to attend this year’s convention? If not, you can still order one of these sets online HERE, to be mailed to you after the event. Go, Joe! Go, Larry!

Stan Weston, The Inventor of G.I. Joe, Dead at 84

It Was His Idea— Stan Weston (at 82) holds up a copy of Hasbro’s original 1964 GIjOE Action Soldier, a product line produced from Weston’s original concept which he created and sold to the company in 1963. When the copyrights to GIjOE expired in 2020, Weston hoped to reclaim control over his creation in a court of law. It is unclear whether or not the lawsuit will continue. (Photo: Stan Weston)

As reported May 8, 2017 in the Hollywood Reporter:

“Stanley Weston, inventor of the G.I. Joe action figure and a pioneer of the licensing business, died May 1 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Cindy Winebaum, announced. He was 84.

Weston was born in Brooklyn in 1933 and served in the Army shortly after the Korean War ended. When he returned home to New York, he found a job with the advertising agency McCann Erickson and enrolled in night courses for an MBA at New York University, where he had studied as an undergraduate.

Weston soon discovered a talent for the up-and-coming licensing and merchandising industry, and he struck out on his own to found Weston Merchandising.

When Mattel’s Barbie dolls were introduced in 1960, Weston realized boys were an untapped market for the doll industry after noting that many of them played with Ken dolls. He conceived of the idea of a military action figure and in 1963 sold what would become G.I. Joe to Hasbro. The runaway hit would go on to be one of the most enduring toy lines in history, spawning hit TV shows and films as well.

Weston later renamed his company Leisure Concepts, which would represent clients such as Charlie’s Angels-era Farrah Fawcett, Nintendo and the World Wrestling Federation, as well as TV shows including Alf and Welcome Back, Kotter. His other notable achievements include helping create the 1980s animated phenomenon ThunderCats.

In 1989, he was among the inaugural class for the Licensing Industry Hall of Fame, which includes notables Walt Disney, George Lucas and Jim Henson.

Weston is survived by his brother, his three children and five grandchildren.”

Bottom Line: Stan Weston came up with the original idea for the GIjOE toy. He quickly sold the rights to Hasbro. Don Levine (see Levine’s obituary article HERE) took the idea and made an American toy icon that will probably live forever in some form or another. At this moment, we’re not sure whether Weston’s lawsuit to recoup trademark rights to GIjOE (see that article HERE) will continue in the courts, but whenever those plans are made public, we’ll pass the information on to you ASAP. Our sincerest condolences to Stan’s family. Rest in Peace, Mr. Weston and THANKS!

Happy “Victory in Europe” (VE) Day!

Bottom Line: The freedom-loving peoples of the world have so much to be thankful for, especially to the men and women of the “Greatest Generation” who responded to the allied call to subdue and defeat Hitler’s Nazi forces, the military might of the Empire of Japan, and all the other axis nations of WWII. Please, don’t let this day go by without giving thanks to at least ONE veteran of the armed forces. Thank you, ALL Veterans!

(Photos: AP)

Space Ghost 1:6 Scale Custom Action Figure—WOW!

Ready for ACTION— Once again, customizer extraordinaire, Wayne Faucher, has produced a 1:6 scale action figure that the rest of the world will covet with envious eyes. His amazing new Space Ghost action figure is a spot-on, 1:6 scale masterpiece. Zowee! (Photo: Wayne Faucher) Click to enlarge.

Look Out, Zorn! Wayne Faucher Creates Custom Space Ghost Action Figure in 1:6 Scale

Holy Asteroids! That jut-jawed, baritone-voiced, onesy-wearing, powerband-shootin’ outerspace superhero of the 1960s has FINALLY been given the 1:6 scale “star treatment” he’s so long deserved. We’re tongue-in-cheek-talking here, of course, about the inimitable namesake character from Hanna-Barbara’s 1966 Saturday morning TV cartoon—Space Ghost (SG).

As you may recall, Mr. “Ghost” (first name, “Space?”) was every little ’60s kid’s favorite intrepid cosmic avenger. He was a true defender of the the defenseless and a battler of all things weird, sinister—and MONSTROUS. For 42 action-packed episodes, no matter how dire the predicament or struggle, Space Ghost always managed to blast his way out—and into our hearts!

Nice, but TOO SMALL— For years, fans have had to satisfy their cravings for all things Space Ghost at much smaller scales. In fact, 3.75″ remained the norm, but some newer figures promise to reach as tall as 1:12 scale (or 6″). This blister-packed mini-Ghost and Blip set by Jazwares is typical of current offerings. (Photo: Michael Crawford)

Back in 1966, bleary-eyed children would plop down on the livingroom floor early Saturday morning to eat bowls of Quisp and other sugary cereals, content in the knowledge that after a rousing 15-minute episode of exciting outer-space/alien/monster action, Space Ghost would arise triumphant and restore the universe to its good and proper course again (just in time for another GIjOE commercial, ‘natch). However, as SG fans well know, after an all too brief 42-episode run, the beloved cartoon suddenly vanished within its own cloaking spaceship (The Phantom Cruiser) and would not to be seen again until 1994, when the show’s characters were resurrected and recast in Cartoon Network’s offbeat talkshow spoof, “Space Ghost—Coast to Coast.”

Sit Long and Prosper— Getting up early to watch cartoons on tiny televisions was a rite of passage for children during the 1960s and ’70s. What time do YOUR kids get up? (Photo: ClipArt Kid)

51 years after his television debut, Space Ghost continues to live on indefinitely in reruns. A plethora of smaller-scale toys, action figures and other “merch” have (thankfully) FINALLY been created, and videos on YouTube will keep the beloved character’s legacy alive and well for future generations. Nonetheless, and despite SG’s obvious popularity, it remains a mystery to thousands of 1:6 scalers as to why this space superhero has never been successfully “captured” (in 1:6 scale) by any major toy company. Is this another sign of the “demise” of 1:6 scale?

Custom Cartoon Perfection— As this closeup clearly reveals, Wayne Faucher’s new 1:6 scale custom Space Ghost action figure is a very accurate representation of the ’60s cartoon character. His headsculpt, figure, costume—it’s all perfect. Spaaace Ghooost! (Photo: Wayne Faucher) Click to enlarge.

After some research, we were able to find a 1:6 scale Space Ghost costume on the internet (made for Captain Action figures), and even the 1:6 scale headsculpt utilized by Wayne for his custom project (shown above). Typically, putting all the pieces together (head/body/costume/accessories) requires the skills of a talented customizer like Mr. Faucher who states:

Wayne Faucher (Photo: WFT)

“I’m happy to finally have a 1/6 scale Space Ghost on my shelf. He’s one of artist Alex Toth’s most striking creations, and it’s finally been made possible with the help of yet another stunning head sculpt by the (very) talented Todd Grimes. It’s spot on, and I couldn’t have done this custom figure without him! Todd’s work can be found on Shapesways.com.

 

As you may recall, Space Ghost was created by Mr. Toth while in the employ of Hanna Barbera studios back in 1966. Only one season was produced (probably due to growing concern over violence on TV) but it’s been rerun ad infinitum ever since. I really hope people are aware of the original series, as it ranks right up there with Jonny Quest (which Toth also worked on with artist Doug Wildey) as one of the classics of television animation.” —Wayne Faucher

Step to the Left, Step to the Right— In this side view, Space Ghost appears to be doing a “do-see-do” at some square dance hoedown. Boogie DOWN, SG! (Photo: Wayne Faucher) Click to enlarge.

Close, but no Cigar— The upcoming Space Ghost figure by Mezco looks promising at first glance, but it turns out to be only in 1:12 scale or approximately 6″ tall. D’oh! (Photo: Mezco) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: Toymaker MEZCO has announced plans for a 1:12 scale Space Ghost (see pic at right) which would come in at about 6″ tall. That’s really not going to do it for most fans of 12-inch action figures. And what’s with the evil-looking Blip figure? Why did they decide to make the little guy look like some sort of possessed primate? Oh well, we’ll continue to keep our eyes open for a Captain Action or other 1:6 Space Ghost figure, but don’t hold your breath. It looks like it’s an uphill struggle to get ANY new 1:6 figure made these days. Our sincerest thanks go out to Wonderful Wayne Faucher for all his help with this article. You sir, are ‘da MAN. Finally, here are a few more pics of Wayne’s amazing SG custom and a video clip from the original show. Enjoy!

ZZAPPP!!! Get back in your volcanic crater, you mindless Lava Monster! (Photo: WEF) Click to enlarge.

Courage in Profile— Todd Grime’s excellent headsculpt perfectly recreates the cartoon version from the 1960s. Out-STANDING work, Mr. Grimes! (Photo: Wayne Faucher) Click to enlarge.