Return of the Rocketeer?— Long Anticipated Costume Set for Captain Action Has Hit Yet Another “Snag and Could Not Deliver” (Again)

Up, up, and… a-WAIT AGAIN! Prototype for yet another (oft-delayed) “Rocketeer” costume set from Captain Action Enterprises. Will these EVER be for sale? (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Here we go again. 1:6 scalers get all excited about a new Captain Action costume set and BAM— it’s taken away from us. Just when we thought all the production ducks were in a row and CAE’s latest prototypes were set in stone, something (yet again) crops up to slow (or possibly stop) the manufacture and sale of what was a wildly anticipated 1:6 scale CA product—the Rocketeer costume set. Here is the latest intel, received hot over the wires from the hapless heroes at Team Action—

“Hey Actioneers, we’re delighted to report that the reception to the new uniform sets announced at San Diego Comic-Con was overwhelmingly positive. We at CA Enterprises continue to maintain our commitment to keep the Captain Action legacy alive and growing. While the faithful have always been with us, we are now also seeking to attract new fans with our new offering of uniform sets which include The Rocketeer, Mars Attacks! and more. 

Currently, while we had hoped to have started pre-orders for these new uniform sets by now, the factory we were originally working with hit a snag and could not deliver. You can imagine how terribly frustrating that is for us, and we’re sure it is frustrating for all of you anxious fans as well. So here’s the situation—

We are diligently in the process of arranging a new deal with a new factory, and as soon as we have everything set to move forward, we’ll let you know. As we’re all in this together, we felt it very important to let you all know what has transpired and that we’re still very committed to bring you the best quality uniform sets in the Captain Action tradition.” Best, —Team Action

Rocketeer’s Rear View— Wait! Don’t walk away! Stay awhile! PLEASE? This CAE prototype costume shows excellent details and amazing quality overall. We want it! (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: Good things come to those who wait. And wait. And then wait some more. It seems CAE is still working on bringing this costume set to market, but will it EVER arrive in our lifetime? And will it look HALF as good as these prototype photos? Only time will tell. Fingers (still) crossed!

UPDATE— Captain Action Newsgroup Members All Agog Over New CAE “Prototype Product Reveals” Spotted Recently at San Diego’s Comic-Con 2018

Keeping the DREAM Alive— A “Rocketeer” costume set for Captain Action has long been one of CA fan’s “holy grails.” With the reveal of this latest prototype, is such a sought-after product FINALLY about to become a reality? This one looks to hold MUCHO potential. Cross your fingers! (Photo: CAE)

The internet’s all “abuzz” this week with talk about possible new costume sets for 12″ Captain Action (CA) figures. Over on Yahoo’s Captain Action News Group (yes, such places still exist) and on Facebook’s Captain Action Enterprises (CAE) fan page, “Actioneers” are eagerly swapping first-person and hearsay descriptions of products that many clearly want to purchase, but (sadly) don’t actually exist—yet. But fan memories are long, and CA collectors recall having their hopes raised (and dashed) many times before (remember those never-produced Batman, Superman, and Rocketeer costumes?). Many are reluctant to be “burned” in such a way again, preferring to give such online gossip of “prototypes seen at Comic-Con” an understandably WIDE berth of cautionary skepticism. Nevertheless, as dyed-in-the-blue-spandex CA fans ourselves, we’d be remiss here at The Joe Report if we didn’t pass on any and all juicy CA intel when it became known to us—and so—with a quick dash of “just don’t get your hopes up,” here is what we heard on the boards today—

“I went to the Captain Action panel today at the con. Along with the spacesuit set and the Mars Attacks Dr. Evil costume, they also announced the Rocketeer, based on the comic version of the character, not the movie. Future costume sets in the pipeline include Madman, the Black Terror, and the Golden Age Daredevil. The hope is for the first release to be ready in time for Christmas.

There is a new headsculpt, but it’s essentially a ‘1st shot’ prototype version, not a final product version, so it is almost certainly going to change before any sort of future release. Also, distribution of the new sets will be online-based. Some retailers have expressed interest in carrying the sets, and they’ll certainly work with them to get them stock, but they’re not focusing their attention on brick-and-mortar store distribution.

No price point at the moment, since all the manufacturing arrangements are not finalized yet. Being a costume set and not a dressed figure, it should be way below the cost of your average Hot Toys figure. Figures are a possibility in the future, but not immediately. Flicker rings are also a possibility (It’s new for you!), but no guarantees.” —​​​​​​​James (last name not given)

AKK! My, how he’s GROWN— The “Mars Attacks” martian prototype. (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Mining the “Public Domain”— Let’s face it, licensing fees are what killed the Batman and Superman CA costume sets. Such “top-dollar” properties are protected like the gold in Fort Knox. Fees to reproduce their logos and likeness cost a VERY pretty penny. As a result, budget-conscious toy companies (such as CAE) hoping to “mine” pop-culture for new and affordable product ideas have to go WAY back in time to find characters that nobody knows, remembers, or cares about. Ideally, such “forgotten” characters are also now in the “public domain,” copyrights-wise (i.e. FREE). Ever hear of “Madman?” Didn’t think so. How about “The Black Terror?” Nope. We all know who Daredevil is, but that boomerang-wielding guy (above) ain’t Marvel’s Matt Murdock. And as for the identity of CAE’s “Mystery Hero,” well, if that’s not the silhouette of Will Eisner’s “Spirit,” then we’ll eat a comic book price guide! (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

CAE’s head honcho, Joe Ahern, added these informative comments—

Joe Ahearn, founder of Captain Action Enterprises (Photo: CAE)

“The figure at the show is just a stand-in. The prototype came to us very late, so there was no time to rework it on a Captain Action figure.  The head though, is a new headsculpt we are toying with, but haven’t made any decisions about.

We’re not doing any new figures at this time, but if we get good results on these costume set offerings, we’ll certainly look into that more closely. Just to clarify, the Rocketeer is absolutely the Dave Stevens comic book version.” —Joe Ahearn, CAE

Bottom Line: We’ll believe it when we can buy it. Until then, this is all speculative talk—albeit just the kind of talk we typically only dare DREAM about. Please let us know when we can REALLY get excited, fellas. Until then, we’ll just keep holding our breath along with the rest of the Captain Action collecting universe.  Let Justice be Done!

First Pics!— Prototype “Attack on Mars!” Captain Action Costume Set and New Prototype Headsculpt Thrill Attendees at 2018’s San Diego Comic-Con

Holy, Spaceman!— Now THIS is what ‘ol Cap should’ve looked like from the beginning—a high-flying, adventurer-type HERO. This is, without a doubt, the most exciting CA product “reveal” we’ve seen in a lonnnnng time. As Bill & Ted would say—“EXCELLENT!” (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge (and drool).

Take a look at the 3 exciting images posted by Captain Action Enterprises (CAE) over on their Facebook fan page. The first one (shown above) shows a completed prototype for their proposed “Attack on Mars” (AOM) spacesuit costume set and—if you look closely—an all-new HEADSCULPT for the figure itself! Fans who’ve grown tired of CAE’s previous “meh” headsculpt, will undoubtedly be thrilled by what they see in this pic. The second photo (below) shows proposed artwork for the costume set’s window-box packaging as created by illustrator, Joe Jusko (GREAT—as always).

Ray Gun at the Ready— Joe Jusko’s “Attack on Mars” illustration for the new CA costume set packaging. Out-STANDING! (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

The third and final pic (see below) is actually an advertising banner which touts the new AOM set and its contents stating, “pre-order info coming soon!” VERY exciting news all around. Forget all of those previous “little” CAE incarnations—it appears CAE and our favorite “multiple-personality superhero,” Captain Action, are finally getting ready for (another) BIG-TIME 1:6 scale comeback!

In your FACE!— Bold, attention-grabbing advertising banner created for the upcoming “Attack on Mars” CA costume set. Oh, YES, please! (Graphic: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: We couldn’t be more thrilled by this news. But are we the only ones thinking how great this new spacesuit would look on OTHER 1:6 scale action figures as well? Say, oh, I don’t know, maybe something called, “GIjOE?” All you’d have to do is change the CA chest emblem to an AT one. Can you imagine an entire space-exploring Adventure Team clad in these silver spacesuits? Offer them in different colors, gold, bronze, etc., and we’d have to COLLECT ‘EM ALL! What a concept. It’d be like Major Matt Mason all over again, but this time in 1:6 scale. WOWZA!

Lock-n-Load! GIjOE Collector’s Club Releases First Pics of its 2018 JoeCon “Green Beret Machine Gun Outpost Set” Featuring New Larry Selman Artwork

Bottom Line: You knew it was coming, and here it is. Look carefully, this is QUALITY stuff!

Geronimo!!! Skydivers Perform an Amazing Group Jump with Intrepid 1:6 Scale “Salto Fantastico” (Fantastic Jump) Action Figure in First of Two New Brazilian TV Commercials For Estrela’s FALCON

A pair of new TV commercials currently airing ONLY on Brazilian television screens are bound to make GIjOE, Action Man, Geyperman and Falcon collectors elsewhere around the world turn absolutely GREEN with envy. The two spots in question continue Brazilian toymaker Estrela’s current “celebration” of Falcon’s 40th Anniversary, and promote its three new commemorative action figures including: a skydiver, jungle explorer and turbo copter pilot. Both commercials feature top-notch photography, pacing, music and graphics. It’s safe to say most 1:6 fans haven’t seen TV promos this good in a LONG time. They clearly celebrate nostalgia and bring back the high levels of EXCITEMENT and ADVENTURE that GIjOE and Falcon fans of all ages have come to expect.

Bottom Line: The quality of these new TV commercials and the action figures they represent, are EXCELLENT. It’s a shame Hasbro has completely relinquished this sort of endeavor to other companies. <sigh> Yes, the figure’s prices are fairly high (approximately $68+ s/h apiece), but for such rare sets, they’re really not that unreasonable. Fortunately, each of the 3 Falcon figures shown in these new promos are available directly from Estrela HERE and should also be available to fans worldwide from such respected action figure webstores as Cotswold Collectibles (HERE). Expect prices to vary from dealer to dealer due to mark-ups. Depending on WHERE and WHOM you buy from, some of the figures may also have to be back-ordered, but in the world of action figure collecting, patience—is a virtue. Happy Hunting!

G.I. Joe Collector’s Club Announces It Will Sell 50th Anniversary Action Man Figures in the U.S.

Hit the Slopes! Loaded down with skiing gear and weaponry, this 50th Action Man Ski Patrol soldier looks ready to face any foe. This is just one of six AM commemorative figures available NOW for pre-order at the GIjOE Collector’s Club. (Photo: GIJCC)

In an emailed press release received today from the GIjOE Collector’s Club, members were notified that the UK’s much anticipated 50th Anniversary Action Man (12″) figures will indeed be offered for sale on this side of the Atlantic. However, the club advises fans to begin queuing up sooner rather than later and place their pre-orders NOW at the club’s online store found HERE.

It would also behoove buyers to pay special attention to the specific ordering instructions (and ominous warnings) which are posted alongside each product’s description, stating:

“PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY IN-STOCK PRODUCT TO THIS ORDER, ONLY PRE-ORDERED ITEMS. IF IN-STOCK PIECES ARE ADDED, YOUR ORDER WILL BE CANCELLED!! The Action Soldier & Action Footballer will ship together in mid December. The Marine Paratrooper, British Infantryman, Frogman & Army Ski Patrol will ship later around the first part of January. If you place an order for all six figures on the same order, your order WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL JANUARY.” —GIjOE Collector’s Club

You’ll Get!— While no final packaging photos are yet available, the club’s webstore does offer “carded” pics of all the items that come with each figure. (Photo: GIJCC) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: For many collectors, these figures will look very similar to other GIjOE and AM re-releases we’ve seen in the past, but the unique 50th Anniversary occasion coupled with the increasingly rare opportunities to buy NEW “product” should make for quite a run on these exclusive 12″ figures. Packaging pics aren’t available (yet), but each figure is accompanied by photos of its respective uniform pieces, weapons, gear and equipment. Go, Action Man!

Konichiwa! Captain Action’s 50th Anniversary “Ultraman” Uniform Set in Retro Window Box

Holy Haiku, Actioneers! This new Ultraman set from Captain Action Enterprises is a definite MUST-HAVE for any serious CA collection. Whoosh! (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Do you know that anxious feeling you get when you first see a new toy for sale, and you know IMMEDIATELY that you’re going to have to buy TWO of them? Well, here we go again, my friends. This new Captain Action (CA) Ultraman costume set from Captain Action Enterprises (CAE) looks SO cool in its retro window box packaging, that we know that we (and many other CA fans) will most assuredly decide to buy two of them—one for play, and the other for display.

Indeed, unless you’ve lived under an action figure rock for the last 50 years, you know you’ll need TWO of this ultra-cool set of Ultraman long-johns. Yes, being a dedicated CA collector sometimes drives us (and our wallets) CRAZY with action figure desire, but this sort of thing is often out of our control. HA! Seriously— regardless of how many new CA Ultraman costume sets you buy, 2, 1—or none—you’ll at least want to know what CAE’s head honcho, Ed Catto, has to say about the matter. In his latest, short-but-sweet press release, Catto, states:

Ed Catto of CAE. (Photo: Ed Catto)

“Here’s our latest – We’re revealing the packaging to our upcoming Ultraman costume set. As you can see, as this is part of our 50th Anniversary, we’ve gone very retro with the styling. This will make a cool collectible to display in or out of the box! Our next release will be for our 2nd Audio book. That should be coming out soon. Thanks! —Ed Catto, CAE

Kiii-YAH! The back panel contains the expected information, but we can’t help feeling CAE missed an opportunity here to discuss CA’s 50th anniversary, or to create some sort of exciting “mail-in” promotion. That way, you could cut an entry form off the back panel (of the extra set you bought) and not feel too bad about ruining the package. Or could you not bring yourself to do that? (Photo: CAE) Click to enlarge.

Bottom Line: Release dates and prices for this new set have yet to be announced, but as we said, this looks like a certain “two-setter” to us. What it lacks in boots, gloves and equipment, it more than makes up for in its unique kitsch and COOL factors. Go, Captain Action! Go, Ultraman!

Psst! Have You Seen the G.I. Joe Collector’s Club “Stealthy” Deep Sea Diver Uniform Set, Matey?

Man-oh-man-oh-Deep Sea Diver MAN! JoeCon 2016’s “stealthy” DSD suit is clearly a keeper. We won’t be throwing THIS fish back in the sea. Excellent work and truly BAD A–! (Photo: GIJCC)

According to the GIjOE Collector Club’s official press release re: this photo…

“This is the reproduction 12-inch 1969 Aquanaut stripped of his long box gear and redressed in ONE of the uniform sets included in the larger outer box that holds the entire 12-inch convention set. “DIVE INTO DARKNESS” is a new spin on the classic DSD look of the vintage 12-inch G.I. JOE. There are things in the hidden darkness of the ocean floor. For his own safety, Joe must ‘blend in’ to avoid the attention of creatures both unseen and unknown.

This second uniform set comes with:

– Black Dive Suit
– Black Gloves
– Silver-tone Diving Helmet
– Oxygen Pump and Hose
– Compass
– Brass-tone Weighted Belt & Harness
– Brass-tone Weighted Brown Boots
– Treasure Chest
– Treasure Coins
– Dive Knife and Sheath” —GIjOE Collector’s Club

Bottom Line: A picture’s worth a thousand words. (Phew! That saves us a lot of typing!)

JoeCon 2016’s “Eight Ropes of Danger”Accessory Set to Include Reproductions of Vintage Deep Sea Diver’s Uniform, Equipment———and Much More!

Get Ready to Blow Some Bubbles—This first pic of the club’s exclusive 12″ uniform set for JoeCon 2016 reveals that it will include a faithful reproduction of Hasbro’s original DSD. (Photo: GIJCC)

Dive! Dive! Dive! If this is the last 12-inch exclusive set the club will ever produce, then they’re definitely going to go out with a BANG. In addition to the set’s two outstanding repro boxes and fully dressed Aquanaut figure we’ve already shown you, this exclusive will also include everything you see in the photo (above). Here’s the official tally, according to the club’s official press release:

“This is the reproduction 12-inch 1969 Aquanaut stripped of his long box gear and redressed in ONE of the uniform sets included in the larger outer box that holds the entire 12-inch convention set. THE EIGHT ROPES OF DANGER is one of the most iconic accessory sets ever made for 12-inch G.I. Joe. It is featured on the art for 1969 Aquanaut’s ‘red top’ long box and comes with:

– White Dive Suit
– White Gloves
– Brass-tone Diving Helmet
– Oxygen Pump and Hose
– Compass
– Octopus
– Silver-tone Weighted Belt & Harness
– Silver-tone Weighted Black Boots
– Treasure Chest
– Treasure Coins
– Dive Knife and Sheath”

Bottom Line: This is pretty much what fans expected to see in this set, but what we’re not so sure about, is what the club’s “stealth” Aquanaut uniform will look like. Stay tuned, Aqua-NUTS! 🙂

2nd Pic of G.I. Joe Club’s “Aquanaut” Reveals Reproduction of Rare “Red Top” Coffin Box

Deep Sea DANGER— Are you drooling yet? Does your GIjOE collection feature this box? Will DSD Joe survive this attack by a giant octopus? Only YOU can answer these questions! (Photo: GIJCC)

Bottom Line: The GIjOE Collector’s Club really knows how to “reel us in,” doesn’t it? By releasing just one photo at a time, they intend to build suspense, tension, and INTEREST in their upcoming 12-inch exclusive figure set for JoeCon 2016. What are YOU thinking about now? Hmm…