Darklord Dave
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Hasbro executive discusses why no 12-inch GIJoe
- Thread starter Darklord Dave
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**16k**
Super Freak
Wow, interesting and sad...
massprime
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Ditto! The kids want their superheroes and are actually buying these 5 POA figures that I've seen and hardcore Star Wars collectors just want something else in their collection. Us Joeheads are getting older and fewer when it comes to not only the old 60s' and 70s' Adventure Team but to ARAH too. Though I have to argue toys are not promoted the way they were back in the day. Animated commercials and all. That was genius back then.
That's one of the most refreshing interviews by an executive of any kind that I think I've ever read. I believe he is being 100% honest there, and can't disagree with anything he's said. GI Joe had its day in the sun, for traditional 12" figures in particular, and toy buyers have moved on. Sad, but that's the way things go.
JCFETT
Super Freak
let's just remember.. just like the star wars figures... there was a time when there was absolutely NOTHING available to buy. And no hope of a return. Let this be a reminder, while we cry and whine and ***** and moan, we should always be appreciative to get the things we do get to have something at all to talk about.
One difference with Star Wars though, is that the nostalgic resurgence in the 1990s led to the Special Editions and Prequels, which despite their many many faults, helped to usher in a new generation of fans that are significantly responsible for this new third wave of films we'll be seeing. With GI Joe, we had a couple of periods where nostalgia helped to keep a new line going for awhile. But none of the Joe cartoons or films over the last decade plus have captured the imaginations of new collectors and fans. Instead, that franchise is still running on the fumes of support built either in the '60s/early '70s, or in the '80s. And I fear that once the guys "our" age (who got into ARAH) are finally done with GI Joe, that will be that. In part, I think it's the nature of military toys in a post-Cold War period. Wars now are fought on electronic or economic battlefields for the most part, and in other situations, are frequently battles against foes who are vastly different in terms of capabilities and strategic orientations (terrorists and insurgents vs. the U.S.; Russia vs. Chechnya or Ukraine). I imagine kids today simply cannot put themselves in the shoes of someone who grew up in a world where something like the Soviet Union existed. And who wants to buy a line of GI Joes who are 99% Dial Tone and Mainframe?
**16k**
Super Freak
Also, you're forgetting the older guys like me. I never bought a SSC or HT Gi Joe. The reason was simple. For me, the RAH line was NEVER GI Joe! Very much the opposite indeed! For me RAH will always be the little plastic turds that killed the GI Joe of my youth! The original and the AT! So, yeah, I think any revival of the 12" line would only cater to a very small niche, be they the original or the RAH figs...
I was thinking of some of the re-releases and revamps of the 12" line, but for whatever reason they never seemed to even interest the kids of the '60s and '70s that much. Instead, those guys seem to have a more general interest in 1/6 scale military figures (so, lots of guys from One Sixth Warriors probably started out there). Maybe that's because the original Joes didn't go nearly as far in terms of developing distinctive characters and personalities as the ARAH line did, and that aspect meant that collectors wanted updates of those specific characters, and not simply fancier, more updated military guys.
**16k**
Super Freak
You're probably right, and it's also probably why I remain so attached to my original Joes. In France, GI Joe was renamed Action Joe, and they used a completely different business strategy. Here, we started with the AT characters in 76, and all the guys had names and different functions within the group. There were even three girls. so, yeah, I think that my Joes not being everyone but specific people certainly had an impact on my childhood psyche that makes them still special to me. I often asked myself what figures I would keep if I had to sell all my collection but two, and invariably, the two that remains are HT Superman (another childhood memory) and the Action Joe group leader. That's how important these figures still are to me!
and taking 10 years to release each one
kl241
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Kara I beg to differ. Times may have changed but the military and Special Forces remain a constant line of defense in a post-Cold War and now Neo-Cold War/Counter-Terrorism world. The 21st century technology that ARAH had envisioned back in the 80's is here and it's not all Mainframe and Dial Tone. Just ask anybody who has served over in the mid-east and they will tell you just how real it is. We still have need for mobile infantry, airborne, Special Forces, etc that are portrayed by a license such as G.I. JOE. Maybe the kids are more about computers and super heroes these days but I wouldn't write-offf Joe as a "sign-of-the-times" just yet, despite what DePriest has to say. Let's face it, Hasbro has mis-managed their own brand for the last decade offering up crap like Sigma Six and re-hash after pathetic re-hash of the same old characters like Snake-Eyes, Stormshadow, Zartan, Destro and CC. The thing about ARAH was that it was not only a role-model for young boys who may have taken careers into the military but it was an action-centric male toy license that offered plenty of hardware and vehicles to keep young boys entertained and sustain their interest in the line. If Hasbro put half as much effort into their signature brand as they did back in the 80's, I've no doubt JOE would be a sustainable brand for the current generation and beyond. It's clear they don't care about their own brand anymore because like any big corporation only see the bottom line but with an aggressive marketing force like ARAH had in the 80's coupled with media that kids and collectors actually gave a crap about and not a misfire franchise of films that failed to engage both kids and adults who grew up with the license, JOE could re-ignite Hasbro and once again be a flagship brand for them. One thing is certain though, DePriest has to go. He's mismanaged the Star Wars brand for the last 5-6 years and drove away collectors for that brand as well and even the kids aren't interested in the junk they keep spewing out targeting directly at them.
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EVILFACE
Super Freak
All things come to an end.
Good to see the other two Lost Talkers are being made as well as Mike Power!
Good to see the other two Lost Talkers are being made as well as Mike Power!
I didn't mean to suggest that conventional military forces aren't important anymore. One of my friends is a Marine veteran of Afghanistan. And I agree that Hasbro has made lots of missteps. But I don't place the blame on Hasbro. The role of conventional military forces has diminished relative to other forms of combat. The things that drones can do now were pipe dreams in the early '80s. And the enemy is becoming more unconventional, with civilians indistinguishable from combatants, children being used by the enemy, etc. Plus, as China shows us time and again, the primary conflict in international politics is based around economics, not physical combat. All that stuff inevitably affects the public perception, and kids today aren't as into conventional military stuff as they used to, and as many of us were. Of course, kids today don't play with toys anyway, since they're all on cell phones and have IPads by the time they get into kindergarten, so it's kind of a moot point.
Gentle giant has what you're looking for since you're all about being true to the design.
Cca1
Freakalicious
The 12" Joe is what took Hasbro from a small company to something way beyond. It would have been nice to bring out a single 50th Anniversary figure. The could have taken preorders on Hasbrotoyshop and only produced what was preordered. Or if they were smart made it a SDCC exclusive and everyone would have bought it to resale...lol
Our time has passed!
Our time has passed!
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