We have a few items on the menu today.

First, with Resurgence being a mock GI Joe line, we thought that wrapping up the project with vintage-style catalogs - one for the main line and one for the mail away products - would be fun. Thanks to Mayor and J_Man from JoeCustoms.com, that became possible.

Second item, make sure to tune in tomorrow, we'll have some WIP pictures to show off

Last item, we have a special treat. Lifeline_MD, the author of GIJoe: Heroes and Terrorists, an ongoing fanfic saga on Hisstank.com was so inspired by Resurgence that he offered to write a short story for a new short story based on its characters and storyline. We published it here:

http://www.hisstank.com/forum/g-i-joe-f ... ne_md.html

It is a fantastic read and we are proud and honored that Lilfeline_MD took the time and effort to put this together.












When Bucky and I started ‘’Project 96’’our goal was to do something as different as possible, something that had a feel to it that's hard to describe. We wanted to capture the lighting in a bottle that the original line had, with unique looking characters, a fun storyline and different personalities for each of them. The idea was to mimic an 80's release, with multiple specialties and new figures.

Resurgence became an experiment is expanding the GI Joe universe. We tried something new by structuring our project around a mock product launch. We made enough customs to fill a month, along with filecards, concept art, packaging mock-ups and catalogues to flesh out our pretend line. We structured our entire project around 20 or so new unknown characters. Whether we accomplished what we set out to do or not, we’ll leave that up to you guys.

Like we said in our intro, sometimes, in customs like in life, we don’t end up where we thought we would when we started.

What started as a project between two customizing buddies (Bucky and I) turned into one of the largest collaborative custom efforts that I have ever seen online. Kirk Bozigian and Patrick Stewart consulted early in the project and gave us some great advice about specialties and colors. Dusty79 came onboard to help fill some of the empty roster spots and in the process has become a full partner four our next project.

G1Trekker (Thomas Wheeler) and Justin over at generalsjoes.com really helped us with the characterization of each custom character. They really put effort into it, sometimes only getting a picture and a name, sometimes a rough draft of what the character was about. Justin obviously loves the brand, as does Trekker, whom helped write the filecards from the re-launch of ARAH back at the turn of the century, and loves to do so. Trekker writes for a living, and is available for hire to write if anybody wants to get in touch with him. Those guys really hit a home run with the filecards.

Mayor and J_Man put together our catalogues and tied everything together.

Once the reveals started, Sam Panico - a creative designer/writer/designer for the last twenty some years and for various brands - was inspired by some of our characters and offered to come aboard to create some awesome packaging art and box mock-ups.

To all our collaborators, for all you input, advice, time, effort and hard work, you have our sincerest thanks and appreciation. Each one of you added valuable pieces to this gigantic puzzle.

And to all who tuned in daily, peeked in once in a while, left comments or not, thank you for the support, constructive feedback and comments. We appreciate all of it. See you guys in October!

Bucky, Dusty79 and Oreobuilder



****Adding, Danofthedead's awesome digibashes here (he posted them on page 16).


From the desk of Danofthedead:

I've been following the Resurgence project with a great deal of interest. I love large scale projects, and I have admired the work of many of the involved collaborators for a while. I knew I wanted to offer my support beyond telling them all "Good job!" I know projects like this can be draining, and there's a sadness to see them draw to close and letting go of them. I tried to think about the kind of support I find most fulfilling, as well as what kind of response Resurgence deserved being presented as a real toyline that could have / should have been.

I came up with the idea of digital repaints. It's a close to customizing these virtual offerings as I could come, and I believe that customizing is one of the highest compliments a toyline can get. It says, "this thing you made makes me want to make things." I showed the Resurgence gang my first two ideas, mostly to get their blessing because I didn't want these to come across as trying to "fix" their ideas... then built upon their concepts, and Hasbro concepts, to celebrate what I love about G.I. Joe, customizing, and the Resurgence project.


"Revenge of COBRA" 7 Figure Box Set, $41.99 MSRP

COBRA COMMANDER is back with an onslaught of reinforcements! These COBRA troops are re-armed and ready for battle. Deploy them with the rest of your G.I. JOE: RESURGENCE action figures, vehicles, and playsets and find out if G.I. JOE has what it takes to defeat COBRA, once and for all!

"Crimson" Cobra Commander




The obligatory red-repaint figure. I knew I wanted to do a 7 pack, like the recent online exclusives, and while my goal was to do a repaint of each of the COBRA army builder figures, I needed one more to finish off the set. The original Resurgence color scheme is beautiful, and one of the most eye catching customs I've seen in a long time. Initially I thought to give him the "Back in Black" treatment, but realized that "just paint it black" is a bit of a crutch to make a figure look "cool," and one we've seen an over abundance of in lines like Rise of Cobra. Resurgence is notable for it's use of vivid colors, so I decided a crimson repaint, with a few black detail areas, was more appropriate.



Motor-Viper (Track-Viper Repaint)



A simpler idea than most of the others, and one I don't feel came out particularly well, I tried to do the Track-Viper in the older Motor-Viper color scheme. I think the Resurgence Track-Viper is such a spot on update of the original figure that there's not much room left to play... other than another Python Patrol repaint.




Cobra Air Crew (Gyro-Viper Repaint)




The Gyro-Viper, like the Track-Viper is such a spot on update of the original figure that I didn't see much room for altering it without trying to make it a distinct trooper. I also wanted to address the odd color scheme of the Gyro-Viper, which seem to fit in with either the blue and black of most Cobra Troops, or the Black/Gray/Red scheme common to many of the pilot figures. I thought perhaps this blue repaint would serve as crew/gunners for vehicles like the Venom Chopper.




Black Light IG Flamethrowers (Pyro-Viper Repaint)




When I showed the Resurgence crew my first two concepts, I asked if they had any ideas for other repaints and Oreo Builder suggested trying an Iron Grenadiers color scheme. This was also a chance to flex some photoshop muscles to see if I could convincingly turn a primarily white figure black, which I think came out pretty well.


Python Create-A-Cobra



I couldn't resist trying another Python repaint after the Viper came out so well. This one is based on the Python Trooper (which confusingly uses the Officer body) and was another interesting challenge to try and take the black parts and make them believable gray.



Python Viper



This was the second figure I played with recoloring, and came out good enough that I decided it was a concept worth following up on. It's also one of my favorite Resurgence figures. The Resurgence Viper is a great update to the original. Recognizable, but nicely tweaked for a bit more modern look.


Stealth B.A.T. (Classic colors B.A.T. repaint)



By far, my favorite Resurgence figure. The new BAT design is great, playing up the robotic elements and giving him plenty of firepower. And the red looks great too. The color scheme reminded me of the Inferno BATs, so I had to try and take a step back along their uniform history to see what this new design would look like in classic black.

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Day 30:
Orca w. Riptide and Broadside – Foxtrot Vehicle 59.99$ MSRP
Look out Cobra! The Orca silently launches from the USS Flagg to invade Cobra shores. The anti-aircraft battery defends the ship while the dual 5 inch deck gun softens up enemy positions on the beach. Features 2 decks, 2 opening ramps, accessories and can carry up to three GI Joe vehicles! Includes GI Joe naval commander Riptide and gunner Broadside! Other figures and vehicles sold separately!

Filecards by GI Trekker! Packaging mock-ups by Sam Panico!





























From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Last year, a friend of mine spotted the Playmobil Ferry and suggested it would make a good GI Joe Landing Craft. At the time, I had just finished my GI Joe Train, so I was not in the mood to start another largish vehicle project. Still, when I saw the set at a good price, I picked one up. I unboxed it and fiddled around with it a bit, but by that time, other projects, namely the 50th Anniversary Tribute and Project New Sculpt, were in full swing, so the Landing Craft project got put on ice.

In March, Bucky and I started brainstorming for this project. The landing craft was in the back on my mind and I was not sure I wanted to do it, but I decided that this was a great opportunity to get off my butt and get it done. I’m glad I did, I’m really happy with the way it turned out.

For the drivers, my goal was to do as little painting as possible, so I tried to choose my parts wisely.




Operation: Rescue Duke!
Cobra has captured GI Joe’s first sergeant and is holding him in a super secret base somewhere in the World. Hawk has deployed the GI Joe team to scour the continents and bring Duke home. Now, you can help Hawk and the GI Joe team. Collect flag points from specially marked GI Joe products, redeem them to receive these special offers and help Rescue Duke!

Day 29:
Duke vs Cobra Commander – Mail Away Exclusives - Send in 10 Flag Points + 5.99$ S&H

Filecards by GITrekker!


Cobra Commander – Ceremonial Battle Armor
The evil leader Cobra Commander has ordered Duke to be captured and interrogated. Can General Hawk and the GI Joe team find Duke in time?








From the desk of Oreobuilder:
When Bucky and I started brainstorming for this project, we had a bunch of new characters on our list. We felt that bringing in new blood was a way to refresh GI Joe. However, some characters are so deeply associated to the brand, that we could not bypass them. Cobra Commander and Duke are two such characters. However, since we have been getting so many CCs and Dukes in the last few years, we thought that they could be mail away exclusives instead. That way, they would be available, but they would not clog up pegs.

I have had the parts for this version of Cobra Commander sitting in a bin waiting to be painted for a couple of years. When we decided to add some old favorites to our line plan, Cobra Commander (and a slew of other figures) finally got put onto the list of custom priorities.


Duke
Duke is being held prisoner by Cobra. Collect and redeem your Flag points and help rescue Duke!














From the desk of Bucky:
Mail away Duke was another figure slated for "Project: 96". He was to be a repainted version of the 91 Duke. Once we started to shift gears, it gave me a little more freedom as to how to do his look right. The figure is still loosely based on the 91 version color wise, seen in this photo.

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Day 28:
Jungle Fox w. Skidmark and Hawk – Mail Away Exclusive - Send in 15 Flag Points + 6.99$ S&H

Duke has been located and must be rescued as quickly as possible! Hawk and Skidmark race to a secret Cobra base in the jungle in the fastest vehicle in the GI Joe motorpool! The Jungle Fox 6WD features a rear-mounted turret with pivoting gun, two side-mounted missiles, front working steering and room for 6 GI Joes! Includes driver Skidmark and GI Joe General Hawk. Other figures sold separately.

Filecards by GITrekker!













From the desk of Bucky:
The Jungle Fox was one of the first vehicles I had in mind in the infancy of the project, when it was still "project 96". As one of my favorite vehicles as a child, it was something I had long thought about painting up, but never had a real good reason until the project came along. Skidmark follows a very popular recipe, one of those figures that is so easy to make that everybody should do it.
Hawk was the last figure I made, at the last minute. As I was reading all the filecards that GI Trekker and Justin (generalsjoes.com) had written up, as well as the tagline Oreobuilder had wrote, Hawk was mentioned a lot, yet we had no representation. I slapped the body together, made sure that the paint wouldn't chip, and borrowed the head from Dusty79's Throttle figure.




Day 27:

Filecards by GITrekker!

Beachhead vs Firefly – Mail Away Exclusives - Send in 10 Flag Points + 5.99$ S&H

Beachhead (Urban Ops)
Beachhead has been dispatched to a Cobra warehouse that contains information on the whereabouts of Duke. Will Beachhead be successful in retrieving the intel? Collect and redeem your Flag points and help rescue Duke!











From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Like The HISS II, Beachhead is a remnant of Project 96. Originally, he was meant to be a repaint of the Battle Corps version I made last year: http://oreobuildersblog.blogspot.ca/201 ... l-and.html
When we changed to GI Joe Resurgence, a Battle Corps version didn’t really work anymore, so I updated the recipe to something more ‘’Beachheady’’, but I kept the original Urban Ops color scheme.


Firefly
Firefly is setting a trap for Beachhead at a secret Cobra Warehouse. Will he succeed? Collect and redeem your Flag points and help rescue Duke!












From the desk of Bucky:
Mail away Firefly is one of the figures that was slated to be a mail away for "project: 96". The version was to be the battle corps version that has gotten little to no attention in the line since the first release. The figures build was a bit of a tough one, as a lot of the parts used in the original never made it over to a modern era version, so I had to improvise with the webgear, leg grenades, head and helmet.

_________________

Day 26:

Filecard by GITrekker!

HISS II w. Track Vipers – Mail Away Exclusive – Send in 15 Flag Points + 6.99$ S&H
This advanced high speed sentry patrols and defends the perimeter of the secret Cobra compound that is holding Duke as a prisoner. Features two-man cockpit, turreted gun station, pivoting side guns, searchlight bar, two missiles and seating for 4 figures in rear. Includes two Track-Viper drivers! Other figures sold separately.














From the desk of Oreobuilder:
HISS II and Track Vipers are remnants of when this was still called Project 96. When brainstorming our original line-up, we tried to imagine which vehicles and figures would get repaints and be offered as mail away exclusives in 1996. The HISS made sense to be included in that list. When we moved the hypothetical timeline up 20 years, the HISS II might seem a bit out of place. Still, we figured that collectors would still enjoy being able to order it, so it stayed in the line. Also, it was finished painting by then, so we kept it J

The Track Viper is mostly straight update of the original in modern era format. I tried to ‘’PoC-ify’’ it a bit by using Beachhead parts. I made two because of the two-seater cockpit.





Day 25:

Filecards by GITrekker!

Starduster – Mail Away Exclusive – Send in 6 Flag Points + 3.99$ S&H
In an effort to free Duke from Cobra, General Hawk has ordered Starduster to reconnoiter enemy positions and coordinate artillery strikes from the air.









From the desk of Bucky:
He is represented is pretty far from where I started on him. As much as I wanted to include him in the project, I kept putting him on the back burner due to the fact I just didn't like the recipe I had come up with, or the jet pack. Dusty79 supplied me with a retaliation flint, and with that a new version of StarDuster was created, with a backpack I was much happier with. I tried the Star Wars helmet and found it was a neat look, and the vest, I used black gloss and then added "stars", but I'm not sure if it looks good or not. I may go back and just gloss black the metal down the road.



Create-A-Cobra – Mail Away Exclusive - Send in 6 Flag Points + 3.99$ S&H
Join Cobra’s legions and help destroy GI Joe! Now, you can create your own Cobra character. Choose your figure’s name, specialty, weapons and gear to create the ultimate Cobra warrior!












From the desk of Oreobuilder:
This figure was a last-minute addition to the project. While we were putting together the final line-up and order of battle, Starduster seemed lonely, so we decided to add a figure. My first thought was a new Steel Brigade, but that has been done quite a bit in the last few years. Bucky suggested the bad guy equivalent – a new Create-A-Cobra, so I threw this guy together.

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Day 24:

Slugger Mk II w. Thunder – Mail Away Exclusive - Send in 15 Flag Points + 6.99$ S&H
General Hawk has received intel that Duke was being held prisoner at a Cobra desert Temple and has dispatched a strike team to attack. Lead the charge with the Slugger Mk II, GI Joe’s new tracked self-propelled gun. Elevate the cannon, aim and fire! Features launching missile, rear-mounted anti-aircraft gun and side mounted rifle. Includes GI Joe driver Thunder. Other figures sold separately.












Filecard by GITrekker
From the desk of Dusty79:
Part of this project was to emulate Hasbro's past of doing mail away vehicles. In deciding which vehicles to use, it was important to try and keep things fresh. When looking through the toy history we asked which vehicles that we have not seen reissued would we want to see again? One vehicle stood out as unique and perhaps forgotten, the Patriot. It was decided to raise this vehicle from the dead, but not as the Patriot, it would instead be renamed Slugger, as an homage to one of the earliest GI Joe toys and it would be paired with a modern version of Thunder to make it complete.

When Thunder comes to my mind, I can't help but think about how he has never had a proper update. One of the defining characteristics of the figure is the dual antennae and the face shield. While Hasbro did do a Sgt. Thunderblast as an update in 2009, this version lacked the antennae and so seemed incomplete to me. In designing this figure, I tried to stay true to the original figure while updating it to the modern construction. The antennae were a must and were constructed using the original Thunder head gear. I intentionally kept him relatively simple and in a subdued color palette, because a heavy artillery man, in my opinion, is not one for a flashy uniform or excessive gear. He gets his satisfaction from the concussive blasts and the resultant destruction.





Introduction

GI Joe: Resurgence
It is the year 2015. Following years of relative peace, the ruthless terrorist organization known as Cobra has resurfaced by staging several bold attacks on high profile targets all over the World. Returning to active duty, General Hawk enlists the help of his most trusted acolytes – Duke, Beachhead, Stalker and others. Together, they recruit a new group of soldiers and rebuild the World’s ultimate special operations unit: GI Joe.

Coming in 2015, GI Joe: Resurgence brings back famous GI Joe members from all eras and introduces many new faces to the team. It also marks the return of Cobra Commander and his army of evil henchmen bent on World domination! Collect them all and create your own battles.


Day 23:

Filecards by GITrekker!

First Aid – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP










From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Halfway through this project, Bucky and I realized (practically simultaneously) that were missing a medic for our new team. After seeing some very cool para-rescue trooper customs online, making one for my collection was on my to-do list for awhile. So, the idea for First Aid was born. Since Joe female parts are not in large supply, she is mostly built from Renegades Scarlett, but I added some gear (like the kneepads and harness) to change her up a bit.




Whisp – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP











From the desk of Bucky:
Whisp was a later addition to the project. Through discussion with Oreobuilder, we found we had a ton of Joes and not so much on the Cobra side. I came up with the idea one weekend, and started making an infiltrator type figure. Then I noticed how we were quite short on the female side as well, as OB had pointed out once before, and had no Iron Grenadier representation, so I merged the two ideas into one character. The name, again, came from a very large list of codenames I have laying around.

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Day 22:
Venom Chopper w. Gyro-Viper – Echo Vehicle 39.99$ MSRP
Cobra takes to the air with the Venom Chopper! This ominous looking copter has a complete arsenal of bombs and missiles, detailed engines with removable covers, pivoting fans and opening cockpit. Opening rear access ramp reveals payload bay! Manually operated winch drops Cobra troops into war zones. Carries up to 7 troops! Includes pilot Gyro-Viper. Other figures sold separately.

Filecard by GITrekker and packaging mock-up and art by Sam!
























From the desk of Oreobuilder:
The Cobra Transport Chopper from the original Marvel comic run is one of the most requested never-produced vehicles. About 8 years ago, I had the idea of combining a junker Tomahawk with a HISS IV as an attempt to create a modern version of the old Cobra helicopter. I had all the necessary parts. However, at the time, I was just starting to customize and did not have the knowledge, experience and tools to take on such a project. The parts were sold off in a purge and the project was shelved.

Since then, I have taken on many vehicle customs, so I felt comfortable finally putting this vehicle back on the table. This project was a perfect opportunity. It is not meant to recreate the Marvel Cobra Copter, but I wanted it to have strong Cobra vibes. In the end, it turned out pretty much as I imagined it 8 years ago.

The Gyro-Viper is a straight up ME version of the 1987 figure. I tried to stay as true as possible to the original.





Day 21:
Cobra BAT – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP

Filecard by GITrekker!










From the desk of Oreobuilder:
The BAT came about because we felt that Cobra was lacking for troops. The build came together quite quickly. However, I went back and forth on the color scheme a few times. In the end, although red is a pain in the butt to paint, I settled on the Inferno BAT color scheme.


Wall Cloud – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP

Filecard by General Hawk aka Justin Bell!








From the desk of Bucky:
Wall Cloud was pieced together very quickly. As soon as I had found an "air" type name, I knew exactly what I wanted him to look like. I painted him up to "look" like a storm, with greys, blacks, and the yellow. He is topped off with a Renegades Ripcord head, donated from the original concept for Tango that I accidentally destroyed. A happy accident, as it gave me the opportunity to create two diverse characters as opposed to just one.

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Day 20:
Riff Raff – Deluxe Figure 9.99$ MSRP

Filecard by GITrekker! Packaging mock-up by Sam!






















From the desk of Bucky:
Riff Raff was originally going to be a completely different character named pit stop, a fat Dreadnok with the chubby Asian guys head from mib3. However, literally a couple days after getting the head, forum member bcost came up with the same idea, and it looked incredible. I didn't want to pretty much do the same custom he did, so I came up with something different, a Dreadnok that is kind of a homage to all the goofiness of the cartoon, with a record of cold slither, a vial of element from the mass device, and a beat up old discarded mcguffin device amongst the trash. The dumpster came from a wwe playset from the late 90's that had sat in a fodder box for years. All the graffiti is Easter eggs for episodes of the cartoon. I really tried to capture an 80's vibe with him. As Trekker was sending my filecards back, I was reading them with a smile on my face and would get a good chuckle out of them, but I'm not lying when I tell you I literally laughed out loud when I got Riff Raff's bio back. Trekker nailed it.





Day 19:
Barnstormer w. Tailspin – Delta Vehicle 19.99$ MSRP
On board computers control the advanced gull-shaped wing design capable of precise navigation. The Barnstormer can however over a target and take off and land vertically thanks to its high tech avionics. Armed with side-mounted machine guns, can carry up to four troops in the rear payload bay! Include pilot Tailspin. Other figures sold separately.

Filecard by GITrekker!












From the desk of Bucky:
Tailspin is another one of those names that was jotted down in a notebook for years, to be used for a pilot. This project gave me the reason to finally use so many of the names I'd write down through the years. I wanted to go with a WW2 vibe, which is where avacs lab's helmet piece came into play. He was one of the first 5, and varies very differently than his first incarnation, which was horribly out of proportion.

The Barnstomer jet was originally going to be an iron man 2 jet, but not being a great vehicle customizer, I ruined it. Badly. It was pretty much unsalvagable, so I looked for another jet and remembered the Avengers jet with the opening in the back. I had just missed it at TRU on clearance, so ended up getting one from Amazon. My initial paint job wasn't coming out so well, so a local friend of mine stepped in and did the body paint. He had to sand quite a bit for the paint to stick to the soft plastic, and it turned out really well. I think I perhaps overdid the stickers, but that's a minor gripe.

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Day 18:
Tango – Deluxe Figure 9.99$ MSRP

Filecard by GITrekker!











From the desk of Bucky:
Tango was originally named ocelot, and was built off of a Renegades Ripcord. He was to be the team’s jungle trooper, and he was to have a tiger. His first incarnations and gear fitting was very much a Recondo vibe, which I kind of wanted to get away from. My customizing o.c.d. had started to kick in with this figure, as I was trying to get a unique look and color pallets for him. This o.c.d. of mine also affects how I build my customs, and if I can't move the shoulder without paint chipping, I'm going to go a different route. While trying to sand the shoulders down, I destroyed the ripcord with a dremel.
Back to square one, I chose the burnout figure. I sanded the hair down, and a lot of the rest started to fall into place. I changed the name to Tango at this point. The camo took awhile to figure out what I wanted and the striping like he has was kind of just a happy accident.




Day 17:
Crusher Tank w. General Warhorse – Delta Vehicle 19.99$ MSRP
You control the action – forward, reverse, left, right… just like a real tank. Powerful motor and super traction tank treads to climb over obstacles. You can turn and elevate the battle cannon. Includes GI Joe Tank Commander: General Warhorse. Other figure sold separately.






















From the desk of Oreobuilder:
One element that has been missing from recent Joe lines is a full-size good guy tank. We almost got one during RoC. Before then, the most recent Joe tank was the MoBAT re-issue during the 25th anniversary. I tried to remedy that with the Crusher. It uses a MoBAT base, so it is still compact. However, the turret can seat two figures.

General Warhorse started out very differently than where he ended up. Originally, the character was to be named Blitzkrieg, wore a beret and a tanker’s jacket and headset. The recipe wasn’t working for me and I struggled to find a color scheme that made sense. In the end, I reworked the whole figure. I went with a WWII/Korean War look and feel. I wanted to give the sense of a grizzled veteran of many wars who had risen up the ranks.

*** Edit: Sam, our graphic artist extraordinaire, strikes again! Late thsi afternoon, he sent through the packaging art for the Crusher! Thanks Sam!

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Day 16:
Iron Master – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP

Filecard by GITrekker!














From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Like it or not, GI Joe is not just military equipment and soldiers. It’s also giant robots, terror –inducing waves, weather-altering machines, Pyramids of Darkness, ghosts, ancient Greeks and, of course, ninja clans. Halfway through this project, Bucky and I realized that we had not included a ninja in our line-up.

To correct this oversight, I immediately started working on a ninja apprentice named Banzai. The challenge was to make him different from the millions of previous ninjas that have been done over the years. Try as I might, all my attempts turned out pretty generic. I ended up turning to an obscure existing character that has never had a figure. The Iron Master is featured in the Ninja Battles DVD that was released during the Valor vs Venom days.



Day 15:
Cobra CRAB w. Sea Bastion – Delta Vehicle 19.99$ MSRP
A force to be reckoned with! The heavily armored CRAB is Cobra’s sea dreadnaught. Armed with machine gun turret and two launching missiles! Includes Cobra pilot Sea Bastion. Other figures sold separately.

Filecard by GITrekker!










From the desk of Bucky:
Sea bastion was one of the first brainstormed characters that popped into mind while thinking about another project a couple days after new sculpt was finished up.
The name was a play on Sebastian, which is the crab from the little mermaid, which I was watching with my daughter while brainstorming other ideas. I thought it'd be a fun character to do and give him a boat called the crab. A side note, that head, minus the hair, has been done for years, and was sitting in a bag that was supposed to be a voltar that was never completed.
The crab was one of those clearance price finds at tjmaxx I think. It was on sale for around 8 bucks, and I picked it up knowing someday I would do something with it. That was late 2012. Better late than never.

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Day 14:

Sun Devil – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP
Filecard by Justin Bell!








From the desk of Bucky:
Sun Devil was another of the first 5 I had pieced out. While trying to find ideas for the SEAL approach (figures covering sea, land and air) I started to focus on climate specialties. A new desert trooper was on my list, as the joes don't have too many on the roster. I decided to make him Hispanic, and wanted him to look unique. The colors and name are a nod to Arizona State University. I chose to not add more camo to him so he didn't look like Dusty in the end. Justin from Generalsjoes.com did an awesome job bringing the Character to life.


Cobra Viper – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP
Filecard by GITrekker!








From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Even when re-inventing the line, some classic elements can be kept as touchstones. The Viper in one the most iconic Cobra troops ever created. I tried to update the look while keeping the classic elements intact: the short sleeves, the helmet and the tactical vest. At the same time, I wanted to streamline and modernize the look somewhat. Like the fila card says, these Vipers are leaner and meaner. They are not your father’s Viper.



Day 13:
Glitch – Deluxe Figure 9.99$ MSRP

Filecard by Justin Bell!











From the desk of Bucky:
The name Glitch has been on my list of names for over 3 years, I jotted it down after watching a wizard of Oz themed movie called Tin Man. I always had an idea that he would be some kind of tele viper commander or something. That then morphed into a possible data viper commander. When I decided now would be a good time to use the name, I originally started with the gear and head on a data viper body, but then figured it would be more fun to see how much techie looking things I could stick on one figure. So that is where the cyborg like armored body came into play, and a dremel to get the stuff off the 5 point articulated cobra commander, amongst other figures. Justin Bell came up with a great filecard for him, which had the perfect amount of "Hama Humor" and seriousness in it. This guy was very fun to build.

_________________

Day 12:
Vulture w. Scavenger – Bravo Vehicle 14.99$ MSRP
Filecard by G1Trekker!
This supersonic jet is designed for low altitude surveillance and bombing. It can fly below Joe’s radar and strafe enemy targets on the ground. Includes Cobra pilot Scavenger. Other figures sold separately.










From the desk of Bucky:
This jet has been collecting dust for years now. I scooped it up at target on clearance years ago. I knew someday I would do something with it, just didn't have a reason, until this project came along. I tried to modify it a bit to Make it not so tron, with the turbines and the missiles. I am not much for doing vehicle customs, but I'm satisfied with it.
Scavenger came about and was really easy. My vision for the pilot was a skinny guy with a fur collar and tight fitting suit, and strange helmet. I tried to model the figure after an actual vulture, but not sure if it comes across as such.




Day 11:
Breacher – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP
Today's filecard brought to you by G1Trekker!










From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Breacher was the first figure I finished for this project. My intent, in crafting this figure, was to create a SWAT-type Joe for this line that was not Shockwave or one of his clones.He turned out to be one of my favorites from the project.

But wait, that's not it for today. After we started revealing our project, a gentleman named Sam approached Bucky. Sam is an accomplished graphic designer and it seems our project inspired him. He made something very special for us.




In his own words, from the desk of Sam:
''As Kirk Bozigian tells his audiences every year at Joe Con, the launch of the Real American Hero line is a thing of beauty. An insidious plot. From the first commercial for the Marvel comic, I was hooked. And ever since, G.I. Joe has been one of my life's passions.

Fast forward to my career in marketing. Sitting at one of Kirk's aforementioned talks, I realize that every trick in my ad arsenal comes from Joe: pack-ins, 360 multi-channel efforts, promising and delivering on quality, sweating the small stuff and most importantly, detail, detail and more detail!

How could I give back to Joe? I tried and failed to entice the Hasbro team in my marketing acumen, despite working on launches for food clients like Del Monte, Heinz and Hormel, not to mention my industry experience on Fijit Friends for Mattel.

I look at G.I. Joe in it's fiftieth anniversary and I see a brand that's filled with holes and hanging on for life. But it doesn't have to be that way! When I saw the OreoBuilder and Bucky were doing this project, my excitement could not be contained. This is how G.I. Joe should be done!

How could I pitch in? Well, this is the package I'd love to see on the shelves. And here's some of the why's:

CARD FRONT
G.I. Joe should shout loud and proud: USA! I was inspired by the Dark Horse comic covers Frank Miller did, with the bold graphic American flag look. Originally, this had ninja elements, but Bucky and OB wanted something new and now. I completely agreed.

The package needs to be cheap for HASBRO to produce. My idea: variable print areas. The name of the character can be changed on every side panel without printing tons of unique card fronts. Plus, the name is on the right so that it's easy to find exactly who you are looking for on shelf!

I wanted the G.I. Joe loud and proud on the top, reversed from black. Everything is bold and in your face - like it should be!

Finally, I am sick and tired of the brand reflecting video games like Call of Duty. It should influence others! Therefore, every single character in the line is available to unlock in the G.I. Joe Battle Ground game. That way, there's a cross-sell between the mobile game and the toy. If you only play the game, there's now a reason to but the toy. And vice versa.

CARD BACK
The back was pretty much a happy accident - I hit right onto what the guys were thinking. Show the next figures and hint at who could be next, just like the card backs we grew up with!

The Rescue Duke just happened - I ended up getting really close to what they wanted on the first pass. And the FLAG POINTS are important. Again, as it should be.

I just want to say thanks that I was included in this. The only bad part of this project is that this isn't the line you'll be buying in August at TOYS R US.''

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Day 10:
Recon Sled – Bravo Vehicle 14.99$ MSRP
Advance deep into Cobra territory in this superior armored LCV (Low Crawl Vehicle). Throttle operates the sled visually through the dashboard –mounted HUD. Includes GI Joe driver Throttle.

Filecard by GITrekker!















From the desk of Bucky:
Not much to say on the recon sled, I was just browsing the toys at tru one day trying to find something unique to use as a vehicle for the project. I found this, and had never seen it before. The minute I saw it, I thought "updated recon sled" and that is the story behind it. I used cobrastickers and some others to spruce it up. I really like the way it turned out.

From the desk of Dusty79:
The design of this figure was a definite collaboration between myself and Bucky. I was shown photos of the Recon Sled and asked to design a driver for that vehicle created by Bucky. As soon as I saw the Recon Sled, I immediately knew I wanted to create a figure with integrated body armor that would make him seem to become a part of the vehicle. There was a lot of part swapping and bouncing ideas back and forth and from head to toe, the gauntlets, the leg recipe, the backpack mounted weapons, the radically modded helmet, there were more changes to this figure than during any other custom I have ever done. The helmet alone had four different versions. Neither of us wanted to let this one go through until it was just right. I honestly don't think I could have come up with this one on my own. It was definitely a case of two heads are better than one and Bucky offered great suggestions and pushed me just enough to get this figure exactly where it needed to be.




Filecard courtesy of Justin Bell!

Day 9:
Landslide – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP
Filecard courtesy of Justin Bell!










From the desk of Bucky:
While having a list of all the different specialties, a mountain trooper was one that hasn't really been explored outside Alpine. With Landslide, I focused mostly on how to make unique looking webgear, as the base body of the Rock Viper I wanted to leave, I liked the way it looked. The helmet fit the
Retaliation Duke head perfectly, and I added the little facial hair to set him apart from a regular Duke head. I didn't have any cool mountain type gear for him, but found a Star Wars grapple hook that I was able to then able to get to attach to the backpack. It ended up being my favorite accessory piece I made for the entire project.

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Filecard by GITrekker!

Day 8:
Sea Sled w. Eel – Alpha Vehicle 12.99$ MSRP
Cobra seldom outmaneuvers GI Joe in sea operations, but this small mobile unit will put GI Joe to the test! Includes elevating forward gun and Cobra Eel with gear.







From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Although this project depends heavily on injecting new blood into the line, this is the first of a few ''remade'' characters that will appear. The thinking is that Hasbro would mix in some known characters into the line as well to tie it with what came before.

The Sea Sled vehicle was finished early on in the project. Originally, it was called the Swamp Sled and was to include a Swamp-Viper. I went back and forth trying some new recipes for this character, but since I have one in my custom collection that I made for the Create-a-Con Set project (http://oreobuildersblog.blogspot.ca/201 ... n-set.html), I did not feel the need to make another. However, I struck on the idea of updating the classic Eel using the Ultimate Snake Eyes mold, so I ran with it.


Day 7:

Bulkhead – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP








From the desk of Bucky:
Bulkhead was a name I had picked out last summer, and was going to be a navy trooper with a dg shipwreck body. After I had it pieced together, I decided the name didn't fit, and that particular body of work became my non dive suit deep 6 during my lbc week last July.
I brought the name up again for this project, and Bulkhead was one of the first 5 that were started. I went on to try a lot of different combinations until I found a proportionate looking figure that was physically larger than almost all of them out there. I wanted a "big guy" for the project, and Joe's navy crew doesn't have a big guy yet, so it kind of all worked out. He's a very large figure.


Pyro-Viper – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP







From the desk of Oreobuilder:
Yet another idea that has been rattling around in my brain for years, Pyro-Viper is actually the first character that I thought of for this project, but the last one that I finished. I tried several recipes and color schemes and I don’t think I’m still 100% satisfied with the result. This is one that I will certainly revisit at a later date. That being said, the concept and Trekker’s fantastic filecard have brought the character to life for me, so my next attempt will almost certainly better.

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Day 6:

Deep Freeze – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP

Filecard by GITrekker!












From the desk of Bucky:
Deep freeze was figure zero for me, the first kitbash/idea I had made while still hammering out details of how we were going to go about the project. A very simple kitbash, that stayed very simple til almost the end when I added some of the ammo clips and other do-dads to the vest. While an easy build, Trekker's filecard helped flesh him out so he didn't just become another "snow guy".





Day 5:

PAC/RAT (Programmed Assault Computer/Rapid All Terrain) w. Tracer – Alpha Vehicle 12.99$ MSRP
GI Joe sends PAC/RATs racing into battle against Cobra! Protect GI Joe outposts against Cobra air assault with the Anti-Aircraft Twin pom-pom rifle! Includes portable command & control case and drone Operator – Tracer.

Filecard by GITrekker!










From the desk of Oreobuilder:
I always loved the PAC RATs when I was a kid. I had the missile launcher and the flamethrower back then. These days, the concept of remote-controlled battlefield robots is no longer sci-fi, it is entrenched in our everyday lives. I thought it would be good to include one in our line. I went with a vintage style for the robot itself while trying to modernize the operator. Tracer is loosely based on the ‘’Future Soldier’’ concept.

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Day4:
Filecard by Justin Bell! (generalsjoes.com)

Eagle Eye – Single Card 7.99$ MSRP












From the desk of Bucky:
For Eagle Eye, I wanted a 15 minutes into the future type soldier, similar to the ghost recon games I always see artwork for. He went through several name changes and I went back and forth on them for the longest time. My initial Codename for him was Ironhide, as a nod to the fact that sometimes transformers and joes shared the same name. That didn't pan out though, as Ironhide is too familiar a transformer to get away with that. After many weeks and emails back and forth about the project, I sent a list to OB with several names on it, and he liked Eagle Eye the best, so Ironhide became Eagle Eye.
He started out very modest, with a retaliation firefly torso and arms, and a mouse helmet, but it was rather bland. I really wanted this guy to stand out, in my head if this line were actually at retail, he'd be the character that would be heavily featured on artwork and what not. I started collecting and looking at more and more pictures of "future soldiers" on google images, and started to hammer out some of the details, like the shoulder cannon, the helmet, the wrist gauntlet. Something just wasn't right, and I wasn't happy with how he looked, and it took awhile to realize that his original vest (which will be seen in the wip pictures) just looked too cluttered. I needed to streamline it, and tried the poc firefly vest, which flowed a lot better and looked more like it belonged. Justin's write up on him turned him into the guy I had pictured in my head. I am very happy with this figure.



Day 3:
Today's filecard is more of GITrekker's genius.

Cobra SCRAMjet Pack w. Exo-Viper – Alpha Vehicle 12.99$ MSRP
The SCRAMjet is Cobra’s one-man high-altitude battle jetpack. Includes air-to-air missiles and Exo-Viper Pilot.











From the desk of Oreobuilder:
This set is an idea that I’ve had kicking around since the Star Brigade Redux Group Project in 2011. At the time, I could not figure out a recipe and color scheme that I liked, so the concept got shelved. Fast forward to March this year. Bucky started talking about his project idea. I immediately started dusting off old ideas that would fit the project and a new Cobra troop type came out of it. GITrekker did a great job creating the back-story for Exo-Viper.

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