Just read on the Joe discussion Facebook group that it was found in the Club renewal wording that all memberships end December 2016. Lots of speculation about FunPub losing both Joe and Transformers rights. So next JoeCon maybe the last and wonder if we are not getting Heartwrencher now.

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Link?

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Here's this: http://www.allspark.com/2015/12/botcon- ... d-of-2016/

But given the wording, you can see how the future is looking gradually darker for GI Joe Collectors...

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Interesting. One of those guys mentions a possible tie-in with the combined Hasbroverse announced last week. I think there's meat on that bone, in that Hasbro will want to have more centralized control over all their properties since they'll be tied together and affect one another. I doubt they'll have single conventions for each property, and go for a bigger floor presence at established Cons.

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I think we will still get Heartwrencher. It is a separate purchase after all.

It sure looks like we will be getting a HasbroCon instead.
There were a few people adamant against joining JoeCon with BotCon. Well too bad for them then I guess. I think it is a great idea.

I think it very well could be the end of the 12 inchers.

At least we're getting Pythona and Mike Power, too.

I haven't been able to attend a JoeCon in years, but I think this would be unfortunate if it turns out to be true, and I would feel very badly for all the people at Fun Publications.

Yes, why devote an entire convention to a product that they don't wholeheartedly support?

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Hasbo's going to do what's best for them, financially, always. If moving the license to someone else makes sense, it's going to happen. But, if someone, anyone, offers enough money/exposure, they'll get the license. Let's face it, Transformers is the plum: always has been.

In the end, there's a convention, maybe a few exclusives. If that's the cost of transparency and security, it may not be so bad. Can anyone really say that there's anything left of huge importance that hasn't been done already? Star Brigade?

To me, worst case doesn't seem so bad at all.

Plus, it may be legalese. The license has been up for bid before. (Well, not really, but in theory....) It may just be that the license is up and the renewal window doesn't open until next year.

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I wonder if there is an ACTION MAN Club...

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I'm not sure I get your point, but maybe mine needs more clarification.

In the assumption that Hasbro is going to run one unified comboverse fan club, they're going to want to risk as little money as possible. It made sense to have Fun Pub run the Joe Club while failing to heavily push the brand *precisely* because there was no risk for them. Once Fun paid the license fee, Hasbro had their money and zero risk.

But if they do it themselves, the entire venture is a risk with sunk-money costs they won't be able to get back if it all goes tits-up. They'll want to minimize those risks and costs by going to the various Comic Cons that already have foot traffic rather than risk trying to pull people to their unknown-quantity comboverse.

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Well, it seems that Hasbro is of a mind that GI Joe isn't worth all that much anymore. And, I suppose they'd be right. Kids these days can't seem to get their heads out of the next technological advance in the realm of video games/phones/ipods, what have you. A lot of them couldn't be bothered to look outside, or play with a physical toy. Some of you guys' children may be a little different, or actually play with toys. Good on you.

Regardless, Hasbro seems to put out less and less GI Joe product out each year. The 50th anniversary was characterized by remakes of the ARAH figures that everyone already has 23 of, as opposed to reproductions of the 60's GI Joe and equipment. (Meanwhile, across the pond, Action Man gets a proper 50th Anniversary with brand new art, dog tags, packaging, etc.)

So with such little support from the company that made him for the toy that made them, I find it hard to believe that Hasbro would support a full convention for GI Joe alone.

If someone else outbids FunPub, or gets the license in some other way, I sincerely hope they transfer all the existing memberships, and do a much better job of things. (Not that FunPub is doing a bad job, there are just some areas where there could be some improvement)

If Hasbro decides that they want to ramrod the GI Joe Club, I think we're all in a lot of trouble.

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If it is true that the club is ending, I hope it means Hasbro has plans for GIJoe for the next 5-10 years. I was satisfied with the TRU exclusive 2015 offerings from Hasbro. In a year with no show or movie, that was a pretty good lineup. Maybe it will even improve moving forward if they want all product coming from them. We have all had our complaints about the Club, but if it is over for them, they did us a service in keeping some product out there for a long while and keeping GI Joe going. Maybe I'm just in the holiday spirit, but his could be a positive turn.

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didn't get the updated design yet. heck, i still can't believe they didn't crank out a devilfish at some point.

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Yes. They were doing a

BAD

JOB

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