Hello and welcome to another TFW2005 Network Event Coverage. Hasbro held their 2020 1st Quarter Earnings Conference Call and made several remarks* regarding the future of the company.
Highlights:
You can check out all of the above and more, after the jump.
Licensing International, the organizers behind the yearly Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe Expo, has teamed up with Informa Markets’ Global Licensing Group, to host a virtual Licensing Expo titled Licensing Week in lieu of the postponed (due to COVID-19 pandemic) Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2020.
“Reflecting the experiences and content found at Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe, Licensing Week will spotlight Brands & Lifestyle, Character & Entertainment and Art, Design & Emerging Categories, as well as host Licensing International’s Licensing University, a live Pitch the Brands event, an exhibit hall and a matchmaking service.”
Licensing Expo is important for fans of any franchise since this particular convention is a valuable stage for media companies to announce new content including upcoming movie or TV projects, movie posters, trailers and even toys.
It’s a common practice for Paramount Pictures to highlight its planned movies for the next 3 to 5 years. Movie posters are displayed publicly while trailers are shown behind closed doors to potential investors and the press..
For the G.I. Joe fans, there’s a likelihood that we may get to see our first look at the official movie poster for Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins and even an online trailer if we do not get them by the expo dates.
The virtual expo will take place from June 15th to June 19th. You can read the full press release, after the jump.
After the postponement of sister convention WonderCon Anaheim, the initial statement that “No one is as hopeful as we are that we will be able to celebrate #SDCC2020 together come July,” and the pausing of early bird hotel sales, Comic-Con posted the following today:
Comic-Con Cancellation/Refund Policy
All individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Thank you for your patience.
It was followed by a press release, which reads in part:
“For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021.
Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim, which was to have been held April 10-12, 2020 will return to the Anaheim Convention Center from March 26-28, 2021.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. “We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.””
You can check out the full press release, after the jump.
Be safe, stay tuned for updates and sound off on the HISSTANK boards!
A while back, we reported the news of Hasbro’s partnership with the Malaysian government to host a waterpark in the heart of the proposed Tourism City (MTC) featuring many of Hasbro properties including G.I. Joe.
Almost a year later, we have a bad news to break.
Meridian, the company behind the Malaysian Tourism City and Melaka Waterpark Project is in deep financial trouble and is displaying an inability to start the project, let alone complete it.
Speaking to Edge Malaysia business news site, an investor stated “At the moment, CEO Datuk Seth Yap Ting Hau is banking on MTC. I think Meridian will be in a financially tight spot unless he derives value from the Kuala Linggi land. But to me, a PLC (public-listed company) shouldn’t bank on just one project. You must have contingency plans.”
Originally, the G.I. Joe Adventure Park was scheduled to open in 2022.
Meanwhile, the new Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the Malaysian tourism industry. A waterpark is probably the last place tourists may visit during this worldwide epidemic.
Melaka’s waterpark was the very first major initiative we heard from Hasbro’s re-introduction of G.I. Joe franchise to current generations. It is indeed sad to see the situation of the project and how the franchise as a whole will be affected from the ongoing raw material and labor shortage due to COVID-19. Hasbro is likely to prioritize projects such as Baby Yoda; which was already sold out during the first few days of pre-order and in return would inflict unintentional harm to Emerging Brands which G.I. Joe is now listed under.
G.I. Joe State of the Union Toy Fair 2020 Edition
It’s crazy how one week can change the entire direction of a brand. G.I. Joe went from a depressed fan base and bone-dry retail environment to the talk of the action figure fandom and catching fire. It’s debatable how successful the launch of the G.I. Joe Classified 6″ line has been among the die-hard fans of the brand. Reactions were mixed at first but the Exclusive Snake Eyes was received with a thunderous lightning strike followed by a sellout of the first offerings (due to ship 4/1/2020) within hours only to be relisted for those who missed out on Hasbro Pulse (Est. due to ship 7/1/2020). Then we got our first look at Scarlett and Roadblock. While some fans were ready for design changes including myself, others wanted A Real American Hero while sleeping with one eye open gripping their O-rings tight. What we got IMO was a nice mix of new and old with a fresh start.
A shock to the system is a normal reaction to any fandom when things go through major changes and the G.I. Joe – now GIJOE community is no exception. Look at the rebellion entrenched old school Star Wars fans put up when Black Series 6″ figures were announced. In comparison the GIJOE community has responded in a much more positive manner. Just to give you an idea the first Wave or Star Wars Black Series 6″ figures now sells for $250.00 in a wave that consists of X-Wing Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, R2-D2, and Sandtrooper pre-photo real technology. So those that are on the fence might want to click that add to cart button just to make sure you don’t miss out. Nobody wants to pay after aftermarket on toys, and we all lived through the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary single carded figure hunt.
All of the above and we didn’t even get to see the Cobras or the second Snake Eyes figure in the GIJOE Classified Wave 1 assortment. That’s right, turns out the exclusive Hasbro Pulse Snake Eyes 00 will not be the exact same Snake Eyes as the Wave 1 release and will be in the Blue packaging. Exactly what those changes are we will just need to wait until the marketing team decides to show them off or are leaked. From what we have seen so far the poster art for the new line reflects the action figures that we have seen at Hasbro’s Toy Fair 2020 showroom. There are various rumors out there of a variant Destro and future waves have seen listings for pre orders to only be taken down that included Snake Eyes Movie waves (Toys “R” Us Canada).
While at the Hasbro Toy Fair 2020 show room in conversation with both Hasbro employees and fans I personally didn’t see anything but excitement at the GIJOE wall. The GIJOE Classified 6″ figures look even better in person (especially Duke) and I am looking forward to many photo shoots when these products hit retail. The overall take away from my point of view is a brand looking to breathe. I am sure if this line gets legs Hasbro will produce designs for both the fresh brand spanking new look they are going for and designs to satisfy the old school base. It was no surprise to see tons of crossover fans from Marvel Legends and other popular 6″ scale collectors that have dominated the market for the last -10 years. Lots of new GIJOE fans were generated with the creation of the GIJOE 6″ Classified line and we welcome you to the fold.
G.I. Joe Licensing looks to be very strong moving forward. Most promising for the fans of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero is the potential Super7 has to blend seamlessly with the existing Reaction line. If Hasbro allows Super7 to produce such a line I have no doubt they will be a huge success. Currently there are NO plans for that to be a reality. But Super7 is working with Hasbro and they do have a G.I. Joe license agreement. The Cyborg Cobra B.A.T. in concept looks to be a huge hit and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. Jada Toys has also acquired a G.I. Joe A Real American Hero license. The small die cast vehicles are fantastic looking. They come in 3 packs of classic vehicles and are on my want list. They also have larger Die Cast plans that include the Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank. Which brings us to Jazwares that has also acquired a G.I. Joe license, but the only product shown so far are the Domez style static figures. If there is something bigger going on at Jazwares it’s on lock-down or negotiations didn’t go as planned for something broader.
Does GIJOE and the upcoming Snake Eyes Movie have the worst timing of all time? You don’t need to look to far to understand the problems that China is currently undergoing. While the humanitarian efforts should be every nation’s number one concern, major production delays are on the way. This brings into question the timing and execution of not only GIJOE Classified action figures hitting retail but Snake Eyes Movie figures being on shelf, in time for the release date. These concerns stretch across all brand lines and all products produced in China. Will we even get SDCC 2020 action figures this year? The extent of the delays is unknown and IMO the shipping dates from all of the toy companies at Toy Fair 2020 reflected best case scenarios.
While marketing for the new Snake Eyes movie was present and looks to be moving in a good direction, no trailer or merchandise was anywhere to be found. Expect the brunt of that promotion to kick off at SDCC 2020. Until then I think we will see a drawn out, slow drip marketing plan keeping fans attention to the GIJOE brand leading up to those reveals and further information for the Snake Eyes movie.
I hope you have enjoyed the information we provided for Toy Fair 2020 and look forward to reading your responses to all the information. See you on the forums, Yo Joe!
Toy Fair New York 2020 is Over! The Toyark was on site and updating direct from the show floor all weekend. Keep an eye on this page for the latest updates. Also make sure to check out TFW2005 for Transformers, TokuNation for Power Rangers, and HissTank for G.I. Joe! Below, find all stories tagged with Toy fair from this year. Most will be from the event, with a handful of items leading up to the show as well.
Toyark
Toyark Toy Fair 2020 complete list All Links!
TFW2005
TokuNation
HissTank
HISSTANK received the opportunity to visit the Jada booth at New York Toy Fair 2020, to take a look at their upcoming lineup of diecast G.I. Joe vehicles and metal figurines.
Smaller size class vehicles came in 3-packs. We were able to see Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank, G.I. Joe Snow Cat and V.A.M.P. on the show display.
Larger vehicles were in single packs. So far it was the H.I.S.S. Tank and the V.A.M.P.
We may see more vehicles in the future. But a release date is unavailable at the moment.
In addition to the vehicles, Jada is offering a G.I. Joe line based on their Nano Metal Figurines brand. Duke and Snake Eyes were available from the Joe side with Cobra Commander (hooded), Storm Shadow, Destro and The Baroness available so far from the Cobra side. Characters were based on their ARAH counterparts.
While pack assortments were not specified at the time, these figurines usually come in single packs, 5-packs, all the way up to 20-packs and sometimes packed in with larger vehicles. Therefore, we are likely to see more characters down the line; especially considering the fact that only two Joe team members were present as samples.
Jada, as always, is maintaining their superb quality. This was evident by their vehicle line (figurines were unpainted prototypes). We wished to show the lineup to our members but alas, were hindered by a ‘No Photography’ rule.
Nevertheless, we were grateful for the opportunity and wish Jada, the best.
DESTRO reported from the frontlines. Over and out.
Well, it was a rollercoaster ride but we finally have an official word. Straight from Jazwares’ own booth at Toy Fair 2020.
Confirming our report, Jazwares has indeed acquired a license to produce merchandise based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe property. But not for ‘action figures’… just ‘figures’.
HISSTANK visited the company’s booth to obtain a final answer. Jazwares confirmed to produce Domez figures based on G.I. Joe. As an example, a mockup Duke (Classified aesthetic?) was on display inside his little transparent dome.
We received no word regarding the final release date of the figures.
We were not allowed to take any photographs but we now know and knowing is… well, you know the rest.
We have received press info from Jada regarding a new lineup of diecast vehicles based on the G.I. Joe property.
Official statement:
“We are proud to be the industry leader in the car culture segment. From Scarface, our first entertainment vehicle license, to 2021’s The Batman, our fans know and trust us to create and provide an ever-growing and compelling assortment for our proprietary Hollywood Rides line.
We are excited to have product this year for Scooby-Doo, Black Widow, G.I. Joe, and Venom.”
Jada’s been delivering an amazing lineup of vehicles for Hasbro’s Transformers brand. For our namesake, we are excited to see diecast H.I.S.S. Tanks in the future.
If we take Transformers as an example, we are likely to see G.I. Joe vehicles under 1:65, 1:64, 1:32 and 1:24 size classes.
You can check out their current offerings via official Jada website. What vehicles are you most excited to see? Sound off on the thread associated with this news post.
Here are photos of the G.I. Joe classified 6″ Scale Figures on display by Hasbro at Toy Fair 2020. We have over 100 photos of the figures and other items on display at the event