****** GI JOE 3 3/4" NEWSLETTER ****** Issue #9 August 6, 1997 http://webusers.anet-stl.com/~stinson/joehq Editor: Corey Stinson Contributing editor: Benjamin Thomas Contributing editor: John Kukman Webmaster: Corey Stinson Hello and welcome to another newsletter! This issue marks one full year that we've been "in business". I wish I could say that we put out a newsletter each month last year, but who knows what the future will hold. I know I promised the results of the Newsletter HQ survey this time around but due to problems with the software I've written to compile the results they'll have to be deferred until the next issue. This issue introduces new fan-fiction author/contributor John Kukman! Ben Thomas is still with us as well and will be gracing us with his next installment of fan-fiction soon. Don't miss the complete information on the re-introduction of of GI Joe 3 3/4" this fall... all in this issue. Table of contents: ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. GI Joe 3 3/4" Fall 1997 Re-introduction 2. News Bits 3. Oktober Guard Fanzine Now Available! 4. New Fan Fiction from John Kukman 5. Joseph Colton Promotional Flyer Contest Winners Announced 6. GI Joe "Action Force" Comic Contest 7. Caring For Your Blueprints & Filecards 8. Other 3 3/4" News 9. Subscription Info ======================================================================== GI JOE 3 3/4" FALL 1997 RE-INTRODUCTION Those of you already subscribed to the newsletter for awhile have received a special news bulletin about the GI Joe 3 3/4" re-introduction this fall, but there is some additional information in this article so check it out. Hasbro gave a seminar announcing the return of 3 3/4" Joe at the GI Joe convention in San Jose, CA held at the beginning of July. The re-introduction items will be a Toys R Us exclusive only! They are going into production as you read this and are expected to hit TRU shelves during the Christmas rush (bleeach!). Eugene Son spoke with Karen Lehman (GI Joe marketing director for Hasbro) at the San Diego, CA Comic Convention. Among other things she mentioned that TRU plans to make GI Joe an endpiece item and therefore will not be selling in limited quantities. Griffin Bacal, the ad agency that spearheaded the original 1982 release of G.I.Joe will be proposing 1998 ad campaigns. All initial items as listed below will be repaints of old GI Joe 3 3/4" items. The paint schemes on the prototypes are said to be highly detailed. Here is the list of items that Toys R Us will carry (thanks go out to Thomas Wheeler for bringing us this information back from the San Jose GI Joe Convention): ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ G.I.JOE 3 3/4" FIGURES THREE-PACKS: Snake-Eyes (v2), Storm Shadow (v1), Lady Jaye Cobra Commander (v1), Destro (probably v1), Baroness (v1) Snow Job, Iceberg, Frostbite (note: Blizzard was shown as the third figure at the convention but this has since been changed, *however*, the figure's name will be Blizzard since it was apparently too late to change packaging layouts before going to production.) G.I.JOE 3 3/4" SMALL VEHICLE PACKS (carded): Night Landing Raft with Torpedo (v1) Silver Mirage Motorcycle with Duke (v1) Cobra Flight Pod (Trubble Bubble) with Cobra Viper (v1) G.I.JOE MEDIUM-SIZED VEHICLES: G.I.Joe Slugger with Gung-Ho Cobra Rage with Alley-Viper (note: Firefly was shown at the convention but this has since been changed.) G.I. JOE LARGE VEHICLE: G.I.Joe A-10 (formerly the Cobra Rattler) with Ace (v2) and General Hawk G.I.JOE "STARS & STRIPES FOREVER" SET: Large Boxed Set with eight of the original Joes, including Scarlett, Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Rock & Roll, Flash, Breaker, Zap, and Short-Fuze. Set also includes a base and an American Flag. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Hasbro representatives brought prototype models to the convention seminar which were photographed by attendees. The Newsletter HQ hopes to have pictures on-line soon. The Cobra Island Toy News web page has a collage picture of some of the new items online, the URL is: . The August issue of Tomart's Action Figure Digest has a page of color photographs of the new items. ======================================================================== NEWS BITS Please note that the Newsletter Headquarters WWW page has moved. The new URL is . GI Joe - The Movie has been re-released in the larger "clamshell" case packaging. It is available in Canada but I am unsure of U.S. availability at this time. Something to keep an eye open for. Simona, the Italian Baroness, has graced Conor Malone's web page with some original GI Joe artwork. Enrico Teotti also has a new Cobra Desktop Theme (for Windows 95) there. Check it out in the multimedia area at . Eugene Son has made a lot of updates to the GI Joe archive web page. If you haven't visited lately you should . M.A.R.S. (Destro's armaments research organization) is now on the WWW courtesy of Ian Major, featuring photos of many GI Joe vehicles and more. Visit it at . Brian Mulholland has a Compendium of Corrections for the DeSimone loose figure collector's guide volume I and II. The guide is twenty pages of corrections, clarifications, and additional facts. Contact him at for ordering information. No 3 3/4" Joe collector should be without this. The DeSimone loose Joe Collector's Guide Vol. I has been updated to correct some of the mistakes that were made. For example, the glaring Sky Patrol figure name error has been fixed. To the best of my knowlege photographic errors were not fixed. Regardless, it would be wise to have Brian Mulholland's Compendium of Corrections as a companion to the DeSimone guides. Ted Isaacs, renowned for (among other things) his fantastic collection of foreign-made 3 3/4" GI Joes, has an article in the July issue of White's Guide to Collecting Figures. It's the issue with a white tiger Beanie Baby on the front. It's about a three page article with a few pictures. The article discusses the Joes put out in Brazil by Estrela. Let's hear a big round of applause for Thomas Wheeler, who's custom 3 3/4" GI Joe figures took 1st prize as the recent San Jose, CA GI Joe convention. *clap* *clap* :) ======================================================================== OKTOBER GUARD FANZINE NOW AVAILABLE! Have you always been a fan of the Oktober Guard characters from the GI Joe comic? Fan or not, you should defintely check out Thomas Wheeler's fanzine tribute to the Oktober Guard. It's 32 pages of Oktober Guard history, extensive profiles extrapolated from their various appearances (with their names in both English and Russian!), a showcase of the customized Oktober Guard figures Thomas created, and a special look at a sketch of an unproduced Hall of Fame Red Star uniform set and a few paragraphs from G.I.Joe writer Larry Hama about the background of the Guard! If interested, please e-mail for price and ordering info. As with Thomas' Barracks fanzine series, expect a high- quality book - professionally produced and at an excellent price. ======================================================================== NEW FAN FICTION FROM JOHN KUKMAN Hello, GI Joe fanatics! I asked Corey to include this story in his next newsletter. I'm a huge fan of GI Joe, I have been since the conception of the top secret team of commandos. I read the comics from #1, always admiring Larry Hama's ability to write a good, realistic story despite Hasbro's deviation. I felt that Marvel and Hasbro left us cold, and ended the storyline abruptly. I wanted to add my own history to the mythos. I always felt that there needed to be an ending. A story that ended the Delta Force team's story, and paved the way for the silly escapades of GI Joe Extreme. I want explain the fall of our country, and how the GI Joe team stood between the army of Cobra, and the USA. Right up until the end. Sounds a little dark, doesn't it? It is. The team went away, many have been assassinated outright, or died in mysterious accidents. Security got loose, and a lot of good soldiers paid the price. Hawk has tried to prove GI Joe's neccessity, but his impossible missions continue to end in failure. Finally, in a last ditch effort, he constructs a plan to revive the team's status. Cobra is onto him, and his time is running out. My story follows the resurrection of the team, and the final days of the Cobra empire. If you show enough interest, maybe you'll get the first chapter next newsletter. Still not convinced? Well, here's a little appetizer I wrote. A story about the final mission of the GI Joe team. Several key players die. I know that some of you will be upset at my choices. It's okay, I'll make it up to you with the rest of the story. Anyway, as I said, the final mission follows, as told by one of GI Joe 2000's main characters: Destro. PROLOGUE- UP TO SPEED "Step up here, Lord Destro," the computer operator instructed, "we are going to pick your brain." James McCullen Destro XXIV scanned the room from the platform. It was a well-lit laboratory located deep within some Black Ops headquarters. Even though he had been blindfolded, he had realized that they were actually quite a ways from Washington. "Just Destro, Scanner. I no longer have that title." The young man looked sharply at the weapon supplier. "I'm privy to all kinds of top secret, sir, not to mention that my uncle served with you during his time at the Chaplain's Motor Pool. Even if our government doesn't recognize you in an official capacity, I sure as hell do." After a pause he added "Lord Destro." "Fine." Destro smiled. Destro knew that Scanner's uncle had been code-named Mainframe. Destro also recognized the Chaplain's Motor Pool as the official cover for the Delta Force Special Operations Unit, G.I.Joe. "What shall we talk about today?" "Well, brass wants a full report of your involvement from the dissolving of DeFSO, in as much detail as possible." He pointed to a helmet-like device on the equipment in front of him. "But today, you have to wear that." When the hacker saw the mild look of surprise, he reassured him. "It isn't actually the brainwave scanner you've been assaulted by." Destro raised an eyebrow inquisitively, "How so, Corporal, how is it different?" A brainwave scanner not unlike the one before him had made a fool of him not so long ago, and the cost had been high. The thought saddened Destro. Yes, the cost had been high. He snapped out of his daze, and Scanner was in mid-sentence, "...several modifications, it just reads thought patterns as they are directed, it doesn't actually extract them." "All right, my boy, I'll wear the blasted thing." He strapped the machine on his head and laid back into the chair he had been setting on during these interviews. For six weeks, off and on, he had assisted the government in recreating documentation that had been lost in a terrorist campaign last year. It had been known to espionage agents around the world as one of the most daring escapades of intelligence warfare ever accomplished. Destro also knew that weapons and technology used by the terrorists bared serial numbers and markings from M.A.R.S., the weapons manufacturer owned by Destro's family. The thought caused a burning sensation to singe his knees, making him painfully aware of the ultra- light exoskeleton he wore under his uniform. At least I can walk again, he thought, then aloud, he stated "All right, let's do it." "Okay, I'm getting a picture. Focus on one thing in your mind. Hmmm, I want you to think about the last sunset that you saw, can you do that?" Destro noticed that the helmet was modified so that the wearer could see the screen. When he saw that sunset, he smiled. The machine made the memory almost as vivid as the actual event. He could even smell the air of that sunset. No, this machine was not the ransacking brainwasher that Dr. Mindbender had recreated. In fact, if something like this could find its way to the public, a man could make millions..."Sir, I'm losing the shot, you need to stay focused on the item, or I won't get a clear view. We only want you to show us what you want to show us, but we hope it will be as accurate as possible." "Where do you want me to start?" The horrors of war had left plenty of black thoughts in his head, he would do what he could to keep them out, but he wasn't totally sure that it was possible. Scan-ner looked at the papers in front of him. "Hmmm... Let's start with the last time you saw the covert operative known as Snake Eyes." "On a personal level?" The question seemed to startle the trooper, but he went on. "No, the last time you met him in combat." Destro felt the gloom rest on his face, and noted that Scanner saw it as well." That, my friend, is a different matter entirely..." So much of what had happened that previous year was a blur. I know now that the implants given to Zartan and I were direct brainwashing. I had declared myself a Cobra, and aligned myself as such. There were others, too. The operative Storm Shadow, whose past had intertwined with Snake-Eyes' since the Vietnam War, had been a victim of the brainwave scanner. Cobra Commander's son, Billy, who had rallied against Cobra regularly, was changed as well. But none meant more to me than the Baroness DeCobray. I loved her so much that I forced her to take the treatment, she became Cobra as well. Cobra Commander let us see plenty of combat for him, and the battles were consistent victories. Little by little, The United States Government tightened their leash on the GI Joe team, and we gained more power. When the order was issued to disband the GI Joe team, the Commander was ecstatic. He was clear to pull off his most daring and massive offensive- he planned to kidnap the President. As insane as it sounds, the plan should have worked. I say should because we did not realize that Hawk, the leader of the GI Joe team at that time, had suspected such a play. He assembled the most competent of his team on what would be the GI Joe team's final mission. Hawk allowed us to get into the White House before he made his play. I should mention two things, I suppose, that are probably relevant. Both have to do with the affects of the brainwave scanner. The first is my Baroness. You see, she had become terrorist out of pure hatred. She believed that an American had shot her unarmed brother, and devoted her life to destroying the country. When she learned the truth, that it had been a Vietnamese gun-runner, she lost her reason to hate. The scanner gave her that reason, and she had grown bitter and hateful. The second notable thing is about Storm Shadow. Rumor had it that he had actually physically died once. Some ninja power allowed him a rebirth, fueled with pure DNA from the pool that developed the Serpentor project, and Snake Eyes' forgiveness gave him 'purpose'. The scanner took the focus away. At first, it was unnoticeable, but after some time, his eyes took a glaze that, to be quite honest, I have only seen on a corpse. His movements were still crisp and precise, but he was different- and as cold as a fish, That mentioned, we had infiltrated the White House. Zartan and Storm Shadow stood on either side of the Commander as he walked to the oval office. Firefly set a charge on the door. When it blew, the Baroness and I took point, barging into the office, guns at the ready. Zartan and Storm Shadow followed. Cobra Commander entered the room as the smoke cleared. It was at this time that I realized that we had been set up. On each side of the door stood Duke and Roadblock, flanking the desk was Flint and Lady Jaye. In front of the desk stood Scarlett and Snake Eyes. The most interesting part happened when the President's chair spun around. Hawk sat with his hands folded in the seat, and locked eyes with the Commander. Everything stopped. I look back on that moment with some reverence. Hawk had taken blow after blow, losing battles on a regular basis. The final blow would have been the dissolving of G.I.Joe. What fools we were. Cobra Commander had underestimated General Abernathy. In those seconds, the victor was clear. Cobra may have won many battles, but G.I.Joe won the war. It was then that I noticed the 9mm Hawk pointed at the Commander. The silence was deafening. The moment ended when the Baroness fired a burst of 7.62 at Duke. Her fire was returned from behind the desk, Flint's 12 gauge shotgun found its mark, and she folded to the floor. Something inside of me snapped. It was as if a light flicked on in my head. I fell to my knees beside her, and took her limp form into my arms. Zartan had jumped to Snake Eyes, and Storm Shadow to Scarlett. I saw Firefly jerk Cobra Commander back out the door. Snake Eyes used some of that ninja voodoo on Zartan, and he dropped as if dead. Scarlett screamed, and the room fell still again. I will never forget that moment. I had seen Hawk, Duke and Roadblock go after Cobra Commander, and I knew that outside, in those hallways, a firefight not unlike the Cobra Civil War had erupted. But in that room, where treaties were signed, and declarations of war were made, it was dead silent. Snake Eyes let Zartan fall to the floor, and turned to Storm Shadow, who stood over Scarlett's lifeless body. I dully remember the fighting outside stopping, and soldiers cheering. Storm Shadow stood ready as Snake Eyes pulled his own mask off, revealing a scar that ran far deeper than his flesh. But those eyes flashed like a killer's, and then back to saneness again. He stared deep into Storm Shadows eyes, and he whispered one word, the first word I had ever heard him speak- "Tommy...". I suppose that he was looking past those eyes and into his brother's very soul, but he must have found what he was looking for, as that shift in his eyes happened again. Storm Shadow must have felt it, too, and he launched for an attack. Snake Eyes' calmly flicked out his sword, side-stepped, and drove it deep into the other ninja's midsection. As he dropped to the floor, he whispered something... he said "Thank you...brother", and died. Snake Eyes loomed there for a moment, between the slain bodies of the two people he loved most in the world, and through my own tears, I saw water flow steadily from his cold blue eyes. He sheathed the clan sword of the Arishikage and walked out of the room and out of the White House. He never looked back. I suppose I knew at that moment the amount of blood on my hands. Not physically. It was me that had brought the Baroness back into Cobra, me that had delivered the plan to re-use Storm Shadow, and me that had supplied the weapons to this madman from the beginning. All of this death- because of me...' "That is all." Destro spoke quietly, but made no attempt to hide the tears on his face. Scanner put another disc into the control box. "That was something, Lord Destro," he whispered, "but I'm afraid there's more." Destro spoke louder, recovering his posture "Very well, soldier, what is the next subject?" The specialist dropped his eyes, as if thinking, then made his request. "I need to know about the accident, the one that crippled you. And how it led to Lady Destro's takeover of the company your family has run for over a century." Destro smiled bitterly. "All right, Scanner, let me know when you are ready." The computer tech typed at his keyboard. "Anytime." I had agreed to help the United States on various projects to allow my release to my countrymen. I had thrown myself fully into Cobra's affairs and had lost contact with my castle. During my absence, I had left General Voltar in charge of my own army and affairs. Voltar was known as a cold-blooded battlefield tactician, and I had no qualms about his sojourn as commander of the Destro estate. The other part of my operations, the corporation MARS, my weapons industry, had been under the control of my younger cousin, Kora. Kora is a certified genius, having graduated from Yale 2nd in her class. She had earned a doctorate in business management and political science, and a handful of Bachelor's degrees in various courses. I had been extremely proud of her, and allowed her the seat of CEO of MARS, not that I can think of anyone who could have academically beat her out of it. Allow me to mention that she was called heartless and cold, even by family standards. Her business acumen made her shrewd and unpredictable. I should have seen the change in her priorities. I returned from a trip to the States and could not find Voltar. I discounted his absence, figuring that he had probably had to go out of country. I did not bother to go to my office. My room was on a top floor, and I went directly there. It troubled me that I had announced my arrival, and no one had greeted me. I opened my door and went inside. The door locked as it shut. I turned and saw Kora, next to the bed, wearing a costume identical to mine, but tailored to fit her. My eyes moved to her right hand, which held a silenced Walther PPK. "Welcome home, cousin." She grinned with a sly twist of her lips. "Kora, what is going on?" I asked calmly. "Well," she purred this word like a cat, and finished with the same coy voice, "I had a visitor while you were gone, a, shall we say, reptilian ally." "He is no ally of mine." I said coolly. She continued. "No, but he is an ally of this corporation, you moron." I despised the way she was speaking to me, this seemed to amuse her. "You see, Voltar and I have decided to join Cobra." For some reason she motioned to the bed, and the pile of covers on it. Had she seduced my most trusted soldier? I asked to myself, then aloud "He would never betray me." She yawned "Ah, I suppose you are right, good thing I didn't actually ask him." With that, she flung back the covers and giggled. There, in the middle of my bed, was the head of my liege. I winced. She explained how she had told the troops that Voltar and I had abandoned them, that she would protect and lead them. Several argued that she was not fit. She had challenged them to pick their best fighter, the one who should lead, and if she could take him, she demanded their services. They agreed, and she beat the challenger. She not only beat him, but beheaded him in the arena. The troops, of course, would have followed her into hell after that display. She explained that we were going to take a flight, and I would eject, but the chute would not open, and I would die. "One more thing," she added, "the mask, I want it." That night, we left in a Rattler Mk IV. She rode in the aft turret, so that she could keep the cannons pointed at my head. It was built so that if the pilot were to take a hit, the gunner could land the plane. I would eject, she said, and she would return with a story of how I had tried to fly her to America for her to stand trial. But, she would explain, I had not unloaded the aft turret of its ammo, and she shot me in the head. As we flew over the mountains, She explained that she would even tell them I no longer wore the mask, and had fully joined the Americans. If I survived, and was discovered by Iron Grenadiers, I would be shot as a traitor. She was brilliant, I will give her that.' Destro laughed dryly and took a sip of the water he was given. "By my family betrayed." He looked up at Scanner, who seemed mesmerized by the story. "Please, go on." Destro closed his eyes. "The birth of Lady Destro, part one." He chuckled softly and continued the story. 'We had flown for what seemed like hours. It was dawn, the sun was sending it's red and orange glow across the snow-covered slopes. What a good day to die, I thought to myself. "Here," she said, "this looks nice." I heard her strap the oxygen mask over her face. "Good bye, my dear sweet cousin." She hit the eject button, and I felt the sudden acceleration and depressurization as it fired me into the air. I nearly blacked out as I reached the peak of the ejector's thrusters. I heard the blast that would have opened the parachute. Yes, she was extremely efficient. I unstrapped myself from the seat, letting the heavier object fall faster. I watched the ground come closer and maneuvered myself over a small body of water, just off the tundra. I really don't remember hitting the ground. I do remember coming to. The sound of a dog howling woke me with a start. Instinctively, I jerked. The pain was tremendous. I noticed then that my legs were a splintered mass of bone and flesh. It took an enormous amount of concentration to keep from crying out. I was alone and unarmed, but this place seemed familiar. A dark red cloud began to cover my vision as I noticed the shadow that had come over me. I leaned back to see my assassin, but instead I realized he was making a sled to pull me with. When he leaned over me, I noticed that I recognized him, his long blond hair and beard covered the scar, but it was him- the agent known as Snake Eyes.' Scanner nearly choked. "Snake Eyes? But, none of this was in the original files. Why are you revealing it now?" Destro took the helmet off. "When I originally came here, I figured one day I would return to my home. Kora made it clear that I would not return home- ever. I think that no one over there even knows I am alive. I hope to keep it that way for a while. Major Fairborne has given me a home here, and I have returned to doing what I enjoy. The weapons and gadgets I build are used only by the GI Joe team. This is my redemption, and I plan to make the very most of it." Scanner looked over the file. There was a hissing noise as the door opened. A tall man with a patch on his left eye and gray streaks in his otherwise coal black hair walked through the door. The door slid shut behind him. Destro stood and sketched a salute. "Flint." The colonel saluted back. "Destro." The famous lop- sided grin crossed his face. "How is the 'interrogation' going?" Destro folded his hands behind his back. "Quite well, I believe." Scanner had taken a peculiar interest in his computer screen. Flint stared at the computer operator, who did not notice. "It seems as though we've had an accident." "Oh?" Destro asked, noticing Scanner's fingers typing steadily. "Yes," Flint continued, "very disturbing actually. It seems that someone has been attempting to bounce semi-frequencies on a Cobra channel. Very strange." Destro nodded, "Yes, very strange indeed, peculiar, if I may." Flint nodded. "Yes, peculiar even. Not so strange as what was found in a dumpster this morning." Destro shifted his weight. "Is that so?" Flint nodded, his face getting serious. "Well, if you would call the body of one Corporal Dannet, code named: Scanner, strange, then yes, it is so." The Scanner that had been working the keyboard jumped from his chair and spun around. He was holding a Glock- 19. "Get back, both of you," he shouted "This is too sweet. I kill the traitor and the mad dog." Flint's smile returned. "Mad dog? I am touched." "You are a dead man!" He pulled the trigger. click!. Again. click! He stared at the gun as if it had spoken to him, then pulled the slide back and fired again. click! Destro walked up to him and took jerked the pistol from the Cobra agent. His free hand slapped the assassin across the face. "Next time, young man, you may want to check this." He turned the gun over, showing the empty magazine slot. He opened his other hand, revealing the loaded magazine. "But... how?" Destro grimaced. "You fool. No one does a debriefing alone. I could have decided to kill you." The agent looked down. "That's all right. I'll just use THIS!" from his sleeve dropped a small automatic, he had not raised it when the top of his head exploded. There had not been a sound. Destro turned to see the silenced Berretta in Flint's hand smoking. Destro handed him the Glock and its magazine. Flint holstered his own pistol and took the weapon. Flint flashed the smile. "All in a day's work." Destro couldn't help but smile as he walked out of the room. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ That's it. If you love it, hate it, or have a comment or suggestion, I want to hear it. I need the feedback. I'll answer all of it. It's a different path then most would have taken, my own little 'What If...?'. So drop me a line at my address: . Thanks! ======================================================================== JOSEPH COLTON PROMOTIONAL FLYER CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED The first GI Joe 3 3/4" Newsletter contest with the Joseph Colton mail-in promotional flyer is over. Winning contestants have already received their prizes. Here are the results: There were a total of 18 contest entries. Of those, seven contestants answered all survey questions correctly, they were: *Carin Reddig *Thomas Wheeler *Shane McClellan *Nathaniel Duncan Mike Scotto John Padilla Bruce Cole Since there were only four prizes, names were drawn. The four individuals who have their name preceded by an '*' were drawn and won the prize. A hearty "Yo Joe!" to everyone who aced the contest! There were also several contestants who answered everything correctly but forgot to give Chun-Li's name on question 5. The editor regrets that this question was tricky, even though he promised there were no trick questions. Since Chun-Li never appeared in the GI Joe comic or cartoon this made the the question more difficult than intended. For the record Enrique Parades, Gary DeVoe, Andrei Kowaluk, and Craig Byrne all answered everything correctly but for Chun-Li on question 5. They, and those that did not make the 1st prize in the winner's drawing, all received a little "something" in the mail in the way of thanks for particpating. A big "Yo Joe!" to everyone who gave it a shot. Thanks, and I hope you'll try again on this issue's contest! And now, the contest questions and their answers: ************************************************************************ * 1. Name the first GI Joe 3 3/4" mail-in promotion figure. ************************************************************************ Answer: Cobra Commander (straight-arm helmeted version) ************************************************************************ * 2. Name the first GI Joe 3 3/4" figure that had drastically less * articulation than his/her comrades (hint: there were only two * points of articulation on the whole figure!) ************************************************************************ Answer: Deep Six (version one, from the SHARC vehicle) ************************************************************************ * 3. Name the first GI Joe 3 3/4" figure that came with an animal * companion. ************************************************************************ Answer: Spirit w/ Freedom -or- Mutt w/ Junkyard -or- both were correct ************************************************************************ * 4. Name the first GI Joe 3 3/4" figure that was a real-life * celebrity. ************************************************************************ Answer: Sgt. Slaughter ************************************************************************ * 5. Name all of the female GI Joe characters that appeared between * 1982 and 1994 (remember: Cobras and other included!) ************************************************************************ Answer: Scarlett, Cover Girl, Baroness, Lady Jaye, Zarana, Jinx, and Chun-Li (several forgot Chun-Li, see comments above) ************************************************************************ * A. Who is your favorite GI Joe character? (No right or wrong answer * here, but I'd like to know. I'll be compiling the results for * Newsletter Issue #9.) ************************************************************************ I had a surprising variety of answers here. They were: Snake-Eyes (5 votes among his various incarnations), Red Star, Big Ben, Roadblock (2 votes), Big Bear, Predacon, Airtight, Flash, Breaker, Destro, Duke (2 votes), Sgt. Slaughter (2 votes!!), Grunt, Airborne, Lt. Falcon, Hawk, Firefly, Beach Head (2 votes), and Lady Jaye. ======================================================================== GI JOE "ACTION FORCE" COMIC CONTEST Announcing a new contest for this issue of the Newsletter! This contest hopes to promote interest in a lesser-known series of GI Joe comics released in magazine-format, bi-weekly, and exclusively in England under the Action Force name. This series had original cover artwork, original stories and art, and also reprinted parts of GI Joe and GI Joe Special Missions stories. The prize for this contest will be the first five issues of the Action Force comic! There are five second prizes which are various early issues of the Tales of GI Joe comic book. Here are the contest rules/information: 1) Contest starts as of the time you read this. 2) Contest ends September 1, 1997. 3) You must answer *all* questions on the contest form (below) and submit your contest entry to the editor at 4) Your humble editor will judge contest entries for correct answers. 5) You may submit as many contest entries as you want, but only your most recent entry will be judged. 6) When the contest ends, all 100% correct contest entries will be placed into a hat. One winner will be drawn from those names. Five(????) more names will be drawn for second prize winners. 7) Winners will be notified immediately and sent their prize via US mail. 8) Results of the contest including names of the winners will be posted in GI Joe 3 3/4" Newsletter Issue #10. 9) This contest is open to all subscribers including non-US residents. You must be a subscriber to the GI Joe 3 3/4" Newsletter to participate. GI Joe 3 3/4" Newsletter is not responsible for lost contest entries, etc, blah blah blah. 10) Any questions? Contact the editor by email at Below is the contest form. I recommend that you "cut n' paste" the form into your favorite email software, fill out all the questions, then send the completed form to the editor at email address . Please specify "CONTEST" on the subject line of your email. -----------[CONTEST FORM STARTS HERE]----------- Notes: Answers to all questions below can be found in one of GI Joe comic issues #1 - #155, Special Mission #1 - #28, or Yearbook #1-4. Each question is designed to have a relatively short answer but clarify your answers as much as you feel required. Some questions ask for two pieces of information, be sure you answer both. Dig out those comics everyone!! ************************************************************************ * 1. In which issue was a clear link between Snake-Eyes and Storm * Shadow first established? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 2. In the Oktober Guard's first appearance, what was their mission/ * assignment? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 3. Who did Stalker and Snake-Eyes unexpectedly meet at the Vietnam * Memorial in Washington, D.C. and why was he/she there? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 4. How was the Hard Master killed and by who? * How was the Soft Master killed and by who? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 5. Why did Cobra trick the Joes into causing a large explosion on * the sea floor in the Gulf of Mexico? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 6. What frightening experience caused Rock n' Roll, Clutch, and * Breaker to crash the car they were driving on vacation? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 7. Where did Scarlett, disguised as the Baroness, walk Storm Shadow * and Snake Eyes away from a line of Cobras (with guns at the ready) * and to an escape? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 8. What did the Baroness think Snake-Eyes did that caused her to * hate him (and the world) so much? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 9. Who invented the brainwave scanner? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 10. What was GI Joe and the Oktober Guard looking for when they were * captured by river pirates? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 11. Who did Cobra Commander's son Billy attempt to assasinate during * a Cobra rally in Springfield? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * 12. How did the Baroness get severely injured and where did she * receive medical treatement/recuperate from her injuries? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * A. What is your favorite GI Joe comic issue? (There is no right or * wrong answer for this question, I'd just like to know. I'll * compile all the responses and list them in the next Newsletter!) ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * B. What is your full email address? ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************ * C. What is your full postal (snail-mail) address? ************************************************************************ ------------[CONTEST FORM ENDS HERE]------------ Good luck and have fun! ======================================================================== CARING FOR YOUR BLUEPRINTS AND FILECARDS I don't know about you but I always meticulously held on to all the filecards that came with my GI Joe figures and the blueprints that came with my vehicles. For some reason though, I never extended to these items the storage care that I afforded my figures and vehicles. I left my blueprints in the bottom of a box and my filecards in recipe boxes. The recipe boxes were really a little _too_ small for GI Joe filecards and over the years removing and inserting filecards from these boxes began to take its toll. I recently found a great way to organize and protect my filecards and blueprints and make them easier to find when needed. For vehicle blueprints you can go to your favorite retail store and pick up a large three-ring binder and some of those 8.5" x 11" plastic sheet protectors designed to be put in binders. All of the GI Joe blueprints will fit in these sheet protectors. Many blueprints are already 8.5" x 11" and fit nicely. Others usually fit fine when folded once or twice along their normal folds. I was able to store all of my blueprints this way without any abnormal folding and by organizing them alphabetically (or however you like) they're much easier to find when you need them. I'd like to thank Mike Scotto for introducing me to this method. You can store your filecards in a similar manner. Again, pick up a large three-ring binder. Then get some plastic photograph holder sheets. The ones that seem to work best are approximately 8.5" x 11" and have four pockets for 3.5" x 5"-sized items. These sheets will hold any of the GI Joe filecards from 1982-1993. The trading card-sized filecards introduced in 1994 are best stored in baseball card/trading card protector sheets. Everything you need is commonly available at retail and office supply stores. I did have some trouble tracking down the photograph holder sheets (with the four 3.5" x 5" pockets) and ended up ordering them from Quill. (Write me at if you want the Quill item number.) For best protection give your filecards and blueprints the same treatement comic collectors have been giving their comics for years. Choose acid-free polypropylene storage sheets if possible. Long live your filecards and blueprints! ======================================================================== OTHER 3 3/4" NEWS S.T.A.R. Force 3 3/4" figures from Lanard Toys, mentioned in the last issue of the Newsletter, have been very recently released at K-Mart stores across the U.S. They are available on carded two-packs and in a seven figure set with two space sleds. There are six figures available so one figure is duplicated in the seven-pack. The two-packs are $2.99, the seven-pack is $8.99. The S.T.A.R. Force figures are (very nice) repaints of the line previously known as Lazer Force. The cardbacks show that the Lanard figures known previously as Bio-Wing Battle Squadron are to be repainted for S.T.A.R. Force as well. The S.T.A.R. Force vehicles mentioned by Lanard (personell carrier, transport shuttle, and land rover) are not available anywhere yet. Lanard will be doing a humvee and a Cobra helicopter for the Corps! line. At this time it is unknown when these items will be released. ======================================================================== SUBSCRIPTION INFO Currently all subscriptions, unsubscriptions, and e-mail address changes are being handled manually. If you require one of the above simply send a message to the editor at requesting such. Did you miss an issue or did your issue get trashed? Just let the editor know and we'll correct the situation immediately! Don't forget - all back issues are archived on the Newsletter web page.