Yet again we plumb the depths of our ample video bounty from ToyLanta to bring you one of the panel discussions. ToyLanta (incorporating JoeLanta, Botlanta and The Great Atlanta Toy Convention) happened March 11-12, 2017. An informative panel about a topic that not a lot of GI Joe collectors are aware of was the Super Joe panel. 2017 marks forty years since Hasbro’s failed “Hail Mary” idea of shrinking GI Joe down to nearly MEGO size and repositioning him as a super hero with science fiction based enemies.
On this panel we find Steve Stovall and Steve Druin, Super Joe enthusiasts who have collaborated on the comic book insert for a new set limited-run outfit and equipment set produced by Druin, and Greg Brown of Cotswold Collectibles. Stovall maintains the Super Joe 3D website, which is loaded with cool information about this overlooked part of GI Joe history. This is a great resource for folks who want to learn more about Super Joe.
There is cross-pollination between this panel and the Loco Por Bonecos panel we posted earlier. Felipe Monaco, on that panel, explains how much of the Brazillian Falcon line of 12″ figures was derived from the 8″ Super Joe concepts. Greg explains how Cotswold Collectibles came to carry Felipe’s Super Joe-style outfits, and how that spurred an interest in creating 12″ versions of the Super Joe figures (an interest that has spread to the Official GI Joe Collectors Club, who are releasing their own 12″ versions of Super Joe).
Check PopCult regularly because we’ll be posting all the panels we recorded all week long. Next up: Larry Hama, creator of GI Joe: A Real American Hero, talks about his career in comics, toys and on Broadway, and takes questions from the audience.
ToyLanta happens every March in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s not too early to find out about next year’s show. Visit ToyLanta for early details on how you can be part of the coolest toy show in the South. Plus you can check out their Facebook page.
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