JoeCanuck

*sigh*

Winners...

Where all toys go to die.

I saw the interview and it's very mixed for me.

I know everyone is raving about the greatest of Resolute and this is how G.I. Joe should be etc.  But honestly it started out with a bang and by the last few episodes it kinda fizzled.

Of course I'm sour they killed Bazooka heartlessly, but from the interview Dos Santos made sense - here's a the loveable lug dead as a door nail.  So I can understand that sacrifice for the plot. 

But for the rest of the interview I wasn't as impressed as most of the fandom:

1.  When asked about the deaths of SS, Zartan, and CC they obviously danced around the issue and gave a statement about how SE who respects life learnt a death blow, therefore it's plausible that SS who doesn't respect life might have learnt some mystic ninja life rejuv bull*&(^

TRANSLATION: If there's more Resolute, SS and Zartan aren't dead - and of course CC isn't dead because it wouldn't be Cobra without CC

- To me that hurts the whole showdown between SS/SE if SS is still alive, the impact is all lost.  To me Resolute is like the final resolution to things, and SS/SE had their showdown - move on folks.

2. Dial-Tone excuse - very poor IMHO.  Dos Santos thinks the character was a cool looking backpack and mic - umm Dos Santos my man, did you see season two of the Cartoon?  Dial-Tone was a friggin front tier character on the show.  If some things aren't broken then don't fix it.  Name the chick Helix or whatever, but there's no rational reason to name her Dial-Tone.  I bet if they portrayed SE as female in Resolute the fandom would be calling for the Directors' heads.

3. On a personal note, after seeing all 10 episodes, the Joes really needed to lose someone else, someone meaningful.  As it stands they may have killed off SS, slightly less likely but Zartan and CC may have bit the dust - by my count Cobra was down 4, Joes were down 1.  I think to get more impact to the seriousness of this show another more-high ranking Joe should have been off'd.  That way if there's a Resolute 2, the Joes have another complexity to fight for.

Just my 2 cents.

Hey peeps - I've decided to give up my carded 25th collection - I'm not appreciating it as I once was.  So please bid often =)

Bandy's 2 Massive eBay auctions!

I know, I'd make more splitting up the lot but hey if some wholesaler is interested in getting these on the cheap then it makes it easier for me too (plus listing fees for multiple auctions are insane!)

Good luck!
I'm alrigt with local pick-up too

Definitely no real surprises or big revelations in the slideshow (they save all that stuff for SDCC

Hence my plea for more pretty marketing assistants! =) But in all seriousness, it's nice to have Hasbro Canada endorse the convention but the reality is Hasbro USA controls all the business decisions, so while I can appreciate Greg trekking out there each year, there's really nothing new or surprising being brought to the table.  Hasbro Canada's still working out distribution with the big box retailers here, and they are still working out ways to allow Canadians to purchase from the online toyshop, we still wont get product in Quebec if it isn't in french, bah it's like the Q&As we do every month...same questions, same answers.

Like all previous movies before G.I. Joe we ALL should expect a glut of movie toys clogging our shelves by mid-Summer because that's what the big boxes want - that's just reality.  Any word on future new-era single carded joes after the movie?  They can't say.  Any word on Resolute expanding?  They can't say.  It's a vicious cycle.

I thought the convention centre itself was great, every year you guys keep topping yourselves!  As for feedback?

I completely understand allowing vendors 2 solid hours to sell their wares because some came from a distance, but speaking as a patron, it dragged on a bit after circling the room about 20 times.  Don't get me wrong, everyone was cordial at the show, but I did feel uncomfortable after a while seeing the same vendor every 10 mins trying to spot something I may have missed on my previous visits.

I can only suggest some activity or annoucement to break up the 2 hour session for a bit.  And this goes back to having a media-area with running cartoons as suggested above.  Patrons could watch an episode for 22 mins and hit the floor/vendors again possibly.  If a raffle could be done every hour, maybe that would be a nice alternate "break" in the proceedings.

Along the lines of media, I was disappointed not see the Movie trailer(s) running, or even G.I. Joe Resolute being showcased - but this could all be legal issues that would prevent you guys from pulling it off.  However, I believe the onus should be on Hasbro Canada themselves to get that sort of property to promote at the convention.  They had the movie toys and a big cardboard stand, but they could have had the trailers running or G.I. Joe Resolute as well - it's all promotion.

Not a suggestion, but more of a comment - I hope the 12" Joe vendor went away satisified.  He seemed like a nice guy in the brief conversation we had, but I couldn't help but notice the lack of interest in the 12" stuff.  Well he did choose to attend, and it adds more variety on the trade floor, but how do you guys feel about future 12" products at the convention?  Is there a market or are they taking up 3' 3/4" space?  Just throwing it out there - don't mean to offend anyone.

Last year there was water available, I didn't see it this year ~ but that could be the convention centre not allowing you guys to bring food products in ('cept I did see the beef jerky again).  And the convention centre would want patrons to buy from their cafeteria, so not sure how you would counter that.

Final suggestion - if it is at all possible please host the convention in Toronto, I garauntee with the right promotion your attendance numbers would skyrocket.  Toronto/Mississauga is were all the big trade shows go.

Finally I want to end on a positive -

1. Please keep inviting Mark Bellamo to the convention. I  finally had the priviledge to meet the man this year and he is fantastic.  Very approchable with a wealth of knowledge on the subject.  He's a genuine fan and it shows.  I'm equally impressed that he actually owns every single piece he writes about.  If Mark had his 2nd edition available I'm sure he would have sold out instantly - that much closer to the 10,000 unit goal.

2. It's certain Hasbro Canada is now a part of the convention.  Please tell Greg Fergeson to keep bringing pretty marketing assistants with him each year! He had two last year, not sure why he only came with one person this year (you were great Courtney!), but still - I know Hasbro Canada's hands are tied with alot of things they can't disclose or answer, so the least they can do is give us a plesant distraction =)

3. Your team's organizational skills are second to none.

crud, I was really hoping to purchase his 2nd edition on Saturday

I heard it has much more accurate info and many more pics of vehicles from different angles.

Oh well at least I get to meet the man this time.