Devil’s Due Publishing has announced a new 3 issue series being written by Larry Hama. It will delve into the origin of GI Joe itself and how the team came to form.

From the Announcement:

Chicago, IL – April 5, 2006 – This June, Devil’s Due launches the G.I. JOE franchise into the stratosphere with G.I. JOE: DECLASSIFIED #1 (of 3) (Cover A – APR063088 E, Cover B – APR063089 E). The writer that started it all, Larry Hama (G.I. JOE, Wolverine), returns to the fold this June to tell the unbelievable story of how the G.I.JOE team became the elite fighting force that they are today, in an all-new three issue limited series from DDP. In the vein of the popular SNAKE-EYES: DECLASSIFIED limited series, get the untold stories of the very beginning of the G.I. JOE saga in the 48pg, three issue, bi- monthly series illustrated by up and coming artist Pat Quinn, with a cover A by Francis Manapul (Witchblade, Tomb Raider, Necromancer), all three cover A’s will connect for one large image, and card stock vintage cover B by Tim Seeley. G.I. JOE is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).

This isn’t really a news item, but just something I noticed that I thought I would share with everyone else.

I have many items in my shopping cart on Amazon.com, mostly just waiting to be bought or there to keep an eye on. When I sign into Amazon.com, the interface notifies me of any price changes. When I logged in yesterday, I received the following message:

Important Message
Please note that the price of Transformers, Vol. 12: Matrix Quest has increased from $11.02 to $16.95 since you placed it in your Shopping Cart. Items in your cart will always reflect the most recent price displayed on their product detail pages.

For those not aware, Transformers: Matrix Quest is one of many trade paperbacks that reprint parts of the original Marvel Transformers Comic book run of 80 issues (plus headmaster mini-series). In this series a Decepticon named Thunderwing attained the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. In Transformers canon, that is pretty much all this character is known for. Consider that his 15 minutes of fame. Recently, a new series was announced by IDW that will most likely make its debut sometime in the summer. Stormbringer, it seems, will feature a return of Thunderwing to the front of Transformers comics. I think it is because of this that Matrix Quest has risen in price most likely because of the additional demand from people looking for background on the character.

The kicker, though, is that the same day I received an email in my inbox from Amazon.com with a recommendation for me. It was for Matrix Quest on the same day the price rose.

The conspiracy theorist in me arises again.

As at least one person commented, the first issue felt like a toy commercial. #2 & #3 solved that problem.
Spoilers follow.
[Read the rest of this entry…]

The first big hit for Xbox Live was FASA studios console adaptation of their hugely successful MechWarrior PC titles. Now dubbed MechAssault, it helped define the kind of gameplay Xbox Live became known for.

I see Majesco has a title called “MechAssault: Shadow War” coming to the DS. Now before I get too far ahead of myself, Rare has licensed some of their owned titles to THQ for publication on GBA, so its not without precedent. I just find the timing a little odd. Microsoft has denied up and down they’re doing a portable system, and the development in Oragami helps prove that. MechAssault 2 also kinda tanked, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft should be giving up one of its best franchises exclusivity.

Release date is set for late June 2006, but a quick google search shows no results for screenshots, announcements, etc… just pre-order pages at a dozen retailers. Is this title dead or alive? Hard to say, but if MA:SW makes it to DS, it’ll make a dandy title for online support.

L… R… L… R…
(explitive deleted)
L… R… L… R… L+R
Stupid (explitive deleted) Monkey!
L… R… L+R… L… R… L… R…

This game is worse than bad. Its BORING. High marks for graphics, as its the first time I’ve seen the Donkey Kong Country characters done as proper sprites instead of 3D models, and it looks really nice.
Main game starts out kind of good, but gets old fast. The bonus games aren’t even bonuses. One is simple called “Battle Attack!” And no matter what, they all involve racing around 3 other monkeys faster than you are.

From the 7th to the 15th to the 21st
Its only another week, but New Super Mario Brothers is something we’ve waited for very patiently and we can wait a little longer. Not like there isn’t a stack of unplayed and incomplete games here at the Shipley compound…

thx mike!

Edit: OMG, Nintendo has update their site and it says May 15 again.

Fresh in my inbox to you is another update from Brian Savage of MasterCollector with regard to a new shipping option, particularly international members.

We have found another way to ship some product to our non-US customers at a lower cost and it has been implemented into the store. It is called Global Priority Mail. This service does have some limitations. The shipment must fit into a box that is no more than 36 inches by adding length girth height. Also, the order cannot be over 4 lbs.

For example a 1 lb package to the United Kingdom via surface mail is $24.25 and takes 4-6 weeks.

The same package via airmail is $16.75 and takes 7-10 days.

The same package via Global Priority is $10.50 and takes 4-6 days.

I know, it doesn’t seem to make much sense but that’s the USPS rates and delivry standards.

We hope that this lowers some of the foreign shipments costs. It won’t work for all orders as the items are tool large or the order will be 100 heavy. We think it will work for the bulk of your orders.

Make sure you check the store each week at transformersclub.com/shop to see what the new items in stock an the weekly specials!

Thanks for your support,

Brian
=======================================

[UPDATE:

Plesae note that in my last email I had a typo. The dimensions that limite this type of foreign mail is length + width (not girth) + height. This must be 36 inches or less. About 70-80 per cent of the products will fit into this area, but not all of them.

Its kinda funny how this email was a correction for a typo in the last email, yet the first word of this one has a typo in it too.
-CRAZY]

Figures.com has posted an interview today with Four Horsemen fabricator H. Eric ‘CORNBOY’ Mayse. The interview isn’t very long at all and covers what goes into fabrication and what might be fabricated in a toy or its accessories. An interesting read for anyone who likes to know what goes on in the making of toys.

As a small side note about the interview, figures.com is witnessing him work on a figure sculpted by Eric Treadway that cannot be commented on. This might be the SDCC 2006 Exclusive. As you can see here, it appears that the following information is known about the figure:

Originally Posted by FOUR HORSEMEN
???? 2006 SDCC/WWC exclusive Mini-Statue (ET/ )

ET stands for Eric Treadaway and it looks like the fabricator is not listed yet. I’ll be honest though, I can’t find where that poster found this information. This is all just a conspiracy theory by me anyhow. Nearly all the figures are sculpted by either Eric or Chris Dahlberg, if I’m not mistaken.