2008 JoeCon: Hasbro Panel Day 2

Here are highlights from today's Hasbro Panel at the 2008 G.I.Joe convention.

- The panel starts off with Hasbro showing off a 1 minute preview of a new animated G.I.Joe cartoon that will debut next year as web-episodes on Hasbro's G.I.Joe website. These will be about 5 minute episodes and is geared more towards adults then kids. The preview they showed is of Snake-Eyes saving Duke and Roadblock from a Cobra ambush in the jungle. Snake-Eyes is shown actually killing Cobra Soldiers, though the actual killing is off-screen you know those soldiers are dead

- The cartoon is titled "G.I.Joe Resolute" and is produced by Sam Register, Written by Warren Ellis, Directed by Joaqui, Dos Santos and lead animation is by David Johnson.

- We can expect to see classic vehicles like the Flagg and have gone all out on the animation.

- Charlie Evans is doing the voice of Cobra Commander. He did the voice of Low Light in the original G.I.Joe cartoon.

- There are ten 5 minute segments with one 10 minute finale. They hope to then eventually show it in full on someplace like Cartoon Network or DVD's.

- Dan Norton is one of the background artists for this series. They showed art of the Flagg morgue, the U.N., and The G.I.Joe situation room.

- They use real life equipment like a stratellite.

- The Flagg has a more updated look. The bridge is round and the whole design is sleeker.

- They have new Jetpacks. You can go to youtube and look up something called jetpack man and see something that looks like the ones the Joe's will use. The Skystriker is based on an YF-22 now

- They tried to keep the color schemes from the classic characters for each of the characters. They showed Duke, Gung-Ho (chest is covered), Lady Jaye with a hat, Scatlett, Tunnel Rat, Storm Shadow who looks like a combination of V1 and V2.

- We could see something similar for other Hasbro brands like Transformers if this cartoon does well. It was said this is the direction they would like to head in with all their brands. However they did not say a Transformers cartoon was guaranteed to happen by any means.

- Lady Jaye will be kind of like Starbuck from the new BSG.

- Destro, Baroness, Cobra Commander among others will be characters we see. Cobra Commander is serious and ruthless in this series. He kills a baby seal in the first episode (Possibly said as a joke to underscore his ruthlessness).

- Characters could die in this series.

- There will be little to no blood shown, essentially this cartoon will be rated PG-13.

- This series will debut in the 1st qrt of 2009.

- The episodes are somewhat self-contained with an overall story-arc that goes throughout the series.

- There will be some toys based on this series coming in 2009.

- Duke is pretty much in charge of the team and Flint will be the second in command. There is not going to be much focus on behind the desk leaders in this series. What you knew of Duke in the past may not be the same as what this Duke will be. Warren Ellis tried to improve characters where he thought it was needed.

- The guns shoot bullets in this series and not lasers.

- That is it for cartoon news, now on to toys.

- 2008 will have a lot of exclusives. These will be out around October/November 2008.

- TRU exclusive Crimson Guard Trooper 5- Pack without removable helmets. (Crimson Guard Immortal and 4 Crimson Guardsmen)

- TRU exclusive Firefly vs. Green Shirts 5-pack. (Firefly and 4 different green shirt soldiers)

- TRU exclusive Air Command (Starduster who is now called Skyduster and a new Wild Bill and Ace)

- TRU exclusives Naval Command (Cutter, Yellow Torpedo, articulated Deep Six)

- TRU exclusives Destro Iron Grenadier (regular Grenaider, Destro and purple Grenaider which is a tribute to Voltar)

- They are upping production quantities for many of these products and will try to have them in stock at HasbroToyShop.

- Target exclusives will have a blue Rattler with Wild Weasel and a Conquest X-30 with Slipstream. Also look for a set that includes

- A big set is coming with a motorized Mobat with Steeler vs. a Crimson HISS tank and a blue Trouble Bubble.

- Adventure Team figures with accessories will be coming as Wal-Mart exclusives.

- There will be online exclusive sets. An arctic set with arctic Scrap Iron and Snow Serpents and a Desert Set with a new Major Bludd. There should be a regular Scrap Iron coming in a comic pack as well.

- G.I.Joe Mighty Muggs are coming. Look for Destro, Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow.