In a week and a half I will have the pleasure of attending Canada’s Only G.I. Joe Convention. This convention has grown from a toy collector’s swap meet to a full sponsored event with guests from G.I. Joe history.
With the upcoming film, I can imagine the fandom is squirming with excitement to see what is in store.
The 7th annual Canadian G.I. Joe Convention is coming to Hamilton on May 2nd for the biggest gathering of Canadian GI Joe fans ever!
Every year, the event has grown in both size and attendance. What started as a gathering of a few local fans of G.I. Joe has exploded into a massive gathering of children, adults and families from across Canada and the United States. Attended and endorsed by Hasbro Canada, the Canadian G.I. Joe Convention has welcomed past guests including Mark Bellomo (author of The Ultimate Guide to G.I.Joe: 1982-1994), Jason Loo (artist), and Larry Hama, the man who defined the majority of the GI Joe characters writing the file-cards and comic book throughout the 1980s and 90s.
This year three exclusive figures and two exclusive vehicles, made from generous donations by Hasbro, will be offered in limited quantities of 100 each. The proceeds of the sale of these extremely limited toys will be donated to the McMaster Sick Kids Children’s Hospital. On top of the chance to own rare collectibles –with past exclusives considered prestigious centerpieces in many collections- fans & collectors will have a chance to help a great cause.
Since 2007, GI Joe has been the best selling action figure brand without a movie or animated series tie-in. This year, GI Joe is getting not only a new animated mini-series (GI Joe Resolute) and three brand new comic series (GI Joe, GI Joe Origins, and GI Joe: Cobra), but also a huge summer blockbuster with GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. This is the first live-action feature film based on the G.I. Joe brand.
This is the biggest year for the original action figure, the toy brand that made Kung-Fu Grip and Cobra household names.
Join the celebration with fans young and old that grew up with the A Real American Hero, and even some fans that have been playing with GI Joes for 45 years!When: Saturday, May 2nd. 2009
Where: Hamilton Convention Centre
1 Summers Lane
Hamilton, ON
Contact: Michael Heddle
905-973-TOYS (8697)
[email protected]For more information, please visit CanadianJoeCon.com
Collector and Authority Mark Bellomo, as well as representives from Hasbro will be in attendance. David Willis, creator/artist of the webcomic Shortpacked! will be there too. Also, each year is punctuated by the special con exclusive Canadian G.I. Joe figures made specifically for the event and sold off for charity. This year will have The H.A.T.E. : Cobras newest experimental tank and more.
I will be frequenting the event floor and getting interviews with the faithful about their thoughts on the new animated series and the upcoming feature film. I will also be snagging photos of cool costumes or anything else that catches my eye and sharing them here.
Hopefully we will see you there!
And now you know…and knowing is half the battle.
