Heads up! Carson has shared a new Operation: Recall update that gives us the scoop on completed year one paintmasters, package art, and packaging! That’s not all, as wave 2 3D sculptures are also complete, with the O:R BackerKit closing July 4th. Here’s the scoop –
Operation: Recall Army!
Last month we shared (1) Wave 1 factory prototypes and deco sheets from Big JO, (2) Wave 2 digital sculpt work by Carter!, (3) Wave 3 packaging by RCM, and (4) more Wave 4 paintings by Doug Hart.
This month is THE BIG ONE. Our hard-working team has completed ALL Year One paintmasters, package art, and packaging!
Year One Paintmaster Scale Masters complete!
Once Ron Rudat and Mark Pennington completed their design work, Bill Merklein and Mike Good began the task of bringing these characters to life in action figure form! Using Ron and Mark’s figure sculpture sheets, Bill and Mike hand sculpted the figures shown below. While Bill and Mike sculpted the figures, Mark Gerwig of Mark 2 Toys modeled the accessories in 3D using Ron and Mark’s accessory sculpt sheets as a guide. Once accessory modeling was complete, we printed them in resin. Bill and Mike’s figure sculpts were cast in resin by Scott Andrews of Lightbeam 3D. These figures and accessories were then hand painted by four amazing artists: Matthew LeCroy of LeCroy’s Toys, Ray Murphy (@raymurphygijaf), Chris Scott of Grindhouse Toys, and Alex Huynh/Bainter.
Once I’ve got these 2up paintmasters in hand, they are photographed and edited to create “paintmaster scale master” images for the factory. The figures are then scanned at the factory and revised further. You can check out all of the paintmaster scale masters on the Operation: Recall Roll Call page!
Year One Package Art and Package Design complete!
Another HUGE milestone to report: ALL Year One package art AND package design is complete! Packaging is arguably the most important aspect of an action figure line. First impressions matter, and when done right, powerful packaging can distinguish a toy line from the competition. Action-packed artwork, bold colors, strong graphics, and captivating storytelling can draw in new collectors and win more shelf space.
The Operation: Recall brand and package design were developed by Shawn Morrill and directed by Ed Morrill. Ed Morrill is a legendary package design and brand identity executive. He completed his first G.I.JOE assignment in 1970 – rebranding the line as the Adventure Team. He would go on to serve Hasbro for 20 years, overseeing packaging design and illustration for countless brands.
Doug Hart joined Hasbro in 1984 as an illustrator – initially working on My Little Pony. He began working on G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero in 1987 and painted beautiful figure and box art until then end of the line in late 1994. Doug Hart has been recalled to active duty and has completed 18 all-new package paintings to date, with more on the way!
Larry Hama transformed action figures into a universe of entertainment as he authored hundreds of G.I.JOE comics and file cards from 1982 to now. His dossiers breath life into plastic, creating a world for the A.T.L.A.S. and Orthrus characters to live in, and setting up countless adventures to come!
My favorites change on a regular basis, but man, the Snakeheads paintmaster really POPS! It brought a tear to my eye when I unboxed it!
The figures above are shown in their release order, with one wave per two rows. The first wave of four figures are due to arrive in December 2025, with subsequent waves to follow in a regular cadence (4-6 months is the goal) in perpetuity. You can check out all 19 packages, and a packaging reveal for the 20th mail-order Year One figure on the Operation: Recall Roll Call page!
3D Sculpture Update!
Carter! continues to excel! He’s completed all sculpt work for Wave 2, and he’s currently digging in on Wave 3. Below is a look at the factory scans of the resin figure (bottom, sculpted by Bill Merklein and Mike Good) with my revision notes, and the revised and approved 3D sculpt by Carter! (top). These files are with the factory now and Big JO and company are working on the Wave 2 prototypes. Wave 1 prototypes are approved and molds are now being cut!
BackerKit closes July 4th!
Now that you can review all 19 of the paintmaster scale master images, you have a clear idea of where each figure is headed (and all of their awesome accessories!). Please review your BackerKit selections and lock in whichever figures you want by July 4th! This will help us project how many of each figure to manufacture.
This is your last chance to lock in Kickstarter pricing! Who knows what will happen with tariffs? If they rise above the current 30%, we will likely have to raise retail prices on the leftovers. There are also no guarantees that there WILL be leftovers for every figure. To check your BackerKit survey, just head to this link and enter your Kickstarter email address.
If you’d like to share the Operation: Recall BackerKit with friends, please give them this link.
Come see us, and the O:R prototypes, this summer!
We’ll be at JoeFest in Augusta, Georgia this June 20-22nd and then we are headed to Dallas for the DFW GI Joe And Action Figure Show June 27-29th! Both shows are a blast, and we’re thrilled to be attending both, with a mix of creators from the Operation: Recall team!
Don’t miss me and Kirk Bozigian‘s panel (on Saturday the 28th @ 3:00 pm in Irving Hall) where we’ll go Behind the Scenes of G.I.JOE’s First Live-Action Micro-Movie!
We’ve done this panel once before, at the 2018 JoeCon, and it was a BLAST!
Hope to see you all this summer!
– Carson
P.S. THANK YOU ALL for making your BackerKit selections by July 4th!
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