GI Joe Comics Compendium (Marvel reprints) Kickstarter by Skybound

[nacho]

As we have discussed in some other threads, the hardcover reprints for the entire Marvel (Hama) Joe comic series are being made available via a kickstarter campaign.


There are four compendiums in a box set, including yearbooks, special missions, TF crossover, etc, all in *official* reading order... that's some fat books, roughly 50 issues each. They come in blue Joe cover dress or red Cobra cover dress. The tiers break out like this in both Joe or Cobra deco:

-Vol 1 (issues 1-50) can be bought individually for $75
-Full set in Digital PDF can be had for $120
-Full set of 4x hardcovers in either Joe or Cobra deco cost $300 + shipping ($50 in the USA) ***this tier includes a digital PDF set as well

There are other choices with some other bells, whistles, and combinations, plus some little add-ons you can pick, but that's the gist of it.



The project funded the $50k goal in the first five minutes or so (!), reached $200k in the first 30 minutes, and $275k in the first hour of the campaign.
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EDIT: up to $366k in two hours
- $440k in three hours
- $533k in five hours
- $575k in six hours
- $660k in eight hours
- $805k in twelve hours
- $1M in 25 hours
- $1.2M in two days
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I need these books like I need a hole in the head... I already own the original issues in floppies and a second set bound in custom hardcovers... I have them all in trade paperbacks, the first 30-ish issues in digests, half the series in the IDW definitive HCs, and I have them all in both official (kindle & pdf) and unofficial digital formats... but I couldn't pass up getting this edition. Had to go with the blue Joe deco because while Cobra's a great foil for Joe, I'm not here to support the terrorists.

There should be some really nifty stretch goals to come, although I'm a little miffed they didn't put threshold numbers on the stretch goals, meaning they can do as much or little stretching as they like by playing with the thresholds after they see how it's going. But I wasn't here for the stretch goals, so whatever is icing on the cake.

 

[nacho]

Update: 12 days to go, over $2.176M pledged, 16 stretch goals unlocked. It's pretty incredible that this could get the kind of support we're seeing but if these books were released via a normal Diamond/PRH comic shop solicitation model, the orders would be a small fraction to the point that later volumes wouldn't be economically feasible. The only way the whole series gets out in print is if it's all at once.

Of course I say that, and I think they'll be soliciting softcover volumes individually, but who knows if they'll get to the 3rd and 4th ones.

I'm tempted to add a second copy of the first volume to my order, just to have one at work, but I'm already pledging plenty.

 

[nacho]

7 days to go, $2.4M pledged, lots more stretch goals unlocked... currently the second highest grossing comic KS ever, behind some Neil Gaiman project that net a little over $3M.



For those not inclined to back such an endeavor or want to go with a cheaper option, the softcover omnibi are being solicited through normal book and comic means and are less expensive. Vol 1 sofecover is due to come out this fall, has an MSRP of $65, but if you order through a mail service (my preferred is kowabunga comics, just contact Eric and he'll get you on the monthly order-form email list), you'll get it for 40-50% off.

Getting the first 50 issues for less than 40 bucks is a steal. I'm backing the KS and I might still order a softcover copy at that price.

 

[ThunderDan19]

That's fantastic and really speaks to the enthusiasm for vintage GI Joe right now! I don't think I ever quite grasped the level of popularity the Joe comic had back in the day. I liked it a lot through the better part of the original run, and absolutely appreciate the quality of much of it to this day. While not fully bowing at the Hama altar, I do recognize his/its huge contributions to the line and the lore.

That said, I doubt I'll ever find a place for the compendium, but I am stoked that it is doing so well. This makes me wonder if seeing these kind of successes will finally ever lead to a proper treatment in cinema, whatever that actually looks like. I do know we haven't seen it yet.

 

[nacho]

It was yuuuuuuge. At one point in the mid-80's, Joe was marvel's best-selling title, more than Spider-Man or X-Men. It was just the perfect storm of the toys taking off, the cartoon lagging behind, and the commercials plugging the comic to kids buying the toys. And this was a title that they couldn't initially find a writer for, since most licensed comics were short-lived drivel and not a gateway to better work.

I think Hama only took the gig because 1) he has a soft spot for military and 2) he had a failed pitch for a SHIELD comic a few years earlier that he wanted to draw from. I've seen the SHIELD vs Hydra treatment, and there are more than a few similarities to what he ended up doing with Joe v Cobra. And getting the chance to contribute to the toy line he was writing for had to help too. If he could make the toys into relatable characters, writing their stories would be that much easier.

And Marvel loved it because it was a cross-sell to a whole new audience like myself that might never have picked up a normal Marvel comic off the spinner-rack, but because their ads were all over my Joe comics, I was far more inclined to give them a shot.

I'll never forget when I decided I was growing out of Joe and TF comics and needed to find something edgier. Because it had a rare-at-the-time recap page at the front and I thought I wouldn't be lost (hahahahaha), I picked up Uncanny X-Men 232 off the rack at the grocery store and went to read it in the back of sunday night church before the service started. Been reading X-Men, Spider-Man, Punisher, and Batman ever since. But that never would have happened without Joe being the gateway drug.

But Hama also wrote the solo Wolverine title for several years, many of which featured art from Marc Silvestri of X-Men fame... I loved that title... my favorite writer and my favorite penciller on the same book about the most mysterious and lethal mutant? That was a stellar 30-issue run as well... until Marc left for Image.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I also delved briefly into a few issues of X-Men and Spider-Man way back, though I didn't get far. If I thought GI Joe was getting a little weird, X-Men was way out there. I liked Spider-Man, but was more satisfied with the light-hearted cartoon version. Similarly with Hulk.

I remember also seeing titles like Thor, Dr. Strange and Cpt. America on the shelves, and breezing through them, only to be kinda turned off either by how weird or how violent (or both) they were. I think that is why I gravitated to the MCU later on. They (usually) brought the good storylines, but have generally kept it light (unlike DC), and relatively grounded, for casuals like me.

 

[nacho]

Two days to go, ~$3M pledged. All stretch goals (quite a few nifty rewards) unlocked (or will be in hours). Don't let FOMO get you!

 

[ThunderDan19]

I’ve got the fear of the USPS right now. My Joe Art Omnibus was supposed to arrive Friday before stalling in NJ for three days . Finally made it to the Richmond regional distribution center today. Supposed to be delivered tomorrow. I hope it’s still in one piece. We’ll see…

 

[nacho]

I’ve got the fear of the USPS right now. My Joe Art Omnibus was supposed to arrive Friday before stalling in NJ for three days . Finally made it to the Richmond regional distribution center today. Supposed to be delivered tomorrow. I hope it’s still in one piece. We’ll see…

No worries. You couldn't dent that book with a tank.

 

[nacho]

Just 6 hrs to go, over $3.4M pledged, more unlocks being added and obliterated.

Now stands as the most funded comic KS in history. I know I sound like a broken record, but I want everyone to own and enjoy these great comics. Last chance folks!

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Set by Skybound — Kickstarter

 

[ThunderDan19]

As much as I like the individual volumes, I really don’t need to have or pay for any/all the add ons. I wish they had the option to just buy each volume individually. I am very interested in the softcover volumes option you mentioned. If you keep us in the loop when those come to market, I’ll likely pick up all four as they come out.

When I was getting my first look at the Omnibus last evening (it made it safe and sound!), my oldest daughter (the bookworm) mentioned that she wanted to read through the comic series again. I’ll probably end up buying her the 4 volumes for her library.

 

[nacho]

I'm not supporting the campaign because of any of the add-ons. They're nice little trinkets, but I don't know what I'll do with some random Joe trading cards, pins, and stickers. My main desire is to have the volumes in hardcover. But that won't stop me from buying a cheaper softcover set down the road as those volumes come out too. Gotta have a set on the bookshelf at work, right?!

 

[ThunderDan19]

Nah, I agree that what made that campaign enormously successful wasn’t remotely the add ons, but the love and nostalgia for the original work. I think, had they offered it, selling just the 4 volumes at a slightly reduced price would have been a popular choice. I went there looking for that and was disappointed that wasn’t an option. It’s the old art and story inside, not the new art outside that everyone wants!

Anyway, they did just fine without me on the front end and will still likely get some of my money down the road anyway .

 

[nacho]

Nah, I agree that what made that campaign enormously successful wasn’t remotely the add ons, but the love and nostalgia for the original work. I think, had they offered it, selling just the 4 volumes at a slightly reduced price would have been a popular choice. I went there looking for that and was disappointed that wasn’t an option. It’s the old art and story inside, not the new art outside that everyone wants!

Anyway, they did just fine without me on the front end and will still likely get some of my money down the road anyway .

No, I'm not shocked they didn't offer such a thing. Like you say, most people were there for the art and stories, so if they'd had a no-frills option, I think a lot of people would have taken it. All the pins, stickers, and cards are super-high margin stuff, so asking the basic price and throwing them in was their best play.

But truth is, these were a pretty good deal up front. A basic Marvel omnibus this size would have an MSRP of $150 / volume, and we're getting these plus all the useless goodies for $75 per volume + shipping. That's about what we'd pay if we went through a comic shop and got a 40-45% discount for pre-ordering. That's tough to beat in the world of comic buying. But this way, they're getting orders for all the volumes at once and don't have to worry about demand trailing off for the later volumes.

That was IDW's chief problem. They got halfway through the "Complete Collection" hardcovers and pre-order demand fell off a cliff to the point it wasn't economically feasible to print the remaining volumes. I'm just thankful they got through v8, which contained the end of the Cobra Civil War. It concluded the "good half" of the series, so while I was bummed, at least the best parts were printed in those volumes. But right now, IDWs "classics" TPBs are the only places that the back half of the series was ever republished... until now.

 

[nacho]

Update... books lookin' good. Should ship in Dec. Merry Christmas to me!