Just wanted to pipe up a second and announce the release of the second volume of Shout! Factory's G.I. Joe individual releases, Season 1.2…



This volume is set to be released on November 3rd, 2009 and you can currently pre-order it on Amazon for a measly $21 (and I wouldn't be surprised to see it drop to $17 closer to the actual release.)  When all is said and done, these individual releases will contain 99% of the same material as the complete box set.  They'll only be lacking a voice cast reunion (which I've heard is pretty darn good if you're into that sort of thing) and a feature with G.I. Joe comic writer Larry Hama.

Also, I'm hoping that the volume 3 cover features Tomax and Xamot above the logo and maybe some of my favorite Joes like Quick Kick, Airtight, Beachhead, Wetsuit, and Lowlight on the bottom.  Volume 4 needs to switch it up with Sgt. Slaughter above the title and the Dreadnoks and Zartan below.  Just a thought...

I did not see this coming.  I've heard that sometimes patience can be rewarded, and this past week I think mine has finally paid off.  Just over a year ago I mentioned the impending release of the Complete Real Ghostbusters cartoon on DVD from Time Life, and to be honest I was a little bitchy about the whole deal.  Basically TL was offering the series exclusively through their website at slightly bloated price of $180.  For the most part I'm not a fan of complete series sets, at least not ones this large as they tend to be overpriced, come in odd, overly flashy packaging, and usually contain bonus material not available on collections of individual season sets.  This last trend tends to bug me if only because complete series sets are usually released after any individual sets have finished coming out and it's an example of the worst in DVD double dipping. 

Lately this trend has been reversed, particularly with 80s cartoon properties, and to Time Life's credit the full series came first.  The set was still about $60 too much and I have to say that I appreciate it when other options are available.  Even with their payment plan, you're still overpaying for a series that's been around for 20 odd years, and a lot of that money is going into useless "shiny" packaging.  Steelbook cases wrapped in a lenticular box is a bit of overkill, especially when these sets aren't sitting on store shelves wowing potential customers.   Lets be honest, most people who pick up this set are going to wedge it on a shelf between the rest of their DVD boxsets and aren't going to get all that much appreciation out of the presentation.



All griping aside, and getting to the gist of this post, is the tip-off from TV Shows on DVD.com that Amazon has just put up a pre-order for the Complete Series set.   Again, I did not see this coming.  Time Life has a history of sitting on home video releases for shows that they keep exclusive sales rights to, in particular the Muppet Show which was only available in hideously expensive two-episode single-disc editions for almost a decade.   I mean I was pretty happy towards the end of last year when they relented a little on the Real Ghostbusters and made the first volume of the series available to regular retail.  This news though is a coup, and hopefully it's a sign that they're willing to expand the purchasing options for shows they license.

The best part of this news is that Amazon is currently knocking $54 off the MSRP, making the set much more affordable at $126!  Even with the summer sale that Time Life has been running (taking $35 off the price to bring it in line with the cost of the Shout! Factory complete G.I. Joe and Transformers sets) this is the cheapest it's been yet.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking, it's only a 30% drop, but doing the math, the cost per volume is roughly $25, which is a heck of an improvement over the original $36 per volume price.  Also for those of us that aren't that interested in the final seasons of the show (the Slimer & the Real Ghostbusters years), this is a great way to subsidize having to pick those up as well.

The bottom line is that this move by Time Life was enough to win me over.   It's still a dent in the checkbook, but it's at least justifiable now…

I thought I'd take a second to pimp some more DVD sets that I'm really looking forward to picking up.  As I've mentioned like a million times in the last couple months, Shout! Factory is releasing the complete Transformers and G.I. Joe on DVD in various formats.  For those of us who prefer to buy in installments, there are a couple new releases coming.  Newly announced is the Season 2 part 1 set of Transformers…



…which is set to be released on September 15th.  It's currently available for pre-order for around $27, but if the pricing pans out like the first set then the closer it gets to release I'd expect to see it drop to around $20.  I'm really digging the Devastator vs. the Dinobots cover art on this one, though I could take or leave the re-purposed Optimus & Megatron in the BG.

The other set comes out today!



G.I. Joe season 1.1.  Not only is it immediately available, but it's also dropped in price to a measly $17!  So if you don't have the original mini series on DVD and you want to watch it to bone up on the content of my recent contribution to the Saturday Supercast (where we talk about the 1st Joe mini), then I think it's time to pick up a copy.

Also, apparently in the wake of the demise of BCI Eclipse, it looks like Mill Creek is picking up some of the in limbo cartoon licenses.  On August 25th you'll be able to pick up re-released editions of the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon…



You'll be able to pick from either the Complete series edition above or a single disc edition that has the first nine episodes below.



On the one hand I think this is pretty cool as I hate seeing 80s cartoons go out of print on DVD.   Not only does the after market price get ridiculous, but it keeps new generations of fans from the shows.  Granted, I'm sure most kids these days wouldn't respond to 80s cartoons like a lot of us did back in the day, but it's a possibility that I'd like to think is out there.  Of course, the downside here is that Mill Creek doesn't exactly have a great track record of quality releases on DVD.  Not the properties they release, but the actual video/audio quality.  They're the guys who churn out those 50 movie box sets (as well as 250!) with tons of public domain material, or the 150 PD cartoon sets that clog up Wal-mart dump bins.   They're also responsible for those recent Teddy Ruxpin sets that seem to have gone straight to the dump bins (you can get the entire 65 episode run on Amazon for $10 new.)  I picked up one of those sets and the quality was decent enough to watch but it left a little to be desired.

Luckily the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon was already digitally preserved by BCI, so hopefully the transfer will be good.  Of course, Mill Creek, specializing in discount DVDs, has condensed BCI's 5 disc set onto 3 discs for the new complete series release.   I'm also betting that any of the BCI special features will not be ported over.  I do like some aspects of the new cover art. I don’t like that they've massacred the original BCI art with a horrible photoshop gone mad look, but they did add some nice action to the poses and included Venger.  But I have to hand it to them; the set is available for pre-order for only $13!  That is a steal and a half, especially if the video compression doesn't matter as much to you.

Mill Creek is also set to release the 2002 Mike Young Productions He-Man cartoon in a very similar format to the D&D sets.  One will be a complete series, and another the first 9 episodes.  I'm wondering if any of the Filmation titles might be coming soon after (like the original He-Man cartoon which is currently going out of print, as well as other OOP titles such as Ghostbusters, She-Ra, Bravestarr, Defenders of the Earth and the Groovie Goolies.)  It would be cool to see them kept in print, even in lower quality editions.

Anyway, if the stars align correctly, we (Jerzy Drozd, Kevin Cross and I) should be releasing the second half of the G.I. Joe episode of the Saturday Supercast later this week (you can snag the first part at Sugary Serials, or download it here, episode 19.)  I'm also going to post another Cartoon Commentary! featuring the second episode of the original G.I. Joe mini series, Slave of the Cobra Master.

There sure has been a lot of radio silence coming out of Branded this year.  Sheesh.  I have been working on a project that I'll hopefully be able to talk about soon, but in the meantime I thought I'd throw out an update on two of my favorite 80s cartoons getting the royal treatment on DVD, G.I. Joe and Transformers.  I've mentioned recently about Shout! Factory acquiring the rights to release a bunch of Hasbro owned properties and how excited I am about finally getting affordable releases of my two favorite cartoons.  This whole process has been rather transparent on Shout!'s end, with Brian Ward inviting fan input on both shows during the DVD production via the company's community forums (Transformers thread & G.I. Joe thread.)  Though I'm not nearly as well versed in the minutia of the cartoons, knowing the various differences in broadcast versions vs. the original masters, all the little sound and picture errors, etc., I'm glad there is a community of dedicated fans who are and that, that knowledge base was tapped in the creation of these new DVDs.

   

Well, we've finally gotten around to seeing the fruit of Shout! Factory's labors with the Transformers season 1 set finally hitting store shelves this past week (I'm still eagerly awaiting my copy from Amazon as I type this.)   The season 1.1 set of the G.I. Joe cartoon is just around the corner as well, which should be available for purchase on July 21st.

Well, one of the aspects of this whole push to re-release these shows is that Shout! Really is concerned with "getting it right" so to speak, and they've taken a cue (I believe) from Time Life's Complete Real Ghostbusters set, in that in tandem with the announcement of the season 1 DVDs they've also put the wheels in motion on two complete series sets for both shows.   Unlike Time Life (which has only released the individual season 1 set of the GB cartoon), they've also committed to releasing the full run of each series in separate individual sets, giving the casual fan, the strapped-for-cash fan, and the uber fan buying options that best suit their needs.

So on July 13th you'll be able to pick up the complete Transformers G1 series on DVD in a very nice set that really looks like it's going to outshine the original Rhino releases in terms of packaging and special features…



Besides being packaged in a slipcase designed to look like and open like the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, there's also a 60-page book, a bunch of archival toy commercials and PSAs, galleries featuring concept and fan art, as well as a couple of Autobot and Decpticon magnets.  The set also includes five featurettes on the series (including two which are unique to the complete series set, an interview with Bob Budiansky, and a cast reunion with Jack Angel (Ramjet), Michael Bell (Prowl), Gregg, Berger (Grimlock), Aurthur Burghardt (Devastator), Corey Burton (Spike Witwicky), Richard Gautier (Rodimus Prime), Neil Ross (Slag), Frank Welker (Megatron).)  The complete set clocks in at 16 discs (with what appears to be alternate disc art from the individual releases) with all 98 episodes for $140 (shipping included) and is available for preorder.  Click the image below for a nice enbiggened version…



The set that I'm really looking forward to is the Complete G.I. Joe seeing as Rhino lost the rights before completing the original run of DVDs back in the early 2000's.  This will be the first time that a good chunk of the series will be released on DVD, and even though I was skeptical of what sounded like a boring "footlocker" package, I’m really impressed with the presentation…



This set is also available for pre-order ($145, shipping included) and will be released on July 22nd.   Click the image below for a nice enbiggened version…



Again, this set comes with a lot of special features including a 60-page book, a 1gb dog tag shaped USB flash drive (which includes two silent comics, which I'm assuming are akin to CBZ versions of the comics), all the "Knowing is half the battle" PSAs, 25 archival toy commercials (though it looks like the Marvel Comics commercials missed the cut, which is a shame since they were the origin of the animated series), and a couple of rub-on tattos.  Also included are 8 featurettes, again including two which are exclusive to this set (a conversation with Larry Hama and a voice cast reunion featureing: Jack Angel (Wet Suit), Michael Bell (Duke), Gregg Berger (Spirit), Arthur Burghardt (Destro), Corey Burton (Tomax), Richard Gautier (Serpentor), Neil Ross (Shipwreck), B.J. Ward (Scarlett).)  I'm surprised Frank Welker didn't sit in on this one as well seeing as he shows up for the Transformers session and voiced Wild Bill.

I'm probably going to end up picking up the complete series for G.I. Joe if for nothing else than aesthetic reasons as I’m a huge fan of the original toy packaging artwork which is used exclusively in this set for the disc art.  I guess I'm just goofy that way.  Besides, knowing my luck something will keep the full run of individual sets from being released again and I don't want to miss out on any of the episodes this time around.  Also, both sets will be available for purchase at San Diego comic con this year, if you're attending and can afford it.  If nothing else, I hope that these sets move a bunch of units as I've love to see enough profit generated so that Shout! Might consider licensing and releasing some of the other Sunbow shows that Hasbro recently re-attained the rights to including Jem, the Visionaries and the Inhumanoids.  Hell, I'd also be happy if some of that cash could go to pushing second releases of some of the other 80s cartoon properties that Shout! Already holds like C.O.P.S. and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, but that seems like a pipe dream.

Well, my wish came true thanks to the great folks at Shout Factory!  It looks like the complete G.I. Joe the Real American Hero cartoon is now coming to DVD.  The first set is slated for release on July 21st, and is now up for pre-order on Amazon for only 26.99.  Also, according the hardworking folks at TV Shows on DVD.com, it looks like the complete series will be on DVD before the end of the summer (as well as the complete Transformers.)  This is great news for G.I. Joe cartoon fans because the previous Rhino releases only contained the first three quarters of the series before they lost the rights to distribute the show…



Since my wish came to pass last time, I'd just like to throw out another call to Shout Factory! about some other Sunbow properties that are most likely also held by Hasbro now, namely Jem and the Visionaries.  Granted there aren't mainstream summer blockbuster movies to help bolster the merchandising engines for these shows, but it sure would be swell to finally get a hold of some decently priced DVD releases, and in the case of the Visionaries, any US DVD releases at all.  So here's me keeping my fingers crossed that the Transformers and G.I. Joe DVDs sell a crap load of units this summer…

**Updated**  Now it's more or less official that the Transformers cartoon is being re-released on DVD in June.  The Amazon listing went up, and there is better artwork floating around the internets.  Hopefully this bodes well for the rest of the series and G.I. Joe to boot!  I've also updated the big list of 80s cartoons as well...

Sigh, this is what I get for trying to play the system and be all proactive/penny pinching/business smart about my 80s cartoon collecting hobby.  Three years ago I managed to pick up four of the five out-of-print Rhino released Transformers DVD sets for $80 at a used DVD store.   I was ecstatic because when Rhino first started putting these out they were asking upwards of $60 per set, and they easily sell for almost $80 a piece on eBay.  Personally I think that's a bit much to ask for an 80s cartoon on DVD, so finding them at $20 a set was awesome.  Then the Transformers movie was re-released on DVD, and an ad in the special features announced that Sony was going to re-released the original cartoon on DVD.  This is where I fudged the bucket.  Basically I was looking at either picking up a used copy of the 1 set I needed to complete my set for around $80, or I could sell the 4 sets I had hoping to make $300-$400, pick-up the new sets for around $150, and I'd make a profit that I could put into Branded.  I bit the bullet and sold the 4 sets, and invested in a sticker collection, which eventually became great content for the Peel Here column.

Of course, then Sony backed out of releasing the cartoon, and it's been a gaping hole in my 80s cartoon collection ever since.  A week ago I really wanted to watch some of the old episodes again, and I was sitting on an unused Amazon giftcard, so I figured, what the hell, I'll pick up the out of print 1st season again.  I just got the set in hand yesterday afternoon, and guess what I find in my inbox this morning from TV Shows on DVD.com!?!

Release Date, Details & Possible Cover Art Found for The Complete 1st Season: 25th Anniversary Edition DVDs!



Damnit!  My timing couldn't have been worse.  Oh well, if this news pans out, hopefully we'll see the complete series released on DVD again in the near future, and maybe, just maybe we'll see some new releases for G.I. Joe (which still has yet to be fully released on DVD), Jem, and other Sunbow properties.  Le sigh.

As an FYI, I finally got around to updating the massive list of 80s cartoons available on DVD in the Region 1 area.  The list is up to 151 sets covering 65 cartoons (and live action puppet shows like the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street and the Electric Company.)  I'm sure there are a few out there that I'm missing, so if there are any holes or anything that anyone spots, please drop me a line.

Included in the update are sets for Denver the Last Dinosaur (Vol. 2), Drak Pack, Smurfs (Volumes 2 & 3), Garbage Pail Kids (granted the show never aired in the US, but the episodes were made and finally released), Mysterious Cities of Gold, Saber Rider & the Star Sheriffs, Pound Puppies, Silverhawks (Vol. 1), Strawberry Shortcake, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Season 7, Vol. 1, 2, 3, & 4), and Vehicle Voltron (Vol. 1, 2, & 3.)   Again, if you're thinking of picking up any of these sets though Amazon, please follow the links provided on the list as every purchase helps keep Branded running (and up to date on new 80s cartoon DVDs sets!)   Okay, end shilly post now.

**Update** Apparently the release date for the single season 1 volume has been pushed back two months. Ug.

Jeez, I sure haven't been active this past couple weeks.  Sigh, the holiday season is smacking me in the face with its good will and cheer I guess.  I probably won't have much time to post for the next week or so as I'll be leaving town to visit family.  I did want to throw up this quick post though (and just in time for holiday shopping fun!)

Back a few months ago, Time Life announced that they were going to release a complete series set for the Real Ghostbusters cartoon.  On the one hand it was pretty cool that this show was finally going to get some love on DVD, but on the other it was announced as a Time Life online exclusive, which just pissed me off.  Basically it was forcing fans of the show to make a large 5-season purchase (retailing at about $175) for a 20 year-old cartoon series.  That's one heck of a dent in the pocketbook, at least for mine that is.  Though I'm a completist when it comes to collecting 80s cartoons on DVD, I like to have the option to buy bits at a time.  Besides, what if I'm not interested in later seasons, when it converts to Slimer & the Real Ghostbusters?  Anyway, I bitched about it earlier in the year and there's no use in rehashing that.  What I recently found out was that there is going to be a single season release through normal retailers, at least for the 1st season, which is slated to come out from Time Life on January 27th, 2009!  It's priced at a decent $40, but you can currently pre-order it on Amazon for only $27.  Now that is what I'm talking about!

The only question I have now is whether or not TL will be releasing the remaining seasons individually, or if this is simply bait to pick up the complete series set?  Either way, I will be busting some ghosts in about two months, and that's all I really care about right now.

Also, in new 80s cartoon on DVD news, I also just recently discovered that a couple of shows have recently seen new releases.  The very odd 80s cartoon Drak Pack was released in Canada recently, which is good news for us Region 1 Drak Pack fans.  If you've never seen it, the show revolves around the exploits of three teenagers who are descendants of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the Wolfman, who fight crime, ala Scooby Doo (it was a Hanna Barbera show after all.)  Though they are typically three normal teens, they can transform into monstrous versions of their classic monster ancestors by doing a group high five and shouting Whack-O!  Honestly the show itself is pretty wacko, but in a good way. the show borrows a lot from its predecessor the Groovie Goolies, but honestly it's not like there is a glut of monster themed cartoons.  Anyway, you can either order the show from Amazon Canada, or get it from a retailer new/imported, also on amazon for pretty much the same price (about $30 US.)



I also noticed that the Pound Puppies movie is available on DVD (and has been for a couple years.)



Anyway, hope to be back posting soon.

Here is a list of all of the 80s cartoons available on DVD in the US to date (updated 3/3/2010.)  Basically I'm putting this together for two reasons.  One, to keep a nice list of what's out there, and to provide a portal with which readers of this site can help support the Branded in the 80s project.  All of these images link to the title's respective Amazon.com product page, and a percentage of all purchases made via these links will go to supporting the site.  Win, win.

Some of these sets may not seem like they really fit here, but there is a reason.  Take the Punky Brewster sets for example; all fours volumes of the sitcom contain episodes from the short lived cartoon series (It's Punky Brewster) as well.  Also I've gone ahead and included some stuff from the 70s because it was in syndication when I was growing up (and thus felt much like they belonged in the decade) and anything that is out of print (like the Rhino releases of G.I. Joe, Transformers, Jem, and the Inhumanoids) just to keep the list as comprehensive as possible.  I'll be updating this as soon as anything is available via Amazon (or elsewhere for that matter), as well as replacing the out of print listings with any new ones that might pop up on the horizon.  I've also decided to throw on some kids shows like The Electric Company, Sesame Street, the Muppets, and Fraggle Rock because they fit in the same vein of programing. 

I'm certainly not the end all authority on whats out there on DVD; this list is purely based on my own research.  If you see anything that you feel should be included, drop me an e-mail (using the contact link to the left.)  Again, if you wish to help support the site and want to pick up some fun cartoons while you're at it, please use the below list as a portal to Amazon.  Thanks.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

If you see anything that you feel should be included, drop me an e-mail (using the contact link to the left.)