It
should be known before we start that I do not collect Action
Figures (dolls) and I can not understand my brothers obsession with
them; that is until recently.
My
brother first told me about the GiJOE convention back in
February. The plan was for he and Debbie, his wife, to come down to Florida to
spend his vacation with my fiancé, Betsy, and me. He and I were
going to visit the convention on July 3rd while Debbie and Betsy
hung out together. Well that was the plan, as true to form,
John canceled his plans at the last minute, claiming that he had a
big project due for work. Whatever...
In his
absence, he asked me to go to the GIjoe convention and get some
photos for his website. Initially, I was pretty PO-ed at him and said
no way, but after hearing him whine and cry for two weeks, I agreed
just to shut him up.
One thing for sure was that
I was not going to do this alone; I was going to take Betsy with me.
The only problem was that she thinks GIjOE is a stupid hobby for a
grown person. So I kind of led her to believe it was a toy show with
all kinds of toys.
On the 3rd we headed off to
Disney's Contemporary hotel. Once we arrived we grabbed the shuttle
to the hotel; I think this is where Betsy realized she was
shanghaied. She asked, "I thought this was going to be
a 'Toy' convention... why is everyone wearing GIjOE T-shirts and
in their 30s and 40s"? I didn't have to answer, because
I knew the by the look on her face that I was in trouble. I
just thought to myself, "My brother owes me...BIG TIME"!
Ok
here's the scoop: This is what I saw at the Orlando GIjOE
convention. Please be aware that I am not a collector, and I
tried to be a accurate as possible. I took names of artists
and their dioramas whenever possible. If you don't like it,
complain to by brother for not going himself :)
At the entrance to the show
I was greeted by a few GIjOEs who looked like they stepped out of the
cartoon series. At this point I was a little concerned about
what I was getting into. This was followed by dirty look from
my fiancé.
Upon entering the main hall I was taken back by
an awesome WWII diorama. I found it most interesting because it
focused on the Japanese conflict. I was quickly changing my impression
of the convention.
Below is a close-up of a Japanese
Pill box:
After viewing the WWII diorama
I snapped a few pics of the convention booths and displays.
The following are some new Joe's including Disney Exclusive
Indiana Jones 12".
GiJoe carnage! No, it's just a kids play
area the convention folks setup...
Here was one of my favorite displays
in the show. It looks like a scene from the movie Blackhawk
Down.
I love the warlords sporting their combat
issued Adidas Sneakers! The following display was done by "Diorama
Dreams".
After
browsing up and down the isles, I decided to venture to the Diorama contest
area:
The
M*A*S*H diorama was called "The Wait".
The
Pirates of the Caribbean diorama was titled, "So, there is a
Curse"
"Spyro
Gyra"
This
gruesome one was called "Through the Eyes of a Medic".
"Long
Distance Attack"
Another
horrific scene of war titled, "Going Home".
This
one titled, "Zero Six One: This Dragon's Asleep" looked like a museum
display. To bad my pictures don't do this diorama justice.
"Mac's
Ride Back"
Now
here is one of the most interesting depictions in the show.
"Movie Night" It is a
large gathering of soldiers for a USO show.
One
of the coolest details of the USO show diorama was that they actually
recreated scenes from a John Wayne
movie using GiJoe action
figures for the actors.
Here
is another one related to the USO theme called "It's good to be Bob
Hope"
"This One Goes To Gitmo"
"Kodak Picture Spot".
This one had an element of humor and historical fact. By the way, the
cards on the ground where from that infamous deck.
"One Shot One Kill".
This reminds me of the movie Enemy at the Gates.
There is some superior detail here; I couldn't get over the
snipers jacket and hat.
"Liberation"
was a somber depiction of a concentration camp.
2 part diorama called "Ruh Roh".
First part
depicts VC hiding in a tunnel.
The second part shows American soldiers finding their hiding
spot with the aid of a German Shepard.
"Dueling 155's"
"Saint
Mere-Eglise". Depicts an airborne drop gone bad on D-Day.
"Raging
Inferno"
"Bill's Busted Knuckle
Garage" This was my absolute favorite diorama. I can't get
over the level of detail here. The posters and bicycle hanging on the
walls, just adds to the garage's ambiance. All though it is hard to
see, there is even a sink in a back room.
That
was the last diorama of the contest, the rest are some more convention
photos I took before heading out. Even though my fiancé gave me a
hard time, in the end we both had a good time at the convention. In
fact, if I wasn't for her taking notes I wouldn't have had any diorama
contest information.
