First, Marlon Wayans has been announced as Ripcord.
For those of you who haven't seen G.I.Joe Sigma 6, at some point, Ripcord became the show's comic relief. He's like the Jar-Jar binks of the G.I.Joe world. You know, that clumsy, bumbling, but ever-so-lovable special forces commando.
Maybe it's the Asian influence of Sigma 6. It seems that every Anime has to have at least one character who behaves as if their brain function is so limited you're surprised they're capable of speech.
So yeah, that's the part that Marlon Wayans got. Needless to say, the buzz on the internet is a little cautious on this one.
In the meantime, there's an interview with the G.I.Joe movie producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura up at IESB.
(You remember di Bonaventura. He's the guy whose sole distinguishing characteristic on Wikipedia is that he was "Dead set against using the original voice of Peter Cullen for Optimus Prime in the Transformers movie."
What does he say? Basically that Zartan and Destro are in the movie, that Destro will be played by a Scottish or English actor, that Shipwreck and Cover Girl may be in the movie, depending on budget, that they only character they can guarantee will be a "Real American Hero" will be Duke, and that this film will be the Batman Begins of G.I.Joe movies.
My thoughts on that last one? I wonder if he thought Transformers was the Batman Begins of Transformers movies.
Finally, Toyfare has revealed the new G.I.Joe comic two packs.
These two packs include comics penned by original G.I.Joe scribe Larry Hamma that it appears take place between issues of the original comic. These include a pair of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes figures that come with a comic numbered "G.I.Joe 21 1/2." G.I.Joe 21 was the first comic I ever got, the famous "Silent Story," where Snake Eyes rescued Scarlett from Cobra in a story that took place entirely without dialogue.
There's also a Tomax and Xamot pack with a story entitled "Bad Day At The Circus"--Long time fans will remember the TV commercial for the comic where the whole concept of Tomax and Xamot and the Crimson Guard were revealed. At the Circus. In song.
I miss those issues. I'll be getting these.
