Ages 25 & Up - Comics with Kung-Fu Grip! Updated Saturdays

COMIC - File #200: "Dead Figure Storage"

2013-05-23T23:40:00.000-04:00

The big day is finally here! Check out the previous issue (click the button below) to read issue #199.5 for a massive recap of the current story. Thanks for your patience. I told you I'd get it done.

Voices provided by the staff of AtomicMoo.com. You'd like it there.

#199.5 on Fighting 1:18th's home page, #200 goes online tomorrow

2013-05-23T17:36:00.001-04:00

This is a momentous occasion for the comic! We're back on track, pretty much. Our friends over at the Fighting 1:18th have put a three-page article in the news section of their site in anticipation of #200, which goes online tomorrow.

In case you want to get hype, here are all three of #200's trailers for your enjoyment and hype-building. See you back here tomorrow for the animated special issue, when Ages 25 & Up gets back on the rails!

Trailer #1 - January 2013

Trailer #2: "What Could Go Wrong?" - February 2013

Trailer #3: "CUNL News" - May 2013

COMIC - File #199.5: "Previously..."

2013-05-17T01:58:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

2013-05-13T12:08:00.001-04:00

The third and final trailer for #200 is now online! It features Dick Wanker, the overcompensating anchor from CUNL news. The release date for #200 is revealed, a bit of the plot is mentioned, and a few explanations of what's taking so damn long are provided. Dig in and mark your calendars!

We've come too far to give up who we are.

2013-05-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

So We Here At Ages 25 & Up have been busy at work on #200 for some time now. Many of you might have given up any faith you had in A25U; understandably so. But we aren't done yet. And we aren't stopping until it's finished.

But it won't be much longer.

This week, a third and final trailer for #200 will go online. It will reveal the release dates for both #200 and #199.5, the much-needed recap issue.

We can't apologize enough for how long this has taken, but maybe the new trailer and the release date might restore a bit of our ruined, smouldering credibility.

In case you missed them, here's the first trailer for #200 as well as the second trailer. Neither of them are indicative of the quality of the full #200, or its tone. They're (cock)teasers, after all.

To show that We Here At Ages 25 & Up have been working on #200 all this time, here are spy photos of Helix hard at work, captured by our mate Dr. Syn from The Smuggling Cove. So scroll down, enjoy, and report back this weekend for Trailer #300 and release dates!

Stay frosty.

She's gotta get comfy before she can edit video.

There we go. Lotsa comfort for lotsa productivity.

Working so hard she built up an appetite.
Don't let it go to your hips, Helix.

Er... I guess she was really hungry.

Okay, back to work, Helix.

Fine, ONE Girls' Night Out, THEN you get back to work.

I don't even know what she's doing in this one.

Heh. Some party. Wash up, Helix, and get back to work on #200.

So... See you this weekend for Trailer #3!

G.I. Joe Kre-O Rundown Roundup Review!

2013-03-22T00:36:00.001-04:00

Greetings, Joebros!

To kill some time before #200 drops (a third teaser trailer is currently being planned), why not build something cool with Lego -- or not-Lego? Perhaps you've been tempted by Hasbro's Toys R Us exclusive G.I. Joe line of Kre-O building sets.

I was lucky enough to find some G.I. Joe Kre-O sets (hereafter referred to as "Kre-I Joe") at my local TRU, on sale no less, so let's take a look at the four sets I picked up. I'll provide links to their pages on the TRU Canada site so you can see official pictures and the descriptive blurbs, and buy them if you're a hoser like me.

This post will look at the Kreon minifigures, Checkpoint Alpha, Ninja Temple Battle, Serpent Armour Strike, Battle Platform Attack, and a special appearance by a mysterious silent race car driver who dresses in white. Click on the links in this paragraph to jump to their sections.

Let's start with the figures. Kre-O figures are, for some reason, called "Kreons." Just roll with it. They are essentially Lego minifigures with balljoints, manly jawlines, and hardpoints on their bodies for attachments, in the case of the Transformers Kreons. They maintain Lego minifigs' simply printed decorations rather than Mega Bloksian custom sculpting.

Here's a lineup of a Lego minifigure, a Haloblox Spartan, and a Kreon:

The usual suspects.

Another point of interest are the Kreons' accessories. Haloblox figures have oversized weapons. Not comically oversized, just poorly-designed guns that try too hard to be realistic/screen-accurate and end up being jokes. I'm talking about handguns the size of sub-machine guns. I'm talking SMGs too large to be held properly. I'm talking shotguns longer than the figures are tall.

"Mine's bigger!"

Kreons, on the other hand, have more appropriately-sized weapons which are not super-realistic, but detailed enough to look good. They still look like toys, which fits the fun non-realistically-detailed world of Kre-O. The handguns are small, as they should be. The MP5s are reasonably sized but still recognizable. And, because of their aesthetics and perfect sizes, they are interchangeable with Lego minifigures and BrickArms accessories. So if you bought a cache of guns off BrickArms, your Kreons are in luck.

That being said, there are some exceptions, once attachments come into play. Take a look at the Cobras in the following image.

"No, MINE'S bigger!"

The bayonet is as long as his MP5! And look at that suppressor. And why is there a rocket sitting on top of that SMG? What gives?

All things considered, I rather like the Kreons. Shame my TRU didn't have the Kre-I Joe blindbags or I'd have a whole lot more. I should also take a minute to point out that the sprues of weapons and tools that came with the Battle Platform Attack set were clearly designed for figures of another scale (possibly Stikfas or Xevoz figures) and probably shouldn't be used with Kreons. Hell, many of the tools can't even fit in their hands.

With that out of the way, let's get to the sets.

Checkpoint Alpha

First up is the Checkpoint Alpha set, which features Firefly tossing a bomb at the watchtower manned (and dogged) by Law and Order. It is a fairly accurate recreation and updating of the original Checkpoint Alpha set from '85.

The set comes with Law and Order as well as Firefly and a bike for him to ride.

"Stop! In the name of Love!"

The box shows Law holding an uzi, which would have been more accurate to his original figure. Instead, he comes with a riot shield (like that ROC version) and a handgun. He looks pretty damn accurate, too. Order's head is a separate piece, which suggests to me that they're going to use the body as the standard four-legged animal body and change the head as required to make Junkyard, Timber, etc.

Next, we have Cobra saboteur and fan-favourite Firefly.

"Terrorists win!"

He's exquisitely decorated, with his camo pattern and chest harnesses faithfully recreated. He comes with three sticks of dynamite attached to a clock. A bit old-fashioned, as far as bombs go, but it's results that matter. (Speaking of Firefly, expect him to be important in #200. You'll find out what I mean.)

As you can see, though, his gun is rather hilariously oversized, thanks in no small part to the suppressor which is larger than the gun itself... and made of small parts. It's not green like his original gun, but I think it looks better this way.

"Hope there's enough room in there for my lunch..."

His backpack can hold his bomb and the C-clip on the side holds his gun. He can have both hands on his bike's handlebars, that way. The bomb just sits in the bag; it doesn't snap into anything. There's a hole at the bottom of the bag, so I guess he could store a longer-barrelled rifle in there, or something.

Checkpoint Alpha consists of a watchtower with a ladder to reach the equipment-filled top floor, and a red barrier. Just like the '80s original, this Kre-I Joe version delivers.

"All along the watchtower--"

The stop sign and speedbump are gone, the machine gun is replaced by a missile that actually fires (the projectile is held in place by a C-clip and pushed out of its clip when you press down on the fire button), and the clipboard has been upgraded to a computer. But the light and antenna are still around. The more things change--

"Red Alert"? Someone's playing C and C on the job.

Hope the Joneses brought their ticket.

Firefly's bike is nothing special, but it's beefy, badass, and features some slick styling. Sure, it's not a classic '80s Joe vehicle, but at least he's not trying to pass through the Checkpoint on foot, eh?

"You shall not pass!"

All in all, I think this is a great set and a perfect introduction to the Kre-I Joe line. I also have to complement the QUALITY of these sets. Sure, they're not quite Lego, but goddamn, are they better than Mega Bloks. Higher-grade plastic than that Mega Bloks swill, bricks that fit and stay together properly, leaving flat surfaces for the stickers to adhere to, and compatibility with Lego, including the minifigures' accessories. PLUS, Kre-O stickers can be easily removed and reapplied in case you mess up. Well done, Kre-O.

If you're looking to start your Kre-I Joe collection and/or want a small set for your desk or something, I strongly recommend this one.

"Faster, Junior!"

Checkpoint Alpha Verdict: Clutch approves!

Ninja Temple Battle

I get the feeling this set is going to be popular. Let's look at the figures to find out why. There's a nice pair... of Red Ninjas.

"Everybody was kung-fu fighting..."

Both ninjas come with the same gear: two shurikens, a claw, a bow, a pair of katanas, a red face wrap, and a black backpack capable of storing three swords. Two of the swords are stored diagonally, one under the other, with the third slot being a vertical one in the middle. I would have preferred if the third vertical slot was replaced with a C-clip; that way they could carry the bow on their back. They can't hold the shurikens properly, so be sure to have a storage bag/case/whatever handy for their parts.

With three slots, he can carry more weapons
than that Haloblox space marine.

The Red Ninjas are just palette swaps of Storm Shadow. Nothing special about them, really. If you want a posse for Stormy to command, sure, but other than that, nothing to see here, move along. But they DO have a lot of gear.

The (throwing) stars of the show are, obviously, Snake-Eyes (v2) and Storm Shadow (v1). This set is currently the ONLY way to get a Snake-Eyes and/or Storm Shadow Kreon, which is probably why you want this set. There's a v1 Snake-Eyes with Timber Kreon coming in a series two set, but that box features an even larger and more ostentatious ninja temple that you don't need (seriously, could they not build a Cobra base, or something?), so... yeah, if you're getting this set, it's for the two blokes seen below.

Friends will be friends... Right 'til the end.

Snake-Eyes comes with his uzi, a sword, and the same ninja backpack as the others. Both he and Stormy are very nice recreations of their Joescale figures. It's worth noting that Snake-Eyes' head has a printed detail: through the face-hole in his balaclava, you can see his eyes. There's no scarring damage visible. The visor is a separate piece that attaches to the head, so DON'T LOSE IT. And don't remove it too much, because if it gets loose, you're smegged.

Gangsta wrap made me do it.

I'm not terribly fond of the ninja head wraps. It makes the ninjas look like Lawrence of Arabia, or the Lego Indiana Jones Cairo Thugs. But without the wraps, there's a spot of paint on my Storm Shadow's head that looks like a hole in his mask. Ah well. I guess the wraps stay on.

The Red Ninjas are very nice figures with a lot of gear, but being faceless, nameless dudes (and not even cool-ass Troopers or Vipers, at that), there's nothing really special about them. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow are terrific and the only reason to buy this set. But I might as well talk about the rest of it.

The "ninja temple" consists of an archway with the Arashikage markings on the ground, a spinny thing with two katanas on it, a weapon rack, and a rock with a scroll on it. The product's blurb at the TRU website says that the ninjas are going to fight for possession of the secret scroll. Yeah, sure they will. And a few haphazardly-assembled planks of wood are a "ninja temple."

By that definition, there's a

Rotting 2x4 Temple in my backyard.

Sure, there are a lot of weapons in this set, and the Red Ninjas are very well done, but this set really feels half-assed. Just look at that photo above. If it was just going to be a ninja troop builder, skip including the "temple" crap and toss in some more figures.

Ninja Temple Battle Verdict: If you're after the Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow Kreons, get this one on sale if you can. Otherwise, skip this crap entirely.

Serpent Armour Strike

As the internet's resident Clutch and VAMP fanboy, I dreaded having to buy this set. The Cobra mech thing looks ridiculous, the jeep isn't reminiscent of the VAMP, and the whole set looks like it is just the G.I. Joe brand stamped over something generic. Other than the Clutch figure, there's nothing here that screams classic Joe to me.

But of course, I had to buy it, because Clutch.

"Eh, gurl, once you go Kreon--"

Let me just briefly describe the mech: it's shite. It has ball-jointed shoulders, hinge elbows, ball-jointed hips that have a small range of motion, and hinged ankles that won't help it pose much. I've heard that the mech is supposed to be from some Joe cartoon or comic I'm not familiar with, but I would have preferred a classic Joe vehicle instead. Why not some SNAKE Armour suits (supposedly, the mech is a big-ass SNAKE -- maybe on paper), or some small fliers like those in the Battle Platform Attack or Dragonfly sets?

The mech was built then promptly disassembled. Why? Because the "VAMP's" rear gun consisted of a machine gun clipped onto the roll cage. Gone were the twin machine guns that elevate and swivel. So I used the parts from the mech (and Law's riot shield from the Checkpoint Alpha set above) to give the VAMP some more floodlights and to build a rear turret on a ball joint, with a harness to hold the gunner in place. I revised it a few times, so it will look a bit different from photo to photo.

"COME GET SOME."

The truck is a bulky, six-stud wide 4x4 with opening doors and some big-ass bullbars. But it is decidedly NOT the VAMP. The original VAMP was styled after the Lamborghini Cheetah and features a distinctive front, roll cage, and twin machine guns. This Kre-O truck has NONE of that.

Furthermore, the stickers have scratch marks on the truck. Not bullet holes. Scratch marks. What, was this thing mauled by a goddamn velociraptor? And the colour scheme is decidedly too busy. Why does it need green AND black AND beige as its main colours? Why not just a green and black exterior, like the original VAMP, and a beige interior, like the 25th Anniversary version? And why the hell can a six-stud-wide truck only seat one figure??

"Next stop: Ass-Kicked Town. Population: COBRA!"

There's a sticker at the back with the "VAMP 4x4" logo from the POC VAMP (the one I call the "HumVAMP"), but that's pretty much it (that at the "4647" sticker). Shape, colours, design... it's all wrong. The Kre-O RAM looks like the RAM, the Kre-O Trouble Bubble looks like a Trouble Bubble, the Kre-O Checkpoint Alpha and Battle Platform look like their namesakes, so why does the VAMP get the short end of the stick?

Without the gun I built, there was just
a big-ass hole in the back of the truck. Seriously.

Yeah, I know, I mad because I'm a Clutch and VAMP fanboy, but after seeing how much effort and love went into some of the other sets (like the Checkpoint and the Platform), it's very, very disappointing to see them miss the mark so hard on my favourite Joe vehicle. At least they got Clutch down.

It's a great-looking jeep, sure.
But it's not the VAMP. That's the problem.

Clutch comes with a handgun, there's some kind of Kalashnikov missing a mag attached to the side of the truck, and the mech pilot has a grenade launcher. The pilot doesn't look bad: a blue-clad Cobra dude with printed-on armour and a very, very nice white helmet which I put to good use. More on that later.

Serpent Strike Armour Verdict: Don't buy this. Just... don't buy this.

Battle Platform Attack

Oh, baby. This set. This set. Figures, mini-vehicles, and a kick-ass recreation of a classic Joe playset. Basically, this is the set you want from series one. The Big One. Let's start with the figures.

If Cobra "blueshirts" are your bag, you might like these guys. The Platform comes with a Cobra Air Trooper and a Cobra Trooper with a non-standard chest config. Possibly a vehicle driver, or something? I don't know, but they're pretty cool.

COBRAAAAAAAA!!!1111eleventeen

The Air Trooper has a red bandana and black glasses printed on his head. The gasmask is a piece that his head fits into, so you have to jimmy it a bit for the glasses to show through the gasmask. As I mentioned earlier, though, their guns are kind of silly. The Air Trooper's MP5's suppressor is an entirely different colour, and he has a rocket on top, not a scope. The Trooper's bayonet is as long as his SMG. I just took the attachments off, altogether.

"Where did I leave my gloves?"

And who better to lead them than the Cobra Commander himself? (Other than a better leader, of course.) The Head Snake features vac-metallized paint on his head. But just PAINT. So be careful not to get the head scratched up! He also features his distinctive pistol. There's no storage in his back for it, though, and he doesn't have any gloves. But his figure is looking good.

As far as Joes go, we have Roadblock, even though the set comes with Rock N Roll's bike. Roadblock's machine gun has a gatling gun barrel, for some reason.

"Don't make me speak in rhymes."

His gun has some kind of handlebar piece on it, which can be used as a bipod of sorts, according to the box. I find it looks better as a handle. I have my Roadblock Kreon holding his gun like this:

"Who touched Sasha?!"

instead of the way the instructions say, which is like this:

"CRY SOME MORE!"

I guess it depends on the pose you're trying to go for. The set also comes with some blonde-haired boy scout instead of Hawk, the G.I. Joe Commander. Go ahead and toss that figure into the box with the parts of the mech and the ninja "temple."

We get some kickass vehicles, too! (Unlike that Serpent Armour one.) We get a RAM, a Trouble Bubble, AND a FANG. Not to mention the Platform itself. That's nearly more Kre-I Joe goodness than your body as room for. Trust me, I've been hospitalized over less.

The RAM, the Rapid Fire Motorcycle. Wait, what?

The RAM is the same motorcycle that Firefly rode in the Checkpoint Alpha set, with extra parts built onto the body in order to give it the gatling-gun-equipped sidecar and the saddlepack. There's a little kickstand piece that keeps the bike from tipping over on the sidecar part and a shotgun attached via C-clip. Not sure why. I'll have to attach Rock N Roll's machine gun there when I get him.

Break out your scissors if you want that Joe logo sticker on.

The other side has a saddlepack. The Joescale RAM has two, but one's enough for this miniaturized version. Just a note about the G.I. Joe logo sticker on the front of the RAM. It's too wide (vertically) to fit as illustrated in the instructions. I had to narrow it down by carefully cutting it with scissors for it to fit. Might be a case of the "just mines" but I figured I'd mention it anyway.

Tiny Bubbles...

The Trouble Bubble is tiny as well, but damn if it doesn't capture the look of its Joescale version. The use of telescopes as weapons is clever. The two rear pods were on a sprue and needed to be removed, like the Ninja Temple's weapons and the "VAMP's" doors. Also on the sprue was a big-ass weapon in white that wasn't used at all in the build. Looked rather Transformersish.

The Bubble's chin gun and ailerons can move, and you can remove those missiles, too. A figure fits snugly into the Bubble. Kreons fit better into this Trouble Bubble than 25th Anniversary figures fit into theirs.

Who needs a rear rotor, anyway?

Like the RAM and the Trouble Bubble, the FANG was simplified and shrunken down to the Kre-I Joe scale. Some details were lost in the process, such as the rear thruster (which seems to have been divided in two) and the rear rotor is now just a red stud. But the essence of the FANG is here. The shape, the colour scheme, the location of the weapons... The sorts of things the Kre-I Joe VAMP got completely wrong.

I want to get away; I wanna fly away--

I don't have the space to display the full Platform, but the tiny Kre-I Joe vehicles and figures have taken up positions on my shelf and desk. These little vehicles look great and are very faithful to the Joescale originals. Which makes messing up the VAMP all the more ridiculous.

Before getting to the Platform proper, let's take a look at one of its components: the prison. It's a small red building with a single cell, but two doors to it. Wait, what?

Mega Bloks figures have wide stances.

Sure, the prison adds play value, but I'd much rather have had, say, another vehicle and/or a few figures, instead. One of the sprues of weapons and tools has a pair of handcuffs which I've featured in the photo below.

Seriously, it takes them three studs
just to stand up straight. The hell, man.

Still, I think they could have done more than toss in this tacky little prison. Besides, why bother capturing Cobras and holding them without trial, anyway? All I'm saying is, it's a lot more paperwork when you bring them in alive.

Are you ready for the Platform itself? You've had this whole article to get ready! Here goes!

BOARD THE PLATFORMS!

The Platform isn't just a Kre-Ofication of the original playset. It's been redesigned, somewhat flattened, and, for some reason, relocated to a desert if the box is any indication. Keep in mind this is supposed to be a Transportable Tactical Battle Platform, so I guess that it might be amphibious, as well.

Make my day.

The original Platform's twin machine guns and rocket launcher make a comeback. The machine gun has a seat for a gunner, is mounted on a ball joint for a crazy range of motion, and even has a little targeting sight. The rocket launcher is mounted on a rotating plate with a hinge in order to elevate. The rockets all fire using the same pressure-on-C-clip system as the turret on the Checkpoint Alpha set... so they don't fire very far.

Oh god, he's right behind you!

The computer station is much more open than the original Platform. The screens are transparent stickers stuck to window pieces. Just be careful which face you stick them to. I put the main screen on backwards, but it was easy to peel off and reapply correctly.

Under the platform, you'll find a small tool rack with a mini-fridge. For boats to use, I guess. Like I mentioned earlier, though, many of the tools from the sprues aren't exactly Kreon scale, so the C-clips that should hold them in place don't. Many of them fall right out of their clips, and even those that don't are far too big for Kreons to use. Lego tools are, for the most part, nicely scaled. These aren't.

Not for Kreon consumption.

Also, there's that mini-fridge with cans of Yo Joe cola. The thing is, the fridge door doesn't stay shut. There's no locking mechanism, and there are no studs for the cans to plug into inside. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) Hell if I'm going to put those easily-loseable pieces into a cabinet that can't even stay shut. You're better off not putting any tools or drinks on this bottom part or you'll end up with lost pieces. And to make matters worse, Kreons can't even hold the cans like Lego minifigs do. Just leave the cans near the computer terminals or something. I have one inside Checkpoint Alpha, myself.

My favourite part of the Platform set? The scenario the included figures and vehicles sets up.

Oh, no. The boyscout's in trouble.

Don't you just love a happy ending?

The Platform features at least one must-have figure, some great troop builders, excellent vehicles, some fun accessories (such as the cans of Yo Joe cola), and is a fantastic rendition of a classic Joe playset. Seriously worth it. If you get one Kre-I Joe set, it should be this one!

Party on, Wayne!

Battle Platform Attack Verdict: Clutch approves HARD!

Now earlier, I mentioned putting some of the parts from the VAMP set to better use. And I mentioned a race car driver, too. Well, let me show you what I did.

Some say he eats Mega Bloks for breakfast and shits Lincoln Logs. Some say his stud count is one: himself. Some say his alternate model is so incredible, it's like Michelangelo's David making love to the Mona Lisa. Some say he's the reason Trendmasters went out of business. Some say he once built a life-size model of the Eiffel Tower using only the pieces he found in his trousers. All we know is...

...HE'S CALLED THE STIG.

Using the helmet of the Serpent Armour's pilot, the body of a Lego race car driver, the head of a Lego Stormtrooper, and the hands of a Lego astronaut, I've built a Stig that, in my opinion, looks even better than the official Lego Stig, which looks lazy and uninspired.

Where the track at?

After building this Stig, I had him race around in a regular-ass car, but it wasn't enough for him.

He needed MORE.

So, he spent some time with the Joe team. Then this happened.

Yep, that's the Lego/Kre-I Joe Stig hybrid
leaning out of Clutch's jeep, shooting at Firefly
with a grenade launcher and a suppressed MP5.

Usually, he just eats northerners, but I think this gave him a taste for Kre-O Cobra blood. So, to calm him down, I sent him to visit the Haloblox space marines.

He fit right in.

The problem was, he didn't want to give up the Warthog. He wouldn't budge.

I have a feeling this won't end well. FOR THEM.

And when he DID budge...

...he slipped into the gunner's position
and turned them to plastic shavings.

It was around this time that I sent him to cool down again by visiting the Ice Planet.

Stay frosty.

That went well until I found out the Joes had already been there and brought "culture" with them. Oh, hell.

One can of Yo Joe cola later...

All it took was one can of Yo Joe cola, and his lust for Kre-O Cobra blood was renewed.

Without Rock N Roll around, the RAM was unguarded.

I guess the Stig can handle bikes, too. And firearms.

I haven't been able to find my
Kre-O Firefly figure since then.

Seeing as how things couldn't possibly get any worse, I finally caved and let the Stig hang out with Clutch.

They seemed to hit it off pretty well.

And then they revealed what many of us suspected all along...

...Clutch IS the Stig?! I KNEW IT!

It all makes sense now! But... how did he fit the beard into the helmet?

Well, that's about it for my opinions of those four Kre-I Joe sets. Checkpoint Alpha and the Platform are seriously worth it, but the other two really, really are not, unless you absolutely must have those Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow Kreons and/or are a Clutch fanboy who wants to build a Stig. Or something. All things considered, I am very pleased that Hasbro was willing to make a line of obviously collector-oriented G.I. Joe toys (what kid knows who these characters are unless his neckbeard dad forced his own nostalgia-hardon onto his son?) AGAIN. Hats off.

Hope this overly-long post was informative or at least entertaining. Stay tuned for updates on #200 and other stuff soonish, maybe. Be seeing you!

"What Could Go Wrong?" - Teaser #2

2013-02-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

Here's another fresh teaser for #200! Meet the crew and wonder who the hell would give them high-powered assault weapons.

Update on #200

2013-02-12T13:25:00.001-05:00

Hey, fellas.

I'm still working on #200 and it seems like I'm going to have reshoot some of it. Glaring continuity errors too big to Photoshop out. I let some slide, but some of this... Yeah, it ain't gonna fly.

So, I'm going to get it all shot and corrected for you. The next update I post will be a new teaser trailer, the second and probably last one. Because the next video I post after it will be #200, in all its glory.

Sound good?

Teaser for #200!

2013-01-25T23:48:00.000-05:00

And here it is! The first teaser for #200. See? I told you I'm making progress.

Ages 25 & Update: #200 Teaser Tomorrow

2013-01-24T13:17:00.001-05:00

So my good friend Dr Syn from The Smuggling Cove sent in this picture, which he describes as "Helix hard at work and updates for Ages 25 and up (right?)" And you'd better believe he's right!

Tomorrow, I am releasing an animated teaser for #200. Now it's going to be short, very short, as it's just a very small taste of what's to come. So sit tight, stay frosty, and check back tomorrow for the briefest of briefings!

Numbers' New Years Newsletter: Target 2013, in 4-D

2013-01-02T00:07:00.000-05:00

My friends, I must ask you: what drives a man?

His thirst for power? His pursuit of material and wealth? His insatiable appetite for conquest? Or, is it something more? A sense of duty, perhaps? The defence of justice?

I know not the answer, and my struggles of the last year have crushed any previous desire to find one.

Perhaps you remember the letter I wrote to you in January 2012, or even the one that preceded it. If not, I will get you up to speed. I built an empire selling matches to schoolchildren and soon had enough money to build myself a giant robot suit which I'd use to keep the Earth safe. Perfectly reasonable, no?

My arch-nemesis, who had his own mech, had his evil plans thwarted by my hands multiple times. But I was completely unprepared for his "space program." Having established bases on Phobos and Deimos, the Martian moons, he turned his henchmen into... monsters. Worse, he opened some kind of Gate to Hell. Luckily, my mech was up for the challenge.

For months, I explored, slaying demons and struggling to find my way out. Many mazes later, I had no choice but to shoot a hotshot video game designer in the face to escape the Hell of... well, Hell. That was when I found myself back in 1993. My nemesis was nowhere to be found, and as a final insult, he must have sent me spinning through time and space, with way too much oversteer.

Somehow, the parts I required to repair my mech were unavailable in the mid-nineties. Don't ask me why. My only hope, short of an unlicensed particle accelerator backpack, was to harness the strength of lightning to power up my battleframe and send me back to my own spatiotemporal plane. After buying some sealed SNES games, of course.

With my armour's giant drill acting as a lightning rod (don't worry about the science), I created a thunderstorm in an unpopulated area using the secrets extracted from my nemesis' late weather-control device and one thunderbolt later, I was launched back to the present. Or future, depending on reference point and perspective.

Only, I'm not so sure. I find myself in a world in which people replace their useless hipstertech touchscreen devices every six months. A world in which kids who have never explored the depths of online subculture throw around catchphrases they couldn't possibly understand. This can't be the world I left; the world I built the mech suit to defend. I must have fallen into some kind of parallel dimension, one in which Idiocracy is a documentary. A world populated by ten-meter tall tentacle monsters, and not a schoolgirl in sight. The creatures in this place are terrifying, but nothing my mech cannot handle.

I hope.

I will battle my way through these monsters until I can charge up enough power for another slipgate jump, once which, with luck, would bring me home. Until then, I hope you all have the best 2013 possible, or at least a kickass one.

Oh yeah, and this whole time/space misadventure is why #200 is taking so long.

- 1337W422102, aka "Numbers," Intergalactic Planetary Planetary Intergalactic Guardian
January 2013

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Status of #200

2012-12-27T19:35:00.003-05:00

All right, so I'm a few days late to wish you all a Merry Christmas and too early to wish you a Happy New Year, so how about this? "I hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year." There we go. Still got it.

I wasn't able to make a new seasonal issue this year, what with the animation and all, so here are all of the Christmas/New Year A25U comics I could remember. Enjoy!

Oh, and keep scrolling down for news on #200, too.

Here's the very first Christmas issue, from way back in 2008. Appropriately enough, I posted it late, too. Click on the image below to check out the comic, #19 "Special Occasions":

There was no New Year's issue that year, but the Christmas 2009 issue proved to be one of the most important of the entire series. It started a subplot that lasted for the entirety of 2010! Check out #71 "Merry Cobramas" by clicking on this image:

There was a New Year's comic for the first time that year, posted on 31 December, 2009. It was called "G.I. Joe: Resolutions," which wasn't very clever, and still isn't:

For Christmas 2010, I'd decided to break out the custom Cover Girl figure my buddy D.Chan had made for me and try a new pairing. Decide for yourself if it works in #121 "That Time Of Year":

New Year 2011 saw the Cobra Commander back in power in #122 "The Big Broadcast of 2011":

The Cobra Commander was also the star of 2011's Christmas issue, #170 "And To All A Good Night":

New Year 2012 began a new story, one that introduced two original characters (each created and whose figures were custom made by D.Chan -- thanks again, man!). Stinger Driver Roy (who first appeared in #172) and Meredith, the sassy redhead from Cobra "Supplier Relations" would work against Clutch in their story arc, but it began with her getting her drank on in #171 "Dropping The Ball!":

Right, so, about #200. It's going to be an animated short, but nothing like #100, which was just a cut-to-sound. This one is much more ambitious, with sound effects and even voices. Yep, a full talkie! And it even features a guest writer, sort of. I'll try to have it ready by mid-January, but I'm still not sure if I'll be able to make that release window.

I took on a much bigger project than I had expected and I should have planned this out better. Had I not encountered those technical issues in the summer, I would've been able to finish it during my break, but as it spilled into my final university semester, it unfortunately had to take a back seat to studying, papers, and exams, not that that is any excuse for not keeping you guys up to speed with updates and previews. Thanks again for your continued patience and support, and speaking of previews, here are a couple new stills and the ones from last time:

So, Season's Greetings and whatnot, and stay tuned for a bright 2013 and the return of Ages 25 & Up with an animated short for #200.

The Lego Space Marines need your help!

2012-11-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

Anyone here like Lego? I know I do.

Lego has this website where fan-made models can become real, official Lego sets, and make it to production, which is awesome. One of these projects is a badass-looking Space Marine theme:

They need enough people to say they like the idea by clicking on a big green button. At that point, it will go to review, and if it passes, we'll have some Lego Space Marines on our shelves soon enough! So far, there are about 9,800 supporters, and the project needs 10,000 to go to the review phase. To make the winter review phase, it needs to hit 10,000 by December 3, I think.

If you get a minute, please visit http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/5127 and show your support for Lego Space Marines!

I'm just a fan; I have nothing to do with the Lego Space Marines project myself other than digging it. Yes, there is an official Lego space marine minifigure so far, but he's only available in a series of blind-bagged of minifigs, so it's hard to find him, much less army build them! And the upcoming Galaxy Force line looks disappointing, with garish colours and motocross helmets instead of the bulky space armour these guys have.

So please, visit http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/5127 and support the project. Thanks a lot!

Happy Remembrance Day

2012-11-11T12:40:00.002-05:00

It's once again November 11th; Remembrance Day in Canada. I don't have much to say, so I'll let Rick Mercer do the talking.

AGES 25 & UPdate: Still Alive

2012-11-06T19:27:00.001-05:00

NEWS AND PREVIEW IMAGES BELOW!

Numbers reporting in. Contrary to popular belief, I'm alive!

First of all, I want to apologize for my radio silence recently. And by "recently," I mean "for the last few months." I've been around and busy. Busy with what? Busy piecing together the next comic, aided by the computer you guys helped me acquire!

Thank you for contributing and for being patient while I got my crap sorted out. If it wasn't for your help, I'd probably have to make the comics by hand, by cutting up 35 mm film, or something. Things have been hectic here at the A25U HQ, where production of ~~Duke Nukem Forever~~ #200 continues. What the hell is taking so long, you ask?

Well, first of all, #200 is the largest A25U-related undertaking I have ever undertook. So much so that I couldn't even do it alone and have enlisted the help of my friends and brothers-in-harms from the AtomicMoo.com, the most Refreshingly Geek (TM) site you are likely to find on an entire internet. This isn't just some remastered #100. It even has a guest writer... sort of! Here, have a preview image:

Unfortunately for me, real life is duking it out with #200. I'm currently in my final semester of university, so I often find myself writing papers when I'd rather be editing up the new A25U. So it's taking a while and will continue to take a while.

No ETA yet, but I want to get it posted before the end of November. Whether this happens or not, I'm still not sure. Rest assured: I don't think I'll do something this elaborate for #300.

So here's what I'll do. I'm going to keep working on #200, while providing occasional updates to you guys, with production stills. A week before #200 is released, I'll put up #199.5, which will recap the story arc that #200 is a part of. You remember, that one about Destro coming back or something.

I've also removed the spam-filled Cbox comment field thing from the left sidebar. I've replaced it some kind of twiddler comment box. I'm not sure if it's an improvement, but at least there won't be spam now. Do with it what you will.

Here's another preview. That's right: #200 has Cobras, Iron Grenadiers, and even beer! Surely that's worth the wait, right? ...right?

So, enjoy the photos, post some comments or questions or whatever you want, and stay tuned. I know I ask a lot of you guys, but I say this as honestly as I can: #200 is coming!

Thanks again,
- Numbers

SITREP: Well, crap.

2012-07-30T20:47:00.002-04:00

Pic extremely related.

Yeah, sorta like that.

Long story short, I'm screwed.

I'll explain. I'm one of the poor saps who owns an HP laptop. Or rather, one who got owned by an HP laptop. Their Pavilion dv6000 series (among others) is known for its piss-poor construction and absurd failure rate. Using the machine since 2009, I've coped as best as I could as a bullet list of parts failed, falling off as if struck with some horrible, incurable disease.

The laptop is built like shit, which is why we got it at such a low price. Hell, there was a class-action lawsuit against HP, and the dv6000 is one of the models that lead to such action. I've made due as the speakers died, the optical drive and USB ports took on lives of their own, the screen hinges fell out of place (rendering the devices in the lid other than the screen useless), and other such trials. But this was the end of it.

The problem that killed my laptop was, appropriately enough, the same issue that caused all those Xbox 360s (including mine) to develop the Crimson Circle of Cancer: a ridiculously unbelievable design flaw that, in both cases, was left in because WHO CARES, LOL MONEY

I'm writing this from another, more reliable Lenovo laptop I borrowed from my other brother. I've installed Photoshop on it and some other programs to try to still be productive, but needless to say, production of #200 has hit a major, serious snag. My dead laptop's hard drive has been removed and is sitting in an enclosure, so I haven't lost any data, only progress. I'll have to start over what I had already. Maybe this wouldn't be such a big deal if #200 was just a regular issue. But trust me, it's far from one.

I'm going to need more time, and if you're willing to, perhaps a bit of your help. I need to get myself a new computer, which might be tough, being a broke-ass full-time student with a soul-crushing assembly-line summer job. So if anyone wants to help me out a bit, I've added a donation button and explanatory page to the blog. Friends suggested this, and though I have been extremely reluctant to do so, they were ultimately right when they said that if readers wanted to show their support, they should at least have that option available to them. This is not some kind of cashgrab attempt.

So that's what I wanted to say. Please, be patient, thanks for your encouragement, and if you want to, there's now a donate button if you want to throw some change at me. Thanks for sticking around these last four years. We're not done yet.

Q&Ages 25 & Up #29: July 2012

2012-07-27T13:12:00.001-04:00

Time for another Q&A! But first, I'd like to take a moment to remind you about the Skype session tomorrow night at 9 PM Eastern. Get all the details here!

Question #1 - Flint-wo2 asks:
Will we see any of the movie Joes when they get released?

1337W422102 answers:
They ARE out, and we've seen two of them already! Storm Shadow appears in #192 "Storms and Shadows" and The Rock shows up in #198 "Two Parts Rock, One Part Roll."

I'd like to show some others, but these figures are a) not widely available, b) massively underwhelming, and c) overpriced as hell. But I'll probably cave and get some more, since the story kind of needs them. At least one more of them will appear, but I'd like to make it two.

Question #2 - Meddatron asks:
Any chance we will see some sort of sweet mockery of the latest Retaliation debacle?

1337W422102 answers:
I don't want to give these Hollywood shenanigans undeserved attention and money.

Question #3 - Meddatron asks:
Roy, Roy, Roy. Any chance he somehow comes back? Prequel maybe?

1337W422102 answers:
Roy was a Cobra Stinger driver and longtime rival of Clutch. In a final showdown, Roy drove his borrowed Humvee off a cliff.

I hadn't thought about the possibility of a flashback, but I that's a good idea. However, remember what Meredith said in #187 "La Fille du Roy": no body was recovered from the wreckage, so Roy might still be out there, somewhere...

Question #4 - Meddatron asks:
Speaking of Roy, his character was very well played as well as Meredith's. Do you have any other original characters planned for the future?

1337W422102 answers:
I can't take the credit for them. My buddy and figure supplier D.Chan created the characters and made their figures for me to use, and they're not the only ones he devised.

But if you mean original characters of mine, then yeah, there's something I'd like to do. About five years ago, before I started the comic, I used to do animated shorts with toys. I made this buddy-cop action flick with Transformers called "Bad Mother Truckers." It was silly stuff, but fun to do and I'd written three story arcs. I only had the chance to get one of them off the drawing board, though. I'd like to remake the first Bad Mother Truckers story as a comic, and continue their story, maybe as an "Ages 25 & Up Presents" alternate-universe sorta thing. Well, actually, it could take place in the A25Universe, now that I think about it.

Question #5 - Meddatron asks:
Have you seen the series Comic Book Men on AMC with Kevin Smith? What are your thoughts on it? Yay or nay?

1337W422102 answers:
Yeah, but it's THE FLYING CAR!

I haven't seen it, but I like the sound of it already.

Question #6 - Meddatron asks:
Coffee, energy drink, booze, cola? Which does Numbers prefer?

1337W422102 answers:
Your body needs water, so drink that shit.

Question #7 - Meddatron asks:
If you called the shots for the Slim Jim company, who would be your spokesman, who would be your Randy Savage?

1337W422102 answers:
Bruce Campbell.

Question #8 - Monkeywrench asks:
#200 is approaching! Can you share a hint on what you have planned?

1337W422102 answers:
You can find some hints in #194, #196, and #199.

#200 will take me some time to prepare, so just like #100, which means that there will be a one-week gap between #199 and #200. I don't want to rush #200 and half-ass it, know what I mean? So sit tight and prepare your bodies for Ages 25 & Up #200!

Question #9 - Monkeywrench asks:
Will we ever see another alternate universe comic like PGS?

1337W422102 answers:
I want to make those Bad Mother Truckers issues, which will be an alternate universe, so yeah. There'll be other stuff, too, eventually.

Question #10 - Monkeywrench asks:
We love your funny strips but when is the next serious comic coming?

1337W422102 answers:
I intend to do more, but I don't have any planned right now. Drama's hard, man.

Question #11 - The David Harris asks:
If a company made a G.I. Joe video game, what kind of game would you like to see? It doesn't have to be based on the movie franchise.

1337W422102 answers:
Something like Jagged Alliance or oldschool Syndicate. An action-packed tactical, squad-based title with explosions and manliness. Have your assault team distract the Cobras in the front of the base while you send your commandos and/or ninjas through the jungle to sneak in from the back. Stuff like that.

That's it for this month's Q&A. Got more questions? Ask away tomorrow during the Skype session! See you there.

Skype Session this Saturday!

2012-07-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

#200 will be coming out next week, which leaves a big empty space this week where it would have gone. What do you say we fill it with a Skype session? I'll answer your questions, take your comments/feedback/hate, and we'll have a chance to just shoot the shit with Joe fans. Sounds good?

We'll do it over Skype because I get the impression that people use it. I'm not particularly fond if it myself, but hey. You can get yourself a Skype client here and make an account here. It's easy, painless, and you can uninstall it when you're done. It's free, so don't give them any money.

Once you get your account ready and have loaded your client, hit "Add Contact" and in the username field, enter teh1337W422102. Do this whenever you want, and come Saturday night at 9 PM Eastern, I'll start a chat session and invite anyone interested. Drop in/out any time you want; just let me know that you want in on Skype and I'll invite you to the session. Simple as that!

You don't have to have a mic or headset to participate. You can type messages just fine, or simply lurk if you'd like. I'll stay online as long as there's interest, so drop by when you want and let's have a good time.

Any questions? Post them in the comments section of this post. See you on Saturday!

COMIC - File #199: "Jungle Boogie"

2012-07-22T22:07:00.002-04:00

All right, guys, here's #199. That's right. The next one is #200. You ready for the big two-oh-oh?

Good, because then you won't mind waiting until I finish it. What I'm trying to say is there won't be a new comic next week. I'm working on #200, and this one's going to take a while.

So, instead, here's what we'll do next week. I'll have the new Q&A ready, and we can have our own impromptu one. What do I mean by that? We'll be holding the first ever Ages 25 & Up Community Skype Session. (Give it a catchier name if you want.)

I need to know if anyone's interested and when would be a good time for you to make it. I want to hold it on either Friday the 27th or Saturday the 28, preferably at night. So let me know when is good for you (date and time, and time zone, if you don't mind; I'm in the Eastern zone, if that influences your opinion). Let me know by posting in the thread on your favourite Joe forum, telling Helix on the fail-books, leaving a comment to this post, writing it into the Cbox comment thing on the left-hand side of this page, or emailing me.

Once I get an idea of when's better for you guys, I'll post an official announcement. Remember, you don't have to have a mic or headset. Heck, you can just sit in and lurk if you'd like. Anyone interested?

Oh, and here's the new comic:

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

COMIC - File #198: "Two Parts Rock, One Part Roll"

2012-07-16T16:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry 'bout the lateness. More delays ahead but you'll see what I mean. A new Q&A should be up sometime this week, too. Stay tuned.

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

COMIC - File #197: "Same As It Ever Was"

2012-07-09T00:53:00.001-04:00

You may find yourself defeated by Megatron.
You find yourself allied with Destro.
You may find yourself thirsty for revenge.
You may ask yourself, "Well, how can I kill them?"

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

Captain America's Fourth of July Freedom Fest!

2012-07-04T15:28:00.001-04:00

What better way to celebrate than with the Star-Spangled Badass? The last comic features the Cap, busting heads and kicking ass, but we all know you want more of him. And clarification as to how in the hell he's working for Cobra.

Here are some comics featuring him in all his glory. (Before you get butthurt, keep in mind that this is my satirical version of the character, sticking to his roots as a propagandistic WWII character, and not some kind of challenge to your worldview. If, for some reason, you get offended, the joke might be on you.)

First up is Captain America's Guide to Freedom and Liberty, powered by CrimsonMonkey.com, made at the time when that Captain America movie was in theatres. Click on the image below to check out the comic: And because that is not nearly enough, here is the story arc that first introduced Captain America to A25U readers: A Real American Teamup!

If that's not enough for you, stay tuned as the current story arc (which more-or-less started here) will feature the Cap doing what he does best, and with more xenophobia!

COMIC - File #196: "Five Dollar Milkshake"

2012-07-01T00:57:00.001-04:00

Y'know, now that I think about it, I did the whole "two holidays with one comic" thing last year. And pretty much titled it that, too. Happy Canada Day and Fourth of July, anyway.

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE

Batteries Not Included #22: "No Dice"

2012-06-27T22:16:00.000-04:00

So I haven't been posting my monthly Batteries Not Included comics. Ready for the latest issue, and the others I missed?

Okay, so here's BNI #22 "No Dice," poignant social commentary, right?
Like summer blockbusters? Me neither.

Okay, so what about the previous issues? Here they are, if you're interested:

COMIC - File #195: "From the Desk of Destro"

2012-06-25T01:32:00.000-04:00

Needs more liberty.

CLICK ON COMIC TO ENLARGE