SKELETRON® Pre-Order Store

Onward with Roboskull MKII, Onward to JoeFest
about 2 years ago – Wed, Jun 19, 2024 at 10:33:16 AM

Onward!

Hello Roboskullers!  As we prepare to join our friends at JoeFest tomorrow, we have some exciting progress to report:

PHASE C

• Roboskull MKII & MKII SE continue to be produced in the factory and they are truly glorious! We are absolutely thrilled with the final quality of these crazy red flying skulls! There is confidence from the factory that both the MKII & MKII SE will ship from China later this summer.  We cannot wait to get these terrifying beauties into your hands!

Note the Yellow Lightning Breath Effect that will come with the MKII SE! 

• Elite Flight Stand looks great and will be ready to ship with the Roboskulls!
• Roboknight Heavy Metal Armor Accessory experienced a setback that ultimately required this mask accessory to be re-tooled.  We believe it will catch back up in the process, but we can't yet be certain it will be ready to ship simultaneously with the MKII & MKII SE deliveries.
• Marauder 4" Jungle Wolf Troopers will be ready to deploy with the MKII & MKII SE!

PHASE D

• 6" Troopers, Pilots, & Gyre Wolf have been largely tooled, but we are still awaiting some critical tooling before production will be able to commence.

• 4" Skeletron & 6" Skeletron are making notable progress.  Some tooling has been completed, but the majority of tooling is not yet finished.  We love how our final swinging-effect laser sword is turning out!

Cory Cantelupe's visit to China was extremely successful, and we thank our partners in China and Hong Kong for their hospitality and continued efforts! 

“After 15 years working in the toy industry, taking my first trip to China was an amazing experience. The people were wonderful, I learned so much, and we were able to make tremendous progress as a team.”   —Cory Cantelupe

Real progress continues every month on all remaining products, and, at the same time, we feel that PHASE D is not keeping pace as tightly behind PHASE C as we would like.  The factory is dedicated and very focused on finishing out this Kickstarter with AWESOME product, and we believe we will be able to answer schedule projections more definitively in the next month.  As always, we'll keep you updated on where we are at on all fronts!

Onward to JoeFest, June 21-23 

PALITOY & PIZZA

Beers with Bob Brechin & The Odyssey of Action Force

Join us for a Saturday night conversation with Bob at JoeFest!  Bob worked at Palitoy in the UK from 1967 until 1984, and as Chief Designer was responsible for Action Man, Action Force, and so many other iconic toys! Decades later, he joined our SKELETRON design team to develop the soon-to-be-released ROBOSKULL MKII.  Bob also very recently authored “My Palitoy Story” in collaboration with Brian Hickey to celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and vision of the Palitoy Team. 

Bob will also have concept prints for sale at our SKELETRON booth, and will be available for signings.  Then also join us for PALITOY & PIZZA with Bob at 8pm on Saturday night! 

Perhaps best known in our collector circles for his classic work on G.I. Joe packaging art, Doug Hart is also the packaging artist for our Red Shadows Retro Series, Callsign: Longbow, and Operation: Recall!   Doug will be on the showroom floor and also has a panel at 1pm on Saturday!  We will also have Doug Hart Skeletron prints for sale at our booth!

Variant Cardback Retro O-ring Skeletron/Wolf Trooper 

Making its debut at JoeFest 2024— a special cardback of our Retro Series 2-in-1 Wolf Trooper/Skeletron featuring breathtaking Skeletron artwork by the legendary Douglas Hart, whose iconic style adorned GI Joe packaging in the 1980s and 90s.

This figure is from the same production run as our sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper (also illustrated by Doug Hart), so this variant will appeal to those who missed out, want more, or simply enjoy another carded version with a killer Skeletron cardback design. Can’t make it to the show? Don’t worry! This Skeletron variant will be available online after JoeFest at www.SKELETRON.com, shipping worldwide at the same price as our sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper.

We will also have a very limited quantity of the sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper cardback version at the show.  

BATTLE ACTION FORCE Pre-order is LIVE & at JoeFest

Total Toy Books is coming all the way from Ireland to show samples of the 3-volume BATTLE ACTION FORCE Deluxe Treasury Editions that have just gone up for Pre-order!   Pre-order now to receive all three volumes of these beautiful, massive books at a very SPECIAL PRICE!

It's not too late to grab a flight or take a drive- hoping to see you at Joefest, June 21-23 in Augusta!

Thank you all for your continued support!!!

-SKELETRON
 

Happy Mother's Day (& Roboskull Day)
about 2 years ago – Sun, May 12, 2024 at 02:51:03 PM

Hello Roboskullers,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!  

There's nothing better in this world than Moms!  Thank you to all the Moms for bringing us into this world and for all the mothering and nurturing you provide.  You're the best!

Mother's Day is celebrated today in the United States and is celebrated in more than forty other countries.  While our Irish and British Roboskullers celebrated their mothers back in March, thanks to some Roboskull history revealed by Brian Hickey of Total Toy Books, they still have cause for celebration today:

"On this day, 40 years ago (May 12th), the Roboskull made its debut in Battle. It was included on a poster that was collected in 4 parts and then pasted together once all pieces were in-hand. The poster featured Baron Ironblood and all of The Enemy characters and vehicles."

The completed poster has now been restored by the Total Toy Books teamand will be featured in the pages of Battle Action Force Treasury Edition Volume 01. Sign up to the mailing list to be among the first to hear about pre-order dates for these unique books!  You can also CLICK HERE to view the assembled poster. 

HAPPY ROBOSKULL DAY!

On this 40th anniversary of Bob Brechin's vintage Roboskull's first appearance in Battle, we'd like to share an update on what's happening today with the Roboskull MKII progress at our factory.

As we mentioned in our last update, Skeletron's Cory Cantelupe flew overseas to Hong Kong earlier this month and has been working very closely with our factory representative, Dave Proctor.   This dynamic duo is currently in mainland China, working with the factory and factory owner, Chen, on final deco details while the MKII production parts are being molded.

We (Ben & Mark) have been in close contact with the team in China, including earlier today, and are extraordinarily pleased with the care being taken to ensure that your final production Roboskull MKII meets and exceeds expectations!
 

Interested in seeing more behind-the-scenes? JOIN OUR SKELETRON SECRET LAB on Facebook, where we'll be posting some more cool factory pics & clips very soon!
We'll keep you updated on the MKII and everything else in the next update, and as a reminder, we'll be atJoeFest in Augusta on June 21-23!  

This show keeps getting better and better!  Not only will Palitoy Legend Bob Brechin be making his first US appearance, the legendary Douglas Hart has joined the JoeFest roster! Perhaps best known in our collector circles for his classic work on G.I. Joe packaging art, Doug is also the packaging artist for our Red Shadows Retro Series, Callsign: Longbow, and Operation: Recall!  Bob, Doug and the Skeletron Crew hope to see you there next month!

 

Thank you, everyone!
-SKELETRON
 

April Advances
about 2 years ago – Tue, Apr 30, 2024 at 04:28:25 AM

Hello Roboskullers,

The Roboskull MKII continues to advance!   We've received additional test shot revisions, and if you're a member of our SKELETRON SECRET LAB on Facebook, you likely saw this pic of test shot revisions last week:

The factory has fine-tuned this deadly machine, and multiple components of the MKII are in production!

We are also very pleased to see the high level of detail that has been preserved in the latest round of 6" test shots.   Beautifully sculpted by Fred Aczon, you can see these ‘Boff’ Brechin and Gary ‘Goggles’ heads incorporate additional details that can be appreciated at the larger 1:12 scale:

SKELETRON Factory Visit

Cory Cantelupe will be traveling from the United States to Hong Kong and mainland China next month.  With boots on the ground, Cory will be working closely with the entire factory team during his visit and continue our push to final fulfillment!

FULFILLMENT SCHEDULE

Our current projected fulfillment schedule remains the same as the previous update:

PHASE A | COMPLETE (early shipment)

• ASSASSIN SKELEDRONE 3-pack

PHASE B | COMPLETE

• ROBOSKULL Vinyl Record – Shipped August ‘23
• Retro O-Ring SKELETRON/WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure – Shipped January 

PHASE C | SUMMER

• ROBOSKULL MKII vehicle with 4" Marauder BLOOD WOLF pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII SE vehicle with 4" Marauder RED WEASEL pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII Elite FLIGHT STAND Accessory
• ROBOKNIGHT HEAVY METAL ARMOR Accessory
• 4" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure

PHASE D | LATE SUMMER

• 4" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure
• 6" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder PILOT CHARACTER KIT
• TOTAL ROBOSKULL Deluxe Hardcover Book

JOEFEST 2024

Palitoy Legend Bob Brechin is Attending JoeFest!

SKELETRON is over the moon to announce that Palitoy Legend Bob Brechin will be attending JoeFest in June!  Bob worked at Palitoy in the UK from 1967 until 1984, and as Chief Designer was responsible for Action Man, Action Force, and so many other iconic toys! Decades later, he joined the SKELETRON design team to develop the soon-to-be-released ROBOSKULL MKII.

 Bob also very recently authored “My Palitoy Story” in collaboration with Brian Hickey to celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and vision of the Palitoy Team. Please join us in welcoming Bob, who will be traveling all the way from the UK from Augusta, accompanied by his son, Robert. JoeFest 2024 is going to be a truly unforgettable experience!

Variant Cardback Retro O-ring Skeletron/Wolf Trooper 

Making its debut at JoeFest 2024— a special cardback of our Retro Series 2-in-1 Wolf Trooper/Skeletron featuring breathtaking Skeletron artwork by the legendary Douglas Hart, whose iconic style adorned GI Joe packaging in the 1980s and 90s.

This figure is from the same production run as our sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper (also illustrated by Doug Hart), so this variant will appeal to those who missed out, want more, or simply enjoy another carded version with a killer Skeletron cardback design. Can’t make it to the show? Don’t worry! This Skeletron variant will be available online after JoeFest at www.SKELETRON.com, shipping worldwide at the same price as our sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper.

We will also have a very limited quantity of the sold-out Retro Wolf Trooper cardback version at the show.   Mark your calendars for Joefest, June 21-23 in Augusta! It’s going to be an awesome time!

Thank you all!

-SKELETRON

Easter Update
over 2 years ago – Sun, Mar 31, 2024 at 06:46:01 AM

Hello Roboskullers,

We hope you are enjoying this holiday weekend around the world.  Our factory has been hard at work since their return from the Chinese New Year holiday, and we received updated MKII test shots that successfully tuned nearly all of the remaining adjustments that we require for take-off.  Our factory is as excited to make this killer spaceship as you are to receive it, and we're so close we can taste it!   Here are a few pics, which include a test deco for the skull face and revised packaging trays:

We are also seeing concurrent progress on other items; here's a test shot of our 6" Wolf Trooper head where you can see the excellent detailing that is being achieved at 1:12 scale:

Our estimated fulfillment schedule remains unchanged from last month's update:

PHASE A | COMPLETE (early shipment)

• ASSASSIN SKELEDRONE 3-pack

PHASE B | COMPLETE

• ROBOSKULL Vinyl Record – Shipped August ‘23
• Retro O-Ring SKELETRON/WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure – Shipped January 

PHASE C | SUMMER

• ROBOSKULL MKII vehicle with 4" Marauder BLOOD WOLF pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII SE vehicle with 4" Marauder RED WEASEL pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII Elite FLIGHT STAND Accessory
• ROBOKNIGHT HEAVY METAL ARMOR Accessory
• 4" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure

PHASE D | LATE SUMMER

• 4" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure
• 6" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder PILOT CHARACTER KIT
• TOTAL ROBOSKULL Deluxe Hardcover Book

SOLD OUT!   Retro O-ring Wolf Trooper/Skeletron 

Our 3.75" Grindstone Trooper/Skeletron featuring Wolf Trooper packaging art by Doug Hart has sold out!   We're truly blown away by the popularity of all our recently released figures, and we thank you all for making this possible and for sharing your love of these figures!

Frequently asked questions about this sold-out retro figure:

Q: Will you re-run this figure because it has sold-out?
A:  No, we will not be issuing a re-run of this SKU.  However we already had something up our robotic sleeve for JoeFest that we're excited to reveal in the lead-up to the show.  Stay tuned!

Q: Will you have inventory of this sold-out figure at JoeFest?
A:  Yes, we will have a very limited inventory of this SKU available at JoeFest in June and also at Assembly Required in November.
 

The Return of Battle Action Force!

Lastly, we have exciting news that was first dropped by our friends at The Full Force Fancast. For the first time ever, a fully authorized and licensed reprint of the 1980s Battle Action Force series will be published!  SKELETRON is extremely proud to be part of this historic project from Total Toy Books in collaboration with Rebellion Publishing.  You can read more about these upcoming hardcover treasury editions here, and stay tuned for more details!

We wish you a peaceful Easter Sunday, surrounded by family & friends.

Thank you!

-SKELETRON

Year of the Dragon, Year of the Roboskull
over 2 years ago – Sat, Feb 24, 2024 at 08:00:53 PM

Hello Roboskullers,

In the realm of Chinese astrology, the Year of the Wood Dragon has arrived, foretelling growth, vitality, and the blossoming of wisdom in the year ahead.

This is also the Year of the Roboskull!  

Though our factory has been shut down this month for Chinese New Year, we've been working closely with our production manager and the factory owner, who shipped us updated samples of many items.  Here's a glimpse of what we received, and what's happening:

• Our MKII pilots, Blood Wolf & Red Weasel, are complete and began in production prior to the CNY shutdown.  We received final production samples and they are very, very cool!

• Updated Roboskull MKII test shots (2 complete sets) were received in the US in absolutely gorgeous translucent black and red molded colors.
• These test shots are looking and working great.  Important fit and function details have been improved through multiple tooling revisions.
• Some aspects of the MKII still require further revision, which will prevent us from beginning full-swing production of the MKII as our factory begins to reopen.

• We also received some first shot components for our 6" Trooper, and the rendition of detail we are seeing is excellent:

• We received final production samples of the 4" Jungle Wolf Trooper, and we can say with confidence that he is marvelous.  Production of this figure also began prior to the CNY shutdown.

What does all this mean for our schedule?   We are continuing to push very hard for Late Spring delivery, and have been particularly keen about fulfilling our next phase, Phase C, before JoeFest.  However, taking into consideration all factors, we believe we are at high risk of falling short of this goal.  Based on everything we know at this time, our most likely schedule is as follows:

PHASE A | COMPLETE (early shipment)

• ASSASSIN SKELEDRONE 3-pack

PHASE B | COMPLETE

• ROBOSKULL Vinyl Record – Shipped August ‘23
• Retro O-Ring SKELETRON/WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure – Shipped January 
• 4" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure – Shipped January 

PHASE C | SUMMER

• ROBOSKULL MKII vehicle with 4" Marauder BLOOD WOLF pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII SE vehicle with 4" Marauder RED WEASEL pilot
• ROBOSKULL MKII Elite FLIGHT STAND Accessory
• ROBOKNIGHT HEAVY METAL ARMOR Accessory
• 4" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure

PHASE D | LATE SUMMER

• 4" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder SKELETRON figure
• 6" Marauder WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder GYRE WOLF figure
• 6" Marauder JUNGLE WOLF TROOPER figure
• 6" Marauder PILOT CHARACTER KIT
• TOTAL ROBOSKULL Deluxe Hardcover Book

We're sorry that we are again experiencing delays during this project.  As we stated during the Kickstarter- when faced with any potential quality issue during development, we will compromise our timeline but never the product itself.   We'd also like to recognize that you all have been AMAZING and EXCEPTIONAL at every step of the way.  Thank you!

Speaking of Amazing and Exceptional:

The reception to our 4" Marauder Wolf Trooper, 4" Marauder Gyre Wolf, and 3.75" Grindstone Retro Trooper/Skeletron has been nothing short of spectacular.  Thank you for sharing your experiences with these figures with our collector community!  Fueled solely by your support and shares, we very unexpectedly ran out of stock on the Retro Trooper in mere days, and our Wolf Trooper & Gyre Wolf stock is barely holding.   But have no fear!   We have a second (albeit much smaller) inventory of Retro Troopers on the way, that will arrive in early March, along with our balance of 4" Wolf Troopers & Gyre Wolf inventory.   If for some reason you want to pick up some more figures but haven't yet, there's no need to hit the secondary market. (Not yet, anyway!)

We also absolutely loved watching everyone's discovery of some hidden features that remained a bit of a mystery before the release of the figures.   Some of the highlights:

• Retro pistol fits into the back of the Retro figure
• Laser Sword and Claw fit onto the Jetpack of the Retro figure
• Across these three new figures, there are three Glow-in-the-Dark pieces.  Did you find them all?

We are extremely pleased with how these figures turned out, and from everywhere we looked, you are all very happy with them, too!   

We will also always listen to constructive criticism, and there were a few reviewers who lamented the need for a screwdriver to swap heads on our Retro figure.  There are two primary reasons we elected to do this:

1.  Utility:  Two "full" heads (instead of "pop & swap") allow customizers the option to make use of the bonus head on another vintage figure.
2. Nostalgia:  Using a screwdriver to swap heads maximizes the vintage experience we are striving to create with this figure.  We hope the experience unlocked a childhood memory, or at least was a lot of fun!
 
The design, quality, and attention to detail that you are experiencing with these figures are indicative of the product we will deliver for the balance of this project.   Again, thank you for your support!

-SKELETRON

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