Retro 3-3/4" O-Ring Action Figures embattled in the 80s Cold War!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW Update - August 2024
14 days ago
– Sat, Aug 31, 2024 at 08:11:56 AM
Hello CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Backers!
It's time again for your monthly LONGBOW® check-in.
GHOST UPDATE
Last month we shared with you that "GHOST" had finished production and was getting ready to travel from the factory. We are happy to report that these figures are now "on the water" and in transit to our fulfillment partner in the US.
Anchors Aweigh!
We still expect (barring any unforeseen delays) that this figures will ship around the end of September to Backers. We'll share more information as delivery gets closer.
Tooling Update
In our last update, we had some images of the CNC software layout for some of the tooling on "LANCER". That tooling has been cut, and our production team has shared an image of the first shots from the tool.
LANCER first shots from the new tool.
The next step in the process will be to inspect these new parts and make revisions to the tooling. This is where we will make sure all the parts fit together correctly and all the sculpted details are right, before beginning production.
Comic Update
Work continues on CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Issue #2 with our partners from Broken Icon Comics. We've received first passes on the first 5 or so pages of the issue. Here is a sneak peek of what is to come:
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® issue #2 comic sneak preview
We're also excited to announce that we'll have exclusive covers for this issue. One from a returning Rod Whigham (who did our crowdfunding exclusive cover for issue #1). As well as an exclusive cover by our good friend Adam Riches! We'll have more information about how these covers will be available when we get closer to release.
Come see us in Iowa!
Once again this year, the LONGBOW® team will be in attendance at the 13th annual ASSEMBLY REQUIRED presented by Code Name: Iowa! This year join us on November 8th and 9th in Des Moines at the HyVee Hall.
Thank you again to all our backers for making this project a reality!
-GRINDSTONE TOYS!
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW BONUS Update - GHOST INBOUND
about 2 months ago
– Wed, Jul 31, 2024 at 07:44:34 AM
Hello CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Backers!
We've got some exciting milestone updates for you all this month!
GHOST Gets Ready to Travel
"GHOST" figures have been completed and have been packaged! Containers have been hard to come by lately, but we have one secured and it's scheduled for pickup in the coming days.
The trip across the sea is a long one, and we expect the figures to arrive at the fulfillment center and ship at the end of September for the Advanced Deployment.
We will share more information as we get closer. This means that time is running out to add Ghost to an existing order or create a new order in BackerKit.
Tooling Update
We also have news this month about the other figures. We've been working with our partners to make sure all the parts are ready. finally, tooling prints have begun, as part of the process. We were also shown a screenshot from the CNC machine controller, that shows the "Lancer" body tool being prepared to be cut into steel!
Lancer body tool in CNC software. Courtesy of Dave Proctor
Come see us in Iowa!
Once again this year, the LONGBOW® team will be in attendance at the 13th annual ASSEMBLY REQUIRED presented by Code Name: Iowa! This year join us on November 8th and 9th in Des Moines at the HyVee Hall.
Again, please make sure we have the correct shipping address, especially if you have moved since placing your initial order.
Regards,
-GRINDSTONE TOYS
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW BONUS Update/Recap - June 2024
3 months ago
– Sun, Jun 30, 2024 at 07:23:32 AM
Hello CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Backers!
Both GRINDSTONE teams have returned home from our split-show schedule. We want to thank everyone who came to the shows and visited with us. Getting to hang out with all of you makes these shows special.
Troy's Report from Joefest
Ben (of Skeletron), Doug Hart, and Troy at Joefest.
This year's show was really fantastic! We have so many people to thank for the great experience. Thank you to Ed Schumacher and his team for putting everything together and making it all possible.
Thank you to our friends at Skeletron (Ben, Mark, Bob, Cory, Gary, and Sean) and Team Marauder (John, Michael, Matt, Paul, Miles, and Ed). You all make this show exciting and it was great hanging out.
Thank you to Doug Hart for making the trip to Augusta and meeting with everyone. Thank you to Carson (3DJoes/Operation: Recall) and his team for all the work they put in on our panel. And thanks to the Talking Joe podcast, you can watch a recording of the panel here:
Also a special thank you to all our friends that we got to hang out with. Ragin Spoon, the Delta-17 team, the Joe Declassified team, the What's on Joe Mind team, Chicken Fried Toys, our new friends at Creative Beast Studios, Karl Hansen, Patrick Thomas Parnell (Riot Press), Grindhouse Toys, Geroge Greenoe, Brian Hickey, and probably a thousand other people we've forgotten to mention (sorry, there are so many people we like to hang out with!). Spending time with everyone is the best part of these shows and where the real memories are made.
And a very special thanks to my family for helping with the booth and hauling everything to August.
John's Report from the DFW Joe Show
John, Kirk Bozigan, and Mikey at DFW.
What a trip! Mikey and John headed down to the DFW GI Joe and Action Figure Show in Grapevine, TX for a great show! A very special thanks to Cotswold Collectibles and Greg Brown for hosting! We hosted Kirk Bozigan for the show, his support for our line has been an inspiration! The Build-a-vehicle with Hasbro Legends Workshop was amazing.
Thank you to Dave Kunitz, Frank Coroneos, and Greg Berndston for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us! That workshop experience was rounded off with the help of George Vega Art! As always, I have to shout out to Skeletron for their continuing support!
MAKE SURE YOUR ADDRESS IS UP-TO-DATE IN THE BACKERKIT!
As we shared at the shows, we expect to have GHOST stateside in the next few months and will be shipping these figures as an "Advance Deployment". That means it's very important that your shipping address is correct in BackerKit so they go to the right place. You can sign into BackerKit here:
You still have time to add GHOST to your order, if you have not already. We don't want anyone to miss out on the Advanced Deployment. Please feel free to contact BackerKit support or us directly if you have any issues.
We'll be back with more news to share next month on the other figures!
Thank you again to all our backers for making this project a reality!
-GRINDSTONE TOYS!
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW Update - June 2024
3 months ago
– Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 07:32:01 PM
Hello CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Backers!
Because of our show and travel schedule later this month, we are bringing you our June 2024 update a little early.
GHOST Advance Deployment
You may have noticed over the last few months that we've placed some focus on GHOST in our recent updates. Because the tooling for Ghost was the first to be completed, we've been pushing for the completion of GHOST in our factory in advance of our other upcoming figures.
Though we won't have Ghost in time for Joefest and the DFW Joe Show, the figure is now very close to completion. And though our previous plan has always been to ship all CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Kickstarter items together in a single shipment, we're excited to announce a new, enhanced plan for fulfillment:
Because GHOST will be ready soon, and our other figures are running behind schedule, we will now be shipping GHOST to Kickstarter backers as an "Advance Deployment"! We expect this deployment to occur in the next few months, as soon as GHOST arrives at our US-based fulfillment center.
Anyone who has pledged or pre-ordered GHOST will have the figure shipped to them when we receive it, with Grindstone absorbing the additional shipping & fulfillment costs. For those receiving GHOST, we will also include any other "in-stock" items that are part of their order with this GHOST shipment (Patches, Comics, & "Invisible" Battle Stands). These items will ship to Kickstarter backers FIRST. Once Kickstarter pledges have shipped, we will begin fulfilling BackerKit pre-orders.
Note: We will be removing Ghost from the BackerKit Pre-Order Store prior to receipt of the figures in our US warehouse. More information about the future availability of in-stock inventory be shared sometime after all pledges and pre-orders are fulfilled.
We hope that once you get this figure in hand, you'll enjoy it as much as we do. This figure will be a first look at the quality and detail you can expect from the rest of the Kickstarter figures and future LONGBOW® offerings, and we hope you'll find it to be well worth the wait.
Come see us this week!
The summer shows are finally here. Conventions are a great time to hang out and get to know other collectors and interact with all of you! If you are in either Augusta or Dallas for the shows, please stop by, say hello, and chat with us about LONGBOW®!
We are excited to share that the legendary Douglas Hart will be at JoeFest and presenting a panel with all our friends! If you are at the show, don't miss it!
Powerhouse painter Doug Hart is joined by Troy of Grindstone Toys, Carson of Locomotion Media Group, and Ben of Skeletron to discuss 15 years of Hasbro package painting, and his current contributions to the o-ring resurgence!
Come see Doug and Troy at Joefest!
DFW GI Joe and Action Figure Show
John will be at the DFW GI Joe and Action Figure Show, June 21-23 2024 in Grapevine, TX. We are also proud to announce that we are co-sponsoring a special show guest Kirk Bozigian (Product Manager on G.I. Joe).
Previously SOLD OUT SKELETRON® Retro 3.75" Red Shadows® WOLF TROOPER / SKELETRON Figure
We will have a very limited supply of the SOLD OUTRetro 3.75" Red Shadows® WOLF TROOPER / SKELETRON action figures by SKELETRON® and GRINDSTONE TOYS at both shows. If you missed out on this figure when it was available online, this is your chance to pick one up!
VARIANT SKELETRON® Retro 3.75" Red Shadows® WOLF TROOPER / SKELETRON Figure
We will also have the new, VARIANT cardback Retro 3.75" Red Shadows® SKELETRON / WOLF TROOPER action figure at JoeFest. This figure is from the same production run as the Sold Out Wolf Trooper, but features variant Skeletron packaging art by Douglas Hart!
DOUG HART LONGBOW® Character Art Prints
Doug Hart (G.I. Joe, Callsign: Longbow, Operation: Recall, & Skeletron) will be in attendance at Joefest 2024! We are bringing a limited amount of prints of his LONGBOW® character paintings and Doug will be available for autographs at the show!
Choose from any of the 11 LONGBOW® characters in series 1; Lancer, Volk, Uptown, Spetsnaz Trooper, Outlaw, Ghost, MTF: Retro-Ops, Henchmen (Tracksuit), STEEL WEB® Shock-Trooper ADAPT Trooper, and Krasny-Ninja.
A small number of these will also be available at the DFW Joe Show.
Doug Hart prints
Other Great LONGBOW® Offerings
Returning LONGBOW® items include:
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® "INVISIBLE" BATTLE STANDS
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Vinyl Sticker Sheet
CALLSIGN: LONGBOW® Patch 3-Packs (STEEL WEB®, ADAPT, & КОМАНДА ОХОТА)
Individual Patches (LONGBOW® Unit Patch, STEEL WEB®, ADAPT, & КОМАНДА ОХОТА)
We hope to see you at the shows, and if not, then someday in the future!
Thank you again to all our backers for making this project a reality!
