Tag Archives: JoeFest

JoeFest 2026 – the A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 2 of 3

Click here to read Part One/Thursday and Friday.

SATURDAY—–

JoeFest wouldn’t open to attendees until 9am (early bird) or 10am (general admission), and sometimes I have enough positive anxiety during a convention or festival that I wake up early. That meant there was time to check email, type notes on the previous day, and get breakfast. Doug Dellow, who I’d seen playing the G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game the night before, and I arrived at D’Agustino’s at the same time, fearing a long line. Indeed there was one, but I spotted some friends at a big table with open spots. They’d just ordered, so us crashing them was actually helping us and the hostess.

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JoeFest 2026 – the A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 1 of 3

INTRO—–

This is my fourth year at JoeFest, the largest G.I. Joe convention. There is a variety of shows. Some are small, like a one-day swap meet. One particular show is small, Assembly Required, one and a half days, with a tiny attendance (300?), but the panels and guests and excitement of a much larger show. There’s a medium or medium-small show, the DFW G.I. Joe and Action Figure Show, two and a half days, with a larger attendance (2,000?), with the best guest list in G.I. Joe fandom (comics creators and now two years in a row with seven-plus former Hasbro folks). It has panels and a guest list disproportionately big for a show of its size. And there’s JoeFest, three days, the biggest of them all, with an attendance of perhaps 13,000 people (that’s a guess based on previous years) and a con floor that several ARs and DFWs could fit inside. [EDIT: Not just the biggest Joe con in the States, it’s the biggest in the world, I am reminded.] This 9-second video shows you 90% of JoeFest:

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JoeFest 2024 – The A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 4 of 4

SUNDAY – – – –

[Note: An earlier version of Part Three had Breakfast with the Sarge on Saturday the 22nd. In fact it was Sunday the 23rd, so I’ve moved those four paragraphs and two photos here. Sorry! No, you’re not crazy, you’re just seeing them again.]

In Parts [One], [Two], and [Three], Tim traveled to JoeFest in Augusta, Georgia, saw people, walked around, ate stuff, and attended a panel. And now, our exciting conclusion!

Once again, I was unable to sleep in. The Marriott bed wasn’t the greatest, and in general I was pretty amped up the whole weekend — in a good way — so it was hard to fully relax. That the convention would only be open from 11am to 3pm on this final day were a real mercy — that’s a late start after so much staying up late, and no early hours. But notably, the show would end “early.” I feel like when I was younger, toy and comics conventions went until 5pm on the last day, but maybe everyone noticed attendance tapering off as people departed and dealers anxious to start the trek home started packing up. With these floor hours in mind, every minute counted. (I’ve certainly found the final hour of some cons at which I have tabled these last few years to be quiet, so maybe this is a post-pandemic thing.)

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JoeFest 2024 – The A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 3 of 4

In Part One, Tim flew to Augusta and started having a great time at JoeFest ’24. Then, in Part Two, he continued that trend, despite dropping an amazing chocolate ice cream sandwich on the sidewalk! Read on for Part Three…

You may be at a G.I. Joe convention if you see this outside:

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JoeFest 2024 – The A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 2 of 4

In Part One, Tim flew to Augusta, Georgia for his second JoeFest! There, he checked into the hotel, caught up with friends, and ate a pizza! Read on for Part Two…

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JoeFest 2024 – The A Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 1 of 4

This was my second year in a row at JoeFest, and the city of Augusta, Georgia, is similar to how I described it in last year’s report. With that in mind, I’m skipping all the descriptions — murals and storefronts — but you may wish to read my ’23 intro here to get a taste.

– – – [Jump ahead to Part Two, Part Three, or Part Four] – – –

A little context: There is no longer an official G.I. Joe convention, “JoeCon,” licensed and attended by Hasbro. Whereas JoeCon moved locations each year, JoeFest is always in Augusta, Georgia, and has aptly filled the gap for a major summer Joe show. Last year’s attendance was 7,500. This year’s I’m told topped 10,000. It was in the same space as last year, now just imagine more people. Here’s JoeFest 2024, or two-thirds of it: –[Click all photos to enlarge]–

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JoeFest 2023 – The Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 3 of 3

In Part 1, Tim flew to Georgia, walked around Augusta, and talked with friends and bought stuff. In Part 2, there was more talking and buying. Read on for the conclusion to this exciting saga, and click to enlarge photos…

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JoeFest 2023 – The Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 2 of 3

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JoeFest 2023 – The Real American Book! Convention Report / Part 1 of 3

-It’s hard to expose for skin tone backlit by an illuminated sign-

All pictures from here on, click to enlarge…

If this is to be a year to re-engage with working on my G.I. Joe history book, and my schedule is clearer for not teaching, then this is a year to check out several Joe conventions I’ve long heard about. These smaller, regional shows are particularly important in the continued absence of the official G.I. Joe convention.

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