ENNIS, Texas — At Cotswold Collectibles in Ennis, we found a real American hero.
“I’m so far from a hero, it’s not even funny,” said Cotswold Owner Greg Brown. “I’m just a guy that does a toy show.”
He’s talking, specifically, about the G.I. Joe and action figure show this weekend in Grapevine.
When Brown, a self-described G.I. Joe nerd, started the annual convention years ago he came to the WFAA studios with a grand idea.
“We’re dropping G.I. Joes from the top of the tower here,” he said at the time.
He was hopeful going to such great heights might convince people to come.
He doesn’t have that problem anymore. Each year, the show has grown and this one may be the biggest yet.
G.I. Joe turns 60 years old and he isn’t going anywhere.
“It’s the fans and the collectors who keep the hobby alive and keep the spirit alive for it,” Brown said.
The people still alive who worked on it will be at the show. It’ll be the largest private gathering ever of former Hasbro employees.
The team that created G.I. Joe created many other concepts that were scrapped and never saw the light of day.
Until now.
“The miracle of 3D printing, we actually made the concept into reality,” Brown said.
This weekend’s show is mostly about G.I. Joe, but it’s also a celebration of all toys and the memories they invoke.
“You see these people’s eyes light up and they’re kind of reliving it,” Brown said.
People from as far away as France will be there.
They’ll be pulling out all the stops for this great American hero, complete with his creators, their creations and a three-day convention.
It’s been more than a decade since G.I. Joe parachuted off the WFAA tower and it sounds like he’s still flying high.
For more information, visit here.
Also on WFFA.com: