Captivating Cover – Operation: Night Flight
I used to love Night Flight, with its eclectic mix of music videos, old-timey short films and just plain oddness. It’s too bad such a thing doesn’t exist any longer, and probably won’t ever again. I long for the golden age of cable TV, a time before an endless mess of instantly available viewing material was available at one’s fingertips. By the way, I wonder whatever happened to the smoky-voiced narrator/host that introduced the clips. She was amazing.
Wait, what’s that? This isn’t a post about the old USA Network show? What? It’s a GI Joe Find Your Fate book? Oops. Sorry. I have to say, this is one of the most striking covers in the series. The inky black background really sets off our heroes at the fore. Flint must have trucked in several Fresnel lights to make sure the team was well lit for their pose.
Kidding aside, this one is a neat mix of early Joes and vehicles alongside Mr. ’85 himself. There’s a Skystriker, and Breaker and Snakes in their ’82-83 gear to boot. And you just don’t see the good old Viper glider too often in media outside of the very early product. Very cool. I want it as a poster, preferably in blacklight style.
Good to see Breaker. By the time Flint came around, Breaker was being slowely removed from media tie ins in favour of more recent characters. What i cant understand was who decided that Snake eyes [a guy who dosnt talk] should be in the watch tower.
Nice pose of Snake Eyes!
That Snake-Eyes looks like the same pose from his card art.
I like it when publishers use package art on the cover of books and such. It’s amusing to see how they plug a character in his package art pose into a scene and make it (or try to make it) work, especially when they make tweaks like how they removed Snake Eye’s Uzi.
you are so right about how great Night Flight was. Pat Prescott (yes, I totally had to look her name up) did have an sultry voice and I too would like to know what ever happened to her.
As for this cover, it is rather eye catching compared to some of the other alternative Joe media that was available at the time. I have to say that Snake Eyes does look a little out of place, but with his popularity the inclusion is really no surprise.
I love how the card art is referenced here. Breaker and Flint are doing alternate takes of their classic poses but Snake Eyes’ stance is lifted straight out of his card, and placed in a watch tower no less! He practically looks like a badly placed Presto Magix rub-on transfer.
As Skymate called it, it’s also hilarious having the only mute Joe pointing up as if to warn the others from impending doom from above, …except they’ve got their backs turned to him. Amazing.
Call out the jets to shoot down gliders! Or just have Flint shoot them down with a shotgun.