Bring on the bad guys! Now here’s the beginning of what really separates the relaunched GI Joe from his forebears, and many of his imitators. You’ve heard it before: a hero is only as good as his villains. Whether it’s myth, literature, film, comics, or any other form of storytelling, the rogues gallery is often as interesting as the protagonist.
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You have to hand it to Hasbro for including a variety of characters in its first assortment of the relaunched GI Joe. They could have gone the easy route and populated the series with a cookie cutter set of guys in one shade of green with nondescript weapons and little to no character. As we’ve already seen, the Joes were
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What’s Zap got going for him that’s not inherently cool? He’s different from the other team members and carries the most devastating weapon in the group. Who else can take out a tank all by his lonesome (aside from Sunbow Storm Shadow)? He also almost got his own unique head mold, complete with what would have been the Joes’ earliest
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Personalities were as big a part of the 80s GI Joe reintroduction as the toys themselves. Thanks to the three (and often divergent) tie-in media available as file cards, comics and cartoon, kids were treated to characters that had some definition beyond the plastic. Don’t get me wrong, the development wasn’t equal, as the older guys and gals were often
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Simplicity of design is one of the great strengths of the 1980s Joe line’s first year. We’ve seen already that even with an economy of parts, Hasbro was able to create a varied group of characters. Despite the fact that several figures shared head molds, the toys still read as individuals. Simple changes in uniform color, hair color, and accessories
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If you had asked me who was my favorite Joe figure back in 1983, I would have said Flash. He’s still high on my list, but you can understand why things would change considering the constant release of amazing characters throughout the 1980s. Coming from the world of Star Wars, I imagine the mere concept of a guy with a
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GI Joe wouldn’t be nearly as long-lived and remembered if it weren’t for the depth and breadth of toys available to spark kids’ imaginations. From the 1960s line’s plethora of gear and weaponry to the Adventure Team’s motor pool of fantastical vehicles and accessories, the brand had gained a firm foothold with a variety of product in the boys toys
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Imagine if you will catching the commercial for the original assortment of the 1982 GI Joes on morning television. You’re outfitted in your favorite PJs (Empire Strikes Back, or course), enjoying a bowl of Cap’n Crunch while taking in the latest episode of The Great Space Coaster before getting ready to head off to school. What should catch your bright
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Yesterday we covered Grunt, the Everyman figure of the initial 1980s series. Today we start to venture into the more specialized individuals. Versatility is the keyword for the mix of characters produced in the first year of the Real American Hero series. With just a few different body parts and key paint app choices, Hasbro was able to introduce enough
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It’s a new year, and I thought a fresh start was in order to ring in 2019. With that in mind, we’re going back to the beginning of GI Joe’s reintroduction in 1982. My plan is to continue most weekdays in release order, covering each of the straight and swivel arm figures in one post each. Who better to start
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