Back in the 80s, before I’d discovered that my hometown had a Local Comic Shop, I was buying comics from the rack at the drug store or gas station. A trip to 7-11 usually gave me the opportunity to scope out what was available. Being a Marvel Zombie from a young age, I was only checking out the likes of
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Here’s another excellent book cover from the Marvel storybook series. The Spy Eye gives us some familiar Joes, but also a character and a vehicle that wasn’t part of the toy line. Who is that on the right side of the page? And dig the VTOL carrier they came out of! I enjoy these early efforts, and you see the
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Yes folks, the first Hasbro GI Joe comic was released in 1964 to coincide with the new toys. What makes it Hasbro specific? Just look at that figure in the title; he looks similar in pose to the package art. Gi Joe ads can often be found advertised in DC comics of the time, and the cover also calls out
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The hits just keep coming from Earl Norem with this Marvel Storybook cover. Fans of the early issues of the comic will recognize the subject matter here. The Trojan Gambit was the final issue reprinted in this collection, and I can’t think of more dynamic Joe art produced outside of the main line figure packages. Absolutely brilliant work.
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Oh boy. The 90s hit us hard with this one. It’s a comic fad trifecta here. Popular character takes the spotlight of team book: check. Multiple squinting and yelling characters: check. Free trading card inside polybag: check. Okay, I really don’t want to whiz all over a bygone decade with the benefit of hindsight, even though it’s become a cottage
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This issue quickly became worn out from re-reading. The Dreadnoks’ attack on McGuire air force base was brilliantly staged, and remains one of my most vivid comic memories. The issue had it all; from Zartan’s impersonation of Hawk to the ‘Noks taking apart an F-14 with their unique and destructive weaponry. Oh, and of course a Mike Zeck GI Joe
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We’ve already featured the first issue of the short-lived from 1987. This cover showcases the Defiant and the Joes with guns ablaze in a very evocative art style. It’s too bad the coloring in the foreground is so dominated by muzzle fire coloring.
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Remember when Halley’s Comet came around in the 80s, and folks thought it might signal the end of the world? Okay, most folks didn’t, but the event sure made for some great fodder for throw-away adventure stories. The Killer Comet is yet another in the GI Joe not-a-Choose-Your-Own-Adventure® book series. Gung Ho and Lady Jaye look mighty serious here, posing
Read moreWaitaminit–the GI Joe Extreme comic gave rise to two volumes? Yes, it did, though both were short. And to tell the truth, they weren’t all that bad, if you can dig some serious 90s elements. Just check out this cover featuring third-party agent Red Scream (a fitting 90s type name) blasting through the cover. Makes you want to find out
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Blackthorne’s GI Joe in 3D comic came out during a time when my toy collecting habit had transitioned into comic book collecting. Yeah, that was pretty much a lateral move for a teen in the 80s. Oh well, I don’t regret it. In fact, I have just as many positive memories about buying and reading comics as I do about
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