1982 Hasbro G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Catalog
After the Adventure Team closed up shop in 1976 and Superjoe said Goodbye in 1978, the G.I. Joe name reemerged in 1982, a good deal shorter but fueled by a renewed surge in patriotism.
G.I. Joe was no longer a man but a team name, a covert group that protected the world, as we would later discover, the forces of Cobra.
In mass marketing the (very well written) toy tie-in comic with wonderfully animated spots, G.I. Joe was one of the biggest hits of the 1980s and its popularity endures to this day.
The first concept figures for GI Joe were actually kit bashed using Mego CHiPs action figures and that articulated O-Ring construction would become the norm with the line.
First Assortment of Figures. I remember being kind of ticked Breaker had a beard, he was my favourite character in the comic. Marvel killed him off when the comic’s sales started to slag, which upset me as i recall. I bought almost every one of these and mailed away for Cobra Commander, wish I had kept them.
In Canada, Snake Eyes was changed to “Zorro” for the french speaking market.
Stuff like the Jet pack and characters like Flash added a little touch of sci fi to this military series, it was a great element.
Stuff like the Jet pack and characters like Flash added a little touch of sci fi to this military series, it was a great element.
Mobat was a great toy, it really could move..
That Marvel comic really was amazing, I kept on with it longer than the toys which i abandoned after this wave..
What a fun shot, makes for great wall paper…
PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Magazine #2 is now available and it’s been called “not only an entertaining read, but it’s also an impeccable work of reference” by PopCult.
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When I was a kid, I’d never heard of the large G.I. Joes, so these were something completely new to me. They were like army men, but Star Wars figures, so I was hooked. I think the only later figure I got was Doc, so it was just the first wave for me as well.