'G.I. Joe' is a line of military-themed action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented all four branches of the U.S. Armed Forces with the Action Soldier (Army), Action Sailor (Navy), Action Pilot (Air Force) and Action Marine (USMC) and the term "G.I. Joe" stood for "General Issue Joe" signifying the universal makeup of the US forces at the time. The development of G.I. Joe led to the coining of the term "action figure."
America's Moveable Fighting Man (1964-1969)
Development
Seeing the market success of the Barbie doll, Stan Weston, toy creator and licensing agent, brought the idea of an action figure line based on the television series "The Lieutenant" to Don Levine at Hasbro. Hasbro saw the potential in a doll, or "action figure," for boys, reworking it as a generic soldier toy. The prototypes were originally named "Rocky" (marine/soldier) "Skip" (sailor) and "Ace" (pilot), before the more universal name was adopted. Watching T.V. at home, Don Levine was reminded of "The Story of G.I. Joe, starring Burgess Meredith. The timeless name for a generic U.S. soldier was a perfect fit with the toyline he had developed.
In 1964, Hasbro launched the
G.I. Joe line of World War II action figures, naming it after the aforementioned movie. At that time, the G.I. Joe figures were approximately the same physical scale as Barbie dolls - 12 inches, or 305 mm, tall (also known as playscale).
Highlights
- In 1965, a black G.I. Joe figure was introduced in select markets.
- In 1966, soldiers from other countries (France, Germany, England, et al.) joined the G.I. Joe line up. A Project Mercury-like space capsule and silver-suited astronaut figure was also added to the series.
- In 1967, Talking figures were introduced.
- The first female G.I. Joe, the Action Nurse) was produced in 1967. It was a commercial failure, and another 12" female would not be released for 30 years.
Adventure Team (1970-1976)
By 1969, in the wake of the Vietnam War, Hasbro sought to downplay the war theme that had initially defined "G.I. Joe". The line became known as "The Adventures of G.I. Joe" for a time. In 1970, Hasbro settled on the name "Adventure Team", and relaunched G.I. Joe under the new, non-military, banner.
Highlights
- To coincide with the new direction, "Life-Like" flocked hair and beard, an innovation developed in England by Palitoy for their licensed version of Joe, Action Man, is introduced in 1970. A retooled African American Adventurer was also introduced.
- In 1974, named after the increasingly popular martial art style, Hasbro introduced "Kung-Fu Grip" to the G.I. Joe line. This was another innovation that had been developed in the UK for Action Man. The hands were sculpted in a softer plastic that allowed the fingers to grip objects in a more lifelike fashion.
- In 1976, G.I. Joe was given "eagle eye" vision — a movable eye mechanism to allow the toy to appear to be looking around when a lever in the back of the head was moved. This would be the last major innovation for the original line of 12-inch figures.
A Shift in play patterns
For it's first ten years, G.I. Joe was a generic Soldier/Adventurer with only the slightest hints of a team concept existing. In 1975, after a failed bid to purchase the toy rights to the Six Million Dollar Man, Hasbro issued a bionic warrior figure named
Mike Power, Atomic Man, which sold over one million units. Also added to the Adventure Team was a superhero, Bulletman. Comics included with figures at the time featured "Eagle Eye" Joe, Atomic Man, and Bullet Man operating together. The Adventure Team was finally an actual team.
The other notable absence in G.I.Joe's early days was an antagonist (although a case can be made for the German Stormtrooper). In 1976, G.I. Joe and the Adventure Team met foes from outer space when,
Strong Men from Another World, were introduced. These armored caveman-like aliens, although smaller than the G.I. Joe figures, had a button on their backs which could be pressed to make them grab with their "Crusher Grip" arms. These were available in the bearded and gold armored commander, and the beardless, silver armored warrior. Up until the introduction of these cavemen-looking armored aliens, Joe and his team only had the forces of nature and animals to combat. Now he was pitted up against foes who despite their brutish appearance were possessed of keen intellect and bent on world domination.
End of an era
The original 12" G.I. Joe line ended in America in 1976. At this time, Hasbro released a line of inexpensive, rotationally molded mannequins in the G.I. Joe style called "The Defenders."
The claim is that by the late 1970s, the petroleum crisis had taken a toll on the profitability of the 12" G.I. Joe line. Drastic increases in the price of petroleum increased the cost of the plastic used to manufacture the toys. However, foreign licensees continued to produce their own versions quite successfully well into the eighties,
[1984 for Action Man in the UK when it was curtailed under instructions from their US owners] which tends to negate this rationale. It would seem as likely that mismanagement of the product line, and a lack of a focused product development direction caused the demise of the 12" line in the US market.
Super Joe (1977-1978)
In 1977, Hasbro released the Super Joe Adventure Team, and took the battle between good and evil to the stars. The figures were scaled down to 8 1/2 inches, similar in size to Mego's Superheroes line of action figures. The line was a hybrid of superhero and space action figures with new features incorporated such as battery powered back-pack lights and motorized accessories. The hero Super Joe characters, Super Joe Commander (Caucasian/African American) and Super Joe (Caucasian/African American) had a "1-2 Punch" that could be activated by pressing panels on the figure's back. The majority of these figures used kung-fu grip style plastic in the joints and hands. With age this material degrades leaving even unopened figures missing limbs and hands.
Unlike the original G.I. Joes, Super Joe was developed from the start with a play-pattern of Good vs Evil. Super Joe Commander and the Adventure Team (Man of Action, and Adventurer) with their alien comrades "The Night Fighters", Luminos and The Shield, fight against the evil Gor, King of the Terrons, Terron: The Beast from Beyond and his ally Darkon, the half man half monster.
Super Joe was discontinued by the end of 1978. The same basic body molds were used later by a subsidiary of Hasbro to produce a line of action figures based on the TV Series "Space Academy."
International G.I. Joe Licensees
United Kingdom
From 1966 through 1984, Palitoy Ltd. produced a British version of the 12-inch G.I. Joe line, under the Action Man name for the UK market. Initially these were the exact same designs as the American figures, and at first the same military theme which included figures from World War II. The line later expanded the line to include all men of action, like footballers and other sports figures. In the early 1980s, Palitoy responded to falling sales of Action Man by launching 'Action Force' - a new range of smaller military-themed figures in the style of the then-popular Star Wars line from Kenner. Later, when the U.S. Real American Hero line was released in the UK they were slotted into the 'Action Force' range (possibly since the term 'G.I.' is not in common use in Britain). The figures had the same appearance and codenames as the American G.I. Joes, but their identities and histories were international rather than purely American or British. To add to the confusion for British fans the range was later renamed G.I. Joe to bring it into line with international markets, but when Action Man himself was revived in the early 1990s he retained his original name.
France
Group Action Joe was the French licence for G.I. Joe. The Ceji company developed the line in 1976, utilizing the life-like bodies developed by Hasbro that same year. Initial characters include an adventurer, a soldier, a cowboy, a black adventurer, a bearded adventurer and an Indian figure. A female figure, Jane, was quickly added. The line expanded in 1977 and other character were added with new features like Eagle Eyes.
Ceji updated several features and many new outfits were created. Some of them, like the French Republican Guard, are highly sought out by collectors. They also licensed other characters for the line, including Rahan (a French comic book caveman, 1978) and Zorro (licensed from Disney).Production ceased in 1981.
For the French market, Ceji gave all members of the team a name to establish more individual identities:
- Joe, a brown bearded eagle eyes commander
- Tom, a blond bearded adventurer
- Bobo, a brunette soldier
- Bill, a brunette cowboy
- Sam, a black adventurer (Re-Released in 1979, with blond hair and Eagle Eyes)
- Jane, blonde hair and green eyes (Re-released with Eagle Eyes)
- Peggy, a black girl
- Daïna, an Indian (Native American) maiden
- Oeil-de-lynx, Indian (Native American) with eagle eyes.
- In 1980, Mark Captain Cosmos and Bob chasseur d'images.
- In 1981 Ted beret rouge.
Other Licensees
The GI Joe line was also licensed to Germany under the Action Team name, including female figures, which were notably absent from the UK Action Man line. In Spain, Geyperman was the Hasbro licensee, although the products were more based on Palitoy's line, down to the logo design. In Japan, Takara and Tsukuda licensed the figures under the names "GIJOE" and "Combat Man". In Argentina, the G.I. Joe figures were licensed by Esterella under the name "Falcon".
A Real American Hero (1982-1994)
1982 saw the highly successful relaunch of the G.I. Joe product line in a smaller, 3 3/4-inch scale, of the same type employed by the wildly popular Star Wars figures. The 1982 relaunch pioneered several tactics in toy marketing, combining traditional advertising with an Animated television mini-series and an on-going comic book. The decision to use a smaller 3 3/4-inch scale for the figures also made it possible for Hasbro to produce a variety of matching vehicles and play sets that further expanded the appeal and commercial potential of the line.
G.I. Joe's increasing popularity supported an array of spin-off merchandising that included posters, t-shirts, video games, board games, even kite. In 1985, both
Toy & Lamp and
Hobby World magazines ranked
G.I. Joe as the top-selling American toy.
The 3 3/4 inch line was canceled at the end of 1994. This was also the 30th Anniversary of G.I. Joe and accordingly, Hasbro released a series of 12-inch and 3 3/4 inch figures based on the Original Action Team figures from 1964. A select assortment of figures from the "Real American Hero" line were released as Toys "R" Us exclusives to celebrate the 15th anniversary. A second assortment followed in 1998.
Comics
G.I. Joe has also appeared as a comic book, with many of its characters being made into action figures. The comics, in contrast to the cartoons, were much more realistic in their portrayal of violence; some characters were even killed (but no major ones, except for one "special" issue in which more than a dozen named Joes were executed by a random Cobra soldier, an event which initially distressed Cobra Commander). Comic book writer Larry Hama is credited with developing most of the characters for the updated toy collection.
The comic book, produced for years by Marvel Comics, enjoyed success thanks in no small part to the unique television advertising and the writing talents of Larry Hama, who worked closely with Hasbro to develop a unique identity, background story, and personality for each character.
TV series
According to its 1980s animated series, "G.I. Joe is the code name for America's daring highly-trained special mission force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against COBRA, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world."
The basic premise of the 1985 series based on the figures is "good vs. evil". G.I. Joe is a highly capable branch of America's military whose purpose is to defend the world against enemy attack. Their main adversary is the COBRA Organization, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world.
The content of the animated show, although dealing with war and fighting, was still relatively mild as characters rarely, if ever, died even in the most dangerous circumstances. Whenever an airplane was destroyed in combat, the characters inside were invariably shown parachuting out of the wreckage in the nick of time. In addition, the show used lasers and other high tech weapons rather than bullets. However, physical fighting was shown in abundance, probably as a way of compensating for the lack of death and serious injury.
The show is remembered for its public service announcements, where one of the Joes would give an important safety lesson to a group of children engaged in risky behavior. These PSAs always ended with the famous exchange: "Now we know!" "And knowing is half the battle."
In the 1980s, Meredith once again starred in a G.I. Joe movie, this time the animated, straight to video The Movie, playing the part of Golobulus.
Video games
There were several video game adaptations of G.I. Joe, some are Cobra Strike by Parker Brothers for the Atari 2600 & Intellivision (1983),
G.I. Joe by Epyx for the Apple II and the Commodore 64 (1984),
G.I. Joe by Taxan for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1991), Action Force by Virgin Games for the Commodore 64 (1987), G.I. Joe by Konami for arcades (1992) and The Atlantis Factor by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System (1992).
[1]
Failed Lines
As a follow-up to the Real American Hero toyline,
Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles figures debuted in 1995. It was canceled after only two waves of figures were released, due to low sales. In 1996,
G.I. Joe Extreme figures were introduced by Kenner Toys (who had merged with Hasbro in late 1994, taking over their Boys Toys production). Along with the release of toys, G.I. Joe Extreme featured a comic book, published by Dark Horse comics, and a Sunbow-produced cartoon series which ran for two seasons.
Return of the 12" G.I. Joe (1991-2005)
Hasbro began releasing new 12" G.I. Joe figures in 1991. The first figure, Duke, was marketed exclusively to Target retail stores.
Hall of Fame (1992-1994)
Based on the Real American Hero toyline, the Hall of Fame series featured Mission Gear Outfits, vehicles, and featured popular characters like Snake-Eyes, Stalker, Gung-Ho, Cobra Commander, Destro, and Storm Shadow among others.
This was followed by an anniversary series based on the 60's line - and was followed by the Hall of Fame Limited Editions, also based on 60's releases.
Masterpiece (1996-1997)
In 1997, the original G.I. Joe figure returned via the G.I. Joe Masterpiece Edition (
[2]), a unique book-and-figure product.
Classic Collection (1995-2004)
G.I. Janes were introduced in a series called the Classic Collection, the first 12-inch female dolls in the
G.I. Joe line-up since 1967; this doll was a helicopter pilot. The Classic Collection hearkened back to the original all military theme of G.I. Joe with fairly realistic uniforms and gear. Soldiers from Australia, Britain, and other nations, as well as United States Forces were featured. The line also presented an all-new articulated G.I. Joe figure that formed the basis of many offerings until the 12" line was discontinued in the new millennium.In 2000, a
Navajo Code Talker was introduced, one of only two 12-inch
G.I. Joe talking figures (until this time) since the 1970s. In 2001,
G.I. Joe honored the events of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by releasing a line of Pearl Harbor figures. In 2003 Hasbro announced the release of the 40th Anniversary G.I. Joe line. This line featured reproductions of the earliest G.I. Joe figures and accessories originally made in 1964.In November 2006 a reproduction Land Adventurer G.I. Joe figure was released as an exclusive to Hot Topic stores. The figure was a reproduction of the Land Adventurer with the Kung Fu Grip and came in the "Coffin" style box. A reproduction Talking Adventure Team Commander was also released in a limited run of 1,970 issues.
Timeless Collection (1998-2003)
In the tail end of the 90s Hasbro built on the renewed interest in authentic reproductions of G.I. Joe established by the Masterpiece Edition reproduction book/figure set; they bought the rights to the ME figure and released a range of store exclusive reproduction figure sets, with the character of the sixties G.I.Joe boxed sets.
Return of the 3.75" G.I.Joes (2000-2007)
Real American Hero Collection (2000-2002)
In 2000, Hasbro re-released a selection of 3 3/4" G.I. Joe figures and vehicles. This line lasted until 2002. The figures were sold in packs of two and consisted of repainted versions of figures from the Real American Hero line. Some of these repainted figures were assigned new identities: for example, the Baroness figure was repainted and sold as a new character called Chameleon, described on the packaging as
"the illegitimate half sister of Baroness".
G.I. Joe vs Cobra (2002-2005)
- Main article: G.I. Joe vs. Cobra
Beginning in 2002, newly designed collections of 3 3/4" G.I. Joe figures and vehicles were released. Each collection centered around a storyline or theme, such as "Spy Troops" and "Valor vs. Venom".
Direct-to-DVD features were animated for both Spy Troops & Valor vs. Venom, as well as a new trading card game based on the G.I. Joe vs. Cobra storyline. Both the 12" and 3 3/4" lines were put on hiatus prior to the release of the Sigma 6 line in 2005. The 3 3/4" line was reintroduced after a very brief hiatus via Hasbro's direct-to-consumer website HasbroToyShop.com.
25th Anniversary
2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the "Real American Hero" line. To commemorate the event, Hasbro released a "25th Anniversary" collection of newly sculpted 3 3/4" figures based on the line's best known and most popular characters. The styling and sculpting of the figures is "classic," yet superior to that of the original RAH figures: updated manufacturing processes mean that the new 2007 figures look more realistic and resemble the actual characters more closely than did the original figures. The articulation of the figures has also changed dramatically, in most cases for the better. Improvements include wrist and ankle articulation, joints that are no longer visible due to the use of injection moulding, and the use of a ball joint that allows vertical as well as horizontal movement of the head.
Sigma 6 (2005-2007)
2005 saw the introduction of a new line called Sigma 6, consisting initially of an 8" scale selection of action figures distinguished by their extensive articulation and accessories. Sigma 6 combines entirely new characters with already familiar characters from the 3 3/4" "Real American Hero" line. Its release was accompanied by a television series produced by the Japanese animation studio GONZO and a comic book mini-series published by Devil's Due.Hasbro also expanded the Sigma 6 line to include a 2 1/2" scale selection of vehicles, play sets, and figurines with limited articulation.
2007 saw the rebranding of the 8" line. The
Sigma Six branding was dropped in the spring of 2007. Since that time, new figures have been branded as simply G.I. Joe and divided into differently packaged sub-groups such as
Combat Squad,
Commandos, and
Adventure Team. The entire 8" scale was cancelled by the end of 2007, althought Hasbro considers the 8" figures a success and may revisit the scale in the future.
Live-action film
Paramount has commissioned the development of a live-action G.I. Joe film following the success of the 2007
Transformers feature film. The film is being slated for a 2009 release date with Stephen Sommers as the director
[ Variety.com: Stephen Sommers to direct 'G.I. Joe'][ Reuters: "G.I. Joe" accepts movie assignment] and Stuart Beattie as the scriptwriter.
[ Reuters: "Collateral" scribe reports for "G.I. Joe" duty] The film will feature an international task force based in New York
[ IESB.net: Quick Details on Stephen Sommers? GI Joe Feature Film] (previously Brussels)
[ IGN.com UK: What Does G.I. Joe Stand For?] called
G.I.J.O.E, (a backronym for
Global
Integrated
Joint
Operating
Entity), instead of the US-centric team featured in all previous incarnations, in order to internationally market the film.
The film will feature Destro and the Baroness as the main villains, the Dreadnoks as mercenaries (and Cobra's hired muscle), and Cobra Commander in a "puppet master" role. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow's rivalry will be one of the film's main plot points.
Sienna Miller has signed on to play the Baroness,
with Ray Park playing Snake-Eyes.
Byung-hun Lee is set to play Storm Shadow. Scarlett will be played by Rachel Nichols.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046173/ Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is playing Heavy Duty.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046173/ Said Taghmaoui is to play Breaker.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1046173/
Real people honored with G.I. Joe figures
The
G.I. Joe brand has made promotional action figures based on real-life persons, both military and civilian, that the company deems
Real American Heroes, as the
G.I. Joe slogan says. Among these are:
- "Sgt. Slaughter" Robert Remus (For the "Real American Hero" line, also appeared as character on the cartoon)
- William "Refrigerator" Perry (for the "Real American Hero" line)
- Buzz Aldrin
- Roy Benavidez
- SFC Charlie Bury - winner, in 1999, of the Hasbro sponsored "Real-Life Spirit of G.I. Joe" contest
- Robert Crippen
- Francis S. Currey
- John R. Fox
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Bob Hope
- President John F. Kennedy as skipper of the PT-109
- Douglas MacArthur
- Audie Murphy
- Mitchell Paige
- George S. Patton
- Francis J. Pierce
- Colin Powell
- Ernie Pyle
- Theodore Roosevelt
- "Rowdy Roddy Piper" Roderick Toombs
- Robert E. Lee
- George Washington
- Ted Williams
- Tuskegee Airmen; Fighter pilot/Bomber pilot
As part of a tour of the Hasbro factory, and sketch for NBC's Late Night, talk show host Conan O'Brien was sculpted as a 12" G.I. Joe figure. O'Brien, who is notoriously fair-skinned, insisted to the creators that his figure's body be extremely pale.
In 2001, 3.75" GIJoes "Sure Fire" and "Big Brawler were named after Steel Brigade Fan Club staff David S. Lane and Brian K. Mulholland, respectively.
In 2005, FHM contest winner, Luke Ellison, was made into an action figure.
Incarnations
The following series of Hasbro G.I. Joe toys were released:
- America's movable fighting man (1964-1969)
- G.I. Joe Adventure Team (1970-1977)
- G.I. Joe Defenders (1976)
- Super Joe Adventure Team (1977)
- A Real American Hero (1982-1994)
- Hall of Fame (1991-1994)
- Street Fighter II (1993)
- 30th Anniversary (1994)
- Limited Exclusives (1995-1997)
- Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles (1995)
- Masterpiece Edition (1996-1997)
- G.I. Joe Extreme (1996-1997)
- The Real American Hero Collection (1997-2001)
- Timeless Collection (1998-2003)
- G. I. Joe Classic Collection (1995-2004)
- The Real American Hero Collection (2000-2002)
- G.I. Joe vs. Cobra (2002)
- Spy Troops (2003)
- 40th Anniversary Reproductions (2003-2005)
- Valor vs. Venom (2004-2005)
- Sigma 6 8" (2005-2007)
- Sigma 6 2.5" (2006-2007)
- Direct To Consumer (2006)
- A Real American Hero 25th Anniversary (2007)
- G.I. Joe Adventure Team (2007)
- G.I. Joe 8-inch Commando Figures (2007)
- G.I. Joe Combat Squad (2007)
References in popular culture
- In the movie Trading Places, Eddie Murphy's character refers to the action figure in the following quote: "Okay, pork belly prices have been dropping all morning, which means that everybody is waiting for it to hit rock bottom, so they can buy low. Which means that the people who own the pork belly contracts are saying, "Hey, we're losing all our damn money, and Christmas is around the corner, and I ain't gonna have no money to buy my son the G.I. Joe with the Kung-fu Grip!"
- In 1997 two Nissan commercials featuring an action figure resembling an Adventure Team GI Joe rescuing a fashion doll that resembled Barbie aired to accolades, eventually winning numerous awards.
- The 2004 film A True Underdog Story made many references to the 1980s G.I. Joe cartoon series.
- The Brothers Chaps, makers of Homestar Runner, have a series parodying G.I. Joe known as the "Cheat Commandos".
- In the TV series Friends, Ross attempts to make his son Ben to play with a G.I. Joe doll in place of a Barbie, trying to convince him by referring to it as; "...the toughest guy in toyland...","...A real American hero!" and "...a toy that protects U.S. oil interests overseas."
- Eric Forman from That '70s Show is a huge G.I. Joe fan and has several variations of different figures. The 1966 space capsule is often seen in his bedroom.
- The 2005 comedy The 40 Year-Old Virgin features many references to G.I. Joe and other action figure franchises, as Steve Carell's character was portrayed as a collector.
- Robot Chicken uses articulated action figures similar to G.I. Joe (including actual Real American Hero figures on occasion) for animation, notably during a sketch called "The Terror Drome," a parody of The Office set in Cobra's HQ.
- In the reggae band Sublime's song, "Caress Me Down", a reference is made to the special rubber hand feature of the 70's GI Joe action figures. "...I didn't know she had the G.I. Joe, kung fu grip."
- In the French animated television series Code Lyoko, as of the fourth season, the Jim Moralés character (voiced by David Gasman) is occasionally referred to as "G.I. Jim", a reference to G.I. Joe and to the apparent fact that he is bossy and pushy like a drill instructor.
- In the VH1's special I Love Toys it came in at the number four spot.
- In the Australian Big Brother series of 2007, a contestant nominated another because "They reminded him of an Action Man, and he was more of a G.I. Joe fan."
- While in WCW, former WWE wrestler Booker T briefly adopted the militaristic persona, G.I. Bro.
- The band Roper makes numerous references to G.I. Joe in their song "Red Eye to Miami" on their album Brace Yourself For the Mediorce. Specifically, Snake Eyes and Kwinn are sung about.
- In the animation series "Family Guy", there's some references. In the episode North by North Quahog, you see a parody of the PSL featuring Flint. In the episode PTV, Cobra Commander is shown as the head of the FCC.
- In the The Simpsons episode entitled "Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy", a character representing GI Joe is revealed to be one of the Ex-Husbands of Malibu Stacy creator Stacy Lovell (Kathleen Turner). Joe Shows up at Stacy's house begging for her to return to his Mobile Command Unit, Stacy Flatly Refuses and asks Joe to "Release Me From Your Kung-Fu Grip".
See also
- 6 Scale Modeling, a.k.a. Playscale Miniaturism
- Action Man
External links
Fansites
12" joes:
Superjoe
3.75" joes:
25th Anniversary:
References
Action figuresDolls*National Toy Hall of FamePlayscale figuresToys of the 1960s
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