I know it's technically not a 70s toy but it is related, plus these figures came out when I was eleven and had the distinction of being the last toys I bought to play with.
In fact, on my twelfth birthday my mom made me a G.I. Joe cake (as I've explained before, she was "cake lady" back in the day), knowing I was a fan of the comic. I think that might have been the exact moment (surrounded by friends) that I realized "Hey, maybe I should stick to Atari games now". That feeling hung around for a while, until I got into vintage in high school.
After the Adventure Team closed up shop in 1976 and Superjoe was lost in space by 1978, the G.I. Joe name rememerged in 1982, a good deal shorter but fueled by a surge in patriotism.
G.I. Joe was no longer a single man but a team name, returning to his military roots, Joe was a covert group that protected the world, as we would now discover, from the forces of Cobra.
By mass marketing the (well written) toy tie in comic with wonderfully animated TV spots, G.I. Joe became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s and it's popularity endures to this day. Click on the pictures to enjoy:
Hasbro G.I. Joe: Real American Hero Catalog
Buy, Sell or look for vintage G.I. Joe Toys at our trading post
8 comments:
I was nine years old the summer these hit the toy racks. I was a big fan the first few years and the comic was cool but that cartoon was corny as hell. I think putting a voice to those characters killed it for me.
Yeah, the cartoon didn't do a lot for me either. Watched the pilot last week with my kids, lots of cringey dialogue in there...
I was never a fan of the GI Joe cartoon or of military toys in general as a kid, but I certainly recognized the quality of those action figures, vehicles, and play sets. Really beat the Kenner Star Wars line at its own game.
The one thing I liked about the Joe figures was the bendable knees & elbows, which the Star Wars figures didn't have.
I LIVED for the G.I. Joe toys when they came out in 1982. I was nine at the time. I liked Star Wars toys, but they didn't hold a candle to G.I. Joe. Seeing those adds really brings back the memories. I collected the comics too. Like you guys, I wasn't really big on the cartoon, even though I watched it along with Transformers. I got tired of everything being laser blasters and no one getting hit. Not to mention vehicles and planes exploding into a million pieces, but suddenly there's a parachute! No death please!
Even though this isn't 70's, thanks for bringing it in Brian!
I forgot to tell you. That cake your mom made was really cool!
I'm looking forward to seeing the new GI Joe movie. From the trailer it looks pretty good.
I saw it last night. It is actually pretty good. A fun popcorn flick with loads of action. Pretty campy at some points, but just a pretty cool movie overall. Kind of refreshing after so many summer blockbuster duds this year.
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