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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2016 23:19:23 GMT -5
^^ Thanks, mrp. You know, the name "The Intruders" doesn't ring a bell with me at all. Nice comic scans there though. I actually found them online but I remember the ads from my youth. I had the bearded Intruder as a kid, I have the clean shaven one now. -M
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Yo Joe!
Dec 2, 2016 23:26:52 GMT -5
Post by codystarbuck on Dec 2, 2016 23:26:52 GMT -5
I also had Bullet Man; but, the silver arms kept popping off (upper arm). it had two pieces, glued together, around a ball and socket joint; but, the glue didn't hold and if I banged him around, he lost half of his upper arm.
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Post by String on Dec 13, 2016 17:11:55 GMT -5
I think Hama's long-term achievements with Joe are often underrated.
Hama, a veteran himself, was already working on his own war/military comic pitch for Marvel when the Hasbro license came along. What he did was to take the backgrounds/bios that he'd created for his own characters and merged them with the characters in Hasbro's relaunch. He fleshed out all of these characters and made them more individual and dynamic than their mere toy identity would lend credence to. Heck, he even wrote all the bios sheets on the figure cards!
I loved the comic, followed it through the late #60s, early #70s, Special Missions and all the Yearbooks. (Yes, still have the copy that declares that Rocky Balboa is joining the team). The early run, from around #10 to the early #30s is terrific, from Kwinn the Eskimo to the Silent Issue to capturing Cobra Commander to the first origin of Snake-Eyes three-parter. Hama injected just enough military jargon and themes to keep this franchise interesting and viable, which helped contribute to it's long run.
As for the cartoon, it was harmless fun. Some great background music, I only take the first two mini-series about the teleporting machine and the Weather Dominator. Although the 'I am the Viper' episode deserves special mention, nice twist and some good action.
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Post by brutalis on Dec 16, 2016 8:12:22 GMT -5
Loved those yearbooks and read and re-read them so much. There was so much information provided and helped make the characters even more interesting. As well as giving more statistics and weapon details to all of the toy vehicles. G. I. Joe was more than just a toy as recreated through Larry Hama. His real life military experiences combined with imaginative writing combined for a comic book that while toy based and fantasy filled was still capable of capturing the humanity and heart of military men and inspiring kids. Over the years i have read of many children who through reading G. I. Joe went on to military careers choosing to serve our country and fight the good fight. Not too shabby a thing to be known for Mr. Hama!
Not to forget mentioning that the Mike Zeck and Michael Golden covers were pure magic. And thanks to Golden attending Phoenix Comicon the last few years i now have framed autographed lithograph prints of the separate Joe and Cobra covers from the yearbooks.
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Yo Joe!
Dec 16, 2016 8:50:06 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by The Captain on Dec 16, 2016 8:50:06 GMT -5
Loved the G.I. Joe yearbooks, but I'm also the guy who hunted down all of the original Handbooks to the Marvel Universe even though the information is horribly outdated and all of the new information about the characters can be readily found on the internet, so there's that...
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Yo Joe!
Dec 16, 2016 17:08:07 GMT -5
Post by brutalis on Dec 16, 2016 17:08:07 GMT -5
oh yes, i too had to grab up the Marvel and DC original run of handbooks. At the time they were fun and the most current and accurate way to recognize many heroes and villains. Like you say, today the internet much quicker and cheaper. Not to mention none of the companies allow their characters to look the same or a reasonable facsimile of themselves anymore. Sometimes i wonder what they are thinking?
At least the Joe's and Cobra retain much of their initial uniform designs helping to make them instantly recognizable at a glance. And Hama was smart enough that when he did update or change their outfits he would return them every so often back to the recognizable. Cobra Commander in armor for awhile then wears the hood again and then back into new armor or such.
Destro would change up his uniform styling a bit but the original Disco collar and neck chain still returns. If Snake eyes may change his eye visor or masking but his basic commando black outifit with swords and uzi's is the artistic shortcut of showing just how bad ass he truly is and instantly recogniable. Same goes for Storm Shadow in his white ninja styles.
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Yo Joe!
Nov 18, 2021 20:54:25 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by brutalis on Nov 18, 2021 20:54:25 GMT -5
New GI Joe announcement from IDW. Coming out February 2022 is a 4 issue limited series based on the classic cartoon. Good news for us fans of the cartoon and the characters. Get ready and pack up your little itty bitty ditty bag full of Yo Joe Cola for the new adventure!
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Post by jason on Nov 23, 2021 15:42:55 GMT -5
Might have to pick up that one. Love Joe, I'd argue its Marvel's best book of the 1980s. Lots of great characterizations and concepts (loved the entire town of Springfield being Cobra-controlled, and a majority of people being ok with that). It kind of went off the rails once the 90s hit, but there were still some good stories and concepts. The cartoon was fun too, better written than you'd think, and it was able to focus more on characters who didnt show up in the comics as much (Alpine, Bazooka, Lifeline, Low-Light, Shipwreck).
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Post by Graphic Autist on Nov 23, 2021 16:24:32 GMT -5
I love the show Community. They did a whole episode that was animated like the 80s GI Joe cartoon.
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Yo Joe!
Nov 23, 2021 18:01:09 GMT -5
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jason likes this
Post by brutalis on Nov 23, 2021 18:01:09 GMT -5
The GI Joe cartoon is a favorite for me. I really lived coming in from work to watch it every weekday afternoon. The voices of the characters are still the voices I hear in my head when reading the comics. And the animation stands the test of time, looking as good as anything from today.
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Post by commond on Nov 24, 2021 17:54:39 GMT -5
Whenever I think of the Joe cartoon, I immediately think of this:
Which led me to discover this:
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2021 10:09:05 GMT -5
What a great thread! I read it from beginning to end last night (I find it respectful to do so). Where do I begin? It started with the toys, I had Snake Eyes and Shipwreck. I then watched ARAH. Then I eventually read some Marvel comics, most likely years after they were popular (I remember wondered if the Marvel title would turn Sgt. Slaughter heel like the WWF had done). Ladybird also released some books, I had this: I really like the unique designs/features of the G.I. Joe characters. In fact, as a kid, it was reading their file cards that got me interested in real military stuff. I looked up words such as “infantry” and “artillery”. They were so well fleshed out, and I like that each character had a primary and secondary military speciality. I learnt so much. I remember asking my dad what a warrant officer was, as around the age of 11-12, I’d barely got to grips with learning what soldiers, NCOs and commissioned officers were; now there were warrant officers, too. What were they? Quite educational, all things told. I found the comics to have a little more “reality” to them than the cartoons, but I like both. I could imagine the comicbook G.I. Joe exploits as being possible in the real world, whereas the cartoon stories were a little more “flirting with sci-fi/fantasy”. But kudos to both. What’s that episode where G.I. Joe try to bankrupt COBRA? Some comic stories stay with me. One of the best is “The Old Switcheroo” ( G.I. Joe Special Missions #7), where terrorists storm COBRA’s New York consulate. The likes of Snake-Eyes, Shipwreck and Flint are my favourites on the G.I. Joe side; on the COBRA side, the likes of Cobra Commander, Destro and Zartan are my favourites. But I hold a special place in my heart for Raptor. Is he an underrated character? I didn’t come across him much (or maybe I just didn’t buy the comics he was in). I think he deserves a higher profile. I have mixed feelings about Serpentor. On the one hand, what a visually cool character - and what an intriguing concept, made from the DNA of history’s greatest conquerors. On the other side of the coin, he’s a bit “out there” for G.I. Joe, like he belonged more in something like Masters of the Universe. But it’s hard to not appreciate him. I just feel Cobra Commander is the true “emperor” of COBRA. And on COBRA Commander, I did not like his origin as revealed in G.I. JOE: THE MOVIE (1987 version). Being revealed as an ancient nobleman in a pre-human society was a little too “out there”. I prefer the more down to earth origin from the Marvel Comics series. We all need an “entry point” that is real to us. Cobra Commander’s more down-to-earth origin is more accessible to me than the Cobra-La stuff. But there are room for all interpretations. I’ll try and dig out an Action Force annual of mine later and take a pic.
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Yo Joe!
Nov 25, 2021 11:04:25 GMT -5
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Post by brutalis on Nov 25, 2021 11:04:25 GMT -5
Great to see you back driver1980. The new mini Joe was my toy gateway in the day. It was the summer of 1980 with my 1st job, 17 years old, still living at home with plenty of spare $ in my pocket. Me and my best buddy at the time were spending lots of time driving all over town hunting those figures down as fast they were released. The original set of 11 (I think?) figures were just so awesome. A mix of Joe and Cobra that were so visually astounding. I gravitated towards Cobra for their design and styles. Destro, Zartan and Major Bludd were great. Joe wise Snakeyes, Rock and Roll machine gunner and Zap laser trooper were fun. I grabbed up all the weapon pack extra's and smaller vehicles as well that were affordable. Watched the animated series religiously and was searching out the Marvel comics every month. Even had my LCS pulling Action Force the comic and really enjoyed it. Sadly I sold off my Joe's ages ago to help cover my mom's medical costs during her cancer treatments, but it makes me admire my Joe's all the more for doing their duty in her behalf. I did keep 11 of the 12 inch new Joe's (still in box on my shelf) and then replaced a few small 2 packs several years back. I have ALL the various animated Joe series on DVD and 2 signed Joe prints from Michael Golden when he came to Phoenix Comic con. So yes, I am a Joe fan and proud of it!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2021 16:58:38 GMT -5
Random thought: the Devil’s Due Publishing run of G.I. Joe is an underrated one, in my opinion. Wish I could get a complete set.
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Yo Joe!
Nov 27, 2021 17:36:47 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by brutalis on Nov 27, 2021 17:36:47 GMT -5
Agree with you driver1980 on the Devil's Due Joe comics. They did a fine job of updating the concept while retaining the character integrity along with a strong science-fiction aspect. Destro's son and Zartan's daughter made great additions to the story. Even Serpentor was made more interesting than the cartoon. GI Joe is a strong concept, endearing and captivating to fans. All you need to do is look at it's longevity as a toy, cartoon and comic book. Ever since the relaunch from a 12 inch to a 3 1/2 inch figure there has been some form of new GI Joe product available for purchasing. Especially great that the Larry Hama creations remain viable creations in so many different forms. All proving that there is more to them than meets the eye, as their transforming friends might say!
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