G.I. Joe (part two)

In my previous post I wrote about the connection between G.I. Joe and it’s association with warfare and national pride. As the G.I. Joe toy line moved away from what had become an unpopular subject for toys (war), another opportunity presented itself, one that would carry what was once a rather simple war toy into the realm of an all out franchise.

The G.I. Joe Adventure Team logo

(for an in-depth look at the marketing of the G.I. Joe Adventure Team, click on the image above and visit Plaid Stallions, one of my favorite websites)

The G.I. Joe Adventure Team

This is how I remember G.I. Joe from my childhood, a bunch of tough guys with realistic hair fighting the Yeti and going on wild safaris into uncharted lands. Presenting G.I. Joe as brave adventurers risking their lives against nature and in some cases the supernatural was a rather brilliant one.

The Secret of the Mummy’s Tomb- with an all kung-fu grip cast

visit Fuzzheadfilms for more G.I. Joe movies!

The fact that there were no cursed mummy action figures or abominable snowmen only added to the enjoyment that boys had with these toys. A heightened reliance on imagination is something that sadly toy makers of today are less likely to indulge in. If G.I. Joe of today is meant to fight a yeti, Hasbro would have to make that yeti into a rival toy.

Superheroes and the Super Joes

As the popularity of superheroes and science fiction became evident, G.I. Joe made the move toward a more fantastic and exciting line of characters with Eagle Eye Joe (who had real moving eyes), Bulletman and Mike Power, Atomic Man with real bionic limbs. There were even adversaries introduced called the Intruders who looked so different in design that they seemed to be invading from another toy line entirely.

After dipping their toes into the realm of fantastic action heroes, Hasbro made the leap into that deadly pool and nearly drowned. Producing a line of action dolls much smaller in scale to the traditional Joes, these Super Joes were battery powered and shot light from their chest-mounted weapons at strange alien invaders. Either the merchandising or the arrival of Star Wars action in 1978 put an end to G.I. Joe for a number of years.

Bronze Age G.I. Joe

Looking at G.I. Joe from a comic book frame of mind it is incredibly bizarre. A character that started as a war hero ended up fighting goofy aliens in space with a battery-powered harness. Because the various figures were so different, there wasn’t even a unified idea behind this invasion that could give it any credibility or concept to hang onto. It seems that G.I. Joe was just bored with life on Earth and traveled to distant world to duke out out with aliens that could barely move.

What this says about American culture I’m not entirely sure. The 1970’s were a rather schizophrenic time for the US and it shows in nearly every pop culture aspect from the films to music and of course toys. It was a messed up era.

When G.I. Joe finally returned, he looked very different indeed.

More to come…