On the heels of my Star Wars love came a new rival: GI Joe, debuting in 1983, just as Lucas completed his Star Wars trilogy and released the toy line for the final film. By then I had tired somewhat of that line anyway.
Now, the original GI Joe ‘doll’ was maybe the first real action figure, but he was loooong before my time.
Dad or Mom would always need something from the large department store in Red Lake Falls, Hardware Hank, so they would drag me along (not wanting to leave me home alone – after I decided to turn Mom’s simmering stew on the stove into a ‘magic potion’ by pouring my sister’s conditioner into it, I was not left to my own devices again).
While Mom or Dad were searching for whatever they needed, I headed for the toy section. It mostly had the usual dull toys: Matchbox cars, Tonka trucks, and cheap plastic army soldiers and dinosaurs. But I noticed, sitting across on a shelf, something much more interesting. It was a box with the flowing GI JOE logo streaming across the top. Below it was a black tank blasting away at an unseen enemy why a bright red driver sat in the cockpit and a mysteriously masked commander blasted away with the laser cannon turret on top.
The clincher, though, was in the bottom right corner. There was a little clear compartment where you could see the driver of the vehicle. Then it hit me: This vehicle actually came with an action figure.
The Cobra HISS --
This concept was so incredible. I was hopping from foot to foot as I examined it. With the Star Wars vehicle line, they chose to package most action figures and vehicles separately. That meant you not only had to buy the figure but also the vehicle if you wanted to have a complete set. I would have gladly done this every time, but since I was barely 10 and had no income, I had to persuade Mom and Dad – and that wasn’t easy. I usually could convince them to get me an action figure on our trips to TRF or Crookston. Vehicles were usually reserved for birthdays or Christmas and Easter. But the odds of things working out so you ended up with the correct vehicle and the proper action figure that piloted it in the movie were not always good.
However, this new GI Joe line changed everything. The connection forged instantly in my mind: I can get an action figure and the vehicle all in one!
Of course, I was strategic about it all. With each trip to the store, I stalked it – I even had to resort to moving it from department to department so no other rival would spot it and ask their parents for it. Finally, I was able to convince Dad to get it for me.
The GI Joe toyline also contained something the Star Wars line neglected. When I opened the Cobra HISS box, not only did I get instructions and the stickers for the vehicle, but unlike the Star Wars toys, the Joes had a colored insert showing all of the other available toys and action figures. That was almost better than the toy itself. The toy I had was okay, but the other toys (and the more expensive ones) were even better.
I remember clearly putting the Cobra HISS vehicle together and setting it aside while I just read the advertisement over and over, imagining all the other toys I needed to accompany my initial purchase.
And so the floodgates were opened.
Other unique features about the GI Joe line were that each individual figure not only were much more flexible than the Star Wars line, but The Joes bent at the knees and elbows. Later figures would have rotating arms that allowed you to rotate them right about the bicep. Also the figures came with weapons that were much cooler than the Star Wars figures, where every figure basically had a blaster or light saber. With the Joes, most of the figures had weapons unique to each character's military specialty. There was a mine detector, so he came equiped with a back pack that held the mines as well as all the mine detecting equipment. The Ski trooper came with, of course, skis. There was a K9 trooper, so he came with a mutt. The possibilities were endless.
Some examples --
Tripwire
Snake Eyes (the coolest GI Joe figure - and the most mysterious)
Snake Eyes became so popular that once the cartoon series debuted, the creators decided to reveal more of his mysterious background. They released an updated figure, this one with a wolf hound that was his new companion.
On the back of each package the creators didn’t just show the other available action figures. Instead the back of each package included an identification card that listed key details and hints about the characters. These became as valuable as the characters! Since GI Joe wasn’t based on a film, they had much more flexibility about story lines and good guys and villains.
And maybe the greatest invention of the Joes was the battlepack.
The creators knew that the kids - like me - would inevitably lose the weapons. The Star Wars people never realized this. Or maybe the were just dirty capitalists and wanted the kids to buy a whole new figure. I can't tell you how long I had to play with my original Luke Skywalker using a yellow colored tooth pick inserted in his arm in place of the actual plastic lightsaber, which fell out after about a month of constant use.
Of course, one could not simply stockpile action figures without vehicles and bases. Here are some of my favorites.
The GI Joe jet -
Skystryker
The Mobat (the GI Joe tank) - this was one of the best Christmas presents ever.
The Rattler, The COBRA bomber.
These were perfectly tailored for my over active imagination. It wasn’t long, though, before the television series premiered after school – 3:30 sharp Monday through Friday – and my addiction was doubled.
It was not long before a comic book series appeared. This was beyond anything I could ever have imagined. I was triply addicted. And so passed the years of 1983-85.
Next up -- The coolest of all '80s toys: The Transformers!
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