Comic Book or Cartoon Series?

[shadowbat69]

Im curious, what do the members here prefer as far as story line for GI Joe? Myself, I was into the Marvel comic book series and didnt really care for the cartoon series. So most of my adventures with the toys were always more reality based and was within the context of what I was reading the comics.

What was youre favorite?

[Jalal30]

Cartoon I barely read anything during Gi joe time period also my allowance could not sustain comics and Gi joe toys.

[Loose Cannon]

Comics only. I can't think of any representation in the cartoons that made it to my joe verse. I follow some of the dio stories I see more than I ever paid attention to the Cartoons. Mind You I LOVE JOE Cartoons, even when the stories are plain dumb.

[Compulsive Collector]

Im curious, what do the members here prefer as far as story line for GI Joe? Myself, I was into the Marvel comic book series and didnt really care for the cartoon series. Same here. I was already into the comics when the animated series began to air, so I was spoiled by quality storytelling the cartoon could not provide.

[Sy-Rein]

I only knew of the cartoon series. I was never into comics at all as a kid.

[DESTRO]

The adult in me says Comics but the kid in me says Cartoons.

[Nemesis*Prime]

Cartoons. I didn't get into the comics until much later and even then I still liked the cartoon storylines more.

[slg]

I voted comic book. Since I had them before the cartoon came out. I do enjoy the cartoon but it doe's not compare to Larry hama's story.

[Monkeywrench]

Now I picked comic book, however if you would have asked me when I was a kid I would have said the Toon without a doubt.

[Shogi]

I can't rightfully pick either one. I need a "Little of both" option seeing as that's what I do, Mara can exsist, but CC is an ex used car salesman.

I grew up on the Toon, just started getting into the comic a couple of years ago, but I love so many aspects from both, I can't just choose one! :D

[xhairs]

i have to go with cartoons as when i was a kid the comics were great but i couldnt get them all the time so i would miss most of the stories. so the toon kept me in the mix more till the 90s lol..

[dominic.18]

i would have to say both because i grew up watching and reading everything i could find about gijoe

[Dark 5cythe]

I only knew of the cartoon series. I was never into comics at all as a kid.

Im with you on that one. It wasnt untill 4 years ago that I picked up my first Joe comic. Or comic period actually.

[artiepants]

Comics.
I even thought the cartoon was just too silly as a little kid! the comics are great, and even hold up fairly well today...

[jamarmiller]

COmics are my cannon, but I do love the cartoons and I love it when DDP brings in cartoon characters Like hector ramirez and sparks

[swafus]

The comics without a doubt! Larry Hama is right up there with George Lucas in my book as someone who took a basic idea of good vs. evil and crafted an entire universe full of magnificent characters!

I loved the toon as a kid and I put it in for nostalgia's sake sometimes but as a whole, I think it's quite ridiculous. I remember watching the animated movie when I was 10 and thinking it was way too wacky for my taste. Although the opening battle scenes are bad-A$$!!

[snake.eyes]

Cartoons. I started reading the comic at issue #17, got a subscription starting at issue #27 but it couldn't touch the cartoon in my mind. I watched the first mini-series when it first aired on Saturday mornings when I was 8. I watched it over and over (it was repeated quite a bit and I would curse Johnny Quest when it would replace Joe for a few weeks) until the second mini-series and then when it moved to weekdays. One of my fondest memories as a kid was sitting through all the Saturday morning cartoons (even watching the frigging Smurfs with my sister so I would get my turn) until 11:00 for the grand finale which was the Joe cartoon.

[DaViper]

I grew up watching the cartoon and reading the comics at the same time. I guess I'm more of a visual person, so I have to say Cartoon because it was easier for my brain to comprehend HA. But comics for the realism.

[arch2b]

i grew up with both however i thought the comics offered a much richer experience for many reasons. the comics offered stories with deep background and much more detail in a media which is breif to say the least. in the short time it took to read the comic your mind and imagination were taken much father than the cartoon ever did(minus the mini series story arcs). i would go over each comic several times to both rear, reread and examine the imagery.

[RolandofGilead]

I remember loving the cartoons so much, but they've not aged well. I can still read the comics and feel like they've got a bit of an edge. They were less goofy, and had better stories than the cartoon.

[G.I. Smurf]

cartoon myself. didnt read the comics until a few years ago. yes, i love them, but the cartoons made the first and biggest impact on me.

[The Commander]

I watched the TV series before ever picking up a comic, but once I finally did I was so mad that they portrayed Cobra Commander as an idiot on TV.

[Texas Swamp]

Comic, So I Can Get A Serpentor With A Zartan Arrow In His Eye.

[DarthBrett]

I watched the cartoon religiously as a kid so I had to pick that. I actually only had a few issues of the comic as a little kid (didn't collect comics until I was 10 or 11 and didn't collect GI Joe comics at all). Thanks to Xerofall I have been able to enjoy how great the comic book is! But sentimentality won me over and I just had to say the cartoon.

[VIPER 48]

I grew up watching the cartoon and never read the comics for years. So because of that, i voted for the cartoons....

[MAJOR WOLF]

I went with the Marvel run GI Joe Comics.

[Viper_486]

I only saw 2 or 3 episodes of the cartoon growing up as a kid.
It was the comic all the way.
Always read/played in the Hama-verse, and used the voices from the toon.

[BigErn]

As much as I like the cartoon I can't take it too seriously because of my love for the comic. The comic book's continuity is key to my love for the GI Joe universe, the cartoon was just a fun added bonus.

[Snake Eyes-Joe Ninja]

I grew up on the tune, heck, I had the opening song memorized before the pledge of alliegance (sad, ironic, yet cute for a kid...), but after reading the comic, I can easily say that the comic is, in my opinion, is a better story.

[Crimson Rage]

Tougher call than I thought this one.
The comic has more permanence, is more influential and ultimately more what GI JOE is about.

But... kicking back and popping in a DVD of the cartoon is still a fine way to while away a few hours one lazy evening.

Ultimately they offer great entertainment within their respective mediums and don't really compete, but if I had to choose one it would be the comics.

[deanhp]

Cartoon.. I never read the comics.. so that was an easy answer. I grew up watching it when I was a little tyke

[Derek2783]

When I was a kid, it would have been hands down the cartoon. As I got a bit older though, I really enjoyed the more "serious" comic take, if you can use the word "serious" on anything Joe related...

[botticus]

Cartoons without a doubt, still haven't gotten around to reading one of the comics.

And seeing the poll results, I now understand the general dislike on this board for any figures that went beyond the standard GI Joe characters.

[karamazov80]

The cartoons got me into the toys, which together define my love for Joes. The comics are fine, but I doubt seriously that I would care about them if not for the cartoons.

[Phil Kost]

Comics.

I barely saw the cartoons growing up, but had all the comics...still do.

[Sort Kwik]

The cartoons got me into the toys, which together define my love for Joes. The comics are fine, but I doubt seriously that I would care about them if not for the cartoons.

get out of my head!

[K-9]

cartoons for me

[DOCHOLIDAY56]

Comics -BOTTOM LINE FOR ME

Cartoons were AWESOME but all my battles happened based on COMICS!!

DOC

[NSJ23]

Comic book, i like the cartoon but it was terrible in comparison to Larry hama's joe books.

[Ultra Magnus 71]

Comics hands down. I could not watch the cartoon after reading the comics.

[lkoldstone]

I liked both, but the comic actually was better to me. It actually had a LOT more continuity than the show, and went more into the characters histories.

[shlappyguy]

I think, nostalgia aside, if you were to experience both the cartoon and comic now, the comic holds up far better. The cartoon has many good points, but the comic is just a superior product, imo.

[The Commander]

Comics by far, although I enjoyed the cartoon as well. I just can't stand CC being a sissy/alien.

[MrClean]

Hmmm...

Comic - In depth storytelling, great characterization and 25 years worth of continuity.
Cartoon - Snake-Eyes and Timber, dressed like Boy George, breakdancing.

I think I gotta go with Comic on this one.

(But man, that 'toon is fun to watch sometimes.)

[The Commander]

I'm absolutely shocked at how many people have never read the comic! If I was talking to someone who claimed to be a huge GI Joe fan, but they didnt know who Billy was (because they had never read the comic) I wouldnt even know what to say... I think I might actually be offended...

Don't be offended, educate them!

[NSJ23]

I'm absolutely shocked at how many people have never read the comic! If I was talking to someone who claimed to be a huge GI Joe fan, but they didnt know who Billy was (because they had never read the comic) I wouldnt even know what to say... I think I might actually be offended...

QFT

[crock master]

i grew up on the cartoon, and as a kid playing g i joe,i was always dissapointed that noone ever died. anyways, i remember the commercial witht the dreadnoks and the thunder machine on it, and i found it. so i got introduced to the comic in the #30s. i stopped collecting them around #120. but now as adult, i would say the cartoon is byfar better than any cartoon on any free network .i didnt like thundercats as a kid, but they are better than new cartoons aswell.
so i would say the cartoons were good and i liked them, but the comics were more realistic and they always showed more stuff.i mean shit!! how do you compare that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j1fU6lznV4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ-l6Nuznj4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXjxS1eC0hc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdxarL1BW4E&feature=related

[Sy-Rein]

I'm absolutely shocked at how many people have never read the comic! If I was talking to someone who claimed to be a huge GI Joe fan, but they didnt know who Billy was (because they had never read the comic) I wouldnt even know what to say... I think I might actually be offended...

See when I was into GIJoe as a kid, I never had access to the comics, let alone, even know they existed. All I had was the cartoon and I liked it alot. I dont think you need to be offended because another fan isnt as much in the know as others. Like the Commander said, educate instead of taking offence. :)

[J4Joker]

The comic, especially the first three years. I remember reading "Three Strikes for Snake Eyes" and being obsessed with finding out what happened next.

[Amberbratt]

ok I saw the name MARA on the first page...

I am curious I remember that being shipwrecks wife.......

one where she was a plastic manequin/wax person I think...

so did her and shipwreck ever hook back up or did he find her what was the story?

[kilowatt]

I loved the comics, the stories always left me hungry for the next issue. The cartoon was a lot of fun also, but it was a little cheesy.

[Drill]

The Marvel comics. Pure love. Of course, it isnt right without the Sunbow voices while reading them.

But I think the intro to the movie is my favorite Joe moment period. It was the first G.I. Joe thing I watched. Youtube is great in that regard.

[vega-1]

Comic book! I don't have time to watch cartoons anymore

[slim19722]

Both. The cartoon was cheesy, but it was cool to see all the characters in a "physical sense" and the comics for the more serious tone.

[mech-grunt]

As a kid I loved the Marvel comics they would use real Military lingo everyone DID NOT CARRY A LASER, they would go out on real mission Joes and Cobra Die. I remember not being able to wait until the next month to see what would happen next. When I watched the cartoon I always felt let down (no offence to you cartoon fans) it just seemed like a half hour shooting lasers, everyone could drive and fly everything regardless of specialty.

But I still watched 

[swafus]

As a kid I loved the Marvel comics they would use real Military lingo everyone DID NOT CARRY A LASER, they would go out on real mission Joes and Cobra Die. I remember not being able to wait until the next month to see what would happen next. When I watched the cartoon I always felt let down (no offence to you cartoon fans) it just seemed like a half hour shooting lasers, everyone could drive and fly everything regardless of specialty.

But I still watched 

Exactly! That's the problem I had with the cartoon even as a kid. Every character's specialty just didn't seem to matter? Whats the use of even having vehicle drivers if the MP and mountain trooper can both fly a damn skystriker?! The comic had alot of cheesy moments too but nothing like the toon.

[ryeguy]

Cartoon all the way. I enjoy the comics but without the cartoon I would have never fell in love with the characters and then never moved on to the comic book.

[COPPERHEAD]

I enjoyed watching the cartoons. But I voted for the comicbook because they made GI Joe seem more grounded in today's world with the stories told.

[wraith]

I loved the toon, but it was the comic that influenced my Joeverse when I was a kid.Not to say that I didn't "borrow" a few things here & there from the toon, like Duke & Flint, they were totaly like they were in the toon, in my Joeverse.

[Spade]

I prefer a mixture of the two. In reality there was the cartoon universe, the comic book universe, and mine.

As a kid I was so conflicted by who's girl was Scarlett. The fun thing is you can make a love triangle with your own joeverse.

I hated on the cartoon that once the speciality joes came out that everyone could fly a jet. Why would a dog handler and a firefighter be capable of piloting a jet? I hated that no one got shot on the cartoon. Yet, I didn't like when joes got killed off in the comics.

[Breaker]

Good question!

In my case, I started with the comics. The action, the guns (yep, real bullets and not las-guns), the stories, the characters, Snake-Eyes, the Freds, people being killed, wounded... I read it all over and over again! Althought the fact Hawk had blonde-hair, and no brown... (Hawk v.2 was my first joe) the kid and adult in me chooses the comics without a doubt.

The cartoon well, those B.A.T.s armys were cool... :)

[jjk1120]

Wow, good question! I'd have to say a little of both. The first 2 mini-series were my favorites, I still watch them a lot today. Does anyone remember they actually used machine guns in the 1st mini-series?? They had lasers, too, but machine guns! That was awesome! The cartoon had some great moments & stories, but also had some bad (no Grand-Slam, Sgt. Slaughter, Cobra Commander being a multi-eyed snake man!). And the comic had that awesome invasion of Springfield, the Cobra Civil War, The "Silent Interlude" story, but also got WAY too carried away with the ninjas, and the art would go from great to downright awful! So, I'd say it was a mixed bag. But when I was younger and playing with my Joes, the cartoon influenced me more, I'd say.

[NeoDragonKnight]

Cartoon, since I was a bit too young at the time to spend money on comic books. Im planning to show my nephew the cartoons when he gets a couple of years older, see if it can get him hooked and enjoying the toys Ill be sure to buy him.

I have to admit I have an urge to read the comics now, any online places they have them archived?

[delta]

The adult in me says Comics but the kid in me says Cartoons.

Same here, but comics win, as did adulthood.:(

[delta]

I have to admit I have an urge to read the comics now, any online places they have them archived?
this site is awesome for info on the comics.
Site is down for now, but you can still access all the info.
http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/stormy.html

[uberthawk]

cartoon...didn't and still donT think the 2 should b any different...the cartoon hit more home 4 me, donT get me wrong i read the comics but...the toon was better in my mind.

[TTT]

Cool ZOMBIE Thread !
Started out as cartoon but permanently moved to comics.
I own all but 5(ish) of the comics but no cartoon episodes.
Nothing against the toon, just liked the comics(stories) better.

[1SGHauser]

Sunbow. I thought the comics were lame as a kid. Poor artwork. In hindsight, the Sunbow series didn't have much better art, but it required no reading and had cool soundeffects. To this day, I use the animated storylines as the basis for my characters today.

[Dr. Whom]

Comic Book series.

TV rots your brain

[700block]

comics.

[minstrelboy]

I love the cartoons for plain stupid entertainment, but I grew up with the comic, and I still feel that the original Hama storyline is the definitive storyline for the Joe-verse.

[Immortal_Joker]

I would choose both

[JR0d28]

Both!

[captain99]

COMIC BOOK Hands down!!! The cartoons were horrible. I started reading the comic at issue #1 back in 1982 and the cartoon that followed roughly a year later, was a MASSIVE disappointment!

I LOVED the comic and still re-read each issue every couple of years.

[diggity1972]

comics mostly to say the least but in the toons i was always asking myself when is snake eyes going to kick dude's ass for hitting on his women the the opening ep. ot the MASS device

[Unclassified]

i never read a joe comic in my life, oh wait yeah i did, on the way to work one day my buddy brought one in from the comic pack, so i read one in my whole life

[lespaul59]

I liked and still like them both and I don't think I've ever liked one better than the other. I mean I like certin versions of the cartoon character better than the comic version. Well design might be a better word. I mean I always liked Lady Jay from the cartoon better than the comics. I did like Snake Eyes from the comics better but he was never really in the cartoon.

[ShakeZula77]

Comics all the way. People actually got shot, wounded, and died.