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01-16-2016, 04:42 PM | #11 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 247
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Playing G.I. Joe with my brother out in the sandpile and staging epic battles spanning our property was a huge part of my childhood. The arrival of a new issue of Larry Hama's Marvel comics was an exciting event. We'd be scanning over the large array of wonderfully packaged toys at the local store while Mom was shopping, thinking about which of the dozens of characters, accessories, or vehicles would best add to the capabilities of our elite military strike force or evil TERRORIST organization determined to rule the world.
So much care and attention to detail went into the toys, and we got a ton of enjoyment in adding a new specialist to our squad, and coming up with scenarios to suit their skills and equipment. We really could not get enough of it! The blatantly unrealistic stuff was a turn-off, the older I got. By the late '80s I was getting too old, and the neon era made it easier to "leave". Knowing the incredible amount of pure enjoyment I got out of it, I want to give that to my kids. I wish Hasbro would help with that, by perhaps getting some toys on a shelf north of the 49th parallel. This was the first Christmas I had to resort to Ebay or missions across the border in order to have some GI Joes under the tree for the boys. Scandalously, Canadians have gotten only slim volumes of the 1st waves of KRE-O and the 50th; nothing since. (Starting to get to the point where frustration with Hasbro is overtaking the nostalgia - Sorry to be a buzz-kill!) Anyhoo, I've fed the kids a regular diet of G.I. Joe (despite ZERO effort by Hasbro at reaching kids with commercials, cartoons, child-appropriate comics, or video games), and they've had a lot of fun playing with the action figures and vehicles, and the God-send that was (IS!) KRE-O. G.I. Joe was the coolest thing imaginable to me growing up, and it can/should be again for the next generation. |
01-16-2016, 06:45 PM | #12 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Northern Cali
Posts: 241
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Growing up in the 90’s, it was the era of X-Men and Power Rangers so it was harder to appreciate Joes. Even with that, I still managed to get a hold of a few Joes as gifts. The two I recalled the most were Wet-Suit (v3) and Storm Shadow (v3). What I love about G.I. Joes compare to other figures was they usually have a backpack, a rifle, and a figure stand. Even when you are not playing with them, you can just post them with all their weapons and accessories on them. You can also buy a Joe vehicle and they will sit perfectly in it. That was the unique thing about G.I. Joes that I always appreciated.
The only unfortunate thing was I grew up in the X-Men and Power Rangers era so I didn’t bother wanting more Joes. We were all so in loved with the Red/White/Green Ranger and Wolverine. Another disadvantage with Joes is the scale. Since they were a lot smaller than the rest, it did not help having manlets around the larger scale figures. As an adult, I started collecting Joes by accident initially. I picked out ROC Desert Duke, ROC Cover Girl, and the A-Team van for my nephew’s birthday. However, he rejected the two Joes after opening them up. My brother forced me to take them back which I reluctantly did. This allowed me to realize that Joes were no longer o-rings and was more realistic looking than ever. It was also my love for history and fascination for wars (not pro war but as a subject) that allowed me to get into Joes for the first time. |
01-16-2016, 07:30 PM | #13 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Brooklyn NY!
Posts: 5,239
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As for the brand itself, I find it full of interesting and compelling characters. I had gotten into Joes originally in '82 before the cartoon (before the M.A.S.S. mini series as well)and didn't have access to a comic store. My only insight into the characters were the file cards. At least until reprint Marvel 3 packs appeared in TRU. I still prefer the file card versions of the characters more than any other incarnation, followed by the Marvel mini book series.
I collect toys in general (Joes mostly) for the nostalgia and the thrill of finding that figure you've been looking for. Prior to 2007 I used to have dreams of walking into TRU and finding Joes again. That emotion, that thrill from my youth was that strong. And then one day in 2007 it actually happened. I went buck wild. I can recall dozens of times I'd go to TRU with a few weeks of allowance saved up only to one day hit the jack pot when the entire Joe section was restocked with the 84 line up. Man Ripcord and Firefly were tough to find back then, forget Storm Shadow! Because we didn't have popper storage in my small, realty built Brooklyn home, many of my old toys ended up broken. How often do you get a second chance to redo your youth? Now I can collect with a 40 year old's wallet! I can get ALL of them (well almost)if I want, troop build (it really sucked as a kid only having 1 of each troop!), and finally take really nice care of them! Out of 1100+ modern Joes I only misplaced 2 accessories and recently replaced them. I have an entire home of my own to store them and keep them nice. The emotion of finding that figure and the maturity to take good care of the toys is great. It's nice to have another shot at this amazing toy line. (Please make the rest of them!)
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01-16-2016, 08:48 PM | #14 |
Boom
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Classified
Posts: 4,770
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Nostalgia mostly. (though that ship has almost sailed)
I like some of the characters. Characters that I liked 30 years ago, and still like today like Destro, Firefly and Mutt/Junkyard. Hama put a lot of thought into giving his characters depth and personality and for those who had classified or unknown personal information he gave us some good stories and always kept us wanting to know more like what someone looked like under their mask. That aura of mystery made them interesting to me.
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01-16-2016, 08:57 PM | #15 |
Red Shadows Officer
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Citizen of the world
Posts: 681
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Just about everything. It is one of those comforting constants in an ever changing world. Who doesn't have fond memories of their Joe adventures from years ago? The characters had interesting personalities brought to life by Larry Hama's file cards. Even though the characters were fully developed, they were enough of a blank slate to create your own world. It was / is a toy where your imagination can run wild.
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01-16-2016, 10:39 PM | #16 |
A Makeupless Clown
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,270
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Short answer:
Nostalgia, big time. But I don't collect, in a classic sense. I buy Joes strictly for my kids so they can have a piece of the magic. Extremely long answer: In addition to having watched the GI Joe cartoons A BUNCH as a kid, I too have memories of backyard playtime with my brother. The figures were way more useful than Star Wars 5-PoA figures for posing and play. We would generally set up dioramas - sometimes in a pre-battle state, sometimes mid-battle - then played them out to fruition. So having knees, elbows, swivel biceps, and ball/socket-esque hips and shoulders was kind of a major thing. We had a 6'x6' sandbox with a MASSIVE amount of sand in it in our back yard. We once made a pyramid, complete with burial vaults, that was taller than we were. We hardened it with sprinkles of water, smoothed it with a brick. It was epic. We taped up a figure in masking tape shreds and used it as a mummy. That figure is still sticky to this very day. Many other times we made massive training camps for the Joes using twigs and string to build obstacle courses and such. It was just so much fun. It unleashed a lot of creativity in us both. I also recall tagging along with my mom on weekends over the summer to try to find Star Wars and GI Joe toys at yard sales for $0.50 or so, and regularly having luck finding them. I have fond memories of saving up my allowance for the occasional trip to the store with my mom, then getting there and seeing an entire aisle of GI Joe toys (or at least one side of an entire aisle - who the hell knows what was on the other side). It was like being in the Wonka factory. Christmas was always a small miracle to us, too, because that was when Santa would bring all of the vehicles we had begged our stalwartly-opposed parents to buy for us all year long (how little did we know). My brother and I still clearly recall the day we were in a K-Mart and saw a FLAGG up on the top shelf, taunting us. We had been asking our parents, Santa, and anyone else who would listen to buy it for us for YEARS and had never even seen one in person before. We thought this was IT. It HAD to happen, 'cause there it was, our white whale! Alas, we never did get the FLAGG. As an adult, I clearly understand why. But as a kid? No sir. We really had a ton of Joe toys anyway. Looking through the yojoe archive this past year made me realize how comprehensive our collection really had been. To my everlasting shame and dismay, my brother and I sold the majority of our Joe toys in yard sales - usually for a pittance. We saved a few of the more sentimental items and also kept whatever didn't sell (I still have a complete HISS v2 with price sticker residue on the windshield that I am SO glad nobody bought). It never crossed my mind at the time (age 12 or so) that I would have kids of my own one day who might treasure these toys, or that even if I did have kids anyone would EVER stop making GI Joe toys. I mean, how dumb would you have to be to stop making the best toy line EVER?! I had that mentality up until about 2009, a bit after my son was born. I had this notion that there must still be a "GI Joe aisle." I cruised through a toy section once again - for the first time in over a decade - and saw the POC line...on clearance...with barely a couple of shelves and pegs rather than a whole aisle. I figured they were probably just thinning inventory to make room for a new wave or to move aisles or something. And besides, being accustomed to the o-ring Joes, the modern era ones looked flimsy to me so I passed on them for a while (stupid again). I eventually ended up buying a Dusty, Jungle Viper, and a Jungle Duke along with a Snow Cat and two of each mech suit before the POC line disappeared forever. As a side note, I also passed on a pair of Bravo Team Abrams tanks that were on clearance 'cause I felt like $17/each was too much for a tank. STUPID! It took me six years to get my hands on another Abrams at retail and it cost over twice that much. ARGH! Anyway, I loved playing with Joes, I loved the cartoon (though I really only remember the Sunbow episodes and I cringe while trying to watch anything in the Serpentor phase). I want(ed) that for my kids as well, and to that end I have been doing my best to gather up what I can of the modern era Joes for Santa to bring to them. I have shown them nearly the entire Sunbow collection of episodes and they are as hooked on it as I was. The toys themselves are also well-loved and see lots and lots of action around my house. I bring out what remains of my vintage items when we play together. My kids always try to leave a few of my old figures in their toy bin at the end of playtime. And I love THAT about Joes, too. Even after 30 years, they are still cool enough that my kids want to steal them from daddy. Bit-by-bit I quietly allow it, especially now that they have broken a few things and are learning to be more careful with their toys. I am trying hard to give them that magical part of my childhood, and so far I am at least giving them a piece of the experience. The one thing I can't give to them is the feeling of awe and giddiness I had, walking down an aisle packed to the gills with GI Joe product. Sadly, I think that is something they will never get to experience firsthand.
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01-16-2016, 10:44 PM | #17 |
A Makeupless Clown
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,270
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Quote:
...As an adult, I started collecting Joes by accident initially. I picked out ROC Desert Duke, ROC Cover Girl, and the A-Team van for my nephew’s birthday. However, he rejected the two Joes after opening them up. My brother forced me to take them back which I reluctantly did...
Honestly though, has your nephew come around at all or is he still of the Joe wagon?
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01-17-2016, 01:10 AM | #18 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Northern Cali
Posts: 241
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Quote:
The reason why he made me took back those Joes was because I made one huge error. The rule was since my niece was a toddler at the time, gifts with small and potentially hazardous pieces were not allowed. My sister-in-law was really strict about this. I sort of blindly purchase those figures without thinking twice since I didn’t know any better at the time. Yes, I somehow did not notice the little weapons taped right in front of the packages. I just thought the figures look cool and they will fit into the van so my nephew will like them. Unfortunately, he did not like them. Good thing was it made me appreciate modern era Joes. Bad thing was I now have a plastic crack addiction. Occasionally, I still jokingly blame my brother about this. He just stands there and roll his eyes since he doesn't understand why adults collect toys. Today, my nephew actually has a handful of Joes and I still regularly give him Joes as gifts but he’s more into those Marvel Legends. |
01-27-2016, 01:23 PM | #19 |
Cobra Interrogator
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Undisclosed Military Installation in Kentucky
Posts: 1,466
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Joes were my favorite toy when I was a kid. I loved the toys, I loved the cartoons, I loved the comics, all of it! My dad was career Air Force and we all lived on a military base in Germany, so it was we basically lived and breathed military stuff anyway. When you saw a kid with a Skystriker it was like, "Oh yeah, Bobby's dad works on those..."
Anyway, I never really hit that stage where kids lose interest in toys. I adored the 12" Joes like Duke, with his Desert Storm style camouflage. I got into models, and painting minis for games like Warhammer 40k. I always collected toys like superheroes and anime characters and stuff. I guess I treat them like collectible models more than "toys." I don't customize every single one, but I do enjoy modifying them. It's really just an extension of my other modeling hobby... Like I've got my 1:56 scale models, my 1:6 scale models, and the Joes are just models in 1:18 scale. Kinda. My daughter seems weirdly fascinated by them. She is a nonverbal autistic. A lot of people report autistic kids have a proclivity to sort their toys in a very particular way. I never noticed that in her, but I do notice that I walk into my study and the Joes are rearranged and their parts have been moved around. The funny thing is, she makes the same changes every time she plays with them. She has a very definite idea of how they are "supposed" to be. Now I'm a Soldier, and as much as I hate to say it, Saturday morning cartoons lied to me. :-) Don't get me wrong, there are parts of my job that I really love and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But it's also really pleasant to be able to escape into a world where the bad guys all wear flamboyant costumes and everything is much simpler than in real life. Mostly what I look for now is Joes with detailed, imaginative designs. I like complex toys with lots of realistic kit. I'm still not terribly interested in the more outrageous superhero costumes, the Dreadnoks, or the vehicles that are too obviously fake or unworkable. |
01-27-2016, 03:12 PM | #20 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 5,817
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As a kid the things that attracted me to the toy line were the cartoon (of course), the superior articulation (compared to the Star Wars figures I had before gijoe), and really the unique design of each characters outfit. It blew my mind that the joes were allowed to piece together outfits like they did. No standard uniforms required. Awesome!
As an adult collector, its absolutely nostalgia! They bring back the fond memories of childhood. For that reason, I've mostly focused on collecting the joes and cobras as I remember them. If its not in the arah style, I'm usually not interested. |
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