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09-14-2016, 02:00 PM | #11 |
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Tomax and Xamot were also riding a wave of evil corporate businessmen characters, a year before John Byrne reinvented Lex Luthor as an evil businessman. The Luthor "replacement" character in Superman III ended up being more like post-Crisis Luthor than the actual movie Luthor as played by Hackman. I'm not quite sure how big the evil businessman cliche was at that time. It seems to have only grown in the '90s and 2000s as the search for politically correct villains expanded.
Also, Extensive Enterprises Towers were the World Trade Center. Crystal Ball was rumored to have been created by Stephen King and/or his son Owen King. Or they at least wrote the file card and/or named him. The full story has never been told. I can't remember if there was a contest to create a Joe that might've been local to New England or something. Sneak Peek was also named after Owen King and his likeness was probably modeled on him as well, which is why he has something like a little boy's face. I asked Owen King on Facebook and he said he couldn't go into details of what happened with these two figures at this time. Also if you think of the names "Crystal Ball" and "Sneak Peek," they both suggest a character who can see into the future. So one theory is they were two names suggested for a fortune-teller character by Owen King, and when the name "Crystal Ball" was chosen, they reimagined "Sneak Peek" as a guy with a periscope instead of a fortune-teller, and gave him Owen's likeness and name. Enter the Ninja and other ninja movies definitely have to be considered. Frank Miller debuted the Hand Ninja in Daredevil it looks like a matter of weeks before Enter the Ninja's release date. Ninjas may have been hot in the movies but I think we have to give Frank Miller credit for making them major comic book characters. Ninjas seem to have become more uncommon in movies after the mid-'80s even as they were becoming a huge deal in toys, comics and cartoons. I remember they showed up in an episode of Benson in the '80s too. The appearance of the "nice" Fatal Fluffies is probably a mix of Ewoks, Gizmo, E.T. and or Yoda. Quick Kick wears a handband so that's Karate Kid-ish. I wouldn't discount Bruce Lee as an influence though. I had known that Sneak Peak was a tip of the cap to King's son but never knew that about Crystal Ball. Interesting. Don't forget the Ninja's in Wolverine in the 1982 Marvel Miniseries that Miller also worked on. I know Joe was already established at this pojnt but the Ninja thing didn't really come up in Joe until 84. Don't recall if they were Hand ninjas or just a local feudal lord's. I need to reread it. But it's a valid point. Miller may be the one who brought the ninja myth out of Sunday afternoon flicks and into the mainstream comic world.
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09-14-2016, 02:11 PM | #12 |
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Hellboy II has the concept of an ancient society of creatures with biological technology that was forced underground and now wants to resurface with a wave of violence, like Cobra-La. Considering how close Pacific Rim is to the Inhumanoids concept, I don't think it's far-fetched to say Guillermo Del Toro is familiar with the Sunbow cartoons.
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09-14-2016, 02:14 PM | #13 |
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That made my day. Quote:
Tomax and Xamot were "The Corsican Brothers" from the Alexandre Dumas story.
Dr. Mindbender, the orthodontist turned interrogator was probably inspired by Laurence Olivier's Nazi war criminal dentist character from Marathon Man Big Boa's look was influenced by the "death guards" from the cult classic Beast Master (according to Ron Rudat) The Moray was influenced by the speed boats on Miami Vice. (again, Ron Rudat)
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09-14-2016, 02:17 PM | #14 |
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Both were actually influenced by the works of HP Lovecraft. The Elder things and Great Old Ones. The idea of advanced societies long before written human history who were forced underground (or water) over the eons. Most notably the story "At the Mountains of Madness" which is about a group of explorers in the Antarctic stumbling on ancient creatures and a massive prehistoric city. Del Torro was actually working on a movie for Mountains of Madness before switching to Pacific Rim.
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09-14-2016, 05:33 PM | #15 |
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Definitely an interesting possibility that the Lovecraft stories were the inspiration for Cobra-La, Inhumanoids and Del Toro's stuff.
Chuck Norris may at least have been the inspiration for Outback's likeness. Here are the Octopussy twins. I can definitely see a resemblance. If these guys are still around the G.I. Joe 3 casting director needs to meet them! I'm surprised this is the first Bond connection we've made, other than Matthew Burke from one cartoon episode which was an open homage to Bond. Last edited by JediJones; 09-14-2016 at 05:37 PM.. |
09-14-2016, 09:41 PM | #16 |
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I think most of the inspirational material goes back much further than it's near contemporary comparisons. Hama's interests in the martial arts predate the Kung fu crazy of the seventies and the Japanophila of the eighties. I think most of th Marvel run was more closely related to current and historical events. He also makes considerable literary illusions, at least in the current incarnation of ARAH, and most likely a rereading of the original series would provide plenty of examples we missed as children.
Intertextually almost all cobra science finds it's basis in Mary Shelly. As for it's contemporary parallels, I don't think that similarities necessitate inspiration. Similar inspiration has occurred without cross pollination (I.e. Harry Potter/Books of Magic; Battle Royale/ Hunger Games). I think we could find just as many similarities between products if we looked into Weird tales, or fifties creature features.
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09-14-2016, 09:54 PM | #17 |
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The most obvious influence of Star Wars on G.I. Joe was all the different specialized Cobra Troopers that appeared (Tele-Viper, Snow Serpent, EELS, etc.) just like all the different Empire troopers (TIE Fighter pilots, Snowtroopers, ATAT drivers, etc.).
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09-14-2016, 10:16 PM | #18 |
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Let's not forget the B.A.T. hand attachments were a feature taken from MOTU Trap Jaw, something which he in turn got from an old Mattel Big Jim figure I think.
The half masks on the Cobra Soldier and Officer may have been worn by actual terrorists, but also may have come from old west bandit-style wardrobe. Looks like we haven't pinned anything on Zartan yet, but I am going to say the eye makeup probably came from KISS. Zartan may have been more original because all the toy features put in him dictated his wardrobe. He needed a hood to hold on the face mask, he needed some bare skin to show off the sunlight color-changing feature, and he needed the translucent shield pieces to show off the sticker color-change feature. And Baron Zemo may have inspired you-know-who's alternate head gear... Last edited by JediJones; 09-14-2016 at 10:25 PM.. |
09-14-2016, 10:41 PM | #19 |
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EDIT: IRON JAW had BOTH a robotic claw arm and metal jaw. My mistake JJ. http://www.bigjim.it/images/box/jaw81.jpg Also I'm pretty sure that I've read that either Hama or Hasbro RND just took Tarzan and swapped the two consonance around. As far as a charterer base Zartan might have been just a melange of spy novels from Ludlum's, Flemming's works or the Fantomas character or even the Phantom of the Opera or Lon Chaney. I think the first run of Zartan had his place of birth as Nice, France before it was changed to parts unknown or whatever it says on his file card. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fant%C3%B4mas_(1964_film) "Fantômas is a man of many disguises. He uses maquillage as a weapon. He can impersonate anyone using an array of masks and can create endless confusion by constantly changing his appearance. In the first episode of the series he is unhappy with Fandor, because of a fictitious interview the journalist wrote about him. He takes his revenge by abducting Fandor and threatening to kill him. He then uses his formidable makeup skills to commit a spectacular crime while disguised like Fandor. When commissaire Juve joins the chase, chameleon-like Fantômas promptly commits a crime wearing a mask looking like Juve. In the end Fandor, Juve and Fandor's girlfriend Hélène are all on the master criminal's trail, all to no avail as the man of a thousand masks finally manages to escape." WIKIPEDIA 1964 Fantomas film. Not everything is going to be a stolen idea. Though Hasbro surely has no shortage of that. Some things will be pure inspiration though. And I think our biggest mistake would be to look only at comics books or scf-fi for such influence. These guys weren't born in 1982.
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09-14-2016, 11:07 PM | #20 |
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At the same time, true originality is rare. When you analyze culture from a distance you can see many more patterns than are visible while you're living through it. OTOH, sometimes everyone copying the Miley Cyrus half-shaved head is impossible to miss.
Also, mustn't forget JoeCon General Mayhem taking off on Miles Mayhem. Also, here's one for the Joe influence on other brands column. Bane and Croc Master...both versions! |
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