Cobra - Cartoon Fascism and Cultural Memory

AWOL · 03-10-2023, 02:01 PM

Feral Historian provides an analysis of Cobra:

IzzyTipsy · 03-10-2023, 03:34 PM

I never get the Cobra was Fascist thing. They were 100% a SPECTRE clone.

THEDARKONE508 · 03-10-2023, 03:35 PM

whut

CADPAT · 03-10-2023, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IzzyTipsy

I never get the Cobra was Fascist thing. They were 100% a SPECTRE clone.

To be fair, many people seem to think that fascism is a generic collective descriptor for any system of governance or political ideology other than communism and western-style liberal democracy.

AWOL · 03-10-2023, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IzzyTipsy

I never get the Cobra was Fascist thing. They were 100% a SPECTRE clone.

I always thought of Cobra as being a derivative of Hydra.

Nachtbrezel · 03-18-2023, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

I always thought of Cobra as being a derivative of Hydra.

It was both.

Larry Hama (as we all know) dusted off a rejected Nick Fury/SHIELD series and repurposed it for G.I. Joe.

Meanwhile, Flint Dille said the two biggest sources of inspiration on the series were The Dirty Dozen and James Bond, so I think it's fair to say Cobra was indeed a SPECTRE/Hydra hybrid.

Cobra Agent 66 · 03-18-2023, 11:43 PM

Sign me up.

AWOL · 03-18-2023, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nachtbrezel

Flint Dille said the two biggest sources of inspiration on the series were The Dirty Dozen and James Bond, so I think it's fair to say Cobra was indeed a SPECTRE/Hydra hybrid.

Was Flint Dille involved with the Sunbow series? I thought he was more on the Transformers side...

Otomo · 03-19-2023, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CADPAT

To be fair, many people seem to think that fascism is a generic collective descriptor for any system of governance or political ideology other than communism and western-style liberal democracy.

These days "fascism" is defined as "anything I don't like."

I don't know what they were trying with the cartoon, but Cobra came off as a gaggle of buffoons. The cartoon is very stupid though. The Joes were depicted as clowns, too.

In the comics, I got the sense that Cobra was some kind of elaborate Ponzi/pyramid scheme with the ulterior goal of an armed takeover of the US. And when they had their own island, they didn't even seem to care about the US. They just wanted to make money.

In the real world, I think the closest thing we have to Cobra is Scientology.

Nachtbrezel · 03-19-2023, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

Was Flint Dille involved with the Sunbow series? I thought he was more on the Transformers side...

He was brought into Sunbow by Steve Gerber as a story editor on G.I. Joe then went over to Transformers.

03-10-2023, 02:01 PM	#1
AWOL Just a fan Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: NY Posts: 6,607	Feral Historian provides an analysis of Cobra: __________________ 4" Joes For Sale

03-10-2023, 03:55 PM	#4
CADPAT Great White Northerner Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Canadian Imperium Posts: 1,269	Quote: Originally Posted by IzzyTipsy I never get the Cobra was Fascist thing. They were 100% a SPECTRE clone. To be fair, many people seem to think that fascism is a generic collective descriptor for any system of governance or political ideology other than communism and western-style liberal democracy. __________________ "The scriveners and scribblers are not the keepers of the canon, the audience is. If the public doesn't like it, they blot it out of the collective consciousness, and make it go away" Larry Hama, Snake Eyes Deconstructed (March, 2006)

03-10-2023, 04:05 PM	#5
AWOL Just a fan Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: NY Posts: 6,607	Quote: Originally Posted by IzzyTipsy I never get the Cobra was Fascist thing. They were 100% a SPECTRE clone. I always thought of Cobra as being a derivative of Hydra. __________________ 4" Joes For Sale

03-18-2023, 11:45 PM	#8
AWOL Just a fan Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: NY Posts: 6,607	Quote: Originally Posted by Nachtbrezel Flint Dille said the two biggest sources of inspiration on the series were The Dirty Dozen and James Bond, so I think it's fair to say Cobra was indeed a SPECTRE/Hydra hybrid. Was Flint Dille involved with the Sunbow series? I thought he was more on the Transformers side... __________________ 4" Joes For Sale

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