[Deleted_User_85265]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Z

You have to set aside a lot to think G.I. Joe is rooted in the real world military. The very first run of toys in 1982 had both a Laser Trooper and a "Heavy Artillery Laser" cannon.

To paraphrase Kirk Bozigian, G.I. Joe is the military of the next 10-15 years.

Of course, the line went on to chase trends, but at it's root is that near-future concept.

[THEDARKONE508]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealDubya

I like the Joe figures TREMENDOUSLY. Have no use for the Transformer.

I wish Hasbro would just run a full line of 45 o-ring classics, as singles, for $9.99 a hit. Almost all of the design, packaging and engineering are solved, and they own the license. A good mix of the Greatest Hits from 82-90s.

One of the fun things would be more vehicle drivers on cards, as they did with Zartan and Ace.

2 things wrong with that.
1. they wouldnt put it in retail stores because they didnt want to the first time they brought o-rings back.
2. 9.99 is less than their value line that only moves at 7.99. plus they arent making 20 dollars minimum for each figure; because they saw they sold for that much and independent o-ring lines sell for the same +/-5 bucks.


i'd go absolutely bonkers on a 10 dollar o-ring line. flat out nuts.

[DarthBrett]

By 1983 G.I. Joe also had a major villain who wore a skin-tight leather suit with a giant cobra hood collar, exposing his chiseled bare chest while rocking a giant ruby chained necklace/medallion and wearing a chrome metal mask.

It wasn't all that realistic even in the early years and definitely had more sci-fi and fantasy infused elements by 1984. I think we sometimes try to pretend it was more realistic early on than it really was when you actually look back.

[nighthawk]

I wish they had modern era Joes in mind when they did this line. One of my disappointments was that the modern Thrasher can't fit in the Thunder Machine.

I wish the Megatron HISS was done better though. I really dislike how the gunner station is like a backpack on him and how it sticks out.
For Bumblebee, I wish they were able to do something about the roll cage to make it fold up a little.

I think Kup and the Soundwave were really well done though.

[Josh Z]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karamazov80

Personally I see light science fiction such as unrealistic weapons, anachronisms like a ninja terrorist, or even, say, a wacky mutation affecting Zartan's reaction to color are easier to accept than ancient alien robots, but YMMV. As I posted earlier, I do think Serpentor is a bridge too far. It can work in the cartoon (which was always over the top starting with the MASS device), but again, if you want contemporary sensibilities where you try to make GI Joe fairly realistic than it's hard to thread the needle with something like the Transformers.

Fair enough. We all have our preferences. When I was a kid, like many others, Cobra-La went too far over the top for me and I pined for "more realism" in G.I. Joe.

However, the older I get, the more I've embraced that the series was always fantasy from the beginning. I think Skybound has done an awesome job "threading that needle" between G.I. Joe and Transformers, and I even love what they've done with Cobra-La.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

To paraphrase Kirk Bozigian, G.I. Joe is the military of the next 10-15 years.

10-15 years would be 1997. Did the U.S. Army have Laser Troopers and Heavy Artillery Lasers in 1997? Do they have them now?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthBrett

By 1983 G.I. Joe also had a major villain who wore a skin-tight leather suit with a giant cobra hood collar, exposing his chiseled bare chest while rocking a giant ruby chained necklace/medallion and wearing a chrome metal mask.

It wasn't all that realistic even in the early years and definitely had more sci-fi and fantasy infused elements by 1984. I think we sometimes try to pretend it was more realistic early on than it really was when you actually look back.

Exactly this. ^

[Deleted_User_85265]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Z

10-15 years would be 1997. Did the U.S. Army have Laser Troopers and Heavy Artillery Lasers in 1997? Do they have them now?

They wouldn't have known that in the early 80s.

[zbs]

The SR71 Blackbird was built in the 1960’s. It’s still considered the fasted jet. Do you guys really think that’s true? I’m sure we have stuff way beyond that now including Yes Lasers.

[THEDARKONE508]

the conquest and the skystorm xwing chopper were concept vehicles for the air force.

[EVILFACE]

Nothing says realistic military like a neon colored bulldozer.

[Cobra Agent 66]

No, leave Transformers, M.A.S.K., Inhumanoids, ROM, Street Fighter, Visionaries or whatever else out of my G.I. Joe head canon. They might work in the post-Serpentor years but the realistic 84' post-Vietnam stuff is my bread and butter. I do enjoy little Marvel Easter Eggs, though.