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04-21-2021, 04:00 PM | #11 |
US military family
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Posts: 2,218
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Quote:
I went back and added a wee bit more, which explains the role he played with the G.I. Joe brand, and why Super Trooper received more attention in the comic books published in the UK. Unfortunately, I was already out of G.I. Joe by 1988, so I missed out on the fun of that mail order figure, but I did purchase one through eBay for my kids to play with in 2010, and they had as much fun with it then as children probably did back in 1988. Ten years later, I made for them a modern era custom figure of Super Trooper. These are the pictures which I have already shared elsewhere on HissTank:
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... freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same... - Ronald Reagan Last edited by Playful; 04-21-2021 at 04:38 PM.. Reason: added pretty pictures of a custom figure |
04-21-2021, 04:10 PM | #12 |
Just a fan
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: NY
Posts: 8,584
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Good stuff. I really appreciate it when people have something constructive to add to a thread.
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04-21-2021, 04:48 PM | #13 |
Crimson Nerd
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Virginia
Posts: 12,579
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I always had conflicting feelings about Super Trooper. On one hand as a preteen I thought he looked neat (shiny!). But the ads and mini-comic for him made it seem like he was the baddest Joe around, practically capable of handling all of Cobra on his own, and that seemed to make him outshine (ha!) the rest of the team.
And I'm old school, so only Snake-Eyes gets to do that! ;) |
04-21-2021, 08:06 PM | #14 |
Just a fan
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: NY
Posts: 8,584
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Quote:
I always had conflicting feelings about Super Trooper. On one hand as a preteen I thought he looked neat (shiny!). But the ads and mini-comic for him made it seem like he was the baddest Joe around, practically capable of handling all of Cobra on his own, and that seemed to make him outshine (ha!) the rest of the team.
And I'm old school, so only Snake-Eyes gets to do that! ;) Last edited by AWOL; 04-21-2021 at 08:07 PM.. Reason: spelling |
04-21-2021, 08:16 PM | #15 |
The Man You Know & Love
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: In The Middle of a Late Night Crew Orgy
Posts: 28,211
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I loved the Super Trooper figure. Great thread. Loving the info on this guy, thank you Playful.
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04-21-2021, 08:19 PM | #16 |
Just a fan
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: NY
Posts: 8,584
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04-22-2021, 01:00 AM | #17 |
Iron Grenadier
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Arizona
Posts: 764
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Thank you Playful for the awesome background information on Super Trooper!
I remember he looked cool as a kid with all the chrome gear, especially the shield. I didn't end up getting him as a kid but he inspired me to get Rapid Fire later. As a kid, I thought they were the same person because of the reuse of the mold. |
04-22-2021, 02:38 AM | #18 |
Commando
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Britain
Posts: 3,827
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Quote:
Super Trooper did so with employee Paul Latimer, (instead of Larry Hama's suggested fictional name of Virgil M. Carmody), who was with Hasbro from September 1985 – February 1989 in Brand Management roles, much like Mark Weber was during some recent years if you remember him. He was bouncing back and forth between Hasbro's UK and USA offices, so it explains why that character received the attention which he did in the comic books printed in the UK during that time period.
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04-22-2021, 03:55 AM | #19 |
US military family
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Posts: 2,218
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Quote:
From the mention in Mark Bellomo's books, as well as stated at some G.I. Joe convention panels, we know that Super Trooper had employee Paul Latimer's name on the file card. We also know what Paul Latimer was doing for Hasbro at the time. Looking at the file card for Super Trooper, we can see that Larry Hama's dossier suggestion used for the file card appears largely unchanged, except for the name Virgil M. Carmody being replaced by that of Paul Latimer. Even the birthplace of Dayton, Ohio remained unchanged, and did not reflect the character having a UK origin or life there... (My guess is that somebody at Hasbro decided to place Paul Latimer's name on that file card to be kind to him, rather than Paul Latimer insisting that his name go on the product as some sort of ego trip. He was probably flattered at the kind gesture of his coworkers when they did that.) The Marvel Comic run did nothing every month to promote the character, but the United States television networks were paid to advertise the live action commercial for that product offer. We know at the time that Paul Latimer's work often took him to the Hasbro UK office, (and that beyond his Hasbro employment he would continue to work/reside in the UK). The G.I. Joe comics published in the UK featured a Super Trooper character, even if the use of the character did not perfectly match the filecard which came with the product. It is only speculation on my part that Hasbro ever knew about Super Trooper appearing in the UK comics. I have no idea how many, if any, television advertisements aired on television in the UK during that time period. It is not difficult for me to believe that the Hasbro UK office may have recommended that some mention of the Super Trooper character appear in the comics at that time period. If the Hasbro office in the UK did make such a request, then how did they do so without Paul Latimer even knowing about it while he was working there? I'll admit, it's only speculation, but for now we'll have to wonder if it was product placement advertising on the part of Hasbro, or if it was all just a happy coincidence which occurred when Super Trooper appeared in those UK comic books.
__________________
... freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same... - Ronald Reagan |
04-22-2021, 05:10 AM | #20 |
US military family
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Posts: 2,218
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Thanks to CapBritain, he has me wondering now about the European release of the Super Trooper action figure.
In the United States, the Paul Latimer file card was created in 1987 and released in 1988 as product, with the final copies of the product mailed out in 1989, correct? Meanwhile in Europe, the Super Trooper file card, without the name Paul Latimer, was created in 1988 and released as product in 1989-1990, which was beyond the employment period of Paul Latimer, correct? The first comic appearance of Super Trooper was in Action Force Monthly, Number 12, May 1989 which was also beyond the time frame which I previously referenced. So it really all depends upon when the folks creating Action Force Monthly were first told about the upcoming Super Trooper product offer, which would become the second such mail away offer in the UK, correct? The file card for the Top Secret named action figure was created in 1988 while he worked there, but was he already gone from Hasbro when the comic story was written by Steve Alan which depicted Captain Joe Niro becoming the Super Trooper? As CapBritain brought to my attention, it becomes questionable how much influence Paul Latimer had regarding the Super Trooper action figure when it eventually made it's way into the UK.
__________________
... freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same... - Ronald Reagan |
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