I am intrigued by the Action Force packaging for a couple of reasons. The bold and angular style of the box layout is an interesting counterpoint to the American GI Joe series of the 1980s. For UK exclusive items like the Roboskull, we unfortunately have nothing with which to compare it. The packages also remind me of Kenner’s Star Wars
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Now this is a play tent I can get behind (if not into). While many kids’ tents simply went the usual route of printing images of the characters and their accoutrements all over their surface, the best play tents took the moniker more literally. Whether re-creating a place like Castle Grayskull or a vehicle like the APC here, an in-universe
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Snake Eyes gives old Storm Shadow the judo what-for in today’s coloring page. I like the clear view of Snakes’ wrist arrow-thingie. Unfortunate that we didn’t see him use it more often.
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Sorry to make everyone sad, but here’s a classic TRU ad.
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Cobra gets the spotlight in the third issue of the Order of Battle mini-series. If you haven’t heard of it, the comic ran four issues, and was set up in much the same style as the 1980s Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Since Joe had readymade filecard info, this was I’m sure a no-brainer for the House of Ideas. I
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Wrapping up the GI Joe File are two more pages, featuring a full page of Zap as well as the continuation of the Larry Hama interview and Steeler with the MOBAT. Gotta love that full page pin-up. Excelsior!
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Continuing the 1984 Marvel Age article, this page features more unseen Trimpe art as well as a bit of coverage of the historic silent issue. An image of Rock N’ Roll on a RAM is iconic, and this one is made even cooler by his helmet-less and shaggy Marvel comics depiction.
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Marvel Age ran quite a few GI Joe articles over the course of its run, which is no surprise considering the mag was one of the publisher’s best sellers for years. Issue 15 presents the state of Joe in real time circa 1984, and features some amazing and then never-seen Herb Trimpe art. What a time capsule peek into Joe’s
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Looking back at the first series of 80s Joes, I get a sense that these images more than any others would make a great collage. Has anyone done that yet? 1982’s Joes to me are an excellent continuation of the 60s and 70s package paintings, at least they give me the same feeling of action and adventure. Zap is another
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Timmy?! He’s trapped in the well?! That’s what I thought when I first saw this page. It’s actually an interesting image for a coloring book. You’ll have to use several black crayons to finish it up, however.
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