In the interests of equal time, we present another in a series of occasional GI Joe Extreme posts. The series isn’t anyone’s favorite, but it deserves coverage, if only for historical context. To be honest, there’s a bit of the line that I don’t mind. Some of the vehicles in particular contain interesting features, and the bold design and construction
Read moreWaitaminit–the GI Joe Extreme comic gave rise to two volumes? Yes, it did, though both were short. And to tell the truth, they weren’t all that bad, if you can dig some serious 90s elements. Just check out this cover featuring third-party agent Red Scream (a fitting 90s type name) blasting through the cover. Makes you want to find out
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Now this convoluted bit of machinery is about as far as you can get from most anything dating from the Real American Hero days. Imagine what a neck-breaking change this was just after the end of that beloved o-ring era. Imagine also the pace the line showed up at discount stores. I remember bins of the stuff at the Half
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The Real American Hero series had the distinction of being the first comic book advertised on television. It was also Hasbro’s creative way of marketing its relaunched toyline without having to stick to the regulations of the day regarding animation and toys. Have we mentioned here how effective the 80s Joe marketing was? Why else would we still be talking
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Wow, that’s a pretty horrific sounding name for a kids’ toy, eh? Then again, this was GI Joe Extreme. No namby pamby names like HISS or VAMP here–it’s the 90s, man!!! We’ve got extreme nomenclature!!! The Bone Splitter comes to us with a couple of fun play features. Ultra SLAM firepower is the most obvious, with its big foam missile.
Read moreExtreme times call for extreme firepower, and extreme times also call for extreme motorcycles. Hell, extreme times call for extreme everything. While GI Joe Extreme left a lot to be desired with regards to figures, especially when compared to the Real American Hero series, I found the vehicles to be quite fun and refreshingly different. Honestly, there’s not a whole
Read moreToday, it’s another entry focused on GI Joe toy packaging. Over the years, my interest in toys has evolved from an appreciation of the playthings themselves, to their marketing and packaging. The situation is a bit odd for me, considering that I generally open new toys when I buy them. I have a few choice items that I’ve bought with
Read moreFresh from a 90s Bugle Boy advert, live action Lt. Stone has a few dubbed words (via the great Gary Chalk) with live action Quickstryke. It’s the dramatic return of your Joe Moment of Zen…
Read moreLast year, during the recording of my annual podcast, reader Clutch threw down a challenge to me. While he’s been impressed with my ability to pique his interest in some figures he hadn’t previously considered likeable, he wondered if I could convince him that GI Joe Extreme as a toy line could be worthwhile. It’s taken a while to get
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As much grief as the GI Joe Extreme concept gets, there were some interesting aspects of Hasbro’s ill-fated second attempt to follow-up the Real American Hero era. The animated series and comic book were decent, for what they were, and certainly surpassed the toys in terms of overall entertainment value. As lackluster as the toys were, I do have a
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