Colonel Courage may have been the only GI Joe action figure to wear a necktie, but don’t let that fool you; “he’s not just a pencil pusher, he also relishes the frenzy that any fight brings."
Eurpean readers may not be familiar with the GI Joe action figures, but if you grew up in North America in the Reagan late Cold-War era, there was GI Joe, a comic/tv cartoon/toy line that produced some truly awful crap. GI Joe employed a legion of eccentrically named and costumed soldiers to defend America from a terrorist organization, COBRA, that seemed to have deeper pockets than any Bond movie super villain ever enjoyed. The beauty of the GI Joe world was that because it was children’s television, no one ever died, even though planes, tanks, and ships frequently exploded. Villains were always knocked cold with an old fashioned punch to the jaw.
If you are looking for a Monday laugh, I recommend this list of the Ten Mose Useless GI Joe characters. I am hoping for a Kickstarter to fund a set of miniatures based on these guys. And, if that’s not enough funny for one day, here’s what happens when a GI Joe nickname goes horribly wrong.
Michael that certainly made me laugh out loud in the office spitting coffee all over the terminal thank you for sharing it was one of the funnest things I have read for a while.
ReplyDeleteStu
Michael, I know one of the toy designers for Hasbro that worked on the small action figures. I took my 5 year old son to the hobby shop one day and there was the man. After introductions my son asked him why the guns don't stay in the hands. The man's friend laughed and said "there is customer feed back,"
ReplyDeleteHaving had a look at the article, I have to ask myself: you mean there are more GI Joe figures out there? Another question: how are you supposed to play with these things? I acquired a few of these types ( see http://www.archdukepiccolo.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/ymca.html) and can only with a whole deal of persuasion get them to stand up. I'll say this for them, though: their weapons look by and large sensible, instead of the often pictured articles of heavy ordnance these guys carry about one handed...
ReplyDeleteI thought the picture of Colonel courage on the packaging, firing off a humungous hail of hate at ... something or nothing. Maybe he heard a bit of a noise...
Yours in amused appreciation,
Ion