G.I. Joe is one of America's most iconic toys, and the most beloved version of it is “A Real American Hero”, the team that fights Cobra. That G.I. Joe has been the basis of three major motion pictures, five animated series, and literally hundreds of toys, But how did such a radical reinvention of America's Movable Fighting Man come to be? Let's find out!
A ton of vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero figures come to auction this weekend!
Larry Hama Pitches Fury Force
Around 1981, Comic book writer/artist and Vietnam veteran Larry Hama had a concept he was working on. Inspired by Marvel's classic Sgt. Fury & The Howling Commandos and his own military service, he'd cooked up the idea for a modern commando team in the vein of the World War II-era Howlers. Called “Fury Force”, the team would have been led by the heretofore unseen son of Marvel super spy Nick Fury and a French Resistance fighter. Its other six members, assigned colorful code names like “Jelly” and "Shadow", would represent different military specialties. The most mysterious member would be “Spook”, a mute and mysterious black ops commando trained by the Hand ninja clan. They were based on various folks Hama had known over his service, albeit with liberties taken.
Their enemies weren't as fleshed out. The team was an elite counter-terrorism outfit, meaning their foes would be fictionalized terrorists. Hydra, perennial foe of Nick Fury, Sr, was a likely candidate. But the idea never really got as far as a formal pitch, so that wasn't fully decided. See, editor-in-chief Jim Shooter liked the idea but thought it wasn't yet ready for prime time. Due to the work-for-hire nature of the comics industry, it was the kind of thing that Hama had to work on in his own time. Development was slow going, which would prove to be a major boon for Hasbro.
A Chance Bathroom Meeting Creates A Legend
The story goes like this: the presidents of America's leading toymaker and top comic company are at the same charity event. They both need to use the restroom at the same time, and get to talking while washing their hands. The president of Hasbro mentions that he's looking to revive the G.I. Joe brand in 3.75" scale but needs a concept. The president of Marvel Comics, with unwavering faith in his creatives, offers the House of Ideas' services. And it just so happens that his editor-in-chief has an unpurchased pitch for elite commandos vs. colorful terrorists sitting in his files.
That failed pitch for Fury Force becomes the bones of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Designs are changed to make them less complicated and more toyetic. Names are changed to sound cooler and get rid of any Marvel ties. Spook becomes Snake-Eyes, Shadow becomes Scarlett, Jelly becomes Stalker, Nick Fury Jr. becomes Hawk, etc. Neo-fascist terrorists Hydra become American terrorists without a cause Cobra. And Larry Hama remains the lead writer for the toyline from its 1982 inception to its 1994 cancellation! He wrote 148 out of 155 issues of the Marvel Comics tie-in series and every character filecard for the 500 figures released as part of the line. Because of Hama, every character had a real name, military specialty, personality, and backstory that let them become a kid's favorite even if they didn't show up in the cartoon or comic.
A Real American Icon
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero would become the most successful iteration of the franchise to date. Its story and characters continue to be the face of G.I. Joe over forty years after its inception. There's just a lot of potential in elite commandos fighting sci-fi supervillains! Larry Hama continues to write a comic book tie-in, having traveled with the franchise through multiple publishers over the years. The title is now up over 300 issues, having recently surpassed the Marvel run in number of issues published. His legacy as the commander-in-chief of G.I. Joe is a much more indelible one than another Marvel war comic ever would have been.
As a pop culture auction house, we handle G.I. Joe toys pretty often and it is a joy every time! A beautiful collection of Joes have been making their way across our auction block in recent weeks, with vintage specimens coming this weekend. If you've got a collection of vintage Joes (at any scale) that you're ready to sell, we would love to help you do that! Our army of happy consignors can attest that we get the top dollar for your collection with no extra effort on your part - what more could you want?
And if you're still collecting, follow us on social media @b2pcollect to see every new auction we put on!