B.A.T. Concepts (#3) by Ron Rudat

From 1981 to about 1987, Ron Rudat was Hasbro’s G.I. Joe figure designer. This drawing likely dates to 1984 or 1985. As with the last two we’ve examined here at A Real American Book!, it’s Rudat figuring out the look of Cobra’s Battle Android Trooper. Here’s a production B.A.T. that I purchased in 1986:

Here’s another Rudat concept, which for my own sense of organization I’m calling B.A.T. Concept #3.

In its plastic, finished form, the B.A.T.’s color scheme and robot-head make for a compelling villain. The interchangeable parts and the lenticular chest label add a dash of innovation that makes this one of the most fun-to-play with G.I. Joe action figures. My brother and I would have our B.A.T.S walk in a stilted, halting gait, and we’d make a clicking sound to mimic the mechanical march we’d heard in “Arise, Serpentor, Arise!,” a quintet of cartoon episodes that aired in the fall of ’86.

What about the B.A.T. strikes you?

1 Comment

Filed under G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes, Toys and Toy Art

One response to “B.A.T. Concepts (#3) by Ron Rudat

  1. Dan Feep

    I think I like the concept of BATs as robots rather than cyborgs…I enjoy their zombie-like relentlessness. Although I never actually read Marvel’s Deathlok, these cyborg bats make me think of him. There could certainly be some good stories there, but for GI Joe as a whole I like the mindless robots much more.

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