October 2, 2013 · 9:31 PM

Star Brigade Cobra Commander by Ron Rudat

Star Brigade Cobra Commander detail, drawn by Ron Rudat, colored just for this blog by Tim Finn

While Ron Rudat is best known for designing the G.I. Joe figure line (and a few vehicles) from 1981 to about 1987 (for the ’82 to about-the-’88 lines), what’s less well known is that he continued to contribute after that.  Case in point, Star Bridgade Cobra Commander.  Remember when Cobra Commander was an astronaut?  You don’t?  Oh, that’s because you perhaps stopped paying attention to the Real American Hero line before its end in 1994.  Well, to catch you up, those final two years had a bunch of favorites (Duke, Roadblock, Destro) in astro-gear.  And some aliens.  (A topic for another day).  Anyhoo, full disclosure, I added the color above.  Today’s art is a black and white photocopy. Continue reading →

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September 16, 2013 · 11:42 AM

G.I. Joe original comic art by Lee Weeks

G.I. Joe 107 page 3 detail, Lee Weeks and Randy Emberlin, with color by Tim Finn

In 1990 Lee Weeks had recently finished at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art (now just “The Kubert School”) and was regularly drawing Daredevil for Marvel.  Before that job started, fellow alum Andy Kubert had helped get him a cover job on G.I. Joe, and in the middle of that 10-issue cover run, Weeks drew a fill-in issue as regular artist Mark Bright’s time on the series was winding down. Continue reading →

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August 31, 2013 · 8:56 PM

Rock & Roll Hasbro development sketch

Detail, internal Hasbro pencil sketch design of 1989 Rock & Roll by Bart Sears and Ron Rudat

As I’ve noted here, when R&D was concepting a G.I. Joe figure, that character would go through quite a process.  A multitude of pencil sketches, input from other members of R&D, line reviews for higher ups, and even a rendered, full-color painting, all before sculpting commenced.  As fun as it is to see proposed designs of toys that didn’t make it, it’s also fun to peak behind the curtain on favorites that did.  Like ’89 Rock & Roll here. Continue reading →

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August 17, 2013 · 8:07 PM

Russ Heath G.I. Joe art – Fiona Diamond

Russ Heath detail GI Joe model Fiona Diamond from episode "That's Entertainment"

Season 3 of G.I. Joe, or as the Shout! Factory DVDs call it, Series 2 Season 1, is a mixed bag.  Lots of returning writers, characters, and voice actors, but the show is a different tone.  It’s funny, or tries to be, and there’s not much sense of danger.  I’m never worried for the Joes.  But Russ Heath was on board again drawing model sheets, so that’s a bright spot.  Today’s artwork comes from a ridiculous episode called “That’s Entertainment,” where Cobra Commander kidnaps actor/comedian Jackie Love and decides he wants to make movies.  Really, the less said, the better.  Continue reading →

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August 9, 2013 · 2:28 AM

G.I. Joe commercials – 1987 Effie award winner

Effie Award 1987 catalog partial cover

No doubt you’re familiar with the Academy Awards, given to films and film artists, planners, and scientists.  Or the Emmys, given for television, or the Grammys and Tonys, for recorded music and Broadway theatre.  You’ve maybe heard of the Clios, which we think of as the Oscars of advertising, but that category is more broadly defined on the Clio website as “advertising, design, interactive and communications.”  And there are the Effies, for “marketing communications” — given to marketers by the marketing industry.

G.I. Joe won a silver Effie in 1987. Continue reading →

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July 25, 2013 · 1:18 AM

1993 Leatherneck test shot

Test shot of GI Joe 1993 Leatherneck figure

While I was glad to see my favorite Joe Marine, the ’86 Leatherneck, get an update in ’93, I wasn’t thrilled by the color scheme.  It’s interesting, but it doesn’t say “Marine” to me.  But it’s unfair of me to want that since this update isn’t a Marine, or just a Marine, but an Infantry/Training Specialist and Marine Drill Sergeant.  And maybe such a person would wear burnt ochre, yellow, and teal.  So while the G.I. Joe line was moving back towards realism in the Battle Corps subset in ’93 and ’94, that wasn’t a guarantee that Leatherneck, one of the more realistic-looking figures of the ’80s, was going to stay realistic.  To be clear, though, I do like the design, just not the color choices.  My first reactions are the words “giraffe” and “banana,” and I’d only want to have that for some fanciful Jungle-Viper.

Which is why I was so struck by this test shot. Continue reading →

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July 16, 2013 · 2:39 PM

G.I. Joe Animation Art – “The Wrong Stuff”

GI Joe "The Wrong Stuff" animation cel detail

As much as I love G.I. Joe toys and comics, I was a fan of the animation first.  I went to school for animation, and teach it, and the Sunbow/Marvel G.I. Joe (along with Transformers) are my top shows.  Vivid color, strong animation, smart writing, superb sound design, stellar music, and top-notch voice acting bring me back to these two series again and again.  They’re charming.  And their strengths are such that I can blissfully ignore their many flaws, like the ease with which a squad of Joes flies into space in F-14 jets, or return via parachute.

But Flint Dille and Stanley Ralph Ross’ “The Wrong Stuff,” for all its silliness, is one of the series’ best episodes.  One day I’ll write a long post about it, but in a word, it’s funny.  So let’s celebrate that fun with an original production cel and background of Wild Bill in full astronaut regalia.  Click for larger: Continue reading →

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July 4, 2013 · 3:42 PM

Unproduced Cobra sketch

detail of unproduced G.I. Joe Cobra character, probably from the late 1980s

Here’s an unproduced Cobra I don’t know anything about. Continue reading →

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June 14, 2013 · 1:15 AM

Battle Force 2000 Blocker sketch

GI Joe Battle Force 2000 Blocker Color detailYikes, has it been a month since my apology?  Here’s another:  Sorry!  Movie review coming soon.  Honest.

Dipping my toe back in the blog pool, here’s Blocker as a just-about final design, before he was “Blocker” (one of Hasbro’s least inspired codenames), when Battle Force 2000 was still “Future Force.”  Continue reading →

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May 13, 2013 · 11:42 PM

Apologies for lack of posts

Tim Finn, with help from Cobra Commander and Duke, apologizes for his lack of G.I. Joe blog posts

The truth is that having a blog is intimidating.  I want to post every week, twice a week, three times even, but even the simple ones take time.  And once I get out of the habit of posting regularly, it’s easy to stay out of the habit.  But now I’m getting back in the habit, so upcoming you’ll get my “Retaliation” review (saw the film a second time last week, brought a flashlight and took notes), more glacially slow chapters in the saga of my college internship at Sunbow, and art art art.

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