James A. Payette made an important but limited contribution to G.I. Joe.
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Sgt. Slaughter by Woodbridge
In the development process at Hasbro, every G.I. Joe figure that made it to retail (and some that didn’t!) got a fancy drawing or painting whereby the higher-ups could see the character as a bold, dramatic illustration. This wasn’t the package art that we all saw on toy store shelves, but rather, internal only to Hasbro. A pencil turnaround of the figure from front, side, and rear views didn’t offer enough punch, nor did a sculpt or a casting. George Woodbridge, better known for military history books and Mad Magazine, was one of the eight or so artists who created these. (He also delineated most of the 1988 turnarounds.)
Filed under G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes, Toys and Toy Art
G.I. Joe #35 by Mark Bright
In the numbered 30s, the monthly G.I. Joe comic was a scheduling challenge. The series was about to get a new regular artist, certain issues needed to advertise key toys based on the scheduling of particular TV commercials that hyped the comic, and of course, every issue needed to be approved by folks at Hasbro. Issues #35 and #36 had six artists between them, one of whom was Mark D. Bright.
Filed under Back issues, Comic Books, G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes
Gnawgahyde by Pennington
The Dreadnoks are a biker gang under the leadership of Zartan and informally and occasionally on the payroll of Cobra. It’s one of the wonderfully bizarre team dynamics in the G.I. Joe universe.
Filed under G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes, Toys and Toy Art
Marty Pasko – interview part 2 of 2
Filed under Animation, Book Behind the Scenes, G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes, Interviews
Marty Pasko – interview part 1 of 2
Marty Pasko was a writer known to many different audiences. He wrote across the DC line, notably Superman. In live-action television, he contributed to The Twilight Zone revival and Simon & Simon. In animation, he’s an Emmy winner best known as a story editor on Batman: The Animated Series. To G.I. Joe fans, Marty Pasko of course wrote three episodes and co-wrote a fourth, which aired in 1985 and 1986.
Filed under Animation, Book Behind the Scenes, G.I. Joe Behind the Scenes, Interviews
A Real American Book! 