When I was growing up, I knew several friends who were not allowed to play with G.I. Joe because of the connection to war. This is probably why Hasbro released the 3 3/4" line with a made-up enemy that didn't really represent any particular country or group of people. The whole premise of the toy line turned out to be more like a group of super heroes fighting the super villain Cobras. The 3 3/4" line included several Asian Pacific Americans, usually serving as a martial arts expert or Ninja. Then, in the late 90s, Hasbro shifted gears back to the classic 12" G.I. Joe line. While the line still includes individual super hero type military men, it also focuses on commemorating military heroes, including the 442nd Combat Team during World War II.
Here are the Joes I currently own:
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Quick Kick G.I. Joe - 3 3/4" Series 1985, Hasbro Individual Figure I only have the Quick Kick action figure loose, but I found a Web site (YoJoe.Com) that had all kinds of great information about the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe line, including a database of file cards. According to Quick Kick's file card, his real name is MacArthur S. Ito. He is of Japanese and Korean ancestry and, of course, is a master at several disciplines of martial arts. While I'm not a big fan of stereotypes, I do have to commend Hasbro for making him slightly more complex by making him of mixed heritage.
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442nd Nisei Soldier G.I. Joe - 12" Series 1985, Hasbro Individual Figure I think it's incredible that Hasbro released a G.I. Joe figure commemorating the 442nd Combat team. The 442nd was comprised of Nisei (second generation Japanese American) soldiers who were previously classified as "4-C Enemy Aliens." The team, whose slogan was "Go For Broke!," became one of the most decorated units during World War II, earning over 18,000 individual citations and Presidential Unit Citations. It's a really nice looking toy and a great tribute to soldiers who gave their lives over seas in a time when they and their families were heavily being discriminated against in this country.
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Budo G.I. Joe - 3 3/4" Series 1988, Hasbro Individual Figure Like Quick Kick, I only have Budo as a loose figure. But, again, thanks to YoJoe.Com, I managed to find Budo's file card. Budo's real name is Kyle A. Jesso. According to the card, "his great-great-grandfather was a fencing master in one of the great samurai warrior families of Japan." Again, if you look at G.I. Joe's Asian Pacifics, they all tend to be descended from ancient samurai or ninja. So, again, not great about the stereotypes...but, I at least its inclusive.
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Jinx G.I. Joe - 3 3/4" Series 1987, Hasbro Individual Figure Jinx works for the Joes as a Ninja and Intelligence expert. What makes me laugh is her secondary military specialty is as a finance clerk...a ninja finance clerk? Anyway, according to the file card I found at YoJoe.Com, Jinx found out that she was descended from a family of ninjas after taking a vacation in Japan. She was recruited by Snake Eyes. Another thing that's funny is that if a ninja is supposed to blend in and be invisible, I would think that Jinx would find this difficult in a bright red costume. Oh, well...cool figure, though.
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Tunnel Rat G.I. Joe - 3 3/4" Series 1987, Hasbro Individual Figure I like Tunnel Rat because he's the least stereotypical Asian Pacific American on the Joe Team. He's not a martial arts expert or a ninja. Instead, he specializes in Explosive Ordinance Disposal (E.O.D.). According to the file card I found at YoJoe.Com, Tunnel rat's family comes from Trinidadian Chinese with bits of Irish, Spanish and Indian. So, this is another reason why I like him -- he's multi-cultural as well. Interesting to note, YoJoe.Com says "It was common practice at Hasbro among the toy makers to sculpt action figures to look like real life individuals - including employees of Hasbro. Tunnel Rat was sculpted to be Larry Hama - writer for Marvel Comics' G.I.Joe comic books from 1982 to 1994."
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Chun-Li Street Fighter II G.I. Joe Series 1993, Hasbro Individual Figure This Chun-Li was part of a series of Street Fighter II characters that Hasbro put out as part of the 3 3/4" G.I. Joe line. Using stock body parts, Hasbro was able to create a whole line of characters based on the popular video game. In Chun-Li's case, she was created using Scarlett's (an early G.I. Joe female character) body, although she was given a new head. Another interesting thing about this figure is that it had a "whirlwind kick" that allowed her to kick up a leg by pushing a button on the back. While not as attractive in mold or sculpting as later versions of Chun-Li, its nice to see she was part of the Street Fighter II G.I. Joe line.
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WWII Japanese Army Air Force Officer 64th Sentai G.I. Joe - Foreign Soldiers Collection 12" Line 2000, Hasbro Individual Figure I have to admit that the folks at G.I. Joe Collectibles really do their homework in putting together these historical military figures. In 1966, G.I. Joe released a line called "Soldiers of the World," which featured a Japanese Imperial Soldier. The figure had slanted eyes and a non-descript khaki uniform. However, in 2000, included in what could easily be "the enemy" figure, G.I. Joe puts the figure into perspective (albeit from a decidedly US viewpoint) with historical context as well as a more historical name. Close attention is paid to the uniform and accessories as well as the sculpting of the face (no more "slanty eyes" here). Overall, a very nice figure.
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Ryu Street Fighter II 12" figure - G.I. Joe World Warrior Martial Artists line 1993, Hasbro Individual Figure In 1993, Hasbro released 12" figures of several Street Fighter II figures. Ryu, obviously, was one of them. He is one strange looking bird in this toy adaptation of the famous Street Fighter. I think what Hasbro did was took an old 12" G.I. Joe mold and slapped him in some karate gear. The strangest thing is the hair which looks like an unmanageable afro. Despite the fact that Ryu really only used his martial arts as his weapon, Hasbro thought it would be cool to throw in some weapons, including two swords, grenades, a knife and a rifle (the box announces that "Dragon Launcher Shoots"...so, I'm wondering if the rifle is that). He also comes with an operations manual and "authentic" dog tags. The box comes with a character profile (and, I might say, one of the worst drawings I've seen of Ryu -- he looks like he's going to vomit). Despite its faults, it really is a must for anyone who loves Street Fighter toys...or anyone who loves APA toys (I love both!) |
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The following are items I still need to complete the set. If you notice any other items that should be added, please e-mail me.
- Budo - International Action Force (1993)
- Tunnel Rat - Night Force: Toys R Us exclusive two-pack with Psyche-Out (1988)
- Tunnel Rat - Sonic Fighters (1990)
- Storm Shadow (1984)
- Storm Shadow - version 2 (1988)
- Storm Shadow - Ninja Force (1992)
- Storm Shadow - Shadow Ninjas (1994)
- Storm Shadow - Commando Team three pack with Snake Eyes and Lady Jaye (1997)
- Storm Shadow - 12" figure (G.I. Joe - Hall of Fame)
- Japanese Imperial Soldier (G.I. Joe Combat Series - Action Soldiers of the World)
- E. Honda (Street Fighter II)
- Dhalsim (Street Fighter II)
- Ryu (Street Fighter II)
- Sagat (Street Fighter II)
- G.I. Joe Hall of Fame Mortal Kombat II 12" Rayden (1993)
- G.I. Joe Hall of Fame Mortal Kombat II 12" Scorpion (1993)
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