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I don't remember much from when I used to play with Gi Joe. I think I got my one and only Gi Joe for my birthday, in November 1971. My brother was almost 1 year old. I was 5. My big sister was 7. I remember being at the store and picking out Joe. There was a whole rack of Gi Joe Adventure Team stuff. I remember seeing the art on the box, and seeing my Land Adventurer for the first time when I opened the box. I remember thinking his fuzzy beard and head looked smaller than I thought they would. But I liked him immediately. He was MUCH more rugged looking than my other "action figure" which was a Malibu Ken. My parents had bought him for me earlier, thinking I could play with my sister and her Barbie. It never worked out. Although I did like to borrow Barbie's knockoff orange plastic corvette sometimes. Joe liked to drive.
I remember getting an action pack at the same time as Joe. It was the rescue raft set. I remember choosing it because of the dark green backpack with the AT logo. I just thought it looked cooler than the other action packs on display. I also remember the cool commercial that showed Gi Joe in the raft going down a rocky ditch. I don't remember what happened to the raft or the oar. The pack stayed with me a long time. The last piece remaining was the lid with compass. I probably still have it somewhere.
My parents got the AT Headquarters and the AT Helicopter for me I think at Christmastime. I also got the 8 Ropes of Danger set too at some point. I kind of remember taking the Joe rigged out in diving gear into the tub once. I remember putting the suit and helmet on him a lot, and changing him back into cammies. I vaguely remember playing with the helo at our old house in Olney, Illinois. I remember working the rotor and seeing the blades spin. The helo made it when we moved to the Chicago area in 1973. By then the blades were all gone, and the tail stabilizer was long long gone. I think I had the tail boom, and the main compartment still in '73 and maybe even as late as '76 or so. I remember having Ken pilot the helo and "saving" Joe, who would dangle from the string below. I think I must have dropped Joe at least once during a recovery, because he broke off one of his legs below the knee. I kept the broken leg and boot for a long time. Don't know where they (or Joe) are now. Probably got trashed by Mom.
I never actually played Gi Joe with any other kids besides my brother. I do remember one summer (probably the summer of 1970) where my Dad was working on his doctorate in Champaign, Illinois. We were staying in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, and my big sister and I slept on folding canvas cots in the "living room". My brother, still in his crib, stayed in my parent's bedroom. One time my Uncle Paul came by to visit. He gave me a set of Apollo 11 drinking glasses which I really liked drinking my milk or Tang from. I was big into the Space Program, and remember watching at least 2 moon launches.
During the days, my sister and I would go out and play with the other kids in the large apartment complex. There was a playground with a little sand and lots more dirt. And there was a large cornfield behind the playground. The girls played jump rope and hopscotch. My sister had roller skates. There were also tether ball courts. There were lots of sidewalks crisscrossing everywhere, and I do remember some boys bringing out some Marx Best of the West figures and a Gi Joe Man of Action at least once. I remember thinking how cool the MOA was, and I also liked the pistols and holster rig on Johnny West. I think the kid who owned Johnny was named Sam.
Most of our time that summer was spent playing in the sand, and in the corn fields. There also were some crab apple trees there, and I remember tasting green apples for the first time.
After we moved north to Chicago, I remember playing with my AT Headquarters a lot for a while. I liked putting Joe in the chair and sending him up to look out the tower window. I think I wanted other Joes to go with him, especially a Man of Action. I never got one until a few years ago. Around 1974, my brother and I were interested in Micronauts, and we mostly stopped playing with the Gi Joe stuff soon after. I also got into Megos briefly, and had Captain Kirk and Spock, plus Cornelius and a Soldier Ape from Planet of the Apes. Good times!
I have never found any pictures with me and my Joe stuff. What about you? What are some of your memories of your adventures with Gi Joe?
I remember getting an action pack at the same time as Joe. It was the rescue raft set. I remember choosing it because of the dark green backpack with the AT logo. I just thought it looked cooler than the other action packs on display. I also remember the cool commercial that showed Gi Joe in the raft going down a rocky ditch. I don't remember what happened to the raft or the oar. The pack stayed with me a long time. The last piece remaining was the lid with compass. I probably still have it somewhere.
My parents got the AT Headquarters and the AT Helicopter for me I think at Christmastime. I also got the 8 Ropes of Danger set too at some point. I kind of remember taking the Joe rigged out in diving gear into the tub once. I remember putting the suit and helmet on him a lot, and changing him back into cammies. I vaguely remember playing with the helo at our old house in Olney, Illinois. I remember working the rotor and seeing the blades spin. The helo made it when we moved to the Chicago area in 1973. By then the blades were all gone, and the tail stabilizer was long long gone. I think I had the tail boom, and the main compartment still in '73 and maybe even as late as '76 or so. I remember having Ken pilot the helo and "saving" Joe, who would dangle from the string below. I think I must have dropped Joe at least once during a recovery, because he broke off one of his legs below the knee. I kept the broken leg and boot for a long time. Don't know where they (or Joe) are now. Probably got trashed by Mom.
I never actually played Gi Joe with any other kids besides my brother. I do remember one summer (probably the summer of 1970) where my Dad was working on his doctorate in Champaign, Illinois. We were staying in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, and my big sister and I slept on folding canvas cots in the "living room". My brother, still in his crib, stayed in my parent's bedroom. One time my Uncle Paul came by to visit. He gave me a set of Apollo 11 drinking glasses which I really liked drinking my milk or Tang from. I was big into the Space Program, and remember watching at least 2 moon launches.
During the days, my sister and I would go out and play with the other kids in the large apartment complex. There was a playground with a little sand and lots more dirt. And there was a large cornfield behind the playground. The girls played jump rope and hopscotch. My sister had roller skates. There were also tether ball courts. There were lots of sidewalks crisscrossing everywhere, and I do remember some boys bringing out some Marx Best of the West figures and a Gi Joe Man of Action at least once. I remember thinking how cool the MOA was, and I also liked the pistols and holster rig on Johnny West. I think the kid who owned Johnny was named Sam.
Most of our time that summer was spent playing in the sand, and in the corn fields. There also were some crab apple trees there, and I remember tasting green apples for the first time.
After we moved north to Chicago, I remember playing with my AT Headquarters a lot for a while. I liked putting Joe in the chair and sending him up to look out the tower window. I think I wanted other Joes to go with him, especially a Man of Action. I never got one until a few years ago. Around 1974, my brother and I were interested in Micronauts, and we mostly stopped playing with the Gi Joe stuff soon after. I also got into Megos briefly, and had Captain Kirk and Spock, plus Cornelius and a Soldier Ape from Planet of the Apes. Good times!
I have never found any pictures with me and my Joe stuff. What about you? What are some of your memories of your adventures with Gi Joe?
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