I got into Transformers in 1984. And by 1987 I was out entirely. My interest had waned as the Transformers figures became more plasticky, the alternate modes became less Earth-bound, and the line relied too heavily on gimmicks (e.g. an endless array of combiner teams). Targetmasters aren’t a memory from my childhood, although I would […]
GI Joe was about evolution throughout the line, and it was that evolution that guaranteed its continued success. If Hasbro had been satisfied with the 82s we would have gotten a new crop of green shirts and blue shirts in 1983, and the line would have been dead by 1984. The changes from 1982 to […]
I’m not sure when I’m going to start profiling Joes released after I stopped collecting toys in 1988. I’ve grown to appreciate the later, domestic ARAH figures and foreign releases over the past few years, but at this point I’m more focused on writing about toys from my childhood that I have a personal connection […]
The first GI Joe I ever owned was a straight-arm Breaker. He appeared in my collection almost by magic when I was five years old. My family was living in Fort Smith, NWT, so my mom would have bought him at the Bay or possibly Wally’s Drugs, or he would have been a toy my […]
The day I turned seven was probably the peak of all my birthdays. The year was 1984. Star Wars was becoming an afterthought, Transformers hadn’t reached me yet, and GI Joe was staking ownership of my young heart. Two iconic GI Joe vehicles, the Mobat and the Dragonfly, became part of my collection that day. […]
During my childhood, I was fiercely loyal to my action figure lines. First Star Wars. Then GI Joe. I collected Transformers for years, but eventually shifted back to primarily collecting GI Joes. I was barely tempted by Masters of the Universe. I played with it enough to know that I didn’t really care for the […]
This is a toy blog but I’m just going to write about my dad today, since he was an enabler in me becoming a collector. My father, Lloyd, was born on this day in 1950. The son of a Canadian and a Scot who met while serving in World War II, he grew up in […]
Lady Jaye arrived in my GI Joe collection near the end of 1985. She was only the second female figure I owned, one of just three I had during my childhood. I don’t remember exactly when or how she arrived, but my best guess is as a Christmas present, because I automatically associate her with […]
I found GI Joe at the end of 1982, just before I turned six. I had a few straight-arm figures – all of whom lost thumbs. Undeterred by early quality issues, I soon kicked Star Wars aside and dived headfirst into Joe fandom. I was too late for the Cobra Commander mailaway offer, and don’t […]
There was a time – however brief – when Transformers was my favourite toy line. I had left Star Wars behind in 1983, as GI Joe’s heightened articulation, excessive accessories and Earth-bound relatability had trounced the Empire and Rebels alike. But there was nothing cooler than Transformers when they arrived on the scene in 1984. […]
