1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars Cereal

In 1985 Hasbro teamed up with Ralston to release G.I.Joe Action Stars Cereal. Action Stars cereal boxes were released in two waves. Each wave featured three boxes and six total boxes were released. The first wave featured Duke, Gung-Ho, and Shipwreck, while the second wave featured Flint, Quick Kick, and Starduster. 

All six boxes were illustrated by Zavier Leslie Cabarga, popularly known as Leslie Cabarga, whose art evokes 1920s and 1930s imagery. Eagle-eyed Everett Keen noted that if you look at the Shipwreck box, you'll see Cabarga's blue "LC" signature on Shipwreck's belt.
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As can be seen on the wave one box above, the back of each box featured a top-secret mission briefing (this one is assigned to you and Duke!), a cut and fold mission element (Cobra radio relay station seen here), and a personalized camouflage t-shirt offer. These boxes have a very "Live the Adventure" feel! 

​1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars cereal television commercial

The G.I.Joe Action Stars television commercial combined live-action video and animation. This commercial began airing in 1985. This timing can be verified by reviewing this series of commercials broadcast on October 19, 1985, or this 30 minute block of Saturday Morning Commercials broadcast near Christmas of 1985. The wave one Duke box seen above can be seen at the end of this commercial. Starduster's appearance at the end of this commercial is the only time he ever appeared in animated form. He was never featured in the animated television series or feature film.

G.I. Joe Action Stars Wave One Boxes

1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars Cereal boxes were released in two waves. The first wave featured three different boxes starring Duke, Gung-Ho and Shipwreck. As can be seen in the image galleries below, the back of each box featured a top-secret mission briefing, a cut and fold mission element, and a personalized camouflage t-shirt offer. ​


​​Wave One Duke Action Stars Buyer's Sample Box

Buyer's sample boxes were produced prior to retail release boxes. These sample boxes were created to solicit feedback from commercial buyers. The images below show a side-by-side comparison of a Duke buyer's sample (on the left) and a Duke retail box (on the right). Some notable differences include: the buyers sample box includes a "1/3 less sugar" text box and a different bowl on the front, "Buyers Sample" text in the price box on the top, and longer text in the "Memo to Mom" on the side. The revised retail box omitted the "1/3 less sugar" text box on the front, revised the price box on the top, and shortened the "Memo to Mom" to remove the reduced sugar content. Also, sugar became the first ingredient in the retail offerings. Roll over the images below to find out more, or click the images to enlarge them.


​Wave One Duke Action Stars Cereal Box

Wave One Gung-Ho Action Stars Cereal Box

Wave One Shipwreck Action Stars Cereal Box

Wave One “Get Into Action” coupon (G.I.Joe Action Stars Cereal insert)

Starduster made his debut on the 1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars cereal coupon (seen below) which was inserted in wave one boxes. This offer showed the actual toy flying in front of an explosion background and teased his upcoming availability with: "Keep on the lookout for new G.I. JOE figures like Starduster, G.I. JOE jetpack trooper.... only through offers on specially marked boxes of G.I. JOE Action Stars cereal." The wave one Duke box (shown above) can be seen on this offer. Roll over the images below to find out more, or click the images to enlarge them.

​​Wave One Camo Action T-Shirt!

Gear up for action! Wave 1 boxes of Action Stars featured a “Camo Action T-Shirt Offer!” graphic on the front and a cut out mail-in certificate on the back. This “Camo Action cotton blend T-shirt” was personalized with your name (up to 8 letters). Photos courtesy of Adam Riches.

G.I. Joe Action Stars Wave Two Boxes

The second wave of Action Stars cereal boxes featured three new boxes starring Flint, Quick Kick and Starduster. As can be seen in the image galleries below, the back of each box again featured a top-secret mission briefing, but the cut and fold mission element and t-shirt offer were replaced by the Starduster offer (copyright 1985). The "Camo action t-shirt offer!" from the front of the wave one boxes was replaced by two promotions: "Free inside! A G.I.Joe Mini-Comic" "Plus! Starduster action figure offer! See back panel!" 


​Wave Two Flint Action Stars Cereal Box

Flint box scans courtesy of Page and Greg Wagner. Check out their eBay store for tons of vintage Joes!
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​Wave Two Quick Kick Action Stars Cereal Box

Quick Kick box photos courtesy of Everett Keen.
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​Wave Two Starduster Action Stars Cereal Box

Starduster box scans courtesy of Page and Greg Wagner. Check out their eBay store for tons of vintage Joes!
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​1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars cereal mini-comics

​Hasbro and Marvel teamed up to make three mini-comics featuring Starduster. These were inserted in select wave two boxes of G.I.Joe Action Stars cereal. These comic books are dated 1985, and the G.I.Joe Mobile Strike Force offer on the back of each issue expired 1/31/87. So, we can assume that these offers were available at least as early as 1985 and as late as early 1987. Click through the slideshow below to read these mini-comics!

Starduster Action Figure 

Several versions of Starduster exist! Click here to visit the Starduster action figure page and see them all.

1985 G.I.Joe Action Stars Coupons

Several different coupons were released in 1985 to promote the G.I. Joe Action Stars cereal. Some were included in boxes of Action Stars such as the 15 cents coupon below (see the Gung-Ho box contents photo above). Other coupons were included in newspaper rebate flyers such as the full page advertisement shown below. Roll over the images below to find out more, or click the images to enlarge them.

Life after Action Stars

The end date for Action Stars cereal is tricky to nail down. A quick search of Action Stars related blog entries and cereal wikis finds end dates ranging from 1986 to 1990. We believe Action Stars cereal was discontinued by 1987 at the latest. Why? Starduster was created by Hasbro for Ralston to be an Action Stars mascot of sorts. He was featured in the Action Stars TV commercial and in exclusive mini-comics. Most importantly, his exclusive action figure was marketed as "not available anywhere else." Hasbro Direct began selling this Starduster figure in 1987 with the "Maneuvers Manual" figure insert offer, so we know that Hasbro's exclusive Starduster arrangement with Ralston ended by 1987, and we know a third "post-Starduster" wave of Action Stars boxes never happened. This was more than likely due to the discontinuation of Action Stars cereal by 1987 or in early 1987. Also note that the mini-comics included in wave two boxes had offers on the back of each issue that expired on January 31st, 1987, reinforcing the fact the boxes were on store shelves prior to the expiration date of the included offer.  

Click here for an image from the Loveland Reporter-Herald showing Action Stars on store shelves on October 1, 1986. ​​


​1993 Flake Cereal Fanzine

Released in 1993, issue #14 of Scott Bruce's Flake Breakfast Nostalgia Magazine focused on the history of Ralston Purina and made mention of the GI Joe Action Stars cereal. Blair Entenmann, a Ralston marketing executive at the time of the fanzine's publication, stated six different package designs were developed and Action Stars didn't work "....because the shape or taste (of the cereal) didn't have any linkage to the equity. Little hand grenades or land mines would have worked but mothers would have rebelled." Also on page 17 of the fanzine are the dates 1987-88 for Action Stars, which is not correct as the first wave was released in 1985 as proven by the coupon expiration dates, commercials, and box copyright dates. Presumably, the publisher listed the incorrect dates as this fanzine was published years later in 1993. Click the images below to find out more.