G.I. Joe by Marvel Comics - TV Commercials
In the 1980s, G.I. Joe was EVERYWHERE. We could find G.I. Joe toys at almost every toy store. We could watch the animated TV series five days a week. We could pick up the monthly comic at our local book store or comic shop. We would even see commercials for the toys and comics during other programming.
One of the ways that Hasbro continued to push the new toys was to sync up the toys that would appear in the comics and cartoons. In one week you might see a new vehicle on a toy commercial (showing the actual toy product), on an animated commercial for the comic book, and in the stores on the shelves. This type of coordination began months in advance, and was the result of intense collaboration between Marvel Comics (and Larry Hama), Hasbro (and Kirk Bozigian) and Sunbow.
Below is a playlist of the animated comic book commercials, starting with issue #1 and running through #80. If you find any I'm missing, please contact me through Facebook or Twitter and I'll add them below. Yo Joe!
One of the ways that Hasbro continued to push the new toys was to sync up the toys that would appear in the comics and cartoons. In one week you might see a new vehicle on a toy commercial (showing the actual toy product), on an animated commercial for the comic book, and in the stores on the shelves. This type of coordination began months in advance, and was the result of intense collaboration between Marvel Comics (and Larry Hama), Hasbro (and Kirk Bozigian) and Sunbow.
Below is a playlist of the animated comic book commercials, starting with issue #1 and running through #80. If you find any I'm missing, please contact me through Facebook or Twitter and I'll add them below. Yo Joe!
G.I. Joe by Marvel Comics - animated commercials playlist
Simply click play on the playlist below to enjoy each commercial chronologically.
G.I. Joe by Marvel Comics - individual animated commercials
Below are each of the animated comic book commercials, starting with issue #1 and running through #80. If you find any I'm missing, please contact me through Facebook or Twitter and I'll add them below. Yo Joe!
G.I. Joe #1: Introducing the legend of G.I. Joe!
G.I. Joe #5 (partial): Nothing can stop Cobra!
G.I. Joe #11: Snow and air battles, Destro cameo
G.I. Joe #14: Introducing Destro! (with his own theme song)
From the pages of Marvel Age #5 comes some interesting insight:
"Imagine the cover of G.I. Joe #14 exploding onto your screen. After a spilt-second pause, the cover opens to reveal the Joes, in full battle array, slugging it out against the hordes of arch-enemy Cobra!
We're speaking of the G.I. Joe ads that have been running on local stations all over the country. The talented artists from Marvel Productions have given us thirty seconds of fully animated excitement, the newest of which will begin April 18 and air for seven weeks thereafter. See the Joes fighting their way across a snowy waste, all the time not realizing that their real foe is Destro, the master tactician of Cobra. How will they survive? You'll have to pick up the comic to find out! (Plug! Plug!)
A mere two months later there'll be six more weeks of slam-bang action as the Joes fight a losing battle against Cobra at the U.S. Treasury in Washington, straight from the pages of issue # 16. As for further adventures of the G.I. Joes, both on TV and in their own monthly book, all we can say is... Stay Tuned!"
Eagle-eyed fan James McFadden noted this was a rare opportunity to nail down the first air date of a G.I. Joe comic book commercial. He said, "the animated commercial for G.I. JOE #14 first aired on April 18th, 1983. Which places it one day before the shipping-to-stores date of April 19th. The actual issue went on sale May 10th. It even says the commercial will air for seven weeks before the commercial for G.l. JOE #16 starts airing for six weeks! Kind of confusing math, but an interesting historical blurb!"
"Imagine the cover of G.I. Joe #14 exploding onto your screen. After a spilt-second pause, the cover opens to reveal the Joes, in full battle array, slugging it out against the hordes of arch-enemy Cobra!
We're speaking of the G.I. Joe ads that have been running on local stations all over the country. The talented artists from Marvel Productions have given us thirty seconds of fully animated excitement, the newest of which will begin April 18 and air for seven weeks thereafter. See the Joes fighting their way across a snowy waste, all the time not realizing that their real foe is Destro, the master tactician of Cobra. How will they survive? You'll have to pick up the comic to find out! (Plug! Plug!)
A mere two months later there'll be six more weeks of slam-bang action as the Joes fight a losing battle against Cobra at the U.S. Treasury in Washington, straight from the pages of issue # 16. As for further adventures of the G.I. Joes, both on TV and in their own monthly book, all we can say is... Stay Tuned!"
Eagle-eyed fan James McFadden noted this was a rare opportunity to nail down the first air date of a G.I. Joe comic book commercial. He said, "the animated commercial for G.I. JOE #14 first aired on April 18th, 1983. Which places it one day before the shipping-to-stores date of April 19th. The actual issue went on sale May 10th. It even says the commercial will air for seven weeks before the commercial for G.l. JOE #16 starts airing for six weeks! Kind of confusing math, but an interesting historical blurb!"
G.I. Joe #16: Introducing Major Bludd (with his own theme song)
G.I. Joe #18: Destro's got a plan!
G.I. Joe #19: Fighting Cobra and Destro!
G.I. Joe #24: The escape of Cobra Commander!
G.I. Joe #25: Introducing Zartan! (with his own theme song)
G.I. Joe #25: Introducing Zartan! (alternate version with color change revealed at the end)
G.I. Joe #28: Cobra Rattler, Killer W.H.A.L.E.
G.I. Joe #30: DREADNOKS! (with their own theme song)
G.I. Joe #35: DREADNOKS! (with their own theme song)
G.I. Joe #37: Crimson Guard Commanders: Tomax and Xamot (with their own theme song)
G.I. Joe #40: Transportable Tacticle Battle Platform VS Cobra Hydrofoils
G.I. Joe #47: Devilfish VS Cobra Hydro-Sled
G.I. Joe #49: Introducing Serpentor! ("the most evil foe of GI Joe")
G.I. Joe #51: Dreadnoks, Swampfire, Thunder Machine
G.I. Joe #54: Cobra Launch Base (earlier version, before the name Terror Drome was adopted)
G.I. Joe #54: Cobra Terror Drome (later version with revised Cobra Terror Drome lyrics)
G.I. Joe #59: Cobra Pogo VS GI Joe S.L.A.M.
G.I. Joe #60: Dreadnok Air Skiff and Cycle
G.I. Joe #65: The Defiant
G.I. Joe #68: Battle Force 2000
G.I. Joe #72: Cobra BUGG and Stiletto VS GI Joe Desert Fox and Warthog AIFV
G.I. Joe #74: Destro goes it alone! Introducing the AGP and the D.E.M.O.N.
G.I. Joe #80: Phantom X-19 VS Cobra BUGGs at Cobra Island
G.I. Joe #88: Cobra Commander unleashes Python Patrol!
G.I. Joe Special Missions #28: Cobra Condor VS. G.I. Joe Crusader
Special Missions ran for 28 issues, from October 1986 to Mid-November 1989. This is the only known Special Missions commercial. This commercial was discovered by The Real Gentlemen of Leisure. Check out their article!
