1991 Duke: Master Sergeant (Hall of Fame)
The original G.I.JOE action figures debuted in 1964 and ran for 13 years until being discontinued in 1976. These figures were ~12" tall and featured interchangeable clothing and accessories. Hasbro marketers believed that boys would not play with "dolls," so they coined the term "action figure" to market this new brand. In doing so they defined an entirely new category of toys! The entire 1964-1976 run has been well documented on Vintage3DJOES.com.
Hasbro decided to bring the 12" format back in 1991 with a small test: an exclusive "Hall of Fame" Duke figure for Target. Vinnie D'Alleva, G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero brand manager from 1990-1994, recalled that this product was a smash hit, and Target ended up giving customers IOUs. This success led to a much larger Hall of Fame lineup for 1992, which Vinnie recalled contributing $30,000,000 to the brand's bottom line that year, which propelled the brand to over $100,000,000 for the first time in several years.
The 1992 Toy Fair catalog introduced the 1992 Hall of Fame lineup to all retailers. Click the images below to view them full screen.
Hasbro decided to bring the 12" format back in 1991 with a small test: an exclusive "Hall of Fame" Duke figure for Target. Vinnie D'Alleva, G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero brand manager from 1990-1994, recalled that this product was a smash hit, and Target ended up giving customers IOUs. This success led to a much larger Hall of Fame lineup for 1992, which Vinnie recalled contributing $30,000,000 to the brand's bottom line that year, which propelled the brand to over $100,000,000 for the first time in several years.
The 1992 Toy Fair catalog introduced the 1992 Hall of Fame lineup to all retailers. Click the images below to view them full screen.
Collectible Toys & Values (1993)
This relatively comprehensive interview covers everything from the 8" Super Joe line (1977-1978) to the 3.75" A Real American Hero line (1982-1994), to the 12" Hall of Fame figures (1991-1995). Greg Berndtson (Design Director) joins the conversation on page 29 and Ken Keller (Model Maker) joins the conversation on page 30.
Collecting Toys (February, 1993)
This interview focuses on the 12" Hall of Fame line, and includes a small inset interview with Greg Berndtson on page 48.
