Creator Profile: Kirk Bozigian
Kirk Bozigian was arguably the most influential contributor to G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. He worked on the brand since before the big launch in 1982 and served on and off through 1994, the last year A Real American Hero was on shelves.
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The (re)Birth of G.I. Joe (1979-1982)
Below Kirk tells how Bob Prupis led the charge to bring back G.I. Joe, from several failed attempts starting in 1979 to the wildly successful relaunch in 1982.
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Roles and Responsibilities (1982-1994)
Kirk filled many roles over 18 years at Hasbro. The clips below outline his career path and responsibilities while working on G.I. Joe.
Guiding the Toys (1982-1984)As a Product Manager from 1982-1984, Kirk directly managed the efforts of R&D and Engineering internally. R&D designed the figures and vehicles, and Engineering built them. This meant Kirk had oversight over every figure and vehicle that was produced. Ron Rudat was the sole figure designer. Ron worked closely with Kirk to develop every figure. Below they Ron and Kirk discuss the process of designing G.I. Joe figures and how Larry Hama helped turn these beautiful figures into unforgettable characters.
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Comics, Cartoons, and Commercials (1982-1984)
As a Product Manager from 1982-1994, Kirk was the technical advisor for the cartoon, TV commercials, and comics externally. He coordinated with Marvel Comics and Larry Hama to create the blockbuster G.I. Joe comic book.
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Below Kirk discusses collaborating with Larry to sync up the appearance of new vehicles both in the comics and on store shelves. Her also discusses giving Larry creative freedom.
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Below Kirk and Ron discuss how the idea for a ruthless terrorist organization known as Cobra came to be, designing the figures, and the wildly successful Cobra Commander promotion.
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Below Kirk presents the two original cover options created by Larry Hama for G.I. Joe #1, as well as the marker comp of the actual cover.
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Carte Blanche, "Go Crazy!" (1983)
The 1982 relaunch of G.I. Joe was a huge success. Below Kirk and Ron discuss how their success in 1982 led to a creative "Carte Blanche" in 1983.
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Immortalized in Plastic (1987) |
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In 1987 Kirk was immortalized in plastic, having his likeness sculpted into Law, the MP. He still owns the presentation art. A huge thank you to Kirk for sharing his stories and his images. Roll over the images below to find out more, or click the images to enlarge them.
In 1987, after several years of animated success on the small screen, G.I. Joe was to receive their own animated feature film! For some inexplicable reason they changed their winning formula of fighting Cobra ("a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world") to fighting a subterranean reptilian people who were Cobra's founders. Kirk explains how this happened below.
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The inspiration for Tiger Force! (1988)
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First, Kirk Bozigian confirmed that the Tiger Force was inspired by the NATO Tiger Meets, where the NATO jets are painted like tigers (more on the annual Tiger Meet here). Then Joe Touart found a picture of a German supplied Portuguese FIAT G.91R-3 Air Force jet from 1987. (more info on the 1980's Força Aerea Portuguesa and the original photo can be seen here). The similarities between the Tiger Rat and this Portuguese jet were unmistakable: white nose with three whisker dots, brown around the mouth, yellow all the way back.... I was 99% certain this is THE jet that inspired the Tiger Force deco. Then Kirk confirmed that Greg Berndtson (who designed Tiger Force) had that same photo hanging on his office wall! It's pretty cool that a couple Joe nerds and the internet could connect all those dots 25 years later! |
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The 1990s: Evolving the Brand (1991-1994)
G.I. Joe evolved into a boys action brand in the 1990s. Was it military? Yes. Did it always have to be military? No.
This new strategy opened G.I. Joe up to a myriad of new concepts. From fighting drugs and littering, to chasing dinosaurs, G.I. Joe concepts were wide open. G.I. Joe became a dominant brand again, achieving its best sales numbers in 1993 since its heyday in 1986.
This new strategy opened G.I. Joe up to a myriad of new concepts. From fighting drugs and littering, to chasing dinosaurs, G.I. Joe concepts were wide open. G.I. Joe became a dominant brand again, achieving its best sales numbers in 1993 since its heyday in 1986.
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Behind the scenes of G.I.Joe’s first live-action micro-movie!
G.I.Joe’s 1991 toy commercials changed gears and replaced animation with live-action actors and actresses and life size vehicles. These commercials were serial, a first for G.I.Joe, and told the linear story of G.I.Joe and Cobra battling for control of “Plasmatox.” Filming was completed in December 1990, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at North Shore Studios, Lot 3, with Cannel Films (now Lions Gate). Kirk Bozigian, former Vice President of Marketing for Hasbro, filmed nearly 3 hours of behind the scenes footage over the 3.5 weeks of filming. 28 years later, he mailed us those tapes. Together, we premiered this nearly 30 year old footage for the first time anywhere at the final Hasbro sponsored G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention.
Thanks to: Kirk Bozigian, for your trust and friendship. We are honored to help share these stories. The Triangle Joes: Sean J. Burg, Josh Scherer, Chad Hucal, Jim Carlisi, and Benjamin Thomas for filming the event and to Gray Childs for manning the booth in my absence. The JoeCon attendees that attended en masse and fed us good energy throughout the panel. And finally to the GIJoeCon (Official) for giving us a fantastic time slot before Kirk's and Larry's panel (more to come on that panel at a later date!).
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.
Action Figure News and Toy Review (Official Convention Issue, 1994)
This interview covers Kirk's history at Hasbro, his current role, how they operate, and his thoughts for the future of G.I. Joe.
Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles
In 1995, Hasbro launched Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles. Savage was intended to accompany the regular G.I. Joe line on the shelves. Unfortunately, management decided to cancel the regular G.I. Joe line after 1994 and the Sgt. Savage line lasted only one year.
The End of an Era
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero concluded it's 13 year run in 1994, and Kirk left Hasbro shortly thereafter. To wrap things up here are some clips where Kirk reveals celebrities that almost became Joes, and he shares his hopes for the future of our favorite brand.
Want More Creator Commentary?
Kirk shared his thoughts on dozens of figures and vehicles. These clips are embedded on their corresponding vehicle and figure pages:
1982 figure activated vehicles, 1982 Cobra Missile Command Headquarters (the first Sears Exclusive), 1982 Grunt, 1982 Snake Eyes, 1982 Cobra Commander (and the Flag Points windfall), 1983 Destro (the man in the iron mask), 1983 Major Bludd (a mercenary with a mechanical arm), 1984 Zartan, 1986 B.A.T.S., 1986 Fridge, 1986 Claymore (the first exclusive figure), 1987 LAW, 1987 Cobra La, 1987 Crossfire, 1987 Defiant, 1988 Tiger Force, 1991 Eco-Warriors, 1992 D.E.F., 1993 Dino-Hunters, Mega Marines and Star Brigade.
Additional Resources:
Kirk is a perennial contributor to G.I. Joe. He regularly takes the time to speak with fans from all over the community.
Check out some of the podcasts below to hear more:
Check out some of the podcasts below to hear more:
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Flag Points Episode 20: In this episode, Rob and Dave interview Hasbro's R.A.H. G.I. Joe product manager and V.P. of Boy's Toys marketing, Kirk Bozigian. Talk about someone with firsthand knowledge of the 80's Joe heyday! Flag Points Episode 30: Kirk shares his ideas to bring Joe back to the aisles in full force! Does it involve breaking some eggs? Yes. Flag Points Episode 39: On this show, Dave, Don, Rob and Kirk chat about Retaliation, Joe Con 2013 and GI Joe as a brand/property and beloved entity. |
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What’s on JOE Mind? Episode 95: Kirk Bozigian shares some memories of working with the late Don Levine, also known as the father of GI Joe. What’s on JOE Mind? Episode 92: Kirk Bozigian Kirk Bozigian gives a sneak peek into his upcoming JoeCon panel. What’s on JOE Mind? Episode 76: Kirk Bozigian joins the WOJM crew "for a nice little interview." |
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Talking Joe Podcast with Kirk Bozigian: the ARAH 40th Anniversary interview. Recorded March 26th, 2022. Mark, Tim, and Kirk Bozigian celebrate G.I. Joe ARAH's 40th birthday. They explore the origins of the brand and comic book, Kirk's own comic collecting, and all sorts of other G.I. Joe history! This video was live-streamed on Mar 26, 2022. Click through to the original YouTube video to join the conversation!
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Bonus Video: Packaging G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero!
Presentation developed by Kirk Bozigian and presented by Carson Mataxis.
Learn about Kirk's role on G.I.Joe here and check out every carded figure from 1982-1994 here!
Learn about Kirk's role on G.I.Joe here and check out every carded figure from 1982-1994 here!
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