The History of GI Joe: A Real American Hero (1983 Edition) 

I still remember coming downstairs on Christmas Day, and seeing the APC and FANG sitting there. Good bye Star Wars, I'm off to fight Cobra.

Magical times as a 8 year old..."Mail-Ins"....Looking through toys r us magazines a month before Christmas...…"Circling" the ones' I hoped to get from Santa...Etc. I don't think kids today will ever have that feeling.

I don't know what it is about the 83 line up, but I remember it so vividly. As soon as these toys were released, my parents took me and my brother to Child World.(a great toy store chain prior to Toys r Us). I can remember getting the brand new figures, but above all, I got Snow Job and the Polar Battle Bear and it was like bliss, I was so excited. My brother snagged the Dragonfly w/ Airborne. We weren't rich but somehow my parents managed to budget for G.I. Joe toys for us, such great memories.

I still remember getting the Joe HQ on Christmas morning. Thank you mom and dad. Thank you for the nice video.

I can't be the only one that enjoys those laser sounds.

Born in 1985 I was just a little late for the best years of GI Joe. But every time I see them it still takes me back to my childhood. Walking through KB Toys or Toys R Us and seeing all the awesome GI Joe stuff on the shelves. I always wanted the Hovercraft, Skystriker and Tomahawk but alas they weren't around then.

the first 4 or 5 years were the best with the first 3 being my favorite.

This year was such a revelation for me. What a great second year for a toy line. The figures themselves were such a departure from the previous year, and not just in color scheme. The accessories on Torpedo, Tripwire and Snowjob are still some of the best. The new sets and vehicles seemed nearly endless, but still obtainable to this young collector. The comic, commercials, mail-ins and cartoon mini-series all helped to make this such an all-encompassing childhood memory for me. And they even raised the bar again with the next wave of figures the following year. Amazing.

Just watched 1982 and on to ‘83! Your videos are amazing. Pulls me right back to 83 and saving 3 bucks to buy my next Joe along with the newest comic! Those were the days, man!!

My brother and I had all of the 82 carded figures! I also got Cobra Commander in the mail to complete the set. Huge thanks to our parents for getting these for us ❤

I never thought I would ever get interested in G.I.JOE, but it happened thanks to the first animated mini series, the MASS Device. I love the original Joes because they didn't get much character development. In the first season of the cartoon, I loved any episodes where Stalker, Rock N Roll, Flash, Short Fuze, Zap, Steeler, Grunt and Clutch would appear or play a major role. Even though he was in the second wave, the same went for Airborne. But most of all, my all time favorite G.I.JOE made his debut in the MASS Device mini series before he arrived in the comics. Duke was, is and will always be my favorite G.I.JOE. He looked similar to Hawk at the time, so it was easy to get them mixed up. While I have read some of the comics, I preferred the animated Marvel/Sunbow series. Voiced over by Michael Bell, Duke to me, was the Clint Eastwood of G.I.JOE. So my favorite episodes of G.I.JOE had Duke in them as the commanding officer, and I liked the supposed relationship Duke had with Scarlett. And I especially loved any episodes that had both Duke and Scarlett together with Duke as the leader. This is why I wasn't too crazy about season two. And with G.I.JOE: The Movie, I absolutely HATE that they were going to kill of Duke. I believe there are two characters who shouldn't be killed off. Duke, who to me was the all American Joe and then of course, Snake Eyes, who was ultimately the big star of the franchise After seeing the mini series, I looked and couldn't find Duke in the stores, and I learned he could be purchased through the mail via Flagpoints. Anyway, this is a great video. And I'm glad Duke was part of this one, even though it wouldn't be until the third wave came out and Duke was finally available in stores.

I'm glad I was able to experience being a kid during the 80's and having countless toy lines to choose from. GI Joe was simply the best. You had to remember that this was during the Cold War and with Reagan in charge revamping our military after a decade of neglect the military was highly regarded and those that wore it's uniforms were heroes to us young boys. Everything in this toy line was very well thought out and Hasbro realized that toys like this were going to see some rough play time. They perfectly balanced the line between being technically detailed yet still being very simple and practical in construction. (They did get a little exuberant in their designs mid to late 80's though.)

Nobody beats g.i.joe and they will always be a real american heroes.

GI Joe WAS my childhood, my dad made sure I had a solid collection even on his educator salary....many thanks for the memories (sniff). And of course I spent 10 years in the US Army! I started off as a field medic/surgery tech, but even after all of that experience and after seeing this video, my question is: does anybody know what that thing was that Doc had? Was it a weapon or some kind of 'super-syringe'? What was that thing?

Bro, destro and major bluud were my favorites idk why. They still are tho!! Playing back then i think i had cobra winning most of the time😂🤣🤣😂. They just had better characters i think

Damn...I was ten years old in '83! How the time goes, huh!? Love the video, brought back a lot of memories. Yo, Joe!!!

I'm starting to become a GI Joe fan and these videos really helped me a lot before I saw this series The only character I knew was Snake eyes by the way my name is also Michael

im on cobraisland. been a member since 2005. I sold most of my collection in 2008. started rebuying them again in the past 2 months.

The Dragonfly was probably one of my most favorite Joe vehicles and most used. Still laugh at how easy the personnel character was to put together but probably had more stickers than practically any Joe vehicle EVER! The Wolverine was also really awesome.

I love these videos. I'm realizing that I had a lot of these toys. My uncle and grandma used to watch me after school. There was a toy aisle in the grocery store. Whenever we'd go, they almost always got me something.

My local independent toy store has finally acquired a lot of vintage G.I.Joe vehicles and I bought a Wolverine tank with Cover Girl and it features all the original pieces including all the missiles, the back with hitch, and the tow rope that I heard is very rare! They also have G.I.Joe headquarters, The Polar Battle Bear Snowmobile, and the APC! I'm going to probably save up my money to buy the APC and G.I.Joe headquarters and hopefully they won't get picked off before I get the money to buy because they're aren't very many G.I.Joe fans into collecting G.I.Joe toys in my hometown like myself! I also own an original Armadillo Tank from 1985 with all the parts and I put my Vintage 1985 figures of Lady Jaye and Dusty on my Armadillo Tank! I'm hoping to eventually get an original vintage 1985 Flint eventually to go with my Lady Jaye! I'm so excited to have a vintage Lady Jaye and a vintage Cover Girl with the Wolverine Tank! I'm really hoping to track down a Vintage Scarlett because she's my favorite female G.I.Joe character but I have a Ninja Force Scarlett from 1992 in my collection but I'm so excited to have all those figures because I never had any female G.I.Joe action figures growing up until this year when I got back into collecting G.I.Joe Toys!

Man..what a master collection. Used to have a lot of them in my childhood. Thanks for sharing.

The HISS and the FANG were amazing. Clearly remember that glorious Christmas morning. Greatest toy line ever. (MOTU also legendary. What a time to be a kid.)

You're awesome at this man I really enjoyed the series

I loved setting up all my Joe's and Cobras in fighting poses, so they could have epic battles while I slept. Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow were my favorites. I lost my Gung-Ho in a river. Cobra sent him over a waterfall. 😎

Excellent video, love to see the history of these iconic toys from back in the day. My collection started back in 1983 and kept what I could for decades. Need to rebuy some old figures and vehicles from eBay that I want but were sold out in the stores back in those years. Now looking to get new GI joes from the 25th anniversary and pursuit of Cobra collections, the figures have improved. Best GI joe years are from 1982 to 1994. After that it starts to get repetitive with the figures and vehicles.

Hello Michael! I thank you in heart these videos that you share with us and return us to those powerful times of our children. I feel proud to be part of that generation!

I’m not sure if they all had them but my APC had a carry handle that slid out from the rear bumper. That and Sgt Slaughter’s warthog were my favorite vehicles. Thanks for doing these videos. I’ve recently started reading the original comics again. I forgot how good those old Larry Hama stories were.

Why cant toys be this cool today I feel sorry for my son

This was the first series of G.I. Joes I started collecting. I was 7 in 1983 and a friend let me borrow Gung Ho, he was so much cooler than my Star Wars toys. I started collecting at the end of 1983-1984. The HISS Tank was my first vehicle, and Recondo and Dusty were my first GI Joes. I got a lot of 1983 stuff in 1984, as they tended to have a two year shelf life. I never did get a Sky Striker.... I did get GI Joe HQ, Wolverine (12 missiles not 8!), HISS Tank, Dragonfly and Polar Battle Bear from this collection though! Ended up with a crazy collection over about 4-5 years. I started losing interest when the BATS/ Dr. Mind Bender/Sgt Slaughter came out. I think Cobra La was the year after, and I knew my GI Joe era was done. Great times. I watched the cartoon everyday after school and got into the comics a year or two later.

One of the greaatest innovations GI Joe did was the waterproof stickers

Michael, Love these segments so much! Look forward to many more.😁👍 Bill

I think this is the first video I've seen from you, and I love it. It takes me back to being a kid. My brother gave me a lot of the 82-83 figures, but I'd also found some on my own. Some of them he lost over the years -- Cover Girl and the Wolverine, but we managed to have a pretty solid collection of vehicles, figures, and a couple of bases. Really, I'm loving this. Thank you, good sir.

Airborne sounds like he could do a really good Optimus Prime impersonation.

Thank you for doing these Gi Joe episodes! You are the best! Yo Joe!!!

Love your channel man! Quality

I always loved the packaging of these toys

I had so many of these as a kid!!! I even had the mail-in Duke figure!

83' line was a great line/year for JOE. So much stuff. I think I had more JOE toys from this year than the other years. Couple of my favorites from this year were Snow Job and Gung-Ho, and of course the JOE HQ!

Storm shadow, torpedo, duke, snake eyes, destro, stalker, gung ho, zartan, serpentor...apc was so dope as a kid. Remember the mail order specials like manta windsurfer and hooded cobra commander? Sgt. Slaughter? Made childhood so fun.

Great work on this series

Fantastic video! Great nostalgia trip! When the 25th anniversary figures came out, I couldn’t wait to replace all my Joes with modern molds. But watching this vid makes me appreciate the beautiful simplicity of 80s toy design. Time to go into the crawl space and re-live my childhood!

Best gijoe video I've seen. Thanks for all the hard work you do.

I like that you use clips from the show with your characters

Aww this takes me back. Thanx for the nostalgia! ☺️

This era of toys is great quality. Jet looks fantastic.

Dude that was AWESOME!

Sooooo shiny! Everything looks brand spanking new! Beautiful!

Love this! Like an idiot, I sold most of my childhood collection a few years ago (almost all in this video + more). One of my biggest regrets😔 Even the USS FLAGG😔 I just hope it is in a good home

Loved putting all the stickers on!

Nice job on the video. I like the effort you put into matching up some cartoon quotes with your commentary.

We need this series finish please mate.

Major Blood looks suspiciously like one of the Bespin security officers from the SW toy line. Even Blood’s helmet is shaped like the Bespin uniform hat.

My buddy Troy sent in for Cobra Commander. We crapped our pants when he had it before any of us.

The 80's were by far the best for Cartoons and Toys. I was born in 81 , so my selection was like He-Man, Transformers, GI-Joe, Star Wars, Thundercats, etc.

According to pictures, that Wolverine tow cable didn't last through Christmas morning for me.

Strategically I wouldn’t put 28 Joes in one vehicle

Gi joe 1983 edition is awesome 👍keep up the nice work michel

Was I the only one who collected extra Cobra troopers and Viper units because of their uniforms? 😆

Thank you G.I Joe for being part of my childhood memories, it's been great!!!!

I've got a Skystriker unopened new in box. My parents had gotten me one for Christmas that year. But not uncle gave me one on Christmas eve, so my parents put their's away and never got away to returning it. The box has seen better days, but the tape is still intact. It was only revealed to me a few years ago.

This video is so totally awesome, you have the coolest toys Michael Mercy.

You do such a good job. I'm so glad I found your channel. If I ever have the chance to buy you a cup of coffee or tea, I know it would be such a cathartic experience. I had most of all the figures you feature on your various videos growing up, and love to live vicariously through you. Please, keep up the great work.

Awesome video brother :D I love gi joe man :D only had Flint growing up , had 2 of those and had the vehicles dictator and python ASP :D now I got so much since starting collecting again :D it certainly is a great toy line :D

Oh man! I got Duke in the mail, and I was so excited! My buddy had gotten Cobra Commander the previous year, and I wanted a special, not available in stores Joe, and finally got him!

Hi Michael...your yearwise videos are super cool..I have recently restarted collecting joes again..had few as a kid..these videos are very helpful and gives valuable information...keep up the good work...love the videos ..

I believe airborne had a name and seat in back of the skystriker after ace. I still have the original 1983 skystriker. But the names of ace and airborne are completely faded. On the canopy it had the original names and not the code names: capt armstrong (ace) and Lt. ruthel (airborne). There is an illustration of the two flying the skystriker on the box. By the way, you can mention this, kids learned to build things by building the toys that were purchased by following the instructions. I learned to build some furniture because I was indirectly taught to build stuff by assembling my gijoe toys. The re releases were already made and they were purchased with a a large transparent window. I kind of miss the building part experience of the gijoe toys. In its own way the gijoe toys were educational and constructive. .

Excellent job! I really enjoyed this.

Your videos are really amazing

Love your videos. They really take me back in the best way possible. Love your positive vibe too. You seem sincerely happy and at peace with the world. I could use some of that. Keep up the great work.

These are excellent!

don't think we didn't notice the 1988 Stormy in front of the Pit!

Main thing I remember about the mail away Duke was the little american flag sticker it came with that you could slap on his shoulder.

gung ho was my first gijoe after that i was hooked

Wow the sky striker is so shinny it looks like you waxed it, what a display of amazing toys.

Thanks for this So much 💕💖

Always wacked my knuckles on the helicopter blades..lol

Ahhhh I had many of these as a child..the only issue I had with the action figures was the thumbs breaking off..Love the vids

I'm jealous of how shiny your joes are. Good job.

So many good toys!!

Man your collection is unbelievable!

Amazing history 👏👏👏

Another great episode sir. Keep em comin

Thank you for this video was very informative

Awesome collection/video!

Another great segment Michael 👍😁

gung ho was awesome and i loved the hiss keep it up michael

I loved my GIJoe toys. I sold them and felt like I had lost my best friends

Love it. My childhood.

1983. This was the year the line really took off and came into its own.

Very cool.

blast from the past, remember kids who had the biggest GI Joe vehicles/planes had tours just to show them off, had quite the collection of infantry but not tanks and stuff. My friends brother had a huge 50cm something fighter jet for GI Joe but he never took it out it package to play with it which annoyed us to no end drooling over it. Can you also do "Military Muscle Men" or "Johnny Quest" review?

This video is great mate. Please make more like it about the Joes

I had the mail in refrigerator Perry.

as always great vid!

FYI just thought you would want to know that the vehicle port for the Vamp was also designed for the Polar Bear and the gun shoots through the opening

Well done video, Sir

I got the sky striker and dragonfly for Christmas. The Sky Striker really was an amazing toy!

Love these joe videos

I had the hiss that is as my first vichele, but I noticed the driver was never in the show