The appeal of G.I. Joe means many things to different people. To me, I had learned to read on comic books in the mid-1970s and was already an avid comic book reader and collector by 1982. G.I. Joe went beyond just the olive drab military into a realm of iron masks, MASS Devices, robot armor, and ninjas.

I asked the amazing crew of G.I. Joburg, a podcast made up of G.I. Joe collectors and fans from Johannesburg, South Africa- half a world away from where I lived, what about G.I. Joe appealed to them.

“G.I. Joe didn’t need a gimmick, he just needed to be set free from his packaging and taken on adventures. Armed with a plastic rifle and your imagination G.I. Joe is there. You could be Joe one day and Cobra the next, being able to explore both sides of your moral compass. G.I. Joe taught us how to be people we may not have the power, but we have the perspective.” - Paul from G.I. Joburg

“The perfect action figure. Scale. Articulation. Detail. Interaction with a range of vehicles and accessories and even other toy lines. A single Joe or Cobra figure was your ticket to take your imagination on the ultimate flight of fancy. And for me, the greatest aspect was sharing the adventure with your trusted allies. That's probably why I still get together and talk Joe with my friends. The social dimension of playtime will be my happy place for as long as I live.” - Steve from G.I. Joburg

“G.I. Joe versus Cobra is such a fundamental battle of good versus evil, and the ideals of the G.I. Joe team are universal and applicable way beyond the battle field. Playing with those figures and vehicles have been and always will be my happiest memories.” - Rob from G.I. Joburg

In addition to their great podcast, be sure to subscribe to the G.I. Joburg YouTube channel as well - here.