#ICYMI – Dan has shared word that a stretch goal for Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Volume 13 will (hopefully) be a Night Force Card Back featuring Low-Light and Blaster! I say hopefully as it’s still pending approval from Hasbro. With that said, here’s the scoop –
STRETCH GOAL #1 ADDED: Night Force Card Back featuring Low-Light and Blaster
Posted by Steel City Publishing, LLC
Sep 17, 2023
View on Kickstarter
As I have teased out on social media, there were 4 other characters slotted for the Night Force Subgroup in 1988. ! I’ll be featuring some memos, art, and customs based on the original PMS colors inside Volume 13!
To expand upon this awesome information, I have teamed up with Adam Riches to create 2 unproduced card backs featuring these 4 characters as stretch goals! This stretch goal is for the Low-Light and Blaster card back.
Using vintage proofs as a base, he was able to digitally create one card back. Since the other two characters are vehicle drivers, Adam did the character art by hand and painted traditionally as they would have in the past! I’m very excited and as always, Adam has done an excellent job!
If $23,000 is met, this stretch goal will be unlocked and everyone who pledges towards any of the Rewards* of this Kickstarter (Volume 13) will receive this unique card back! This will be shipped within the same package as your books!
** If you do the Reward for 2 copies of Volume 13, you will receive 2 card backs.
*Final design approval is with Hasbro at the moment.
How awesome is that?! I was already in for a copy, so this is a very nice surprise. If you haven’t gotten your pledge in for your copy, you can do so here:
Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Volume 13
nder official license from Hasbro comes the release of “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” book series, Volume 13! The thirteenth book in the series, “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” (Volume 13) is an 80+ page, 9”X10” library of designs and stories ranging from 1982-1994, including some unproduced concepts! This fully colored book will be printed on 100# paper in a Soft Perfect Bind format with a visible spine like a graphic novel. Although there have been many books written about G.I. Joe, what makes the “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” series unique is the fact that the information shared within the book comes from exclusive interviews with former employees who worked on the G.I. Joe brand. Some of the things to expect include:
• The inspiration and influences behind the different figures and vehicles straight from the designers’ point of view…
• Alternate names for figures and vehicles pulled from Larry Hama’s dossiers or from the original concepts themselves…
• Details pulled from Larry Hama’s dossiers after comparing them with the released filecard on the final product…
• Information pulled directly from internal memos regarding decisions or changes made to the brand in the 80s and 90s
• Insider stories from former employees ranging from Marketing to Engineering regarding the changes that occurred during the design process…
• Conceptual designs and photographs that will show the progression and different stages of creating a figure or vehicle. This includes concept pencils and inks, sculpture sheets, color studies, color presentation art, models, and much much more!
Is this Volume different from previous Volumes?
Yes. Although the format will look similar in each volume, the content will be different. Written by Kirk Bozigian, former Vice President of Hasbro Boys Toys, the first four volumes starts with a look into the origins of G.I.Joe in 1964 and leads into the relaunch in 1982. The remaining volumes go into and will continue to explore the process it took to make the figures and vehicles for the G.I.Joe : A Real American Hero line! Following the written section, the Gallery of Design features images of different characters, vehicles, and playsets.
Which characters and vehicles will be included in Volume 13?
Rewards:
There will be 11”X17” prints available of the two-page spreads which will be printed on 100# paper. They will display beautifully framed or in a shadow box where you can also display your favorite Joe or Cobra toy that fits within these dimensions! (page numbers will be removed). A survey will be sent at the end of the Kickstarter asking which spread(s) you want.
** SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING PAGE SPREADS**
If a character or vehicle from this Volume is NOT noted below, this means that it is a two-page spread on its own (see the Snake Eyes example above).
VOLUME 13 breakdown:
· Snake Eyes & Timber (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· Crankcase & AWE (1 spread)
· Law & Order (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· Defiant (3 separate spreads….6 pages total)
· Sea Ray & IMP(1 spread)
· Mean Dog and Mean Dog & Sgt. Slaughter (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· Rage & Ice Sabre(1 spread)
· Sonic Fighters and Sonic Fighters & Battle Wagon (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· Septic Tank & and Toxo-Zombie (1 spread)
· Dice & T’Jbang (1 spread)
· Duke & Destro (1 spread)
· Patriot & Mega Marines Mirage (1 spread)
· Keel-Haul & Bazooka (1 spread)
· Long Arm & Iceberg (1 spread)
· Star Brigade Payload & Effects (1 spread)
· Shipwreck & Flint (1 spread)
If you missed getting prints from Volume 12due to the complexity of ordering, below is a breakdown from that Volume. If a character or vehicle from Volume 12 is NOT noted below, this means that it is a two-page spread on its own (see the Snake Eyes example above).
VOLUME 12 breakdown:
· Slugger & Night Landing (1 spread)
· Trouble Bubble & and Silver Mirage(1 spread)
· Leatherneck (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· S.L.A.M & Coastal Defender(1 spread)
· Arctic Blast & Mudfighter(1 spread)
· General (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)
· Ace & Heli Viper (1 spread)
· Wild Bill & Parasite (1 spread)
· Storm Eagle & Liquidator (1 spread)
· Mega Marines Blast Off & Mega Marines Gung-Ho (1 spread)
· Beach-Head & Alley Viper (1 spread)
· Zartan & Banzai (1 spread)
· Cobra Commander & Law (1 spread)
· Ace & Ghoststriker (1 spread)
· Dialtone & Lifeline (1 spread)
· Razorblade & Metalhead(1 spread)
If interested in other characters or vehicles, please check out my contents pages on my site to see who/what else has been featured: https://www.creatinggijoe.com/services-7.
Where did this project come from?
Although I purchased my first few pieces of pre-production artwork in 2005, it was not until 2009 that I got the idea of exploring the origins of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand. The concept of the book was to learn more about the process of making G.I.Joe at that time and recognizing all the individuals who participated in its creation and continued success from 1982-1994. The book concept itself did go through several changes over the last few years, but it eventually came back to my original idea of showcasing the original designs and any stories related to them or the product itself.
To make the book series more affordable, I made the decision to break it down into smaller volumes. The goal this year is to release 4 books which will wrap up the series!
Why do we need this book?
According to New York Toys and Hobby World, the 1985 series of G.I.Joe was ranked the best selling toy in America. The Complete Encyclopedia to G.I.Joe, by Vincent Santelmo, states it was estimated that “Hasbro sold the equivalent of two G.I.Joe/Cobra series figures to every boy in the nation between the ages of 5-12” in 1986”.
When it comes to the G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero era, there have not been books produced like the ones I have completed and the ones I continue to work towards releasing. When you look at society today and the draw toward collecting, many people prize things they either owned or have fond memories of from their childhood. It does not matter what people collect, people like to revisit their childhood and escape from reality and the stresses of today’s world. For those of us who played with G.I.Joe in the 1980s and 1990s, my book will allow you to tap into those memories and appreciate the amount of creativity, time, and energy it took to make G.I.Joe: ARAH an iconic toy brand.
Do you need to be a G.I. Joe enthusiast to enjoy this book?
The answer is simply, no. This book appeals to anyone who enjoys learning the process of toy design, industrial design, product design, engineering, marketing, as well as many other disciplines involved in developing a product. It should also appeal to fans of the comic industry seeing that several of the designers who worked on G.I. Joe in the late 1980s and into the 1990s were graduates of The Kubert School, a school founded by comic artist and teacher, Joe Kubert!
What is the plan and what is the schedule?
Once the campaign is funded, the pledges will take approximately two weeks to process. Once they have been processed, the order will then go to the printer, who will need 3-4 weeks to print the book. Books will be fulfilled by Steel City Publishing, LLC shortly after the books are printed.
Publisher Information and Copyright Information
Publisher: Steel City Publishing, LLC
Every effort has been made to locate the copyright holders of some select material used in this book. Should there be any omission, we apologize and shall be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgments in future editions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
G.I. JOE and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. © 2023 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by Hasbro.
This book is a result of the author’s independent research on the subject matter and is intended to provide information for collectors. Written materials taken from these interviews were reviewed by the individuals who provided the information.
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.
Some images shown are provided by those who worked on the G.I. Joe brand and by collectors.
Risks and challenges
Risks and challenges I don’t expect any delays with the printer or Hasbro’s approval. If there are any delays, everyone will be updated.
Stay tuned for more info as it’s made available!
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