My friends, the time has come! The highly anticipated “Collecting the art of G.I.Joe” Omnibus Hardcover by R. Carson Mataxis and Chad Hucal has begun shipping and has already been received by a few lucky members in our community! They were kind enough to share some pics. Check it out! –
Our first in-hand confirmation came from Mr. Matt M. on Facebook via The Art of G.I.Joe Facebook group. Matt notes the following:
“Opened it up and perused the book and it’s oh so very good from start to finish. This was well worth the wait and it’s evident a lot of dedication was put into making this.”
Heck yeah! Another lucky gent, Mr. Alex K. of the same group, shared the following image, showcasing the new centerpiece of his killer display –
Needless to say, I’m beyond excited to get my hands on this offering. I’m going to be sitting by the mailbox like a puppy waiting for the school bus at 3 o’clock.
Missed out on the campaign? No worries, Carson has you covered. You can pick up a copy of the book here – https://www.3djoes.com/omnibus-hardcover.html
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover is here! Pre-order your copy today.
What is The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover?
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover is an unparalleled celebration of the art of A Real American Hero! Already own the softcovers? Give this officially licensed hardcover a look, it is bigger and better in every way.
First, bigger! The original softcover books are 8″ x 11” tall, and the slipcase is 8.5″ x 11.5” tall. The new Omnibus Hardcover is 13.5” x 14.5” and the clamshell case pushes it to an astounding 14″ x 15″!
Next, better! This hardcover isn’t just taller and wider, it is packed with new and remastered content!
1982-1986 have been completely remastered! Here we see the original restored 1982 Zap MOC photo and the all new restored 1982 Zap MOC photo.
This comprehensive celebration of the painted art of G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero features every carded figure, vehicle, playset, poster and peripheral product featuring painted art released from 1982-1994, plus an unprecedented look at some unreleased paintings that never made it through to production.
The Omnibus Hardcover will feature an unprecedented look at some unreleased paintings that never made it through to production.
The softcover set was 460 pages. The new Omnibus Hardcover is a mammoth 712 pages! So how did we fill these new pages?
We’ve been on a mission to document the stories of the folks that created this timeless artwork. We’ve traveled to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Queens, Manhattan, Connecticut, South Carolina, Florida, Chicago and more to interview folks like Kirk Bozigian (former G.I.Joe Brand Manager and Vice President of Boys Toys), Ron Rudat (former Hasbro designer and creator of the first six years of G.I.Joe figures), Mark Pennington (former Hasbro designer and creator of the next three years of G.I.Joe figures), Ed Morrill (former Partner of CLS&M, the packaging firm that created the packaging for G.I.Joe from 1969-1989), Doug Hart (former Hasbro artist responsible for the lion’s share of late 80s and early 90s G.I.Joe paintings!), Vincent D’Alleva (former G.I.Joe Brand Manager), and Bill Merklein (contract sculptor that crafted over 70 G.I.Joe figures from 1983-1989).
We conducted comprehensive interviews and solved some of the unsolved packaging mysteries that have puzzled collectors for decades. Not only do these creators’ stories fill the pages of the Omnibus Hardcover, you can hear their stories first hand on these DVD and Blu-ray disks!
What is included in my The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover order?
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero includes a 38″ x 14.5″ dust jacket!
This Omnibus Hardcover features offset lithograph printing throughout and a beautiful 95# cover wrapped on a 120pt. board with gloss lamination. One of the Kickstarter backers inquired as to whether this cover was going to be a removable dust jacket or if it would be attached to the hardcover. It will be attached. They added that “it would be nice to have it as a [dust jacket] so we can have it as a poster (amazing collage !!!)” As soon as he said that, we got to work. The dust jacket below covers the 13.5″ wide front, the 3″ wide spine, the 13.5″ wide back, and two 4″ wide flaps that wrap around the cover into the interior.
This massive dust jacket measures 37″ wide by 14.5″ tall, and yes, you’ll be able to take it off and frame it. What’s more, the same design is printed on the inside of the dust jacket, with logos and text removed: so you’ll have an unobscured look at the wonderful art!
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover features a wraparound collage of paintings by every major illustrator that contributed to the brand. Shown clockwise from the top-left corner below are 1991 Cesspool by Doug Hart, G.I.JOE Magazine fold-out poster by David Dorman, 1984 Storm Shadow by Hector Garrido, Operation: Deadly Decoy (1986 Ballantine) by Hector Garrido, Stars and Stripes Forever (1982 Hasbro) by Ron Rudat, Fool’s Gold (1988 Ballantine) by Earl Norem, 1991 Cobra Ice Sabre presentation art (artist unknown), 1992 Snake-Eyes Battle Gear by Doug Hart, Operation Star Fight (1987 Marvel Books) by Earl Norem, Operation Raging River (1987 Marvel Books) by Earl Norem, 1986 direct mail by Paul Alexander, Operation: Killer Comet (1987 Ballantine) by Hector Garrido, 1982 JUMP: Jet Mobile Propulsion Unit by Hector Garrido, 1992 Mutt & Junkyard by Doug Hart, 1987 Falcon by Hector Garrido, Divide and Conquer (1988 Ballantine) by Earl Norem, 1990 General: Mobile Strike Headquarters by Doug Hart, and G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero (1992 Konami, artist unknown).
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero includes a 14″ x 15″ clamshell case!
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover’s clamshell case was designed as an homage to the 1982 Official Collector Display Case. The clamshell case, book, folder and prints weigh in at over 19 pounds! You have to hold one in your hands to believe it.
The interior illustrations depict the creators’ favorite characters, including Falcon for R. Carson Mataxis, Lifeline for Chad Hucal, Rock ‘n Roll for Brian Sauer, Cesspool for Doug Hart, Cloudburst for Bob Lavoie, Alpine for Bill Merklein, Cross Country for Guy Cassaday, Recondo for Ed Morrill, Tunnel Rat for Larry Hama, Leatherneck for Ron Rudat, Hit ‘n Run for Mark Pennington, and Law for Kirk Bozigian.
The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero includes a Limited Edition Art Print portfolio!
This Limited Edition Art Print portfolio features the 1986 Catalog Art wrapped around the front and back.
This Limited Edition Art Print portfolio opens to reveal 12 Backers’ Choice Limited Edition Art Prints on the left and 12 Editors’ Choice Limited Edition Art Prints on the right. This folder measures 23″ wide by 14.5″ tall.
All 12 Backers’ Choice Limited Edition Art Prints can be seen below.
Roll over the images below for more information, or click to view them full screen.
1) Stars and Stripes Forever by Ron Rudat
2) 1982 To The Rescue (artist unknown)
3) 1982 Official Collector Display Case by Hector Garrido
4) 1982 Snake Eyes by Hector Garrido
5) 1983 Destro by Hector Garrido
6) 1984 Baroness by Hector Garrido
7) 1984 Cobra Water Moccasin by Hector Garrido
8) 1984 Killer W.H.A.L.E. by Hector Garrido
9) 1984 Storm Shadow by Hector Garrido
10) 1985 Catalog Art by Hector Garrido
11) 1985 Snake Eyes by Hector Garrido
12) 1986 Vipers by Hector Garrido
All 12 Editors’ Choice Limited Edition Art Prints can be seen below.
Roll over the images below for more information, or click to view them full screen.
1) 1983 Snow Job by Hector Garrido
2) 1983 Tyco Train Set by Bart Doe
3) 1984 Blowtorch by Hector Garrido
4) 1984 Scrap-Iron by Hector Garrido
5) 1984 Spirit by Hector Garrido
6) 1987 Catalog Art by Doug Hart
7) 1988 Accessory Pack by Earl Norem
8) 1988 Ballantine YAF Fools Gold by Earl Norem
9) 1990 Collage by Doug Hart (released overseas)
11) 1991 Cesspool by Doug Hart
12) Unproduced Sea Set by Doug Hart
Don’t miss The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero DVD + Blu-Ray Digipack!
Over the last several years we’ve been on a mission to document the stories of the folks that created this timeless artwork. We’ve traveled to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Queens, Manhattan, Connecticut, South Carolina, Florida, Chicago, and more to interview folks like Kirk Bozigian (former G.I.JOE Brand Manager and Vice President of Boys Toys), Vincent D’Alleva (former G.I.JOE Brand Manager), Ron Rudat (former Hasbro designer and creator of the first six years of G.I.Joe figures), Mark Pennington (former Hasbro designer and creator of the next three years of G.I.Joe figures), Ed Morrill (former Partner of CLS&M, the packaging firm that created the packaging for G.I.JOE from 1969-1989), Doug Hart (former Hasbro artist responsible for the lion’s share of late 80s and early 90s G.I.JOE paintings!), and Bill Merklein (contract sculptor that crafted over 70 G.I.JOE figures from 1983-1989). We conducted comprehensive interviews and solved some of the unsolved packaging mysteries that have puzzled collectors for decades. Not only do these creators’ stories fill the pages of the Omnibus Hardcover, you can hear their stories first hand on these DVD and Blu-ray disks!
Interior (top) and exterior (bottom) unfolded The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Digipack. Discs not shown.
Pre-order your Omnibus Hardcover and DVD/Blu-Ray Digipack today!
There you have it, my friends! Many thanks again go to Matt & Alex for the use of their images, along with another round of thanks for Carson & Chad for putting this together. This love letter to the brand is something that I will cherish for a long time to come.
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