Creating G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Volumes 14 and 15

Heads up! Dan Klingensmith Jr. has launched the final campaign in the Creating G.I.Joe series, with volumes 14 & 15 up for grabs! Here’s the scoop –

Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Volumes 14 and 15

Conceptual designs and history around the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand 1982-1994.

Under official license from Hasbro comes the release of “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” book series, Volumes 14 and 15! The fourteenth and fifteen book (AND FINAL) books in the series, “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” (Volume 14 and 15) are each an 80 page, 9”X10” library of designs and stories ranging from 1982-1994. The unique thing about these last two volumes of the series is that they will be featuring concepts that never came to fruition! These fully colored books 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 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 play sets.

Which characters and vehicles will be featured in Volumes 14 and 15?

Table of Contents Volume 14

Table of Contents Volume 15

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. You can choose prints from these two volumes or prints from prior volumes.

2-page spread featuring Ninja Commandos Storm Shadow (page #’s removed on print)

2-page spread featuring the Avenger and ATF/X-18 (page #’s removed on print)

** SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING PAGE SPREADS**

If a character/vehicle from this Volume is NOT noted below, this means that it is a two-page spread on its own (see the example above).

VOLUME 14 breakdown:

Arctic Commandos and Anvil ( 1 spread)
Vortex XS-2 and Striker XS-1 (1 spread)
G.I. Joe Train & G.I. Joe Train and Phantom XS-3 (2 separate spreads….4 pages)
Battle Corps Rangers Duke & Battle Corps Rangers Duke and Battle Corps Rangers Dr. Minbender (2 separate spreads….4 pages)
Enforcer and Battle Corps Rangers Cobra Pest (1 spread)
Battle Corps Rangers Eel and Star Brigade Payload (1 spread)
War Dog and Manimals Slaver (1 spread)
Manimals Eyeclops & Battle Scan (1 spread)
X-Soldiers and Manimal concepts & Manimal concepts (2 separate spreads….4 pages)
Battle Corps Rangers Seawolf and Battle Corps Rangers Battle Station (1 spread)

VOLUME 15 breakdown:

N.O.D and Night-Run (1 spread)
Latitude and Vector Pilots (1 spread)
Ski Patrol and Bayou (1 spread)
Avenger and ATF/X-18 (1 spread)
Scrambler and AMLS (1 spread)
Laser Defense and Star Fighters (1 spread)
Ninja Attack and Hercules (1 spread)
C.R.A.B. and Trax ( 1 spread)
Cobra Sub ( 2 spreads….4 pages)
Battle Tracks and Combat Trax (1 spread)
Cobra Spike and Windborne (1 spread)
Oil Baron and Baroness (1 spread)
Bio-Teck Viper and Igor (1 spread)
Manimals Sobian and Manimals Khepraeus (1 spread)
M.A.R.C.H. and Hopper (1 spread)
Starwalker and Shuttle (1 spread)
Double Shot and Black Hole (1 spread)
Overload and Shipwreck (1 spread)
Cloak and Vatje (1 spread)
Zoomie and Al Titude (1 spread)
Last Stand and Sand Cycle (1 spread)
Camo Force and Alternate Cobra Logo (1 spread)
British S.A.S. and Israeli (1 spread)
Hayseed and Uproot (1 spread)
Lotus Steel and CHIK (1 spread)
Jammer and Sgt. Stone (1 spread)
COM. V.1. and Cavalry Series (1 spread)
Banjoe and Head Banger (1 spread)
Scimitar and Desert Chameleon (1 spread)
Prospects and Double Act (1 spread)
Meteor and Infiltrator (1 spread)
Salamander and Wolf (1 spread)
Scan and Air Jeep (1 spread)
Crawler and Personnel Carrier (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.

STRETCH GOAL #1: Slipcase to hold all 15 Volumes of the book series….TBD

Several people have asked about a slipcase to hold all 15 books! I’m currently working on different quotes to see if this can be offered as a stretch goal. More details to follow!

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 series 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 series 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. My goal going forward is to release 1-2 volumes a year.

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. Depending on the stretch goal of the slipcase being met, the time frame could be a little longer than normal.

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. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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.

Let’s help Dan close out the series and bring these two volumes home! Let’s also get that slipcase created, as my OCD cringes every time I look at my set and see just the 1st four encapsulated! 😀

Creating G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Volumes 14 and 15

Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Volumes 14 and 15

Is this Volume different from previous Volumes?