Games - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

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	Games - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour animated series based on the successful toyline from Hasbro and comic book series from Marvel Comics. The series was preceded by two 5-part mini-series. The series ran from 1985 to 1986. A second series ran from 1990 to 1992.

The first G.I. Joe cartoon series was produced by Marvel and Sunbow Productions to follow the success of the toyline by Hasbro. G.I. Joe started as a five part mini-series on September 12, 1983. With the success of the first mini-series, a second was aired, G.I. Joe: The Revenge Of Cobra, on September 10, 1984. The ongoing series started on September 15, 1985. Sunbow's G.I. Joe series ended on November 20 1986 airing a total of 95 episodes. G.I. Joe: The Movie was released direct to video on April 20, 1987. For various reasons, Sunbow Productions did not continue production for a third season and the company folded. Interestingly, despite G.I. Joe's success, no other studio offered to produce.

In 1989, DIC Entertainment produced the second series starting with a 5-part mini-series titled Operation: Dragonfire. Despite mixed reaction from fans, a regular series was broadcast in 1990 and it, too, lasted for two seasons producing 44 episodes.

The next few years, various cartoons tied in to the G.I. Joe franchise were released but they had nothing to do with the A Real American Hero mythology. 1994 saw a direct video release for Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles. Another studio, Claster was contracted and created a new series title G.I. Joe Extreme
in 1996 featuring new characters and villains.

In 2003, Reel FX Creative Studio produced a cartoon based on A Real American Hero. Although it was only direct to video CGI movie, G.I. Joe: Spy Troops managed to spawn a second movie, G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, in 2004. Any further planned follow-ups, however, are put away as Hasbro pushes the latest incarnation in their G.I. Joe series, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6
. Although Sigma 6 is connected to A Real American Hero, it is its own continuity and Hasbro is not expected to return to A Real American Hero.

Sunbow Series

The Mini-Series

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero The five part pilot mini-series. This mini-series is alternatively titled "The MASS Device" by fans. Cobra steals a special transportation device called the MASS. The MASS machine has the power to transport matter to anywhere using the power of a satellite to make it more powerful than ever. G.I. Joe must stop Cobra by creating a MASS device of their own, but they need gather the three rare elements that power the device. The three elements are located in three different environments, thus, the story is structured in a way that would showcase the Joes and their different specialties.

G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra Cobra is back again using a new weapon created by Destro, the Weather Dominator that is able to control the weather. It was destroyed in battle, breaking into three pieces. The pieces scatter all over the world and the G.I. Joe had to recover the pieces before Cobra could reclaim the scatter pieces to rebuild the Weather Dominator. Similar in structure to the first mini-series, the Weather Dominator components are located in different environments that would showcase the characters' specialties.

The Series

After two mini-series, the regular series aired in 1985, starting with a third five-parter, Pyramid of Darkness. A public safety lesson is usually featured at the end of each episode using G.I. Joe characters giving important safety tips to children. These lessons gave birth to the catchphrase: "And knowing is half the battle."

Because the cartoons are made to sell the toys, each episode usually focuses on a particular G.I. Joe character thus giving almost everyone a chance in the spotlight. Although the cartoon series do not have anything in common with the comic books in terms of stories, a few ideas from the comics were introduced into the cartoon as well. The October Guard and Springfield are some examples of the crossover of ideas.

Season two features Sgt. Slaughter who appeared on the fourth five-parter Arise, Serpentor , Arise. Fans of the 1980s GI Joe series produced by Sunbow feel that the series jumped the shark in the second season with the introduction of Serpentor and other new characters on both sides of the G.I. Joe/Cobra conflict. Many feel that the quality of the stories deteriorated during the second season along with the animation.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (TV series) ]

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