GI Joe
The Package
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This location is one of the playgrounds at Windsor Gardens. Another member of the Joe Team was called to an anonymous location in "The Arrival." Click to see that story. This is an Adventures Of GI Joe with red flocked hair and Van Dyke beard. The Adventure Team logo, the sign of a great toy line since 1970. The ATII, or Mobile Support Vehicle, one of the coolest toys in the Adventure Team line. The ATII, or Mobile Support Vehicle, one of the coolest toys in the Adventure Team line.


The location was superb because of the trees in the distance, and the mottling of light as the sun was setting in the afternoon. The history of GI Joe begins as a military man. However, in 1970, with Viet Nam turning people against war, GI Joe adapted and became an international adventure organization. The rear section of the MSV detaches and becomes a mobile headquarters. The front cab of the MSV clips to the back, but detaches as an exploration vehicle. Joe is wearing his "Save The White Tiger" blue t-shirt and tan pants.


The gorgeous evening sun was setting amidst the many trees, making for a perfect background. During a previous mission, one of Joe's team-mates arrived just in time to save Jake from asphyxiation, finding him buried in a sarcophagus. Click here to see that story. This is a large radar dish from the Small Soldiers Ground Assault Vehicle. Click here to see it in detail. The introduction of the Adventures Of GI Joe sets in 1998 signalled a new revival of the Adventure Team among collectors. I got this ladder, which was missing when I bought the MSV, from a Sandboxer in a trade. This panel pops down revealing communication equipment. But it has operating switches that activate some of the toy's motorized features, like the search light and radar. Wind-up spinners came with the MSV. These are supposedly sattelites that launch from the vehicle. This is a radar that originall rotated using a large motor and belt drive inside the vehicle. This one is non-functional, as the belt has melted away, and the motor corroded. Originally a functioning search-light, this one now should work if I fixed the MSV up, but currently doesn't light. This panel slides back, opening access to storage on the side of the vehicle. Its computers and screens are painted cardboard, fitting with the style of art for the Adventure Team during the 1970s. The rear flap flips up, hinged in the center, to reveal the interior of the MSV. The closest thing to the Adventure Team in modern times, the Ultra Corps by Lanard supplied this great high-tech backpack for Joe's use. This is a Ken tool box, with an AT sticker I printed.


Top Cop Arrives chronicles the arrival of an ERTL Top Cop figure. I needed the figure so I could put a vintage Eagle Eye Action Man head on him. Click here to see that story. Click to see the story. This headphone set came from the GI Joe 2010 set called "Shadow Ops". This is the first GI Joe to be flocked since a couple of the ill-devised Hall of Fame Joes in the early 1990s. The central antenna of this radar device is a missile that fires. Strange, considering it doesn't look like a weapon. Complicated dials festoon this panel, making for excellent play value. But add to that the switch above that activates the motorized radar and searchlight, and this is any kid's dream toy, especially in the post-Space-Race 1970s. The ATII is probably called thus because of the ATV, the six-wheeled amphibious vehicle that predates this one.


The whole Top Cop Arrives story was intended to be a joke, though the premise was true - Jake was doomed to undergo a head replacement. Click here to see that story. In the Top Cop Arrives story, another Joe heads to coordinates remarkably close by. I mean, look at all these dials and displays! This really was the ideal kid toy! I wish I had one when I was a kid. I mean, look at all these dials and displays! This really was the ideal kid toy! I wish I had one when I was a kid.


One problem with doing shoots in the wild is that you often find things like oak leaves that just stand out as being WAY out of scale... When I find a large leaf in shot, I usually get rid of it, but sometimes I just say "to heck with it" and ignore it. I found this MSV in a classified ad on the internet. I paid $60.00 for it, and was quite pleased with the purchase. This map swings out from a rack, and has the locations of GI Joe Headquarters worldwide. While I do love this GPS backpack from Lanard, they recently made one in blue and red - the perfect Adventure Team colors! I must have! This Ken tool kit was a lucky find. I got it at a local Benny's store, and it was the last one I've ever seen in stores.


I have absolutely nothing of importance to say about his buttons. Note that the Adventure Team map of headquarters does not include Canada. The AT logo was printed on my printer and attached with poster gum. I have absolutely nothing of importance to say about his buttons.


Under his Whtie Tiger shirt, our Joe wears a black lycra wetsuit that came with the Hawk River set. The flocked head of GI Joe is the first full-production flocked, bearded head in some time. The idea was to mimic the Adventure Team heads of the 1970s with an updated look.


I have to say, I really love the camera that I used on this shoot. It was a Nikon CoolPix 950. This airplane is from the Gundam series of toys. It comes on bubble-card, and includes a large green cargo bay (not attached) and several small Gundam mechs.


This is a great toy. It reminded me of the craft from Thunderbirds. I shot this upside down on a floor and superimposed it in photoshop. This picture is all wrong. In normal flight, the parachute would trail out behind the box as it fell, not in front like it is. But for visual effect, this works better.


This is a photo of the box that you see later, shrunken. The parachute was taken from one of many GI Joe convention photos I found on the net, where collectors get together on the top of a tall building and try to land their paratrooper Joes into a bucket on the ground. I painted in the red myself. This is the day-care building on my apartment grounds. Normally I'm careful of putting anything into frame that may ruin the scale effect, but this one didn't matter, as you could not tell by detail how far away the building is. The parachute was proposed by Leonardo DaVinci in sketches from his notebooks. His were pyramidal in shape, and I don't think they were tested in practical application.


My MSV is corroded inside the battery compartment, and the belt that used to rotate the light and radar is gone. I intend to repair this at some point. This is one of the sattelite dishes that launches from the MSV. These are highly sought after since they got lost so easily. I have about three in the vehicle's storage trays on the other side. Joe's pants and boots are, I believe, from the John F. Kennedy commemorative GI Joe.


Joe in running position was achieved by using a twig to prop him up from his stomach to the ground. It is concealed by his body. This machete is from the Adventures Of GI Joe Hunt for the Pygmy Gorilla set. This is a box that was shipped to me by US Post. I opened it, of course, but when I found out what was in it, I decided it was worth a story, so I sealed it back up for this shoot. This parachute is from the recent Timeless Collection KB Exclusive Talking Pilot. I'm assuming this whole story takes place on the West Coast of North America because of the huge Sequoia or Redwood trees. (Actually they're just oaks, but they look HUGE in the story.)


The key to an action story is the dynamic pose - this one was achieved by propping him up using his left arm as a tripod against the box. The machete has long been a tool for GI Joe, the first ones seen as early as 1966, but perhaps earlier. This parachute is a replica of the one introduced in 1967 with the Fighter Pilot figure. The machete has long been a tool for GI Joe, the first ones seen as early as 1966, but perhaps earlier.


I used an X-Acto knife to cut the box, and inserted the machete into the cut to make it look like Joe was doing the cutting.


Since I was cutting into the real box, I could only have two takes at it. Cutting this side, and cutting the other side. If I got it wrong, I had few options to fix it. You can probably see my address on this label. I should have blurred it a bit...


The wind on the day of the shoot was much higher than I had anticipated. I didn't lay these out to show him unpacking, rather, the wind just took all the peanuts and flung them all over the place. Here's a bit of a hint as to what's in the box.


I'm a sucker for a sight gag, what can I say? This shoot took a little longer than anticipated, and by the time I got here, the sun was going down, and provided for very rich lighting conditions! You'll have to forgive Joe for temporarily ignoring the contents of the box - after all, he's never seen such large packing peanuts before!


The significance of his discovery is beginning to hit Joe... The condition of this ATV was very good. The body plastic was in great shape. Often, melt marks and divots are seen everywhere, from loving play over long periods of time.


I had opened the package before, and placed the handles on before re-sealing it up for the shoot. My intention was to clean up the peanuts - but as you can see, the wind had its way with them, and when I finished the shoot, the prospect was impossible. My intention was to clean up the peanuts - but as you can see, the wind had its way with them, and when I finished the shoot, the prospect was impossible. My intention was to clean up the peanuts - but as you can see, the wind had its way with them, and when I finished the shoot, the prospect was impossible. Joe echoes my sentiments here. I sent Paul a few tiny objects I had lying around, and he sent me THIS in return! My intention was to clean up the peanuts - but as you can see, the wind had its way with them, and when I finished the shoot, the prospect was impossible. The sharp-eyed may notice that these gray handles are not the original handles for this vehicle. Those were broken when I got it. I replaced the handles with handles from a Max Steel ski pole set. The six wheels of the ATV are water-proof, and allow the vehicle to float in water. This storage area has four holes which anchored both a winch, and a pair of rails. I don't have either... sigh.


The ATV was modeled after the popular off-road vehicle, the Amphi-Cat. It was introduced in the Mummy's Tomb set (Click here to see it.) The Adventure Team line faded out of existence in the US in 1976. This was all that was left of the packing peanuts after the wind took them.


There was a note in the box when I opened it. This is what it said. An example of my quick-thinking, (or poor planning - you decide) I had no note prop, so I cut this panel from the pack of the X-Acto knife I used on-set to stand in for the note. This is the original AT sticker that came on the vehicle. The red color had faded somewhat, so I filled it in with a Sharpie marker. The six wheels of the ATV had independent suspension, making for a great toy! The color of the ATV defined the Adventure Team era. Known among collectors as Adventure Team Yellow, many of today's retro-collectors buy modern toy vehicles and paint them yellow in homage to this great toy line. I, myself, painted a German Kubelwagen yellow to serve as an AT vehicle.


I soon replaced these handles with handles of Action Man ski poles I found on a carded set for cheap at KB Toys. The new handles are perfectly suited to this vehicle, and Joe's hands grip them perfectly. These handles did not last long. The gray color clashed with the ATV's color scheme, and their style was way off. Reference to the handles I attached. Later, they were replaced by much nicer handles.


The ATV was reworked into the Troubleshooter, a tracked vehicke with communications gear in the back. It came in orange, and in a rare tan. Typical of the time, this toy took D batteries. They were used to power the motor which rotated the spotlight and the radar, as well as lighthing the spotlight.


These handles, from Max Steel ski poles, have since been replaced by excellent black Action Man ski poles. True to my word, this vehicle is indeed a showpiece in my motor pool. I have every intention of upgrading it with winch and rails, too.


Originally, I was going to have this dog tag have the AT logo but I left it home. The cargo bay of the ATV can be used just as that, or a winch can be added. These four holes are used to attach the winch, or when the winch is not in place, two black rails go here. Finding those rails these days is quite a chore, and they sometimes sell for $15.00 a piece on eBay.


Click here to see me and my cousins playing with my Adventure Team HQ when I was around 9 years old. (See the bottom picture.)


The Adventure Team died in 1976. Well, at least that's when Hasbro stopped making AT toys. The Adventures Of GI Joe revived it somewhat, but this year, with the revisiting of "The Mummy's Tomb", Hasbro has restarted the line. Joe here is quite excited, as you can see.


More adventures are planned for my Adventure Team. Please Stand By...

 - 30 -

Earlier this year I sent just a few little extra items I had to a Sandboxer (a fellow Joe collector) who needed it. Normally, this would be considered Karma (a trade for good-will sake) and nothing more would have been said. But a week or two later I got a package in the mail. A fairly large box. I opened it, curious as all get-out, and what you see above, is what was in that box.

Note, that this is a vintage GI Joe ATV (Adventure Team Vehicle) and was in very good condition. The only problem with the vehicle was that the control handles were missing, so I put some ski-pole handles from a Max Steel set on there instead. Those have since been replaced with Action Man ski-pole handles which are just gorgeous!

Anyway, the ATV was one of my holy grails, and I was so surprised to find this in my mail in exchange for a few paltry bucks worth of extras, that I had to do something special to pay it homage. I hope this was sufficient.

PopText™ is my latest Photo Story invention. The concept is a little like "Pop Up Videos" or Informational Text selections on DVDs. The images in this photo story contain hot-spots with explanatory or expository text, anecdotes, behind the scenes information and in some cases, links to other pages. Simply play your mouse over a picture. If the pointer changes to a hand, let it sit there for a second, and informational text will Pop up! In some cases, you can click the hot-spot to take you to a link. For those whose browsers don't support this feature, please, crawl out of the dark ages! :-)

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