G.I. Joe : “Arise, Serpentor, Arise!”, -1986
Welcome back to another brand new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Dion Baia and J. Blake are taking a trip down memory lane, covering an epic story from a monumental television series from our collective youth. The boys are revisiting the animated classic G.I. Joe, and the 5-parter storyline that premiered Season 2 and reset the series, called “Arise, Serpentor, Arise! “, from 1986.
Blake and Dion analyze the origins and history of G.I. Joe as a toyline from Hasbro, and how with its reinvention in 1982 (with the help of Marvel Comics), became one of the biggest and most popular toy lines in history. In typical SNMS fashion, they discuss the Serpentor storyline and utilize as a cross reference, the differences in the comic book‘s story arc, to unpack how ahead of its time this and other core stories were in G.I. Joe, and how the Season 2 reset launched an entire new line of toys for us to buy. So come on and have a listen as the boys revisit a classic, on an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!
*The 1945 Robert Mitchum/Burgess Meredith film is titled The Story of G.I. Joe, not just G.I. Joe.
*Dion misspoke and said Lifeline when he meant Lift-Ticket, who piloted the Tomahawk helicopter.
Extras!
As discussed in the podcast, Blake & Dion attended Hascon in September of 2017. Here are some photos they took of the G.I. Joe display (We apologize for the reflections in some of the pictures- we just couldn’t eliminate those pesky things; and for the framing of other pics- we were moving as quickly as we could to see all the displays! ):
- Check out some original 12inch Joes from the 1960s-70s Here, here, here and here;
- Some amazing original character sketches and designs from Series One, Here here, here, here, here, here, here, and here;
- Here is some beautiful original paintings and artwork done for G.I. Joe in the 1980s by legendary artist Hector Garrido here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here!
- The original designs and prototypes from characters that appear in 1987‘s G.I. Joe: The Movie : here, here, here, and here!
- Post 1987 movie designs and prototypes for characters, here (note the size of prototypes), here, here, here, here, and here!
For more extras, click more!
Check out issue #49 of G.I. Joe, where the story of Serpentor unfolds!
Take a look at this television commercial promoting the Serpentor storyline in the comic book!
Here is the UK cover art for the Arise, Serpentor, Arise! series, under the name “Action Force“.
Some VHS artwork for the 5 parter!
Take a look at these original Marvel television commercials to promote G.I. Joe and it’s comic book!
Have a look at these classic G.I. Joe toy commercials!
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Wow! This took me back! I always thought the idea of Serpentor was unnecessary. This ain’t Star Wars…GI Joe didn’t need to have another secret emperor behind the main villain. And yet, somehow, they made it work! I saw this mini-series in re-runs on the USA Cartoon Express as a kid with the Sgt Slaughter segments. Serpentor’s birth freaked me out.
I remembering going through a big G.I.Joe phase in like 1991 or 92. Like I had the figures in the 80’s but I didn’t really get into it until the DIC run (ughh, I know)There was a Woolworth near me on Third Avenue that had 2 for $5 G.I.Joe figures and that’s what I’d spend my allowance on. My aunt bought me a year subscription to the Marvel comic and One Christmas, my parents either went to Odd Job or Toys R Us because I got like six figures and three vehicles plus the movie on VHS. I played the tape while playing with my toys and it’s one of my fondest Christmas memories. I later learned they were from the previous year’s line which is probably why they were so inexpensive, but fuck it, I didn’t care! I loved them.
For me Serpentor is forever linked with G.I.Joe the movie as that’s where I saw him the most. I got that tape signed by Sgt. Slaughter in 2002. When the WWE would have house shows at MSG, my friends and I would wait by the side entrance and the parking lot across the street (the one Conner Macleod speeds out of in Highlander) for the wrestlers to show up. Sarge was still with the company at that point in a backstage capacity. Me and my buddy Tom who were huge G.I.Joe fans waited and waited for him to show. Our asshole friends kept yelling “Sgt. Slaughter” randomly to trick us. But at the very end of the night he popped out with his friend. Me and Tom didn’t spot him but one of our friends called us over and assured us it wasn’t a trick. Tom and I bolted down the block to the corner to catch up with him. His friend was being a dick saying “Bob, come on man, we gotta go” but Sarge basically told him to calm down and he was more than generous with his time with us. He signed my VHS tape, Tom’s G.I.Joe shirt and took a picture with us. He was a class act and I’ll never forget that night.
This was an unexpected episode, but, as you can see, it brought back so many good memories. Thanks, guys!
Hey Jose! Wow, what great memories! And what a great guy Sgt. Slaughter sounds like. It’s so nice to hear good stories like that. Yeah, with G.I. Joe being one of our favorite shows, toys and franchises as children (and kinda still is lol) we had a lot of passion going into this one. So we’re so glad it brought back so many fond memories for you. And as always, thank you for all of your support. Means a lot. Take care. -Dion
I’m 50 minutes into this podcast, really LOVING it. Nice history of the 12″ line and the launching of the 3.75″ line.
Also very cool comment by Jose here.
Thanks Tony. And thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 🙂