GI Joe Art

One of the things I love about GI Joe is the wonderful card and box art, mainly by the late, great Hector Garrido. As a kid Flint's art, in particular, was my favorite. I was constantly trying to draw it. For years I've wished that I had access to high quality, original images to display. Over the last couple of weeks I found access to some of these files and am very happy to finally make progress on this front.

Yup. The eye catching Hector Garrido package art and figure designs by Ron Rudat are what got me interested in Joes. Not comics or cartoons.

Carson’s Art of GIJoe is a must.

I love what 3D joes has done to archive so much. Speaking of Rudat, I thought it was really interesting that he illustrated this book.

https://www.3djoes.com/operation-outer-space-1984.html

Great thread. Same here, that art was a huge draw for me as a kid. To this day, it brings back so many memories anytime I see it. I was fortunate enough to get the same Storm Shadow image you have above signed by Keone Young a couple of years ago. I have also seen several people online selling metal signs of the box art for Joe vehicles. I was tempted to get the Flagg one.

Thanks for starting this.

karamazov80 said:

One of the things I love about GI Joe is the wonderful card and box art, mainly by the late, great Hector Garrido. As a kid Flint's art, in particular, was my favorite. I was constantly trying to draw it. For years I've wished that I had access to high quality, original images to display. Over the last couple of weeks I found access to some of these files and am very happy to finally make progress on this front.

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You need that single card Zartan one with the floating mask as a print.... Its a legendary image, almost mythical.

Shai said:

You need that single card Zartan one with the floating mask as a print.... Its a legendary image, almost mythical.

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I appreciate that one but don't care as much for it personally. He's missing the shoulder armor, and has a pointed Jawa hood. But if I could find a high quality image I would print one. Missing that, Firefly, and Duke, which I want. I did find a Flint, though.

karamazov80 said:

I appreciate that one but don't care as much for it personally. He's missing the shoulder armor, and has a pointed Jawa hood. But if I could find a high quality image I would print one. Missing that, Firefly, and Duke, which I want. I did find a Flint, though.

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That pic is all you need to see and Flint is instantly the Joe to have leading the way! I remember walking into the local toy store and seeing this figure on the pegs for the first time… had to have it!!!

Awesome wall art Kara

DEATHASYLUM said:

That pic is all you need to see and Flint is instantly the Joe to have leading the way! I remember walking into the local toy store and seeing this figure on the pegs for the first time… had to have it!!!

Awesome wall art Kara

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Thanks. I also printed out a big one of these: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gijoe/images/a/ae/85art.jpg

Just not sure where it makes sense to hang it.

Though I would get some Joes and vehicles here or there as presents, the only figures I vividly remember seeing at stores from that era was Shipwreck (at a pharmacy I think, didn't get it and regretted it!), Airtight (from a KayBee store that I got), and the Crimson Twins (that I also got from a Wal-Mart). I was too young to appreciate most of the '84-'85 crew until after they were almost completely gone from stores, so maybe late '86 or so, and the fact that they kept syndicating the cartoon was like torture. A couple of years later my mom bought a full collection from the kid of someone she worked with, but still missing some of my favorites like Flint. Tiger Force was nice, but not exactly what we wanted, so it wasn't until eBay that I was able to finally gobble up all the figures that my friends and cousins had but I could only fantasize about.

I was 9 when I first seen Snake Eyes and RockNRoll at Kmart in 82! Immediately grabbed them and asked my mom can I get these? And she said yes! Nothing beat Flint though… greatest action figure of all time for me. Walked in and out of the store with Flint.. will never forget it

That was the start of madness and obsession going forward with Gi Joe. I mean my Adventure Team Eagle Eyes was awesome and I had a ton of gear for him, but the 3 3/4 action figure immediately became my favorite toy! Even surpassing my Mego Star Trek figs with the Enterprise! What an amazing time to be a kid with so many incredible toy lines.

Also, I’m sure you will find a way to display that Yo Joe pic

DEATHASYLUM said:

Nothing beat Flint though… greatest action figure of all time for me.

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The truest post I've ever seen on the internet.

Terrific thread: Agree it was a quadruple punch, the comics, the cartoons, the figures themselves, yet it was the outstanding packaging art by Hector Garrido that ultimately compounded them all into one iconic image that grabbed you.
Those explosive character portraits defined the characters as they are forever etched in my mind.

karamazov80 said:

I appreciate that one but don't care as much for it personally. He's missing the shoulder armor, and has a pointed Jawa hood. But if I could find a high quality image I would print one. Missing that, Firefly, and Duke, which I want. I did find a Flint, though.

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Love this! Might have to do the same.

karamazov80 said:

The truest post I've ever seen on the internet.

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Greatest response ever seen on the internet

I backed the massive Art of GI Joe book and man is that thing spectacular.

I just discovered it recently, and almost pulled the trigger, but the size is off-putting to me. I don't have space for another coffee table sized book. I wish I would have known about those guys when they were doing the smaller, soft-cover versions.

karamazov80 said:

I just discovered it recently, and almost pulled the trigger, but the size is off-putting to me. I don't have space for another coffee table sized book.

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It's not a coffee table book it pretty much IS a coffee table, lol.

In all seriousness I do consider it to be one of the single most definitive Joe collectibles ever released. I definitely recommend it.

As I mentioned earlier. I was lucky enough to get this signed a few years ago.

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Who signed it? Garrido?

Keone Young.

Nice.