Why did Hasbro invent the GIJOE action figure?

Answer 1

In 1963, noting the commercial success of theBarbie doll for girls, Stan Weston, a toy creator and licensing agent, had merchandising rights to a 1963 American television show The Lieutenant. He presented the show for viewing to Don Levine, the creative director of toy manufacturer Hasbro, both thought the plot of the adventures of Lieutenant played by Gary Lockwood in the 1963 U.S Marine Corps seemed like a soap Opera.

Weston came up with the idea of a line of Barbie-sized dolls with a military theme that would be marketed to boys. Levine visited a New York store called The Soldier Shop that sold a variety of militaria including French porcelain dolls in accurate cloth Napoleonic uniforms that he combined with the posability of an artist's mannequin. Both men saw the potential of the idea and approved development. The prototypes were originally named "Rocky the Marine", "Skip the Sailor", and "Ace the Pilot", before Don Levine, inspired by the popular 1945 film The Story of G.I. Joe, decided on the generic name "G.I. Joe."

Hasbro, who had never made a doll before, produced large quantities of the figure and accessories in record time.

The line was launched on February 2, 1964, with a World War II theme (although some of the clothes and other items were actually of Korean-war vintage). The G.I. Joe figures were approximately the same physical scale as Barbie dolls---11+1⁄2 in (29.2 cm) tall in 1/6 scale, which would make the original figures 5 ft, 9 in tall in real life.

There were originally four figures, one to represent each branch of the Armed Forces. Accessory packs (often called "blades" in the toy industry---the "razor" was the action figure and the "blades" were the accessory cards) containing additional gear and clothing were also released.

Unlike Action Man the GI Joe figure did not come with a rifle. Each of the four branches of service had four different scenarios that had its own equipment and uniforms. For example a soldier or Marine would have a rifle, web gear, field pack, helmet and other equipment sold separately or in large sets. In 1999 Hasbro had competition from a company named 21st Century Toys who produced an action figure with highly detailed accessories called The Ultimate Soldier.