Yo Joe!
GI Joe is one of those cartoons that is awesome as a kid, but is harder to view as an adult because of its very campy humor and the fact that the good guys always win. That said, I’m still able to appreciate it, although not to the extent I used to be able to. I’m happy to see Shout! continue to put some nice effort behind these DVD releases.
While no episode in this portion of the season lives up to my favorites from Season 1.1, including The Weather Dominator and The MASS Device mini-series’, Season 1.3 still has some fine episodes. These include:
–Bazooka Saw A Sea Serpent – Of course no one believes Bazooka until the massive metal sea serpent he accidentally spots off the coast starts destroying a bunch of nearby ships.
–Excalibur – Storm Shadow finds the legendary sword of King Arthur, which sounds like a lightsaber when swung.
–World Without End, Part 1 – Several Joes go into another dimension after an experimental weapon malfunctions.
–World Without End, Part 2 – Help from the Baroness, of all people, gives the Joes the edge.
–Eau De Cobra – An Egyptian tablet has the recipe for making a mind-numbing perfume that the Baroness uses.
–Cobra Claws Are Coming To Town – The Cobras spoil a Joe Christmas Toy Drive by smuggling in hidden weapons into their base.
–An Eye For An Eye – A man’s house is destroyed during a battle between GI Joe and Cobra and now he wants to get even.
–The Gods Below – Several Joes must confront Cobra and the Egyptian God of the Dead.
–Primordial Plot – Cobra creates monsters based off of dinosaur DNA to battle the Joes.
–Flint’s Vacation – Flint takes leave but goes to a town that he discovers is actually a Cobra base who’s inhabitants are overcome with mind control.
–Hearts And Cannons – Dusty and Footloose go toe to toe with a new Cobra weapon.
–Memories of Mara – Shipwreck falls for a woman who was part of a failed Cobra experiment that leaves her only able to breath underwater.
–The Traitor, Part 1 – This was one of my favorites as a kid, or at least one that I recalled clearly. In this episode, Dusty unknowingly accepts help from Cobra Agents to get money to help pay for his ailing mother’s medical care.
–The Traitor, Part 2 – Dusty joins Cobra? Say it ain’t so!
–Pit of Vipers – Watchdog, a program purchased by the Pentagon, is to keep watch on the Joes. But who’s keeping watch on Watchdog?
–The Wrong Stuff – The Joes try to out do each other to become the first Joe in space after Cobra hijacks some satellites.
–The Invaders – An outerspace threat forces the Joes to work with the Russian Oktober Guard.
–Cold Slither – Zartan and The Dreadnoks form a band to help earn money for Cobra.
–The Great Alaskan Rush – Cobra tries to steal Alaska back from the US, haha.
–Skeletons In the Closet – Great episode where Lady Jaye goes to an English manor and encounters Destro.
–There’s No Place Like Springfield, Part 1 – Loved the plot here; Shipwreck finds himself in a peculiar town and nothing seems right at all.
–There’s No Place Like Springfield, Part 2 – Shipwreck realizes he’s an unwelcome guest in a town that is under the mind control of Cobra.
On DVD
Each episode in Season 1.3 is presented in its original full screen frame and with stereo sound. I thought the presentation quality was just fine for this old school cartoon. Consistent menus across each disc makes navigation seamless and user friendly. There are also a few extra features on disc 4, including:
–Men & Women of Action: Creating The GI Joe Animated Series – This is a really interesting and worthwhile feature that runs about twenty-four minutes. Several of the team behind the series are here with recent interviews and lots of anecdotes and stories to tell. You’ll see Tom Griffin and Joe Bacal, the Executive Producers. You’ll also hear from Flint Dille, an Associate Producer who was also a Story Editor for fifty-five episodes. Ron Friedman, the famous story writer for the series, is a part of this feature too. Comic legend Larry Hama shares some thoughts as do several other folks related to the show and GI Joe in its present day form. A lot of footage from episodes throughout Season 1 is shown as they talk. Topics like how the show got started, the writers and their stories, and the personalities of several of the characters are all discussed.
–Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials – Eight TV commercials featuring a wide variety of Joe toys including the US FLAGG, the Seawolf, Dragonfly, Skystriker, Mobat, FANG, and more. These just bring a smile to my face, the nostalgia is awesome.
–PSAs – Seven PSAs including Doc, Airtight Roadblock, Blowtorch, Shipwreck, Lady Jaye, and Recondo, who reminds us that it’s not a good idea to hide in the refrigerator.
All in all, this is another very competent and satisfying DVD set for Joe fans who haven’t gone ahead and bought the Complete Series.