Marvel Comics

1982-1994 - 155 issues

    The first G.I. Joe series was created mostly as a promotional tool to accompany Hasbro's all-new line of action figures. After over a decade, the original doll-sized Joes' popularity was suffering, and the new, smaller Joes were created. Marvel's series was the first comic book ever advertised on television, in animated commercials a year before the Joe cartoon series premiered. The comic was written by Larry Hama, who also wrote the action figure filecards for the first years of the toyline. Hama gave names, personalities and back stories to Hasbro's toy designs and told the story of the Joes, adding new characters and vehicles as they were released by Hasbro. Not quite war comic, not quite superhero comic, Marvel's G.I. Joe was the more mature cousin of Sunbow's cartoon series. The book spawned several spin-offs before waning popularity of the series and the toys led to the comic's cancellation in 1994 after 155 issues -- a great run for any comic book. Shortly after the last issue, G.I. Joe Special #1 was released, which contained the same plot as issue #61 with art by Todd McFarlane.

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