Heads up! It’s the final countdown for the 11th (!!!) volume in Dan Klingensmith Jr.’s “Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” series!

There’s roughly 3 days left left, with the campaign having already hit $2,000 over its initial funding goal – That means, if you pledge, you’re getting a book! 🙂

#ICYMI, This latest volume brings us conceptual designs and history around the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand from 1982-1994. Here’s the scoop –

The 11th (!!!) volume in Dan Klingensmith Jr.’s “Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” series is going strong on Kickstarter! There’s roughly 2 weeks left, with less than $2,000 to go before the book hits funding.

#ICYMI, This latest volume brings us conceptual designs and history around the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand from 1982-1994. Here’s the scoop –

Under official license from Hasbro comes the release of “Creating  G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” book series, Volume 8! The eighth book in  the series,  “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero” (Volume 11) is an  80 page, 9”X10” library of designs and stories ranging from 1982-1994,  including some unproduced concepts! This fully colored book will be  printed on 100# paper in a Soft Perfect Bind format with a  visible  spine like a graphic novel. Although there have been many books written  about G.I. Joe, what makes the “Creating G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero”  series unique is the fact that the information shared within the book  comes from exclusive interviews with former employees who worked on the  G.I. Joe brand. Some of the things  to expect include:

• The inspiration and influences behind the different figures and vehicles straight from the designers’ point of view…

• Alternate names for figures and vehicles pulled from Larry Hama’s dossiers or from the original concepts themselves…

• Details pulled from Larry Hama’s dossiers after comparing them with the released filecard on the final product…

• Information pulled directly from internal memos regarding decisions or changes made to the brand in the 80s and 90s

• Insider stories from former employees ranging from Marketing to Engineering regarding the changes that occurred during the design  process…

• Conceptual designs and photographs that will show the progression  and different stages of creating a figure or vehicle. This includes  concept pencils and inks, sculpture sheets, color studies, color  presentation art, models, and much much more!

Is this Volume different from previous Volumes?

Yes.  Although the format will look similar in each volume,  the  content will be different. Written by Kirk Bozigian, former Vice  President of Hasbro Boys Toys,   the first four volumes starts with a  look into the origins of G.I.Joe  in 1964 and leads into the relaunch in  1982. The remaining volumes go into and will continue to explore the  process it took to make the figures and vehicles for the G.I.Joe : A  Real American  Hero line! Following the written section, the Gallery of  Design features images of different characters, vehicles, and playsets.

Which characters and vehicles will be included in Volume 11?

Rewards:

There will be 11”X17” prints available of the two-page spreads which  will be printed on 100# paper. They will display beautifully framed or  in a shadow box where you can also display your favorite Joe or Cobra  toy that fits within these dimensions! (page numbers will be removed). A  survey will be sent at the end of the Kickstarter asking which  spread(s) you want.

** SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING PAGE SPREADS**

If a character from this Volume is NOT noted below, this means that  it is a two-page spread on its own (see XXXXX example above).

VOLUME 11 breakdown:

· HAL (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)

· W.H.A.L.E. (2 separate spreads….4 pages total)

· Stinger & Vamp II (1 spread)

· Buzz Boar & Dreadnok Cycle (1 spread)

· Stalker & Long Range (1 spread)

· Sky Patrol & Stretcher (1 spread)

· Talking Hawk & Talking Cobra Commander (1 spread)

· Air Devil & Barracuda (1 spread)

· ’93 Wetsuit & Leatherneck (1 spread)

· ’93 Star Brigade Destro & Rock ‘N Roll (1 spread)

· Mudbuster & Ninja Force Battle Ax/Pile Driver (1 spread)

· ’93 Night Creeper Leader and Snow Storm (1 spread)

· ’94 Stalker and Ice Cream Soldier (1 spread)

· ’94 Viper & Major Bludd (1 spread)

Where did this project come from?

Although I purchased my first few pieces of pre-production artwork in  2005, it was not until 2009 that I got the idea of exploring the  origins of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero brand. The concept of the  book was to learn more about the process of making G.I.Joe at that time  and recognizing all the individuals who participated in its creation and  continued success from 1982-1994. The book concept itself did go  through several changes over the last few years, but it eventually came  back to my original idea of showcasing the original designs and any  stories related to them or the product itself.

To make the book series more affordable, I made the decision to break  it down into smaller volumes. The goal this year is to release 4 books which will wrap up the series!

Why do we need this book?

According to New York Toys and Hobby World, the 1985 series of   G.I.Joe was ranked the best selling toy in America. The Complete   Encyclopedia to G.I.Joe, by Vincent Santelmo, states it was estimated  that “Hasbro sold the equivalent of two G.I.Joe/Cobra series figures to every boy in the nation between the ages of 5-12” in 1986”.

When it comes to the G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero era, there have  not been books produced like the ones I have completed and the ones I   continue to work towards releasing. When you look at society today and  the draw toward collecting, many people prize things they either owned  or have fond memories of from their childhood. It does not matter what  people collect, people like to revisit their childhood and escape from  reality and the stresses of today’s world. For those of us who played  with G.I.Joe in the 1980s and 1990s, my book will allow you to tap into  those memories and appreciate the amount of creativity, time, and energy  it took to make G.I.Joe: ARAH an iconic toy brand.

Do you need to be a G.I. Joe enthusiast to enjoy this book?

The answer is simply, no. This book appeals to anyone who enjoys  learning the process of toy design, industrial design, product design,   engineering, marketing, as well as many other disciplines involved in  developing a product. It should also appeal to fans of the comic  industry seeing that several of the designers who worked on G.I. Joe in  the late 1980s and into the 1990s were graduates of The Kubert School, a   school founded by comic artist and teacher, Joe Kubert!

What is the plan and what is the schedule?

Once the campaign is funded, the pledges will take approximately two  weeks to process. Once they have been processed, the order will then go  to the printer, who will need 3-4 weeks to print the book. Books will be  fulfilled by Steel City Publishing, LLC shortly after the books are  printed.

Publisher Information and Copyright Information

Publisher: Steel City Publishing, LLC

Every effort has been made to locate the copyright holders of some  select material used in this book. Should there be any omission, we  apologize and shall be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgments  in future editions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form  without written permission from the publisher.

G.I. JOE and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are  used with permission. © 2023 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. Licensed by  Hasbro.

This book is a result of the author’s independent research on the  subject matter and is intended to provide information for collectors.   Written materials taken from these interviews were reviewed by the  individuals who provided the information.

All rights reserved.  No portion of this publication may be  reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or  mechanical, including photography, recording, or any information storage  and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher,  except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article  or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically  transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.

Some images shown are provided by those who worked on the G.I. Joe brand and by collectors.

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In case you missed the link above, you can get your pledge in for a copy here:

Creating G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Volume 11 – Surveillance Port

Don’t miss out! You have until Monday to get your pledge in!