I remember heading down to a store in the center of my town that had a toy section. G.I. Joe toys were still pretty new and they were all the rage and a small selection of figures and vehicles appeared on their shelves. My friends and I studied them constantly trying to figure out which ones we wanted. I gravitated towards a vehicle playset almost immediately.
What we called “the Jeep” was actually the Vehicle: Attack/Multi-Purpose or (V.A.M.P.). It was a great looking toy, but I was intrigued by its driver, Lance J. Steinberg aka Clutch. Not just for his sweet ride or cool beard, but because he was from New Jersey, specifically, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
It might be an unusual reason, but to me it made as much sense as choosing a character because they just happened to “look cool.” According to Joepedia, six characters from the G.I. Joe Universe would hail from the Garden State, with four of them actually getting turned into action figures: Clutch, Mutt, Countdown, and Clean Sweep. So plenty of toys to choose from if you and your playmates are all from New Jersey. If you are interested in finding out what characters are from your state, check out this handy list.
The VAMP and Clutch were from an early wave of G.I. Joe toys, so the quality of this commercial is a bit lacking, but as a fan of Clutch it was a real treat whenever I got a chance to see him driving the VAMP and getting mentioned by narrator, Jackson Beck.
(If you have retro finds you would like for me to share, I want to hear them. What old useful website are still lurking on the web? Some old TV show streaming online? Old tech being brought back? Let me know.)
ONE COOL VIDEO
G.I. Joe made its debut in the spring of 1982 with a groundbreaking television commercial promoting Marvel Comics’ G.I. Joe #1. This marked the first-ever instance of a comic book being advertised on television and it marked the beginning of Sunbow Animation’s long-standing involvement with the G.I. Joe franchise.
The animated footage created for the comic book commercial was just used to promote the comic. It found a second life in G.I. Joe toy advertisements. As a comic book fan and G.I. Joe enthusiast, these commercials blew my mind and got me very excited for the wave of G.I. Joe mania that was about to take over my world.
TEN THINGS RETRO
🐲 Computer Games – Around Christmas of 1998, Baldur’s Gate hit stores. It was a paradigm redefining game that would change computer RPGs moving forward and lead to some amazing sequels.
📺 Television – Night Gallery is an impressive website dedicated to its namesake television series. It is filled with great information about the show, including an episode guide, info about music, and a great section where you can see all the paintings of The Night Gallery.
🎈 Blimps – I am not sure if our skies will ever be dotted with blimps, but some companies are trying to update the technology and change how we travel.
🎵 Music – In 1963, The Bee Gees performed an impressive cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” on Australian television. If you are only familiar with The Bee Gees from their disco era, you are in for a real treat.
🎄 Christmas – Retro Christmas Commercials can really get you into the holiday spirit. If you would like to listen to some classic this season, The Retroist has done two podcasts featuring them: Christmas Commercials and Christmas Commercials II.
💡 Vintage Electronics – The Panasonic TR-001 television, launched in 1970, was the first genuinely pocket-sized TV available to consumers. It featured a tiny 1.5-inch diagonal display. To enhance viewing and came with a detachable magnifier. Audio was from a rather small speaker below the screen The device was powered by a built-in rechargeable NiCd battery and could also operate via the charger or a car battery. It was maybe too ahead of its time.
🎮 Video Games – The first handheld version of Tetris was released on the Gameboy in 1989. It was a smash success. What you might not know is that the second handheld version was released that very year on the Sharp Electronic Notebook.
📷 Cameras – The Sony Cyber-shot was a staple of digital photography for years, but like most digital camera lines, it is no longer made. Trace its remarkable evolution from 1996-2011.
💿 Physical Media – Even thought people are starting to realize that they still need physical media, the damage caused by the streaming revolution has claimed another device. LG announced that are going to stop making Blu-ray players.
🎥 Movies – Older films are doing well in theaters. So why aren’t studios re-releasing more of them?
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATION
I like a good gimmick and Flicks & Forks has a swell one. It pairs classic films with recipes based on a theme. Sam Spade’s Lamb Chops while watching The Maltese Falcon is a pretty great dinner and a movie combo.
FROM THE RETROIST ARCHIVE
Let’s take a moment to look back at four posts from the Retroist’s past. I have been at this a long time.
One Year Ago…
Five Years Ago…
💪 Incredible Hulk Instant Muscles
Ten Years Ago…
🚴 The Murray Baja was the bike I wanted
Fifteen Years Ago…
🎮 Atari 2600 Room of Doom Review
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