GI Joe: A Real American Hero (1989 TV series)
From Superhero Wiki Encyclopedia
 Home Books Clothing DVDs Posters Toys Video Games |
Boards Comic Book News Comic Conventions Search this Wiki |
Gallery Features Link to us Online Comic Books |
Resources Store Superhero Wiki Wallpaper |
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour American animated television series based on the successful toyline from Hasbro and the comic book series from Marvel Comics. The series was produced by DIC Entertainment and ran from 1989 to 1991.
The series debuted in 1989, with a five-part mini-series titled Operation: Dragonfire. The regular series began in 1990, also lasting for two seasons to yield 44 episodes. The series continued the original G.I. Joe animated series produced by Sunbow Productions that ran in syndication from 1985 to 1986.
Contents |
Background
In order to cut production costs for the animated series, Hasbro dropped Sunbow and contracted DiC .Apparently, DiC more or less paid Hasbro for the privilege of doing the animation and Hasbro jumped at the chance. The DiC series is a continuation of the Sunbow show though there were some minor inconsistencies.
The series
The DiC stories, due to budgetary issues, chose to focus primarily on new characters of the period. Hawk was retained as G.I. Joe commander and at times shared his duties with Sgt. Slaughter (who in this series, appeared in live-action wraparounds) as head of G.I. Joe. Captain Grid-Iron was given field commander duties in Season 1, with Duke regaining his old position in Season 2. Storm Shadow was also now a member of G.I. Joe, as he had been sold as a Joe rather than a Cobra since 1988, keeping in line with the story of the comics, where he had abandoned Cobra in 1986-87.
The first season centered almost exclusively on the 1990 Joes; meanwhile, Cobra, having a less extensive cast, was augmented by select characters from 1989 and the yet-to-be-released 1991 figures. This new ensemble had a much wider variety of Cobra Officers as we were introduced to the Night Creepers and their leader, and many different forms of VIPERS. It has been criticized that the DiC version of Cobra was completely loyal to Cobra Commander, however it has been noted by DiC fans that the Sunbow version of Cobra was much the same. It must be remembered that even though Cobra failed they did not attempt to replace Cobra Commander till the second season.
The first season of the DiC series was mainly standalone episodes that focused on establishing new team members and plots. The second season of the DiC show lowered the animation budget but began a series of two part episodes, which often told a deeper story involving more dramatic life and death situations for the Joes.
The mini-series
In 1989, DiC first produced its first G.I. Joe cartoon as a five-part mini-series entitled Operation Dragonfire. The story picks up on events from G.I. Joe: The Movie, putting Cobra Commander back in charge after a coup, having reverted to his human form with the help of an ancient power. G.I. Joe fans who followed the DiC series regard this mini-series as the closest in nature to the Sunbow episodes that preceded it.
- Day 1: Serpentor seizes control of the Dragonfire
- Day 2: Cobra Commander is returned to Human form by Baroness
- Day 3: Cobra Commander find the Dragonfire energy and Scoop finds out Cobra lied to him!
- Day 4: Cobra Commander regains control of Cobra in a coup (by Lowlight) over Serpentor
- Day 5: The final battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra
Cast
This is a list of voice actors who provided character voices for the DiC G.I. Joe series:
| A c t o r | R o l e |
| Michael Benyaer | Scoop |
| Don Brown | |
| Jim Byrnes | Alley Viper |
| Gary Chalk | Metal-Head, Pathfinder, BIOK |
| Brent Chapman | Red Star |
| Christopher Collins | Cobra Commander |
| Morgan Lofting | Baroness |
| Lisa Corps | Zarana |
| Kevin Conway | |
| Ian Corlett | Rampart, Bullhorn |
| Suzanne Errett-Balcom | lady Jaye |
| Ed Gilbert | Hawk |
| Ted Harrison | Duke |
| Neil Ross | Dusty |
| Phil Hayes | |
| Jerry Houser | Sci-Fi |
| Terry Klassen | |
| Andrew Koening | Night Creeper Leader |
| Maurice LaMarche | Copperhead, Low-Light, Spirit, Serpentor, Destro, Heavy Duty |
| Scott McNeil | Headman, Storm Shadow, Freefall |
| Rick Poltaruk | |
| Alvin Sanders | Stretcher |
| William Taylor | |
| David Wills | |
| Wet Suit | |
| Dale Wilson | Capt. Grid-Iron |
| Robert Remus | Sgt. Slaughter |
Episode list
VHS releases
- El Dorado the Lost City of Gold
- Revenge of the Pharoah
- Chunnel
- Infested Island
- The Sludge Factor I & II
- Long Live Rock N Roll I & II
See also
- G.I. Joe
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985 TV series)
- G.I. Joe (comic)
- G.I. Joe Extreme
- G. I. Joe: Sigma 6