joe real american hero joe real american hero known real american hero comic book published based joe real american hero line military themed toys series credited making pop culture phenomenon comic book advertised television called historically crucial moment media convergence series written issue run comic book writer artist editor notable realistic character based storytelling style unusual toy comic time wrote series spontaneously knowing story end finished worked closely artists giving sketches characters major scenes stories involved battling forces evil terrorist organization focused relationships background stories characters created characters collaboration system file cards track personalities fictional histories characters later major selling point action figure line joe marvel selling subscription title receiving fan letters week series credited bringing new generation comic book readers children introduced comic book medium joe later went read comics comic book printed times translated multiple languages addition direct spin offs comic book published 2000s publication history background early 1980s noted success wars action figures decided launch long running joe property joe real american hero inches scale action figures traditional inches scale decided wanted new figures story ceo president met coincidence charity fundraiser shared plans joe offered marvel services creative agreed allow marvel attempt design concept joe coincidentally editor marvel begun design characters background series concept pitching entitled fury force team futuristic super soldiers affiliated existing property combining military science fiction genre elements tells got job writing series marvel asked available creator write unable find writing work later said asked write soon hosted meeting discuss future property meeting suggested idea recurring enemy joe fight similar terrorist organization recurring enemies aforementioned organization prior considered giving joe enemy based results meeting contracted marvel produce comic book series featuring toys early development issue published june containing stories written story operation lady drawn drew early issues wrote issue second story hot potato drawn issue introduced basic concepts joe universe having base motor pool introduced iconic original members issue introduced recurring villains cobra commander cobra commander action figures issued earliest example joe character appearance comics conception action figure early stories completed issue multi stories began appear middle series year publication hints ongoing storylines later characterize series issue introduced new characters including action figure line villain frequently recurring character subsequent storylines involved power struggles cobra commander issue established pattern series marvel publish issue introducing group characters vehicles represented new year toy offerings early highlight snake eyes origin parts published issues issue established snake eyes complicated background tied character characters cobra considers favorite storyline marvel run echoing events portrayed series joe published introducing character genetically created history greatest warriors played significant role cobra civil war occurred issues landmark story event involved nearly joe cobra character control later years cancellation began toy tie comics lasted average years lasting years considered runaway success years comic book series chronicled adventures joe cobra consistent storyline early 1990s began drop quality canceled marvel issue low sales canceled toy line year lack new toys cancellation second series years earlier comic book count cross platform support enjoyed past target demographic changed considerably according reached end half life joe toy books life years years considered long time didn expect toy line life market changed completely started store lines block year old boys time story signing new_york_city everybody guys showed routes books signed final issue featured stand story titled letter snake eyes perspective snake eyes tells story comrades arms died years shortly final issue released february containing alternate art issue original issue artwork rejected unacceptable brought pencil final published version years following superstar comic artist marvel eventually decided print unpublished work promotion television advertising series aired featuring joe real american hero time commercial promote comic book commercials technically promoting comic books toys allowed television regulations toy commercials contain seconds animation showcasing characters toys outside comic book context able include thirty seconds animation marvel paid million produce commercials animation division relates genesis commercials seconds animation toy commercial toy people wouldn totally somebody actually sort genius named realized comic book protected amendment couldn restrictions based advertised publication toy line comic books commercials subsequent cartoon series marketing plan highly successful eventually industry standard early example practice years later described narrative adolescent male demographic traditional comic book reader result advertising tie ins attracted people traditional comic book readers interview stated think commercials opened different type audience lot letters girls lot letters young sort started watching cartoons kids sort started getting characters line picked comic book started following stories got caught continuity comic book popularity women attributed strong female characters featured comic joe action figures female tended frequently use female characters including created recurring characters comics writing style readers praised series attention detail realism area military tactics procedures military experience drafted vietnam war large research order date possible frequented military oriented new_york read field technical credits friend military historian helping research style plot structure comic use overlapping story threads according following basic storyline pretty comic issues sort like extended soap opera try real solid resolution end book like plot threads going sort episodic quality earlier books like episode issues resolve completely issues thread started given time probably overlapping threads story arcs coincided new lines toys producing comic book directly influenced toy products relationship observed toy company demand book written certain way final word happens book extremely open don write book don write joe differently way write wrote page page plots issues wrote pages having panels worked closely artists plotting book wrote series spontaneously knowing issue end got page characterization issue revealed team official moniker featured ensemble cast original thirteen characters breaker snake eyes rock roll grand slam flash reflected origins toy line initial characters action figures original release toy line team roster expanded additional action figures released created characters collaboration send character sketches brief descriptions character military create detailed characters giving distinct personalities background stories kept track character file cards eventually decided reprint shortened versions file cards packaging action figures file cards selling point toy line appealed children adults noted read levels year old kid able read think absolutely straight joke adult factors helped sell figures sold retailers selling point tended base personalities characters people knew credits technique realism characterization later said events continuity meant important thing characters reception initially response new comic book muted low status toy book popularity eventually grew credited bringing new generation comic readers months toy line launch cent boys ages joe toys survey conducted found boys ages owned joe figure boys drawn joe comic book association toy line went comics puts toy book fan boys time got reviewed fan press totally ignored kids bought joe totally new crowd coming comic shops time toys saw commercials started buy comics according comic book historian promotion comic resulted dramatic sales increases copies month copies month making marvel strongest titles according marvel number subscription title main title getting letters week read sent hand written replies week early issue attracted attention positive negative joe titled silent interlude told entirely words sound effects interview explained motivation story wanted story real complete story beginning middle end conflict characterization action solid resolution balloons sound effects issue controversial readers felt cheated words read quickly eventually series enduring influential issues issue recognized modern comic classic prime example comics visual storytelling power comic book artist theorist author understanding comics describes silent interlude kind watershed moment generation remembers things came like issue eventually ranked listing best single issues born issues ongoing comics prove single issues great spin offs real american hero spawned annual publication called joe differed typical comic book annual publication like magazine issue contained articles animated program summary comic book plot date original stories written ran success real american hero lead marvel produce second title joe special missions lasted issues artist run providing issues spinning joe set continuity series presented intense violence ambiguous morality main title faced enemies related cobra issue usually featured stand mission focusing small group mini series produced joe order battle issue mini series running december march data found action figures file cards edits written new artwork issues featured members issue focused members fourth highlighted vehicles equipment organizations trade paperback edition included material issues published second issue mini series running january april story joining forces stop cobra destroying world trade paperback later collected issues issues main series released thirteen titled subsequently tales joe reprinted issues joe higher quality paper stock main comic collected previous stories summarized events published new stories tied main title aside printed seminal issue series translated languages including german spanish portuguese polish french canada swedish norwegian finnish danish japanese arabic indonesian joe european missions published monthly june august european missions series action force monthly published unlike weekly action force series original stories seen written july devil publishing acquired rights released issue limited series entitled joe real american hero reinstated strong sales led reinstated upgraded ongoing lasted issues new series joe america elite lasted issues devil license expired renewed building success devil comics run marvel comics collected issues trade issues book covers trade drawn began publish original series classic joe like marvel collects issues volume collections slightly issues order conclude 15th paperback volume published august collections spin appeared november restarted reprint series hardcover joe vol intending reprint stories reading order revived original joe real american hero ongoing series special issue released free comic book day followed issue onwards july
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