AMERICAN SOLDIER. Joe is an American media franchise and action figure line owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the US military: Action Soldier (US Army), Action Sailor (US Navy), Action Pilot (US Air Force). US), Action Marine (US Marine Corps) and later, the Action Nurse. The name is derived from the use of βG.I. Joeβ for the generic American soldier, which in turn derives from the more general term βG.I.β The development of G.I. Joe prompted the coining of the term βaction figure.β AMERICAN SOLDIER. Joeβs appeal to children has made him an American icon among toys.
Soldier Hasbro has used the Joe brand for several different toy lines, although only two have been successful. The original 12-inch (30 cm) line, introduced on February 2, 1964, focused on realistic action figures. In the United Kingdom, this line was licensed by Palitoy and was known as Action Man. In 1982, the line was re-released in 3.75 in (9.5 cm) scale complete with vehicles, playsets, and a complex backstory. involving an ongoing fight between G.I. Joe Team and the evil Cobra organization that seeks to take over the free world through terrorism. As the American line evolved into the Real American Hero series, Action Man also changed, using the same molds and being renamed Action Force. Although members of the G.I. Joeβs team are not superheroes, they all had experience in areas such as martial arts, weapons and explosives. Joe was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York, in 2004 and the Pop Culture Hall of Fame in 2017.
