Saturday morning cartoon. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero mixed the classic military man originating in the Hasbro action figure line with fantastical elements perfect for kids of the '80s era, becoming so beloved that whether through adaptation or parody, it's never truly left pop culture consciousness. Now, the adventures kids were introduced to in the '80s through a television show are making a comeback in the comic book world with an all-new limited series from IDW Publishing.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Saturday Morning Adventures will be a four-issue miniseries written by Erik Burnham (who fans will recognize from other '80s franchise comic continuations such as Transformers, Ghostbusters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.) The artist behind the new G.I. Joe series is fellow Ghostbusters alum Dan Schoening and the colorist is Luis Antonio Delgado who also worked on Ghostbusters with other works including TMNT and My Little Pony.
“Writing a story set in that universe, you can do anything,” says Burnham in a press release from contributing to the world of G.I. Joe because of the creative freedom offered to the writer and having a team that can take that writing and perfectly bring it to life. “I’m partnered with artists like Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado who can draw anything.” Enjoy the covers for the first issue below:
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Saturday Morning Adventures reportedly picks up right where the ‘80s cartoon left off, with the famous heroes of America, including Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and the rest of the G.I. Joe team stopping the evil organization known as Cobra at any cost. The first issue of the miniseries will throw readers right back into the action, as Cobra is gearing up to launch the Aladdin Initiative, which is teased as being their most versatile weapon ever. It’s up to team G.I Joe to stop this criminal organization before they succeed in destroying the world.
While the core creative team undoubtedly have the credentials for this series, there will also be contributing artists creating multiple variant covers, including Megan Huang and Billy Penn. While the series should satisfy the '80s nostalgia fans still have for G.I. Joe, IDW also announced that every episode of the original series is available to watch on Hasbro’s official YouTube page, which would also be a great resource before reading the first issue of the new G.I. Joe series. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Saturday Morning Adventures is available February, 2022.
Source: IDW Publishing
