G.I.Joe Comics Review

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I got the first volume of G.I. Joe on my Kindle to read along so yeah let's do it!

This was actually the episode where it was sort of a prologue to the series and how I viewed the comics and how I got started reading and things like that. The next episode would have been issues 1 & 2.
 
Will give it a listen this weekend. Congrats on getting it done!
 
I'll be working on Episode 1 soon. I've already learned some things from that one. Issue #1 will be reviewed. After that, I might do two issues per podcast.
 
The thing is, I've fought myself my whole life. I am known for being an ideas guy, but I usually chicken out whenever it comes time to do the execution. This might be one of the few things I've actually finished that I had the inspiration to do. I might as well do it and be successful at something.
 
Anyone have a chance to listen? I’m jotting down notes at the moment for episode #01, getting my thoughts in order before I record the episode some time this week. Hopefully it will be up by this weekend.
 
Anyone have a chance to listen? I’m jotting down notes at the moment for episode #01, getting my thoughts in order before I record the episode some time this week. Hopefully it will be up by this weekend.


Yes, but in class now, I'll write once it's over
 
So, yeah, the starting music got me pumped.

I was surprised by your voice, after years I had this "concept" I guess in my head, and it was nothing like this. But it's good - I mean a good speaking voice, enthusiastic, not a proponderance of ums. So many podcasts I just can't listen the voices for extended periods....monotone, drawling, etc. It felt like you were prepared, or at least the flow didn't break - it was an engaging story without any meandering pauses.

I have to say, I never noticed it took place in "real time". I could tell it was an ongoing story, and Billy obviously aged, but I guess I never put 2 & 2 together on that one.

I really liked the Fred saga, especially the conspiracy with the Baroness, but I guess that's where the book started to go downhill for you.

I remember the art getting so bad in the end - when they had that "Ninja Squad" and stuff going into the 90s, and everyone wore neon. It was like Marve was just throwing their third-stringers at the book.

I kinda wish Larry had wrapped it up earlier - maybe right after the Snake-Eyes Trilogy (that was like around 91-93? So maybe 100 issues). That was the only thing missing, rather than just letting the book descend into a shadow of its former glory.

Anyways, overall good job, looking forward to the first episode.
 
Thank you very much for the feedback, Tristram. As far as my voice goes, I chuckled. I have that typical Indiana accent still even though I haven’t lived there in twenty years. My wife thinks I would have made a good sports commentator, I’m not sure if it’s because of my voice though lol. I was wondering if you thought I had a deeper voice?
 
Thank you very much for the feedback, Tristram. As far as my voice goes, I chuckled. I have that typical Indiana accent still even though I haven’t lived there in twenty years. My wife thinks I would have made a good sports commentator, I’m not sure if it’s because of my voice though lol. I was wondering if you thought I had a deeper voice?

lol, not necessarily deeper, you don't hve a high-pitched voice, but ... more... happy than I was expecting maybe? Haha,, I don't know, it's really hard down to pin down a description for my impressions of voices in my imagination, especially now that I've heard your real voice and it's sort of slipped away...
 
I was trying to avoid the monotone delivery but it’s pretty much how I talk. I appreciate you saying I didn’t do a lot of “uh” and “um” in there. I was putting effort into that. I learned to just pause and collect my thoughts and then I go back and just cut out that dead noise. Much easier to edit!
 
I was trying to avoid the monotone delivery but it’s pretty much how I talk. I appreciate you saying I didn’t do a lot of “uh” and “um” in there. I was putting effort into that. I learned to just pause and collect my thoughts and then I go back and just cut out that dead noise. Much easier to edit!

Well, I wasn't being flattering, it was genuinelly etertaining. If you don't mind, once you get the first episode up, I'll share it to the secret GIJoe FB group...
 
I am getting some hits already on the podcast already with minimal promotion. Over ten listens so far.
 
So when are you gonna post your review of issue 2?
 
I think at this point the written reviews are going to come after the oral reviews. I think talking about it first will make it easier to write about it.
 
Good voice for radio/podcast! I worked in radio in your voice is way better haha!

Also not a lot of 'umms' and 'uhhs' a really common mistake. If you're trying to remember what you're going to say (and of course you should have notes or a script that you're working from) just don't say anything, it is easier to cut a long pause than an umm or uhh.

You should be able to get away with some G.I. Joe theme music as an intro, under 10 seconds is legal without copyright infringement (from what I can remember in Canada anyway).

There are a surprising number of GI Joe pocast handles on Twitter, which is yours?
 
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Thank you, Voros Voros! Its funny that when I listen to my own voice, especially when I first started editing a while back, I would sometimes cringe. Maybe everyone does that at first. I dunno. I appreciate the compliment!

The Twitter handle is @gijoecomicspod as of this moment.
 
Anyone have a chance to listen? I’m jotting down notes at the moment for episode #01, getting my thoughts in order before I record the episode some time this week. Hopefully it will be up by this weekend.

Sorry, weekend was busy and weird. Haven't gotten to it yet.
 
You should be able to get away with some G.I. Joe theme music as an intro, under 10 seconds is legal without copyright infringement (from what I can remember in Canada anyway).
I'd recommend only using their theme music in such a way that if you ever need to remove it, you can do so without butchering the rest of your audio, i.e., never have it playing in the background while you speak, as there is no legally fixed length of time you can use without permission of the copyright holder. Here's a fairly good article on it:
You could probably get away with a few seconds and not worry about it unless you start to monetize your podcast and it starts raking in the big bucks like the Pub, but making it easy to remove in case the owner comes a-callin' is the best way to go if you have no official permission in writing.
 
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Was there a link to this podcast? I must have missed it.
 

joe.jpg
 
Did you get any? I’m going to Walmart today unfortunately.
 
Did you get any? I’m going to Walmart today unfortunately.

I was tempted, but I am trying to stick with the miniatures, I don't need more action figures that would just go into my treasure chest
 
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G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero
#2
(Aug, 1982)
"The Panic at the North Pole!”

08/20/20

Creators: Script: Larry Hama • Pencils: Don Perlin • Inks: Jack Abel • Colors: Bob Sharen • Letters: Jim Novak • Editor: Tom DeFalco • Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot Summary: A United States research station near the North Pole has been brutally attacked and raided by an unknown assailant. The Pentagon suspects that a nearby Russian research station may have something to do with it, but the Kremlin has said nothing. Deciding to send a covert unit in to do some reconnaissance, Generals Austin and Flagg recalls four members of the G.I.Joe team from leave: Stalker, Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Breaker.

Upon arrival by plane, the Joes set up camp near the Russian station. They soon spot the strange arrival of a rather large Eskimo by way of dog sled, who quickly enters and leaves the building minutes later, leaving the front door ajar. Suspecting no one home, the Joes investigate the station, only to find several dead Russian scientists inside, having died from exposure days before. Breaker quickly discovers an ultra low-frequency beam transmitter, able to affect human brain activity, though a key part is missing: the frequency modulator. They also discover that all the records have been taken. They suspect the Eskimo has those as well as the American records from their own station. Before going any further, Snake-Eyes discovers a planted bomb and they narrowly escape the station with their lives before it blows up,

They decide to break camp and head after him, suspecting that he was dropped in by plane and will be picked up by submarine on the coast. On the way, they receive a communique from General Flagg that the Eskimo is Kwinn, a very talented and dangerous operative for hire who fulfills every contract to the letter. They finally track down his camp at the plane and appear to have the drop on him, but Kwinn fooled them and set them up in a trap. Taking all their weapons and breaking their communication equipment, he reveals that the Russian scientists were working on a plan to send low-frequency beams to the United States to induce mass paranoia. Unfortunately for them, they were affected by the device and died from being too paranoid of everything, even the United States researchers. He was hired by the Russians to eliminate the Americans, retrieve all the paperwork and leave no evidence. Scarlett asks why he is telling them all this, but Snake-Eyes realizes that Kwinn believes them all to be dead men walking. He heads off to the coast to meet with the others who are waiting for him.

The Joes redouble their efforts and strip the plane for parts to use as an ice sled and manage to cut Kwinn off at an ice overpass and cause an avalanche with some gunpowder. They set it off and Kwinn’s sled is buried. They quickly dig out their weapons but Kwinn again gets the drop on them and tells them that he removed the firing pins from their weapons, showing them dangling from a weasel skull necklace. He tells the Joes he regrets taking the assignment, because the Russians are meddling with fear, the greatest killer of all. He says he should give the Joes the modulator but can’t, because “a contract is a contract to the letter of the word.” He then wonders if there is some other way.

Later, he arrives at the coast and tells the two Russians waiting he has the modulator and records, has destroyed the station, and neutralized the G.I.Joe team. He demands his payment, and then says he is leaving. The Russians are surprised, asking Kwinn why he is not waiting for the submarine. He says that he wishes to be as far away as possible when the G.I.Joe team arrives. Furious, they demand he stay to protect them, but he says the contract is finished. He says he hindered the Joe team every way he could. However, a mile away, he buried his necklace in a cairn as an offering to the spirits of ice and snow that fear may vanish from the world. He tells the Russians that they are one mile away compared to the Joe’s four, then adds “but they are trackers...and you are not!” As the issue ends, we see the four Joes in a close up with the weasel skull necklace on Snake-Eyes with the firing pins removed.

Review: First of all, no COBRA to be seen! Larry definitely tried to expand the number of foes the G.I.Joe team would face early on in the book, first with Kwinn here and the Oktober Guard and others issues later. I think the introduction of Kwinn was handled very well and he is an enjoyable character, with his code of honor and fulfilling his contracts to the letter. He will be brought back again in the book, but we don’t want to spoil those issues just yet! I like the plot of the story and the setting of the North Pole.

We see the Joe members on leave in the beginning of the issue. We learn that Stalker likes to shoot deer...well, pictures of them. Breaker likes to hang out at M.I.T. at the computer labs in his spare time. Scarlett competes in martial arts tournaments, kicking butt before being called back to action. Snake-Eyes likes to spend his time in sensory deprivation tanks at Columbia University. We learn in this issue for the first time that Snake-Eyes has a disturbing visage and that is why he wears a mask.

The Joes show some ingenuity along the way and never give up on their mission, willing to go the extra mile to find out as much as they can without breaking orders. Kwinn realizes just how relentless and noble these Joes are, which is why he reconsiders what he is doing. Just a fun all-around story that wraps up in one issue with some threads that may weave their way in the series later.

Final Analysis: A very enjoyable issue. A fine story by Larry Hama and the art was serviceable by Don Perlin, who did “Hot Potato!” in issue #1. The book shows some signs of not being a one-note story. Grade: B+
 
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I plan on compiling these reviews on a blog. Here I said I didn’t do that and I’m doing it.
 
Well, I do plan on getting that out soon.

I think I’m going to start writing out the reviews before I do the podcast because it helps me get my thoughts together. One I wrote something down, I tend to remember things better and it helps me from rambling.
 
Well, I do plan on getting that out soon.

I think I’m going to start writing out the reviews before I do the podcast because it helps me get my thoughts together. One I wrote something down, I tend to remember things better and it helps me from rambling.

Yeah, that makes sense. Do you have a blog you are collecting these reviews on ?
 
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