Forty  years ago, Hasbro, Inc. revolutionized the toy industry when it introduced G.I. JOE, the world's first action figure, in 1964, and in the process, created an American icon. Generations and millions of figures later, Hasbro is honoring the 40th anniversary of G.I. JOE in 2004.  The G.I. JOE International Collectors Convention has an annual gathering of G.I. JOE enthusiasts from around the world.

When G.I. Joe marched onto the scene in 1964 he was created as a poseable soldier for boys.  Joe began as an 11-1/2 inch action figure with 21 moving parts. There were changes over the years when Joe left the military and became part of an Adventure Team and then a 3-3/4" action figure, but originally he was a tribute to the American soldier, with:

"...75 different products to support the four basic branches of military - Soldier, Sailor, Marine, and Pilot. Sales the first three years were enormous, and Hasbro aggressively rolled out new products that evolved the line, like the Five Star Jeep, Mercury Space Capsule, Deep Sea Diver, footlocker, Green Beret, and Soldiers of the World..."

GI Joe
"America's Movable Fighting Man"
By Derryl DePriest
Author of “The Collectible G.I. Joe"