"G.I. Joe" (1985) TV series 1985-1986

Writers:

Larry Hama (character development)
Denny O'Neil

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

16 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure

Plot:

An elite special missions force fights against the terrorist forces of Cobra.

Plot Keywords:

Cobra | Terrorist | Military | Behind Enemy Lines | Commando

Cast

Jackson Beck	...	Narrator (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Chris Latta	...	Cobra Commander / ... (77 episodes, 1985-1986)
Michael Bell	...	Duke / ... (67 episodes, 1985-1986)
Neil Ross	...	Shipwreck / ... (63 episodes, 1985-1986)
Arthur Burghardt	...	Destro / ... (56 episodes, 1985-1986)
Frank Welker	...	Torch / ... (52 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mary McDonald-Lewis	...	Lady Jaye / ... (49 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bill Ratner	...	Flint / ... (45 episodes, 1985-1986)
Morgan Lofting	...	Baroness / ... (38 episodes, 1985-1986)
Zack Hoffman	...	Zartan / ... (36 episodes, 1985-1986)
Kene Holliday	...	Roadblock (36 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Directed by
John Gibbs		(55 episodes, 1985)
Terry Lennon		(55 episodes, 1985)
Ray Lee		(30 episodes, 1986)

Series Writing credits
Buzz Dixon		(15 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ron Friedman		(10 episodes, 1985-1986)
Flint Dille		(7 episodes, 1985-1986)
David Carren		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Carla Conway		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gerry Conway		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Christy Marx		(5 episodes, 1985)
Sharman Divono		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Steve Gerber		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Martin Pasko		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Michael Charles Hill		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Steve Mitchell		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Barbara Petty		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mary Skrenes		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gordon Kent		(3 episodes, 1985)
Ted Pedersen		(3 episodes, 1985)
Beth Bornstein		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Roger Slifer		(2 episodes, 1985)
Richard Merwin		(2 episodes, 1986)
David Schwartz		(2 episodes, 1986)
Larry Hama		(unknown episodes)
Denny O'Neil		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Joe Bacal	....	executive producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jim Duffy	....	producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Tom Griffin	....	executive producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Michael Charles Hill	....	co-producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Don Jurwich	....	supervising producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Margaret Loesch	....	executive producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Dan Thompson	....	producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Sam Weiss	....	producer / supervising producer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
John Ahern	....	producer (55 episodes, 1985)
Doug Booth	....	associate producer (55 episodes, 1985)
Chuck Downs	....	producer (55 episodes, 1985)
Art Vitello	....	producer (55 episodes, 1985)
Mark Glamack	....	producer (30 episodes, 1986)
Larry Houston	....	producer (30 episodes, 1986)
Alex Lovy	....	producer (30 episodes, 1986)
George Singer	....	producer (30 episodes, 1986)
John Walker	....	producer (30 episodes, 1986)

Series Original Music by
Johnny Douglas		(85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Robert J. Walsh		(85 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Production Management
Jim Graziano	....	director of production (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Lee Gunther	....	executive in charge of production (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Carole Weitzman	....	production manager (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Geraldine Clarke	....	production manager (55 episodes, 1985)
Stephanie Graziano	....	production manager (55 episodes, 1985)
Eric Early	....	post-production supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)
Jean Frye	....	production manager (30 episodes, 1986)
Steven Heth	....	post-production supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)

Series Art Department
Jim Fletcher	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Larry Houston	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Boyd Kirkland	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Frank Paur	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mario Piluso	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Douglas Vandegrift	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mike Vosburg	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gary Graham	....	storyboard director (55 episodes, 1985)
Glen Hill	....	storyboard director (55 episodes, 1985)
Rick Hoberg	....	storyboard director (55 episodes, 1985)
Will Meugniot	....	storyboard director / storyboard artist (55 episodes, 1985)
Don Sheppard	....	storyboard director (55 episodes, 1985)
Hank Tucker	....	storyboard director (55 episodes, 1985)
Pat Agnasin	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Del Barras	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Bill Barry	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Norman Cabral	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Kurt Conner	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Romeo Francisco	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Jim Gomez	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Adrian Gonzales	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Warren Greenwood	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Sherman Labby	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Doug Lefler	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Alan Shean	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Jim Shull	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Romeo Tanghal	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Keith Tucker	....	storyboard artist (30 episodes, 1986)
David Russell	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Jim Blodgett	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Michael L. DePatie	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
John Detra	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Karen Doulac	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ron Fedele	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jerry Jacobson	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Michael Tomack	....	sound effects editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Richard C. Allen	....	sound effects editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Richard Bruce Elliott	....	sound effects editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Richard S. Gannon	....	sound effects editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Ellen Burr	....	voice recording coordinator (30 episodes, 1986)
Ted Chapman	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Alison Cobb	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Heather C. Elliott	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Jacquie Freeman Ross	....	dubbing supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)
Leonard T. Geschke	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Brad Gunther	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
David Hankins	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
John Hart	....	dubbing supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)
Joel Iwataki	....	voice recording engineer (30 episodes, 1986)
Richard Raderman	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Joseph G. Sorokin	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Warren Taylor	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Peter Tomaszewicz	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Susan L. Vovsi	....	sound effects editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Nicholas James	....	sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Peter Reale	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Warren Batchelder	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Brad Case	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Joan Case	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gerry Chiniquy	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
William Draut	....	model designer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Paul Gruwell	....	layout artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Russ Heath	....	model designer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Kirk	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Boyd Kirkland	....	layout artist (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Carol Lundberg	....	model designer (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Matz	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Norm McCabe	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Margaret Nichols	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Karen Peterson	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Tom Ray	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Robert Shellhorn	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Treat	....	sequence director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bill Exter	....	sequence director (55 episodes, 1985)
Al Kouzel	....	sequence director (55 episodes, 1985)
Frank Paur	....	layout artist (55 episodes, 1985)
Bruce W. Timm	....	model designer (55 episodes, 1985)
Pat Agnasin	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Robert Alvarez	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Rudy Cataldi	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Eufronio R. Cruz	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Lindsay Dawson	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Chuck Downs	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Lillian Evans	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Jim Fletcher	....	model designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Romeo Francisco	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
John Freeman	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Lee Go	....	layout artist / model designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Milton Gray	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Ernie Guanlao	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Bill Knoll	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
John Koch	....	model designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Alex Mann	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Warren Marshall	....	layout artist (30 episodes, 1986)
Joe Morrison	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Andrew Phillipson	....	background designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Jeff Richards	....	background designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Robert Schaefer	....	background designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Dennis Venizelos	....	background designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Neal Warner	....	sequence director (30 episodes, 1986)
Fred Warter	....	background designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Jim Willoughby	....	model designer (30 episodes, 1986)

Series Editorial Department
Robert T. Gillis	....	supervising editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Steven C. Brown	....	supervising editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Rick Gehr	....	assistant to supervising editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Andrew Golov	....	telecine supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)
Ron Knight	....	lip sync editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Sarah Swiskow	....	telecine supervisor (30 episodes, 1986)
Larry Whelan	....	assistant to supervising editor (30 episodes, 1986)

Series Music Department
Peter Collier	....	music editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Johnny Douglas	....	conductor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ford Kinder	....	composer: title song (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Spencer Michlin	....	composer: title song (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mark Shiney	....	music editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Robert J. Walsh	....	conductor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Joe Siracusa	....	music editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Richard C. Allen	....	music editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Robert Mayer	....	music editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Robert Randles	....	music editor (30 episodes, 1986)
Michael Charles Hill	....	lyricist (2 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Other crew
Jay Bacal	....	creative director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Wally Burr	....	voice director (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Buzz Dixon	....	story editor (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Hildy Mesnik	....	production assistant / production coordinator (85 episodes, 1985-1986)
Flint Dille	....	story editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Steve Gerber	....	supervising story editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Terri Gruskin	....	production assistant (55 episodes, 1985)
Don Jurwich	....	voice director (55 episodes, 1985)
Will Meugniot	....	title designer (55 episodes, 1985)
Larry Parr	....	story editor (55 episodes, 1985)
Lizabeth Aguiar	....	production coordinator (30 episodes, 1986)
Myrna Bushman	....	assistant to director (30 episodes, 1986)
Nellina Lombardo	....	production coordinator (30 episodes, 1986)
Francesca Stipicevic	....	production coordinator (30 episodes, 1986)
Keith Tucker	....	title designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Douglas Vandegrift	....	title designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Mike Vosburg	....	title designer (30 episodes, 1986)
Lisa Wilson	....	assistant to director (30 episodes, 1986)
Anne P. Selman	....	educational consultant (3 episodes, 1986)
Robert L. Selman	....	educational advisor: Harvard University (3 episodes, 1986)

Production Companies

• Sunbow Productions
• Marvel Productions
• Hasbro

Distributors

• Sunbow Productions Inc. (1985) (worldwide) (TV)
• Veronica Omroep Organisatie (1988-1989) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Family Home Entertainment (FHE) (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• WEA Corp. (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• WEA Corp. (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Claster Television

Other Companies

• Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.  animation services (uncredited)
• Starwild Music Inc.  music
• Toei Animation Company  animation production (uncredited)
• Wildstar Music Inc.  music

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min | 30 min (85 episodes)

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-Y7 | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Australia:G

Company:

Sunbow Productions

Trivia:

The premise was initially conceived by comic writer Larry Hama as Fury Force, which would have been an ongoing series for Marvel Comics. The original premise had the son of S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury assembling a team of elite commandos to battle neo-Nazi terrorists Hydra. Though Marvel turned down the idea, Hama dusted it off when he learned that Hasbro was resurrecting their G.I. Joe toy line. Marvel issued a comic to help promote the toyline, and Sunbow's animated promotions for the comic paved the way for the ongoing cartoon.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Joes and the October Guard are seen riding sleds in "The Great Alaskan Land Rush", Scarlett is seen riding with Duke while Roadblock is seen riding with Diana of the Oktober Guard. In the next shot, however, Roadblock is suddenly with Sgt. Horrorshow.

Quotes:

Scarlett:[Scarlett lands her plane, nearly hitting Duke and some Joes] I missed you, Duke.
Duke:You sure did.
[holds his thumb and finger an inch apart]
Duke:By *that* much!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Obscurus Lupa Presents: Subspecies III (#3.4)" (2012)

Decent toy tie-in.

GI Joe was essentially an advertisement for the toys; it, like the comic, was designed to tie in with the toy line, to support the storyline of the comic and toys, and to introduce new characters and vehicles.

Given the constraints of the advertising medium, the show was pretty good. The characters seemed to develop over time, and there were identifiable (and diverging) personalities. Unfortunately, GI Joe suffers from the same problem may other cartoons that depict battle show; no one gets hurt or killed.

I don't want to sound like a sadist or cheap thrill seeker, but one would think that a show depicting two large armed forces continuously battling over the globe would suffer casualties. Planes were constantly shot down, but no one ever died. Highly unrealistic, and with Robotech showing at the same time, GI Joe lost its edge. It may have been more popular than Robotech, but couldn't maintain interest for very long. ...and then there's the episode where Cobra has a high-powered laser, and- no, doesn't try to destroy Joe- attempts to carve the Cobra logo onto the face of the moon. What an effective use of technology and power! Graffiti!