G.I. JOE: NOW & FOREVER — One Fan’s Lifelong Mission to Honor a Legendary Franchise
Interview By Serpentorslair Staff
The year was 1983. The Cold War simmered on the evening news, Return of the Jedi was wrapping up its run in theaters, and a seven-year-old boy stood wide-eyed in the toy aisle of a department store, holding his first G.I. Joe figure—Destro. He couldn’t have known it then, but that moment would ignite a lifelong passion.
For me, G.I. Joe was never just a toy line—it was a universe. A place where heroes were clearly defined, villains were theatrical and dangerous, and every battle felt like it mattered. I was immediately captivated. The animated series, the Marvel comic book, and the constantly expanding toy line wove together a narrative that fueled my imagination and offered a sense of purpose, adventure, and morality that stuck with me far beyond childhood.
Certain characters became icons in my mind. Duke, the noble field leader who stood for everything right. Flint, ever-cool and tactically sharp. Roadblock, a mountain of a man with sheer adrenaline. On the other side, it was impossible not to be fascinated by Destro’s calculated menace, Firefly’s silent efficiency, or Zartan’s eerie mystique. These characters weren’t just action figures—they were personalities, full of contradictions and charisma.
And then there were the vehicles—each one a character in its own right. The Wolverine, bristling with missiles. The Mauler, a symbol of unstoppable power. The Tomahawk, a whirring workhorse of the skies. Cobra had its own arsenal of nightmares: the menacing H.I.S.S. tank, the sleek Stinger, and the deadly F.A.N.G. helicopter. Every vehicle felt essential, every piece of plastic bursting with possibility.
My love for G.I. Joe deepened through the stories. The Marvel comics in particular brought a level of emotional complexity that young fans like me didn’t expect—but instantly respected. The Battle of Springfield arc remains my favorite: a bold, high-stakes infiltration that exposed the human cost of war and the resilience of the Joes under pressure. On the animated side, Worlds Without End turned the franchise inside out by showing a world where Cobra had already won—a dystopian nightmare that felt alarmingly real. And G.I. Joe: The Movie? That was my Star Wars. Epic, weird, daring, unforgettable.
Like a lot of collectors and fans, I never truly left G.I. Joe behind. It simply evolved with me. As an adult, I realized I didn’t just want to reminisce—I wanted to contribute. That’s how G.I. Joe: Now & Forever was born.
Jason Mitchell is a lifelong G.I. Joe fan, storyteller, and the creator of G.I. Joe: Now & Forever, a dedicated project celebrating the legacy and future of America’s highly trained special missions force. Follow the journey on Instagram at @deathvalleymachine.
