Summer of ’87 And The Endless Battles in the Dirt and Grass

Story By Destro Designs – Viper Den Studios

Christmas ’86 was a nuclear explosion of Gi Joe gifts from across my whole family. For years I was totally immersed in the toy line and the obsession as well as my propaganda about needing them like air had finally taken root with everyone. But alas, winters in Upstate New York in the 80’s were brutal. I also was terrified of losing stuff in the snow.

And so, the months went buy as I staged ideas and scenarios which I could truly see the toys used at their full potential, once I was able to get outside. Days fell off the calendar and my excitement grew to a fever pitch. New vehicles, playsets and figures all lined up to get their day in the sun. And finally, the winter broke and the grass grew back and the bushes and trees filled out.

My yard was separated into two grass spots by a concrete walkway that went from the house to the garage. It was sunk below the grade of the grass line, so I would use a hose to fill it with water and it served as a river flowing slightly down a hill.

The Joes were stationed with the Bivouac, the Mortar Defense and tent set. This is where they would study maps and the brass would make the plan. They would head out with the Recon Sled sneaking around to check the route for Cobras. Leading the charge was the H.A.V.O.C. loaded with Joes, Cross Country atop, birds eye view of the terrain, in tow is one of my favorite Vehicles, the Bridge Layer, which was the most amazing thing. A show of force following the river, Low Light climbs off the Recon Sled and takes aim at a Cobra CLAW screaming overhead and decides to follow it. Taking a left under the picnic table and wrapping back around the swing set and parking behind the sand box, he radios Duke and tells them that hes found the Snake Pit.

While the joes make a plan of attack, there is a Patrol of a Cobra Trooper and a BAT., Low Light ventilates there stuffy heads and walks the Joes into striking distance.

As the bridge layer is setting up for the H.A.V.O.C. to cross the river, Beachhead spies on the Cobra Compound, which is the Surveillance Port and up the hill slightly is the Cobra Bunker.

I would position the Surveilance Port so the side with the legs would elevate it over the water, and the Night Landing with Firefly would we be waiting to head out and cause Chaos. Scrap Iron would be positioned on land between the Port and the Bunker, ready to fire his missiles.
Major Bludd and 2 troopers, along with a Tele-Viper would be manning the ramparts of the Port as the circling Cobra CLAW finally spots the Joes.

And then right there, at the Base of the stairs that went into the garage, a firefight would ensue of epic proportions. The H.A.V.O.C Drone would chase the CLAW, while the rest of it and the Bridge Layer tried to slow down the speeding H.I.S.S.
Numerous different figures would assume various positions around the yard and garden. Machine Gun sounds with my mouth would ring through the air as my Destro voice yells at the Troopers to grab a rifle and stop messing with the radar dish on the port. Beachhead, Low Light, Alpine, Mutt and Junk Yard sneak up from behind and trash the Cobra Bunker, distracting the Cobra Forces long enough to get the bridge layer to set up and let the Joes storm the Cobra Compound as sets get tossed and the vehicles are blown onto their sides.

All the joes raise an arm and rifle in celebration of sending the slithering snakes back into their hole.

I would be filthy, wet, muddy sweaty and smiling like I just won he lottery. I would go inside and tell my mom, word for word exactly what I just did and why.

It was a long winter of waiting to get outside with all of this new stuff and the pay off was so glorious that I have such vivid memories of it, still. This was the peak. I rode this high for a long time, years in fact.

Summer of ’87 was a pivotal year in my obsession for the joes. It solidified that this was the greatest line of toys that would ever be made and 40 years later, I only agree more strongly.