YO JOE…

When I was a kid I was very into G.I. Joe…my bedroom floor was littered with figures, vehicles & playsets…I couldn’t get enough of them & there were many wars between the Joe’s & Cobra that happened in my room every night where Cobra almost won until G.I. Joe saved the day…of course I had my favorite figures…let’s face it…Snake Eyes with the Wolf was so cool & Storm Shadow too…but one of my most prized figures was one I ordered back in 1986…

Besides being into G.I. Joe when I was a kid I would watch the WWF…World Wrestling Federation…on the school ground we’d talk continuously bout the previous night’s match…pile drivers…body slams…flying off the turnbuckles…this was all cool stuff…George the Animal Steel eating the turnbuckle…so cool…Hulk Hogan running into the ring…cool…but the one dude who took on the forces of evil was the one who embodied the United States…Sgt. Slaughter…especially when he battled the vicious Iron Shiek…

I remember vividly the day I found out G.I. Joe was recruiting the Sgt. into their ranks…I had to have this figure…I couldn’t wait…I remember getting the necessary slips to send in…then the most important piece of all…the 4 digit code that you had to call for…I had idea what it could be…this was top secret G.I. Joe information which could never fall into Cobra’s hands…I remember making the call…using the phone in my parent’s bedroom…I couldn’t be disturbed…I had to be sure I got the code…I dialed the number…so nervous bout the call…then the message…it was Sgt. Slaughter himself giving me the code…I remember him telling me to do push ups…so I followed orders & did them…then came the code…1 9 8 6…1986…I called once more to be sure I got the code…then filled the form in…got the envelop…wrote the address on it…got the stamp from my mother & ran to the mailbox to send it out…

The day came when the figure arrived…the best day…

The Sgt. Slaughter figure was the first licensed figure based off real people…while one other I remember being Will “The refrigerator” Perry…Sgt. Slaughter was my favorite…while there were other figures of Sgt. Slaughter sold with different vehicles like the Triple T tank, the War Hog & the Equalizer…there were even the Slaughter’s Maruaders which consisted of several Joes with the good Sgt…

While over seas Sgt.’s name was changed to Slammer in Europe & Sgt. Smasher in India…his first comic book appearance in Marvel’s comic book was in in issue #48…he was also in a G.I. Joe 3-D comic as well as in G.I. Joe the movie…voiced by Sgt. Slaughter…

Being a kid in the 80’s was great…where else would you get to have action figures based off wrestlers…especially Sgt. Slaughter…