How odd that it came on Memorial Day Weekend:
"Donald Levine, 86, Hasbro executive who helped create G.I. Joe" Associated Press May 25, 2014
PROVIDENCE — Donald Levine, the Hasbro executive credited with developing the world’s first action figure in G.I. Joe, died Thursday of cancer at age 86.
Mr. Levine, who served in the Army in Korea, said he got the idea for the figure as a way to honor veterans.
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G.I. Joe hit the shelves in time for the 1964 Christmas shopping season and soon became a big seller at $4 apiece.
And just before the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam. I noticed there were a lot of movies and television shows back then that made war seem fun.
It remained popular until the late 1960s, when opposition to the Vietnam War intensified and parents shied away from military-related toys.
Now I'm getting nostalgic, and we are so far from that now.
Hasbro countered in 1970 by introducing ‘‘Adventure Team’’ G.I. Joes that played down the military connection.
Ever play Monopoly? Another mind-manipulating game of fun!
Into the ’70s, G.I. Joes featured ‘‘lifelike hair’’ and ‘‘kung-fu grip’’ and were outfitted with scuba gear to save the oceans and explorer’s clothing for discovering mummies.
Over the decades, G.I. Joe has spawned comic books, cartoons, two movies starring Channing Tatum, and a G.I. Joe Collector’s Club and its annual convention — GIJoeCon — held in Dallas in April.
Mr. Levine’s funeral will be held Sunday morning at Temple Beth-El in Providence. He leaves his wife, Nan, three children, and four grandchildren.
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