Back in February, we told you all about a huge new release in the world of G.I. Joe. And “huge” is somehow still an understatement – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Sets 1+2 contain a staggering 300 issues (between 1994 and 2022) from the book’s runs at both Marvel and IDW. More like, “Yo Joe, what a book,” amirite?!
The mega-compendium is the first uniform hard-bound edition to ever collect all of G.I. Joe‘s first 300 issues. Not only that, but the eight volumes include a bounty of rare and/or previously uncollected material, including G.I. Joe Special Missions (#1-28); the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic pack-ins; the G.I. Joe-Transformers miniseries; and G.I. Joe: Silent Option.
And, of course, there’s the bounty of treasures for the various tiers of Kickstarter supporters. That includes Larry Hama-signed bookplatesm satin ribbons, patches, pins, stickers, individual issue reprints, and two source books featuring art from previous trading cards. Oh, and did we mention foil finish and gilded edges on all books? Cause, yeah.
The own downside of this collection? The Kickstarter winds down in eight days. (The campaign has already blown up it’s initial $40,000 goal by raising nearly $2.2 million!) Still, if you want to get in on those treasures before it’s absolutely too late, head to the Kickstarter page right now.
As an extra special bonus (that won’t require a credit card), we’re using the campaign’s remaining time (through Wednesday, April 22 at 3 p.m. EDT) as an excuse to talk to Skybound editor Alex Antone, who helped oversee this truly massive endeavor. We discuss what went into planning and creating the compendium, the value of a project this large and extensive, his favorite Joe (it’s rather obvious), and much, much more.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #327 is out now. Issue #328 drops on May 13.
AIPT: What was your connection/relationship with G.I. Joe heading into this project?
Alex Antone: I’m the editor of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. I’ve been the editor since issue #301, which we released in the fall of 2023. So much has happened with the brand since then!
AIPT: What’s the logistics look like of assembling some 300 comics into these compendiums?
AA: The un-sexy answer is that we have to find files that are suitable for print first. That’s probably the hardest part, and at times, finding a missing cover or a missing page or even an entire issue can take some real detective work. I’ve had to contact owners of original art directly to scan things before; it’s pretty intense. But the real hero is our art director, Andres Juarez, who actually has to assemble the files and design everything. Each book is over 1,000 pages. It’s an immense amount of work. We also need to make sure all the incredible artists are credited properly and accurately, which is painstaking but important.
Courtesy of Skybound.
AIPT: What makes this era (of stories across both Marvel and IDW) so vital or interesting in the larger canon of G.I. Joe?
AA: These comics are G.I Joe as far as I’m concerned. Larry Hama is the one who breathed life into these characters from the very beginning, and he has been writing the same series for 45 years. It’s an accomplishment that has never happened before, and likely will never happen again.
AIPT: Why is a massive project like this so important (perhaps in a larger sense or beyond the franchise and into comics at large?
AA: It’s a preservation of one of the most important books in comics history. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is every bit as important to the history of comics as titles like Detective Comics or Amazing Spider-Man. The only difference is it’s owned by a licensor rather than a publisher, so our job is to make sure we are good stewards of the material for as long as we work on it. It’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. These comics and characters will outlive us all.
Courtesy of Skybound.
AIPT: Sure, they’re for everyone, but do you see these compendiums as being more of a draw for old heads or curious newbies? And why?
AA: I think there are a lot of people out there who are Joe-curious. Maybe they watched the show, maybe they watched the movies, maybe they’re just getting into comics and want to read the classics – this is a great, comprehensive collection for those people, offered great value but with beautiful presentation, and I think comics fans care about presentation a lot. This is also definitely for the completionists and the superfans, but they likely already got the first book set because at the time; it was the most funded comics campaign ever!
AIPT: Is there a story (or maybe two or three if that’s somehow easier to choose) that stands out for you in terms of quality, importance, etc.?
AA: There are really too many. Between 300 issues plus spin-offs, Special Missions, etc., all the greatest moments are here. The origin of Snake-Eyes in the original era is outstanding. The Battle of Springfield will always be a classic. And then the Death of Snake-Eyes and the rise of new popular Joe characters like Helix and Dawn Moreno are extremely important in the New Era that has carried through to the monthly title we’re publishing now at Skybound.
Courtesy of Skybound.
AIPT: Is there something you’ve learned, or that’s maybe been cemented in your mind, about G.I. Joe since tackling this mighty big project?
AA: Storytelling has always been paramount in G.I. Joe. There are some incredible artists from the original era that went on to become the biggest artists in comics – Lee Weeks, Michael Golden, Andy Kubert, Mike Zeck – and in the next era, artists like Netho Diaz (who are now Marvel Exclusive talent) got their start in the pages of ARAH.
AIPT: From your perspective, is there a reason why G.I. Joe remains so popular? I think it’s perhaps at or near its peak in recent years.
AA: Because it was driven for a long time by a singular creator in Larry Hama. Because the core fantasy of brotherhood is extremely strong. And because the toys are friggin’ cool. And between everything we’ve done with Larry’s ARAH title, to everything that Josh Williamson, Tom Reilly, and the rest of the team has done with the Energon Universe titles, G.I. Joe fans are eating well right now. So I’d like to think we’ve contributed quite a bit to this “peak” you speak of…but we’re just getting started!
Courtesy of Skybound.
AIPT: Definitively and forever, who is the best G.I. Joe character of all-time (and why)?
AA: Zap. No explanation needed. (IYKYK)
AIPT: Is there anything else we should know about G.I. Joe, comics, the Kickstarter campaign, Skybound, etc.?
AA: We will not be printing these gorgeous box sets again! So don’t miss your chance to own a piece of comics history – and pledge right now!
For more on the G.I. Joe compendium, head to the Kickstarter page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.