Greetings Nolan,
I came across your web page of False Memories of GI JOE today on the web.
I was feeling nostalgic and did some Google Searching on Hasbro toys.
I was impressed on how much you know about the history of GI Joe and the
toys and knockoffs you mentioned. I never even knew about the knock-offs.
I was one of the model makers at Hasbro for a couple years in the very early
70's. While I was apprenticing to a guy named Ron Gagnon there my first job
was to build the GI Training Tower from scratch...which took a month to do.
Right after I thought I was finished, they told me it was "fine" and
to build two
more! I thought I was going to go blind.
I never saw the final mass production version of that tower till many years
later and even then it was in incomplete pieces.
I also worked on Hot Wheels, Weeble People Airport, GI JOE training mountain
if it ever got produced I don't know... and other things that were going on in
the shop at that time.
I'd love to get or even see a nice picture of the Training Tower someday.
Jack McCabe
Mr. McCabe---
It is indeed an honor to hear from you! Thanks so much for writing. You were at Hasbro at a very historic time and have some interesting memories. Most of us who grew up in the '60s and '70s had G.I. Joes and Hot Wheels and many of us still have a few models squirreled away in closets somewhere!
Although I'd love to take credit for the "False Memories of G.I. Joe" article, that credit is actually due to special feature writer Ed Tucker who is our residential expert on such matters (in fact, the pictures included are from his personal collection).
I am forwarding your email and my response to him ASAP for his review and comment and would like to include it all in this week's PCR Lettercol.
Additionally, I smell an excellent interview in all this! ---Nolan
ED TUCKER RESPONDS
Mr. McCabe:
It is an honor and a privilege that a former Hasbro employee like yourself enjoyed my article on G.I. Joe and his knock-off "friends". It means even more to me that you worked at Hasbro during the formative years of the Adventure Team since that is the period I grew up with and have the fondest memories of. I would be more than happy to send you pictures of any items you would like to see if you will send me a list. I have most of the items from the AT period and a few pieces are still in there original packages. Nolan's sense of smell is excellent and I would love to arrange an interview with you for a piece on your time at Hasbro and your input into the G.I. Joe line as well as the other toys you mentioned. Thanks again for the kind words.
- ED Tucker -
To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com. Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan
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