Creator of G.I. Joe Prototype Visits Joe at Diamond International Galleries
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prototype visited the weathered soldier at his new home in Diamond International
Galleries. During his time here, he casually toured and admired the Galleries,
toasted the arrival of his beloved prototype and chatted with Scoop and
the longevity and success of the G.I. Joe series.
He recalled his early
experiences in developing the prototype and revealed to us the story behind
Joe’s scuba gear. “When I went to China in 1963 to arrange the production of
G.I. Joe in the scuba suit,” Levine reminisced, “they told me it could only be
plastic. Then they told me it could only be done in Kuala Lumpur. So I had to go
to Kuala Lumpur to arrange it, but G.I. Joe got his rubber scuba
suit.”
“Being here, 40 years later, talking about the fact that G.I. Joe
is still going strong, is something I never expected,” reflected Levine. “As a
salesman, in 1964 if someone had asked me how long G.I. Joe would run, I would
have said, ‘Forever,’ but these things normally only last 18-months to 2 years.
I never could have imagined that it would still be going as we approach the
40th anniversary.”
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