Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions released G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero in 1983 to promote the 3.75 inch (9.5 cm) toyline. The premise was “good vs. evil” as explained in the show’s opening theme song, provided by Jackson Beck (previously known for his work as Popeye’s nemesis Bluto): “‘G.I. Joe’ is the code name for America’s daring, highly trained special mission force. Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world”.
The show featured physical fighting and high-tech weapons as a way to compensate for toned-down violence and lack of bullets in what was intended to be a children’s program. The show also featured public service announcements placed at the end of each show. These PSAs ended with the phrase: “Now I know!” or “And knowing is half the battle”.[34] The series ran for a total of 95 episodes, from 1983 to 1986.
The animated series was canceled after the release of G.I. Joe: The Movie, but made a significant return with the animation company DiC taking over where Sunbow/Marvel left off, and ran from 1989 to 1991. DiC released a 5-part mini-series entitled “Operation: Dragonfire”, in which the Joes faced off once again against Cobra as they tried to take control of an energy source known only as ‘dragonfire’. In this mini-series, Cobra Commander was also returned to a semi-human state by the energy itself while Serpentor, the Cobra emperor, was turned into an iguana by the dragonfire. This mini-series was successful enough for DiC to produce 2 more seasons.
