YES, THERE WERE OTHERS, AND BY 1964 IT WAS NO LONGER JUST THOSE MANUFACTURING INEXPENSIVE KNOCKOFFS IN THE ORIENT, BUT OTHER KEY U.S. TOY MANUFACTURERS WHO WERE BECOMING INVOLVED, BEYOND MATTEL. WHO WERE NOW WILLING TO MAKE THE MOVE TO MALE DOLLS, BASED ON MATTEL’S RUTH HANDLER’S SUCCESSFUL GAMBLE IN THE NEW MALE DOLL MARKET PLACE. THESE FELLOWS WOULD BE CALLED “ACTION FIGURES”, AND UNLIKE THE COMPLACENT KEN, WHO SEEMED VERY HAPPY TO REMAIN BARBIES’S ACCESSORY AND ESCORT WITH LOTS OF INTERESTING FASHIONS TO LET YOU BUY FOR HIM TO COORDINATE WITH YOUR BARBIE, THESE FELLOWS WERE PRIMARILY STAND ALONE, RUGGED, INDIVIDUALS, WHO WERE MEN OF ACTION FIRST, AND INSTEAD OF FASHIONABLE MENSWEAR THEY NEEDED A VAST SELECTION OF COSTUMES AND APPROPRIATE ACCESSORIES FOR THEIR CHOICE OF OCCUPATION, BE IT JAMES BOND 007 AND “FRIENDS”, THE MEN OF UNCLE; NAPOLEAN SOLO AND ILYA KURYAKIN, STONY: ALREADY, A GI JOE CLONE, COWBOY JOHNY WEST AND HIS CHEROKEE NATIVE SIDEKICK.

AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

GI JOE WAS AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES BY THE LATE SUMMER OF 1964. I KNOW BECAUSE I HAD SEEN HIM AT PAY’N’SAVE DRUGSTORE IN BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON, EN ROUTE HOME FROM A FAMILY TRIP TO CALIFORNIA. INSTEAD OF PURCHASING HIM THEN AND THERE, I TOLD MY PARENTS THAT I WOULD PREFER THAT THIS LAST BIT OF MY HOLIDAY SPENDING MONEY WENT TO THEM. WE HAD HAD A FAIRLY MAJOR CAR ACCIDENT IN LA THAT I KNEW, EVEN AT MY NEW FULL 8 YEARS OLD, WENT BEYOND THE BUDGET. GI JOE WAS HOWEVER, WAITING FOR ME JUST A FEW WEEKS LATER, UPON MY ARRIVAL HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY. HE WAS THE MARINE, AND HE WAS AMAZING, ALL THAT FULL ACTION MOVEMENT AND A SCAR ON HIS FACE, NO MORE TEASING ME FOR PLAYING WITH GIRLS TOYS…WOW. FOR CHRISTMAS THAT YEAR I RECEIVED ALL 4 OF THE “COSTUMES” BELOW, WHICH CAME IN BEAUTIFUL PICTURE FRAME PACKAGING, COMPLETE WITH THE MOST DETAILED EXTRAS TO ROUND OUT THE UNIFORM. SHORTLY AFTER I ALSO RECEIVED THE SCUBA SUIT AND INFLATABLE LIFE RAFT AND THE ALPINE PATROL WITH REAL FUNCTIONING SKI BINDINGS, THIS STUFF WAS AS CLOSE TO REAL AS YOU COULD GET, MADE WITH INCREDIBLE QUALITY. …SPOILED…YES, WOW…YES…I DID NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT SUCH A LANDFALL WOULD OCCUR THAT CHRISTMAS. I DID TOSS THEM WITH FIRECRACKERS OFF OF HUGE LEAF MOUNTAINS; I LIVED ON THE EDGE OF A LARGE PARK, AND SKIED DOWN BARELY THERE SNOW COVERED HILLS BUT I ALSO KEPT THEM PERFECTLY ON DISPLAY WHENEVER THEY WERE NOT IN USE. NOTE: GIRLS PLAYED. BOYS USED.