Customizer-Reviewer of 1:6 Scale Action Figures Creates “Star Trek Battle Log” Photo-Comic

Mayne’s ability to combine his professional-level skills as a master model-builder, custom figure creator, computer-graphics wizard, and imaginative storyteller have resulted in the recent completion of his latest and greatest 1:6 scale photo story entitled, “Star Trek Battle Log.” (Photo: Hylton Mayne)

Mayne’s photo stories are planned and executed down to the tiniest details. He even designed custom patches for the uniforms of his characters. Here, “Kumasa,” the hero of Star Trek Battle Log, sports new “Special Forces” and custom nametag patches designed by Mayne and produced by Patches of Pride. (Photo: Hylton Mayne)

Who ya Gunna Call?

Quick! Your entire planetary system is under attack by a malevolent, unstoppable alien force. Who do you call? Who has the training and power required to defend your (remaining) threatened home worlds from imminent devastation? Fortunately, those cosmically-important questions have (finally—phew!) been addressed in an exciting new 6-part, 1:6 scale photo-comic entitled, “Star Trek Battle Log.”

Created, written and photo-illustrated by master customizer and diorama builder, Hylton Mayne, this new (online-only) adventure serial follows the lives of a group of dedicated, hard-fighting Starfleet Special Forces Security personnel who have been tasked with the daunting, life-n-death assignment of repelling an alien invasion. “Prepare for Warp Speed!”

The Masterworks of Mayne

Mr. Mayne has extensive experience creating 1:6 scale photo-comics and stories, primarily for use on the Sideshow Collectibles website found HERE. When each new Sideshow figure is introduced, he will create a short adventure starring and demonstrating that figure. Sideshow clearly appreciates Mayne’s efforts, as customers and fans are provided with an entertaining way to view the company’s products, each professionally posed and photographed in a variety of action settings and scenarios. Simply outstanding in every way!

This overhead view of Mayne’s scratch-built bridge set for the U.S.S. Titan, clearly demonstrates his superb skills as a craftsman and artist. Take a good look at this diorama. It’s all handmade and HUGE. What an accomplishment! (Photo: Hilton Mayne)

As a result of his ongoing and inspiring work for Sideshow, Mayne has accumulated quite a sizeable fan-base of his own. “1:6 scalers” of all stripes, from all around the world, appreciate his sophisticated photographic composition, creative storylines, and highly detailed, scratch-built dioramas. The growing support and encouragement of his fans eventually prompted Mayne to pursue personal projects of his own, leading to his most impressive work so far: Star Trek Battle Log. But the going hasn’t been easy. According to Mayne:

“What a journey! After two years of striving, walking away, trying, quitting, re-energizing, and passion re-kindling, I have FINALLY completed my 1:6 scale photo-comic project. I hope you enjoy it. If you get a chance, please tell me what you think.”

The old adage “waste not, want not” applies to 1:6 scale diorama-building as well. Fans of vintage GIjOEs will recognize the source of a part of this custom spacecraft. Look closely. See it? It’s the blue firewall out of an old GIjOE Space Capsule, painted and weathered to match the rear section. And Kumasa’s battle armor? Perhaps that subtle bat logo on his chest will give it away. How clever! (Photo: Hylton Mayne)

Bottom Line: Mayne’s Star Trek Battle Log is an outstanding example of 1:6 scale “fan fiction.” Fortunately for fans, all six chapters (plus an epilogue) are now available for viewing online for FREE over at Mayne’s personal website found HERE. Hylton has also hinted he has plans for some sort of a future print-version of his 1:6 scale adventures. We can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

G.I. Joe “Fan Art” Exploding in Popularity

In regards to this exciting rendering of Bulletman, talented GIjOE artist RM73 stated, “I did most of this on the train today and colored it at home. It’s a quick drawing of my favorite toy as a child. I carried Bulletman with me everywhere I went!” (Artwork by RM73)

A lack of leadership creates a vacuum. And apparently, a LOT of great artwork!

This stunning illustration of the Baroness is QUITE eye-catching. Schwing! (Artwork by Doberdog) Click to enlarge.

We’ve discussed the work of GIjOE’s commercial artists many times before here on The Joe Report. Surprisingly however, famous artist/illustrators such as 1960s vintage packaging artist Sam Petrucci, 1970s Adventure Team illustrator Don Stivers, and 1990s Classic Collection artist Larry Selman are but a few of the many talents behind GIjOE’s ongoing visual legacy.

We’ve also covered the high-end market of GIjOE “fine art” (see article HERE) where GIjOE action figures are regularly depicted as the subject matter in oil paintings and other such works in museums.

But now there’s a third category: The artwork of FANS. For years, fans have been producing superb paintings, fiction stories, photo comics, 3D dioramas, etc., all noncommissioned and uncompensated, simply for the “LOVE OF GIjOE.” Despite being largely unheralded, fan art continues to grow in popularity, producing more and more astounding work—without ANY supervision or recognition from Hasbro!

Clearly a labor of love by uber-talented artist and fan, Dusty Abell,”Action Figures of the Classic Seventies” features many Adventure Team members and vehicles. SUPERB! (Artwork: Dusty Abell)

Since all of this new GIjOE artwork is being created by fans, other fans are the first to see and admire it. For example, “eagle-eyed” Field Reporter, Barry Vedros, first spotted the outstanding work of artist and fan, Dusty Abell, and excitedly exclaimed:

“I’ve been checking out this guy Dusty Abell’s artwork over on DeviantArt. Holy crap! He has our generation nailed with his tributes. Check out the one above called ‘Action Figures of the Classic Seventies.’ GIjOE gets his fair credit in this one for sure!”

Joe’s nemesis gets his own “15 minutes of fame” in “GIjOE: Pygmy Gorilla: Warhol. (Artwork by Sean Eley)

All of this new GIjOE-inspired artwork can also be viewed as an attempt by frustrated fans at “brand resuscitation.” As the old adage states, “A lack of leadership creates a vacuum,” and that’s clearly what’s been happening at Hasbro for years. Without new “official” product output or guidance from GIjOE’s creators, many fans are asking themselves, “What do we do NOW?”

Well, in ever greater numbers, Joeheads are turning to their own creativity for answers. Some choose to sketch. Maybe just for ideas of new custom figures or vehicles. Some make videos, websites or club newsletters. Others go even further and paint or sculpt original works. Still more are writing short stories, expounding on the vast, untapped universe of Adventure Team, RAHs, and other well-known Joe-characters. A few artistic fans, such as Sean Eley, go so far as to combine original artwork or photographs with original storylines; creating their own comic books, slide-show photo stories or other genres of GIjOE-centric fan fiction.

Taken as a whole, the resulting variety and amount of new creative works inspired by and featuring GIjOE (and his foes) is literally staggering. In future articles, we’ll be discussing the rise in popularity of photo stories (both electronic and on paper), books, newsletters and other paper ephemera. But for now, here are some more great examples of GIjOE “fan artwork”…

Full-blown comic art featuring the Adventure Team in “GIjOE and the Peril at the Temple of Dreams.” (Story and artwork by Sean Eley)

This closeup of Eley’s work may remind fans of the old Peter Pan story book and record sets from the 1960s. It has that same sort of “retro” appeal. And you can tell Sean’s a real Joe fan. Note his use of authentic props such as the backpack field radio w/handset and the venerable .50 cal machine-gun.
Great attention to detail. (Artwork by Sean Eley)

Closeup panel from one of Sean Eley’s Adventure Team-inspired comics. (Artwork by Sean Eley)

This fine piece combines characters and scenes from both the Adventure Team and Jonny Quest. Now we’re talking! (Artwork by Thomas Boatwright)

We’d love to see more work from this fan-artist. His depiction of a grimacing, pith-helmeted Adventurer perfectly captures that exciting moment when a 6-wheel ATV hits the water. GRRR! Go JOE!
This is a great illustration. (Artwork by Frohickey)

This intriguing 3D Legos sculpture of a futuristic AT tank is as good as it gets. (Legos sculpt by Frohickey)

The simple, cartoon-style of this fan’s work would be great for Adventure Team stories. (Artwork by Cal Slayton)

This superb pencil sketch betrays the work of a die-hard fan and professional artist. How cool is this? (Drawing by Benito Gallego)

The Adventure Team meets the Roswell Aliens. YES! (Artwork by Thomas Boatwright)

Gallego’s work clearly deserves to be commissioned for an AT comic book. Hello? Hasbro? Are you seeing this? (Artwork by Benito Gallego)

Joe meets the Giant Head. What next? (Artwork by Frohickey)

The painstaking linear drawing style of this piece reveals the love and dedication of a true fan. (Drawing by ChrisgraphicsNow)

Amazing character studies of Adventure Team members in a fan sketch called “GIjOE is a Manly Man.” Notice the tiny AT buckle on the hat band? Great detail! (Artwork by Johnny Turbo)

The Adventure Team has their hands full fighting off a Hindu Goddess statue that’s come to life. (Artwork by Thomas Boatwright.)

This sketch of Miss Scarlet is clearly the work of a professional artist and huge GIjOE fan. Look at all the superb detail in that ammo belt, knife sheath, etc. (Drawing by Adam Hughes)

Bottom Line: This is only the tip of the iceberg. The work of “fan artists” can range from childhood scribbles to the astounding work of adult professionals. You could spend days and weeks searching the internet and never see all the amazing amateur work being done “in the name of Joe” around the world. However, if you’d like to try, we suggest you start by visiting art-posting sites such as Deviantart found HERE. Good luck and GO JOE!

G.I. jOE in the World of Fine Art: Mixed Media & Mixed Messages From a Variety of Talents

Suzanne Shifflett’s use of a unique, “deep-focus” painting technique made her “Astro Joe” acrylic a real attention-getter. (Art: S. Shifflett)

Ask some fans what their most precious possession in the world is, and quite often the answer will come back, “my first GIjOE.” That’s a seriously strong emotional attachment to anything, much less a toy. But since its introduction in 1964, GIjOE action figures have grown in popularity to such a degree that the toy line has now become a permanent part of the American psyche and worldwide pop-culture.

Other brands have come and gone. Some even surpassed GIjOE in terms of product detail or quality (Dragon, Hot Toys, etc.), but none has ever enjoyed the affectionate familiarity fans feel for “America’s Movable Fighting Man.”

Joe’s deep penetration into our collective consumer consciousness hasn’t escaped the attention of those in the artistic community either. In fact, GIjOE has become a very popular “still-life” subject for painters and sculptors worldwide. Many are clearly fascinated by the line’s effects on our imaginative roleplay during childhood, its effects on the commercialization of the military, and the ongoing anthropomorphization (i.e. the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman objects) of toys, dolls and action figures—all worthy subjects of exploration through art.

There’s more than one interpretation for Shifflett’s “My First Tattoo” painting (2005). Acrylic on canvas. (Art: Suzanne Shifflett)

GIjOE as a recurring subject in “fine art” is a relatively new phenomenon that seems to be growing in popularity. While the commercially contracted works of famous illustrators Sam Petrucci, Don Stivers and Larry Selman are well-known, many fans are surprised to learn that fine art painters and sculptors regularly depict our favorite action figure in their work as well; not for use on a package or store display, but as a way to communicate an emotion, viewpoint or personal message.

One such artwork caught my attention recently. I was browsing over at (of all places) the shopgoodwill.com website when I came across an unusual acrylic painting that had been done by an “S. Shifflett,” depicting two GIjOEs figures. What caught my attention was that they had not been portrayed as humans (such as on a package), nor as a simple “still life” object (like a bowl of fruit), but as toys that were clearly ALIVE.

Suzanne had signed the back of the canvas enabling me to locate and contact her. (Photo: shopgoodwill.com)

Upon first glance, the painting appears to show a blonde, painted-hair sniper that has just been captured by a Fuzzhead Joe, who is pinning the sniper’s arms behind his back. But the sniper’s shirt is open and pulled back slightly revealing a tattoo, and his pants are hanging a tad on the low side. Is another (possibly erotic) interpretation to be made of this work? The answer is always left up to the viewer to decide. That’s what good art (hopefully) does—it makes the viewer THINK and FEEL.

I could see that the painting was signed “S. Shifflett 99″ in pencil on the back. After a little online research, I discovered that the artist was the very talented, Suzanne Shifflett. See her website HERE. As it turns out, the painting I discovered on shopgoodwill.com was merely a color study or “practice piece” for a much larger, life-sized work entitled, “My First Tattoo” (see photo above). Fascinated by her choice of subject matter, I asked Suzanne to discuss her work and reasons for depicting GIjOE in art. She generously replied…

“I think I got my first GIjOE when I was about 10. He had life-like hair and a beard. The thing I loved about him was that I could take off his clothes. I started sewing clothes for him pretty quickly. It was more fun playing with Joe because he had better moving parts and was easier to animate than Johnny West.

I liked the idea of how when we were kids we would get close to our action figures and imagine that they were real. It was easy to imagine that we where watching a movie or that WE where the figures having some kind of adventure.

Shifflett’s affection for GIjOEs and other childhood toys includes miniature plastic figures like the one depicted in her painting entitled “Marx Brothers 4.” (Art: Suzanne Shifflett)

I also loved the sculpts on the plastic Marx toys and GIjOEs. In preparation for my paintings, I take some reference photos with a macro lens so the field of focus is very shallow. I feel this gives the viewer the feel of being in the scene.

I didn’t want to paint the figures as real people like they were on their box tops. I prefer to pay attention to the nostalgic feeling that seeing their details gives me.

Finally, I only paint toys that I might have played with myself. I’ve tried taking photos of He-Man toys, but they didn’t have that same fuzzy feeling. It’s like when you take a creative writing class and they tell you to write about what you know.”

Brian Viveros’ “Baroness,” 2012. Oil on maple board. (Art: Brian Viveros)

Rather than depict a GIjOE character as a living toy, artist Brian Viveros, chose instead to depict the “Baroness” as predominantly human, but with one important exception—her neck remains segmented in an obvious homage to her plastic toy origins. With this simple alteration, Viveros’ work stands firmly in two dimensions; the world of reality (flesh and blood) and that of artificiality and imagination (toys). According to his website found HERE…

Brian Viveros in his studio.
(Photo: Brian Viveros)

“Celebrated fetish artist Brian M. Viveros is internationally embraced for his erotic paintings of doe-eyed beauties with Marlboros dangling seductively from their lips and has also recently been utilizing the medium of film to capture the dark and evocative debris that radiates from his mind. His paintings are a drunken mix of oil, airbrush, acrylic, and ink. In his work, Viveros shines a light on his own inner world and society at large and aims to captivate even the most jaded eyes.”

“Joe and Ho 500″ by Thedra Cullar-Ledford, oil on canvas. (Art: Thedra Cullar-Ledford)

While Viveros’ chose to create a unique toy/human depiction of the Baroness, artist Thedra Cullar-Ledford has instead chosen to depict Joe in his purely plastic, inert toy form. In her intriguing painting, “Joe and Ho 500,” the artist shows a reclining GIjOE, laying next to a wide-eyed doll with a broken arm. Countless questions are raised by this image. Is it merely a still life? Or are they supposed to be alive? Perhaps some clues can be gathered from the artist’s website HERE in which she reveals the following insights regarding her work…

“It’s a mash-up of conceptualism, minimalism, storytelling and autobiography. These paintings were always intended to come together into a single container — a book — which is itself the final, finished piece.”

Another artist, Tim Liddy, specializes in the creation of ultra-realistic oil paintings depicting both real and fantasy board games. Yes, you read that correctly. In his oil painting of “GIjOE Operation: South Beach” (shown below), Liddy is clearly going for humor as well as trying to show off with his top-notch painting skills—and he succeeds admirably. The box top he depicts shows a bearded, muscular Sailor Joe dubbed “Homo Erectus,” stretching out his shoulders while a couple of adoring “Kens” look on in raptured admiration. Hilarious! You can see more of Liddy’s amusing and realistic work HERE.

“GIjOE Operation: South Beach,” oil on board. (Art: Tom Liddy)

Commercial art typically only benefits the business or company that commissioned it, while fine art has a long tradition of being created and sold to support a specific cause or charity. For example, artist Trevor Hopkins recently created four outstanding paintings which were auctioned off during Joelanta 2012 to help the Cody Lane Memorial Toy and Diorama Museum. In addition to raising hundreds of dollars for the organization, Hopkin’s colorful abstractions of the four vintage GIjOE boxes drew great admiration from all the GIjOE fans in attendance (see photo below).

Four original paintings by artist Trevor Hopkins being auctioned off during Joelanta 2012.
(Photo: Mark Otnes)

There are countless other examples of “GIjOE in the World of Fine Art” I could show; paintings, photographs, sculptures, every possible medium appears to be utilizing our 12″ hero in some form or another. But I’ll just leave you with two more I came across…

“Tubed,” by Jazz Undy, oil on canvas w/3-D GIjOE (Art: Jazz Undy)

The first is called “Tubed” and is by actor-artist, Jazz Undy. This light-hearted, three-dimensional work incorporates an actual “found object” GIjOE, which, according to Undy’s website found HERE, “can be removed from the picture and played with.” The painting is bold, primitive and colorful; a simple work of whimsical decor.

Lastly, an evocative piece called “Reality Check” by artist Ira Upin, depicts a GIjOE whose leg has been replaced with a prosthetic from the knee to the ankle. Is the work trying to make an anti-war statement? A commentary on military medical care? Or…? You decide. It’s just cool to see GIjOE represented in artwork other than a package or box top. Upin’s asking price? A mere $9,000. As of the time of this post, it was still available. Go HERE to buy it now!

“Classic Collection” Artist / Illustrator Larry Selman To Be Special Guest at GIjOE Con

Selman’s work truly captures the essence of GIjOE as “America’s Movable Fighting Man.” This outstanding Flamethrower painting was created for Hasbro’s Classic Collection line. (Art: Larry Selman)

I’m the world’s biggest fan of artist/illustrator, Larry Selman. His work on Hasbro’s “Classic Collection” line and more recently, the national GIjOE Collector’s Club’s convention exclusive figure sets, is largely responsible for breathing life back into the 1:6 scale hobby we enjoy today.

Selman’s superb painting of a 10th Mountain Division Snow Trooper preparing to take a shot. (Art: Larry Selman)

Selman’s stunning paintings have adorned Hasbro’s GIjOE boxes since the ’90s, and were largely responsible for attracting buyer’s attention, generating excitement in stores, and increasing sales across the board for “America’s Movable Fighting Man.”

The success of Selman’s efforts are undeniable. His artwork now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with both of the earlier great GIjOE illustrators; original ’60s artist, “Super” Sam Petrucci and the ’70s Adventure Team Artist, “Dangerous” Don Stivers.

Most GIjOE collectors display an assortment of Selman’s boxes throughout their own “Joe Rooms,” while some have even framed package fronts on their walls as “fine art.” That’s understandable. Larry’s artwork features highly accurate details, is historically authentic and inspirational to behold. Fortunately for his fans, Selman is scheduled to appear at this year’s national GIjOE Convention in New Orleans (June 28-July 1). When I learned he was going to be there, I started kicking myself for not being able to attend. But thankfully, hundreds of other fans will be on hand and have a chance to meet “Amazing Larry” in person. (If you can, don’t miss it!)

The following interview is exclusive to The Joe Report…

B-17 Bomber Crewman (Art: Larry Selman)

I wrote to Larry recently, hoping he’d share some additional information on his past working history with Hasbro, GIjOE and the national fan club. He quickly replied, offering these intriguing personal insights…

The Classic Collection

“How many GIjOE paintings have I done altogether? I’m really not sure. At one point, I had counted 125 pieces of art for Hasbro’s Classic Collection and the Club Convention exclusives. Obviously the majority of them were for box covers, but I also created insert illustrations for some packages that required 3 separate pieces (usually the vehicles). There were some that were, to my knowledge, never used.

Selman at work in his studio. (Photo: Larry Selman)

I’ve been an illustrator and fine artist for 30 years. GIjOE came around at the best time for several reasons. The first was the changing book cover market. I was getting out of that, so it was good timing to have another well-paying line of work.

Selman shooting reference photos for a future illustration. (Photo: Larry Selman)

The second reason was that it granted me the opportunity every illustrator wants to have; as much artistic freedom as you want and still get paid regularly. Most of the time, my sketches were accepted by Hasbro’s art directors with little problems. There were a few problems with marketers, but as a whole, it was all a great experience for me both professionally and personally. 

Artwork for the Chief Petty Officer exclusive GIjOE. (Art: Larry Selman)

My first couple of years illustrating for GIjOE opened up the possibilities of big, sweeping, epic pictures. That wasn’t possible with my other illustration assignments, especially book covers, because they are small and you have a lot of type to work around (or in).

Artwork this good is a powerful inducement to buy any toy! (Art: Larry Selman)

By contrast, the artwork and construction of GIjOE’s packaging was designed to stand out on a very crowded and busy toy shelf. The action, details and color would entice the customer into picking up the box to look at it and to open the front panel of the box to see what was inside: the toy.

Selman’s epic painting of George Washington remains one of his best.
(Art: Larry Selman)

There were a few paintings I thought actually changed my career—George Washington was one of those. George was a 4th of July GIjOE Special. That package was the pinnacle of this early package design style the Classic Collection. I worked longer and harder on that one painting than any other, and also spent more money on props, models, horses and reference photography than anything before. The bill for all of those materials cost me well over $1,000, but the effort shows in the painting’s final composition, perspective, and details. It even won a prestigious award for art and package design!

Selman’s outstanding artwork for GIjOE’s Blue Angel Pilot box. (Art: Larry Selman)

Unfortunately, it was the beginning of the end of this approach of selling GIjOE. Wal-Mart was starting to call the shots more and more on the packaging for all sorts of products, particularly toys. They are the number one toy seller and when they say jump you say, “how high.” Over the next several years, they shrank the box size more and more and beat Hasbro up on cost. These factors meant that space for the artwork was reduced to a small back section of the box.

Convention Exclusives

I’ve also had a great time working with Brian at the GIjOE Club. He brought me in a few years after Hasbro had closed down the 12″ Classic Collection line, and since that time, I’ve illustrated seven of the 12″ figure convention boxes and one for the 3 3/4″ line.

Unknown Heroes of WWII box (Photo: GIjOE Club, Art: Larry Selman)

The first painting I did for the club was for the Unknown Heroes of WWII exclusive, which is still one of my favorite box covers. The idea and design worked out well for both figures. There was a different feel for the two illustrations as it needed to be but they worked well side by side which doesn’t always happen.

Battle of Britain box (Photo: GIjOE Club, Art: Larry Selman)

The Battle of Britain set had a different goal which was to show the two combatant’s point of view of the same action. A difficult set to work because aircraft cockpits are very cramped. Getting a good feel for the whole thing was hard.

Closeup of Terror on the Sea Floor box.
(Art: Larry Selman)

Terror on the Sea Floor was a fun picture to work on and rigging up the props was interesting and of course there was no underwater photography. For the wet suit I used close-fitting thermal underwear and the air tanks were two fire extinguisher bottles strapped to a Vietnam ruck sack frame.

Sometimes making up the props is very time-consuming, like Eight Legs of Danger. For that one, I used the fire extinguisher tanks again but made the fire suit out of tin foil and a paper paint suit. I went to a paint store-bought a cheap paper suit and sprayed glue all over it and then the tin foil to join them. It worked out well and then came building the spider cave and Spiders.

Eight Legs of Danger box (Art: Larry Selman)

I went to a craft store that and bought a rubber spider with poseable arms and some pipe cleaners. The rubber spider only had moveable middle legs and I needed the all the legs to move. I clipped the front legs off and attached pipe cleaners for the front, posed and light it the way I wanted and boom you get spider reference that works. A lot of work but it was the most fun picture I worked on. It had the 1950s monster feel that Brian and I discussed at the outset.

Escape From Spy Island box (Art: Larry Selman)

Escape From Spy Island, Drive Into Danger and Last Man Standing all had the prop and modeling process as the previous boxes. Last Man Standing is the heavy weapons assortment to the vehicle in Drive Into Danger. I guess the question it’s trying to answer is, is this the last man standing going to be the last of the line or will there be more? One always like to wonder about a line like GIjOE and where it might go in the future.

Its been a lot of fun to work with Brian and Lanny on these sets because they are different from my normal course of work and we have a good working relationship. Aside from the working part we get along well and the conventions for me are always great fun. I’m looking forward to the convention in New Orleans and seeing all of my friends from past shows!”

Box art for the upcoming GIjOE Con’s “Last Man Standing” exclusive 12″ figure set.
(Photo: GIjOE Collector’s Club, Art: Larry Selman)

Adventure Team Artist’s legacy lives on

Don (r) presenting a painting at West Point. (Photo: Don Stivers)

Years after his passing, renowned illustrator Don Stivers’ high-energy artwork is still affecting people all around the world. As a fan of GIjOE, Action Man or Geyperman, you probably remember Don best as 1970′s “Artist of the Adventure Team.” During that exciting period in “Joe History,” Stivers was the primary artist entrusted with creating all-new artwork to adorn the packaging of America’s favorite action figure.

Don’s exciting artwork had the pulses of young adventurers racing worldwide. Oftentimes, the artwork on his boxes was more exciting than the actual contents.

Don’s aggressive, painterly style, utilized bold brushwork and a bright, colorful palette. His strong, artistic approach proved to be the perfect choice for moving GIjOE from his military origins to a new Adventure-themed era.

It was amazing how Don could give a flat, 2-dimensional medium such vibrancy and LIFE. His characters weren’t lifeless comic book figures. Quite the contrary. They looked and seemed VERY real. Their faces showed raw emotions, full of determination and focus. And above all, they communicated ACTION! Thanks to Don, GIjOE’s new packaging had become bolder and more attention-getting than ever.

The iconic AT Commander box. Don’s artwork breathed LIFE into the leader of the Adventure Team.

His A-T figure boxes would go on to become iconic among collectors. Their individual faces forming almost a “Mount Rushmore” of GIjOE imagery. For example, Don’s artwork on the Talking Commander box practically makes it jump off the shelf and into your hands, yelling “I’ve got an EASY assignment for you! BUY ME NOW!”

Don’s effective artwork adorned most of the packages in the Adventure Team line. How could any kid resist this?

Subsequent work on the the Adventure Team Helicopter box, the massive A-T Headquarters box, all of the vehicle boxes such as the Mummy’s Tomb, Shark’s Surprise, Troubleshooter and others, also seemed to promise “an adventure in every box.” In hindsight, all of those paintings represent some SERIOUSLY good work. Hasbro had clearly chosen the right man for a VERY tough job. But this was only an inkling of what was to come…

Sometimes, even the product itself featured Don’s artwork, as with this A-T HQ. Superb!

Flash forward to the present day. Sadly, Don is no longer with us, but thanks to the hard work of his daughter, Tracy Stivers, and the new online art print business she operates, his amazing work and legacy will continue to live on. In fact, a whole new generation of militaria fans and history buffs are now being introduced to this amazing man’s talents–all over again. According to Tracy…

(Photo: Don Stivers)

“Before my Dad passed away, I made him a promise. He was very proud of Stivers Publishing, which my parents started when it was virtually unheard of for an artist to publish their own work. I promised to keep it going for as long as I could.

In those first few weeks after his death, I stumbled across an auction website that had sold two of Dad’s original oils from the 1970′s that I had never seen before. Looking at these images, painted over 30 years ago, I was particularly struck by the preciseness of the style. The illustrative quality made the subjects appear to jump off the page. I felt compelled to hunt down these seemingly forgotten works. I believed that collectors would be equally enthralled by them.

His original works can now be found on display at Forts Belvoir, Drum, Wainwright, Benning, Hood, Meade, Leavenworth, Sill, Riley, Campbell, the Army War College, the Pentagon, and are the pride of many public museums and countless private collections.” 

If you saw this toy in the store…YOU BOUGHT IT! Thanks primarily to Don’s amazing artwork on the box.

What an amazing legacy! Most illustrators toil away for their entire careers in relative (or complete) obscurity and anonymity. It can be a tough, unrewarding profession where the artist burns the midnight oil for years to produce artwork for advertising or other such materials that other people rarely give a second thought.

But Don’s work was special. As an artist and contributor to the GIjOE hobby, he will always hold a special place in the hearts of thousands of its fans. He also helped bring Hasbro some much-needed financial success during the sluggish economy of the 1970s, and ultimately brought the Adventure Team itself to life…FOREVER. Thank you Don and thank you Tracy! If you’d like to own one of Don’s masterful creations, we highly recommend you visit the official Don Stiver’s Publishing website FOUND HERE.

Recreating Vintage War Photos as Dioramas

The original WW2 photo that inspired Peter's 1/6th scale recreation.

Here’s a creative and enjoyable offshoot of the 1/6th hobby that many fans haven’t yet tried or even considered possible. Others, such as “Peter the Painter” from the UK continue to prove that indeed, it is VERY possible! We’re talking about the recreation of exciting images captured in vintage photographs taken during WW2 or other periods–in miniature 1/6th scale.

Peter's stunning 1/6th scale recreation completely "fools the eye!"

Peter recently posted some prime examples of this artistic endeavour over on the OneSixthWarriors forum, clearly showing what IS indeed possible with just a little care and creativity. He chose an old, grainy photo from the Battle of the Bulge, showing 3 german troops running quickly across a dirt road. With great care, he painstakingly recreated the moment with exacting perfection. What a masterpiece!

In this final, colorized version, Peter brings the past to life!

Take a good look at the first “inspiration” photo (above left), then Peter’s amazing black and white recreation (above right), and finally his full-color version (left). Upon extremely close inspection, you might be able to detect that Peter has used a combination of miniature trees, grasses, some dirt and even a hand-painted backdrop. Put all together, the final result is completely convincing visually. It’s as if you were standing right there on the road at that moment. Superb work, Peter! Please keep up your inspiring work.