Hasbros’ G.I. Joe “Bullet Man” and Monster Gun in 1976
Two fantastic finds in this 1976 newspaper (see p. 10 of the paper in the Google newspaper archives) and a K-Mart advertisement that looks like it was sitting there waiting for me.
First up, the G.I. Joe Bullet Man action figure. As Hasbro fought to keep the G.I. Joe Adventure Team sales strong, it seemed that anything was open and worth trying. Mike Power. Intruders. Bullet Man. The G.I. Joe lineup toward the end of the Adventure Team lifespan in the seventies went wild, and this ad for the “superhero” of the brand really stands out as a snapshot of the Adventure Team’s death throes.
Up next, and by no means something we want to miss, is this newspaper ad for the Hasbro Moving Monster Gun. Many may remember this as the Ghost Gun (see The Haunted Closet), but this version of the toy was titled the Moving Monster Gun and included a different set of targets. The toy projected images on the wall and then you “shot” them; see this YouTube video for the toy in action.
Both of these toys make a fun peek at the mid-seventies and Hasbro’s output to the world, and of the two of them I believe I would be happiest finding that Moving Monster Gun. The idea is just too weird for me to not love the toy!
Related articles
- G.I. Joe Adventure Team Advertisement from 1973 (battlegrip.com)
- Spotted Online – 1973 G.I. Joe Adventure Team Catalog at Plaid Stallions (battlegrip.com)
- Hasbro’s Super Joe (battlegrip.com)