Collecting G.I. Joe References: Mark Bellomo’s 2nd Edition Identification Guide

As I start work on a new book project, the first step is to make sure that I have the necessary resources and references. That means that it is time that I upgrade to the The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994: Identification and Price Guide, 2nd Edition* by Mark Bellomo. I have the first edition of the book, but I’ve not gone out and picked up the newest edition which adds more and better pics and information. Okay, Mark, I’ll buy your book. And I know I’ll like it!

One of the reasons I’m upgrading to the newer edition (which I should have done years ago) is for pages like this one featuring the G.I. Joe P.A.C./R.A.T.S. I had one of these as a kid — the missile launcher — and the concept of little remote controlled weapons was one that took me by surprise back in the eighties. Today, of course, we can all recognize weaponized drones when we see them, but when this was new it was totally new to my little brain. I wouldn’t see something similar until I caught the Aliens sentry gun scene a few years after I got the toy.

Related articles

• Lucasfilm Patent for FX-7 (battlegrip.com)
• Affiliate Link – The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, 1977-1985 (battlegrip.com)
• G.I. Joe P.A.C./R.A.T.S., Vamp II, and Flashlight 1985 Newspaper Advertisement (battlegrip.com)