G.I. Joe Mobile Missile and Artillery Laser in 1983
This 1983 newspaper advertisement shows us both the MMS (Mobile Missile System) and HAL (Heavy Artillery Laser) on sale and all set for action. I’d never really thought about how so many of the 1982 G.I. Joe “vehicle” releases were actually towable weapons systems which actually made these releases more like accessories than stand-alone vehicles. There’s a lot more creativity and genius marketing hiding inside those early G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys than many of us realize.
I don’t have either toy, but I do have the 2009 re-release of the MMS, the Heatseek Missile System*, and looking at the yojoe.com page for the MMS I’m surprised at how few times Hasbro has gone back to this design.
Related articles
- 1982 Sears Newspaper Advertisement Featuring G.I. Joe Action Figures (battlegrip.com)
- 1984 Cobra H.I.S.S. and ToysRUs (battlegrip.com)
- May, 1983 Playthings Magazine and Licensing (battlegrip.com)