"D.C. Jones - Adventure Command International - Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" by Jim Beard
Just finished reading "D.C. Jones - Adventure Command International - Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" by Jim Beard, published by Becky Books.
Basically D.C. Jones is a "clone" of the highly popular boy's action figure G.I. Joe that enjoyed perhaps it's highest period of popularity as a children's toy back in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. My Dad, who was an officer in the United States Marine Corps for a little over 35 years before he retired back in 1992, was quite vehement against me having a G.I. Joe because he considered it "nothing but a doll." Keep in mind that it was considered extremely "feminine" for a boy to want to play with dolls - even if it was an action figure male doll - and made the boy appear to be less masculine. Gender crossing toys - and I really can believe I'm using that terminology - did not come into existence until the late 1970s when the original Star Wars toys were released - though those toys were originally targeted and marketed to boys - it became acceptable for a boy to have a Princess Lea action figure among his Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Darth Vader action figures. It was only with the release of the G.I. Joe animated series that gave included women as G.I. Joes in the mid-80s that you saw the blurring of traditional gender lines in dolls/action figures marketed for both boys and girls at least here in America. You could make an argument that Space: 1999 Year Two action figures also broke the mold with the introduction of Maya, who usually saved everyone at least once per episode in the Year Two series with her metamorphic abilities which allowed her to turn into a variety of alien creatures.
The popularity of G.I. Joe did spin off a variety of "clone" action figure toys based on the G.I. Joe model. And Beard is clearly doing that here with "Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" which pays homage to the original G.I. Joe concept of a former military man going on adventures provided by the popular and price play sets that could be bought individually - G.I. Joe did learn a few thing from Barbie over the years.
"Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" is written in the traditional pulp adventure style and sets up the ongoing theme of the series where the Adventure Command International team finds itself dealing with a snake cult that is bent on remaking the world in its own image.
Star Wars also inspired a "rip-off/copycat" series of novels and toys set apart the original movie that was looking to cash in on the popularity of George Lucas' science fiction creation.
Beard is an enthusiast of the original G.I. Joe action figures from the late 1960s and 1970s, and I believe he is a G.I. Joe historian - at least from what I can determine he promotes the original action figure and can be considered an uber-fan.
"Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" is an open love letter written in the Modern Pulp tradition style of writing.
Recommended for G.I. Joe enthusiasts who want to read adventures based on the original action figure, but with indirect references to the animated series.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/D-C-Jones-Adve...
Basically D.C. Jones is a "clone" of the highly popular boy's action figure G.I. Joe that enjoyed perhaps it's highest period of popularity as a children's toy back in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. My Dad, who was an officer in the United States Marine Corps for a little over 35 years before he retired back in 1992, was quite vehement against me having a G.I. Joe because he considered it "nothing but a doll." Keep in mind that it was considered extremely "feminine" for a boy to want to play with dolls - even if it was an action figure male doll - and made the boy appear to be less masculine. Gender crossing toys - and I really can believe I'm using that terminology - did not come into existence until the late 1970s when the original Star Wars toys were released - though those toys were originally targeted and marketed to boys - it became acceptable for a boy to have a Princess Lea action figure among his Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Darth Vader action figures. It was only with the release of the G.I. Joe animated series that gave included women as G.I. Joes in the mid-80s that you saw the blurring of traditional gender lines in dolls/action figures marketed for both boys and girls at least here in America. You could make an argument that Space: 1999 Year Two action figures also broke the mold with the introduction of Maya, who usually saved everyone at least once per episode in the Year Two series with her metamorphic abilities which allowed her to turn into a variety of alien creatures.
The popularity of G.I. Joe did spin off a variety of "clone" action figure toys based on the G.I. Joe model. And Beard is clearly doing that here with "Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" which pays homage to the original G.I. Joe concept of a former military man going on adventures provided by the popular and price play sets that could be bought individually - G.I. Joe did learn a few thing from Barbie over the years.
"Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" is written in the traditional pulp adventure style and sets up the ongoing theme of the series where the Adventure Command International team finds itself dealing with a snake cult that is bent on remaking the world in its own image.
Star Wars also inspired a "rip-off/copycat" series of novels and toys set apart the original movie that was looking to cash in on the popularity of George Lucas' science fiction creation.
Beard is an enthusiast of the original G.I. Joe action figures from the late 1960s and 1970s, and I believe he is a G.I. Joe historian - at least from what I can determine he promotes the original action figure and can be considered an uber-fan.
"Secret Of The Sunken Tomb" is an open love letter written in the Modern Pulp tradition style of writing.
Recommended for G.I. Joe enthusiasts who want to read adventures based on the original action figure, but with indirect references to the animated series.
Four Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/D-C-Jones-Adve...
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