Questions for Discussion with Don Levine... FATHER OF GIJOE®

1) If the common wisdom in the early 60s was “a boy’ll never play with a doll,” why do you think GIJOE® had such an impact on generations of American boys? When we were creating GIJOE®, we made it clear from the outset that we were not trying to introduce a doll. The terms we coined were action figure and moveable fighting man, mainly to avoid any stigma attached to the idea of little boys playing with dolls. In fact, Merrill Hassenfeld--the president of Hasbro at the time, and the person to whom this book is dedicated--took it upon himself to approach each of our sales reps personally during our introduction of the product to warn them in no uncertain terms about the consequences of calling GIJOE® a doll in front of our customers; “This is a moveable man of action--if I hear any of you calling it a doll, we won’t ship GIJOE® to you!” Fortunately for us, my hunch was right; boys had no problem adopting a new play pattern that allowed them to dress and accessorize their own man of action. GIJOE® opened a new world of possibilities to little boys, whether it was in the backyard or on the living room carpet. Kids were empowered as they never were before, deciding what Joe should wear and which gear would be appropriate on any particular mission. It became a toy relationship that kids could enjoy with their friends or alone. 2) How did you conceive the original idea for GIJOE®? Part of my job at Hasbro during the early 60s was to find and develop new toy concepts. I met with a man named Stan Weston regarding his idea for a toy that would feature military themes and accessories; he was sharp enough to realize that the razor-razor blade marketing concept that Mattel’s BARBIE® doll used so effectively--selling a figure as the razor, then many accessories as razor blades--could find an application in the boy’s toys area. Weston even went so far as to suggest that the figure in question be pose-able, though at that time I wasn’t convinced that there was any great promise in the concept. As I left Weston's office, I passed the display window of an art store and noticed a couple of wooden articulated artist’s mannequins. Suddenly it occurred to me that we could create something truly magnificent if there was a way to produce figures that moved and posed any which way the human body did. Tin and plastic soldiers have been favorites of children as long as there have been toys; it seemed to me that this fully articulated man could be a giant step forward. From that point on, it was a matter of conveying this vision to my staffat Hasbro so we could make it into a marketable reality. That is what the book is all about. 3) Did the fact that you were stationed in Korea provide any inspiration for GIJOE®? I think my military service helped immeasurably when we developed accessories and uniforms for GIJOE® because I could recall with very little effort how we were equipped in the field. Most of my staff were veterans of World War II and Korea, so they had the same sense of familiarity with what we were creating. We were not, however, out to romanticize the idea of war and international conflict. The military milieu was part of my generation’s reality and created an enormous amount of accessory possibilities. Not long after the introduction of GIJOE® in 1964, we swung away from the military altogether in favor of more generic adventure themes, and boys across America responded without missing a beat.

4) GIJOE® continued to evolve through the years. Who are GIJOE®'s foes today? To tell the truth, even during tlie initial military versions of GIJOE® there was no enemy as such. Even when we eventually did a German and Japanese soldier, they were created as part of our Action Soldiers of the World series. There was never a bad guy figure made to oppose GIJOE®; creating antagonists was left up to the kids. Basically, GIJOE® is a universal archetype of good, so his foe is whoever or whatever represents bad at any given period of time. 5) You named GIJOE® for a movie. Which movie was it and how did it inspire you? In the earliest days of development, our moveable man of action had different names for each branch of the armed services; Skip for navy, Rocky for the Army and Marines, and Ace was our air force pilot. Fred Bruns, who headed Hasbro’s ad agency, told me that we were shooting buckshot by using separate names, and advised me to find one solid bullseye. At the time, I was really at a loss as to how we could apply a single name across the board effectively, but the answer came to me late one night while watching an old movie on television; it was Robert Mitchum and Burgess Meredith in a film about war correspondent Ernie Pyle, and the title was The Story of GIJOE®. That name was just what we needed, because Government Issue Joe was a real everyman title. 6) The original GIJOE® stood esactly eleven and a half inches talL Today GIJOE® is half that size. Why? A couple of factors worked into the shrinking of GIJOE®. First the OPEC oil embargo of the late 70’s forced Hasbro to begin to make GIJOE® 8 1/2 inches because plastic was becoming more and more expensive. A little later that decade, Kenner began experiencing huge success with 3 3/4 Star Wars figures, which were made at that size to allow for more playset and accessory vehicle possibilities. When Hasbro re-launched GIJOE® in 1982 after a four year hiatus, they followed that successful formula, making the figures 3 3/4 inches tall. So GIJOE® actually exists at two distinct sizes for different generations. The Masterpiece Edition GIJOE® Figure is a reproduction of what baby boomers consider their GIJOE®, 12" tall, fully articulated, and outfitted for action. 7) In 1994, nearly 10,000 men showed up at the First International GIJOE® Collector’s Convention in New York. What inspired such a huge turnout of GIJOE® enthusiasts? I was as surprised as anyone! In hindsight, after meeting and talking to some of the attendees, I guess GIJOE® represented more than just a toy to many people. I think many collectors find a connection to those long ago, simpler times in their childhoods through collecting GIJOE®. 8) Why do you think GIJOE® is such an enduring toy? I believe GIJOE® was and is a very empowering toy for kids. A child has a character that is his or hers to direct through whatever adventure happens to come up on that particular day. The child has endless accessories and outfits to choose from, and is able to explore all manner of heroic and exciting possibilities, whether it be as a deep sea dive, astronaut, or Jet pilot. That kind of make-believe is something every generation thrives on.

Raised in Forest Hills, Queens, and Great Neck, Long Island, Don Levine was a tennis enthusiast who played Junior Davis Cup in high school. He attended Syracuse University where he earned his degree in business administration. Drafted into the U.S. Army, he was part of the invasion force landing at Inchon in September 1950. After his discharge from the Army, Levine joined two partners to form an advertising agency. Looking for a steadier paycheck, he joined a firm that manufactured plastic notebooks, scrapbooks, diaries and school supplies for large retailers such as F.W. Woolworth, J.C. Penny and Sears. This is the beginning of his fascination with product development. He got an idea for a line of plastic notebooks, diaries and scrapbooks featuring little-girl colors. He called it Ponytail. But his bosses didn't particularly like the idea. When he took his idea to some of the major retailers, his boss promptly sacked him.

Through luck and serendipity, he met Merrill Hassenfeld, the head of Hassenfeld Toys which would later become Hasbro--the toy manufacturing giant--who had heard of Levine's success with the Ponytail line. A meeting at the Hassenfeld headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island, led to an offer of a permanent position with the company and in 1956, Mr. Hassenfeld made him an offer to create a new company along the lines of his Ponytail enterprise. Hasbro wanted to get into the burgeoning teen market. By 1963, Levine was vice-president and director of marketing and development of Hasbro Toys when he conceived and organized the manufacture and introduction of GIJOE®. The popular action figure would make Don Levine a legend in the toy business. In 1975, Don Levine left Hasbro to form his own successful toy development company. He developed Kenya®, which is currently one of the best-selling dolls in the world. He is married and the father of three children and two grandchildren. He and his wife, Nan, live in Providence, Rhode Island.