Influences, Part Three
Well, it took long enough but I finally decided to finish off this series that I started some time back. Mostly it was done, but needed a few last touches before I published it on the blog. Tonight was the night, so it seemed. So, the conclusion of the series.
Role-playing games
If you are NOT familiar with role-playing games, maybe you have heard of Dungeons and Dragons? That's an example of an "rpg," role-playing game, as insiders call them. If you've never heard of rpg's or Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing game is a game where the players imagine themselves as a character in an imaginary or fantastic circumstance or setting and "play" as if they were the character, such as a wizard, a soldier, or a space traveller. There are literally hundreds of different rpg's available on the market as these games have been around for most of 30 years now. In truth, if you think about it--they are much older than that, because a role-playing game is nothing more than playing "make-believe" as we did as small children. We could pretend to be nurses, doctors, cowboys, indians, soldiers, firemen, teachers, monsters, spacemen, policemen, detectives--any number of "characters" that our childhood imagination could come up with!
RPG's are exactly the same thing, but for older kids and adults, with very carefully established "rules" for settling circumstances, problems and conflicts. You could, if you wish, assign values to each character to give a "quantification" of each character's level of skill or attribute, for comparison purposes, and to determine outcomes of contests between characters, such as combat, success in wound treatment, persuading an enemy to surrender, piloting a space craft, shooting a weapon, or any number of various "contests" of strengths and skills. Assigning attributes would give characters ratings in intelligence, beauty, strength, endurance, or other physical, mental, or emotional characteristics.
Anyway, the point being the influence that rpg's had on me as I play with my Joes. As I have acquired my various Joes over the years, I name them and give them assignments within my "organization," as I have previously described. Some are officers, like Brigadier Graemon and Colonel Guile, some are doctors, like (Major) Doctor Devoreaux, some are pilots, like Major Cunningham, and so on. For some of the characters, I have written back-stories about the characters--where they came from, what experiences they've had, how they acquired the skills they have--all central concepts from rpg's, to give meaning, purpose, and depth to my many, simple Joes. Someday, if needed, I can assign those attributes to each character and use them in an actual 1/6th war-game or role-playing game of my design. It all adds play-value to my troops and collection! It all depends on how much time and effort I choose to invest in my figures.
Hasbro, when they invented Joe, gave him a sketchy back-ground to begin with. According to Vincent Santelmo, an author that researched the origins behind GI Joe at Hasbro, each of the four basic figures, the soldier, the sailor, the marine, the airman--all had simple names. I can't remember that GI Joe was actually marketed with those names, but they had 'em! The soldier was Joe, the marine paratrooper was Rocky, the sailor was Skip, and the airman was Ace, a fighter pilot. So, ya see--Hasbro worked GI Joe from the beginning, as discrete individuals, in each of the services.
Flash Force
Flash Force is an imaginary unit under the grandiose United States Department of Counter-Terrorism. It's a group of collectors that operate on Yahoo groups. These guys established standards and practices for their collections, giving their 1/6th troops uniforms, titles, and assignments. I can't really tell you too much about them, but I don't KNOW that much--I've only seen a few of their websites. They are fantastic, those I've seen. They made up maps of their "bases," pictures of their building interiors, pictures of their troops in training and on operations, vehicles, stories, aircraft, ranks, awards and Gawd knows what-all! The group really takes Joes and Sams to an entirely different level, from simple dust-collecting shelf-warmers, and makes them a "real" working combat and support unit assisting the United States government! It's an absolute hoot to see the fantastic imaginations and work these fellas have put into their collections!
When I saw what these guys had done, it really helped my ideas "gel" into what my collection is today. The Flash Force serves as a "model" model agency for the organization and presentation of a 1/6th collection!
OK, there it is. These are the major influences that have helped shape my collection of Joes, Sams, Dragons, BBI's, Lanards, Power Teamers, Cy's, and all the rest, into one fairly cohesive "whole," at least in my mind--the Special Services and Security Force. Hope ya liked to read about it, and more importantly, I hope you might have picked up an idea or two, to use as your own. But, even if you didn't, and you just go on with your collection of "whatever" 1/6th figures, I wish you well, and I wish you fun, relaxation, and personal pleasure with your wonderful collections of 1/6th soldiers, sailors, coasties, marines, airmen, police, fire, Adventure teamers, and fem-figs!
Well, it took long enough but I finally decided to finish off this series that I started some time back. Mostly it was done, but needed a few last touches before I published it on the blog. Tonight was the night, so it seemed. So, the conclusion of the series.
Role-playing games
If you are NOT familiar with role-playing games, maybe you have heard of Dungeons and Dragons? That's an example of an "rpg," role-playing game, as insiders call them. If you've never heard of rpg's or Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing game is a game where the players imagine themselves as a character in an imaginary or fantastic circumstance or setting and "play" as if they were the character, such as a wizard, a soldier, or a space traveller. There are literally hundreds of different rpg's available on the market as these games have been around for most of 30 years now. In truth, if you think about it--they are much older than that, because a role-playing game is nothing more than playing "make-believe" as we did as small children. We could pretend to be nurses, doctors, cowboys, indians, soldiers, firemen, teachers, monsters, spacemen, policemen, detectives--any number of "characters" that our childhood imagination could come up with!
RPG's are exactly the same thing, but for older kids and adults, with very carefully established "rules" for settling circumstances, problems and conflicts. You could, if you wish, assign values to each character to give a "quantification" of each character's level of skill or attribute, for comparison purposes, and to determine outcomes of contests between characters, such as combat, success in wound treatment, persuading an enemy to surrender, piloting a space craft, shooting a weapon, or any number of various "contests" of strengths and skills. Assigning attributes would give characters ratings in intelligence, beauty, strength, endurance, or other physical, mental, or emotional characteristics.
Anyway, the point being the influence that rpg's had on me as I play with my Joes. As I have acquired my various Joes over the years, I name them and give them assignments within my "organization," as I have previously described. Some are officers, like Brigadier Graemon and Colonel Guile, some are doctors, like (Major) Doctor Devoreaux, some are pilots, like Major Cunningham, and so on. For some of the characters, I have written back-stories about the characters--where they came from, what experiences they've had, how they acquired the skills they have--all central concepts from rpg's, to give meaning, purpose, and depth to my many, simple Joes. Someday, if needed, I can assign those attributes to each character and use them in an actual 1/6th war-game or role-playing game of my design. It all adds play-value to my troops and collection! It all depends on how much time and effort I choose to invest in my figures.
Hasbro, when they invented Joe, gave him a sketchy back-ground to begin with. According to Vincent Santelmo, an author that researched the origins behind GI Joe at Hasbro, each of the four basic figures, the soldier, the sailor, the marine, the airman--all had simple names. I can't remember that GI Joe was actually marketed with those names, but they had 'em! The soldier was Joe, the marine paratrooper was Rocky, the sailor was Skip, and the airman was Ace, a fighter pilot. So, ya see--Hasbro worked GI Joe from the beginning, as discrete individuals, in each of the services.
Flash Force
Flash Force is an imaginary unit under the grandiose United States Department of Counter-Terrorism. It's a group of collectors that operate on Yahoo groups. These guys established standards and practices for their collections, giving their 1/6th troops uniforms, titles, and assignments. I can't really tell you too much about them, but I don't KNOW that much--I've only seen a few of their websites. They are fantastic, those I've seen. They made up maps of their "bases," pictures of their building interiors, pictures of their troops in training and on operations, vehicles, stories, aircraft, ranks, awards and Gawd knows what-all! The group really takes Joes and Sams to an entirely different level, from simple dust-collecting shelf-warmers, and makes them a "real" working combat and support unit assisting the United States government! It's an absolute hoot to see the fantastic imaginations and work these fellas have put into their collections!
When I saw what these guys had done, it really helped my ideas "gel" into what my collection is today. The Flash Force serves as a "model" model agency for the organization and presentation of a 1/6th collection!
OK, there it is. These are the major influences that have helped shape my collection of Joes, Sams, Dragons, BBI's, Lanards, Power Teamers, Cy's, and all the rest, into one fairly cohesive "whole," at least in my mind--the Special Services and Security Force. Hope ya liked to read about it, and more importantly, I hope you might have picked up an idea or two, to use as your own. But, even if you didn't, and you just go on with your collection of "whatever" 1/6th figures, I wish you well, and I wish you fun, relaxation, and personal pleasure with your wonderful collections of 1/6th soldiers, sailors, coasties, marines, airmen, police, fire, Adventure teamers, and fem-figs!
posted by Brigadier Graemon | 10:45 PM
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