Summary
Skybound’sG.I. Joe:A Real American HeroCompendium Seton Kickstarter has experienced incredible success, and one bonus incentive brings back a rare item from the franchise’s past. As a bonus incentive, the campaign added a unique reprint ofG.I. Joe Special#1, a rare comic that presented Todd McFarlane’s lost art for an issue of the original Marvel Comics run.
In aninterview posted to the Kickstarter campaign, Skybound editor Alex Antone called McFarlane’s issue, “one of the rarest and most coveted G.I. Joe comics in existence!”
Skybound has already had great success with theCompendium SetKickstarter; now, the addition of McFarlane’s original 1990s art for the series is one final glorious incentive for fans on the fence about funding the project. Considering the collection is already a must-have, Todd McFarlane’sG.I. Joe Specialart is a next-level addition.
Todd McFarlane’s art was originally meant to be published in 1987’sG.I. Joe A Real American Hero#61, but only saw the light of day when it was published asG.I. Joe Special#1 in 1995.
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Iconic Artist Todd McFarlane’s “Lost” G.I. Joe Issue Reprinted As Kickstarter Incentive
G.I. Joe Special#1 – Original Art By Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane’s artwas originally meant to be published in 1987’sG.I. Joe A Real American Hero#61, but only saw the light of day when it was published asG.I. Joe Special#1 in 1995. McFarlane had previously drawn issue #60, but for whatever reason, his art for the following issue was pulled at the last minute, being completely redrawn by Marshall Rogers and Danny Bulanadi. Although McFarlane was a talent on the rise, andhis work onAmazingSpider-Manlater made him a superstar.
Printed long after McFarlane left Marvel to form Image Comics, theG.I. Joe Specialwas seemingly an attempt to cash in on a franchise that was on its last legs. TheoriginalG.I. Joe: A Real American Herowas canceled in 1994, and with the added pressure of slipping sales following the comics bust in the late 1990’s,G.I. Joe Special#1 wound up receiving a very low print run. As such, the issue is rare and highly sought after today, commanding high prices on the aftermarket.
While the cover toG.I. Joe Special#1 is an homage to Todd McFarlane’sSpider-Man#1, the cover art is actually by Phil Gosier and Scott Koblish
According to Alex Antone, the special reprinting of Todd McFarlane’s lost issue will be “restored” from “the ground up,” indicatingSkybound is pulling out all the stops to make this exclusive reprint the most complete version available.
Todd McFarlane’s Original “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #61” Is Being “Restored”
Back To Its Former Glory
According to Alex Antone,the special reprinting of Todd McFarlane’s lost issue will be “restored” from “the ground up,”indicatingSkybound is pulling out all the stops to make this exclusive reprint the most complete version available. The coloring done over McFarlane’s art in the laterG.I. Joe Specialwas a little garish, so a new color job would be welcome for the new printing. Additionally, the previously-unlocked special printings ofG.I. Joe Yearbook#1 andG.I. Joe: A Real American Hero#21 are confirmedto be printed on high-quality newsprint to preserve the vintage feel.
With the campaign crossing the $3 million mark in funding as of this writing, it is alreadyone of the most successful projects in comics Kickstarter history. As the newG.I. Joecomics set franchise records thanks to the success of the Energon Universe, interest in the property is high at the moment. It would appear fans both old and new are eager to get the complete original series, bringing writer andG.I. Joegodfather Larry Hama’s entire run togetherin a nice hardcover set.
