THE FANTASTIC POUR
Brett welcomes fellow FW All-Star Ryan Daly to the Fantasti-Lounge to talk G.I. Joe! We enjoy a Summer Bourbon Cocktail and read G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero issue #16. Join us in the Fantasti-Lounge for a Battle-Sized episode as we discuss: What are Ryan’s favorite G.I. Joe toys? Why is Torpedo wearing flippers in the city? Wait, the Weather Dominator in a nativity scene? And much, much more!
Secret Pour-igins: Our Bourbon at War
Cocktail: You Too, Scar Face!
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Bourbon
- 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
- 3 dashes Aromatic Bitters
- to 10 Mint Leaves
- 2 Lemon Wheels
- Ginger Beer
Garnish
- Lemon Twist
- Mint Sprig
Instructions
- In shaker, add five to ten mint leaves, 2 lemon wheels, ½ oz. lemon juice, and 3 dashes of bitters
- Gently muddle
- Add Bourbon and stir
- Strain into rocks glass or highball with ice already in it
- Top with ginger beer
- Garnish with lemon twist and mint sprig
Non-Alcoholic You Too, Scar Face!
Ingredients
- 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
- 3 dashes Aromatic Bitters
- to 10 Mint Leaves
- 2 Lemon Wheels
- Ginger Beer
Garnish
- Lemon Twist
- Mint Sprig
Instructions
- In glass add five to ten mint leaves, 2 lemon wheels, ½ oz. lemon juice, and 3 dashes of bitters.
- Gently muddle.
- Add ice
- Top with ginger beer
- Garnish with lemon twist and mint sprig
Comic: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #16, Marvel Comics, 1983
Fantasti-Lounge House Band music: Neil Daly “Bullets & Beer”
Check out his YouTube Page for more
Have a question or comment?
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Still hungover from this episode.
Hey, did someone mention my name?
Bourbon County is the next county over from me. I pass through it on the commute to work everyday. My sister and ex-brother-in-law worked for Buffalo Trace in Frankfort for years. You guys were thematically in my back yard! And yet…I don’t drink! Weird, I know.
Great discussion on the Joe comics and the toys. I bought the comic spoardically, so I really need to get the collections and re-read them through at least the “good” period.
The toys were another matter. I resisted GI Joe for the first few series because I wasn’t much of “an army guy” as far as toys. But then the first TV mini-series hit. I ran out and bought Zartan, Duke and Blowtorch. My friends and I started buying the figures and picking who would always play those characters. We did the same thing with MOTU, Super Powers, Secret Wars, Transformers, M.A.S.K., etc. We’d try not to duplicate which figures we had, and we’d ask for different big toys (vehicles, etc.) for Christmas and birthdays. Because of this, my collection was missing some pretty important figures. I dropped out of toy playing in 1987-1988. My last Joe was Hit and Run, a rare callback to an actual military-looking figure at the time. I stupidly sold all but my very favorite Joe and Transformers figures at a yard sale my Mom had not long after.
I could go on, but needless to say, I started collecting toys soon after that (1989, the Year of the Bat!). My son played with my Joes and the ones that came out around the 25th anniversary releases and the movies. I don’t have as an impressive collection like Ryan, but I buy the Classified figures I like best, and I have bought some of my favorite vintage Joes and vehicles back that were lost or broken, like the Skystriker I picked up at a Joe toy show last month.
Funny that Ryan mentioned losing Barbacue’s nozzle gun in the car. My mom repeatedly warned me “Don’t open them in the car. You’ll lose all the guns!”
Needless to say, I loved this episode! Yo Joe!!!
Hit & Run is coming to the Classified line in early 2026.
I didn’t read a lot of the comics, but I was a big fan of the action figures and the cartoon. Also, despite the impracticality of a shirtless and shoeless soldier, Quick Kick was a favorite along w/ Gung-Ho, Flash, and Spirit. As far as Cobra characters, my favorite is the Baroness. My wife grew up as an Army brat and was also a big fan of the cartoon. Despite her resemblance to the Baroness, Scarlett is her favorite.
I didn’t give enough praise to Gung Ho but he’s one of my favorites too. Probably my favorite character in the cartoon (or Spirit).
This was a really charming episode, even though the GI Joe toy line holds no emotional attachment on me–I never had them, never played with them. And other than the first two issues of the comic (the debut issue was a treasury, so I HAD to get it), I never read any of that, either. But this was like two overgrown kids playing with their beloved action figures, while sneaking sips from their parents booze cabinet,
Having not read the comic I can only go by what I’ve heard, but it sounds like GI Joe under Larry Hama was the best example anyone could ask for when it comes to capital A “art” being made from a purely mercenary commercial enterprise. (Marvel generally seemed better at that than DC, when it came to comic series adapted from toys). He seemed to get a lot of himself, or at least a decent amount of authentic creative inspiration, into a series that was published just to sell toys.
Finally, I’ve come to enjoy the sports talk, simply because it’s a reflection of my waning, but still potent, influence on the network.
Go Joe!
Loved this episode! Not a surprise in general since I love the show but a surprise since I am a little older and never had the 80s Joes or watched the show or read more than an issue or two of the comic. I did have a 70s Kung Fu Grip.
I really loved the stories of your kids playing with your action figures. We had a similar set of Jersey Shore action figures for my kids – they played with all kinds of super heroes on the beach. Love it.
And by coincidence for the few people who want more about Mike Vosburg, check out DC SpecialCast in September! (Plug plug)
I thought you meant they made action figures of the TV show Jersey Shore.
So did I!
Hah! Now that I read it again I can see it. Lol
Enjoyed the show, even though – like Rob – I was never really into G.l. Joe, neither the toys (I had already aged out of that by the time they were introduced) or the comics – I bought the first issue, decided it wasn’t for me, and never looked back.
However, I can say something about Mike Vosburg – and I’m not encroaching on Paul’s territory and ruining his upcoming show; mainly, I just wanted to note that he’s a solid artist, but you can always see the difference when he was doing work for a paycheck as opposed to something he really liked. So his art in, say, the first She-Hulk series or in G.I. Joe (based on your gallery page) reflects the former: it’s all perfectly fine but entirely workmanlike and unremarkable. However, his work in the sword & planet series Starfire from the late ’70s, or in the Marvel Epic series Sisterhood of Steel, is quite striking. In both cases, he was really into the projects (I think he has co-creator status on both).
I’ll cop to the fact that I didn’t offer the defense of Mike Vosburg that he deserves. I know he’s much better on other projects. I read the private eye comic RETROWOOD that he wrote and illustrated in the mid-2000s and it was really enjoyable.
Great episode !
I bought the GI Joe comic for about the first year. I was lured in by a couple of things – a snazzy number one on baxter paper, a pretty good cartoon, and those commercials where you got to see the comic cover at the end. Comics on TV! Incredible. But after a year, I just don’t think it was for me. Hearing you both talk about subsequent storylines with machinations and COBRA internal squabbling make me wonder if I missed something.
As for Vosberg, I know him mostly as someone suited for writing beautiful women. The 70s Starfire, as was mentioned, as well as the second volume of American Flagg when Chaykin returned to write. So I don’t know if he was the right artist for this book.
Oh … a couple of things …
The Bears aren’t going anywhere this year. But neither are the Pats.
I’d be Dr. Mayhem – a field surgeon but with a berserker fighting style when provoked. Old school bayonet would be my weapon of choice.
I’ve read some G.I joe comics from this era I have show called G.I Joe boot camp that’s bin on (inactive status right now ) to many other things going on .
I’ve bin reading some war comics the main one I’ve bin reading is the Howling Commandos. Vol2
And I’ve read marvel 70th anniversary of the winners squad which as you know is what the invaders became after the end of ww2 .
Now for my fantastic question:
We know that military has long connection with comic books so my question is which comics you think some joes and cobras read on there rest time ?
Fantastic question 2 :
If the howling commandoes and G.I joes long with some members of the invaders join forces for a big team up who would you choose to represent each team and what big mission would send them on and who would be the big bad guys ?
To answer on your questions if
I was to join G.I joe
My code name : king Dragon
Special skills : hand to combat,
Fighting style china hand , proficient
In nato small arms . Master of bladed weapons and pole weapons.
Appearance: think quick kicks uniform except the pants are green I have green modified combat boots boot proof and stab proof black leather jacket with built in holster , mangnum 44 in holster and bow staff with a variety of gimmick like daredevils billy clubs the bow staff is carried in a green case on my back I also wear green Bret.
Yes, Cover Girl is my favorite Joe. And the Wolverine is my all-time favorite vehicle. I don’t know why, but it may something to do with her former job.
Great episode, guys.
This episode hit me where I live. G.I. Joe 10-67 is one of my favorite runs ever. Zooming in on issue 16 was a smart choice. It captures the infighting in Cobra and the danger of the conflict when Hawk is shot.
Hama did such a great job of creating excitement and high stakes in the book. Issues often ended on cliffhangers and the Joes always seemed outgunned.
If you’re not reading it – I highly recommend the current G.I. Joe book from the Skybound imprint from Image. Joshua Williamson is retelling the origin of Cobra and the Joes and it is a great book.
Never got any of the Gi Joe figures, but did read the comics and watch the cartoons. Also liked that second movie with the Rock and Bruce Willis Kind of liked Snake Eyes, Shipwreck and the Baroness. Am I the only one that wondered if Cobra Commander and Kobra were the same guy just different companies and costumes?
Hey, FW folks. Does anyone have a Spotify link for this show? Long/short: My podcatcher (Pocketcasts) is now blocked at work, but Spotify isn’t. I see almost all of the other FW shows, but not this one. Thanks.