Bible heroes can fight alongside G.I. Joe

[The Straight Story]

Bible heroes can fight alongside G.I. Joe

Moses is among the new Bible action fi gures.

Zoom | Photo Reprints

By DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

http://toimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TO&Date=20061216&Category=NEWS10&ArtNo=612160345&Ref=AR&MaxW=240

Don Levine, who 45 years ago paved new ground in the toy world by creating the G.I. Joe action figure, has found a new cast of characters for preschoolers to play with - Bible heroes.

"It seemed as though I'm destined to doing heroes," said Mr. Levine, 78, of Providence, R.I.

A veteran of the Korean War, Mr. Levine said that when he came back to work after his military service he went into the toy business and joined the staff of the Hasbro toy company.

Noting the popularity of the competition's Barbie and Ken dolls, Mr. Levine said he thought young boys would enjoy playing with toy figures of soldiers and other military men.

But they weren't dolls, he told his colleagues at Hasbro.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061216/NEWS10/612160345/-1/NEWS

[tularetom]

1. LOL - when my kid wanted a GI Joe

his older sister teased him about playing with dolls. That really pissed him off. From a marketing standpoint I can understand why (particularly in the old days) they'd rather call them "action figures". But WTF are kids gonna do with "action figures" of Moses and other biblical dudes?

[nxylas]

2. Part their bathwater? n/t

[Uncle Joe]

4. I viewed a program the other day,

might have been the News Hour, but can't be sure. They were going on about a new Christianity were Jesus was made out more as a warrior/rebel type than the Prince of Peace.

The ironic thing is, Jesus was most violent when the capitalists of his day were embedded in the Temple!

[Retrograde]

3. I have an action Herbert Hoover

and an action James Madison! About 10 years ago some toy company made GI-Joe like figures of Washington (ok, he was a soldier), Hoover (well, he did spend some time as a field geologist, so I suppose..), Franklin (who picked these particular guys) and Madison (without his secret weapon, the Constitution). They used the same bodies and changed the heads slightly - I never knew James Madison was so buff!

There's a lot of military stuff in the Old Testament, so why not?

[valerief]

5. I can see it. They'll have JC and his posse (apostles) going out

to dinner together, going to the temple/market to do some shopping, doing free concerts (motivational speeches) on this Mount and that Mount, going to the baths. I can see it.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. I'm waiting for some "Finnegans Wake" Action Heroes. nt