Action Jackson or GI Joe?

[clemso]

Before i started collecting Megos, I'd never even heard of Action Jackson (Johnnie Jackson) and happily played with GI Joe (Action Man, much cooler name imho) in my childhood. I remember having the deep sea diver suit and Royal Guard plus others with my Joes, Which ones did you have or did you have an Action Jackson childhood or other?

[bondtoddbond]

I don't think there is a real competition between the two. I like Action Jackson only because it's Mego. G.I. Joe offers way better play action for a kid. I had the Deep Sea Diver, Space Capsule/Astronaut and many more. The larger scale is just better for the articulation and accessories.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I had both, but I was kinda young for either. The Mego Trek figures were the first ones I was really seriouis about.

I think at the time Joe had the better accessories; but my vote would have to go to AJ, since the smaller size makes it easier to produce vehicles and playsets.

Don C.

[drmego]

GI Joe was great on his own, but once he joined the MEGO superheroes,
he had to be Giant-Man.

I don't think I ever played with Action Jackson on his own. He was too
ugly to be anything but custom fodder.

[The Toyroom]

I already had G.I. Joe before I hit kindergarten, where I remember a kid bringing his Action Jackson figure to school everyday. Another kid had his mom sew a cool Batman costume for his G.I. Joe that everyone envied....until we heard that the "Action Jackson" company was going to make little Batman and Robin figures....The rest is history.

[palitoy]

I had both, my dad had skids and skids of AJ and his outfits. Every birthday party I attended made sure that every kid I knew also got an AJ.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I never owned a Joe, but had a dark blue suit, bearded Action Jackson. I had the helicopter, the frogman outfit, the Jungle Safari outfit, and the Rescue outfit. Even though he had a dog-tag on, I always used him more like a James Bond like character rather than a military expert. I actually liked the 8" Action Jackson size better than the larger Joe size, smaller figure means the living room furniture is that much bigger for adventure

[MightyMegs]

I had one Land Adventurer Joe... and I don't even remember seeing AJ on the shelves. I remember seeing Mego Superheroes (box and peg), Big Jim, Six Million Dollar Man... but never AJ...

[garagesale]

Had original GI Joe in 1968. Grandma got me Ken for some reason. I hated his tight, latex legs that made it hard to get swim trunks off and fatigue pants on.

AJ's initial spash at TG&Y amazed me. Seemed like shelves and shelves of nuttin' but AJ! Aquaman was my 1st Mego, but I got AJ and made him into The Flash!

JamesD

[AJ Collector]

I had both as well but preferred Action Jackson to the point where Joe never got much "play time"

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I will say that Joe wins with that zip line/tower/truck playset thingie.

Don C.

[Orion]

Had AJ first - got a couple of outfits for him. Later on he became the bad guy for some of the WGSH games. Loved the Joes - - - had Eagle Eye and the Intruder. My brother had Bulletman and Action Man. Only problem with them was they were so big you could only play with them with each other.

[megocrazy]

AJ,definitly, he was actually my first. Only had him, Spidey, and Cap as a kid. Had the heli backpack and the fire suit. Think I had the jungle marine camo suit too. My only purchased Joe was Mike Power. I was given some by an older cousin, Mike was a gift from my grandmother. The original got destroyed but I recently replaced him in my collection because of the memories.

[haran_banjo_]

I owned Big-Jims and than Action Jackson, or in Italy, Amico Jackson.
I found the dimensions perfect for the child hands and the figure better poseable than Big-Jim's figures.
I played a lot with A.J. and my mom created for me some outfits of the more knew super-heroes. The other thing, a little important, A.J. costs in Italy less than half of the cheapest Big-Jim price, also the outfits and accessories.
In my birthday in 1976 my mom brought me to a toys store near our home and she asked me to choose a gift (with a maximum budget) and the seller, I remember well, told me "there's some new figures better and bigger than Big-Jim and Megos...look here!" and laid on the table three figures, GI Joes by Polistil.
When I've seen these three figure I said "GREATTTT!!! They're very beautiful!!! Mommmmm buy one of these!!!!!!" and I my choose was the black GI Joe, in Italy with orange jumpsuit, black shoulder holster, pistol and boots.
After that I've used a lot the GI Joes, a little less the A.J. and the other Megos and not more Big-Jims.

[rchatlin]

I received a GI Joe Deep Sea Diver one birthday,
but it was broken in the packaged, and quickly returned.
I can't remember what I got in it's place, but it wasn't another Joe.

AJ, on the other hand, I remember buying with my Dad at a Moonlight Madness sale at the mall toy store. AJ, an outfit or two, plus the parachute.

Fun times, indeed.

r
o
b