Interviews 

G.I. JOEversity: Chuck Dixon Looks Back; Looks Forward to G.I. Joe: Special Missions [Interview]

By | March 18th, 2013
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

Waaaaay back in 2008, IDW Publishing partnered with Hasbro to produce all new comics based on G.I. Joe. Unlike Marvel and Image/Devils Due before them, IDW’s series marked the first time G.I. Joe would be published without direct ties to any one toyline, or set of figures. Minus the “move more product” mandate, this new G.I. Joe already felt more grown up and relevant right out of the gate, and comics legend Chuck Dixon was right there to kick things off, and steer everyone’s favorite Real American Heroes into the 21st  Century.

With over seventy issues of G.I. Joe under his belt, Dixon’s logged more Joe stories than just about anybody (second only to classic G.I. Joe scribe, Larry Hama). And with IDW’s latest relaunch of the entire franchise, Dixon’s right up front again, ready to make his mark with a new take on G.I. Joe Special Missions later this month. But before the new book drops, we wanted sit down with Chuck to look back at his work on the series so far, and what the future holds for his favorite Joes.

Let’s start at the beginning. When IDW announced you’d be writing G.I. Joe, I can distinctly remember thinking “Oh, that’s a no brainier! Chuck Dixon is perfect for “G.I. Joe,” and here we are, years later and I wasn’t wrong. You’ve really done some amazing work on the series, but what was your first thought upon hearing you’d landed the gig?

Chuck Dixon: At first I was only assigned to write a series of four prequels to the first movie. And I was thrilled with that. It meant getting to play with Larry Hama’s creations. Larry was a real mentor for me when I was working for Marvel. He gave me my first break. At the time he was writing Joe and obviously having the time of his life. I got to talk to him a bit about his creative process on all things Joe and got a rare glimpse into how he approached the series.

It knocked me out when they offered me one of the monthlies in a brand new GI Joe continuity with Larry working on other titles at the same time. We’d be working in concert and that was irresistible to me.

I always say that I knew I’d have fun on Joe but no idea how MUCH. This property is so rich and so deep that the possibility for fun stories is endless.

Just curious, what was that “first break at Marvel” Larry gave you? Was it “Alien Legion?”

CD: That was Archie Goodwin and Carl Potts.

Larry was starting up the re-booted “Savage Tales” as a magazine featuring war stories and westerns and he-man stuff. “The ‘Nam” started there. My buddy Hilary Barta told me about it and I HAD to get on the book! I called Larry cold and told him that he needed me. Larry didn’t know me and his attitude was less than welcoming but I bored in ‘cause I wanted to work with him and I wanted to be on that book! He said he’d take a look at some pitches and decide if he “needed” me or not.

He bought about four of the pitches and assigned them to John Severin, who asked for more stories from me. After that he put me on the Kull back-ups in “Savage Sword of Conan” and eventually gave me the lead feature. Larry also went around to other editors at Marvel and praised my professionalism and reliability. So maybe he did play a part in me getting “Alien Legion!”

When IDW’s books launched, Hama was setting the groundwork of the series in “G.I. Joe: Origins”, and you were defining what the Joe team was in the present. Knowing what the classic book meant to fans, what did you see as the main draw of a 21st Century G.I. Joe? And what challenges come with doing a modern, post 9/11 military comic (that also prominently features ninjas)?

CD: Well, there was a balance to be struck between escapist fantasy and reality. When the first Joe comics came out we were still in the Cold War. Terrorism was there but certainly not the main focus of our military services. Now, we’re practically living in a world Larry predicted. Our most immediate enemy is a stateless terror insurgency bent on world domination! They’re not as cool as Baroness and Destro and Zartan.

Continued below

While the zeitgeist of world terrorism is in the background of the Joe franchise, I try to keep things as far from the real War on Terror as possible. I don’t want to trivialize what our actual soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen are fighting for. But I do want to honor them by portraying the Joes as honorbale, courageous and compassionate.

You’re right. Having just re-read all of Hama’s Joe stuff, it’s astounding how much of it mirrors the world today. Home grown terrorism is at the very heart of what Cobra Commander and Cobra are, which brings me to the IDW concept of Cobra. It pulls from that same place of self-made terrorists, but you also kind of privatize the organization. Why do you think it was important to re-imagine Cobra for the IDW series?

CD: I think we wanted them to be more profit driven than ideological. Cobra is a criminal insurgency; a militarized mafia. They do use terror as a tactic but they’re more than a terror organization.

Indeed. And probably what I enjoyed most about “G.I. Joe” Vol. I was the sort of slow build between your book and “Cobra”, and the ultimate confrontation between the two. It was a nice approach, and really helped cement the characters and not just the concept. How much planning did you and “Cobra” writer Mike Costa do, or was the evolution of the story as organic as it felt?

It was an organic process. While our stories mesh well, Mike and I kept out of each others’ way as much as possible.

The dramatic reveal was the biggest difference between what we were doing on the new continuity and what Larry did. Larry was tied each month to a toy release schedule. Not only did he have to bring Cobra and the Joes on stage simultaneously, but he was tasked with introducing new characters and vehicles into certain issues. A thankless task some times and one Larry always pulled off without contrivance.

I always say that Larry’s work on Joe was better than any toy tie-in comic ever deserved. That’s why the book ran so long and is so fondly remembered.

Mike and I were cut loose from those constraints and had the luxury of playing with already well-established and well-loved characters.

Yes! Hama’s G.I. Joe and Bill Mantlo’s work on ROM are proof that it’s not always about the power of an idea, but also the craft and the execution of that same idea. And Hama’s craft is well displayed in Vol. 1, which, as we’ve said, is sort of a group effort to get the new G.I. Joe off the ground. But when Hama pulls back, it’s you and Costa as point men on the franchise… and then those books end.

What are some of your favorite moments from G.I. Joe Vol. 1? And is there anything you’d do differently?

CD: Overall I’m pleased with the effort.

My favorite is the scene following Snake Eyes’ first encounter with a Cobra soldier. He’s being medivaced out, near death, and Stalker asks him how many guys did this to him. Snake Eyes holds up one finger and Stalker stares at him aghast. That was a back-patting moment for me.

Also, Snake Eyes picking a CD of whale songs for he and Mainframe’s road trip.

Oh, wow. That Snake Eye moment is pretty badass. And yeah, it really sets Cobra up as being a major physical threat too.

Volume One ends with a big shake-up within Cobra, and the organization in a downward spiral. Then Vol II comes out swinging with ‘Cobra Civil War,’ and redefines the property (again). What necessitated the relaunch, and did it have IDW’s desired effect for the series as a whole?

CD: Well, the way comics are retailed these days you need to relaunch titles in order to cut through the clutter. I think this relaunch was justified by the work we put into it. The Civil War is a real event in every sense of the word. It got us more media attention than the original launch. We also started with a comic book death you can believe in. The original Cobra Commander ain’t never coming back!

Continued below

The reboot also saw Snake Eyes get his first ongoing series (not counting “G.I. Joe starring Snake Eyes and Ninja Force”). How did a third book fit in with the established books, and why was it important to have one with Snake Eyes?

CD: He’s the most popular Joe. He kind of demands a spotlight now and then. That said, I personally believe that “less is more” with Snake Eyes. He needs his mystery and he needs to be put on moratorium now and then. But I’m pleased that his book ran for 21 issues. And I like that it morphed into “Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow.” That was a natural evolution for the franchise as they share an origin and their stories are forever entwined. And for those of you who think you’ve seen the “ultimate” Snake and Storm battle, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Wait, whoa, hey, hold on a minute, now — Snake Eyes isn’t dead (*wink*)?

CD: Well, SOMEBODY left that battered Snake Eyes mask in the shrine at the end of “Snake Eyes & Storm Shadow” #21.

While we’re on the topic. How important do you think ninjas are to G.I. Joe?

CD: The ninjas are always with us. They are an intrinsic part of the franchise. I think I made them even more core with this iteration by changing Snake Eyes’ origin story to one closer to the one in the movie. That said, I have always held that “less is more” with ninjas. They’re much cooler if they’re downplayed and appear more rarely.

I know, bold talk for a guy who just wrapped up our longest crossover arc ever about the Arashikage clan.

Another touchstone of your run was the relationship between Scarlett and Mainframe, and the often absent Snake Eyes. Equal parts romance and bromance, how did this complex little love triangle take shape, and what do you feel like it added to the story of all three characters?

CD: I didn’t want Scarlett being made out to be this sad figure pining away for an impossible love. Snake Eyes is never there and when he is he’s often pushing her away or simply acting enigmatic. The sense is that Snake wants her to have a life without him. He’s trouble and he knows it. And I didn’t want her falling for the next Joe to come along. I wanted a Joe to woo her and Mainframe seemed like the most unlikely candidate which, of course, made him the perfect candidate. Mainframe’s friendship and shared “favor bank” with Snake Eyes makes it all the more complex.

Almost immediately following ‘Cobra Civil War’, we got ‘Cobra Command,’ a line wide story arc focusing on the new Cobra Commander’s first outing. This saw your two books crossing over directly with Cobra, and while you’re no stranger to big crossovers — you being a major player in all of Batman’s “Knight______” crossovers, etc… — what kind of unique challenges did the first, big G.I. Joe crossover present?

CD: It all comes down to who you’re working with.

This crossover went seamlessly. Mike and I are very much on the same page when it comes to Joe.

Why was it time to “out “both Joe and Cobra at the end of Cobra Command?

CD: You know, it just kind of happened. It’s was in the air. The Navy SEALs have pretty much been drawn into the light. And for Cobra, their exposure of the Joes was direct revenge for the Joes making Cobra a household name.

Vol II certainly saw the internal dynamics of both Joe and Cobra shift. A new leader for Cobra, and in the fallout of Civil War, Hawk’s demotion and Duke’s taking command.

What defined Hawk’s era of leadership, versus Duke’s? Obviously, there’s the perceived age difference, but what’s the story you wanted to tell there?

CD: Nothing other than a simple truth of military life. Military careers at the higher ranks are very much based on your last campaign juts like coach’s are judged by their most recent season. Hawk was a capable leader but forced into a more political role with the Joe’s Washington handlers. The setbacks the Joes suffered from Cobra during his time at command weren’t his fault but blame must be placed and he took the fall. Strange how the stories appeared at a time when three of the USA’s leading generals had their careers called into question leading to the resignation of two of them.

Continued below

And speaking politically, your own politics are on record, and I wonder: as a conservative writing a military comic in a relatively liberal industry, what kind of challenges do you run up against? Related to that, how big of a role do personal politics play in writing something like G.I. Joe?

CD: I try and leave me politics at the office door when I write comics. I’m not here to spread any ideology. I’m here to provide escapist entertainment. When I wrote Batman I had Bruce Wayne and Batman speak out against gun ownership even though I’m long time NRA member.

That said, military stories are best left to those who are sympathetic to military realities. I would not even venture a guess at Larry Hama’s politics. They are certainly not on display in his work. But Larry’s BEEN there and presents an honest and sympathetic view of our men and women in harm’s way. I follow his lead.

If readers want a military action story closer to my own beliefs they can check out my series of SEAL Team 6 novels on Kindle.

How much research do you do for this stuff? Like Hama, you drop a lot of military jargon and abbreviations into the work, and I’m just wondering what you do to keep things as accurate as possible.

CD: Archie Goodwin told me once that he did “just enough research to fake it.” I know he was downplaying the amount of reading he did but he was right that you can’t load your work up with footnotes. The most helpful thing to me is talking to, and e-mailing, soldiers and Marines currently serving. They provide a patois for the modern American soldier that I try to follow. The weapons and gear are no problem for me as I have a basic understanding of them all and I’ve fired a lot of these weapons. I used to visit the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland quite often. It’s Disneyworld for military nuts. Literally acres of vintage tanks and vehicles from all countries and periods. I got to see an actual Davy Crockett portable nuke like the one Havy Duty fired in volume one.

But to Larry it’s a second language. I run to keep up.

I want to talk about reader reaction to the series. But not from fat, stay at home fans like myself; I’m talking about actual soldiers. The guys you mentioned before…  what kind of feedback do you get from active military, or veterans, or guys overseas?

CD: They love it. And it always surprises me. GI Joe is in their DNA. Most men and women in uniform loved GI Joe as a child. I would assume they’d think what I was doing was silly but they really dig Scarlett and Snake-Eyes and all the Joes. I read recently that the late Chris Kyle named the Humvee he used in Iraq “Snake-Eyes.” The rest of the vehicles in his unit were named after other Joes. That is so cool.

I did a store appearance a couple of years ago a stone’s throw from MacDill Air Force base which is the home of CENTCOM; the strategy center for the War on Terror. The director of Special Ops stopped by the store to tell me how much he and the others in his group loved Joe and he presented me with one of their coffee mugs. He told me that everyone at MacDill up to the rank of colonel had some kind of Joe item in their offices.

I’ve been sending boxes of comics to Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan to Joe fans I met on Facebook. The feedback is great and they answer what questions they can. Recently they sent me a flag that flew over Leatherneck. As a comic book geek turned pro this one meant a lot to me.

How has IDW’s G.I. Joe changed since you guys started, and how will it continue to evolve with this latest relaunch?

CD: Well, we’ve met COBRA and turned COBRA on its head while nearly destroying the Joes. So, we’ve done a lot of damage! This re-launch, with Special Missions, is a new world with the Joes formed into a hunter/killer team and the threat levels ratcheted to 11 as they take the fight to the heart of America’s enemies.

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In March, you’re bringing us an all new version of “G.I. Joe: Special Missions” with the legendary Paul Gulacy on art. Will the new series, like Hama’s classic ‘Special Missions,’ open the Joe team up to more non-Cobra, real world style operations?

CD: The first few arcs will be Cobra-centric. I have unresolved sub-plots left over that need to be addressed. Also, who wants to walk away from this awesome cast of bad guys? But the Joes will be mixing it up with non-Cobra threats in the future.

And who’s on your ‘Special Missions’ team?

CD: In the first arc it’s Scarlett, Mainframe, Torpedo, Lighthorse, Ripcord, Tripwire, Hard Drive, and Beachhead. The last three are core members we’ll see a lot. Bildocker is also an integral part of the team especially after budget cuts have forced the Joes to rely more and more on scrounging. The second arc (with art by Will Rosado) features a mission planned by Mainframe but carried out by Roadblock, Spirit, Beachhead, Hard Drive and Tripwire.

How will ‘Special Missions’ differ from what you were doing on “G.I. Joe” and “Snake Eye & Storm Shadow?”

CD: More plot driven. Shorter arcs. It’s more about the mission than the personalities.

The all new “G.I. Joe: Special Missions” #1 goes on sale March 20th. Be sure and come back for our review of the issue, the latest G.I. Joe news, and a whole lot more!

Until then… DISMISSED!


//TAGS | G.I. JoeVersity

Chad Bowers

Chad Bowers has been reading comics for most of his life. His transition from fan to professional is a work in progress. He’s the co-founder of ACTION AGE COMICS, creator of the webcomic MONSTER PLUS, co-creator of AWESOME HOSPITAL, THE HARD ONES, and DOWN SET FIGHT (coming soon from Oni Press) with Chris Sims. He reviews comics, writes G.I. JoeVersity, and co-hosts The Hour Cosmic for Multiversity Comics! If you've got nothing better to do, you can follow him on Twitter or Tumblr.

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