Why G. I. Joe has failed to capture the younger generation?

[seanholmes20032003]

Is the failure of G. I. Joe movies and cartoons due to the United States become less patriotic because of politics and Jan 6, 2020?

[Ready Eddie]

I imagine it is because there are no video games for them. Imagine a well done first or third person G. I. Joe game. I think that would get a lot of kids into it.

[thwhtGuardian]

It's not a "patriotism" thing it's just a matter of action cartoons not being what kids really like these days.

[MajorHoy]

Do younger kids really care about human "action figures" these days?

They need something that will really grab kids' attention first. How much of the current G.I. Joe stuff is really targeted to a younger audience?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I thought GI Joe Renegades was fun. But I was in college when it came out.

Kids are more into anime so I'd go that route.

[Dr. Skeleton]

I have no idea why they're struggling so with today's generation. Seems less cartoons than all those different Transformers shows and I actually enjoyed the live action film. The way Snake-Eyes performed in the box office seemed to have been a final nail. Idk what Robert Kirkman has in store with the franchise.

[Dr. Skeleton]

I thought GI Joe Renegades was fun. But I was in college when it came out.

Kids are more into anime so I'd go that route.

I loved Renegades too for what it is. Too bad they decided not to do a second season.

[Jely4me]

I have no idea why they're struggling so with today's generation. Seems less cartoons than all those different Transformers shows and I actually enjoyed the live action film. The way Snake-Eyes performed in the box office seemed to have been a final nail. Idk what Robert Kirkman has in store with the franchise.

If Larry Hama isn’t involved does it matter??

[frankiedetroit]

My son is 10. If it's not on Netflix or Hulu or Disney or YouTube, he's not watching it. He doesn't watch cable or commercial TV. He's only watched channels like Nickelodeon or The Cartoon Network when visiting my parents before they had Netflix, etc.

His experience is very similar to that of his classmates. Right now, he's very much into The Simpsons and Dragonball Z.

[ed2962]

Back in the 80's, the franchise had a cartoon on TV every day as well as the Marvel comic that was heavily distributed. Kids today just don't have the same type of exposure to GI Joe. Plus the newer comics seem to be aimed at adults.

[K7P5V]

Kids are more into anime so I'd go that route.

LOL! Been there, done that. Wasn't too successful, sadly.

Back in the 80's, the franchise had a cartoon on TV every day as well as the Marvel comic that was heavily distributed. Kids today just don't have the same type of exposure to GI Joe. Plus the newer comics seem to be aimed at adults.

In agreement with you about the '80s comic book from Marvel! Always a great read, especially the "Silent Issues" (XD)

[Captain Nostalgia]

Is the failure of G. I. Joe movies and cartoons due to the United States become less patriotic because of politics and Jan 6, 2020?

No, I don't think it has anything to do with politics.

Transformers continues to be successful because you don't need a lot of character development for cool robots that transform into hot sports cars and jet fighters. Kids will run out and buy it regardless.

G.I. Joe requires a little more character development than just a movie. I think a quality tv show & cartoon (but more specifically a video game where you could pick specific characters) would help.

[thwhtGuardian]

No, I don't think it has anything to do with politics.

Transformers continues to be successful because you don't need a lot of character development for cool robots that transform into hot sports cars and jet fighters. Kids will run out and buy it regardless.

G.I. Joe requires a little more character development than just a movie. I think a quality tv show & cartoon (but more specifically a video game where you could pick specific characters) would help.

I don't think that would do anything, that's just not the kind of cartoon kids are into these days, if you look it's all humor kind of shows with bright colors...and that's not G.I. Joe.

[MajorHoy]

I don't think that would do anything, that's just not the kind of cartoon kids are into these days, if you look it's all humor kind of shows with bright colors...and that's not G.I. Joe.

Hell, the problem is G.I. Joe stopped being relevant and re-imagining itself ages ago.

I sometimes find it hard to believe that G.I. Joe is still so popular with some older people since when I was a kid, he was just a 12-inch tall "fighting man from head to toe". (And G.I. Joe didn't even have "life-like hair" or "Kung Fu Grip" when I first was a kid. Those things and "Mike Power, Atomic Man" started showing up as I was getting closer to my teens.)

[Mister Mets]

Interesting question.

Quality may be a factor. Each of the movies has a Rotten Tomatoes score between 29 and 36%.

It may also be in an awkward place of being too tame for much of its audience and too jingoistic for cultural tastemakers. Kids will play mature rated video games, and compared to that, GI Joe is old-fashioned. Talented people are less inclined to want to work on GI Joe projects, because it's seen as too simplistic and politically awkward.

It's a hodgepodge of concepts that might seem a little awkward as the first quarter of the 21st Century comes to a close.