Now You Know: The Unauthorized Guide to G.I. Joe TV and Comics (Paperback)

~ Lars Pearson (Author) "Endowed with a thirst for conquest, a rogue terrorist organization named Cobra starts accruing troops and weaponry, hoping to amass enough military might to conquer..." (more)
Key Phrases: brainwave scanner, red ninjas, ninja swordsman, Lady Jaye, Storm Shadow, Quick Kick (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The 1980s: a world of Cold War tensions, Reaganomics, Madonna and MTV. In the midst of this raucous setting, a team of modern-day, tank-driving Arthurian knights lock and load against a terrorist organization determined to take over the world—as well as rip apart our moral fabric with pyramid sales schemes and mind-numbing sitcoms.

Through every triumph and tragedy, each war wound and victory purchased with patriotic blood, Now You Know dissects the ways in which G.I. Joe—America’s elite fighting force—clashed with the forces of darkness… not to mention communists, ninjas and giant vegetables.

Now You Know features: Story summaries, reviews, top ten lists and a heap of humorous categories on more than 100 G.I. Joe TV episodes. Full coverage of all G.I. Joe comic series -- past and present! Complete toy price guide and fact-filled appendices.

From the Hard Master’s murder to the Cobra Civil War, from Snake-Eyes’ origin to the battle for a parallel Cobra-dominated Earth, this guide covers the world of A Real American Hero down to the last detail. Whether you’re a die-hard Joe fanatic or a new recruit, Now You Know is your one-stop source for G.I. Joe info!

About the Author

Lars Pearson (Wizard, Toyfare magazines; Prime Targets) laments not naming this book The Scarlett Letter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mad Norwegian Press (October 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570329028
• ISBN-13: 978-1570329029
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #189,210 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining nostalgia trip., February 4, 2005

By	T. Wylie (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a fun book! Anyone who grew up during the salad days of the 1980's G.I. Joe cartoon and comics series will appreciate this exhaustive compendium of history, trivia, and minutia. Either as a nostalgia trip or as a means to fill in any missing holes from your comic or cartoon collection, this book will surely please any die-hard Joe fan. The author not only has a firm, loving knowledge of Joe lore, but with sections dedicated to goofs and implausibilities also provides matter with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The book chronicles the soaring highs and frustrating lows of the entire Hasbro-related Joe universe. Action figure collectors beware: this book has very little to offer in the way of figure collecting or appraisal. Also (most likely due to copyright issues) the only image(s) you will see are on the cover of the book. I had to bump down the book a star for lack of images relating to either the cartoon or comics--which in my humble opinion would have made the offering perfect. Definitely worth the price of admission....

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Absolute Textbook of GI Joe and COBRA, February 23, 2004

By	Jason Terrell (Springfield, USA) - See all my reviews

If there were college courses dedicated solely to the subject of GI Joe and COBRA, this would be the one stop textbook on the subject and Lars Pearson would have the Doctorate in Joeology. If old school GI Joe was your cold war kid religion, then this is it's bible. If you just jumped on the new school Image bandwagon, read about the rich mythology you missed. Bless you Larry Hama for never dumbing down the comic (until it jumped the shark with the toyline, circa. Cobra-laaaa, but that wasn't your fault.) and allowing even the preteenage readers a chance to begin to understand news and the world. Thank you to the cartoon creators for the surreal clash between childish fantasy and hard cold war reality. Thank you, Lars Pearson, for writing this excellent guidebook, as a fan, for fans.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Encyclopedia of the World of GI Joe, October 3, 2004

By	Mike (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews

If you are a huge GI Joe fan (like myself), then this book is a must-have! The book outlines everything you ever wanted to know about the world of GI Joe cartoons & comics (including the first few comics currently written by Devil's Due Publishing). The author goes into great detail about analyzing each cartoon episode, outlining storylines including mistakes within the storylines and animation.

If you never read the original Marvel comic series, the author does an excellent job of summarizing the entire comic book line from beginning to end.

This book is an excellent book and is absolutely bargain priced.