G.I. Joe’s distinctive molded hairline is as instantly recognizable to baby-boomers as the Adventure Team fuzz head is to Gen-Xers. As such, when one enterprising businesswoman proposed a new direction for G.I. Joe’s hairdo, it was viewed by most collectors as a new (and significant) landmark in Joe’s evolution.

Linda Lum, owner and CEO of Los Angeles-based Dreams & Visions, imagined sending G.I. Joe back to the barber for a buzz cut similar to those given to boot camp recruits. Linda was confident Joe’s new “high and tight” look (or “crewcut”) would be well received by 12-inch collectors. And if sales to date are any indication, her prediction was right on target.

The Dreams & Visions Crewcut Edition G.I. Joes include four figure sets: The US Army Tank Crewman, US Navy Ordinance Handler, USMC Marine Raider and USAF Air Policeman (recently released).

Linda was comfortable pitching the Crewcut G.I. Joe idea to Hasbro as she had already established a working relationship with the company In 1998, Dreams & Visions bought the license from Hasbro to produce the DC Comics 12-inch figure sets - including Sgt. Rock (& the Men of Easy Company), Mademoiselle Marie, Blackhawk, Miss Fear and Enemy Ace. Soon after, Linda conceived the idea for the Crewcut Edition G.I. Joes.

“The concept for the Crewcut Joes was one of the first things we presented to Hasbro,” Linda said. ”Originally we were going to package the Crewcut figures with an old comic that DC had put out, but someone other than DC now owned the rights for that comic book. Nevertheless we went forward with the figures.”

During the early development stage, the plan was to make the figure sets simple – with no frills. But as the D&V design team brainstormed the idea, it was decided the best approach was to go “all out” on the uniforms and packaging.

A Little Help From My Friends

Enlisting the aid of famed G.I. Joe clothing designer Auggie Romero – along with a group of equally talented customizers – the D&V team pieced together each of the sets. Along the way, assistance came from a variety of sources, including several collectors and a WWII veteran.

One collector who added his expertise to the Air Policeman figure set was Scott Beckmann, spouse of JoeWorld-Online’s web editor, Charlotte Beckmann.

A longtime Joe collector, Scott is a recent retiree from the U.S. Air Force where he served 20 years as an Air Force Security Policeman. Scott first met Linda in 2002 at the G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Convention in Norfolk, VA. Linda was so impressed by Scott’s knowledge of militaria, she began seeking out his advice.

When Scott learned that Dreams & Visions was planning to develop an Air Police figure, he volunteered his help – which involved sending Linda his original wool basic training uniform, along with the correct stripes for the era (1950s-1960s). Scott even sent Linda an Air Force “ribbon rack” (worn on the chest) – along with historically accurate badges and buttons for the uniform.

As work on the figure neared completion, Scott was treated to an unexpected (and welcome) surprise by Linda.

“During the course of e-mailing the prototype images back and forth and talking with Linda on the phone I noticed the original nametag on the figure,” Scott said. “The name read ‘Donohue.’  I asked Linda about it, and she said she had a friend in the Air Force named Donohue and that she didn’t know who else’s name to put on the figure.  I laughed and said, ‘I seem to know an AP, and with all we’ve been through with this figure it should say Beckmann.’  There was a pause on the phone and then (in a calm voice) Linda said, ‘You’re right. I’ll have it changed.’”

Scott laughed and ended the phone conversation with the quip: “Just make sure you spell it right.”

It wasn’t until later that the reality of Scott’s situation finally sank in. “A G.I. Joe is going to be released with my name on it,” Scott told his wife. Later, when Scott saw the figure unveiled at the 2003 G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club Convention in Orlando, FL. he felt like “a proud father in the Delivery Room;” and, Scott added, “The name was spelled right.”

Another collector who played a key role in the development of the Crewcut Edition Joes was Ed Bolkus.

“Ed actually gave us a lot of direction as to what collectors wanted,” Linda said. “He showed me all the original Soldiers of the World figures. That’s how we got the idea to place the Crewcut Joes in Soldier of the World-style boxes. And we tried to make them as retro as possible.”.

Enhancing the retro appeal of the Crewcut Edition boxes is original artwork by Sam Petrucci – the artist who produced the artwork for the vintage G.I. Joe packaging. As an added bonus, a comic strip is included with each set – inserted into the back of the box. The comic resurrects Hasbro’s famous 1960s characters: Andy & George; depicting the boys (now adults) attending a G.I. Joe Collectors’ convention with their two sons.

Another important contributor to the Crewcut Edition designs was a WWII Navy veteran who had served aboard the famed aircraft carrier, the USS Wasp. The veteran donated his original uniform, which was reproduced in remarkable detail for the Navy Ordinance Handler set.

The Hard Work Pays Off

Attention to detail was a high priority throughout the entire development of the Crewcut Edition figure sets, Linda said.

“Our designs were so good and so unique - with the highest quality and eye to detail - that we knew they would only enhance the overall collectibility of G.I. Joe,” Linda said.

Of course, every design element had to be approved by Hasbro. This produced a few unexpected obstacles for Linda and her team, but in the end everyone was satisfied. Linda credits former Hasbro G.I. Joe Team member, Darryl DePriest, for his ongoing support for the project.

After all the hard work the Dreams & Visions team put into the Crewcut Edition figure sets, Linda has been encouraged by the enthusiastic reception the sets have received from collectors. Also, she’s thrilled to have contributed her creativity and efforts to the history and lore of G.I. Joe.

“It’s amazing,” Linda said. “I get chills just thinking about it…We put our hearts into the project and it was a lot of work, but we’re really proud of what we were able to accomplish.”

Dreams & Visions Crewcut Edition G.I. Joes are available through  FAOSchwartz.com, Toysrus.com and Costwold Collectibles. For information on additional retailers, contact Dreams & Visions at 818-762-1494.