Like many other children who grew up in the 1980s, Carson Mataxis was enchanted by the unique and intriguing art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero. Hasbro created countless comics, cartoons, and action figures for this All-American brand.
Later in life, Carson's love for G.I.JOE and his talent for graphic design, videography, and media production would help him create an unparalleled archive for the community and would give the original creators a chance to relive their golden years. His legacy of archiving G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero and collaborating with the original creators of the brand has made him a respected community member who uses his talents to keep the memory of the brand alive.
Carson's love for G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero ignited the first time he saw the cartoon on television when he was about six years old. His love for the adventurous show led him to begin collecting the brand's diverse action figures and ignited a love for art, adventure, and American military culture.
The Mataxis family originates from Greece. However, since Carson's great-grandfather immigrated to the US in the early 1900s, their family has deeply embraced American values. For three generations, the men in Carson's family have dedicated their lives to service. His great-grandfather served in three wars, earning three combat infantry badges, and joined the CIA after the military.
Carson's father continued this legacy of service by spending three decades in the US Army. There, he achieved lieutenant colonel and later contributed to society as an educator for over 20 years. Carson's brother was also inspired by the Mataxis tradition of patriotism and service. He has dedicated his life to military service, reaching the same rank as his father.
In this environment, Carson was encouraged to perfect his skills in martial arts, to serve in the Boy Scouts, and to always strive for excellence. This discipline was a key driver of Carson's success in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds. He feels that his love for G.I.JOE was inspired by his family's military background, and his passion for keeping the brand alive was the way he showed his love for America.
After Carson discovered his love for collecting G.I.JOE, he soon became immersed in the comic book world. Carson was so inspired by the illustration and world-building of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero comics, that it spurred him to begin writing and drawing his own comics in 1990.
From sixth grade to twelfth grade, Carson completed six full-length comic books with original characters and storylines. Upon graduation, Carson attended the NC State College of Design to study illustration and later moved into video and animation. After spending 15 years in the corporate world, Carson felt compelled to follow his passions independently and founded his own media production company.
The road to publishing graphic media highlighting vintage products and developing an all-new action figure line didn't happen overnight. Carson spent over a decade archiving G.I.JOE products with his own money before he ever made a profit.
His new book, The Art of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero Omnibus Hardcover, and Operation: Recall, the project that is developing almost 20 new action figures inspired by community submissions, is the pinnacle of Carson's professional career. These two projects were only made possible by the support of thousands of G.I.JOE fans globally and the help of the brand's original creators.
Carson spent significant time and money obtaining, documenting, restoring, and consolidating the brand's products into the book, alongside the intimate interviews he recorded with the brand's creators. However, his dedication has provided him with something more valuable than money. By partnering with former G.I.JOE brand executives, writers, painters, and designers, Carson has been lucky to see his childhood action figure design come to life. He has also witnessed the creators recall their best memories from working on G.I.JOE and has inspired fans to continue appreciating and engaging with the brand.
"There are a handful of archivists that came before me to lay the groundwork for what I do. I'm standing on the shoulders of giants," says Carson. "My passion for archiving G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero has inspired several super fans to document their favorite era of products, which makes me very happy. For me and many others in this community, G.I.JOE is a multifaceted hobby.
''The brand inspires us to create, collect, and connect with people who have contributed amazing things or simply share the same passion for G.I.JOE. I will personally never run out of ideas for how I can investigate, document, and explore the glory of this all-American brand. I feel very fortunate for that, and I am excited to continue preserving G.I.JOE."
As Carson continues building creator profiles and uploading high-quality archival material on his website 3DJoes, he also plans to release several more books. Overall, he wants to ensure that the American spirit of G.I.JOE: A Real American Hero is never forgotten.
