Sculpt: Rocky Balboa
In 1987, Hasbro planned to introduce another celebrity as a member of G.I.Joe - Rocky Balboa - made famous by Sylvester Stallone from the United Artist's Rocky films. He even appeared in Marvel Comics' G.I.Joe Order of Battle #2 - with a rendition drawn by Herb Trimpe and a filecard written by Larry Hama.
But negotiations fell through, Stallone lent his image to Coleco's Rambo toyline, a retraction was printed in the Marvel Comics, and Rocky Balboa never became a member of G.I.Joe.
Pictured above is an unpainted sculpture that was used to help design the Rocky Balboa prototype figure.
The images above were published in the now-defunct "Action Figure Collector Magazine". The accompanying article stated that the Hasbro designer who created the sculpture above was "Bill Merklein".
From the collection of: Mark G. Adams
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