From the time that G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero hit the scene in the early '80s, I was a fan.  I loved everything about the property.  The cartoon was a staple of my childhood afternoons, I picked up the comic any time I could find one locally, and the adored the toy line.  

I was an early adopter and had some of the first-run straight-arm figures.  Mom would usually let me pick out a new figure to add to my collection when we were out shopping on the weekends, and finding them wrapped as birthday or Christmas presents from relatives was the norm for several years through the mid to late '80s.

Throughout this time period, several knock-off lines came out, but none of them really did it for me until the American Defense line came along in late 1985.

The American Defense toy line was produced by Remco, a company known for its wide range of "knock-off" action figures and playsets. The 3¾-inch figures they released were designed to mimic the style and articulation of the G.I. Joe line, but were made with cheaper materials.

These were the first bootlegs of decent quality that actually matched the vibe of G.I. Joe and could mix in almost seamlessly. For the most part, they were constructed the same way as our beloved Joes.  And while they may not have made for a good figure line on their own, they were certainly great at filling the role of figures who could take the bullet or jump on the grenade instead of your favorite Joe characters. And let’s be honest, we all needed figures like that. You can’t just have Gung-Ho or Quick Kick taking an early exit from playtime, No, you need some fodder in the lineup so the real stars can continue with the mission.

A lot of times I used them as “new recruits” who were trying to make the team. That would usually end horribly for a few of them though. The small playsets that are shown in the ad were actually pretty fun. They were cheaper than Joe sets and still provided good fun though since my actual Joes fit them just fine.

And I want to mention that my favorite figure from the line is pictured in this ad. At the bottom, second from the left, that soldier in the karate gear always made the cut and I would pair him up with Quick Kick as a stealth special unit. That figure has always been an honorary Joe figure in my mind.

While the American Defense line was never as sought after, nor as fondly remembered as actual G.I. Joe figures, they sill filled a big role in my action figure playtime.  So no matter what anybody else feels about them, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for them and their sacrifices that helped propel the Joes to victory in the battles in my bedroom.