Books I would write: Big Jim's P.A.C.K.

When I was a kid, I loved getting weird back issues whenever I had the rare chance to go to the comic shop. It was through those back issues that I was first exposed to Big Jim’s P.A.C.K.

Big Jim was Mattel’s answer to G.I. Joe and when Joe gained his Adventure Team, Jim gained his Professional Agents — Crime Killers. (Toy acronyms didn’t require much thought in those days.) I was about negative three when the toyline came out though, so unlike some of my friends online, cannot say I ever experienced them first hand in a store. But, the ad. The ad drew me in.

I cannot remember where I saw an ad for the group first, or even if it was a Marvel or DC book. But that glorious G.I. Joe-like team drawn by Jack Kirby instantly caught my attention. I wanted to know more about Warpath, Dr. Steel, The Whip and their much less interesting leader. I remember crafting narratives in my mind as a preteen with these weird characters, even designing a villainous unit for them to fight. (It would be a few more years before I learned about Zorak or the later 004 villains.)

Ultimately like so many great olden toylines, Big Jim is trapped under the ownership of a company that probably will never revive him (though he did get a memorial of sorts in an early 2000s episode of Max Steel.) But the P.A.C.K. is one of those teams that just deserves to have a good adventure series built around them. I doubt it will ever happen but you never know.

And Mattel, my email address is right there on the contact page if you're interested.