Hector Garrido, the artist responsible for so much of the early G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero package art, has passed away at the age of 92.
When G.I. Joe relaunched in 1982 as “A Real American Hero,” one of the first keys to its success was some amazing package art. A lot of that was the handiwork of Garrido who did such famous package arts as Snake Eyes – versions 1 and 2 – Lady Jaye, Cobra Commander, Doc, Alpine, Cobra Officer, the H.I.S.S. Tank, Zartan and his Swamp Skier, and a whole lot more. If you were ever a fan of the early days of G.I. Joe, his artwork is seared into your brain.
Garrido was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and later migrated to the United States. He began his illustration career in the 1950s providing book covers for book series such as Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.
Take a look through some of his G.I. Joe artwork in the gallery, and it’s easy to see how it left such an impression.
Garrido passed away on April 19.
