G.I. Joe
It’s hard to overstate the importance of G.I. Joe, originally developed in 1963 by licensing agent Stan Weston. They helped coin the term “action figure” out of marketing necessity. Given the rigid gender politics of the ’60s, toymakers were concerned boys wouldn’t play with anything resembling dolls, even if they were meant to engage in traditionally masculine activities. Thus, “action figure” was born, and the toys entered countless homes to change the game forever.