We recently spoke to Ron Rudat about what he has been up to. While he has started doing paintings of New England like this one (more on that on his website here) –
Mill Pond View
… he has always like the World of G.I. Joe. This picture taking due diligence way back is one of his favs –
Checking out a Tank at Fort Andrews
has also remained actively involved in the G.I. Joe scene. Ron has been asked to do drawings of many of the 1980s figures (he worked on the range between 1982 and 1987).
Beachhead
Dusty
Leatherneck
Storm Shadow
Steel Brigade (Rough Idea)
Snake Eyes
As he is now retired Ron also recently started to visit Cons as a great way to meet fans. In 2017 it started with HasCon –
At 2017 HasCon with the then GI Joe Team (3rd from the right is 2018 Inductee Darryl DePriest)
In 2018 he went to three and for 2019 he and his wife will be attending six conventions, here the next four –
- DFW GI Joe & Action Figure Show, Dallas, Texas (June 7)
- Joefest, Augusta, Georgia (June 21-22)
- Unboxing Convention, Mexico City (August)
- ICCC Convention, Nashville, Tennesse (September)
That being said Ron says he gets floored when anybody calls him a Celebrity – as Ron puts it “I’m just average guy who had a chance to work on a toy line that went beyond our dreams.” That is probably why he resonates so well with collectors of Joe, he is one of them in a sense.
