{08.21.09} Literature

If that G.I. Joe film sparked memories of spending hours perfecting makeshift battlefields in the backyard, let photographer Gianni Lopergolo take you back to the sandbox. Utilizing improvised sets and creative lighting to blur the lines between nostalgia and imagination, the self-taught Lopergolo photographed Hasbro's most famous figures for nearly a decade and revolutionized the company's image along the way. After staging numerous battles with Marvel, Star Wars, and G.I. Joe action figures, Lopergolo now faces his own against Lou Gehrig's Disease. The coffee table book, "Insight," compiles his greatest and most innovative work for a cause—proceeds from the sales go towards the National ALS Foundation and a private fund for his three young sons. So now you know... and after all, isn't that half the battle?

- Jian DeLeon

$29.50 at Hasbro

The term action figure was coined by Hasbro in 1964 to market G.I. Joe to boys who wouldn't play with "dolls".

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