I think preference for comics verses cartoons has a lot to do with age. How old you were during the golden era of 1985. I was 8 years old in 1985. The cartoon was aimed at kids age 6 to 12 more or less and I fell right into that age group during the good years. I never saw any cartoons past the 1987 movie as a kid. They just weren't on where I lived.

When the comic began in 1982 I was 5. Not many 5 year olds buying comic books. the comic books obviously target a different age group. Probably 10-16 more or less. By the time I was 10 in 1987 the franchise had already started to tank. I'm guessing guys a few years older than me (Outrider, Ender) were probably beyond the target age group of the cartoon when is began. I've read the comic as an adult and enjoyed it, but I find the Snake Eyes/Ninja/Scarlett storylines so tiresome.

Guys who discover GI Joe past the 1985-1986 heyday of the cartoon probably came in a an older age and prefer the comics. What do you guys think? What age were you guys back in the golden years?

The funny think to me is that obviously both the cartoon and the comic were invented to sell toys. The age of kids buying toys I think is pretty similar to the target group of the cartoon. I don't remember any kids beyond 10 or 11 years old buying the toys. But the comic target age had to go well beyond that.