Larry Hama is a beloved writer of comics, although by far, his most beloved work is on G.I. Joe. Hama, who spent two years in Vietnam in the Army Corps of Engineers, used his military experience to turn a goofy comic book about guys in funny costumes into a genuinely engaging and even brilliant series.
And that was apparently enough to earn him a guest role on Robot Chicken. As in, in person, live.
This isn’t quite as weird as it might sound. In addition to his Army experience and his lengthy career in comic books as writer and artist, Hama was also a working actor. He had mostly minor roles, but the guy knows what he’s doing. And, frankly, his fifteen-second cameo is absolutely hilarious. The guy was shot on an iPhone and he’s sharper than some professional comedians.
We don’t really want to ruin the episode except to say that it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from G.I. Joe fanboys who do the stop-motion version of Twisted Toyfare Theater, and it’s couched in a much larger sketch making fun of Jim Carrey’s terrible Grinch movie. Also, the episode features the single funniest question ever asked about G.I. Joe: How the hell do you find a gift for a guy who doesn’t freaking talk?
You can find the episode on Amazon Instant Video.