Rock & Roll

Origin

Rock 'n Roll's real name is Craig S. McConnel and he was born is Malibu, California. He was a surfer before enlisting. He was also a weight lifter and he played bass guitar in several local bands. After joining the army, his attraction to loud noises made him a perfect machine gunner. After a short time in the army, he was assigned to the G.I. Joe team. Rock 'n Roll tends to enjoy his job and is extremely loyal to his teammates.

His primary military specialty is infantry, but he is also familiar with all NATO and Warsaw Pact light and heavy machine guns. He graduated top of his class in Advanced Infantry Training.

Creation

Rock & Roll was created for the G.I. Joe Hasbro toy line in 1982. His story was written for the Marvel series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero by Larry Hama.

Character Evolution

Rock & Roll was one of the original members of the G.I. Joe team. Like many of the original thirteen members, he was removed from active duty, yet still played a role within the team. He, along with his close friend Clutch, would be involved in many off-duty missions that revealed the location of Cobra's secret base at Broca Beach. When the team was reinstated, he was one of the first asked back to active duty.

Major Story Arcs

Other Media

Television

Rock & Roll was a main character in Sunbow's G.I. Joe animated series. He was voiced initially by Frank Welker, but in later episodes by Will Ryan. He also appeared as a character in DiC's G.I. Joe animated series, this time voiced by Kevin Conway.

Toys

Rock & Roll was first released in 1982 as a part of the original G.I. Joe line up. He was re-released in 1983 with the swivel arm action grip and had a slight name change from Rock 'n Roll to Rock & Roll. He would be re-released several times during the toy line's run: in 1991 as a member of the Sonic Fighters, in 1993 as a member of the Star Brigade, and again in 2008 as a part of the 25th anniversary series.

Novels

Rock & Roll was a supporting character in the Operation: Dragon Fire novel released by Find Your Fate books.

Video Games

Rock & Roll appeared as a playable character in the 1991 G.I. Joe video game for NES.