The happy kid is Bo Nash. Competition among toy lines, particularly lines geared to boys, was never fiercer than in the ’80s. Despite the shrinking middle class, parents continued to save up and shell out to make their kids happy. My mom would often put toys and other Christmas gifts on layaway in the middle of the year, or even earlier, so that they would be paid off by Christmas. M.A.S.K. is after my time, and clearly derivative of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, but Kenner didn’t disappoint: the toys and package design are excellent.
2 Warps to Neptune 
Not sure I would call MASK a derivative of GI Joe. MASK wasn’t a favorite of mine, mostly because of the tiny figures, but in some ways, it was a forerunner of Transformers. GI Joe on the other hand truly is the greatest line of action figures.