ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — For Ron Rudat, working at Hasbro was more than just a paycheck — it was a passion.

The longtime Attleboro resident told 12 News he started working for the toymaker shortly after graduating from the Vesper George School of Art in Boston.

"It was a lot of work and we had a lot of deadlines to meet, but we had a lot of fun," Rudat recalled.

Rudat spent seven years working as an illustrator before Hasbro tapped him to become a product designer.

It was then that his gears started turning.

"I loved the military — and I wanted to see G.I. Joe come back," Rudat said.

Though Rudat wasn't the original creator of the G.I. Joe action figure, he did play a significant role in the franchise's highly successful relaunch.

"We took a bunch of figures and hodge-podged them i

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