"Hulk" (1966)TV series

Creators:

Jack Kirby
Stan Lee
(more)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The adventures of a nuclear scientist cursed with the tendency to turning into a huge green brute under stress.

Plot Keywords:

Incredible Hulk | Based On Comic | Marvel Comics | Superhero | Character Name In Title

Cast

Paul Soles	...	Dr. Bruce Banner / Rick Jones (voice)
Peg Dixon	...	Betty Ross (voice)
Gillie Fenwick	...	The Leader / Khanga Khan (voice)
Paul Kligman	...	General 'Thunderbolt' Ross (voice)
Max Ferguson	...	The Incredible Hulk (voice)
Bernard Cowan	...	Narrator / Additional Voices (voice)
John Vernon	...	Major Glenn Talbot (voice)

Directed by
Ralph Bakshi
Chuck Harriton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ralph Bakshi		writer
Jack Kirby		characters
Jack Kirby		creator
Stan Lee		characters
Stan Lee		creator
Larry Lieber		writer
Doug Wildey		writer

Produced by
Ralph Bakshi	....	producer
Shamus Culhane	....	producer
Grant Simmons	....	producer

Art Direction by
Doug Wildey

Production Companies

• Famous Studios
• Grantray-Lawrence Animation
• Marvel Enterprises

Distributors

• ARP Films
• Genesis Entertainment
• Krantz Films
• Saban Entertainment

Also Known As:

The Incredible Hulk (UK) (video box title) (USA) (promotional title)

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:PG | USA:TV-G

Company:

Famous Studios

Trivia:

The character referred to as the Gorgon in the televised version of the Hulk's origin story is actually the original Gargoyle. For some reason Stan Lee changed the name for this series, perhaps because another Gargoyle had made his debut just before this series had begun filming.

Quotes:

[theme song]
Singers: Doc Bruce Banner, belted by gamma rays, / Turns into the Hulk.
Female Singer: Ain't he unglamo-rays?
Singers: Wreckin' the town with / The power of a bull.
Female Singer: Ain't no monster, clown. / Who is as lovable?
Singers: As ever-lovin' Hulk! / Hulk! Hulk!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: I Am Furious Yellow (#13.18)" (2002)

Very poor

Before the review, a brief plot summary: Dr. Bruce Banner, possibly America's most renowned scientist and leading expert on gamma rays, is about to test a bomb on a supposedly abandoned site when neglected teenager Rick Jones wanders out into it. Banner runs out to get Jones to safety, but his Russian assistant, Igor, sets it off anyway hoping to kill Banner and steal his formula for his superiors. Somehow, Banner survives, and Jones becomes his apprentice. He soon learns that at a certain point of day (and later when he gets angry) he will transform into a huge, brainless green giant who strikes fear into the heart's of the army. General Ross is desperate to destroy this incredible hulk, but his daughter Betty secretly knows he's really her lover, Bruce.

BAD, BAD, BAD. Unlike most Marvel cartoons at that period, it wasn't even in the "so-bad-it's-good" category. It's just boring. Let's start with the theme song. Most people know "Spider-Man"s theme, and it's wasn't a fraction as good. Anyone whose seen "Captain America" will also be accquainted with a cheezy but catchy little tune. The Hulk's theme was UNBELIEVABLY poor, and had this little squeak who sounded like Bat-Mite spouting inane lines like "so he ain't glamorous" in an attempt to make rhyme with "stricken by gamma rays". Usually the best animation on the show would be in the theme, but this is WORSE.

On to the stories. Before "Spider-Man", as most know, cartoons were mostly just comic-book cut-outs were mouths and sometimes a limb would move, sometimes not even that, the fastest animation (besides the theme) being in scenes were the hero would pull down a mask or something to that extent. Somehow, with the flow of the plots, you could still tell what's going on. Here, the poor drawings (they look like rough drafts with colour) pop up, showing scenes from all different, often irrelevent, angles that make it impossible to tell what's going on, and the narration is a drab equivalent of a Power Ranger overstating the obvious, only not nearly as addictively corny. The dialouge sounds like it was aimed at particularly dumb children, and the voices always sound SOOO bored, so unconvincing. Of what little you could make out of the plot, you could tell it stunk like Baldrick's family heirlooms. I simply never cared about Bruce Banner, he was so poorly characterised, and what characteriztion he got was cliched and sterotypical.

Stan Lee and everyone down at Marvel must cringe when they look back at this. Watch just about any other Marvel cartoon from the era, but pass this one over.