The Original Hulk

With Hulk debuting today in over 3,500 theaters, let's not forget that The Incredible Hulkfirst came to the screen in 1966 -- in animated form, as part of The Marvel Superheroes Show.

Thirty-nine six-minute cartoons were produced for syndication by Grantray-Lawrence Animation of Toronto in collaboration with Krantz Film Productions and ARP. Stan Lee, one of two executive producers of the current live-action Hulk, was also executive producer of the TV series.

So...what happened to the original vocal talents for The Incredible Hulk? Here's a rundown:



Paul Soles (Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Rick Jones): Paul's had a long and distinguished career in voiceovers and live acting. He voiced the title character in Spider-Man and narrated The Wonderful Stories Of Professor Kitzel. He also did voice work in The Smokey Bear Show. A live-action host of many Canadian series, including Take Thirty; he also guested on L.A. Law.

Now in his late 60s, Paul lives in Toronto and still acts; he appeared this year as Irving "The Pickle" Brinkman in the made-for-TV comedy-drama In the Family. Soles, who is Jewish, recently played Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Festival. He'll be glad to do more acting work; his bio (which doesn't mention the Hulk!) is at http://www.etmltd.com/resumes/SOLES.html

He's also a licensed private pilot!

John Vernon (Major Glenn Talbot): Three decades later, he appeared in Marvel Productions, Ltd.'s The Incredible Hulk (1996-97), this time as General "Thunderbolt" Ross. He had the title role in the short-lived 1986 Hanna-Barbera series Wildfire, and had a recurring role as Rupert Thorne in Warner Bros.' Batman: The Animated Series.

Stage-trained, John's been a familiar "bad guy" in movies, including Topaz (1969; directed by Alfred Hitchcock), Justine (1969; directed by George Cukor) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976; directed by Clint Eastwood). But who can forget him as Dean Wormer in 1978's Animal House? He's still in the movies.

Peg Dixon (Betty Ross): Like Paul Soles, she worked in Spider-Man...as Betty Brant. She was Ada in the soap opera Strange Paradise and found continuing voice work in Rankin Bass Productions' Festival of Family Classics (1972-73), but then disappeared from the screen.

I've tracked Peg Dixon down! After 40 years as an actor and "sometime-journalist" in Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver, she now goes by the name Melissa Dixon. In LYNX, an online journal for poets, she wrote: "I am now retired, living happily on Vancouver Island, close to two sons and daughter on the Lower Mainland, B.C. Since 1992, I have had a number of haiku published in Canadian and American magazines, one which gained a "Best-of-issue Award" in Modern Haiku." She's also involved in tanka, another form of Japanese poetry.

One of her sons, Miles McNamara, has appeared often on TV as an actor; now living in Vancouver, he's a director, contract producer and editor. In 1978, he made a guest appearance on the live-action TV series The Incredible Hulk. Really!

Paul Kligman (General "Thunderbolt" Ross): Yep, Spider-Man again...as J. Jonah Jameson. Also in the abominable Rocket Robin Hood. Co-hosted the Canadian TV series Irish Coffee (1969-70) with Paul Soles. He had minor roles in a couple of 1980s TV-movies, including the 1985 drama Reckless Disregard. Kligman is no longer alive, although I do not know when he died.

Bernard Cowan (Narrator): Cousin of Paul Soles in real life. In Spider-Man as Peter Parker (Peter and Spidey had different voice talent, even if they were the same people); he also did some of the writing. Did vocal work in Festival of Family Classics. Recording supervisor for Rankin Bass Productions' The Smokey Bear Show (1969-70). Died in Toronto on July 17, 1990 of kidney disease.



I wonder what Bruce/The Hulk, Rick Jones, Major Talbot and Betty Ross think of the current Hulk...or of their old series!

its a very popular cartoon for our children. they loving it