You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry

What was the first Marvel Comics character adapted to live-action on the screen? I suppose you could argue it was Captain America, in the Republic serial of the 1940s...but Marvel wasn't Marvel then, so I'd say it doesn't count.

The first, then, surprisingly, is The Incredible Hulk, in the TV series of that name that ran on the CBS network and starred Bill Bixby as David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his big, verdant alter ego. It ran for five seasons and was a surprising hit. Producer Kenneth Johnson used a variation of The Fugitive motif, as Banner moves from town to town, on the run from tabloid reporter Jack McGee (played by Jack Colvin) and always seeking a cure for his "condition."

The series introduced what became a tag line for the character in all his subsequent appearances, even moving to the comics: "Don't make me angry--you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

Anyway, here's a recent piece of art I did with the two stars, in character: