The Incredible Hulk (1982 TV series)

The Incredible Hulk is an animated television series based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The series ran for 13 episodes on NBC in 1982, part of a combined hour with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (as The Incredible Hulk and the Amazing Spider-Man). Unlike the previous live-action The Incredible Hulk television series from Universal in the 1970s, this series was based upon the Hulk comic books and was able to portray the more fantastical elements of the comics as sticking to his true name and origin as well as featuring the return of the original characters in his life, all of which the live-action series refused to show. It featured stories faithful to the source material from Marvel. In addition, new recurring characters were created for the series including the Hispanic family of father Rio and his youthful daughter Rita.

Plot
The series focused on Dr Bruce Banner's attempts to cure himself of his transformations into the Hulk, and the Hulk defeating various monsters and villains whilst fending off the army's attempts to subdue and capture him. This was the second Hulk animated series: in 1966, the Hulk appeared in 39 seven-minute segments as part of TV's The Marvel Super Heroes.

The 1982 Incredible Hulk series featured accompanying narration by Hulk co-creator Stan Lee. Some of the same background music tracks were used for Dungeons & Dragons. Boyd Kirkland, who became a writer/director for Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution, was one of the layout artists for The Incredible Hulk.

Production
The character design for both Bruce Banner and the Hulk were based on the artwork of Sal Buscema, who penciled the Incredible Hulk comic during the 1970s and 1980s. There is also the more frequently remembered quirk that whenever the Hulk transformed back to Bruce Banner, his clothes would miraculously return to normal. Also, the series would frequently reuse the same stock sequences when Banner transformed into the Hulk.

The series did have a number of changes to avoid censorship issues with a younger audience, including arming the troops at the army base with futuristic sci-fi-style weaponry.

Characters
There are many characters in The Incredible Hulk.

Cast
Bruce Banner was played by voice actor Michael Bell, while the Hulk himself was voiced by Bob Holt, whose stock library of roars created for this series would be used in various other Marvel Productions series and movies.


 * Michael Bell - Dr. Bruce Banner, Doctor Octopus
 * Pat Fraley - Major Ned Talbot: In this version, Major Talbot's first name was changed from Glenn to "Ned". He was nicknamed by the troops secretly as "Noodle-head Ned" because of the fact that he was very clumsy, was somewhat cowardly, he sucked up to General Ross, and is often deceived by the enemy throughout the 13 episodes.
 * Bob Holt - Hulk, Puppet Master: As previously mentioned, the Puppet Master appeared in the episode "Bruce Banner: Unmasked". He gets control of the residents in Mesa City while also attempting to control the Hulk - his Hulk 'doll' even allows him to exert some slight influence over Bruce Banner, although Banner simply feels uncomfortable rather than falling under the Puppet Master's control - simultaneously causing the Hulk's true identity to be revealed, although even when the Hulk is in his natural state his sheer strength of will allowed him to eventually throw off Puppet Master's influence. The only person he doesn't make a puppet of is his stepdaughter Alicia, which allows Bruce and Rick to track him down, Rick subsequently using the Puppet Master's equipment to erase all memory of the Hulk's true identity prior to its destruction.
 * Michael Horton - Rick Jones: Here, Rick was blond, wore a cowboy hat, and had a girlfriend named Rita.
 * Stan Lee - Narrator
 * B.J. Ward - Betty Ross: In this incarnation, Betty is a research scientist working alongside Bruce Banner at Gamma Base. Like the 1966 series, Betty (as are most of the series regulars, other than Rick Jones) is unaware that Banner transforms into the Hulk.

Additional voices

 * Susan Blu - Rita
 * William Callaway -
 * Hamilton Camp -
 * Victoria Carroll - She-Hulk: The eleventh episode, entitled "Enter: She-Hulk”, covers She-Hulk's origin (an emergency blood transfusion), which had Bruce Banner seeking She-Hulk's help in retaining his mind when he transforms into the Hulk. This She-Hulk is based upon her depiction in the Savage She-Hulk comic.
 * Roberto Cruz - Rio
 * Alan Dinehart -
 * Ron Feinberg -
 * Stanley Jones - Leader
 * Dennis Marks - Dr. Proto
 * Vic Perrin -
 * Robert Ridgely - General Thunderbolt Ross
 * Stanley Ralph Ross - Quasimodo
 * Michael Rye - Supreme HYDRA: The Supreme Hydra featured was Steve Perry.
 * John Stephenson -
 * Alan Young - Cyclops

Crew

 * Don Jurwich - Voice Director

Marvel Mash-Up
Scenes from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and The Incredible Hulk were re-cut, edited, and re-dubbed into comical shorts as part of Disney XD's Marvel Mash-Up shorts for their "Marvel Universe on Disney XD" block of programming that includes Ultimate Spider-Man and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

DVD
The series was planned for release on Region 2 DVD in the UK in August 2008 by Liberation Entertainment as part of a release schedule of Marvel animated series. However, due to unforeseen circumstances the release day was pushed back to October, and then again to November 3. Liberation Entertainment then closed its UK division, making 12 staff redundant. This brought many delays to the releases.

Lace International bought the rights to distribute the series on DVD. Amazon.co.uk was the first store to receive stocks of the resulting two disc DVD set, which includes a short restoration featurette.

Clear Vision re-released the series on DVD in the UK on the June 7, 2010.