Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum Page of 2 Next >>
Topic: hulk Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Walt Hall
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 January 2005
Posts: 36
Posted: 06 April 2023 at 10:30pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Was there any mention of Hulk's changing personality  or DID prior to Bill Mantlo's run?


Edited by Walt Hall on 06 April 2023 at 10:33pm
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 07 April 2023 at 12:15am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Roger Stern touched on it.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15729
Posted: 07 April 2023 at 12:49am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I think there's a distinct turn for the worse when he gets angry.

Corrected because of a beginner's mistake between comparative and superlative.


Edited by Peter Martin on 07 April 2023 at 12:49am
Back to Top profile | search
 
Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6059
Posted: 07 April 2023 at 6:39am | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Q for JB
Was writing Hulk stories something that seemed to come easily for
you?
Back to Top profile | search
 
Greg McPhee
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 August 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 5064
Posted: 07 April 2023 at 1:27pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

One thing I always give Kenneth Johnson and the writers of The Hulk TV show credit for was illustrating that because Banner was a compassionate and caring person who helped others, his Hulk still held those values. That Hulk was just an extension of Banner’s rage and anger, but essentially the core of Banner was still there.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 07 April 2023 at 2:16pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Was writing Hulk stories something that seemed to come easily for you?

••

It's been a while since I provided any fodder for the Byrne Bashers, so. . .

I find virtually all writing comes easily for me. If it doesn't, I figure I'm doing it wrong.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6059
Posted: 08 April 2023 at 2:19pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

JB: I find virtually all writing comes easily for me. If it doesn't, I figure
I'm doing it wrong.

**

I love that answer.

It’s unusual in my experience to hear such a good writer finds it comes
easily.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 April 2023 at 12:41pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Stan Lee said the characters would tell us what kind of stories they wanted to be in, and I found that worked well for me. Any time I’d find myself struggling with some plot turn, I would invariably realize it was because I was trying to take the characters somewhere they didn’t want to go.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12408
Posted: 17 April 2023 at 2:00pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Presumably then the pre-writing work involves reading a good number of the best, definitive issues to "easily" possess a functional sense of who the characters really are.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 17 April 2023 at 6:43pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Yes. Stan’s method does not work if the writer thinks his/her “vision” is superior to the original.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Olav Bakken
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 June 2014
Posts: 241
Posted: 25 May 2023 at 6:19am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

The Hulk by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby was different from the gentle green giant we got later. I haven't read much of the early stuff, so I can't say if it happened gradually or if it was because of the animated series.

Once his personality had been established, it seemed to stay that way till issue 272, where Banner takes over and the previous Hulk is never seen again. Still, in issue 227 we learn that Hulk is not just another version of Banner. They are two separate personalities.

I don't think Bill Mantlo claimed Banner was mentally ill, he was just an abused child. But as we know, it inspired Peter David to come up with that idea after reading about Banner's abusive father.

(Later it has also been established that the transformations triggered by gamma radiation are strongly influenced by your subconscious desires. Guess that mean Betty Ross really wanted to be Harpy.)
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 25 May 2023 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

The “abused child” backstory for Banner was SO DC. Marvel characters were not traditionally “prepared” for their superhero roles. They were just reg’lar folk whom “Fate” selected at random.

Anyway, to repeat something I’ve mentioned before, Len Wein used to say the Hulk was Marvel’s Goofy, but Roger Stern said the Hulk was Marvel’s Donald Duck.

Back to Top profile | search
 

Page of 2 Next >>
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login