The fictional character “The Incredible Hulk” was created in 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Typically known then by comic book fans and those watching Saturday morning cartoons, it wasn’t until the CBS television series aired from 1977-1982 that the “Incredible Hulk” became an international phenomenon with the talent of Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Kenneth Johnson, executive producer of the series (as well as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Bionic Woman"), explained to me in a 2006 online interview that a majority of the fans during the series were actually adults and that this pushed the writing and production teams to develop realistic stories that reflected our humanity as well as the society we lived in. It was brilliant in its simplicity.

"The Incredible Hulk” currently exists as an icon of pop culture. Since the series' end in 1982, the character continues to have a comic book fan base, has been featured in television dramas, sitcoms, commercials and referenced in numerous media outlets. It was revived in the 1990s with a cartoon series and in 2003 with a major motion picture. A new motion picture, starring Edward Norton, is currently set for a June 2008 release, worldwide.

The purpose of this link is my personal articulation of its significance to our larger mission statement. As self-defense trainers, we often seek icons to express survival and positive mental images at the moment of truth. Although numerous, credible icons present themselves today as purposeful agents of behavioral modeling, the television series' incarnation of "The Incredible Hulk”, to me, creates the most potent, visceral image of cultivating and expressing the warrior spirit through human potential when pushed against all odds and at the time of greatest need. As indicated each week in the opening credits of the series, Bill Bixby’s character, Dr. David Banner, was a scientist “searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have”. My vocation has become interestingly similar as a behavioral scientist pursuing the existential nature of human potential. Through the work of numerous trainers and scholars, we have recently come to realize that survival behavior IS predictable and CAN be created and controlled. A colleague and friend, Lt. Col. Dave Grossman once said “Where do we get them" (e.g., warriors…those holding our society together)? We build them….one day at a time”!

It is with this in mind that I offer you an iconic metamorphosis as a metaphor for human potential......a symbol of "cultivating the beast within you"........enjoy!

This is a clip of the 1977 television pilot featuring Bill Bixby as David Banner in his first metamorphosis. It was done in black and white with a touch of "old school" to commemorate the old horror flicks and video production technology. Thank you to Andy Tincknell of CTELT.