It's just a few days before "Hulk" the movie hits theaters and Peter David, who wrote the Green Goliath's adventures for over a decade, sits down to talk about everything from the current state of the series, to his take on the character and what he thinks of the film.

MIKE COTTON: In your opinion, what makes a great Hulk story?
PETER DAVID: There's no one answer to that. The same things that make any story great, make a great Hulk story. It's got to engage the readers' imaginations, ceases the imaginations and ideally provokes some thought."

COTTON: Are there any elements that are a must-have in a Hulk story? DAVID: I can only speak about my run on the Hulk. I always tried to have some psychological underpinning to the story. There were people who were under the impression that when I did that story that merged the different incarnations of the Hulk, that I had somehow lost the underpinning of the dichotomy of the dynamic between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. And that was not at all the case. All I had done was internalize it instead of externalize it. But at its core, if you don't have a story where it's Bruce Banner mano y mano with the Hulk, you don't really have a Hulk story. All drama is conflict, if you don't have conflict, you don't have drama. But conflicts can be as simple as one person versus another. There's man versus man, man versus nature and man versus himself. To some degree, you've got all three in any given Hulk story. That may be why Hulk stories are so rich with possibilities."

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COTTON: How is the Hulk different from other characters? What makes him a unique character? DAVID: The fundamental will to survive. You've got that in the Hulk more than any other ongoing character in comics. The vast majority of comic book characters are worried about altruism or fulfilling some sort of role in life. Or using their powers for the greater good. The villains are motivated from hubris or gain or power or revenge. The Hulk is virtually the only ongoing character that I can think of whose goal is always just to survive. That's all he wants to do. And what's interesting is that the continued survival of the Hulk or Bruce Banner would be greatly increased if the other went away. It's a fertile ground for conflict."

COTTON: Do you have a favorite Hulk tale?
DAVID: I don't have a single favorite story. "The Creature Who Shadowed Love at the Heart of the Atom" was pretty nifty. I am very fond, for some reason, of Hulk #6. I mean the original Hulk series. It made it's way through on pure loopy energy. That was the one where Bruce Banner shoots himself in the face with the Gamma Gun to change into the hulk, only to find that he's changed everything except his face. But by lucky circumstances, Bruce had made busts of the Hulk's face and wears one of the masks. So, he goes to fight the Metal Master, who cleans his clock. Then the army shows up and when the Hulk is defeated they take off his mask, only to find, the change has occurred and it's the Hulk's face under a Hulk mask. The story had nothing to do with anything.nothing. Bu the image of Bruce Banner's face on the Hulk's body always stuck with me. That was the basis for the merged Hulk in my run. If you look at Dale Keown's first drawings of the merged Hulk, it's the Hulk's body with Bruce Banner's face. That's why his body was so massive and his face was so small.

COTTON: What about stories you wrote?
DAVID: I have several I'm very find of. Future Imperfect, I was very pleased with. Hulk #477, which was the Hulk's first merged story. Fans love the bachelor party story. I like Hulk #420, when Jim Wilson died of AIDS. And I was very fond of Hulk #467, which was my last story. The one that is entirely narrated by Rick Jones sitting in a chair some years down the line.

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COTTON: Do you read the current Hulk series by Bruce Jones? DAVID: I've checked out a few issues. I always thought I was too close to enjoy the Hulk, since I'm so associated with the characters. It's amazing that Bruce Jones has gotten the fans excited by the simple expedient of not having the Hulk show up in the book. I can't say that if I would have stuck with the book, the character evolution would have gone in the same direction. Bruce came up with a masterful answer to the question of, "What are you going to do with the Hulk that's new and different?" And that answer was, the Hulk won't be in the book. It's an event when he shows up now. That's brilliant! It's gotten people interested in the Hulk again. It's an impressive feat.

COTTON: Would you ever consider going back to write the Hulk again? DAVID: Well, it's kind of silly since they'd never ask me. I don't think it's terribly likely.

COTTON: But you did write Hulk: The End.
DAVID: Hulk: The End wasn't arranged by the current regime. At least, that's not my understanding. I don't want to swear to it, but I don't think the current regime was involved. [Former Marvel editor] Bobbie Chase, contacted me and explained Marvel wanted to do a series of books that featured the last stories of various characters, written by people who were associated with them. She asked if I'd be interested in doing a last Hulk story with Dale. The problem was, I'd already written it, it was called The Last Titan, which appeared in a book of short stories called, Ultimate Hulk, no relation to the current Ultimate line. I didn't think I could top that one. Well, she had me adapt it to comic book form.

 

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COTTON: What about the movie? Are you excited? DAVID: Yeah, I'm looking forward to the film. I can tell you right now, being as conversive with the script as anyone outside of Ang Lee, the screenwriters and producers since I wrote the novelization, that when I read this script it's not based on my work. There was no moment that was a "ah ha" moment for me. There wasn't a moment where you say, "Oh my god, they're doing Amazing Spider-Man #121 or Oh, this is the death of the Green Goblin as written by Stan Lee."

Mike Cotton is a staff writer for Wizard Magazine. For all the comic book news fit to print, check out Wizard on sale every month at comic book specialty shops and newsstands everywhere.

The Cotton Club Archive

August 7 , 2003 - HOLLYWOOD RUN DOWN July 31, 2003 - SPIDER-MAN 2 July 24, 2003 - BAG MAN July 17, 2003 - Moore or Less July 10, 2003 - Ink Test July 2, 2003 - HURRICANE WARNING June 25, 2003 - BANNER BANTER June 10, 2003 - PETER DAVID June 3 , 2003 - PAUL JENKINS May 28 , 2003 - GEOFF JOHNS May 21 , 2003 - BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS May 14 , 2003 - PHIL JIMENEZ May 9 , 2003 - Don't F[l]inch April 29 , 2003 - The X-Factors April 17 , 2003 - X2 Reviewed January 13, 2003 - Game Boy - WizKid’s HeroClix January 3, 2003- 2003 Bigger than 2002? December 20 , 2002 - Ring Bearer - A two-bit tour for ‘Two Towers’ novices December 13 , 2002 - ‘Sine of the Times December 6 , 2002 - Killer Read November 30, 2002 - Lex's World November 23, 2002 - Truth and Consequences November 15, 2002 - Triple X November 8 , 2002 - Giving the Devil his Due October 31, 2002 - Superhero DVD Preview October 25, 2002 - Mad Cow October 18 , 2002 - 80's a Go-GO October 11 , 2002 - Best Bets on Bats October 4, 2002 - Hunters & Pray September 27 , 2002 - The War Within September 19 , 2002 - Lee-Der of the pack. September 13 , 2002 - The Next Generation. September 6 , 2002 - Marvel Melee. August 30, 2002 - Breaking In. Joe Quesada reveals the ins and outs of getting work at Marvel. August 23, 2002 - Painted Into a Corner. An Interview with Greg Hildebrandt. August 16, 2002 - X-citing News on X-Men 2!