I acquired a copy of the new Hulk movie to watch last night, which made me want to read Don's entry about the Hulk in the 'Toonopedia.
When I read Don's statement that the Hulk's "host's" name was changed to David from Bruce, because (allegedly,) some tv executive thought that Bruce Banner sounded "swish."
But, I seem to remember Stan Lee writing once that when some TV exec asked him Banner's first name, he claims he drew a blank, and, said David, and, later recalled that it was Bruce.
(so now his name has been recont'd to be David Bruce Banner.)
Anyway, is Don's statement the correct one, (it does sound more logical,) and, the other statement another product of "Stan the Man's" (now famous) selective memory. Or, is the other true, and, Stan was having a brain fade?
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Posted by: Rob Allen
Posted on: 2008-06-21 at 12:16:03 PM
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This may be two different stories mixed together. In the early 60s, a few years after the Hulk's series had been cancelled, Stan decided to bring him back in the pages of Fantastic Four #25. Throughout that issue, the Hulk's alter ego was called "Bob Banner". Stan admitted that he'd simply forgotten the character's name, but ever since then, Banner's full name in Marvel Comics has been "Robert Bruce Banner".
When the name was changed in the TV series, the only reason I've ever heard was that the network thought "David" sounded better.
When the name was changed in the TV series, the only reason I've ever heard was that the network thought "David" sounded better.
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Posted by: *don*
Posted on: 2008-06-22 at 05:29:19 AM
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My memory doesn't seem all that wonderful either. I believe I got that factoid from the letter column, or it may have been mentioned in TV Guide, which as younger people might not recall, was an actual piece of print on paper, where people used to get their TV schedules.
I'd love to get reliable info that it's wrong, because then I could just change it and be sure of having correct info. As it is, it'll stay as it is because my memory, vague tho it be, is reinforced with the fact that it makes sense.
Quack, Don
I'd love to get reliable info that it's wrong, because then I could just change it and be sure of having correct info. As it is, it'll stay as it is because my memory, vague tho it be, is reinforced with the fact that it makes sense.
Quack, Don
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Posted by: Chuck Taine
Posted on: 2008-06-22 at 08:05:30 AM
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I believe I saw the story Stan spun about the "brain fade" in remembering Banner's first name in a conversation with a tv producer in the introduction to the Hulk's origin that was in a book with other Marvel Superhero origins.
However; in visiting a fan-created site devoted to the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno tv series, Stan Lee is quoted there saying that the name was changed by Kenneth Johnson (the executive producer for the Hulk tv show,) for the "swish" reason. Johnson is quoted saying it was a tribute to his son, David. Another reason is given, is that Johnson hated comic book sounding names like Clark Kent, Peter Parker, and, etc.
And, Don is right about the name. Robert Bruce Banner is the full name used in comic books. David Bruce Banner seems to have exclusively used for the tv series. Of course the reason for Banner's experimenting with Gamma radiation differs in comics and tv. The comics origin, back in the cold war years, is that he was trying to create a new type of bomb. The tv show had it that he was trying to unlock the potential of human emotions. What reason the movie gave, I didn't notice.
However; in visiting a fan-created site devoted to the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno tv series, Stan Lee is quoted there saying that the name was changed by Kenneth Johnson (the executive producer for the Hulk tv show,) for the "swish" reason. Johnson is quoted saying it was a tribute to his son, David. Another reason is given, is that Johnson hated comic book sounding names like Clark Kent, Peter Parker, and, etc.
And, Don is right about the name. Robert Bruce Banner is the full name used in comic books. David Bruce Banner seems to have exclusively used for the tv series. Of course the reason for Banner's experimenting with Gamma radiation differs in comics and tv. The comics origin, back in the cold war years, is that he was trying to create a new type of bomb. The tv show had it that he was trying to unlock the potential of human emotions. What reason the movie gave, I didn't notice.
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Posted by: *don*
Posted on: 2008-06-23 at 07:08:27 AM
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I remember "Robert Bruce Banner", but I can't take credit for bringing it up here.
I guess the bottom line on "swish" is that it's very likely, but we'll never know for sure.
I've got a potential blog entry that touches on Stan Lee's memory, but I just checked, and I don't seem to have written it up yet.
Quack, Don
I guess the bottom line on "swish" is that it's very likely, but we'll never know for sure.
I've got a potential blog entry that touches on Stan Lee's memory, but I just checked, and I don't seem to have written it up yet.
Quack, Don
