I just saw this card on Ebay. Upon seeing it, it reminded me of David Hasselhoff in his earlier years. This particular card is unlike any other Hulk cards or art that I know. When I showed it to a local forum, people agreed with me that this particular card looks gayish and would pass as the cover page for a romance novel. It wrongly portrays The Hulk. The art was great but the scene and pose is a turn-off.

I had no prior experience collecting nonsports cards after 1995 so I don't know there was such a card.

So my question is:
Does anyone know the history behind the portrait done by the artist in this 1996 Marvel Masterpieces #99

I believe that whole set was art from Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell, which is a fantasy art they are well known for.

Yup, you are correct.

I want to know why The Hulk was portrayed as such in that card.

'mirin the traps on that guy

quote:

Originally posted by juke:
When I showed it to a local forum, people agreed with me that this particular card looks gayish

Really nice use of the english language. Its not like he looks "effeminate" or maybe like a pin up king. You had to specify that you and your friends say he looks gayish. Look up the word Bigot.

I've never understood how his pants don't tear off completely when he transforms to the Hulk from Banner. He's definitely one character who would usually be nude if the comic was more realistic.

As for those people on that other board who looked at this drawing and even considered it in a sexual way, well, that says a lot more about them than the illustration. After all, how exactly would the Hulk even go about getting down? I think only the She-Hulk would be a realistic candidate to withstand such an event, and come on, man, that's his cousin!

If their consensus was that the "gayish-ness" arose not from the fact that the Hulk has huge muscles and extremely tight trousers, but rather that he is not angrily smashing something, it should be remembered that the Hulk has maintained Banner's intelligence and controlled temperament in the vast majority of Hulk comics published since 1987 or so, when Peter David first began what ended up be a lengthy run on the Hulk comic. With that in mind, were one to run into the Hulk, you would be more likely to catching him in a pensive moment, perhaps pondering his next move and the meaning of it all in the moonlight a lot more than you would be to catch him smashing something.

As for the image on the card relating to the artist who drew it and why it was drawn that way, my own knowledge of art masterpieces is limited to say the least, but it very well could be based on a famous pose from an old Masterpiece painter, that is, this card is an homage to some earlier classical illustration pose.
I'm pretty the card is painted by Julie Bell. She might have drawn the card to her own preferences in the look of the male form. She did, after all, marry a body builder who I've seen photographed wearing tight clothing, ostensibly to show off his big guns, that would be the artist Boris Vallejo, the co-illustrator of this classic set. I believe Julie herself also participates in bodybuilding.

So there you have it, Juke of Earth, a simple question answered in the spirit of that old TV show where a panel of celebrities picked up an unusual object and each said what it was used for in a convincing way, but always totally different from what the other panelists claimed it was for. The contestant then had to choose who was right with their description as to what the item was actually used for, and prizes were won for the correct guess.

Well, no prizes here, just a lot of friendly people who love trading cards and none friendlier than me which is why I would give you the advice to spend more time on this board and less time on that other one. It sounds like there are some trolls over there.

A drawing cannot be "gay" no matter what the image depicts or what style it was drawn in. It is simply lines on paper, no more, no less. Any meaning it has must come from the viewer of it, and each person must decide what something means.

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi_Collector:
Really nice use of the english language. Its not like he looks "effeminate" or maybe like a pin up king. You had to specify that you and your friends say he looks gayish. Look up the word Bigot.

Exactly.

Does the Hulk even have a sexual orientation? And if so, why should it matter? To me, the card is a piece of art, done in the classic Vallejo/Bell fantasy style. True, it's not the common "smashing things" Hulk, but after having read chesspieceface's post regarding the comic book Hulk's introspective nature (which I was not aware of,) the pose in the painting actually makes a lot of sense.

Juke, my advice to you is to spend less energy fretting over whether somethng or someone is gay (I mean, crikey, it's almost 2013, man!) and more time enjoying the things you like to do - like collecting cards.

Say, you're not that fella from the UK who was getting all worked up over the shirtless male swimmers in the Olympic set, are you?

Guys, just a question, is the word "gay" taboo? Last time I checked it's not.

I showed the card to my officemates, 6 of them are gay. Guess what their initial word was? Gay. Some didn't even believe it is Hulk but only did after seeing the label.
Maybe I'll ask my two friends who draws for Marvel what they think of this card.

Nobody can argue to the fact that it is a great work of art. But using that pose and scene for Hulk makes it unique and very intriguing. It does not fit the Hulk. I can compare it with the Hulk movie starring Eric Bana. The movie received very low rating because the Hulk was not Hulk enough despite the visual appeal.

I'm only asking about the probable story behind the artistic reasoning of that card, so please let's stay on topic and not turn this thread into sexual orientation criticism.

The first relevant reply was both of the set's artists were into bodybuilding.
Also, for the record, Boris did the card's art. If it was drawn by Julie it would somehow solve the reasoning behind it.

It's probably batter to just let this thread die if it will only cause further unrelated and bashing comments.

I just did a quick wiki search and found the most relevant reason, he's into erotica genre.

Case closed.

I think he looks pretty cool in that. Like some kind of suave Hulk.

quote:

...it should be remembered that the Hulk has maintained Banner's intelligence and controlled temperament in the vast majority of Hulk comics published since 1987 or so, when Peter David first began what ended up be a lengthy run on the Hulk comic. With that in mind, were one to run into the Hulk, you would be more likely to catching him in a pensive moment, perhaps pondering his next move and the meaning of it all in the moonlight a lot more than you would be to catch him smashing something.

As far I remember Bruce Banner was having problems with 2 of the Hulk personalities, the Green Hulk and Grey Hulk. It was reveal that the return of the Grey Hulk was because he sealed the Green Hulk somewhere in Banners mind. One day Doc Samson decide to help Banner with his personality problem. In a battle in Banners mind. He defeated his biggest fear a big monsters that was reveal to be his father. Then he talk to the Green and Grey Hulk that he is now in charge.

If I see a green man, I will call it the Hulk. So I don't understand where some people have their minds.

As explain before this kind of art it is more than meet the eye. If you have some knowledge of Hulk. You will understand the real meaning of the artwork. The weak nerd Bruce Banner with a Hulk body.

About the art. In the '90s were a lot of fantasy/science fiction artists that use a lot of models to make their art. So they focus in body expression and details.

Just for the record, the artist's names are on the backs of the cards. The three Hulk cards are drawn by:

97 - BORIS

98 - JULIE

99 - BORIS

To me that pic says-

I dont always get angry, but when I do, Hulk Smash!

quote:

Originally posted by HIM:
I dont always get angry, but when I do, Hulk Smash!

The Most Interesting Green Man in the World!

You mean it's not the Jolly Green Giant (Ho ho ho!) ?