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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

THE HULK & JEREMY HAWKINS AT MEILORI'S



Meilori's was packed. The shadows were gaining, but the customers valiantly tried to pull away with alcohol and forced laughter.

Captain Jack, minus any eyes at all, stumbled by our table "not-looking" at Jeremy intensely.
Jeremy pulled at his collar and whispered, "Is it always this way?"

Alice Wentworth, the Victorian ghoul sitting next to him, patted his hand gently. 

"Yes,  I am afraid so.  Just use the images for your next book.  Oh, what lovely, appetizing fingers you have, Jeremy."

I cleared my throat.  "Alice!"

She smiled demurely.  "Just jesting, Jeremy.  Do go on with your fascinating story ... while I gaze at your fingers."

Jeremy thrust his hands into his pockets and continued his story.


"So there I was sitting across from the Hulk ..."

"Oh, my!" gasped Alice.

"No, not the monster but the actor who played my childhood hero."

"That must have something," I said.

"It was" Jeremy smiled.

 
I watched every time it was on the television maybe you heard of it “The Incredible Hulk”.

The show ran for several years and featured Bill Bixby and this green fellow

and that green fellow turns out to be pro bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, though growing up he was just “The Hulk”.
So I was faced with another hero of mine as I come to find out I have the chance to interview him, I take the challenge.

I at the time was covering the Wizard Convention in 1997 and I wasn’t sure who I was going to have the chance to talk with so my questions were on the fly.
The idea was: Jot down an idea or two and just roll with it.

Now there is something you may all not be aware of but Lou Ferrigno is partially/fully deaf. I knew this and was told by him to make sure when I asked him the questions that I looked right at him.


I got a little nervous as you might think, because I wanted to respect him and make sure I got this little thing right.

The interview goes on and I have forgotten this within minutes as I asked my questions, starting to look down to read what I had written.

Now, of course, looking down I lost the only thing he asked, I froze up a little. Stop the interview, stop the camera… we start over, we all laughed.

Lou Ferrigno could see me starting to panic;

He flexes his muscles and hits my leg with his arm (as you can see in the photos).

It was one wake up call I was not ready for, I did pull myself together and managed a great interview. Just so you know he didn’t hit me to be mean. It was meant to be a motivation… I took it like one."

Alice stroked his bare leg since he was wearing shorts because of New Orleans' heat. 

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.  "Your fingers are cold!" 

"Was it this leg?  It looks unharmed.  Quite delectable in fact.  Jeremy, would you take a girl out for a ... bite?"

Jeremy turned to me, "Rooowland!"

What can I say?  Meilori's is that kind of place.

TOMORROW:
ALEX CAVANAUGH
PLAYS AT MEILORI'S

18 comments:

  1. It's a good thing you're there to guide/protect the visitors to Meilori's, Roland. I think it would be easy to get lost in that jazz club.

    Good luck, Jeremy, with your book tour. How interesting that you met the actor Lou. And he wasn't green...Nice to see a photo of the interview.

    Which Capt'n Jack was that, Roland, the Depp version or the skeleton version from the sunken 'Black Pearl'?

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  2. D.G.:
    That would be the Depp version -- sort of like he played in ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO but without the blood! :-)

    Meilori's is a feisty place all right!

    Jeremy has met all sorts of great actors in his time. Me, I just meet the undead! LOL.

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  3. Strange little story, but all together awesome :)

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  4. Jeremy, you might want to back away from Alice slowly... Find Roland - or Victor - and quick!
    Bet a tap from Lou was like a thump from anyone else. Cool you got to meet him and the interview went well!
    Roland, you need to work Jeremy into your next book. Let him keep his fingers though.

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  5. I remember watching the Incredible Hulk as well. Lou was also a regular guest star in the TV show, The king of Queens. Awesome that Jeremy got to meet him. Fun post Roland and good luck to Jeremy's new book.

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  6. That was one of my favorite shows! every time it would go off to hear the piano playing..so sad.
    He looked massive!

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  7. can somebody tell me which one is Hulk and which one is Jeremy in those pics? :PPPP

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  8. GREAT story. You should put these together in a book ;-) That bar sounds amazingly scary, though...
    Tina @ Life is Good

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  9. Bonnee:
    Meilori's is definitely strange but riveting when you're there. I'm happy you enjoyed your visit.

    Alex:
    If Jeremy is willing, I will do just that -- when I'm in the present. With my latest I'm in the Badlands of the 1920's.

    Yes, a thump from Lou must have staggered poor Jeremy. Alice was just teasing Jeremy. Ah, I think. Come to think of it: she did look hungry.

    I'm looking forward to you playing guitar at Meilori's tomorrow. Death, Sex, and Violence -- and those are just the lyrics!

    Siv:
    Yes, I hope Jeremy's series of icon books do so well that he pays his tab at Meilori's! After Alice, he drank a lot of Hurricanes and Zombies (and you're right: those drinks pack quite a punch!)

    I always like the TV show THE HULK, too.

    David:
    I agree with you: the ending music as he walked off usually alone and sad was evocative and moving.

    DEZMOND:
    "Hulk no wear beard! Hulk SMASH!"

    Tina:
    Putting my interview at Meilori's in a single book might be fun -- if I could get approval from all the authors. Maybe agree to give all the proceeds to charity, right?

    I'm really happy you liked this story. :-)

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  10. Sorry I am late to the party, why is everyone looking at me finger tips like they are something to eat. Roland you took my so-so story and turned it into a night on the town, thank you for making it cool!

    It was another adventure with me and my friend Lou, okay you can call him Hulk as long as you put "Incredible" in front of it.

    I did enjoy being part of this story, like I said... now I can play in history's book. It is great to see everyone here...

    Thank you!

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  11. Jeremy:
    Actually, you were THE party -- remember Alice's cold fingers?

    It was a fine story -- just told in a dangerous setting -- like much of life, right?

    I envy you meeting Lou. May your sales be high!! :-)

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  12. Yikes! Where's Victor?!! I think Alice is missing him. It's fun to see her flirting, though :))

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  13. Words Crafter:
    Victor was smooth-talking Tarja into singing with NIGHTWISH one last time -- and you saw how that worked out with Alex!

    Alice was getting back at Victor for leaving her behind to talk to the beautiful siren, Tarja! :-)

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  14. That was a cool adventure Jeremy - well here, and with Lou. I watched Incredible Hulk also as a kid, and I find all the current Hulk's not as intimidating.

    .......dhole

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  15. Donna:
    I watched THE INCREDIBLE HULK, too. I always felt sorry for Bill Bixby's Banner.

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  16. Maurice:
    Lou is a man to admire for a variety of reasons it is true.

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  17. brilliant i need a bigger bodyguard to protect me from the "whatevers" in you house of fun... thank you for the gig and to all of you... you are the tops.

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