THE HULK & JEREMY HAWKINS AT MEILORI'S

http://www.beingretro.com/

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!