I’ve seen some badly made cartoons in my time, but these are amazingly horrible. I love the theme song.
Don’t think I ever have. Entering Hulk 1966 shows several more-- at least Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. The theme songs all sound like something from the 1940s. (Only one year later the much more famous 1967 Spiderman theme seems so much more sophisticated.)
Surprised these aren’t more available. I have one “pro” VHS release in a big ol’ clam shell case. The original 1966 HULK cartoon series. (Tape- c.1998 20th Century Fox.) Just 2 episodes, "Origin of the Hulk/“Power of Doctor Banner”- runs 45 mins. There were many other Marvel series- Thor, Sub-Mariner, Iron-Man were the “cheapies”. Spider-Man was released on DVD and now goes for big bucks. Was the FIRST 1960s Hanna Barbera Fantastic Four ever released? Would love to see them all.
Fantastic Four was on one of the cartoon channels for years. I first saw it in the 70s.
The early Marvel series wasn’t really animated, stills from the comic books were cut out and moved around. In the Clutch Cargo era it didn’t seem that bad, it was real artwork and the stories were right out of the comic books since that’s where the art came from.
One of the stations in Lloydminster used to play the Marvel Super Heroes cartoon so I would sometimes see it when we were up at our cabin. The theme tunes were definitely pretty snazzy!
I saw em. They all had these wacked out themes that you never forgot. It was Cap, Subby, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor. FF and Spidey weren’t part of it.
“When captain america throws his mighty shield, all those who chose to oppose his shield must yield!”
Off the top of my head:
“Young Bruce Banner, [something] by Gamma rays
Turns into The Hulk! “Isn’t he glamorous?” 
Wrecking the town with the power of The Hulk
He’s no monster [something] is as lovable?
The Incredible [something] Hulk!
Hulk! Hulk!”
Wasn’t there a parade of the Marvel supes at the end of the show?
Let’s face it. Al the Marvel Superhero cartoons from the 60’s were horrible. The songs were great though.
That theme is probably the main reason I liked the Hulk as a kid. That and the 80s cartoon which was much better than the 60s one.
Right – the former 5 were in a sort of anthology format with that peculiar slide-show type production.
Spidey and the FF were self contained series closer to what passed for normal made-for-TV animation of the time (and FF even at Hannah-Barbera).
For some reason I remember all the words to the theme songs. I’m occasionally asked to sing them.
Edited to say I don’t really remember the submariners song but he was a water Vulcan anyway.
“That ever-loving Hulk!” (“Hulk, Hulk.”)
Yeah, they were bad. I enjoyed them in reruns, though.
They were constantly re-run on Australian commercial TV. Even as a young teenager, hoovering up TV cartoons I thought the animation was lazy and rubbish, and yet when South Park came along I thought that was somehow innovative and brilliant. Not the sign of a stable genius.
I actually enjoy these '66 Marvel series because, as TriPolar said, they’re actual comic book panels from the mid-1960s so you get to see distinctive work from artists like Jack Kirby and Gene Colan, which is more visually interesting than a factory-made cartoon would be. You just have to accept the idea that this is not animation per se, but static frames (sometimes they animate the lips of a speaking character or something minor like that).
I haven’t seen these in a long time. However, I do remember with the Hulk they altered the premise by having Banner zap himself with a gamma ray gun to turn himself into the Hulk whenever the situation needed somebody with more muscle and then the Hulk would use the ray gun to turn himself back into Banner when the matter was resolved.
Used be in syndicated reruns when I was a kid. So confusing when there was an Iron Man story when he was in the 2nd suit (the big all yellow one) instead of the sleek classic red and yellow, brother.
For some reason, Marvel Super Heroes as I remember it from mid 1960s would show an occasional Iron Man, some Sub-Mariners from time to time, but 95% of the episodes were Thor.
From the some some thing of Asgard
Where the blooming heavens soar
You can hear the something something,
The God of Thunder, mighty Thor!
Never say a single Hulk.
Be an innovator,
Walk a little prouder
Stand a little straighter,
Laugh a little louder.
March along, march along,
March along to the song
Of the merry Marvel Marching Society!
Stronger than a whale, he can swim anywhere.
He can breathe under water and go flying through the air!
I couldn’t miss them as a kid. As soon as my sister’s all important soap on ABC – General Hospital – with Luke and Laura and the Ice Princess storyline was done, I had to change to watch these cartoons. I distinctly remember Tony, reclining, recharging his chest armor from an external power pack, because he needed to – his powered armor also supported his weakened heart.
I was sucked into all these storylines. Also that cheazy Spider Man cartoon – with the reused animation, he always changed into the Spiderman outfit with his lips moving, even if there was no audio.
Fun Fact: in the first Iron Man movie with Robert Downy Jr., Rhodes’ ringtone for Tony Stark is the music from this Iron Man cartoon. Or so they tell me, I don’t remember the Iron Man cartoon theme music.