“I’m getting angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” snarled Conner School fifth grader Tiffany Martinez during one of her multiple interviews before the national press last Thursday morning. It’s hard to believe that this dimple-faced, constantly smiling, petite primary school student could strike a pose that would put fear into the hearts of men, but that’s exactly what happened when she was named the winner of the “Junior Hulk” contest at Madam Tussaud’s wax museum in Times Square.
The museum hosted the contest are part of a promotional campaign for both the new Universal Pictures film The Hulk, which opened Friday, and for the unveiling of the towering 15-foot tall, 2,250 pound wax statue of the Hulk, a character notorious for his lack of impulse control.
In their first school trip into the city since 9/11, nearly 30 Connors school students flexed their muscles and made their best angry grimaces in order to impress a panel of judges and media. And during the half-hour that the contest was held, the students were given the red carpet treatment. Flashes flashed and cameras rolled from respected media outlets such as CNN, the Associated Press, NBC, ABC, CBS, the Daily News, The New York Times and Reuters as the students did their best to be the biggest and baddest junior hulks they could be. For these students, this was their big Hollywood-style premiere.
To help them get into role, each of the students was given huge green foam Hulk fists to flex. “I felt like a star,” said Connors student Joe O’Conner who was named as one of the contest’s three semifinalists. O’Conner was also quick to remind the press that he in fact can be scary. “Oh, I think I was the scariest,” he said. “If I try real hard and concentrate, I know I’m scary,” he said as he browed his forehead and let out a menacing growl.
All of the Connors school students were allowed to keep their foam fists. O’Conner was particularly happy about that. “Even before I knew we were coming today, I wanted these,” he said.
They were also given a T-shirt for participating, and Martinez won tickets for herself and 10 friends to see The Hulk in theaters.
Big man on campus
The shear enormity of the new Hulk wax statue is something to behold. It took 4224 pound of clay and 15 sculptors three weeks to sculpt the Hulk. It also took over 80 feet of human hair and 50 cans of spray paint (in eight shades of green) to cover the action figure.
In addition to weighing over two tons, his chest measures 15 feet, his biceps are seven feet around, his big toe is the size of a human head, and his shoes are a size 50.
The Hulk’s pants are the size of a king-size duvet cover, and his eyeballs are the size of tennis balls. He even has over 200 individually placed eyelashes.
“He’s absolutely enormous,” remarked Martinez.