Sidney Johnson's face lit up as he stared at the 6-inch Hulk action figure within his reach.
"He's big, tall and he can flex his muscles," the five-year-old Lansing resident said. "And the Hulk can smash!"
Sidney was accompanied by his two 9-year-old cousins, Lasheila and Jemmerio Daniel, who also had their eyes on the big display of Hulk merchandise at Meijer, 2055 W. Grand River Ave. in Okemos, on Wednesday.
"I like the (cool) Hulk T-shirt," Lasheila said, with one hand on the shirt and another clutching a box of Hulk Cheese Nips. "You've got to like to the huge Hulk Hands, too."
With Friday's opening of "The Hulk," director Ang Lee's adaptation of the 1962 Marvel Comics creation of "The Incredible Hulk," merchandise of the "old green skin" has flooded stores everywhere. Whether it be Hulk boxing gloves, a night vision communicator or a Hulk Mega Muscles dress-up set, the Hulk is trying to carve out a larger piece of American pop culture.
Not only has the Marvel Comics antihero hit stores with its 6-inch Hulk movie action figures, Hulk Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox games, it has turned certain food products a greenish tint. There's green Hershey's Syrup, Bubble Yum Hulk Giant Green Gumballs and green apple Twizzlers - just to name a few. Those interested also are able to enter to win a Hershey's Hulked-Up Hummer H-1, with the Hulk's angry face on the door.
East Lansing resident Lisa McGuire-Zdunic, who brought Sidney, Lasheila and Jemmerio to Meijer, said the Hulk merchandise is a good way to draw more attention to the movie.
"All these promotions for 'The Hulk' have parents spending more money, as if we don't spend enough," McGuire-Zdunic said, tossing a bag of Bubble Yum Hulk Giant Green Gumballs into her grocery cart for her niece and nephews.
Chris Walser, a team leader at Meijer, says primarily children and teenagers have been in looking for Hulk merchandise.
"A lot of kids are talking about them," Walser said. "Everyone wants the big, blow-up Hulk."
He doesn't see the merchandise as appealing to the overall customer-base Meijer attracts.
"The success of the merchandise really depends on the individual person and if they are drawn to that sort of thing," he said.
With Hulk merchandise hitting nationwide stores, including Meijer and Toys "R" Us, local cinemas are optimistic about the merchandise aiding to the success of the film.
Lindsey Lott, supervisor at NCG Cinemas, 2500 Showtime Drive in Lansing, feels the merchandising will not sway those already excited about the film, but might bring in people who would not normally view a comic book-inspired movie.
"I think it will definitely help us out," Lott said. "We've even got green Slurpees promoting the movie at our theater."
Stephen Jahner, owner of Capital City Comics & Book Exchange, 2004 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, said while all the merchandising will result in a bigger profit off of "The Hulk," most people will not be enticed by the green monster's memorabilia because they will have already decided to see the film.
"There's a chance with the amount of Hulk memorabilia that more people will see it in the store and say, 'This might be a good movie,' and want to see it," Jahner said. He added he will be eagerly standing in line Friday.
"But if you've read the comics and are waiting anxiously to see the movie, the merchandise won't amount up to one bit," he said.
Gary Hoppenstand, American Thought and Language professor, says it is essential for blockbuster films to have merchandising tie-ins.
"These films are multimillion dollar investments," Hoppenstand said. "When you have a hundred-million dollar film you'll need as much support as you can get."
Nic Fraylick, 2002 MSU graduate, said while some of the merchandise is a good idea, some could be done without.
"It's a bit lame that they pumped out all the merchandise before the movie came out to get us going," said Fraylick, playfully punching his friend with the Electronic Hulk Hands. "Every once in a while they come out with some actual cool stuff like these punching hands, but the dish ware has got to go."
Staff writer A.P. Kryza contributed to this report.
Lindsay Weiskittel can be reached at weiskitt@msu.edu.
