What was your first "growth" sighting on TV?

[nycmuscleboy]

ok - this is really weird. i only took the time to read the last few of these posts. and something jogged my memory. so here i am posting for the first time...i'm almost positive i saw an episode of woody woodpecker once, where woody took some sort of potion which gave him muscles, but most importantly super-strength. as crazy as this sounds - and along with the popeye cartoons - this was one of my first 'muscle' experiences and/or influences. has anyone else ever seen this episode or heard of it? i mean - it's woody woodpecker - so at best it's 25 years old. but it could be 40 or 50 years old. i'm almost positive i only saw it once - and i was probably 9 years old at the time....but i barely remember any details....

[norvabear]

Brahms97,

I no longer belong to that group. When I try to search for it, Yahoo says it doesn't exist.

[ARCHEON]

OK. Does there seem to be a direct correlation between muscle growth and the animation departments of Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal? In the Baby Boom era, all these studios cranked out feature after feature with their leading characters (Bugs Bunny to Mickey Mouse, Popeye to Woody Woodpecker) in plots which had muscle growth or muscular development. So what gives? Were the artists and producers of these animations all intrigued by muscle somehow? Did they suspect that there were people from all over the planet who secretly shared this same feeling? I know I certainly didn?t until I stumbled on this group!

Those animators drew compelling stories and images that have influenced many of the members here in this forum. Myself included. They allowed their fantasies to be expressed in the only way they could. Not through forums such as this, but on an international scale under the guise of children?s animated features at the movies. What a fascinating sociological premise!

As for my earliest memories of muscle or muscle growth, they date back to the old Sinbad cartoons. This cartoon had the biggest impact on me. As a young child, I distinctly remember this cartoon making me cut out a cardboard version of Sinbad?s belt buckle. I?d wear it around the house flexing my biceps and intimidating my four brothers. My first actual muscle sighting came later when I was fourteen at my first job. I was hired by a local dry-cleaner to clean up the work area after school and weekends. One day, the fire department was conducting their routine inspection of buildings looking for potential fire hazards. There were 3 firemen conducting the inspections. They were all big and tall except one. He was bigger. Really bigger. His chest formed a huge shelf that was beginning to pull the shirt buttons apart. He wore a white t-shire underneath. His biceps fully filled his short sleeve navy blue shirt to the point of fabric stress. I couldn?t take my eyes off him. I remember that moment as if it was yesterday. Even to this day, he was (and is) the living embodiment of that Sinbad cartoon for me.

[ottomun6]

Quick Archeon!!, I think I may need a fire inspection, where is that fire department of yours? (Maybe the big guy is still there)
And yes there seems to be a lot of muscle growth in the animation world. The Sinbad cartoon was my earliest too. And I just remembered a video arcade game (can't remember the actual name).
But it had something to do with a skinny guy named Dexter and his girlfriend/buddy Kim. It was some type space game.
I even remember it becoming a saturday morning cartoon, but it was no match for the muscle growth detail of the arcade. I'm pretty sure it was a Disney cartoon. Space...something?

[ARCHEON]

Space Ace was a video game before it was a short-lived saturday morning cartoon. It was produced by Don Bluth. A well-known animator who so excelled at Disney, he left and started his own animation firm. Bluth's firm did many animated sequences on early video games and feature length pictures.

Space Ace's body was altered from skinny geek (Dexter) into hyper muscular Space Ace from blast on a gun called the "infanto" ray. Now that's a concept!

[joel24242]

This isn't my earliest memory but it was probably the one that most grabbed my attention. it was a cartoon called Captain Planet, it was American so i think so a lot of you might have seen it. Anyway there is an episode that really stood out for me. It invovled the opposite to Captain Planet being created by the baddies, using the reverse of the rings that the kids wore that enabled them to call captain planet. naturally the anti capatain planet began just as buff as the original, although he differed in one yummy way. As he came across more and more trash and toxic waste and 'bathed' in it he grew. A very delicious visual. Did anyone else ever watch this?

[greeneear88]

My first sighting was the show Batman:Beyond, the episode of the Slappers? Seeing the guys get big made me wish that i had some of those, despite the venom! *Drools*

Also this wasn't my first muscle sighting but I remember getting really turned on by a scene in the movie "???" (medieval setting)
Guys in the dungeon cells were forced to wear headgear that injected luminous green goo and turned them into raving vicious muscle freaks. Help me out with the movie name.

----------

[norvabear]

The movie with the guys in hoods that were injected with the goo was Beastmaster. Happened to catch it on cable this past weekend.

[sexiscriptor]

Wow, a lot of these sound really hot...
Hrm...my first sighting...I'm really not sure what my FIRST was, but I was probably slowly brainwashed as a child by television...

[dirk steel]

I remember watching someone play Space Ace at the arcade. When I saw the scrawny nerd turn into the muscle-bound stud, I got a major hard-on. I stood there watching with my hands covering my crotch.

Those were the good ol' days.

[Eeg]

...because I got my hands on a tape that compiles about 16 episodes. I watched the show as a kid, and remember putting on a belt and pretending to "Sin-out" by yanking on it. The tape is fun because it has numerous situations and depictions of his growth. In one of my favorites, his pal Salty the parrot pulls the belt with his beak because Sinbad is pinned to a mast with ropes. We see Sinbad from the side, and only from the neck down, as a burst of energy surges from his groin. His chest thrusts out and his arms grow beefy, snapping the ropes. Man. Thank gawd for the wonders of slow-motion and frame-by-frame playback

The following example isn't a morph per se, but being older than most buildings in this country. I remember the Sunday comics page and the "Lil Abner" comic strip from the 50's.

For the benefit of the members here who may have still been a gleam in their grandfather eye back then, Lil Abner was a hot looking muscular hunk from the hills of the Appalachians. There was also a character named "General Bullmoose" who was an ancient, scrawny, mean spirited banker who appeared once in a while for a few episodes to harass the simple hill folk.

I remember being really really turned on by an episode that ran for a couple of months where Bullmoose plotted to capture Lil Abner and have his own head switched with Lil Abner's body. I remember cutting out those comics and keeping them in a scrapbook for review at moments alone.

-- LG --

PS: It all turned out OK, Lil Abner got his head back.

OK, I did my homework and came up with the following:

Picture of L'il Abner & info about the strip and the artist Al Capp:
http://www.lil-abner.com/abnerbio.html

After my research I remember the character "Tiny Yokum" who was L'il Abners little brother. Hot, hot, hot! Perhaps it was Tiny who had his head swapped with General Bullmoose. Tiny was really hot. Woof! I'm hard just remembering him.

He was anything but tiny. Huge (7'), muscular, cute, naive, woof!

Tiny Yokum photo below

-- LG --

[ottomun6]

Dirksteel, about Space Ace , you and me both bud!! if my hormones had been any more fired up, there would have been an extra "joystick" ! .

Leather gryphon, I remember those comic strips too. But the biggest thing it reminded me of was a Little Abner movie, I think it was made somewhere around the mid sixties. I remember that the General bullmoose was doing experiments on some of the men folk to duplicate little Abner's muscularity. And it worked, they guys were all bodybuilders strutting and flexing but they had no interest in their wives (go figure ) And there was government yes man (a skinny little guy with glasses) that ended up drinking the formula and ended up as big as Abner, his suit was about five sizes too small.

Cool!

I'd remembered that there was a movie but had totally forgotten the plot. You're right, I do remember the string of buff bodies that came on screen after they took the potion.

Now that I'm thinking of L'il Abner it was really a strange comic strip for it's time and audience. There were all sorts of beefy muscluar guys, strong willed women, corrupt politicians, oddball minorities and just plain ugly, unlucky, grubby people. It was primarily a political satire when you examine the plots and characters. Sort of the "Dunesbury" of it's day.

Some of the beefy guys are at these links. I don't dare post copies of them them directly because these images come right from the official L'il Abner site and they have a big nasty copyright page. Pointing to information is safe, copying information is not.

Hairless Joe: (big beefy bearded guy)
http://www.lil-abner.com/../indexes/images/kickapoo.jpg

Earthquake McGoon, the wrestler
http://www.lil-abner.com/../indexes/images/earthquake.GIF

Here's another of Earthquake McGoon: (you may have to cut and paste the entire link to get it to work
http://www.deniskitchen.com/Merchant...de=bios.mcgoon

Sorry to pop up with another L'il Abner factoid but I'm amazed at the correlations to muscle this strip had.

According to the article I just read, the ghost artist for Al Capp during the late 50's and early 60's was none other than Frank Frazetta. You know him as the guy who paints those incredible barbarian pictures found here:

http://frazetta.ragnarok.no/../indexes/images/frazetta01.jpg

[ARCHEON]

Originally posted by Eeg
...because I got my hands on a tape that compiles about 16 episodes.

Hey Eeg! Care to share with the rest of us the name of the tape and who currently distributes it? Come on, let us in on the secret!

[Mdlftr]

Hi Guys,
I saw this thread and couldn't resist!

The Lil' Abner movie came out in the 1950's, I believe. Among the musclemen in the transformation scene was Larry Scott (the First Mr. Olympia, BEFORE he had the title, so that puts this movie pre-1964). Also appearing, as one of the Dogpatch woman dancers was Valerie Harper (pre-Mary Tyler Moore show). One of the songs was "What's Good for General BullMoose is Good for the U.S.A." -- all about war profiteering. [Kind of like Daddy Warbucks from the Lil' Orphan Annie cartoons, D. Cheney at Haliburton,....etc. ]

Of the shows you've all been remembering, the one that had the biggest effect on me was probably the Hercules cartoon, with Johnny Nash singing the theme song..."standing there with pride, virtue in his eyes, ....at the side of Hercules!" WHOA!

Another 1960's cultural artifact that impacted on my young and impressionable childhood were the: G.I. Joe action figures! I'll admit it-- I was jealous of the pectoral development on G.I. Joe! He had the biggest, squarest pecs I'd ever see on anyone. He made Barbie's "Ken" look like a total wuss! (MAD magazine did a hilarious (for the time) anti-Vietnam war satire using G.I. Joe and Ken action figures. In the last panel, Ken is shown trying to get a conscientious objector deferment to serving in the war by cross-dressing in Barbie's clothes (sort of like Klinger in M.A.S.H.) That wouldn't work today!)

In the 1970's, who remembers the action figure [Big Jim] that had a muscle band that fit around his biceps and popped when you flexed his arm!? THAT made a whole slew of kids feel majorly inadequate! Thank you, Madison Avenue!

Warning: Muscle rant ahead!!!!

Today, the media says that all guys should be "huge" without being freaky--meanwhile, a cursory read of most muscle mags shows that the muscle heros are self-destructing at an alarming rate: renal failure, heart disease, arrest for distribution of controlled substances---there HAS to be a better way!

Natural doesn't look as huge and ripped, but it does last longer! What to do: quantity versus health and longevity??? I suspect this will even out when either: the huge look (literally) dies out, or science and technology (bless 'em) finds a safer way to manufacture huge people!

Thank you for the good memories, and the chance to vent!

Mdlftr

[viamanmax]

Thank God for Science we already have. In the next twenty years genetic manipulation will probably become affordable and can give you a healthy body with nice muscles and may be able to change "other things" also.

[Notbigenuff]

Oh man, I almost forgot entirely about Sinbad the cartoon. I guess that was my first muscle sighting on TV now that I think about it. If I remember correctly it was shown as part of the old "Bozo the Clown" show, at least in my area. I remember wanting one of those belts so badly--and it seems that there was actually a replica of Sinbad's belt given to a few lucky audience members for winning some contest or another...

And, for the record, even though the movie "Li'l Abner" wasn't as witty or satirical as the comic strip I quickly got a copy when it came out on VHS--doesn't seem to be on DVD. If you get a chance to see it live (probably at a community theatre near you) it's worth it to see which local "slabs of beef" they find to portray the transformed men of Dogpatch. I was fortunate enough to be in a production of this show in my hometown--wasn't in good enough shape to be one of the transformed guys--but is was fun being in the "green" room and with all these muscle guys. And helped to inspire me to keep working on my physique!

[ottomun6]

Mdlftr & Notbigenuff, thanks for the Lil Abner time placement. I was taking a wild guess. Wow! that was Larry Scott and Valerie Harper in there?
And I hate to admit it but I remember the words of the "What's good for General Bullmoose is good for the USA!!" song (I actually hummed it when I first put up the earlier post ) I'm so ashamed. LOL ...Big Jim!! oh hell yes, I remember him, I was scanning the channels just to look at the commercial again.
I seem to remember Bozo showing Sinbad too, and I think Hercules as well. I seem to remember watching the show to see all of those muscles.
And personally I believe that the genetic development will bring on the next level of bodybuilders and I would bet that we're going to see guys pushing the 6'10" and 550 lb mark.

[Notbigenuff]

And I believe that Tina Louise ("Ginger" of "Gilligan's Island" fame) got her start on broadway in the cast of "Li'l Abner" portraying "Appassionata Von Climax"--I kid you not! So many future stars along with all that muscle...

[Eeg]

Originally posted by ARCHEON
Hey Eeg! Care to share with the rest of us the name of the tape and who currently distributes it? Come on, let us in on the secret!

It's from the Toon Tracker site
Toon Tracker's Sinbad Jr. tape

Early but not my earliest muscle sighting.

1964 movie. "Muscle Beach Party" with Annette Funicello (from the original Micky Mouse Club), & Frankie Avalon (late 50's early 60's teen idol). Commedians Buddy Hacket (Disney movie "Herbie") & Morey Amsterdam (Dick van Dyke TV show), and blind singer, songwriter Stevie Wonder.

Bodybuilders included Peter Lupus (original Mission Impossible TV series), Larry Scott & Chet Yorton.

This was a very risque movie for it's time. Annette was America's sweetheart and to put her on a beach with Frankie Avalon was scandalous. Then throw in all the hot male muscle too!

My mother didn't think I should see it. I had to sneak to the drive-in with some friends of mine. I didn't get away with it but was forgiven.

more info: http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/mbp.html

[ARCHEON]

Oh LG! We're talkin cartoons here! Ya know -- "First muscle growth sighting on TV?" It's quite possible that for most of us, cartoon growth would qualify as "first."

But now that you got me thinking about movies....I remember a seminal "mature beach movie" called Don't Make Waves. It starred Tony Curtis as kind of a middle-aged hustler along with Claudia Cardinale and the incomparable Dave Draper. On another bizarre note, it also served as the feature film debut of the tragic Sharon Tate. But, enough about that.

I can remember a particular scene in that movie that had the biggest impact on my psyche. It was the scene where the torrential rain causes the beach house to slip off its foundations and tumble down towards the Pacific Coast Hwy. As the home lay upside down, in shambles, and its occupants shaken. Dave Draper climbs into the house a proceeds to take his wet clothes off one piece at a time in a threatening way to Tony Curtis.

I have never forgotten that scene or the incredible mass of Dave Draper to this day. For those members who have never seen this movie, it is generally available for rent at your local Blockbuster or video store. It's a must see.

[ottomun6]

Yeah, I remember that movie on TV, I was truly surprised at how big he was. And it was pretty awesome how Tony Curtis was almost fearing for his life with this huge muscleman right over him.
Dave was pretty busy in those days, I also remember seeing him in an episode of the "Monkees" they put him up as beach bully. And they had to get around big Dave to talk to the girl. I even remember part of a scene when one of the Monkees tried to tackle him from behind, but it was like running into a steel wall, the Monkee (little Davey) was knocked out and Big Dave never even felt it

LG, I remember Muscle Beach party too. I was astonished at one of the bodybuilders as he bounced his pecs I had never seen that before. (I think it was Peter Lupus?)

[Notbigenuff]

Let's not forget Dave Draper's guest shot on "The Beverly Hillbillies" (episode #176--Mr. Universe Muscles In). A rival banker arranges a date for Elly May with a handsome model so Mr. Drysdale counters with "Mr. Universe." If I remember correctly, Granny gets concerned because Draper is so swollen and trys to cure him. Which he resists until he finds out that Elly is actually stronger than he is because of Granny's tonics.

And, is it just me, or does it seem that there aren't any guest shots of bodybuilders as good guys anymore.

By the way, for the record, I thought that Larry Scott was way better looking than Peter Lupus in "Muscle Beach Party!"

[ottomun6]

Yeah, I forgot all about that one with the Beverly Hillbillies, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for it to refresh my memory.
No, Notbigenuff its not your imagination, bodybuilders are almost always the bad guy. Seems like there were few roles that has them as the good guy. Peter Lupus had a VERY rare spot, a smart bodybuilder good guy AND it was a series.
Everybody seems to cast them as one of two things: the jealous boyfriend or a big dumb bully.
-hint hint- if there are any producer guys out there, how about some new approaches?

OK, so this isn't actually a "growth" sighting on TV but I bet this goes back farther than a lot of the other things mentioned here.

How about the "Jolly Green Giant" advertising frozen vegetables? He was pretty buff in some of the commercials.

Those ads intrigued me I know at an early age but I never paid much attention to why. Looking back at it now, it's obvious it had something to do with the way I turned out. Who says TV doesn't affect how kids think?

[brent]

ROFL

Oh my God! I LOVED those ads as a kid! You hit a total chord with me an that one. I still will pay more for their veggies than others because of those ads! *still laughing at myself*

[Notbigenuff]

Just further proof that using giant, muscular green guys to sell things, works!

[ottomun6]

Seems like I loved how the giant went Ho-ho-ho ! standing over the entire town. And that deep giant voice, hmm that's probably how I got to like the tall fellas.

p.s. I wonder if they would sell more Green Giant food if they were to put the Hulk in the commercials

Hmm..., Hulk selling vegetables, no I don't think so. The Green Giant was handsome, The Hulk has a face only a mother gargoyle could love. Perhaps if they did some plastic surgery he'd work. Something like this...

[ottomun6]

Ok, I'm packin my bags and moving to the valley of:
Ho-Ho-Ho!!, ...GREEN GIANT !

[brent]

Otto, you must let me know where that valley is so we can all join you.

Here's a question: How many of us used to pretend that we were the Jolly Green Giant while eating broccoli?

How many of us pretended to be the bionic woman? Just call me Jamie Summers.
Too bad Lindsay Wagner now slums as a gimmicky bed sales person on late night TV...

[Notbigenuff]

Brent, I think the question is how many of us ate broccoli as a kid? I personally only it now because I know that it is good for me.

These days I even leave the cheese sauce off!

[ottomun6]

You know guys, I hear that you look up as the giant passes over you can see he dosen't wear undies. And if you listen, you can hear it slap his thighs as he walks. They say it sounds like an elephant getting slapped with a whale

Yes, and if you stand in the middle of the valley and hold both arms stright over your head and have a green ball in each hand you have a damn good hold on the giant.