Bowen Designs - The Incredible Hulk statue - sculpted by the Shiflett brothers

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The Incredible Hulk statue by Bowen Designs - The StatueForum Review
- Sculpted by Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett.
- Dimensions: 11.5" H x 12" W x 11" D
- Limited to 3000. Release date – January 2002.

Bowen Designs presents its first of what would soon become a series of different interpretations of Marvel’s beloved green skinned behemoth, the Incredible Hulk.

The Hulk’s first appearance in comics dates back to issue #1 of the Incredible Hulk published in May 1962, written by Stan Lee and co-plotted by the late Jack “The King” Kirby. While the Hulk has changed and evolved greatly over the years, no interpretation has been more treasured than the green skinned version featured here today.




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The Incredible Hulk statue by Bowen Designs - The StatueForum Review

Sculpture: Brandon and Jarrod Shiflett sculpted, in my humble opinion, perhaps the most monstrous version of the Hulk ever produced by any statue company. The Hulk is meant to incite a primal fear, a debilitating dread, a desperate panic, and immediate repulsion. This is a frightening looking piece. Stan Lee once disclosed that the Hulk was originally inspired by the Frankenstein monster and the horrific Mr. Hyde. He was meant to personify everyone’s monstrous nightmare come to life. In that regard, the Shiflett brothers succeeded in reaching that horrifying objective. This is the rampaging Hulk.

The sheer weight of the Hulk’s gargantuan physique pulsates through the art form. You can feel the Hulk’s step crushing the concrete into rubble beneath his bare feet.

When this piece was first released, it took the hobby community by storm. No one had seen anything like it. It immediately center staged everyone’s display of Marvel product. Everyone seemed to want one. In fact, it was among the first of Bowen Designs' new line of Marvel statues to sell at double retail in the secondary market place. Alas, that was then, and this is now. When compared to later productions of the Hulk, people began to forget all about this piece as it became the first of many Bowen Designs pieces to fail to stand the test of time. Still, for a while, this was arguably and deservedly one of the hottest statues in the market.

This was also released as a grey variant.

Rating – 7/10
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Paint/Mixed media: As the art of sculpting and painting has evolved so much over the years, it’s become a challenge to fairly rate older statues. Approximately 10-15 years ago, this was considered top notch. Nowadays, not so much, which is why we see so many of the older Bowen statues selling for far less than they once did. The simplicity and thick, bold brush strokes worked well at one time. Fans have now come to expect much more for their hard earned money. If this piece were to be offered today, I imagine the reaction would likely be harsh.

Rating 6/10
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Production and Build quality: This is perhaps one area where older statues may be superior to newer ones, in that companies at the time didn’t skimp as much on size and weight. This is a very solid piece. There’s no tilting or imbalance to it. It’s basically two pieces which fit very well together. It doesn't need anything else.

Rating 8/10
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Design: This is a definitive rampaging Hulk. While I can’t really point to any one comic artist the Shifletts’ may have used as a primary source for inspiration, I actually think that this is what makes this piece so unique. Someone once said that the Shiflett brothers are to sculpting what Frank Frazetta is to painting. Given their history of producing extraordinary, pulse pounding, and visionary pieces, I would be inclined to agree. These boys are exceptional at their craft. One could only imagine the kind of Hulk they would produce now, nearly a decade and a half following the release of this piece.

Rating: 7/10

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Overall rating - 7/10

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[COI]

Great review, and a true blast from the past.

I remember how hot this piece was back then; I used to own the grey. I haven't seen it for a long time, and looking at it now, it's incredible to see how far this hobby has come. I think some of the collectors who started with Sideshow from the jump aren't able to appreciate just how incredible the stuff we have today is, when compared to the early days of statue collecting. We're spoiled with options and incredible pieces now.

Thanks for unearthing this one. My Bowens are long gone.

[Bmutha]

Nice review, and even better pics!

[JP Sarri]

Great review from a true blast from the past. I definitely agree; this piece has not survived well the passing of time. But regardless of that, it has become an icon of Bowen craftsmanship and a classic among collectors. Thanks for sharing and for resurrecting a beautiful piece! Keep the classic reviews coming. :)

[JP Sarri]

Great review, and a true blast from the past.

I remember how hot this piece was back then; I used to own the grey. I haven't seen it for a long time, and looking at it now, it's incredible to see how far this hobby has come. I think some of the collectors who started with Sideshow from the jump aren't able to appreciate just how incredible the stuff we have today is, when compared to the early days of statue collecting. We're spoiled with options and incredible pieces now.

Thanks for unearthing this one. My Bowens are long gone.

I totally agree, COI. Many young collectors have no idea of the past of our hobby and how far we have come. Unearthing old jewels like this is a walk back on memory lane (great times no doubt), but also a reminder of what truly means to be a collector of this rare items and a true comic geek. Those were some of the best days of my life. :)

[StatueHunter75]

I don't have this Bowen Hulk in my collection so I never really realized until now seeing the pictures of this review that the original Sideshow Hulk PF is the exact same pose as this statue. Very Interesting I believe this Bowen one came out first (2002) and the Sideshow one was 2005 so why did Sideshow copy the exact pose? Hmmmmm. Great review by the way.

[Bmutha]

I don't have this Bowen Hulk in my collection so I never really realized until now seeing the pictures of this review that the original Sideshow Hulk PF is the exact same pose as this statue. Very Interesting I believe this Bowen one came out first (2002) and the Sideshow one was 2005 so why did Sideshow copy the exact pose? Hmmmmm. Great review by the way.

Hmmm...good point. Maybe it was a "anything you can do, I can do better" type of thing?

[risingstar]

Hmmm...good point. Maybe it was a "anything you can do, I can do better" type of thing?



Assuming y'all are right for a moment, I think it's safe to say who won that particular argument... However, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, this Hulk statue was a very popular piece at the time. It sold out everywhere quite quickly. However, the lightning quick pace of progress of this hobby appears to have inadvertently set limits on how long some pieces will either retain their value or maintain their aesthetic appeal.