'Hulk' brings fun, message to weekend's Minneapolis Comic Con

The Hulk felt powerless as a child. And it made him angry.

Lou Ferrigno, 62, star of the 1970s TV show "The Incredible Hulk," said he was bullied, dealt with rejection, and told he wasn't good enough.

"When I was young, I was fascinated with power," he said. "I got beat up a lot, I was very introverted. That's why I connected with these comic books. And the Hulk, because it was a connection knowing that the power I discovered, through body building and fitness, that led to my path to survive. And I see these young kids today, and it's very similar."

Ferrigno said he would've given anything to meet his own superheroes as a child, and have something like the Minneapolis Comic Con convention to meet the characters who show fearlessness and power.

"I knew it would've been a great thing, because the whole idea is, when you meet these celebrities and you come here, it gives you a lot of hope," he said Thursday in an interview in Minneapolis.

Ferrigno and other stars of films and television are featured this weekend at Minneapolis Comic Con at the city's convention center. It's a pop culture event that revolves around movies, television, celebrities, science fiction and comics. It begins today.

Other stars expected include Nathan Fillion ("Castle," "Firefly"), William Shatner ("Star Trek," "T.J. Hooker"), Matt Smith ("Doctor Who"), Karen Gillan ("Doctor Who," "Guardians of the Galaxy"), Sean Astin ("The Lord of the Rings," "Rudy"), Adam Baldwin ("Serenity," "Full Metal Jacket") Robert Englund ("A Nightmare on Elm Street").

Comic Con encourages people to dress up as their favorite character, and meet graphic artists and celebrities.

"We look for cities that currently don't have the kind of show that we do," said Jerry Milani, spokesman for New York-based Wizard World, which has 16 Comic Con events scheduled for 2014.

Thousands are expected to attend in Minneapolis, including families and children, Milani said.

Ferrigno, who as a child lost much of his hearing ability, makes it a point to talk to his fans about overcoming fear -- fear of rejection, or fear that you can't do something.

"I was told my whole life, you're not good enough, you're not good enough, you can't do this, you can't, can't, can't, can't because of my limitations. I changed those limitations. Because I'm a fighter, I never wanted to take a second seat to anyone," Ferrigno said.

"Growing up, that caused a lot of anger," he added. "Think about a young kid who has difficulty speaking, he's introverted, always ... people making fun of him, calling him names. So dealing with that made me angry. It's like the Hulk."

Meeting his fans recharges him. "I see these fans come up, and I know what it means to them because as a child, I didn't have it," he said. "I get so many different people break down crying from time to time. So it's very touching, it can be very emotional at times."

Ferrigno, who's also a motivational speaker, tells fans if they're happy and positive they can do anything.

He expects to meet many fans in Hulk costumes, get green paint on himself while hugging them, and know that he can inspire them more than just on the big screen.

"Every one of us," he said, "has a little Hulk inside of us."

If you go
Minneapolis Comic Con 2014
When: Today, starting at 3 p.m., through Sunday
Where: Minneapolis Convention Center 1301 2nd Ave. South, Minneapolis