Want to meet the Incredible Hulk? Actor Lou Ferrigno to hold a meet-and-greet in SLO

Actor and two-time Mr. Universe, Lou Ferrigno will do a meet-and-greet in San Luis Obispo this weekend.

Ferrigno will be signing autographs, taking pictures, selling posters and more in his first-ever meet-and-greet event at Captain Nemo Games and Comics from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The actor said he fell in love with comics as a child because of his hearing impairment.

“When I was a child, I had a severe ear infection. I lost 85% of my hearing,” Ferrigno told the Tribune in an interview. “And so to escape the pain, I read comic books.”

Ferrigno fell in love with Superman, whose image he sought to emulate by bodybuilding.

After shooting the documentary “Pumping Iron” alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1975, Ferrigno discovered how comfortable he felt in front of the camera.

He married his love for comics and acting in his role as the Hulk in the TV show “The Incredible Hulk.”

Ferrigno said that whenever he meets fans, it helps him relive his childhood.

“They bring up memories about how the Hulk affected them, a specific episode, how they were motivated by my physicality,” Ferrigno said. “I love hearing stories from the fans.”

Ferrigno said he has lived on the Central Coast off and on for many years, but relocated permanently to Arroyo Grande in 2019.

Ferrigno is also a reserve deputy for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.