Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice spoke to Canadian Metal pioneer John Mikl Thor. Thor spoke about his new documentary Return of the Thunderhawk and new album Hammer of Justice, how Manowar and Motley Crue‘s Vince Neil copied his image and competing with Lou Ferrigno Arnold Schwarzenegger in bodybuilding competitions in the 70’s. Deadline Records will be releasing a CD/DVD combo pack of new music as well as Return of the Thunderhawk on April 26, 2019. The film is currently being booked in major markets across North America including Seattle and Hollywood. In support of the new release, Thor will embark on a massive tour of the United States beginning in March.

Watch the interview here:

When asked about his first documentary I Am Thor and his new documentary Return of the Thunderhawk
“Thunderhawk picks up where ‘I am Thor’ (2015) left off. I Am Thor followed my my life in the rock business, as a youth and moving forward through the years. Through the ups and downs, the obstacles, the triumphs, the losses and the triumphs again. The movie ended off where I didn’t know if I was going to continue to perform anymore. I was kind of thinking of getting out of the business but what happens is I continue. That’s where the cameras follow me on a worldwide tour with return of the Thunder Hawk. Also I pick up a new band younger guys. A lot of strange and crazy things happen to us on that tour so it’s uh you know, one story ends and other one picks up. ”

When asked about the new album’s musical direction and the new documentary DVD
“Return of the Thunder Hawk is coming out on DVD April 26 and it will be a complement to the new album ‘Hammer of Justice’. This is gonna be a package you buy the CD you get a DVD, plus there’s going to be screenings across North America of the documentary and also in Europe and the festivals. The musical direction will be power metal with sing-along choruses like when you’re in the arena and you want everybody to sing with you, like the Vikings would do it back in the day when they were going into battle. The new album musical style will have lots of heavy rifts I think when you hear the songs on Hammer of Justice you’ll say there are incredible powerful metal riffs that will hit you right in the face. ”

When asked if he will continue on performing feats of strength on this tour
“Now I see the strength is in the music. So I don’t need to do feats of strength like bending steel anymore and smashing bricks on my head. But I guarantee you it will be a show you’ll never forget it’s gonna be an amazing show, very theatrical and the strength will be in the music. Everywhere we go the reaction is tremendous. ”

When asked about how he feels about Manowar and their image compared to Thors
“We were ten years ahead of Manowar. There’s a lot of things Manowar implement in their show like the Iron Cross fist, it’s the way you hold your fist up, I did that way back just look at the Thor’s Sleeping Giant music video. I respect Manowar very much and they have a tremendous show but they are far from original. I’m have been doing the whole warrior rock / gladiator concept way back before Manowar came out. I was way ahead of them. Also Vince Neil of Motley Crue took my image on my album Keep the Dogs away and used it on the Motely Crue’s album Shout at the Devil. We were ahead of the time nobody was doing stuff like what we were doing in 1973.”

When asked about competing with Lou Ferrigno Arnold Schwarzenegger and if they got along back in the body building competition days
“Lou Ferrigno and I competed, first in Mr. Teenage American in 1971 and he and I were the top guys and I came runner-up to him because he was pretty amazing and we completed again for Mr. Universe in Switzerland in 1973. It’s interesting that he became the Hulk and I became Thor and Arnold became Conan. Arnold was more of a a standoffish kind of guy, Lou was more more friendly.”

When asked about the licensing of the name Thor and if he owned the name
“I know a lot about copyright, I have trademarks. I own Thor the Rock warrior, the Metal Avenger and actually over the years I’ve developed a common law rights right or the celebrity rights of Thor. I’ve been doing the Thor character since 1973. However as you know the I am Thor movie becoming prominent Marvel and I did have a little bit of a tassel and we ended up where I won the case in court. We have a contract where we coincide with each other and it’s understood they are the Mighty Thor or Thor, part of the Marvel Universe and my Thor is for the Rock Warrior for the Metal Avenger, it’s trademarked and copyrighted and we coincide with each other. ”