More Japanese wrestling manga

A NICE fella in Japan recently sent me some wrestling manga, which appears to be a reprint of some old manga from the early 80s. There’s a bunch of articles on Antonio Inoki and Riki Choshu, plus two B&W comics.

The first story details an epic encounter between Andre The Giant and Stan “The Lariat Hansen.

The second tale’s about Inoki himself.

I don’t understand a word of it, but the artwork’s pretty nifty.

Not that there's anything wrong with that

CONFIRMING the connection between rasslin’ and homo-eroticism comes Pinned Vol. 1, which I discovered on eBay.

The graphic novel, published by Yaoi Press LLC, is Japanese manga, which is pretty gay at the best of times, I reckon.

Here’s the storyline according to the eBay auction: “Cruiserweight wrestler Synn learns he was only recruited by a top wrestling promotion because the reigning champion Renegade desires him. If the ambitious Synn wants his career to be successful he has to submit to Renegade. Will he give in? Or will he be blacklisted with every wrestling promotion stateside?”

Okaaaaaaay…don’t think I’ll bid for that one, somehow.

FURTHERING the link between sweaty man-on-man action and homosexuality comes Pro Wrestling Is Not Gay. Steev Gillies’ A5 comic zine uses clip art from a lucha libre instruction booklet to explain, definitively, why pro wrestling ISN’T gay. Yeah, right.

He follows that up with Pro Wrestling Was Never Gay, using more clip art (some historical) to show why the grap game has always been a manly, heterosexual pastime and never, ever gay.

It’s funny stuff, so if you wanna check it out, e-mail Steev at steev.gillies@gmail.com or steev@fakecomics.com.

Wrestling with literature: "Black Dossier"

IT'S an obscure reference to be sure, but there's a wrestling scene near the end of The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier - the intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying new graphic novel by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.
Heroes Mina Murray and Allan Quatermain travel to the Blazing World, a strange fourth-dimensional place filled with famous literary characters.
In one two-page spread (sample panel above), the pair - accompanied by the immortal Orlando - see a small muscular man wrestling with a bizarre creature covered in writing.
Allan asks, "I-isn't that Engelbrecht? What's that he's wrestling with?"
Mina replies, "I-I think it's poetry."
Like I said, very literary.......very wanky.........very Alan Moore.
Still, I admire Moore for making James Bond a villainous cunt in Black Dossier.

Japanese wrestling manga

I'VE talked previously about a few of these Japanese wrestling comics from the early-to-mid-80s. However, recently, an eBay dealer has been auctioning off a shitload of 'em. And they look amazing!
They're the typical manga-style, thick B&W digests, between 180-300 pages long, and all about the rasslin'.

Famous stars featured in the comics include Ric Flair, The Road Warriors, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, Mil Mascaras, Andre The Giant, The Funks, Kamala, Abdullah The Butcher, Hulk Hogan, Giant Baba, Antonio Inoki and many more.
I love the art in these manga. I just wish I could justify the expense in buying all of them...but I can't.

However, if you're interested, the bloke's still selling many of these as I write this. Just head to eBay and check out seller Coloradorocket.

Don't tell me there's no lucha libre influence going on here!

IT ALL happens in Batman #669. Anyone care to enlighten me about this dude?

REVIEW: Headlocked: Work Of Art #1

MIKE HARTMANN is a college student who wants to be an actor when he unexpectedly gets hooked on the world of pro wrestling.

Unlike his fellow students, teachers, friends and disapproving mother, Mike sees rasslin’ as another way to express himself as an artist, especially after he attends a WFW supercard with the main event of Madman Mohammed Farouk vs world champ “Golden” Brian Boulder. The drama, spectacle, athletic action and compelling storyline affects him like smack to a junkie.

He studies the pseudo-sport closely and eventually determines he wants to train to be a wrestler.

With little understanding of what to do but obsessed with pursuing his unlikely dream, Mike the “mark” follows a WSW wrestler called Killer Creegan after a show. After an initial awkward introduction, Creegan warms to Mike and decides to smarten him to the business. Mike takes the advice on board – particularly the need to bulk up and train.

The first issue ends with Mike boarding a bus to Philadelphia to attend a wrestling school.

I’d have to say this is an intriguing debut issue. The 48-page comic is entertainingly written by Michael Kingston – a guy who clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the wrestling biz – and nicely drawn by Randy Valiente.
Headlocked features strong characters and, best of all, a non-condescending and realistic view of the world of rasslin’.

Wrestling fans really need to check this one out.

Headlocked: Work Of Art #1 is published by Visionary Comics (www.visionarycomics.com) and Markosia Enterprises (www.markosia.org.uk) and goes on sale October 19.

I saw this on eBay recently…

MARVEL published a four-issue miniseries (Dec. 1992-Mar. 1993) starring the far-less-entertaining Death’s Head II (as opposed to the far-more-funny-and-entertaining Death’s Head I).
It was titled Battle Tide and also starred some Rob Liefeld rip-off called Killpower and Wolverine (who was starring in just about every comic back in the early 90s).
Battle Tide looks like the typical ultra-violent, overblown, badly drawn, all-action, no-plot comic that companies such as Marvel and Image were putting out during this intellectually and artistically barren period.
Thanks a lot, Liefeld & co., you untalented fucks.
Anyhoo, the only reason why I’m listing these shitty comics here is due to the coverline: “TAG TEAM WRESTLING - INTERGALACTIC STYLE!”
Now, I’m not sure whether there’s any ACTUAL wrestling in Battle Tide.
And I don’t plan to waste my life trying to find out.
But for the sake of completeness, I’m listing the damn thing.