NEW Wrestling Comic Kickstarter! History of Pro Wrestling: Volumes 1-4 Slipcase

Squared Circle Comics has launched a new Kickstarter campaign collecting many of their Pro Wrestling Comics! I'm a backer on this project and I have backed several of their previous comics, including the Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling, reviewed here

Click the link below to find out more!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/squaredcircle/illustrated-history-of-pro-wrestling?


There are also some add on incentives including a limited bookplate for day one backers and original artwork.  Stay tuned for more!

-Mav

*All images copyright and trademark their original owners

Review: Jim Cornette's Behind The Curtain

Howdy friends,

I'll admit, I could listen to Jim Cornette tell old wrestling stories all day, and sometimes lately I do just that, but they say reading is fundamental so having a chance to have Cornette tell these stories in another medium is a fun change of pace.  And love him or hate him, you have to admit, no one probably knows more about the history of the wrestling business than James E, he's also a comic book fan and collector so I imagine this project was a true labor of love for him.

Behind the Curtain is a fascinating graphic novel that well, peels back the curtain on several of professional wrestling's most legendary stories.  Some of these tales have been told many times, "The Montreal Screwjob" and the Andy Kaufman/Jerry Lawler feud may not be new to longtime wrestling fans, but seeing them in comic book form is still fun.  In some cases, like the story of the plane crash that broke Ric Flair's back, Corney & Co. includes details you've probably never heard before and makes the story so much more interesting.

This graphic novel started out as a Kickstarter campaign, and it was funded in 24 hours, since then the book has sold out of it's hardcover and first prints! Hopefully that means there is consideration for a second book.

The creative team of writer Brandon Easton and artist Denis Medri did a great job of creating the larger than life world of Pro Wrestling, making the characters stand out in their own unique way.  The duo were also the creative team on the officially licensed "Andre The Giant: Closer to heaven" graphic novel (review on that coming soon).

Seasoned throughout the book are newspaper clippings, no doubt from Cornette's unbelievable personal collection, adding validity to each story. Also included are some fun touches like "Dream  Supercards", illustrated pinups and a glossary of pro wrestling terms that make this a fun treat for any fan of the history of pro wrestling.

Jim Cornette Presents: Behind The Curtain
IDW Publishing
Stories by Jim Cornette
Written by Brandon Easton
Illustrated by Denis Medri
80 pages $14.99 cover price

Comic is currently available on Comixology and on Amazon.

Review: The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling

Howdy friends, A brand new Kickstarter campaign is underway for a comic book that I'm very anxious to get a hold of, The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling! I'm pretty excited about this book, so I've decided to do a series of posts, following the path of the Kickstarter and ending with an extensive review of the book, once it's fully funded and delivered into my hot little hands.

The book, from the Squared Circle Comics imprint of Inverse Press is a collection of entries using information they gathered from interviews that writer and pro wrestling historian John Crowther did with the actual wrestlers, all of whom were featured in different comics from Squared Circle.  So far the information they've released as a part of the campaign looks great and I love what I see.  This should be a fun book for fans, especially fans of old school pro wrestling.

I first discovered Squared Circle when I came across their Nikolai Volkoff issues one and two, those comics inspired the idea for the "Rasslin' with Comics" reviews. You can check those out here

Stretch goals for the book include up to 20 more pages of entries, with the possibility of entries on Hulk Hogan, Miss Elizabeth and more.  If you're unfamiliar, Stretch goals are incentives and additions to the book for going above and beyond the needed funds for publishing a book. 

Here is some official text from the Kickstarter page.  You should definitely head there to see sample pages, art work and incentives for the project.  Click the link to see the page.

Pro Wrestling Encyclopedia on Kickstarter

The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling is a soft-cover, perfect-bound, full-color book in standard comic book dimensions (6.625" x 10.25"). While the base version is 280 pages, there are opportunities to expand the page count up to 300 with Stretch Goals and certain rewards.

 Volume 1 of The Comic Book Encyclopedia of Pro Wrestling includes full-length comic stories (20-32 pages each) from:

Bruno Sammartino

Nikolai Volkoff

The Genius Lanny Poffo

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

B. Brian Blair of The Killer Bees

Jumpin' Jim Brunzell of The Killer Bees

Ricky Morton of The Rock 'n' Roll Express

Bobby Fulton of The Fantastics

Sunny the California Girl from G.L.O.W.

Jake Hager (a.k.a. Jack Swagger)