DECK THE HALLS WITH SANTA'S EVIL BROTHER!!!

Hey folks! Welcome to another exciting edition of "Bad Wrestling Theater". Today's gem comes from the wacky world of the mid 90's WWF. A world ripe with wrestling clowns, plumbers and dudes with yellow jockstraps over their heads (don't ask).

It was the December '95 In Your House pay per view, and longtime heel Ted Dibiase was in the ring bashing Santa Clause, prompting perennial midcarder Savio Vego to come defend jolly old St. Nick's honor. Just as things started to clear up, Vega was attacked by none other than Santa Clause, who had apparently sold out to the Million Dollar Man. Of course, it wasn't actually Santa Clause, but his evil brother, Xanta Klause, who came from the South Pole and stole presents rather than give them.

Yeah, it was pretty bad, but it did result in great Ted Dibiase promo that went "When it comes to the Million Dollar Man, everybody has a price! Even dear, old Santa Clause! HA HA HA HA HA!" What can I say? Only the Million Dollar Man can say that and make it work.


What's that you say? You don't remember any of this ever happening? Well, there's a pretty good reason most longtime fans forgot about this angle. It only lasted a few weeks, if even that! You see, somebody at the Titan Towers must have remembered that Christmas only comes once a year, so it was pointless to push the character past December. That and the gimmick wasn't really getting over anyway. The man behind Xanta, on the hand, had a bit more luck than the character. He would travel to Philadelphia, surfacing in ECW as Balls Mahoney, having good runs in both the original and the reincarnated versions of ECW. Most recently, he appeared at the failed Hardcore Justice pay per view that TNA put on.

And in case you're curious as to who Ted Dibiase selected to be his new Million Dollar Champion, it was former WCW star "Stunning" Steve Austin. Of course now, he was known as the "Ringmaster" and no, he didn't wear a top hat and coattails, which is a bit surprising given the state of the World Wrestling Federation at the time. No, his gimmick was that he was really good, which fans questioned, especially when compared to fellow wrtestlers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Needless to say, the "Ringmaster" didn't work, so Austin was more or less left to his own device and thus "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the foul-mouthed redneck antihero, was born. Not long after, the first chapter of Austin 3:16 was written when Austin won the '96 King of the Ring, launching the infamous "Attitude" era of pro wrestling.

And since it's Christmas and I haven't been posting as often as I'd like, I present a special treat for everybody. I give you the Charlie Brown Christmas special, the way it was meant to be seen.


You know? I think they're on to something here. Anybody for a Grinch/Metallica mash-up?

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully, I'll get another post in before Christmas, but if I don't, I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a safe Holiday Season. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

FINALLY, SOME CHRISTMAS COMICS!!!

For those of you who have ever wondered why Mike and Mindy don't talk, here's why: they have terrible singing voices.

Anyway, short update for today. I know that I promised to talk about the Divas show this week, but I just don't have any time right now. But I promise I'll get to it soon. Too many surreal things happened on this call not to cover it.

Anyway, enough talking. Let's get to the comics...


Hope this was helpful to you.

For those of who have never been to Tijuana before, or simply don't know, that's the legendary Zebra Donkey that Santa is partying with. There's no real back story to the Zebra Donkey. It's a Tijuana tradition that's been around for decades, mostly for tourists who like to get their pictures taken with it. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle (cue G.I. Joe theme).

And since it's Christmas time, how about a holiday jingle...


Truth be told, I wasn't much of a fan of Home Alone 2. I mean, I'll watch it if it's on, but the first Home Alone was much better. I do like this song though, especially the great saxophone work of Clarence Clemons. That's the E Street band backing up Darlene Love by the way (sharp-eyed observers may even recognize former Late Night and Tonight Show drummer Max Weinberg). Darlene was just announced as an inductee to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, so congratulations to her.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll be back next time with a Christmas wrestling post. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

GOOD GOD WHAT A TIME!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been unimaginably busy. I was put on the call for the VH1 Divas Live show that was shot at MCAS Miramar, which took eight days to put together, two days to rehearse and shoot, and three days to load out. You would not believe how beat up I am right now. I even lost ten pounds! As a result, I haven't had time for anything lately. I even had to cancel an SCCS appearance at the San Diego Blood drive that the Chargers do every year. So rather than post a couple of rushed, shabbily-drawn cartoons (as opposed to the shabbily-drawn cartoons that I take my time on), today I'm just gonna post a holiday treat so all the readers out there know that I'm still alive, just busy. And what better way to kick off the holidays than by spending a little quality time with the McKenzie Brothers, Bob and Doug.


You know? I don't drink, but a beer does sound pretty good right about now.

Anyway, I hate ending my post on a sad note, but I have to make mention of two recent losses: Irving Kershner and Leslie Nielsen. Kershner directed The Empire Strikes Back, which is not only the best of the Star Wars movies, but one of the best movies period. It works on pretty much all levels and had some of best visual effects ever. I learned a lot about lighting for film by watching the scene in the carbon freeze chamber. He was a good director (Robocop 2 aside) and he will be missed. Anybody who has read my comics has probably figured out that the films of Jim Abrahams and the Jerry and David Zucker were a huge influence on me growing up. As funny as those guys are, a big part of the reason those films worked was because of the actors they cast in them, and there was none better than Leslie Nielsen. His deadpan delivery would always have me in stitches and the scene at the opening of The Naked Gun where he beats up all the terrorists is still the funniest part of the movie, and that's hard to say, because so many scenes in that movie are outrageously funny. I'll really miss Leslie Nielsen, but I take comfort in the fact that he leaves a great list of films to look back on and that he kind of closed the circle, doing an Airplane! reprisal at the end of Scary Movie 3. Goodbye Leslie. This world was a much better place for your having been here.

Well, that's it for this week. I'll be back next time with some new cartoons, another holiday video, and a bunch of pictures and tidbits from the Vh1 Divas show. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL

Well, it's that time a year again. Time to watch some football, stuff ourselves silly, and get down with some Wrestlecrap. 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of wrestlecrap.com, one of my all time favorite websites. Founded in 2000 by RD Reynolds, it has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most popular sites on the web, spawning a radio show and no less than three books! It truly is one of the funniest things ever created, and I happily bow to RD as the true master of wrestling knowledge.

Some of you probably recognize the Shockmaster and Doink the Clown from previous posts, but the other three, from left to right, are the Shark (yes, those are teeth painted on his beard), voodoo master Papa Shongo, and the ultimate ripoff, the Renegade. I was a little on the fence about including Shark and the Renegade, since John Tenta and Rick Wilson have since passed away, but it's the characters I'm poking fun at, not the men behind them. John Tenta had a great sense of humor about his wrestlecrap past, even writing the forward to the first book! I kept things in perspective, and hopefully everybody will see that.

Anyway, I promised that if everybody was good, I'd give a Thanksgiving treat to everyone. Well, I don't know for sure if y'all were good, but I'm willing to take everbody's word for it. So here ya go, some more hijinx with the Gobbeldy Gooker!


Poor Fred Ottman. That guy could never really catch a break. The Shockmaster wasn't his first bad gimmick, but it certainly was his worst. So here, for the time ever in the same place, The Gobbeldy Gooker and the Shockmaster; wrestling's worst gimmicks!

And since it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a visit from Luke and Butch, here's the Bushwackers!


It seems that dressing like giant birds runs in the Guerrero family. Anybody who's been watching Smackdown lately may have seen Jack Swagger's eagle mascot walking with him. Well, that's none other than Chavo Guerrero, Jr. hiding under the feathers. Well, at least his face is hidden.

Anyway that's all for now. I won't be posting again until December, so I want to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving and good luck braving the crowds on "Black Friday"! Take care and I'll see y'all next mont. Later!

WATCH OUT!!! IT"S GONNA BLOW!!!

Hey folks, I'm back and ready for some crappy wrestling! I've often been accused of being unfair towards WCW since all of my wrestling posts have by and large been aimed at them. While it's true, I was a much more of a fan of the WWF than WCW, that doesn't mean that I think every move that Vince McMahon has ever made has been a good one. In fact, some of the worst gimmicks ever have come out of the WWF, including today's entry, often considered the Queen Mother of bad wrestling gimmicks (I still call the Shockmaster the worst).

Let's set the wayback machine to Thanksgiving night, 1990. It's a chilly night in Hartford, CT and the WWF is putting on its annual Survivor Series pay per view. For months on end, the WWF had carted around a giant egg to all their TV tapings, claiming that the only way to see what was inside was to order the show. Exactly why this egg was so important was never explained, but people were certainly interested. Given that the WWF had a good track record of delivering surprises, most fans probably assumed it was a new wrestler (and they were half right, but more on that later).

So the show went on, with fans itching to know what was inside. Finally, "Mean" Gene Okerland was dispatched to ringside, or eggside on this occasion, for the hatching. Gene teased fans as to what could be inside, suggesting a dinosaur, balloons or even the Playmate of the Month! Much to the chagrin of the fans, it was none of the above, although had this happened during the "Attitude" era (1997-2002), a Playboy Playmate probably would have hatched out of that egg. Nope, instead, this happened...



I think the video above is all the evidence you need to know that this whole thing went over about as well as a fart in church. I mean, look at that thing; it looks like a muppet on crack! It's hard to explain the motives behind the Gobbledy Gooker, but if I had to guess, the WWF probably thought that having a mascot might be a good way to appeal to a younger audience. They already had a lot of success marketing to children through toylines, clothing, video games, even an ice cream bar! A man in a turkey costume seemed like the next logical step. Either that or Vince McMahon had decided that conquering most of the known wrestling world at that time wasn't good enough, so it time to take on Sesame Street! Sadly the gimmick failed, thus robbing us of a Gooker/Big Bird match at Wrestlemania.

With the Gobbledy Gooker being a huge failure, the WWF dumped the character, refusing to even acknowledge its existence for many years. However, some vignettes, like the one below, were taped with the Gooker before hand, but it's unknown if they ever actually aired.



In the spring of 2001, fans were shocked to see that the Gooker was included in the Wrestlemania 17 Gimmick Battle Royal. The real shock, however, came in the positive reaction the crowd gave him. Wrestling is kind of funny like that. Crap that we hated twenty years ago can sometimes be remembered fondly as a nostalgic sign of its time. And in case you're curious, that's Hector Guerrero, the older brother of the late, great Eddie Guerrero, who donned the feathers and whiffle balls that fateful night.

And as for the fans being half right about a new wrestler being the big surprise. Later on in the evening, former WCW jobber "Mean" Mark Calloway carried an urn for the first time, making his debut as the Undertaker, one of the most successful gimmicks of all time. See that? The show wasn't a total loss.

Well, that's all for today. I hope y'all enjoyed this latest wrestling entry. I don't know if I'll post again this month, but if everybody behaves themselves, I might post a Thanksgiving treat for everybody. Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK IS HERE!!!

Hey folks, I'm back and ready to entertain. Hopefully, everybody had a safe and fun Halloween this year. Judging by the increased traffic my blog had last week, I'm guessing some girls discovered my mentioning that I had to work the Justin Beiber concert last week. I'm going to go ahead and burst everybody's bubble right now. Yes, I worked it. No, I didn't meet him. I did see him however, and man is that kid short! I mean, he couldn't have been no more 4'5" at best. I had a hard time believing he was a teenager (When I was 16, I was already 6' even.). Is it any wonder some twelve year old beat his ass a few weeks back! His road crew were real nice guys. They didn't think too highly of him though.

It was a busy but fun weekend, the highlight of which was catching up with Matt Lorentz. He's busy distributing the Aftercon pieces that sold while returning the ones that didn't sell. We only had a few minutes to talk, but it was great to see him again. He gave me some great tips for coloring with Prisma Color Markers. So maybe now, my comics will have a more professional look to them. Now if only I had asked him for some tips on coloring within the lines! If you're reading this Matt, you're a cool dude and I look forward to working with you again in the future, and thanks again for the coloring tips!

Anyway, enough of the sentimental crap. Enjoy the comics!



I do hope this month's comics were enjoyable. Bad and Worse is a new feature I'm introducing this week, and I'm hoping it catches on. This won't be a monthly comic, but I do plan on doing more of them should you fine readers like it.

Well, that's it for today. I'll be back next time with a real "turkey" of a wrestling post. I think you folks will really "gobble" it up! It's going to be "egg-ceptional"! (Man, I really suck at this coming up with puns thing!) Until next time, y'all take care now. Later!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Hey folks! Just a quick little update today. I have a very busy weekend ahead working both a concert and the load out for Beauty and the Beast. I'm not looking forward to the concert, since the performer in question is Justin Beiber. I really don't see what all the fuss is. Beyond the fact that he's pretty average looking, he also has zero talent. His singing voice is one of the worst I have ever heard, and I still hold a grudge over his butchering the opening line of the We Are The World remake. With that said, money is money, and I still need to earn a living.

Anyway, enough ranting, enjoy the video.


This cover has actually been around for a few years now, but it's still really weird to see a Disney/Marilyn Manson team up. I suppose weirder things have happened. Perhaps in the future, we'll see Rob Zombie do a cover of Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da! A lot of credit goes out to composer Danny Elfman. He had long thought that a Manson cover of This is Halloween would work and, luckily, Disney chief Bob Iger agreed.

Well, that just about does it. I'll be back next time with some new comics, and maybe even a couple of pics. Have a safe and awesome Halloween and try not to party too hard. We all got school or work the next day! Well, I don't, but I sure somebody does.

Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

WE'RE TALKING GHOSTBUSTERS, RAY STEVENS, CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER, MASS HYSTERIA!!!

Hey folks, sorry about missing last week. It's been crazy busy for me lately. Between a pick up in my work schedule and continued work on my book, I just haven't had much free time lately (In the last two weeks alone I've worked three conventions, done a full lighting restore and worked both the Carrie Underwood and Shakira concerts!). I haven't even had time to just plain hang out! Hopefully, things will settle down a little next week, so I can decorate my house and carve my pumpkins for Halloween. To make up for lost time, I'm doing a double post this week, so try to enjoy the videos.


Ah, it just wouldn't be Halloween without the Ghostbusters. Hands down one of the greatest movies ever made, I've always loved this film. An interesting tidbit about this video is that one of the celebrity cameos, John Candy, was supposed to play Luis in the film. Unfortunately, he was contracted to do Splash for Disney, and wasn't able to commit. Funny thing is, as much as I admired John Candy, I really can't imagine anybody but Rick Moranis playing Luis now. In the end, I think it worked out for everbody.

It's also interesting to note that Huey Lewis and the News were offered the Ghostbusters theme but turned it down, thinking the movie wouldn't be successful (Smooth Move Einstein!). He eventually sued, claiming that Ray Parker, Jr. used the music from Lewis' song I Wanna New Drug. The whole mess was eventually settled out of court and Lewis went on to do the music for Back to the Future. Quite frankly, it's hard to say who really won this battle. Both movies were wildly popular and are still loved to this day. Lewis had a far more successful career, but Parker's Ghostbusters theme was far more popular than the Lewis' Back to the Future songs, Power of Love and Back in Time. I happened to like all the songs.

And now it's time for round two...


I don't have much info on the story behind this video, other than my brother Dante and me used to laugh our asses off at this thing when we were little. I have to admit, this video has a slightly different feeling for me this year, having lost my cousin a few months back. But laughter has always been the best medicine for me, and this video is tasteful, or as tasteful as a funeral gone awry can be I guess. Ray Stevens was "Weird" Al before there even was a Weird Al. I've always been a big fan of his, and I hope to post more of his videos in the future.

Well, that just about does it. I hope to be back next time with another Halloween themed post to set the mood for All Hallows Eve. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

THE HORROR!!! THE HORROR!!!

Since it's October, and since so many of you seem to really enjoy my wrestling posts, especially my old pal Eddy, here's another gem from wrestling's past!

In 1991, nothing was going right for WCW. They fired Ric Flair, lost their championship belt (long story), and their new world champ, Lex Luger, wanted out of the business. With Halloween Havoc rapidly approaching, things needed to improve. Halloween Havoc was always a mixed bag for WCW. Some years it was fairly decent, while other years it was downright terrible. The 1991 show fell into the later category. With everything having hit rock bottom, WCW threw their remaining draws into a cage, tossed in an electric chair, and dubbed the main event "The Chamber of Horrors"!

Yes, you read that right, an electric chair, or, as WCW dubbed it, the "Chair of Torture!" You see, Turner brass felt that an electric chair might sound scary or offensive, despite this being a Halloween-themed show. Funny, they never saw any offense in naming wrestlers after Nazi codes or dressing a pair of wrestlers up as slaves, but they sure saw an electric chair as being a potential lawsuit.

Anyway, I'll spare you a match description here. The whole thing sucked, despite having Sting, the Steiner Brothers, Scott Hall (as the Diamond Stud), Cactus Jack, Big Van Vader, Abdulah the Butcher and, just for laughs, El Gigante (who sadly passed away recently). The whole point was to strap your opponent into the chair and flick the switch, which hilariously fell into the "ON" position a few times during the match (Check the 1:55 part of the video; you can see a ref put it back!).

(Editor's Note: The original video of this match has long since been deleted by YouTube after WWE got mad.  Sorry CRAZIES)

Anyway, that was pretty much it. The only real highlight of the show was the shocking revelation of Ravishing Rick Rude as the WCW Halloween Phantom. His debut was about the only positive thing to happen to WCW that year.

There was also Eric Bischoff in his vampire costume, thus earning him the permanent nickname of...  Well, a name that's not very PC by today's standards, but longtime wrestling fans remember it well. (For pictures, check out wrestlecrap.com!)

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS AND A DEAD MAN'S PARTY! WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE?!

Alright! October is finally here! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays of the year, so this month every post will include a Halloween themed video. I can't guarantee a weekly onslaught here, as my work schedule is about to pick up, but I do have some great videos planned for when I do post, including another hilarious moment from wrestling's past. So sit back and enjoy one of the greatest songs ever made from one of music's all time greatest bands, Oingo Boingo!


Seriously people? Is there any better way to kick off October than with a Dead Man's Party?

There aren't a whole lot interesting tidbits behind the song, other than it made its debut in the film Back to School, a hilarious romp starring the late great Rodney Dangerfield (It's sad to think that there is now a whole generation of kids out there who don't know about this movie or who Rodney was!). All I know is, if somebody could have gotten Oingo Boingo to play at one of the dorm parties at San Diego State, I might have enjoyed my time there a lot more.

Anyway, enough yapping, enjoy the comics!

There's a lesson to be learned here: be careful who you moon!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a funny wrestling post that is truly horrifying!
Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE!!!

First off, sorry about the lack of updates lately. Work has actually been pretty light this month. As a result, I've been taking some time to work on my book as well as some other things that have needed attention, like sorting through all of my Comic Con Swag! (Yes, it takes that long to go through everything.) Although I do plan on posting weekly throughout October, I can't make any promises as my work schedule is definitely going to pick up during the next two months. Hopefully, everything will work out somehow.

Anyway, to make up for the last two weeks, I present to you my all-time favorite skit from Mr. Show with Bob and David: DRUGGACHUSSETTES! I'll go ahead and give everybody a fair warning: THIS CLIP IS NOT FOR KIDS! It actually isn't too terrible, no cussing or nudity or anything like that. But there is a lot of drug humor, so consider yourselves warned. In case you're curious, they are making fun of Sid and Marty Kroft's H.R. Puff 'n' Stuff and Lidsville, a pair of terrible shows from the 70's that were supposed to be for kids, but often had more of a following with college crowds. The Kroft brothers had a whole slew of shows throughout the decade, each more trippy than the last. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be high, just check some of these shows out on youtube, and you'll get a pretty good idea why you shouldn't do drugs (or you can just watch TNA every Thursday, both are pretty good examples).


For those of you who don't know, that's Tom Kenny stripping down to his tighty whities there as Prof. Ellis D. Trails. You may not know his name, but you've definitely heard his voice. He has voiced hundreds of cartoon characters, most notably Spongebob Squarepants.

Anyway, I'll be back next time with some new comics and a Halloween video to kick off October. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

OH MY GOD!!! IT'S A HORNY MUMMY!!!

Hey folks! I'm posting a bit earlier than usually this week 'cause I need some time to work on my book. My style has evolved considerably since I first started. So much so that I now have to re-draw a bunch of stuff! Eh, if it needs to be done, than it needs to be done.

Anyway, I promised some truly terrible wrestling today, and I'd hate to keep you waiting. I have long contended that the Shockmaster is the worst gimmick ever done. A good argument can be made for the Gobbledy Gooker, but I'll take the shockmaster for the simple fact that he was meant to be main eventer. Do I think there were gimmicks that were even worse? Believe it or not, yes! If anything could top the Shockmaster, it'd be the Yeti. Who was the Yeti you ask? Let's go back a bit to find out.

The Dungeon of Doom was a magnet for crappy wrestlers. Created by longtime heel Kevin Sullivan as a means of destroying Hulk Hogan, the Dungeon was more a less group of goofy gimmicks that consisted of giants, fishmen, cannibals and even a leprechaun! Despite assembling such a motley unit, the Dungeon was never able to rid WCW of Hulkamania, much to the fans dismay. At Halloween Havoc 95, Sullivan decided to up the ante by introducing the Yeti (or Yet-ay, as Tony Schiavoni continually referred to him by).

A huge block of ice was wheeled out to the entance ramp as Hogan began to battle WCW champion the Giant (now known as the Big Show). As the match came to a close, a big melee ensued, at which point the Yeti broke loose, and turned out to be, well... a mummy. I guess the Turner brass didn't know much about their mythological creatures. To say it looked ridiculous would be an understatement, but things got worse when the Yeti hopped into the ring and proceeded to get freaky with Hulkamania!


Mere words are not enough to describe just how horrible this thing was. I don't know about you, but a mummy trying to violate Hulk Hogan is not my idea of good family entertainment! The Yeti didn't last too long and eventually resurfaced as Reese, a member of Raven's flock. The Dungeon of Doom, meanwhile, went the way of most mid-90s WCW gimmicks and disappeared after the nWo showed up.

Well, that's all for now folks. I'll catch y'all later!

YAY!!! IT'S COMICS WEEK!!!

Hey folks, sorry about the delay. I had a busy week, working the Melissa Ethridge concert, as well as helping my good friend Tyrell Bodner out with his latest short film. It was an interesting shoot at a flower shop that gave me a chance to do some lighting for film, which I haven't done in almost two years! It also gave me a chance to reconnect with my old pals from San Diego State: Becky, Charlie and Isaac. It was a lot of fun and I now have a much greater appreciation for flower arrangement.

Anyway, for weeks now, I've promised to cover the Aftercon Art Show (pictured above) that I was a part of, so here goes. The Aftercon was a great event. It was a little nerve racking for me at first, being the least-known artist there. But everybody was very kind and gracious to me. Matt Lorentz, Mark Richmond and Wordell Brown, who organized the whole thing, are great dudes and were very encouraging (I had actually helped them set up the gallery the weekend before the show). Jason Reyes and Dave and Doreen Dotson were also very kind people, Doreen in particular. It must have been pretty obvious that I looked like a fish out of water, because Doreen kept me company pretty much the entire time I was there. She was very kind and sweet and even asked me to contribute to her sketchbook! (A hastily drawn Wonder Woman sketch in case you're curious) She made me feel a lot more welcome and encouraged me to join the Southern California Cartoonists Society (SCCS), which I did! I can't go any further without mentioning a couple of Aftercon attendees, Pete and Melissa. This kind couple went to check out the show, and thought highly enough of my work to ask me to draw their portrait in my style. I was very flattered and honored to be asked to do this by a couple of fans, and so it shall always be known that Pete and Melissa were the first people to ever ask me for a sketch and autograph. It was a great experience and I can't wait until next year's show.

If you're wondering why I didn't put more pictures of the Aftercon up, it's simply because I don't know what I can and cannot post in terms of other people's artwork. While it's easy to assume that everybody would be cool with it, I don't know for sure, so rather than risk getting a slew of threatening phone calls from people, I'd rather just let it be. If you want to see some of the other pieces, check out www.sheldorftribute.com or www.aftercon.blogspot.com. You can also check out my August posts to see my pieces again (Always a plus!).

Anyway, I think I've bored you enough for today. Enjoy the comics!


This piece was actually supposed to be in the book I'm working on right now, but since it's taking longer than expected, I felt I should post it while it's still somewhat relevant. The panels are pretty self-explanatory, except for the first one. You see, I started out at Southwestern Community college. One day while walking to class, I came across a dude dressed like a pirate. Given that it was at the Telemedia (Film) Department, it didn't seem all that odd. I figured he was part of somebody's project. That wasn't the case. It turned out he was just some crazy guy who dressed up like a pirate everyday and offered hugs as a way to spread world peace. I can't say he's been all that successful in his quest, but to my knowledge, he's still there!

Well, it's been great, but I got to get going. I got a special request from one of my subscribers to do a really bad wrestling post, one of Shockmaster and Gobbledy Gooker levels. Well, I'm always happy to oblige my fans, and I definitely have a gimmick of epically bad proportions in store for next time.

Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

WELCOME TO OZ!!!

Well, I'm back after a busy couple of weeks setting up a few conventions and trade shows in Downtown San Diego. Although all pale in comparison to Comic Con, the fact is we get some huge shows out here, and some one's got to put them together. I actually have a couple more that I'll be doing over the next three days, hence the reason I'm posting now.

Over the last few weeks, I've been going crazy with wrestling nostalgia. I've picked up some DVDs lately, namely The Best of Monday Night Raw: 1993-1994 and Greatest Superstars of the 1990's. It's funny to see how much Doink the Clown, of all wrestlers, was such a big part of the WWF back then. I'm not saying he was a bad wrestler. In fact, his matches were pretty good. It's a shock, I guess, because a character like that should not have succeeded. I mentioned before that Doink was a bit of a badass. He would do wild things, like hit Crush with a car battery, or throw pies at kids sitting in the front row. He did whatever he wanted to do, and after a while, fans couldn't help but root for him. It was also interesting to note how much they put over Scott Hall, Sean Waltman and Jeff Jarrett on these DVDs. Perhaps an olive branch has been extended?

Of course, not all bad gimmicks are as lucky (Do I really need to bring up the Shockmaster again?). But in the cartoony world of the early-90's WWF, the really goofy gimmicks like Doink, the Repo Man and Papa Shango didn't really seem out of place. In WCW, however, where they prided themselves more on the "sports" side of sports-entertainment, the goofy crap seemed really uncalled for. Given the success that the WWF has having in those days, you couldn't really blame WCW for trying to follow suit. Unfortunately, nobody ever really seemed to put much thought into the gimmicks and angles before throwing them at a paying audience (anybody who sits through a TNA show every week probably knows where I'm getting at here).

I could go on for hours about some of WCW's biggest Flops. Flops like the Dynamic Dudes, skateboarders who didn't skateboard or Van Hammer, a guitar player who couldn't play guitar, although he sure knew how to carry one around. And let's not forget about P.N News, a 300lb. white rapper who, well, just plain sucked. Poor Brad Armstrong was actually one of the most talented wrestlers to ever work for WCW, but for one reason or another he was always saddled with terrible gimmicks. His most infamous was Arachnaman, a Spiderman ripoff that was actually shelved after Marvel comics threatened legal action. His next gimmick? The Candyman, where he came to the ring passing out candy to kids at ringside. You know, I was always taught to never take candy from strangers. And they don't get any stranger than a man in red and white striped tights passing out candy. Of course, all of these pale to the sheer horror that is this little dandy below.

Behold the power of OZ!


For those of you who aren't wrestling fans, that's Kevin Nash. Oz was his first major singles gimmick, right after his run with the Master Blasters (a future post). The little man in the mask calling himself the Wizard is Kevin Sullivan, he himself a purveyor of wrestlecrap. Basically, Ted Turner owned WCW. He had also just purchased the MGM film library. The Turner brass felt that a good way to promote the newly acquired library was to create wrestling gimmicks based on movies, which wasn't new. The Mad Max movies had inspired dozens of wrestlers. This time however, it didn't work very good. The whole thing was just plain weird. In addition to goofy entrance music and the drooping backdrop, there was also the fact that the neon green tights and and silver hair made Nash look ridiculous (when he first showed up in TNA with his now naturally gray hair, I though he was doing Oz again). The contact lenses he wore also didn't help. If anything, it made Nash look like he was on an acid trip, which is how most people who witnessed this thing no doubt felt. Oz didn't last long, and Nash eventually became Vinnie Vegas, a New York thug. When that didn't work, he headed north the WWF, became Diesel, and went on to become a big star. He then returned to WCW as one half of the Outsiders with Scott Hall, thus launching the Monday Night Wars. These days, he works for TNA, probably bracing himself for the eventually bottom falling out. Ted Turner, meanwhile, figured that perhaps creating a new cable channel was a better way to promote his new film library. And thus Turner Classic Movies, or TCM, was born.

Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time for this week. I'll be back next time with some new comics and, I promise this time, a recap of the Aftercon. Y'all take care now, LATER!

IF CHRISTOPHER NOLAN DIRECTED "DUMB AND DUMBER"

Sorry for the short post this week. Work has suddenly crept up on me, so I only have time for a funny video. And this is a great one. Mash-ups are one of my favorite things to look up on youtube, and the best ones are usually comedies or family films made to look scary (see House of 1000 Muppets or A Christmas Gory or Stoogeback Mountain). This time around, we get to see the serious side of Dumb and Dumber. Now if only someone would do a scary mash-up of The Naked Gun!

Anyway, I hope to be back next week so I can finally do a post about the Aftercon. Nobody else who was there seems to be covering it on their site or blogs, and I'd hate to follow along with that.

Enjoy the video, and I'll catch y'all next time.


Damn! I think the guy who did this mash-up might be onto something!

IT'S COMICS WEEK!!! YEAH!!!

Yep, Dr. Roxxo loves him some blog comics!

Anyway, I'm a bit late updating this week. Sorry about that. I've been really busy lately with work and some other things that needed my attention. Still, I'm back now with some new comics as well as all the pieces that I did for the Aftercon. I would have liked to have posted some of the pictures from the Aftercon, but my computer ain't being too cooperative right now. Perhaps next week I'll be able to finally get around to covering this great event. In the meantime, enjoy the cartoons and I'll catch y'all next week. Later!

Although I love this piece, I have to admit, it's not my best coloring job. Lesson to all would-be cartoonists: never do your coloring if it's late and you have poor vision.

This piece is actually quite special. As some of you may remember, my cousin Ivan passed away a couple of months ago. Not long afterward, my niece Camilla, being the great kid that she is, put together a book for our Tia Corina (Ivan's mom) that collected memories from all the relatives about Ivan. He loved comics and cartoons, and loved Comic Con, more than me even. So I felt the best way to pay tribute was in the comic form. Each panel describes a different memory that actually happened, the funniest of which occurred when Ivan convinced me that it'd be a good idea to throw a paint can off the roof of my clubhouse. Needless to say, evidence of this incident still exists on the side of my Tia Lilia's house! Ivan was a real rascal and I still miss him. Party on dude!

This was just the postcard I passed around at Comic Con this year, as well as the Wizard World Anaheim show. It's because of this card that I got into the Aftercon.

This is a piece I did for Phil Yeh as a thank you for inviting me to participate in the Aftercon. Amazingly enough, he remembered me when I gave it to him, even though it had been three months and my hair was about seven inches shorter! Phil's a great guy and his Winged Tiger comics are must reads for anybody who wants to be a cartoonist or writer.

This was one of my Aftercon pieces. Sadly, it wasn't shown for one reason or another. So now, I present it to you, the fans of the stuff in hopes that maybe somebody will appreciate it.

This was a piece that I had submitted for the Comic Con Souvenir Book. Sadly it didn't get in. I had a feeling it wouldn't so sent it into the Aftercon as well. Luckily, Matt Lorentz and Mark Richmond aren't as picky.

My "Peanuts/D.C." piece. This was the one I was most proud of. A lot of people seemed to like it, but alas, it never sold. Oh well.

We have come to the end. This was the piece that actually sold. Granted, it was to my Uncle Victor, but he wasn't the first bidder! It looks like I might actually have some fans out there!

Take care folks!

WOW!!! WHAT A WEEK!!!

Well folks, another Comic Con has come and gone, and boy was it insane this year. I didn't really get into a whole lot of panels, but I did get to see the Danny Elfman panel (I guess I owe a debt of gratitude to TRON: Legacy for luring everybody to Hall H for that one). I won't bore you guys with all the details. I figure it's best to let the pictures do the talking. Still, it was a great show, save for the dude who got stabbed in Hall H, and I can't wait until next year. I already got my ticket!

Anyway, enjoy the pics, and I'll be back next week with a huge comics update, as well as a rundown of how the first AFTERCON Art Show went. Y'all take care now!

Trolly signs, in KLINGON!

Robot Chicken's Seth Green. This dude is really tiny in real life!

Cobra Commander, the new God of Thunder.

Vegeta!!!!!!!!!

The totally awesome HUB Experience at the Marriott. This thing was really cool and open to everybody, badge or no badge! The Hilton had a similar deal featuring Clash of the Titans swag.

The Scott Pilgrim ad. I watched them put this up the week before, and I think it's still there now.

DUDE! CHECK IT OUT! I FOUND WALDO!!!

The Ecto-1 makes its rounds through Downtown San Diego.

In case you ever wondered just how massive this thing is, here you go. And this is only two halls!

Hey! Itsa Mario!

Straight outa Endor: Pimp Boba Fett and Pimp Vader.

Jack Sparrow: "Sheesh Princess! That's not very ladylike!"

So exactly what do you get when guzzle down sweets?

Check it out, they finally got off the island.

Beastman and female Skeletor!

Casey Jones, a Foot Soldier and April O'Neal find common ground at Comic Con.

Hangin' out with the King, Jerry Lawler.

The Killing Joke (A great Batman story kids).

Blanca terrorizes the Gaslamp Quarter.

Muppeteer Karen Prell performing Red Fraggle at the Hub. She was a very kind and sweet lady.

Andre the Giant! Back from the dead and in the mood for some of those awesome Legends Series figures that Mattel just released. Big props to Mattel for going with WCW-era Big Van Vader and AWA-era Road Warriors for the first wave. They also have Jake the Snake Roberts with the cobras instead of Damien!

The robot from Red Faction. People could actually climb inside of this thing!

The scene outside of Hall H, moments after a man was stabbed in the face with a pen by a disgruntled Harry Potter fan (and no, I am not making that up) over a seating dispute.

Apparently, Lord Jiraiya was powerless to stop it. Perhaps he summoned the wrong toads?

I can't say I agree with this guy, but it's still a pretty funny shirt.

Dave's not here man! (Sorry, couldn't resist)

Screw Cobra Commander, Oscar the Grouch is the new God of Thunder!

The G.I. Joe/Cobra faction is always well represented at the Con. These guys get major props for going with Cobra Commander/v.3 and adding Sgt. Slaughter to the mix. On a side note, my friends and I often refer this version of Cobra Commander as "Mighty Morphin Cobra Commander". Yeah, we're nerds. Deal with it!

Pirates and Fraggles. Only at Comic Con.

What the? Why it's Rerturn to Oz! On Laserdisk! Seriously though, this is a very underrated film, in my humble opinion of course.

The exhibit hall as things begin to wind down on Sunday afternoon.

One last look at the lobby outside of Hall G.

That's all for now folks. See ya next week!