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  • What are you reading?

    I looked and didn't see a thread for what we are currently reading. At another forum I post at the What are you reading thread has helped me discover many books and authors.

    THE MISSISSIPPI WRESTLING TERRITORY: THE UNTOLD STORY by Gil Culkin

    This book is about how back in pre-WWF expansion days most states had a wrestling fed. Gil Culkin's father ran the MS territory for years. But for various reasons there is almost no info that is easy to find about this forgotten fed.

    I got sent a copy of the book to review,thank you Ms Kelly. And even though what is talked about in the book all either happened before I was born,or when I was a young child,I still really enjoyed the book.

    Like most wrestling books the best parts of this one is all the road stories. Back when the Culkins were running the MS territory in MS you had nothing but two lane country roads. One night Gil was driving the truck pulling the trailer with the ring in it. IIRC he was heading to Vicksberg. Gil threw a cig out the window. And not long after that him and his passenger saw smoke coming from the trailer.

    They pull over and see that the cig had landed on the ring padding and set it on fire. They quickly pulled the padding out and thankfully had pulled over not far from a large creek. And managed to save about half the padding.

    Not sure how much appeal this book would have to anyone that isn't from the MS area or has an interest in the history of wrestling pre-WWF expansion days. But for me this was a great read.

    So what have yall been reading lately.

  • #2
    I'm going to make this thread sticky!
    Rock! Shock! Pop!

    Comment


    • #3
      THX.

      Started the TPB collection of all 6 issues of the Reel Wild Cinema zine last night. It collects all 6 issues of the 90s Australia based movie zine.

      Comment


      • #4
        I can't concentrate on reading at the moment. I did read a bit of The Devil A Biography by Peter Stanford yesterday, but I'm finding it much easier just to watch films these days.
        I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

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        • #5
          I just finished a re-read of American Dreams Lost and Found by Studs terkel. I read it back in the 80's. This time his leftist leanings seemed like more than a lean but back then I'm sure it seemed 'right on'.

          'The Rifles', William T. Vollman. Probably best if you know something about the Franklin Expedition.
          Out here on the perimeter we is stoned...immaculate

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          • #6
            I just finished re-reading Journey to the Center of The Cramps by Dick Porter, and then because I was in the mood for more, started re-reading Porter's first book on the Cramps, A Short History of Rock N Roll Psychosis. My brain doesn't allow me to retain anything these days, so I read mostly biographies, mostly ones that I've already read.

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            • #7
              I made a list of about 200 small comic book publishers (focusing largely on ones that put out “bad girl art” in the '90s) then set about acquiring the entire back catalogs of the ones who put out the fewest numbers of individual issues. I am still acquiring them, but began by reading the comics of the companies who only put out one single comic before folding, then moved on to the ones who only released two issues, etc. A lot of dreck, but some pleasant surprises. I can elaborate if I get the feeling that anyone cares, but that would surprise me.

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              • #8
                Man, I think that's a great idea, Marshall! I'd care to read about your thoughts of that dreck. I'm sure I unfortunately read a lot of those comics.
                "When I die, I hope to go to Accra"

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                • #9
                  I think we did have a previous thread, maybe it was "Currently Reading". I'm too stressed to read books right now but I am reading the new issue of Decibel magazine with a look back at 1995 and the At The Gates/Dissection tour and ratings of all the extreme metal albums that came out that year. It's amazing how many great albums were released in 95.

                  Marshall, I would LOVE to read your thoughts on those comics!
                  I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Marshall Crist View Post
                    I can elaborate if I get the feeling that anyone cares, but that would surprise me.
                    Please do. I may or may not have stories that tie into this.
                    Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                    • #11
                      Thanks a lot, folks! One publisher that (as far as I can tell) only released one issue was Alternate Publications. The comic was a black and white magazine-sized comic, ALTERNATE EXISTANCE #1. I initially thought they put out two issues, but it turned out that #2 was published by someone else. More on that later. This came out of Arkansas in 1982 and had four stories. There seems to be some connection to Bill Black's Paragon Publications. Black provides art for the first story, “Poltergeist,” which has nothing to do with the movie or paranormal phenomena. In it, an alien steals some “power bands” and crashes on Earth. The bands are discovered by three groovy people, who then plan to use the bands to become superheroes. The end. I'm a fan of Black's art, so this was fun. The next story is “Dr. Barnes.” In it, a man's attempt to save his dying wife results in her death. He is sent to prison and gets released decades later. Supposedly in the next issue he would somehow become a super hero. Next up is a two-part story called “Syborge,” about a blown-up 'Nam vet whose life is saved by being turned out to a (you guessed it) cyborg. Finally there's “Black Cat,” which is a revival of the 1940s heroine with a splash page by Bill Black and featuring his villainess Lady Luger. Other connections to Black are an ad for BILL BLACK'S FUN COMICS #3, and the fact that the “AP” company logo on the cover looks (perhaps coincidentally) just like the AC Comics logo that Black would use when he renamed Paragon. Edit: Or maybe it was the PP logo from Paragon I'm thinking of. Sorry, this a bitch to do on my phone, and I won't have access to a proper computer until Friday...

                      Most of the art here is pretty crude, and the stories suffer from being 90% set-up/origin and not representative of the direction these strips were eventually intended to go. “Dr. Barnes” is particularly a head-scratcher, as it does not work at all as a stand-alone story, nor does it in any way tease as to the nature of the intended series.

                      Further edit: If you feel that there is additional info I should be including, please let me know.
                      Marshall Crist
                      Senior Member
                      Last edited by Marshall Crist; 05-26-2020, 04:56 PM.

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                      • #12
                        LARA #1 from Crossbreed Press, 1997. This was the only mag I could find from this Fullerton, CA company, which appears to be affiliated with Ally-Winsor Comics, which I believe published only three items itself. Despite a fun cover with what appears to be a voluminously-coifed jungle girl wielding a dagger, this unfortunately turned out to not really be a comic book. Maybe halfway between a comic and a heavily-illustrated short story about the character on the cover. As such, not what I was looking for, despite some pleasant illos.

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                        • #13
                          HELL CITY HELL #1 (1998) appears to be the only comic published by Los Angeles' Diablo Musica. It seems that they are/were primarily a record label, and while surprisingly the story does not reference the label's roster or songs, the back cover promises a multi-media experience which is likely a tie-in album of various artists. I would characterize this as a variation on SIN CITY, with exotic dancers and on-stage self-immolation. Not as good as it sounds, due in part to bland (if technically competent) artwork. In color.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Marshall Crist View Post
                            I made a list of about 200 small comic book publishers (focusing largely on ones that put out “bad girl art” in the '90s) then set about acquiring the entire back catalogs of the ones who put out the fewest numbers of individual issues. I am still acquiring them, but began by reading the comics of the companies who only put out one single comic before folding, then moved on to the ones who only released two issues, etc. A lot of dreck, but some pleasant surprises. I can elaborate if I get the feeling that anyone cares, but that would surprise me.
                            I got in a bunch of 90s badgirl comics last year. Never tried reading any of them so far.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Newt Cox View Post
                              I got in a bunch of 90s badgirl comics last year. Never tried reading any of them so far.
                              It's nice having surplus reading material for a rainy day or worldwide pandemic.

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