Lucha Libre on the Internet"LUCHA LIBRE" the phenomenon, can be broken down into five (broad) categories: Lucha Libre as a SPORT. A unique style and tradition of pro-wrestling Lucha Libre - the MOVIE GENRE (60's-70's Mexican lucha-horror genre) Lucha Libre - American popular culture & fandom... shows, comics, animation, toys, collectible culture... Lucha Libre - Mexican popular culture We are entering a new wave of comics and animation featuring luchadores! Lucha-inspired? NON-MEXICAN STUFF Masked wrestlers in Japan and foreign movies |
Here are a bunch of links for background info and inspiration!
1. LUCHA the Sport
Article about experiencing live lucha in Tijuana - what it's like to be there
Learn
about Lucha Libre This article explains how it differs from American
Pro-Wrestling.
Article in defence of the lucha wrestling style.
Even better: search/watch lucha videos
on YouTube!
new link
Check out
FPU's video
playlist. Here are two good comps:
Mexico's Masked Wrestlers Have Headlock on Spectacle
Lucha Dictionary- moves and holds, Spanish words etc.
Lucha Libre Moves - There are also photos taken at some matches.
Lucha Libre: Life Behind the
Mask is a new documentary set in So Cal featuring local wrestlers. new
link
And so is
La Lucha, by Duncan McLeod. Watch it on Google Video
here.
new link
Browse Lucha Masks- These are Souvenir Masks that fans wear to
support their favorite wrestlers.
Each mask design is the trademark of an individual luchador.
You can also buy masks
at Wacko (Hollywood Blvd), Y-Que (Vermont, Los Feliz), on eBay, on Olvera Street
(Downtown LA) and outside the arenas in Mexico.
On the other hand, Professional masks are of a higher quality and custom-made by maskmakers eg,
Deportes Martinez
(Mexico) and
Juan Guerrero
(SoCal)
LUCHA LIBRE in MEXICO: Arena Coliseo (Mexico City), Arena Mexico (Mexico City), Auditorio Tijuana (Tijuana) are the most popular.
CMLL and AAA are the largest lucha libre federations in Mexico. (Spanish sites with English section)
LUCHA LIBRE in SoCal:
Revolution Pro is an indie promotion that holds hybrid-lucha matches at Frank and Sons, City of Industry bi-monthly.
*Update - This promotion is now finished. But the same masked wrestlers can be see at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla events in LA.The Alternative Wrestling Shop (AWS)- is also part of Frank and Sons, and holds lucha events in the same venue. Very word-of-mouth... Check the forums for info.
FMLL is another local promotion - matches are usually in Compton, outskirts of LA (Spanish site). Check out FMLL events at the Salon El Rey (Compton) - Read our personal review.
Lucha Va Voom - these are lucha/burlesque events for English-speaking audiences. Biannually at the Mayan Theater, Downtown L.A.
Wrestleholics Videos is a website where you can order taped matches. Mostly taped from Galavision network (Mex) for worldwide lucha fans.Look at the left menu under "Lucha Libre".
Lucha at Anaheim Marketplace(found article) - we haven't been to this one but we will.
On TV! If you are in the LA, watch Lucha Libre on the Galavision cable network on weekends - Sat 3pm/3am Also repeated Sundays 2pm.
FOR THE FANS/FORUMS:
SoCaluncensored boards- forums that provide lucha news, upcoming events, results and discussions for the die hard fans. Also - the CMLL blog and Box Y Lucha (Spanish)
Highspots.com for
wrestling merchandise.
Obsessed With Wrestling
-for a huge-ass list of wrestler profiles
Fotografia y Lucha Libre - a photographic tribute to the sport (Spanish site)
LuchaWiki - constantly updated! new link
2. Lucha Movies and Wrestling Legends
From Parts Unknown magazine -
covers everything you want to know on masked wrestlers in movies. The current
issue is #7 (Skeleton-themed wrestlers issue). Order from the website.(*for
mature audiences)
Check out FPU's 2006 "Day Of The Dead" tribute altar to departed masked
wrestlers >
Flickr
photo gallery new
link
Mexican Horror
Cinema. We highly recommend this book. Lots of cool poster art.
Explores the
genre of Lucha Horror movies where El Santo (and other lucha legends) have
secret labs, drive sports cars, date beautiful women and wrestle mummies,
werewolves, zombies, aliens etc.
Lucha Mascarada (published in Japan) is a great book with photos of luchadores and masks. Last spotted at Wacko.
Other books with lots of cool photos: Lucha Libre: Masked Superstars of Mexican Wrestling by Lourdes Grobet ; and Luna Cornea #27: The Lucha Libre issue.
The three most famous luchadores are EL SANTO, BLUE DEMON and MIL MASCARAS... Some links:
The Films of El
Santo - filmography.
Website of El Hijo del Santo (son of
Santo) - Spanish site
check out
antisubliminal's Santo photosets on Flickr
Website of Blue Demon Jr.
(son of Blue Demon) - Spanish site
Blue Demon -
bio and filmography
Mil Mascaras - bio and filmography
[Just Google 'em! These guys are also on Wikipedia and Myspace]
Malcolm Venville has take stunning photos for the Lucha Loco exhibit which are now in a book: Lucha Loco... new link
SantoStreet - the place to order
Mexican lucha movies, posters, lobby cards. You can also buy these movies on
video upstairs at Amoeba Music (Sunset Blvd)
Santo and Friends
have rereleased a lot of these Mexican lucha/horror movies on DVD. You can
order from their website. And of course there is eBay...
Two excellent Mexican films with masked luchadores - Santitos & La Leyenda de Una Mascara.(available on DVD at Amazon.com)
Also check out our gallery of magazine/comic book images from Mexico. (thanks to Oscar for sending these)
3.Lucha in American Pop Culture
Article about Masked Wrestlers making their mark in the USA.
Fight Club article in the Boston Globe: on the 2006 Jack Black movie - Nacho Libre and where it gets its inspiration.
Mucha Lucha: press archive- a
collection of press articles about Mucha Lucha, the first masked wrestler
cartoon on US children's TV. (Website at Cartoon
Network)
You can of course contact us directly for more Mucha Lucha info.
Lucha Va Voom - a L.A. based hybrid lucha-burlesque event - With midget & transvestite wrestlers, costumed monsters etc (mature audiences). Time Magazine calls it the "next big thing"
Praise the Lowered is Damon Robinson's online store selling Lucha beanbag chairs, purses, t-shirts etc. Also check out Xochico and NaCo's lucha libre tshirt line.new link
From Parts Unknown is the
first English-language magazine dedicated to all things Lucha Libre - the
sport, the wrestlers, the gimmicks, the movies. (for mature audiences).
You can also participate in the
discussion forums.
new link
Rudo By Night - Masked wrestler web series and the first ever, created when we were in Australia 2000. For mature audiences and best appreciated by diehard fans.
Los Campeones de La Lucha Libre. - a brand new animated movie by Fwak! Animation, written by Mr FPU... new link
Sonambulo is a noir comic book series featuring a masked detective - El Sonambulo. By Rafael Navarro
Jorge Alderete's illustrations are inspirational. See cd designs here..
Los Luchadores was a live-action TV show on Fox. Bad mask designs! Canadian production. Ran for one season only. (we never saw it)
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto - new animated movie by Rob Zombie new link
El Macho - web animated series by Jorge Gutierrez - who is also a
co-character designer on Mucha Lucha,
curator of the Viva Lucha Art Show and co-creator of
El Tigre
for Nickelodeon..
Hoodtown - the first ever American masked wrestling noir novel by Christa Faust.
Ultimo Gringo - a huge fansite archive of Lucha Libre action figures
The Luchadores Five - comic book & vinyl figure series by Muttpop.
Mike Burnett has created some awesome masked wrestler art, sculptures and plushes.
Champions of Justice - masked wrestler artwork by Jesse Justice
Kaiju.com. - Bunch of guys in Boston dress up as Japanese monsters, wear silly costumes, and wrestle each other. Not "lucha" as such, but loads of fun!
Los Straitjackets (SoCal) and Tijuana Bibles (Canada) are two wrestling mask-wearing rock n roll bands.
4. Lucha Pop Culture in Mexico
El Hijo Del Santo stars in his very own animated series on Cartoon Network Mexico! - See articles HERE and HERE (in Spanish) View episode 1 on YouTube. new link
Blue Demon Jr. appears as himself in a special episode of Mucha Lucha (Kids WB, Cartoon Network) View images here
There are rumors that Rafael Navarro's Sonambulo will be made into a theatrical movie by the producers of Y Tu Mama Tambien
Check out Oscar Carreño's Lucha Libre weblogs with commentary and pictures from the arenas of Monterrey: Arena Solidaridad (Spanish) and El Cuadrilatero(English)
5. Other (Non Mexican) Masked-wrestler stuff
Japan: Japanese pro-wrestling(Puroresu) has its share of masked and costumed action. For example:
New Japan Pro's legendary Ultimo Dragon.
The Great Sasuke! - first masked wrestler in politics
Check out these DVDs! We believe they are all on amazon now;
and trailers on YouTube.
Japan:
The Calamari Wrestler (Ika-movie) - a hilarious movie about a wrestling squid!
Korea: Check out Foul King.
Funny!
Canada:
Enter The Zombie King.
We're sure there are many more links not listed here.
Enjoy:) - Lili & Eddie
www.fwakanimation.com.au