The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling

August 6, 2018
This fact-crammed survey of an enormous subject covers the decades after wrestling had been transformed “from a sport that acted like a show to a show that acted like a sport.” It’s impossible to discuss “the one true sport” without tongue in cheek, but author Sitterson, host of the podcast Straight Shoot, does an excellent job of describing both the experiential aspects of the “show” and the background of the “biz.” Dozens of wrestlers featured deserve a mention, from historical giants like Bruno Sammartino to modern stars like Hulk Hogan and John Cena, to regional favorites like Dick the Bruiser (Indianapolis, Ind.) and El Santo (Mexico City). Aided by Moreno’s drawings of small heads atop statuesque bodies, the text also explains how Mexican, British, and Japanese styles have influenced American wrestling performances. The guide also explains the industry side, by tracing the deals by which rival promoters divided their territories while giving fans just enough show to keep them buying tickets. Like pro wrestling itself, all
the wild history may not be morally uplifting, but it’s certainly entertaining.

September 1, 2018

"The one true sport," Sitterson establishes from the start, is no sport at all. Instead, it has both a history and a current practice that relies on barkers, fakery, and, ultimately, storytelling through opponents' actions. Veteran cartoonist Moreno depicts appropriately stylized and overblown wrestlers, shady announcers, and often sleazy owners and operators. However, this is no screed against either wrestling or the actors: it is truly a solid history and social study of why and how pro wrestling has been winning hearts and minds for about 150 years. The roles of international competition, syndicate competition, and competing approaches to the storytelling tropes spill across the action-packed panels in easy-to-follow explanations. Between chapters, Sitterson offers brief looks at elements of wrestling. Readers will come away with a greater understanding of drama, character development, and business negotiations than they might have foreseen. VERDICT An excellent addition to nonfiction graphic novel collections.-Francisca Goldsmith, Library Ronin, Worcester, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2018
Today's world of wrestling may feel intimidating or even idiotic to those not familiar with the culture, but Sitterson's inviting graphic novel account is not only a great entry point but a testament to how fascinating the overall history of this "one true sport" is. Covering it from its humble beginnings in carnival sideshows to its modern arena-spectacle status, Sitterson chronicles the engaging backstory without getting too bogged down in details and historical figures. Perhaps what's most compelling about his take, at least to an outsider, is that he constantly acknowledges that wrestling is fake, but like a carnival barker trying to get you to play a game you know is rigged, wrestlers want you to care about a fight you know is fixed. And by the end of the book, readers will care. Moreno's artwork definitely puts a light spin on the whole affair, with comical facial expressions and character frames adding to the pageantry we know wrestling to be while still staying true to the actual people involved. A total knock-out.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)