This is the first in a series of articles describing the content in this Mexican wrestling comic book. These Spanish language pulp-fictions were illustrated with dramatic images and racy storylines with plenty of shirtless male scenery. They were like soft-core porn for a wrestling lover.
Here is the cover of Issue #446 with the title at the bottom (which I’ve tried to translate into English): “Pierroth in: I Will Crush Your Career, Vampiro.“
Pierroth is an actual Mexican wrestler who wore that trademark yellow and black mask, and Vampiro is the long-haired stud with the ink around his eyes. Vampiro is pictured twice on the cover: first looming over an attractive female, and second being owned and dominated by Pierroth (whose physique in real life was perhaps not that ripped and awesome.)
The story opens with a drawing of a swole Vampiro out on the street, proudly shirtless to flaunt his masculinity. He muscles are drawn to appear hulking, veiny, and shredded. Hot damn, why didn’t I have access to sexy wrestling comic books like this when I was a kid instead of Caspar, Archie, and Richie Rich?!
In the background, we see a motorcycle approaching as Vampiro braces for action.
Vampiro dives at the motorcycle driver like a superhero. His leap is drawn to appear as if he’s diving out of the comic book at us, the readers, his fingers grasping as if to take hold of us.
This perspective makes it easy for the reader to fantasize about Vampiro jumping in to wrestle — not with the masked man on the cycle — but into the reader’s own bedroom.
The lower section of the image shows Vampiro successfully knocking the also-shirtless Pierroth right off the bike. But we soon learn it was not actually Pierroth himself on the cycle, but a flabby stuffed mannequin made to resemble him.
The real Pierroth then rides in on a second motorcycle, whipping poor Vampiro’s bare flesh with a chain. It seems Pierroth had set a trap for his enemy, distracting Vampiro with the dummy so he could strike from behind.
Next Pierroth extends a long, muscular leg to kick Vampiro in the back of the skull, and the victim’s face is drawn in an intense, orgasmic expression.
Wow, the artist really started this comic off with a bang — only a couple of pages in and we’ve already seen a fetish mask, extreme violence, bondage, a blow-up doll, and boot worship! Is this content really meant for kids, and if so, was the intention to turn them on to wrestling and male aggression?
Suddenly a movie director (note his tell-tale beret) enters the scene to yell “CUT!” and stop the action.
It seems that Vampiro and Pierroth are filming a scene for a film, not actually brawling out on the streets for no reason. But Pierroth is hot and wants to keep on fighting.
The masked man straddles Vampiro in a sexually suggestive position, their strong legs entangled, their bare chests pressing together. Pierroth then tries to strangle his enemy and we add breath-control to the growing list of kinky sex acts depicted in this very entertaining comic.
The clothed males finally pull apart the two shirtless men. A security guard restrains Vampiro’s arm behind his back while another man paws at his bare chest.
Check out their heated facial expressions, especially that worked-up guard staring directly out at us.
In real life, the wrestler Vampiro was from Canada, a non-Mexican. As a foreigner, he is depicted in this comic as less macho than Pierroth. He is told by the director to put on make-up. He’s drawn to appear feminine, his lips black with lipstick, an earring, and long flowey hair. Pierroth further sissifies him by calling him “Marica” which is a slang word for a pussy or faggot.
Meanwhile Pierroth is drawn to appear manly and buff, turned to the side in this full-page image to put that swole bicep right in our face. If I had this comic book as a youngster, I would’ve folded this page’s corner over so I could easily find it again later. We learn that Pierroth is meant to be the villain in the film and to be defeated by Vampiro.
Rather than allow himself to be depicted as weaker than Vampiro, rather than submit his masculinity to the “marica,” Pierroth walks off the set and quits the movie. This sends the message to the male reader that it is never acceptable to allow yourself to appear weak or subservient.
The director is now left without his starring villain, and needs to find a replacement in order to finish his movie.
He orders his assistant (a gorgeously handsome blond) to go find a “double” to stand in for Pierroth so they can continue filming.
TO BE CONTINUED…