Departing Skull Island

Last month, my fellow wrestling blogger — Joe from “Ringside at Skull Island” — announced he was ending his blog today, March 23rd.  I haven’t heard news of him reversing his decision, so I assume we’ve just lost another source of great pro wrestling commentary.

Today’s gallery is a tribute to the Ringside at Skull Island blog and the hot images, creative prose, and interesting perspectives that Joe regularly presented.

All images in today’s post are from my own articles inspired by visits to Skull Island, including this Sleeper image from my “Last Great Wrestling Match” article.  This January 2012 article contained my first reference to “Skull Island” as a source of inspiration.  Joe had written an article called “Frottage” which contained a beautiful description of “skin touching skin” — which Joe noted is sorely absent in modern pro wrestling.   I agreed with every word he wrote in “Frottage.”

Joe launched “Skull Island” on October 13, 2008.  His first posting was a YouTube video featuring King Kong wrestling a T. Rex, which had boned him up as a youngster.  Joe’s final article, “Finisher,” included a video showing the death of Kong, which shows you his clever creativity that I will sorely miss: ending his blog with the same subject matter he began with over six years prior.

Here is how wordmaster Joe aptly described Josh Daniels, wearing the white tights in the image at left (which appeared in my “American Psycho” article):  “If I had to build a heel, I’d have to use Daniels as my blueprint.  Suavely arrogant and gleefully heartless, he has the face of a clean-cut Madison Avenue exec from the ’50s and the body of a gym bunny.” Well said, Joe.

As you can tell from this article, my own Blog was frequently inspired by Joe’s work.  It is not easy for a blogger to think of fresh topics to write about or clever things to say day after day (which I’m sure Joe realizes), so it was nice to have a fellow blogger to gain ideas from, or to react to.

Joe also introduced me to some great wrestling talent I may not have found on my own.  For example, he discussed wrestler Paradyse in his “Faux Phobe” article, which inspired my “Paradyse Lost” tribute.  He also taught me about Danny Duggan, TMDK, Cameron’s video store, Chad Deity, Martin Kirby, and the “If Looks Could Kill” tag team.  Thanks for all those “Heads Ups” — very helpful.

Joe wrote 2,375 articles over the 6+ years that Skull Island ran.  His most prolific year was 2010 when he blessed us with a whopping 572 posts.  My personal favorites were his discussions of Golden Age wrestling, such as his “How to do Old School” article which inspired my own “Old School Manifesto.”  In his article, Joe ticked off the very elements that make up Old School wrestling:

• Holds establishing dominance & submission
• A lexicon of gestures
• Body contact
• Long, patient savoring of a painful hold
• Unrestricted access to an opponent’s body
• Teeth bared in aggression or agony
• Dramatic use of the boundaries
• Sweat, moans, gasps, yelps, and grunts
• A sudden and near cataclysmic finisher

Joe taught me about the phallic implications of an Armbar in his 2010 “Looking for Mr. Armbar” article, which I borrowed from and built upon in my 2013 “Raucous Handholding” article and my recent “Awesome Armbars” gallery.  Joe wrote:

“You can imagine what Dr Freud would have to say.  The man’s arm thrust straight up, straining, stiff, sore, going numb, braced against the groin of the man controlling him.  It looks like the man on top’s got a 33-inch boner, even if only symbolically, even if only perceived unconsciously.”

I hope my own writing becomes as crisp, vibrant, and precise as Joe’s some day.  I could ramble on much more about the cool, smart, accurate, and compelling insights he shared in describing our beloved sport.  You can find his blog’s influences throughout this blog — just enter “Skull Island” in my search box in the right-hand margin to find more examples of the inspiration I received.

Besides congratulating Joe on a job well done, I also want to make the point that good blogging depends on a give-and-take for ideas and inspiration.  The disappearance of “Skull Island” creates a gap in the Homo-erotic Wrestling Blogosphere that may hinder my own ability to keep this blog moving and innovating.  Obviously, we need more people writing about wrestling, the reasons they love the sport, and their favorite performers.

So think of Joe’s exit as a Tag Out — him reaching to slap your hand so you can now get in the wrestling writing game.  Admittedly, there is currently a wealth of great pro wrestling matches, fiction, and photos being posted all over social media every day, and I am VERY appreciative of everyone participating in that.

But a Blog is a more intelligent, thoughtful and detail-oriented cousin of the social media post-a-thon.  If a Tweet or a Tumblr posting is a sweet piece of candy, then a blog article is a steak dinner with salad and dessert (and one can’t live on bits of candy alone.)  So unless Joe re-thinks his retirement, I really need some new Tag Team partners.  If I end up as the only one writing regularly about this stuff, I’ll feel like some kind of freak.

And finally, to my collaborator and fellow blogger Joe — thanks for all your great work and all the ideas, inspiration, and food for thought on homo-erotic wrestling that you served up over the past six-odd years.

I certainly don’t begrudge you your decision — I understand the time and energy needed to sustain a blog (for zero revenue).  I understood what you’re feeling when you wrote: “I’m repeating myself and have been for a couple of years.”   So enjoy your free time and the privacy of your thoughts — you’ve certainly earned it.   If you get the urge to speak up or speak out again in the future, you are always welcome to Guest Blog on the Wrestling Arsenal any time.  Just e-mail me what you want to say — I’d love your input and participation.  Thanks!