Mike Kingston

Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston 'Headlocked: The Hard Way' Interview
Mike Kingston has described Headlocked, the comic he writes with artist Michel Mulipola as a cable TV drama-style take on the world of professional wrestling, centered on an aspiring actor who gives up on theater to focus on making it in the King of Sports. With three volumes funded through Kickstarter campaigns, the series has become a cult favorite among wrestling fans and comics readers, both for the ongoing story and the involvement of pro wrestlers as writers and artists for bonus stories included in the paperbacks Now, as the campaign for Headlocked Volume 4: The Hard Way is rolling along, I sat down with Kingston at Emerald City Comic-Con to talk about bridging the gap between comics and pro wrestling, the strange journey he's taken, and what it's like to share a table at a comic book convention with the legendary 16-time world champion, Ric Flair.
It Has To Get Dark Quickly: Mike Kingston On Remastering ‘Headlocked’
It Has To Get Dark Quickly: Mike Kingston On Remastering ‘Headlocked’
It Has To Get Dark Quickly: Mike Kingston On Remastering ‘Headlocked’
Originally released in 2007, the first volume of Headlocked told the story of a college theater major who fell in love with pro wrestling and encountered the darker side of the business, and it immediately gained a following through not just wrestling fans, but pro wrestlers themselves. Now, writer/creator Mike Kingston has launched a Kickstarter to remaster that story for a new version. ComicsAlliance spoke to him about the challenge of selling comics at wrestling shows after being rejected by publishers, the audience that he's been able to build, and the pro wrestlers --- including MVP, Samoa Joe, and the Young Bucks --- who are contributing new stories to the latest volume.
If You Loved WrestleMania, Read These Comics Next
If You Loved WrestleMania, Read These Comics Next
If You Loved WrestleMania, Read These Comics Next
WrestleMania was this past weekend, and outside of perhaps the infamous "Attitude Era" of the late-'90s, it's never been more socially acceptable to proudly admit that you love the King of Sports, professional wrestling. The Rock is the biggest star in Hollywood, the Total Divas are taking over E, and John Cena is viral meme superstar; wrestling has officially broken through to the mainstream again. It's also never been a better time for comics about professional wrestling, a far cry from the days of the old WCW comic or the weird one where Chyna is a bodyguard in her spare time. We've assembled a list of five of the best independent comics about wrestling, if you're still in the mood for some pro-graps after watching The Granddaddy of Them All.