Story Synopsis
I realized as Jeff was uploading some character sketches that, other than the first four pages of the comic readily available on the site, not many people reading this have much idea what the comic book is about or who the main players are.
The title 60 MINUTE BROADWAY comes from wrestling lingo for a 60 minute time limit draw. Back in the days of the traveling world champion, the local hero would take on the (usually) villain champion in a title match when he came to their town. Not wanting to have the money drawing champion lose but still wanting to make the hero look like he took that champ to the limit, the matches would often go to a broadway. To be able to go 60 minutes was a mark of distinction for the champion, as it meant you were talented enough in your craft to engage an audience for an hour and also make your opponent look good as well. Guys like Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Terry Funk among others were famous for these types of matches. It was once said that Flair could "have a good match with a broomstick", meaning that no matter who he was in the ring with, he could make them look convincing and like the proverbial million bucks.
One of the major points to get across is the tone of the story. I don't treat professional wrestling as a "legit competitive sport". We know it's not "real" in the sense of the winners are predetermined. Although it's a lot more real than most people think and especially for those who are in the business. This story is about one guy trying to rediscover his passion for his chosen life and remember why he wanted to get into this in the first place.
So with that in mind, I present the "official story synopsis". There are a few twists and turns and some other characters, but I want to leave something for the actual comic! What follows is the basic outline of the story. After a week or so, I'll move a version of this to the links on the sidebar for regular perusal.
THE STORY: Ace Hazzard spent his youth dreaming of becoming a professional wrestler. When finally achieving that goal, he finds out there's a tremendous gap between his dreams and his reality. Ace isn't a big name superstar with his face on t-shirts and lunch boxes, instead he is a member of a group of wrestlers known as "jobbers". No-name wrestlers whose sole job, while solid workers in the ring, is to lose to the big name wrestlers and make them look good. He is a preliminary guy, total opening match. And there he sits, jaded, bitter and burnt out for the majority of his career, never being given a chance to break out...until the day he's fired for not being "marketable" enough.
Now, in the twilight of his career, he is forced to work the purgatory of the independent circuit. Landing in Laredo, Texas working for Texas Championship Wrestling, Ace meets grizzled old veteran Jackie Dugan. Jackie is a hard drinkin', 55 year old veteran of the sport. He's seen it all and done even more and, despite damaged legs that would barely support a coffee table, he still leaves it all in the ring to entertain the people that spent their hard earned money to see him. This is a quality that Ace lacks and the two men butt heads and fists over this and form a rocky friendship. It's here that Ace also meets Dr. Marisol Ruiz who has her own secrets from the past that draw her and Ace together. Ace begins to find his passion again toiling away in high school gyms and armories, but as time is running out for him, he wonders whether he'll ever be able to live his dream...to main event Madison Square Garden.
The title 60 MINUTE BROADWAY comes from wrestling lingo for a 60 minute time limit draw. Back in the days of the traveling world champion, the local hero would take on the (usually) villain champion in a title match when he came to their town. Not wanting to have the money drawing champion lose but still wanting to make the hero look like he took that champ to the limit, the matches would often go to a broadway. To be able to go 60 minutes was a mark of distinction for the champion, as it meant you were talented enough in your craft to engage an audience for an hour and also make your opponent look good as well. Guys like Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Terry Funk among others were famous for these types of matches. It was once said that Flair could "have a good match with a broomstick", meaning that no matter who he was in the ring with, he could make them look convincing and like the proverbial million bucks.
One of the major points to get across is the tone of the story. I don't treat professional wrestling as a "legit competitive sport". We know it's not "real" in the sense of the winners are predetermined. Although it's a lot more real than most people think and especially for those who are in the business. This story is about one guy trying to rediscover his passion for his chosen life and remember why he wanted to get into this in the first place.
So with that in mind, I present the "official story synopsis". There are a few twists and turns and some other characters, but I want to leave something for the actual comic! What follows is the basic outline of the story. After a week or so, I'll move a version of this to the links on the sidebar for regular perusal.
THE STORY: Ace Hazzard spent his youth dreaming of becoming a professional wrestler. When finally achieving that goal, he finds out there's a tremendous gap between his dreams and his reality. Ace isn't a big name superstar with his face on t-shirts and lunch boxes, instead he is a member of a group of wrestlers known as "jobbers". No-name wrestlers whose sole job, while solid workers in the ring, is to lose to the big name wrestlers and make them look good. He is a preliminary guy, total opening match. And there he sits, jaded, bitter and burnt out for the majority of his career, never being given a chance to break out...until the day he's fired for not being "marketable" enough.
Now, in the twilight of his career, he is forced to work the purgatory of the independent circuit. Landing in Laredo, Texas working for Texas Championship Wrestling, Ace meets grizzled old veteran Jackie Dugan. Jackie is a hard drinkin', 55 year old veteran of the sport. He's seen it all and done even more and, despite damaged legs that would barely support a coffee table, he still leaves it all in the ring to entertain the people that spent their hard earned money to see him. This is a quality that Ace lacks and the two men butt heads and fists over this and form a rocky friendship. It's here that Ace also meets Dr. Marisol Ruiz who has her own secrets from the past that draw her and Ace together. Ace begins to find his passion again toiling away in high school gyms and armories, but as time is running out for him, he wonders whether he'll ever be able to live his dream...to main event Madison Square Garden.
posted by John at 12:02 PM
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