Monster Mania

I've never been one to go out of my way to get myself bookings. If you work with me you already knew that, but lately I've been trying to find out about how someone gets in that mind state. Many other people in wrestling go well out of there way to get themselves booked on shows and other cards and I think that in order to be successful, possibly in every walk of society, that's what you have to do. I have found that it's very difficult to just rely on your abilities alone. But despite all my talking about discovering goals I've been comfortable.

This was also apparent to me this Sunday when I attended Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, NJ. "Halfbreed" Billy Gram, a freaky, but genuinely nice, Native American guy with the build of a scarecrow and the face of Alice Cooper hooked Combat Zone Wrestling up with a booth for all three days of the celebration for horror films. Even though I was only able to go on the last day I met so many faces of all different castes from the film industry. I got to spend time talking with the scintillating Betsy Russell of the SAW franchise, and share a meal with William Forsythe, a bad ass actor you have seen in many different movies ranging from Raising Arizona to The Devil's Rejects.

Throughout Sunday I helped promote my home promotion as much as possible and even met a lot of Combat Zone Wrestling fans that attended. It always surprises me when someone comes up to me outside of the shows and says that they know about CZW. It's a good feeling to be appreciated for what we do. I can tell you that even in my little experience perhaps aside from professional comics no one doubts their passion more than professional wrestlers.

During the con Billy Gram took me around and introduced me to a number of film makers and was really trying to sell me to people. Not literally, this ain't no slave auction! He was trying to put over my abilities and get me a role in some movies. Conventions are great places to network. It's like a job fair for the entertainment industry! Anyway, we met up with a writer/director for a new movie in pre-production entitled Underground. I'm not going to say anything about the premise for fear of a government kidnapping, but I will say that they have their shit well together! Billy really tried to sell me to this guy for a role in the flick and perhaps I wasn't ready to go full in because I don't think he bought it. BUT, I did exchange contact information, and I was invited to read for a part in the film. I have some experience in movies from my time at Drexel and film has always been a passion of mine. It would be wonderful. But again, it's all about being persistent and staying the course until you reach your goal, even on the short-term.

All in all, Monster Mania was great. I wish more of the guys were able to come out to it, but there's always next time. It was a wonderful place to network and get exposure for CZW. I'm surprised wrestling promotions don't make use of these fairs more often. I always thought our industry was founded on the fairgrounds around the time of the Civil War.

It's funny how things come full circle isn't it?
- GULAK