Review Fix chats with Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia writer and co-creator Matt Entin to find out what influenced the hilarious and fun intergalactic wrestling experience.
Review Fix: What inspired this comic?
Matt Entin: Ed had a vision of a steel cage around Earth. It would definitely make a better origin story if there was ayahuasca involved, but it was probably just Diet Coke.
Review Fix: There aren’t many comic books on wrestling out there. How did you even get started?
Entin: I started by buying the complete runs of Marvel’s WCW: World Championship Wrestling and Valiant’s WWF Battlemania on eBay. (Seriously.) Both definitively prove that wrestling comics are a thing that can exist.
Review Fix: How is it different from your previous work?
Entin: We’ve written for video games and film, but this is the first original IP that we’ve both created and fostered.
Review Fix: How does it feel to go from self-published to Indie?
Entin: It’s a validating experience to have people with actual comics industry experience believe that our crazy idea maybe isn’t too crazy.
Review Fix: How did you research to make this comic a reality? Are you guys big time fans of wrasslin’?
Entin: We read stacks and stacks of books about wrestling—mostly autobiographies and historical accounts of the various eras and territories. Collectively, we’ve watched untold hours of wrestling over the course of our lives, but neither of us tune in that much anymore. That said, AEW has definitely piqued my interest. I’m hoping it provides the competition WWE needs to start to turning out stronger creative.
Review Fix: What makes this comic special?
Entin: We like to think of it as “a wrestling comic non-wrestling fans can like,” but it’s imbued with a genuine love for the biz that we hope the smarks will recognize and appreciate.
Review Fix: What creators do you think have influenced you the most?
Entin: Milton Caniff, Michael Kupperman, Jason, Bill Watterson, Daniel Clowes, and Alan Moore.
Review Fix: Favorite wrestler of all time? Why?
Entin: “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Great in-ring, great on the mic—a master of both the flying elbow drop and Joycean wordplay.
Review Fix: How do you want it to be remembered?
Entin: As the greatest wrestling alien comic of all time! Or least a worthy successor to Kinnikuman.
Review Fix: WCW or WWE?
Entin: WWE. Growing up in the Midwest and lacking cable, WCW was not on my radar. I distinctly remember renting WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling for Super Nintendo and being totally mystified as to who Johnny B. Badd or Flyin’ Brian Pillman were.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Entin: Well, we’ve got to get our initial 6-issue run on Wrestleopia out the door. Then either an erotic thriller, a biblical epic, or an erotic biblical epic thriller—it’s a toss-up.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Entin: Don’t forget to vote and floss.
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