Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling (Spanish Edition) [Hardcover]

Dan Madigan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2007

Lucha Libre wrestling is nothing short of a phenomenon. Its inescapable visuals have completely permeated the mainstream, and its popularity grows exponentially every year, expanding out from Latin America to hold the entire world in its vise–grip. Dan Madigan will provide the ultimate guide for Lucha fans, in an awesome four–color book that will be undoubtedly informative and incredibly entertaining. Posters, photos, wrestling cards, handbills, mementos will be featured throughout the book. Personal recollections, quotes, stories and memories of Luchador's lives and experiences will provide the backdrop for a completely unique experience in sports.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though its title might suggest an ironic, kitschy treatment of the hyper-colored world of Mexican wrestling, Lucha Libre, Madigan's work makes it clear from the get-go that his love for the sport is true, mad and deep. Author, screenwriter and wrestling TV producer Madigan (See No Evil) answers frequently asked question, "Okay...What is Lucha Libre?", by taking readers through the basics, describing a sport that mixes "combative art forms...with elements of soap opera and dramatic storytelling, physical comedy, incredible athletics, suspense and intrigue." Though equating past wrestling greats like El Santo and the Blue Demon with celebrated muralists like Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco might seem like a stretch ("their goals just as noble and politically minded....Every kick, leap, and punch was a brush stroke in a masterpiece of storytelling"), full-bleed color photos and gorgeous poster reproductions make it easy to see the art in the sport's wild costumes, over-the-top drama and rich history. As much fun as this book is, the level of detail can overwhelm, as in Madigan's endless parade of Luchadore biographies, too many of which run together for lack of a narrative engine. That said, there's a lot to love here, even for the casually curious, and especially for fans of action photography and poster illustration.
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About the Author

Television production veteran Dan Madigan has been behind the scenes of professional wrestling for some time. A novelist and screenwriter, his film See No Evil was released by Lionsgate in May 2006. He lives in Los Angeles and goes by the Lucha name Baron von Bava.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Rayo; First Edition edition (April 3, 2007)
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN-10: 0060855835
• ISBN-13: 978-0060855833
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who was that masked man?, February 1, 2011

By 

Danno (NY, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling (Hardcover)

If you're a fan of lucha libre (particularly the glory days of Santo, Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras), it's hard to go wrong with this book. There are several high-quality reproductions of lobby cards and movie posters from the 1950s through the 1970s as well as a generous assortment of full-page photographs. Many of the photos were taken specifically for this book. You'll also find profiles of the Guerrero family, various other wrestling families, and some of the most heartfelt and sincere text ever written about the sport of professional wrestling. Kurt Angle's introduction is one of the best I've ever read in any sports book, period.

What's missing? The recent rise in strong, popular female wrestlers such as Dark Angel and Lady Apache, for starters. And if only the book had a sort of appendix listing the title-holders for CMLL and AAA and the lengths of their reigns!

That said, this is as perfect a book about lucha libre as you could ask for otherwise and unlike some treatments of the subject this is a book written from the perspective of someone who isn't trying to create an ironic quasi-anthropological treatment. This is written by someone who genuinely loves not only the sport of lucha libre, but its pop-culture spinoffs and its loyal fandom. This is well-worth your money!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classy Lucha Love Letter!, December 19, 2008

By 

Daniel Boyd (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling (Spanish Edition) (Hardcover)

A must-have for any fan of Lucha Libre. Madigan's book is more that a thorough history of Lucha, it's also a classy love letter from a true fan of the sport-enterprise. And it's coffee table book quality. In fact it is our coffee table book!
Daniel Boyd

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, April 4, 2007

By 

Elliott (Maine) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mondo Lucha A Go-Go: The Bizarre and Honorable World of Wild Mexican Wrestling (Spanish Edition) (Hardcover)

Mondo Lucha A Go-Go is a wildly imaginative, beautifully written and vastly insightful look into the world of Mexican wrestling. It's not easy to chronicle the bizarre. Dan Madigan must have spent years in the trenches to come up with so many vivid portraits and compelling details. I love the word "honorable" in the title. That's Madigan's point-of-view, and it's what makes this book so special. This is exactly what I want a book of this kind to be.