New Book About the Superstars of Classic Pro Wrestling

John Hitchcock's big book of grappling superstars is now available - just in time for Christmas. For folks who loved classic wrestling as presented and telecast on the east coast with the superstars that made the sport great. Wahoo McDaniel, Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, Johnny Valentine, Killer Buddy, Rip Hawk, so many more.

Tons of pictures... here's a sample.

280 pages packed with over 100 rare, unseen photos along with a wealth of untold stories about your favorite grappling superstars!

Co-Creator of the Rudolph TV Special Has Died

He made magic with fragile paper puppets, creating one of the most enduring Christmas traditions of all time. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer co-creator Arthur Rankin, Jr. has died at age 89. The Hollywood Reporter obit.

Here's the behind the scenes story of the making of the Rudolph TV special, much of it will surprise you! It's written by Rick Goldschmidt the leading Rankin/Bass expert.

Babyland : Torture & Murder of the 1990's Rave King

For six months in 2014 I investigated the bizarre circumstances surrounding the death of Ed LeBrun, the leading east coast rave producer in the 1990s. It's a story that had never been told, not in print or on TV. I decided to take as long as necessary to uncover what the facts were, as much as anyone can for an event that happened 15 years ago. It's something I wanted very much to get right, there were so many misconceptions out there.

I didn't know Ed personally but an awful lot of my friends did. I didn't take a great deal of pleasure in telling this story, nothing 'Feel Good' about it - no winners here. I had extensive correspondence with Zachary Grimes, in the middle of a 30 year sentence for the crime, and spoke with people who were close to Ed and the perps. The story is included in my 2015 book Hamburger² .

Read the Torture & Murder of 
the East Coast Rave King (PDF)

How Hollywood Casts Blacks in Minor Roles That Look Bigger Than They Are

This is a trend that really kicked into gear in the 1980s and it still applies today.

If all your film's leads are white then the President, Police Chief, Mayor, whoever is in authority, will inevitably be black. This began as a response to cries that African-Americans were not being given the kind of exposure in the movies they deserved.

Studios felt they were covered, "Hey, the President was black!" even though the roles were small ones. Check it out next time you watch a movie with a predominantly caucasian cast.