Big Pop

Big Pop

Posted by Brian • March 22, 2017

Original Release Date: November 29, 2011

When I first started thinking about Mike and the Ninja, there was a third character set to join Mike and Stu on their adventures: Paul, a foul-mouthed, troublemaking ex-professional wrestler. I wasn't quite sure how to fit him in to the story, and eventually, I forgot about him. However, when it came time for Stu to track down an old friend with logical connections to the Hired Goon Association, I looked back to my notes and decided it was time for Paul to make his debut. However, I updated his character from a foul-mouthed, troublemaking ex-professional wrestler to a business-saavy, still-active ring veteran who not only owns and runs his own Los Angeles-based wrestling promotion, but also a nightclub.

Naturally, there are a lot of wrestling references snuck into this page. Paul's hairstyle and facial hair are reminiscient of Harley Race. The belts on the wall are all designs of real belts that were in service at one point or another, and the Wrestleland IV and V posters in the background are obvious references to Wrestlemania. I'm proud that I was willing to draw all the background detail. I like to take shortcuts on that sort of thing, but Paul's office actually feels alive and lived-in, which is a nice change from a lot of my backgrounds.