My intentions for "Jesse Contra Los Luchadores" is to first and foremost be a repository of all things related to lucha libre in the world of media such as comics, films, books, etc. Secondly, engulfing that, I am also keenly interested in bizarre, obscure, forgotten, and/or the ridiculous, and love to share things in that field as well. Lastly, I love México and the Spanish language. These are the things I will be covering here, and I hope you have fun following along.
Who am I?
I was born in Baldwin Park, California in 1982, and four years later I was kidnapped by a pack of wild Sasquatch and forced to live in Spokane, Washington. I have been here ever since. I am in college, currently pursuing a degree in Spanish. I am an avid artist, I love to play guitar and bass, I am an awesome backgammon player, and I collect movies, particularly older films.
My ridiculous DVD collection!
What is Lucha Libre?
Lucha Libre (roughly meaning free wrestling) is much like wrestling in the US, but with much more acrobatics and high flying moves. Some luchadores wear unique masks and go by an alias. Lucha Libre started in the early 1900s, and some luchadores, such as Santo and Blue Demon, have passed on their masks on to the next generation, creating a familial legacy. These masks are generally never removed in public, and some luchadores have gone so far as to be buried wearing their symbol.
Lucha VaVoom, baby!
How is Lucha Libre also a genre of film?
In the 1950s, México began getting involved heavily into film, and just like the US, had a whole slew of fun science fiction and horror films. Someone had the bright idea to introduce these well known luchador celebrities into the films, creating a new genre. These movies are fun, sometimes silly, tongue-in-cheek, and full of action. The lucha films would also branch into the spy/espionage genre. These film star luchadores also made their way into comic books. Also known as fotonovelas, many of these comics were photographed and an artist would render special effects and monsters into the images, as well as add dialogue. We would also see traditionally drawn comics as well. Some of the more popular comic books starring luchadores have been Santo, Blue Demon, and Tinieblas.
Santo... or Rocketeer?!
Some of these films have a definite vibe similar to that of the 1960s Batman television series, or even that of The Green Hornet. These films also share a similar vein to that of Japanese Tokusatsu and Kaiju films and television as well. 
Where do you find these movies?
I use several sources to find these films: Amazon.com, eBay.com, and Half.com. My major tactic is essentially waiting to find a film at a cost I can live with. I try not to spend too much money on these films.
Can you copy a DVD for me?
I've purchased all my dvds, and made sure to get only legitimate copies of these lucha films. Sorry, but I won't make any copies for you.
How can I contact you?
E-mail me at jesse.acosta@gmail.com. You can also twitter me, my username is JesseJAcosta.
