Friday, January 17, 2020

AJ Mendez Brooks and More GLOW

I have written several times about AJ Lee. AJ is a former wrestler who has transcended the wrestling scene and moved into the mainstream. AJ might also be known as her real name AJ Mendez or AJ Brooks, her married name.
Growing up in a dysfunctional home, AJ suffered mental issues. AJ's life started to turn for the better when she was properly diagnosed as bipolar.
When she started her career in pro wrestling, she battled stereotypes, but refused to change. Her stance paid off, as she became a successful and popular wrestler.
After leaving wrestling, AJ wrote her autobiography Crazy is My Super Power. It is a bit of a rough read, as AJ tells of her struggles and efforts to remove the stigma from mental illness. It is a wonderful book and I thanked AJ for writing it when I met her at a National Alliance on Mental Illness event where she spoke.
AJ's latest project combines her love for comic books and her efforts to be and create a positive role model for young girls. Teaming with actress Aimee Garcia, the pair co-wrote a four part comic book series based on GLOW. In GLOW vs. The Babyface, the women created strong diverse female characters.
It's an interesting series and having AJ and Aimee aboard brings a little extra publicity to it. They aren't figurehead writers though. They dug in deep and really worked on this series. The product is great. Comics fans have greeted it warmly and the ladies are rightly proud.
The second part was recently released and is another winner. I look forward to the final two issues.
Putting a comic book on a Great Reads list is a bit unorthodox. I prefaced its inclusion by stating these were for quicker, lighter reading. I also including a comic book featuring the legendary Svengoolie, as well as a couple illustrated by my artist friend Sara Richard.
Fun reads don't have to be huge novels and you don't have to be a kid to enjoy a comic book. There is room on my bookshelf for all sorts of literature. The comic I selected all had special meaning to me. The list must be okay, because Great Reads 2019 became one of the most viewed blogs in GT history and nobody complained about the comic books.
You can follow AJ at @TheAJMendez on twitter. Check with your local comic book store for GLOW vs. The Babyface.
AJ Lee and me in Wilmette, IL-May 2019.

No comments: