The Genius Lanny Poffo: The Smartest Man in Comics!

Lanny Poffo was a favorite of mine from my early years following wrestling.  Many years later, as an adult, I had the honor of interviewing Lanny for a story in Lerner Newspapers.  Lanny could not have been nicer and I am proud to say we became friends.

Lanny enjoyed success as fan favorite "Leaping" Lanny, the Poet Laureate of the WWF and later as "The Genius," a heel character.  The WWF never revealed Lanny as Randy Savage's brother, although occasionally the announcers hinted at it.

Lanny's match with Hulk Hogan is always remembered fondly by all, because it was a fantastic match which really showcased Lanny's in-ring ability.  On the other hand, The Genius really allowed Lanny to shine outside of the ring.

Despite all of the wrestling books out there, Lanny's story has never been fully told until now.  The Genius Lanny Poffo - Wrestling's Smartest Man! is the comic biography of Lanny written by my friend John Crowther.  Through in-depth interviews and conversations, John brings Lanny's story to life.

A wrestling historian and writer, John has previously published comic biographies of The Killer Bees, Nikolai Volkoff and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, with more definitely in the works.  The series is illustrated by Randolph Dixon and Alan McMillian, with colors by Andrew Pate.

Fans can also get involved through a Kickstarter campaign to support the effort.  As always, any donation is appreciated and there are rewards that go with different levels of donations, one of which is a personal poem written by Lanny.  How cool is that?

I am so excited about the Lanny Poffo comic biography and the whole series, too.  This is such a unique concept.  Wrestling easily lends itself to comics and nothing like this has ever been done in this complete style.  I also have to add that John and his crew have skipped the usual beginner mistakes.  The comics produced so far have exceeded expectations on every level.

I hope to meet John someday soon (perhaps at a comic con?).  Oddly, I have met the all of wrestlers he has in his series, but I have not met him.  We need to change that.

You can find more info and (hopefully) make a pledge at The Genius Lanny Poffo - Wrestling's Smartest Man! on Kickstarter.  You can also get news and updates on the Squared Circle Comics Facebook page.  Remember though, the only way to guarantee you will get a copy is to pre-order from Kickstarter.

Lanny Poffo and me in Kokomo, IN-October 2007.

Celebrity Rookie Cards #1: Lanny Poffo & Trish Stratus

Many of my fellow bloggers do awesome work creating virtual cards of all types. I'm sure I am leaving some out, but my favorites are Birth Year Cards and Cards That Never Were (at White Sox Cards), Chachi Cards (at The Phillies Room), random card creations and corrections (at Wrigley Wax), Final Tribute cards (at Garvey, Cey, Russell and Lopes) and random stuff (at Punk Rock Paint).
I wanted to attempt something on my own to work on my PhotoShop skills (which are mediocre at best) and to have a unique series which reflects the scope of Johngy's Beat. I decided to do a card series of celebrities who have worn jerseys at some point. I would use the card design for the year after the person's professional debut. I realize the pictures versus card year might present time-travel issues, but these Celebrity Rookie Cards are not perfect, but they are my attempt at the world of virtual cards.
With all of the best intentions, I screwed up (like a rookie) on my first attempt. I made a Trish Stratus birth year card, instead of rookie card. After I realized the error, I then encountered a logo problem I couldn't overcome on the proposed rookie card, so I went to the Maestro, Steve at White Sox Cards for some help. Steve produced the masterpiece incredibly fast and precise.
While my goal is still to do these on my own, I reserve the right to call for help on occasion. I also invite anyone else to join the insanity if the mood should strike. The concept is easy, rookie cards of celebrities wearing jerseys (no fair PhotoShopping this part...the celeb must have actually worn the jersey).
Without further adieu, I present my first attempts at Celebrity Rookie Cards.

Lanny Poffo was born in the Chicago area and remains a Cubs fan. I have met Poffo several times. I had the pleasure of interviewing him for an article and working with him on a literacy ad series.

Trish Stratus is a native of Canada. She is a big fan of the Maple Leafs and appeared in their merchandise catalog a few years back.

My wrong year version of a Trish Stratus Celebrity Rookie Card.The correct Trish Stratus Celebrity Rookie Card (thanks to Steve).

Johngy in Print

As my faithful readers (and aren't you all faithful readers?) know, in a past professional life, I worked for Lerner Newspapers. Towards the end of my glorious 17+ year run there and under the Editorial tutelage of an offbeat (but extremely wise) Managing Editor (Laurie), I occasionally contributed a guest column.
A few days ago, I wrote about Lanny Poffo's first book, Wrestling with Rhyme. It was actually Poffo's second book, Limericks from the Heart (and Lungs) which lead to an interview and subsequent article about him and the book.
I wrote to Poffo and asked him if he would appear in our ad series promoting literacy. Poffo agreed and even wrote one of his famous poems for the ad. He also gave me an hour long interview about his life and the book.
Poffo is a native of the Chicago area (Downers Grove) and is still well-known in this area. The article received an excellent response from our readers. Laurie knew her readers and trusted (and helped) me to write a good piece.
I am very proud of this article. I talked to Poffo and his father Angelo shortly after the piece ran and both were very happy with it as well. I was speechless. Here I was talking to two wrestling legends and they were thanking me for writing a good piece. It doesn't get much better than that.

My guest column on Lanny Poffo from the Lerner Times-September 4, 2004.

Literati Glitterati

This is a new series on celebrity authors.

I got to know Lanny Poffo several years ago, when he agreed to appear in an education ad series I ran while at Lerner Newspapers. Poffo not only appeared in the ad, he produced a special poem and he gave me a lengthy phone interview. As always, Poffo went above and beyond.
During the early part of Poffo's career with the WWE, he recited poems (that he wrote) about his opponents. Poffo was the Poet Laureate of the WWE. In 1988, those poems, along with others that Poffo had written about wrestlers and other topics, were compiled into one book, Wrestling With Rhyme.
Even now, 20+ years later, this book is fun to read. Whether Poffo is talking about the kilt of Roddy or Jesse the Body, whether he writes about attitude or gratitude, whether the topic is his dad, mom and brother or any other, Poffo is at his wittiest best. The images, nostalgia and life lessons come across brilliantly without being overbearing.
He even put in a couple poems on smoking. This surely was an omen of things to come with his second book, Limericks From the Heart (and Lungs), which I will feature here at a future point.
Recently, I asked Poffo about the reaction he got from other wrestlers. His response was typical Lanny Poffo.
Some of the wrestlers reactions were to take drugs and die young. One became Governor of Minnesota. Still others just moved on. I've learned not to be too concerned about the reactions of wrestlers. Poetry expresses my individuality and I consider myself to be a human being first and a wrestler second.
To me, that statement speaks volumes about the man behind the poems. It's no wonder that when I interviewed others for the article, everyone from his former teacher Mrs. Mochel to other wrestlers to fans, all spoke of his integrity, his compassion and his love for life.
When I was younger, I enjoyed Leaping Lanny's athleticism and his poems. I thought he was superb as 'The Genius'. However, none of that compares to meeting Poffo and being fortunate enough to call Lanny a friend. You can't walk away from meeting Poffo with anything but a smile and you can't read this book and not feel good about things.

The Poffo family:mom Judy, brother Randy, father Angelo and brother Lanny in FL-early 00's.

Happy Birthday to Lanny Poffo

Today is a special day. It is the birthday of a true gentleman, Lanny Poffo. Poffo, the son of Angelo Poffo and the younger brother of Randy Savage, grew up in Downers Grove (IL). Poffo was a star athlete before he entered pro wrestling. He started in the NWA territories, but enjoyed real success in International Championship Wrestling (ICW).
In 1985, Poffo and Savage joined the WWF (now WWE), soon after the ICW folded. In the WWF, Poffo was known as Leaping Lanny Poffo, the Poet Laureate. He read poems (that he wrote) about his opponents before matches. Poffo was quite a high-flyer, being one of the first wrestlers in the U.S. to use the moonsault. After a few years, he took on the persona of 'the Genius', a cap and gown-wearing bad guy.
Poffo has released 2 books of poems. The first, 'Wrestling with Rhyme', is a collection of the poems he wrote about his fellow WWF wrestlers. The second, 'Limericks from the Heart (and Lungs!)', is filled with 335 anti-smoking limericks, all very amusing! Both books can be enjoyed by all ages.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Poffo a little bit, when he agreed to appear in Lerner Newspapers' Newspaper In Education ad series. Poffo graciously allowed me to interview him for a companion article. Poffo's ad was highly praised by our readers (more about that in a future post). I had the pleasure of meeting Poffo at a Wrestling Reunion. We talked at length and I walked away even more impressed. Poffo is so genuinely nice.
I have briefly summarized Poffo's career, but he is not simply defined by his wrestling career. He is an author, poet, motivational speaker, counselor, father and more. For me, I am grateful I can call him a friend!
Happy Birthday, Lanny!

Lanny Poffo and me in Tampa, FL-January 2008.