Wrestlemania – Lord of the Rings (Pt. II) – MK Stangeland Jr.

(Previously, the KINGPIN attempted to take over SQUARED CIRCLE WRESTLING with the assistance of HAMMERHEAD as part of his effort to seize control of the entirety of the nations professional wrestling.

After an initial hostile takeover attempt was rebuffed, MURDOCH and REILLY have decided that the best way to strike back would be for the SQUARED CIRCLE WRESTLING ‘team’ to break in to WRESTLEMANIA – which KINGPIN already has his hands on - and hijack a spot in the show. They are currently backstage at the event.)

(6 Panels)

Panel 1: MURDOCH and REILLY stand backstage at WRESTLEMANIA along with as many of the SCW regulars as can be seen. REILLY looks like he’s still recovering from having been thrown out a window (it was a very hostile takeover attempt).

On the floor are the unconscious bodies of the people the SCW people beat up in order to secure their current position.

MURDOCH: ‘Step 2 – Sneak into the backstage area and hijack another wrestlers entrance is now complete.’

REILLY: Now we just need to wait for them to announce this guy and make our entrance!

Panel 2: MURDOCH and REILLY look at JACK HEART, who has an arm half-heartedly up in the air.

JACK HEART (1): Question.

JACK HEART (2): What’s going to keep them from throwing all of us out the moment we show our faces?

Panel 3: Pulled out shot to show all the members of SCW who are present.

REILLY: Aside from numbers?

Panel 4: Return to position of PANEL 2, though JACK HEART no longer has his hand half-way in the air.

MURDOCH: They wouldn’t dare try. To throw us out would be an affront to the proud tradition of Wrestlemania!

JACK HEART: Uh…isn’t this an affront to the proud tradition of Wrestlemania?

Panel 5: MURDOCH and REILLY look at each other.

MURDOCH: A twist surprise appearance by an unexpected challenger?

REILLY: Competitors with a grudge and something to prove?

Panel 6: MURDOCH and REILLY wave off JACK HEART’s concern.

MURDOCH: I’m pretty sure this is right up Wrestlemania’s ally.

REILLY: Fan’s will love it.

(END PAGE)

(To be continued…???)

The Kingpin – Lord of the Rings (Pt. I) – MK Stangeland Jr.

(9 Panels)

Panel 1: Nighttime in New York City, where WILSON FISK, the KINGPIN, sits in a dimly lit office (done so for ambiance). He looks relaxed as he sits at his desk and smokes a rather large cigar.

HAMMERHEAD is standing on the other side of the desk.

HAMMERHEAD: And with the acquisition of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, your empire de facto controls every Professional Wrestling organization in the country.

HAMMERHEAD (2): With the exception of one.

Panel 2: KINGPIN looks particularly displeased. HAMMERHEAD doesn’t seem to understand why KINGPIN is upset, if he even recognizes that his boss is upset.

KINGPIN: Can you explain this discrepancy?

HAMMERHEAD: It’s a relatively obscure league known as Square Circle Wrestling. Not nearly as large a following as the WWE or Chikara. It didn’t seem worth the value it would take to obtain it.

Panel 3: KINGPIN stands from his chair. The action should carry a great deal of weight in spite of the simplicity of it.

KINGPIN: Hammerhead, was I misunderstood?

HAMMERHEAD: Sir?

Panel 4: KINGPIN leans forwards a little so that he is using his hands to support his upper body weight on the desk. His cigar is out of his mouth and being held between two fingers on one hand.

KINGPIN: When I said I wanted you to conduct an operation where my various businesses gained control of every pro-wrestling organization in the country, was I not clear about the part where I wanted to control every pro-wrestling organization?

HAMMERHEAD: Uh…no, sir.

Panel 5: Glare of KINGPIN’s face. Close up.

KINGPIN: Then why the discrepancy with this “Square Circle Wrestling”?

Panel 6: Beat Panel. HAMMERHEAD looks at KINGPIN.

Panel 7: HAMMERHEAD points to the door behind him with both hands.

HAMMERHEAD: I’ll go get right on that.

Panel 8: KINGPIN sits back in his chair as HAMMERHEAD rushes out the door.

Panel 9: KINGPIN puts the cigar back in his mouth.

KINGPIN: Idiot.

(To be continued…)

Unknown Soldier - Hailing From - Ben Rosenthal

Two things - yes I did write this to take place in the SCW universe and yes it will be drawn up as an actual SCW strip down the line.  Hey, I have deadlines and need to multi task!

1.  The SCW Ring Announcer is standing in the ring.  Alongside him is a man in a soldier’s uniform, but with a black, emotionless mask over his face.  Reilly and Murdoch are in the commentary box in the bottom right of the panel (separate panel as always).  Reilly looks pleased with himself while Murdoch looks to be questioning.

RING ANNOUNCER

Introducing, and standing to my right--

MURDOCH

Kind of a cheesy uniform you chose for him Reilly.

2.  The Solider is saluting as the Ring Announcer reads off his stats.  In the commentator’s box Murdoch is appalled at the lack of imagination Reilly has used.

RING ANNOUNCER

Standing at an unknown height and hailing from places unknown, he is—

MURDOCH

How can he have an unknown height?  He’s standing right next to him? 

This character could not get any worse.

3.  The Soldier is completing his salute while the Ring Announcer finishes calling his name.  In the commentator’s box Reilly is looking pleased with himself.  Murdoch has slammed his head on the desk.  Hard. 

RING ANNOUNCER

THE UNKNOWN SOLIDER!

Squared Circle Comics - Ray Wonsowski (the American Zombie) - ...this is so wrong...

Panel 1 - In the foreground we see our two regular announcers standing off to the side, looking more than a little put off.  The reason is because a new announcer is front and center.  He resembles Peter Sellars as Inspector Cluseau in the first Pink Panther movie, and he is completely manic with excitement.  Behind him, we see the Parisian skyline, the Eiffel Tower prominent.  In the upper corners we see the four grimacing faces of the combatants:  On the left, two shaved heads with awesome brown muttonchoppy beards, one wearing the top of a bear head on top of his skull, the other with a strawberry birthmark in the shape of the hammer and sickle above his eyebrow.  On the right, a dark-skinned face with a sombrero and an equally awesome handlebar mustache curled at the ends, and an orange and yellow flaming luchador mask.

FRENCH ANNOUNCER:  Bienvenue, ladies and gentlemen, live from gay Paree, to zee match of zee ages, zee tag-team to end all zee tag-teams...

FRENCH ANNOUNCER:  STEREOTYPE-O-MANIA!!!

Panel 2 - The French announcer is in the lower right-hand corner, screaming into the camera, one sweeping arm gesturing to the wrestlers.  We see the four wrestlers in their full regalia regarding him with expressions ranging from "you-gotta-be-kidding-me" disgust to "you-gotta-be-kidding-me" boredom.  Let the artist get as ridiculous with the costumes as he wants, based on the names, but they should stand left to right in the order they are announced, the luchador last.

FRENCH ANNOUNCER:  Zee insanity begins when Vladimir "zee Bear" Gulagsky and Boris "Nyet-Nyet" Borscht face off in zee ring against Santiago "Greasy" Zapato and Pedro "La Tortilla del Diablo" Garcia!!  Zoot-Allors!!!

Panel 3 - Foreground, La Tortilla del Diablo and Nyet-Nyet are happily/angrily tying the French announcer, who looks both pained and frazzled and is sporting a black eye, into a pretzel knot.  In the background we see the regular announcers, the Bear, and Greasy talking amongst themselves.  Greasy is clapping his hands and dancing in remembered glee.

ANNOUNCER 1:  So, we on for bridge later?

THE BEAR:  Can't.  Got tickets for "Faust" at the Orpheum.

GREASY:  Oooh!  That theatre has the BEST cappucinos...

FRENCH ANNOUNCER:  (weakly) I surrender...!

EL FIN

Squared Circle Comics - Drug Test - Niel Jacoby

Panel 1: CLEAN LIVIN' CARNEGIE and his manager/trainer BRUISER are standing in front of a bathroom stall. CARNEGIE is nervous, and BRUISER is reassuring him.

Carnegie: BUT BRUISER, I'M NOT SURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE THE SWITCH IN TIME!

Bruiser: AH, IT'LL BE FINE. I GOT THE CLEAN SAMPLE RIGHT HERE. JUST GO IN THERE SO THEY DON'T GET SUSPICIOUS.

Panel 2: Carnegie is in the stall, and the door is closed. BRUISER is relaxed.

Carnegie: EEEGGGHHHAAAAAAAA

Bruiser: WHASSA MATTER? TOO MANY LATE NIGHTS? EH-HEH. DON'T WORRY, KID!

Panel 3: Same viewpoint, but zoomed out enough so we can see that steam is rising over the top of the stall. BRUISER is dumbstruck.

SFX: WHIIIIIIIIIIII-

Bruiser: JEEZIS, KID, WHAT'S IN THAT STUFF?

Carnegie: AAAAAAAAAAAGH

Squared Circle Comics - Square vs. Circle - J.D. Coughlan

Alright, so in college my friends and I also came up with a little comic series called "Circle and Square" which was also just three panels long. The similarities (all two of them) are striking. I felt this warranted a crossover.

Panel 1: Circle (a circle with eyes, a mouth, stick arms and legs, and a little hat) stands in one corner of the ring, across from Square (same as Circle, except he's a square). Circle is scared, Square is confident.

NO DIALOGUE

Panel 2: Circle, with his eyes shut in fear, slaps Square. Square is shocked.

NO DIALOGUE

Panel 3: Square is holding a smoking gun, rubbing his "face." Circle lies on the floor, X's for eyes.

NO DIALOGUE

END OF PAGE

This is actually a lot more tame than how most of our comics ended. I now leave you to ask yourselves "Who let this guy in?"

Squared Circle Comics – What An Entrance – Shaun Richens.

One page.

Three Panels equal sized panels. All three panels have a small panel inlaid in the bottom right hand side.

1. Ripper is walking down to the ring. The huge screen behind him shows his entrance video. Smoke is billowing up around his feet.

1.1 The commentators stand behind a desk. They both look really excited by the appearance of Ripper. They are smiling and energetic.

         Commentator:

         It’s Ripper! I cannot believe he’s here tonight!

2. Ripper has moved a tiny bit further down the ramp towards ringside. He looks menacing and powerful.

         CAPTION:

         Ten minutes later.

2.2 The commentators are now sat behind the desk. The enthusiasm has drained from their faces however.

3. Ripper finally enters the ring. He stands tall, microphone in hand.

         CAPTION:

         One hour later.

         RIPPER:

I am here tonight for one reason…

3.3 One of the commentators has fallen asleep at the desk; the other has his chin resting on it, with only one eye open. The SCW logo is on display in the bottom right corner.

         COMMENTATOR:

Thank you for joining us on SCW tonight. That’s all the time we have. See you next week.

Squared Circle Comics – Back In My Day! – MK Stangeland Jr.

(3 Panels)

Panel 1: MURDOCH and REILLY are interviewing an older-looking wrestler – JAMES ‘THE WRINGER’ JENKINS – though they don’t look like they’re too pleased to be doing it. THE WRINGER is going off on an old-man style rant, though his words are in the background behind everyone, making it so that the reader can only get an idea about what he’s going on about, if that.

THE WRINGER: You call this wrestling? This ain’t no wrestling! This is fancy-pants money-charged four-sided theater, that’s what it is! Back in my day, wrestling was WRESTLING! None of these silly gimmicks! The wrestlers WERE the gimmick! And not just anybody got a fancy nickname, no sir-ry! If you went by a nickname, it meant you’d earned it! And scripts? You better believe that nobody ever had a script! Nobody! We didn’t need no scripts! Not even the announcers! Everything was…

MURDOCH: We are back with a ‘special’ interview with one of wrestling’s oldest title champions. Mr. James Jenkins, better known as ‘The Wringer’.

REILLY: Mr. James Jenkins, better known as ‘The Wringer’.

REILLY: Also the only SWC Champion to ever willingly give up his championship title.

Panel 2: THE WRINGER looks like he’s fallen asleep mid-sentence. MURDOCH and REILLY look at him in confusion.

MURDOCH: ?

REILLY: ?

THE WRINGER: zzzzz…

Panel 3: THE WRINGER wakes up suddenly, causing MURDOCH and REILLY to jump out of their seats away from him in shock.

THE WRINGER: AND THAT’S HOW WE LIKED IT!

(END)

Squared Circle Wrestling- 24/7 -Dan Hill

I really like the character of Puno and something he said in one of the earlier strips resonated, and so I present my magnum opus. This strip is a ‘prequel’ of sorts, set just before the first strip.  

Panel 1

We are in a convenience store sometime after midnight. In the foreground of the shot is a shelf, its back facing us. On the other side of the shelving, peering through a gap in the stock is a very paranoid looking PUNO. He wears his mask and a trenchcoat (this is Puno’s version of incognito).

Behind Puno, lining the wall, is the freezer section of the store.

NO COPY

Panel 2

We are further along the aisle now. Puno raises himself up on his tiptoes, peering from behind the shelving like a Meerkat looking for whatever’s on the next rung up the food chain.

Behind him, standing next to one of the freezers, we can just make out a STORE CLERK holding a mop in his hand. The clerks garish uniform is complimented by his greasy hair, pale flesh and impressive collection of zits.

STORE CLERK:  Um...Sir...

Panel 2A

Tight on PUNO as he slips, legs flying, arms flailing. Physics in action.  

PUNO:  Aiiiee!

Panel 3

We are now clear of the shelving in the foreground but the viewpoint is still fixed looking towards the freezer section and the store clerk. The clerk holds his mop and looks down, off panel.

PUNO (OFF PANEL):  Avenge me.

Squared Circle Wrestling - The Hot Seat - Grant McLaughlin

Love the comic, Ben. Like you, I've also fallen in love with Swingie, so I hope you'll excuse me if I explore his “secret origins” a bit.

1 – Swingie and Mrs. Swingie are at home, eating dinner. Their home is small and a little run down, but it's theirs, which makes it special. Swingie is contentedly eating his meal, while Mrs. S looks like her mind is occupied by something other than their food. Please keep in mind that although Swingie is a foldout chair, Mrs. S is actually a buxom card table.  The two are eating dinner at another, (albeit) inanimate table.

MRS. SWINGIE: Swingie?

SWINGIE: Hmm?

2 – Mrs. S reaches out to hold one of Swingie's hands; her other hand is on her stomach (if card tables can have those). She has an imploring look on her face. Swingy looks back at her, and recognizing the seriousness of the situation, wears a sympathetic expression.

MRS. SWINGIE (1): I know working at SCW is your dream job, but I'm worried that we won't have enough money to make ends meet.

MRS. SWINGIE (2): Especially with our little ones on the way.

SWINGIE: Don't worry, honey. I'm working my way up the ladder. Sure, right now I'm just the technical difficulties guy, but if I play my cards right, soon I could be in honest to goodness matches. Chair matches. TLC matches. Or even headlining the main event...

MRS. SWINGIE: I'm just worried that soon might not come soon enough.

3 – Swingie stands up and goes around the table to his sweetheart. He kisses her reassuringly on the forehead (table edge?). While still concerned, Mrs. S puts on a brave face for her hubby.

SWINGIE (1): I'm sure an opportunity to distinguish myself will come along sooner than you think.

SWINGIE (2): And when it does, I'll keep your words in mind. But now I gotta get going. It's Entertainmania tonight, after all.

Squared Circle – The Quickening – Ryan K Lindsay

Click to see whole strip

1. Those two announcers are talking to us. I don’t know their names, you do, draw them.

Announcer 1: Wow, I cannot believe Moneyshot Lindsay is stepping back into the ring for this bout.

Announcer 2: It is for The Quickening, [insert name here if they have names], there’s no way he’d let 3-Star Rosenthal take it without it getting physical.

2. 3-Star Rosenthal stands in his corner ready to go. Here’s the fun, let’s make Ben a wrestler. I’m thinking denim overalls, with the ass flap open revealing pink underwear, maybe some sort of lame mask or hat. You hate him as much as I do, let’s tear him apart.

Caption: “This. Is. Going. To. Be. INSANITY!”

3-Star: I wonder why they call him--

3. Insert sneak attack SFX panel with MONEYSHOT written vertically. Should homage the old Batman POWS, y’know? Panel is only about 1cm wide or so.

4. 3-Star has been blown back, he is tangled up in the ropes, he’s upside-down, his pert little ass is facing us. An announcer is standing at the side of the ring. I don’t care which one (pick your favourite) and I don’t care exactly where he stands.

Announcer ?: Wow, he really took that right across his chest like a champ!

Squared Circle Comics - Forty Three - Ben Rosenthal

I love it when I can multi-task.  Below is the ACTUAL script for SCW this coming Tuesday night/Wednesday (depending on your timezone and Mike Perry's paralysed hand).  You may want to read the previous strips leading up to this particular one. Also, I crave hits.

FORTY THREE

1. Technical Difficulties panel, with Swingy beaten and bloody, laying on the ground unconscious.

2.  Jack Heart is standing in the middle of the ring, once again SCW Champion.

2a. The Commentator’s booth. Reilly is weeping.

MURDOCH

What a night folks! Jack Heart is once again the NEW SCW Champion!

REILLY

Shockmaster....

MURDOCH

Thank you for being a part of Entertanimania, and we will see you tomorrow night for the Entertainmania fallout!

3.  The commentator’s panel. Reilly and Murdoch are talking between themselves.

VOICE (off panel)

And we are off air!

REILLY

Think we got away with the ‘Technical Difficulties’ thing?

MURDOCH

You mean the fact that we had no idea where we were going with this match so made up a stupid mascot to distract people’s attention whilst at the same time taking their money?

REILLY

I love the way you summarise plots!

MURDOCH

Whilst using correct English!

Why Squared Circle Wrestling?

Squared-Circle-Comics.com

Oh come on now...it’s been two years and not one of us has used this site to get some extra traffic to their projects.  It had to happen in the end.

Squared Circle Wrestling is a bi-weekly comic written by myself (Ben Rosenthal) and drawn by the uber talented Mike Perry.  It is a comic about wrestling – commentaries on what makes wrestling great, and what makes it not so great.

As a special incentive, the strips posted by our tenured writers, and perhaps those written by you at home, may in fact appear on the site.  If I can be bothered...which I totally can be. Perhaps.

I really don’t want to get into what I personally think of the comics I wrote (they’re awesome, by the way) and would really appreciate it if you could have a look, read a few and ‘Like’ the page on the .

Wrestling fan or no, here's hoping you enjoy the tenured writer's attempts to strike down my mighty ego.