Every week thecubsfan puts up a post with a bunch of videos for people to watch either via download or on youtube. I assume the documentaries and talk shows are usually ignored and instead most people just go watch the Diamond Girls wrestling and ignore most of the rest of the stuff. Well hate to break it to y’all but this feature was entertaining as it showed how lucha libre posters are made as well as several collectors, promoters and others who are involved in this side of lucha libre.

We start off with Dragon Lee opening the show working out his Mistico spots…He’s gonna be a star!

WAITAMINUTE!!!! That’s not Dragon Lee its a kid named Edwin and he’s doing Mistico spots. Well young Edwin, maybe in 8 years you can be the New Mistico, but we’ll have to get a new Fray Tormenta to hand you the mask.

After seeing young Edwin doing his best Mistico impersonation we go to Joel Flores’ printing press warehouse were he talks about how he got started in doing lucha posters.

He gets a call from Justiciero who now promotes shows at Coliseo Coacalco. That screenshot above shows up quickly when Mr. Flores takes Justiciero’s call. A nice way to decorate a fire extinguisher! Justiciero needs flyers for an upcoming show with Dr. Cerebro vs. Magnifico in a hair match. Black Terry Jr. filmed that match (Part 1, 2 and 3). He gives him the lineup over the phone.

Next they talk to Patricia Munoz, who is part of a family that is known as the “Familia Payol” (more on that name later). She talks about how she got into the family business and how they had one client that would come in every Monday for up to 7 posters. She also mentions they use to print the Arena Mexico show posters. Not only did they print posters for the promoters but flyers and tickets.

They then show a few designers with one talking about how the posters are slowly disappearing. They have a few artists and collectors who talk about the posters as artwork. Long-time lucha libre collector Christian Cymet talks about how he started collecting flyers/posters since the age of 7 and has over 100,000! They discuss the changes on flyers and posters over the year with the one noticeable difference was that they added a drawing of luchadores doing certain moves like an abdominal stretch or some other type of submission hold.

They show how the drawings were added by getting the photos off the magazines and then someone would draw it (trace over it). Then they’d add it onto a wood-looking block to use on the printing press. Looking at all those wood blocks, they’d make a great lucha libre inspired wall piece. (Back when I was looking over cafepress, one of the product options they had were ceramic tiles. Basically, you could put a logo or a photo on it and they would print it onto it and make it available. I thought kcidis artwork would make a killer kitchen backsplash for a big lucha libre fan.)

They take us through different processes of making the posters. From how they add the drawings, to the different letters as well as types of lettering used. They talk about how one mistake, one forgotten or wrong letter leads to them having to re-do the process and judging from all the letters they have and just the old way of pressing the posters, seems like a lot more work.

Cesar Moreno, part of the Moreno family that runs IWRG out of Arena Naucalpan, talks about having a drawing made from one of those blocks of his father, Adolfo “El Pirata” Moreno.

They mention that a lot of the lettering you see (in picture above) are very old. They discuss the style of letter font that became known as “Luchita Payol” and were it started, how it became used by graphic designers, and how it got its name.

Mr. Flores mentions that most of the bigger stars in lucha libre have short names and recommends anyone getting into lucha libre to pick a short name to improve your odds or making it. He says he tells wrestlers with long names to come up with something shorter because it puts him and his staff in a bad situation since the name might not fit on a poster.

They interview the Moreno family that runs IWRG in Naucalpan as I previously mentioned they interviewed Cesar and earlier they also interviewed Marco Antonio Moreno. Marco Antonio Moreno’s better known as the booker/promoter, while Cesar is listed as a promoter, but most fans probably know him best as the ring announcer. They also introduce us to another family member, who helps in promoting and that is Ivannia Moreno, who I believe is Marco’s daughter. She only mentions her father promotes and that her grandfather use to be the promoter (Adolfo Moreno), but they don’t specify if she’s Marco or Cesar’s daughter. I’m going with Marco because she has similar facial features.

She talks about keeping IWRG’s style similar to what her grandfather wanted in it being a traditional lucha libre style. More sport than entertainment. She says they do try to keep things fresh. She mentions the numerous ways they try to promote their shows from using social media like facebook, to TV and radio to using posters.

They show a couple of guys hard at work placing posters late in the evening around the city.

They talk about the decline in business with the new ways of creating flyers and posters.

Mini Black Shadow picks up of some flyers at the warehouse.

They discuss the change in today’s mentality among people who make flyers and posters and how the old guard viewed it as art and now younger people doing it just want to make it as quickly as possible and now even someone who designs goes that route because he feels rushed into doing it.

They end the show by airing some of the Coliseo Coacalco matches with Mr. Flores attending. Earlier in the show when he was taking in the call from El Justiciero, he mentioned while the main event was being told to him that it would be a good match. He’s a fan and contributes in his own way to lucha libre.

Definitely a fun show to watch if you want to know a little more about how they make posters and see 2020 Mistico and Ivannia Moreno probably sealing the 2012 La Tapatia Best-looking Promoter award (clearly Konnan nor Panico will be winning this year) with her appearance on this tv show!