By Luis Monteagudo Jr.
For San Diegan Oscar Gutierrez, Friday at Comic-Con was a triumphant homecoming.
He’s better known as professional wrestler Rey Mysterio and on Friday he held court in the middle of a packed Comic-Con exhibit hall at the San Diego Convention Center.
Mysterio was signing autographs and taking photos with fans, appearing at Comic-Con for the first time in a few years. His appearance drew a long line of fans who had started gathering about an hour before his appearance.
“It’s awesome, man,” said Mysterio. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here so it’s really good to be back home.”
Mysterio was just one of a several professional wrestlers who were scheduled to appear at Comic-Con. The juncture of wrestling and comics was joined about 10 years ago by Masked Republic.
The company has grown from selling one comic for about $10 its first year to offering a wide array of products, including wrestling comics, graphic novels and posters. For them, Comic-Con is the place to be.
“There’s nothing that has the same feel that Comic-Con does,” said Masked Republic creator and writer Michael Kingston. “It’s got a level of respectability.”
Luis Monteagudo Jr. is a freelance writer and pop culture enthusiast who has attended Comic-Con for more than 20 years. He has written for The San Diego Union-Tribune, USA Today and numerous other publications.
