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    GVN Talking Comics Exclusive: Humanoids ‘TOTAL SUPLEX OF THE HEART’ By Joanne Starer And Ornella Greco

    Illustrated book cover titled "Total Suplex of the Heart" featuring two characters and a championship belt design. Logos for Humanoids and Life Drawn are displayed in the bottom corners.

    Back in March of 2023, I had the pleasure of speaking to writer Joanne Starer for her Ahoy series The Gimmick. Joanne is a talented writer with a background in the pro-wrestling world and a love for comics. She used those experiences to create a great mix of heroes and wrestling into an entertaining comic book series. Coming this month, Joanne is once again bringing her expertise into a new graphic novel for Humanoids called Total Suplex of the Heart partnering with Italian artist Ornella Greco. (In truth, they had me with wrestling, Joanne’s dialogue and unique point of view, and Ornella’s whimsical art. They even included a nice homage to Bonnie Tyler’s, Total Eclipse of the Heart for the title.) 

    ‘Total Suplex of the Heart’ Synopsis

    Georgie is a free-lance journalist, who decides to dive headfirst into the fast-paced world of pro wrestling only to confront the complicated nature of growing up as a young woman in a male-dominated world. But glowing up isn’t the same as growing up. Georgie’s always been nerdy: Teased by jocks, spending her lunchtime with a comic in hand, and falling in love with wrestling from Saturday nights on the couch with her dad. But that was then – this is now!

    She has graduated from school and is working as a freelance journalist. To convince her mom that she has a “real job,” she goes undercover in the local hardcore wrestling scene to research a story. Along the way, she becomes deeply involved in the drama, both inside and outside the ring. As she forms new friendships and possibly even a romantic connection, she enjoys the attention that momentarily soothes her own insecurities. However, as she finds herself dealing with girl fights, casual hook-ups, and unsettling encounters with older men, she must reevaluate who truly has control over her life and decide if she is happy with the direction it is taking.

    Exclusive Look

    Thanks to our friends at Humanoids, we are proud to present an exclusive look at this upcoming new book: Total Suplex of the Heart

    Cover of "Total Suplex of the Heart" by Joanne Starer & Ornella Greco. Features three characters: a woman in a sports bra and two men, one with tribal face markings, all in a wrestling ring. A school gym with a banner reading "Eastside High Fighting Rams." Students converse in front of an empty ring. Below, two others talk while one flexes muscles. Spectators sit in the background. A comic page showing a conversation between three characters in a gym. One character mentions lying being bad. Another character hands a shirt to the third character who asks where the shirt was obtained. Two characters, a woman and a man, discuss attending Comic-Con. The woman shares excitement about cosplay. They part ways after she suggests talking more later, while the man seems intrigued by the conversation. A comic book page depicting a wrestling scene between two women, a conversation following the match, and a character being slapped. Text within the scene shows dialogue and sound effects. A comic page featuring two characters having a conversation in a locker room. One is sitting on a bench, dealing with wrist pain from wrestling. They discuss wrestling, comics, pain, and self-worth.

    TOTAL SUPLEX OF THE HEART will be available in bookstores everywhere (bookshop.org) and in comic shops (comicshoplocator.com) in June 2024. Digital copies can be purchased from comiXology and other digital platforms.

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