Various News: Mondo Releasing New Exclusive Posters for They Live, Book on History of Portland Wrestling, and Book on Mars Bennett

– Mondo Shop announced today that two new posters will be released for the John Carpenter cult classic, They Live, which starred late WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper. The posters are from Oliver Barrett. The posters will be available at Mondo Shop tomorrow at 11:00 am CT.

– A new book on the history of wrestling in Portland, Oregon is in the works called Katie Bar the Door!: History of Portland Wrestling. Here’s an official description (h/t PWInsider):

Portland Wrestling – simply uttering those two words will start a conversation that will last through the night and produce never ending arguments on who was the greatest wrestler ever in the promotion. Was it Buddy Rose, Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka, or Dutch Savage? Who can forget Bull Ramos, Lonnie Mayne, or Tony Borne? What about the best tag team of all time? Mayne/Borne? Von Steiger’s? Ventura/Ramos? The Royal Kangaroos? History of Portland Wrestling is here to help settle those debates, providing detailed coverage of the match results, the comings and goings, and the reasons behind the moves, information you won’t find anywhere else.

Portland Wrestling – a tradition in Portland like no other. Saturday nights at the Portland Armory, and later the Sports Arena, were packed to the rafters, fans waiting to see the heel finally get his comeuppance. You knew trouble was ahead when announcer Frank Bonnema would proclaim, “Katie bar the door!”

Katie Bar The Door – History of Portland Wrestling is the definitive book on Portland Wrestling, and a must-have for any wrestling fan. From beginning to end, this book will flood your mind with memories.

– For another wrestling book, John Cosper’s latest wrestling-themed book has been released called The Girl With the Iron Jaw: The Amazing Life of Mars Bennett. Here’s the official description:

In the golden age of the 1950s, Mars Bennett became a shining star. Her natural athletic ability, acrobatic skills, and raw strength made her a natural in the ring. She feared no woman or man, going toe to toe with champions like Mildred Burke, June Byers, the Fabulous Moolah, and even Dory Funk, Sr. But just as quickly as she rose to fame, her life ended in a tragic accident.

Even thought she died young, Mars Bennett crammed enough adventures into her thirty-five years for three lifetimes. The star high school athlete and granddaughter of a radio pioneer chased her dreams of stardom to the big top. She became a clown, an animal performer, a web girl, and a trapeze artist, working for Clyde Beatty and then the Greatest Show on Earth, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Her love of bodybuilding and fight sports led Mars to Bother’s Gymnasium in New York City, where the eyes of magazine photographers spied her working out. She became a favorite of the pin-up magazines, showing off her power and strength. She also caught the eye of Mildred Burke and Billy Wolfe, who opened the door for Mars to join the ranks of lady wrestlers.
Mars spent seven years traveling the continent, wrestling everyone from Burke to Mae Young to Cora Combs. She starred in battle royals, tag matches, mixed tag matches with men, and Texas deathmatches. She also found love with one of her fellow grapplers, Belle Drummond, in a time when such relationships had to be kept hidden from the public.

Packed with more than 70 photos, The Girl With The Iron Jaw is a page-turner that shines a light on a forgotten star. From sunny Florida to the Northern Territories of Canada; from the flying trapeze to Texas deathmatches, discover the legend of a star that shone brightly – and all too briefly.