Author
Chapter Four: John Cosper - Grappling By Gaslight
#PWHS #Interview #JohnCosper #GrapplingByGaslight #Louisville #Kentucky #Author #Wrestling #ProWrestling
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Question 1
How would you compare the two books you have written about the history of wrestling in Louisville?
Answer
Bluegrass Brawlers was my first book, and it covers over 130 years of wrestling. It’s a broad survey that covers a lot of ground, with particular emphasis from 1970 until now. It’s got a little something for everyone because you have the 19th century barnstormers, the age of Strangler Lewis, the golden era of the 1950s, and the more recent past with Memphis Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling.
Louisville’s Greatest Show is a deep dive into the era that fascinated me the most. It begins in 1935 when Heywood Allen went into business for himself, establishing the Allen Athletic Club. He ran it for 12 years before selling to his partners, Francis "Mac" McDonogh and his wife Betty McDonogh. They took it to even greater heights over the next decade, ending in 1957 when Mac passed away from cancer. When I finished with Bluegrass Brawlers I really wanted to go back and do a book about Allen and his crew. Once the complete Courier-Journal newspaper archive was online, I spent three months compiling 22 years of results to tell that story. I even got to interview Mac and Betty’s oldest son, who had an incredible story about Gorgeous George.
Question 2
Were there any stories told in these books that particularly resonated with you?
Answer
Bluegrass Brawlers has been the gift that keeps on giving in that regard. When I finished with that book, I wanted to write three more books: one about the Allen Athletic Club, one about the Black Panther Jim Mitchell, and one about the 19th century era. With the upcoming release of Grappling by Gaslight, a collection of short stories inspired by Ida Alb, Robert Pennell, Charles Flynn, and the other wrestlers who visited Louisville in the early 1880s, I’ve now completed all three.
Three other wrestlers also have held my fascination: Stu Gibson, Elvira Snodgrass, and Wee Willie Davis. I recently got Stu inducted into the New Albany High School Hall of Fame, and I am hoping to one day write more about Elvira and Willie.
Question 3
You had spent quite a bit of time researching your book on the Black Panther Jim Mitchell. How did you make the decision to write about him? What particularly caught your interest?
Answer
Mitchell initially caught my eye when I saw he was a native of Louisville. A news story about one of his return visits to Louisville said he had once worked as a bellman at a downtown hotel while starting in the business. I was on his trail before I was even done with Bluegrass Brawlers, and guys like Tom Burke helped to fuel my interest. I was very fortunate that someone in Toledo spotted my blog and put me in touch with a man who had bought Mitchell’s house as a flip and preserved thousands of photos, documents, and other belongings. He still has Mitchell’s smoking pipe collection in Toledo, and I’m still trying help him find a buyer to preserve them.
Question 4
Were there any wrestlers that you worked with that you especially connected with?
Answer
All of them! My goal in working with these guys is to tell their stories their way. They’ve trusted me to tell their stories, and at the end of the day, I want them to be happy with the results. I’ve become friends with all the guys I’ve written with: Kenny Bolin, Mad Man Pondo, JJ Maguire, and Dr. D David Schultz. Kenny and David own their books outright, but I am still in contact with both of them on a regular basis. Pondo and JJ are good friends as well.
Right now I am working with Tracy Smothers, which has been an incredible ride. His book will be the most in depth of any I’ve done so far. Tracy has the biggest heart and has given so much to the business and to the fans. I am really thrilled to help him tell his story, his way.
Question 5
Who are your influences?
Answer
As far as favorite authors, Douglas Adams, Ian Fleming, and C.S. Lewis. As far as writing about wrestling, there are so many guys, authors and just collectors, who inspire me, far too many to list because I’d leave some out. I love reading books by other historians and biographers, and I love picking the brains of those who collect and catalog the past.
I recently heard music producer Rick Rubin on a podcast talking about a series of albums he did with Johnny Cash. Rubin convinced Cash to record acoustic covers of modern day artists like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and Tom Petty in his own way. One of his goals was to introduce younger generations to a legend and show them, "This is where your music comes from." That’s what I want to do. I want to preserve the stories of the business and introduce the new generation of fans and workers to the men and women who blazed a trail before them.
I draw a lot of inspiration from the men and women in the business now, the people who work day jobs, train a few nights a week, and drive for hours on the weekends to wrestle. They are dreamers, and that inspires me. I love to turn these kids on to the past, to introduce them to people like Jim Mitchell and Mildred Burke and Lord Carlton even Ida Alb. I always tell them, "There are gimmicks these people created and drew money with that fans haven’t seen for decades. What’s old is new, and what worked once can work again." I’ve seen a few people do very well drawing inspiration from the past, and that’s always exciting.
Julie Hankinson
Thank you for your time, John. As always it's been a pleasure. You can check out all of John's work over at Eat Sleep Wrestle.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Interview with John Cosper.
Interviewer: Julie Hankinson.
Published: May 13, 2019.
Author Interview: #4..
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Interview with John Cosper.
Interviewer: Julie Hankinson.
Published: May 13, 2019.
Author Interview: #4..
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Other interviews on the #PWHS website can be Read Here.