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The 50 greatest stars in WCW history
WCW is the greatest rival WWE has ever faced. The Monday Night War is one of the most pivotal battles in the history of sports-entertainment. WCW's success rested on the shoulders of experienced competitors and high-flying young ring warriors. With WWE's new show The Monday Night War heating up on WWE Network, WWE.com lists the Top 50 WCW Superstars of all time.
But before you pose quesitons like "What about Tully Blanchard???," take a moment to read the guidelines the WWE.com team followed when compiling this list.
1. Eligibility begins with Ted Turner's purchase of WCW in 1988. Anything from Jim Crockett Promotions and NWA predating this is ineligible. We think Magnum T.A. is a boss, but he was never part of WCW from 1988-2001.
2. Competitors were rated only on their accomplishments while in WCW, so the achievements of Bret "Hit Man" Hart in WWE, for example, had no bearing on his placement.
3. Rankings were based on everything from longevity to cultural impact. Personal biases may have also crept in, as witnessed by a heated discussion over the significance of Glacier.
Okay, now that that's out of the way, here are the 50 greatest Superstars in WCW history as decided by a team of editors, a WWE Hall of Famer and the simple, widely-known fact that Sid is the ruler of the world.
Jump ahead to: #40 | #30 | #20 | #10
Jeff Jarrett
During his first tenure with WCW from 1996 to '97, "Double J" was a member of The Four Horsemen and a United States Champion. But it was when he returned to Atlanta in '99 that he made his biggest impact. Proclaiming himself "The Chosen One," Jeff Jarrett bashed countless guitars over opponents heads on his way to becoming a four-time WCW Champion.
Although accomplished, Jarrett is certainly one of the most polarizing figures in WCW history. In 1999, he led the formation of the nWo 2000 — a watered-down version of the original. The following year, he got in the middle of a rivalry between Hulk Hogan and WCW Executive Vince Russo and laid down in the ring for Hogan. Few moments in sports-entertainment were as disgraceful. When WWE purchased WCW in 2001, Mr. McMahon showed how he felt about Double J by publically firing him on Raw. — KEVIN POWERS
Juventud Guerrera
During the late-1990s, one of the mainstays of the Cruiserweight division was the intense and high-flying Juventud Guerrera. Early in his career, Juvi wore a mask, channeling his lucha roots in memorable battles with fellow-masked Cruiserweights Rey Mysterio and Psychosis. Guerrera eventually lost his hood in a Cruiserweight Title vs. Mask Match against Chris Jericho at SuperBrawl VIII.
However, the loss of his coveted mask did not faze the high-flying competitor. He continued to make a name for himself as one of the most recognizable faces among WCW's Cruiserweights on both Monday Nitro and Thunder. A three-time Cruiserweight Champion, one-time IGWP Champion and a tag champ alongside Rey Mysterio, Juvi's jaw-dropping abilities and memorable matches with the likes of Dean Malenko made him a mainstay among WCW's high-flyers. — K.P.
Dennis Rodman
Once suspended from the NBA for kicking a courtside cameraman in the crotch, Dennis Rodman and his "bad as I wanna be" bravado gave WCW the sports page coverage it needed to become a legitimate part of the pop culture when he linked up with the New World Order in 1997. But the NBA Hall of Famer wasn't just another grinning "Hollywood" Hogan lackey. Teaming with The Hulkster at both the '97 and '98 Bash at the Beach events, The Worm proved himself to be a charismatic antagonist in the ring. Still, it was a 1999 brawl against Randy Savage that brought out the best in Rodzilla. Battling the Macho Man in front of a crowd of rowdy bikers at the Sturgis motorcycle rally, Rodman ended up stuffed in a portable toilet that was then tipped over. Disgusting yes, but it proved just how far the big man was willing to go for sports-entertainment. — RYAN MURPHY
The Tongan warrior known as Meng was one of the most intimidating forces in WCW. From his time as Col. Parker's bodyguard to his tenure in the Dungeon of Doom, the mighty savage was an immovable mountain of a man that no one wanted to face. His devastating Tongan Death Grip and martial arts abilities brought many competitors to their knees, begging for mercy. Throughout his years in WCW, he found himself embroiled in bitter rivalries with Sting and Road Warrior Hawk.
As a staple of WCW Nitro, Meng's vicious kicks, brutal clotheslines and sweet 'fro were unmistakable. Oftentimes, young competitors looking to become full-timers were forced to face Meng in order to test their mettle and true desire.
Although he only held WCW's Hardcore Championship, Meng was always willing to take on any and all challengers, making him one of WCW's toughest — and most feared — warriors. — GREG SPRINGER
Larry Zbyszko
The self-proclaimed " Living Legend," Larry Zbyszko was one of WCW's most familiar faces for more than a decade both inside the squared circle and from the broadcast booth. Joining forces with Arn Anderson in 1991, the duo known as The Enforcers captured the WCW Tag Team Titles and joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance. Upon his exit from the faction, Larry battled "Stunning" Steve Austin and Bobby Eaton before retiring from active competition and becoming the color commentator on Monday Nitro.
A staunch supporter of WCW during the company's struggle with The nWo, Zbyszko came out of retirement to battle the faction's corporate leader, Eric Bischoff. By beating Sleazy-E at Starrcade, Larry released the black and white clad group's tight grip on Nitro and returned control of the program to WCW. Proving that he was WCW's elder statesman, the former TV Champion continued to compete on and off in 1999 and 2000. — K.P.
Who's better than Kanyon? Nobody! So much so that he was rightfully dubbed the "Innovator of Offense" for his creative moveset and unparalleled ability to improvise in the squared circle. With original maneuvers like The Flatliner — a front Russian legsweep — Kanyon climbed the WCW ranks, becoming a two-time WCW Tag Team Champion as a member of The Jersey Triad alongside Diamond Dallas Page and Bam Bam Bigelow.
Kanyon debuted in WCW as the mysterious Mortis, a masked competitor decked in green and covered with skulls. His terrifying visage, though, would not hide his tremendous in-ring ability. Kanyon finally broke out from under his mask after Raven denied his attempts to join The Flock, Raven's group of cronies. From there, the former U.S. Champion battled the likes of Saturn, Mike Awesome and, most notably, DDP, proving he was one of the toughest wrestlers in WCW. — JEFF LABOON
Bobby Eaton
A man of few words, Bobby Eaton was the anchor of one of the greatest tag teams in history, The Midnight Express. Whether teaming with Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane, Eaton was the glue that held the team together. He and Lane shocked The Four Horsemen by defeating Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in 1988 to capture the WCW Tag Team Titles.
Eaton's prowess as a tag team competitor made him a sought-after partner. Beautiful Bobby formed successful teams with Anderson and William Regal, becoming a three-time WCW Tag Team Champion along the way. His explosive top-rope Alabama Jam legdrop brought him success in whatever he did in the ring, even as a singles competitor. At SuperBrawl I, no one gave him a shot against Arn Anderson in a Television Title Match. Beautiful Bobby, however, overcame the odds and upset Anderson in a classic bout to claim his only WCW singles championship. — BOBBY MELOK
In 1997, Raven's band of misfits known as The Flock added a former U.S. Army Airborne Ranger and ECW competitor to their ranks. Perry Saturn let his actions inside the ring speak for him as he acted as an enforcer for the filthy faction. His patented Death Valley Driver made him a formidable competitor as he captured the World Television Championship early in his WCW career. However, his no nonsense demeanor led to tension between he and Raven, and Saturn left the flock, striking out on his own.
A regular face on WCW Monday Nitro and Thunder, Saturn shared a memorable rivalry with Chris Jericho that resulted in Saturn being forced to wear a dress for 90 days. Before leaving WCW for WWE, Saturn captured the WCW Tag Team Titles on two occasions, further cementing his legacy in the Atlanta-based organization. — K.P.
Dustin Rhodes
The young, hardworking grandson of a plumber, Dustin Rhodes fully lived up to his nickname, "The Natural." Among WCW's most popular acts in the '90s, Rhodes seemed predestined for greatness from the very start, and he partnered frequently with fan favorites such as Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat and Sting. He reliably took the fight to whichever baddies were terrorizing WCW at a given time, be it the York Foundation, Dangerous Alliance or Stud Stable.
A former two-time U.S. Champion and Tag Team Champion, Rhodes caught flak for being the son of NWA legend (and WCW power wielder) Dusty Rhodes. Almost as if it he sought out specifically to discredit claims of nepotism, Rhodes proved his mettle with intense battles against the likes of Steve Austin, Rick Rude and Arn Anderson. With bulldog tenacity (and the bulldog headlock as his finisher), Rhodes was a righteous, double-tough customer who never backed down from a challenge. — JOHN CLAPP
Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Bret "Hit Man" Hart made his highly publicized WCW debut two weeks before Starrcade 1997. The Excellence of Execution didn't immediately make an impact, but he did make a decision as he aligned himself with WCW against The nWo. However, he soon became an associate of the faction before winning his first of four U.S Titles in 1998. Hart added to the significance of the already prestigious championship as many major WCW events were headlined by a U.S. Title bout rather than a WCW World Title contest.
In 1999, Hart captured his first WCW World Title by winning a tournament at Mayhem, defeating the likes of Sting, Saturn and Kidman. During his time as WCW Champion, he won the WCW Tag Team Titles with his nemesis, Goldberg. After losing the titles, the bitter rivals faced off at Starrcade 1999 for the WCW Championship in which Hart suffered a severe concussion. Although The Hit Man continued to compete and won a second World Title, the effects of his concussion caught up to him, prematurely ending the WWE Hall of Famer's career. — K.P.
Kevin Sullivan
He's remembered now as the cackling, bug-eyed sociopath who set out to bring an end to Hulkamania through his cartoonish Dungeon of Doom. But Kevin Sullivan was at his best when the Halloween theatrics of his Taskmaster persona were set aside in favor of the Boston bad boy who lurked underneath.
Southie tough with the type of accent best suited for hurling insults from the bleachers at Fenway, Sullivan stomped heroes like Brian Pillman and Cactus Jack with the Sam Adams-soaked rage of a Beantown bar fighter. When he wasn't brawling in the women's bathroom of Corpus Christi's Memorial Coliseum (True story. Look it up.), Sullivan was calling the shots as one of WCW's most vital power players. Turns out the man once billed from the "Iron Gates of Fate" wasn't just stupid tough, he was wicked smart. — R.M.
Curt Hennig
If there is one lesson to be taken away from Curt Hennig's tenure at WCW, it's that perfection never rusts. Hennig' time in WCW signified the in-ring renaissance of one of the '90s best talents, who had been sidelined with a back injury for the better part of three years.
Courted by multiple factions upon his shocking WCW debut in June 1997, Hennig chose his alliances carefully and changed sides frequently. He enjoyed stints with The Four Horsemen and The nWo before forming his own stable, The West Texas Rednecks, whose rivalry with the Master P-led No Limit Soldiers produced the stunningly popular and infectious earworm, "Rap is Crap."
In his three years there, Hennig captured the U.S. Championship and the WCW Tag Team Titles. His classics against DDP and Ric Flair reminded all of his in-ring brilliance, and a memorable Perfect-plex on the massive Giant proved that Hennig had returned not a moment too soon. — J.C.
Michael "P.S." Hayes
Very few people in the wrestling industry are made like Michael Hayes. An endlessly talented individual, his presence through the years in WCW was multi-dimensional as he found success as an in-ring competitor, manager, musician and commentator.
Of course, "P.S." was universally known as the anchor of The Fabulous Freebirds. Breaking away from original partners Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, Hayes found success in the tag team arena in 1989 with a new Freebird by the name of "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin. Together, the cocky duo battled legendary teams like Doom and The Steiner Brothers during their reign as WCW Tag Team Champions. Hayes' tremendous in-ring career ultimately came to an end in WCW, but the proud southerner kept it rocking until the final bell rang. — HOWARD FINKEL
Cactus Jack
The Hardcore Legend isn't just an arbitrary nickname. Before Mick Foley smashed WWE rings, Cactus Jack terrified opponents in WCW with his unique blend of brutality and intensity.
After a six-month tenure from 1989-1990, Cactus returned in 1991 with a more vicious persona. Focusing on Sting, he formed an alliance with fellow wild man Abdullah the Butcher, and the pair competed in a shocking Chamber of Horrors Match at Halloween Havoc, which remains one of the most infamous bouts in sports-entertainment history.
Cactus battled Ron Simmons over the WCW Championship, but is mostly remembered for his rivalry against Vader ( FULL STORY). The punishment Foley endured — including a Texas Death Match in the main event of Halloween Havoc — ultimately endeared him to the fans, and he captured the WCW Tag Team Championship before departing in 1994. He became a worldwide sensation as Mankind in WWE, but Foley's true notoriety began in WCW. — ZACH LINDER
Ultimo Dragon
Some of WCW's best Cruiserweights left fans scratching their heads. (What the hell was a Super Calo anyway?) Ultimo Dragon's appeal was more easily understood. Striding to the ring with the eight titles of Japan's coveted J-Crown draped across his body, Ultimo Dragon looked like an anime character come to life. He wrestled like one too.
Graceful and devastating somehow all at once, the grappler who split his time between Mexico and Japan utilized aerial attacks like his patented Asai Moonsault and ground based submissions like the Dragon Sleeper in pursuit of the Cruiserweight and Television Titles during his more than two years in WCW. A two-time holder of each title, Ultimo Dragon thrilled in bouts against Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero before an arm injury nearly brought an end to his career. It was an oddly humanizing end to the hero's WCW run, but it didn't make him any less phenomenal. — R.M.
Lord Steven Regal
There was a time when Americans thought English guys were nothing but a bunch of mincing Hugh Grants with funny accents and questionable oral hygiene. Then Steven Regal came along. European uppercutting his way out of the seaside circuses of dodgy Blackpool, the aggressive blue blood looked the proper gentleman in his spotless cravat and houndstooth blazers, but he wrestled with all the refinement of a Manchester soccer hooligan. Mixing equal parts Snake Pit submissions and carnie survival tricks, the four-time Television Champion bested Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, fought Fit Finlay in a parking lot and left Bill Goldberg embarrassingly befuddled in the center of the ring on live television. Us Yanks haven't looked at the Brits the same way since. — R.M.
WCW's initiative to introduce international stars to a American audiences brought a Mexican pop culture icon by the name of Konnan north of the border in 1996. Already a decorated competitor in his home country, he added the U.S. Title to his mantle shortly after his arrival. From there, Konnan joined Kevin Sullivan's evil Dungeon of Doom and adopted a new look, embracing the Mexican street culture.
However, it was after Konnan joined The nWo that he reached unthinkable levels of popularity. K-Dawg served as the hypeman for the outlaw group, riling up crowds and showing them how to be "'bout it, 'bout it and rowdy rowdy." He also proved himself to be a true leader, taking charge of groups like Master P's No Limit Soldiers and The Filthy Animals. Whether he was good or evil, Konnan engrained himself in the minds of WCW fans forever. Odelay! — B.M.
Terry Funk
No list of top grapplers in any organization that Terry Funk competed would be complete without the unpredictable Texan.
Then in his mid-40s, Funk arrived in WCW in 1989, reinvented himself, and helped carry an entire organization. At the same time, he reinvigorated Ric Flair, then the WCW Champion, and the two WWE Hall of Famers had one of the most compelling rivalries that WCW ever produced. One of the greatest bouts I've ever had the privilege of calling was the infamous "I Quit" Match between Funk and Flair at a Clash of the Champions where I teamed with the great Gordon Solie on commentary.
Funk could talk, he could both wrestle and brawl, and he was as good as anyone who ever laced their boots in every phase of the game. Plus, Terry was an amazing television commentator while in WCW. Without question, Terry Funk is one of the greatest to ever represent WCW — or any organization for that matter — JIM ROSS
Lance Storm
If we can be serious for a minute, no one made an impact in WCW quite like Lance Storm.
Less than two months after debuting, Storm had captured the United States Championship, WCW Hardcore Championship and Cruiserweight Championship, becoming the first grappler in WCW's history to hold three titles simultaneously. Honoring his roots, he adorned his trophies with Canadian flag stickers, renaming them the Canadian Heavyweight Championship, the 100kg and Under Championship and the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title.
Storm also formed Team Canada, whose membership curiously included Americans like "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Mike Awesome, and engaged in memorable rivalries with the Misfits in Action and Filthy Animals. He even had a brief stint as WCW's Commissioner, and was the first participant in WCW's Invasion of WWE in Storm's hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. — Z.L.
The Great Muta
During the 1980s and '90s, it was common to see wrestlers from Japan grapple with American competitors. Arguably the most memorable — and the first to gain popularity in the United States — was The Great Muta.
Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Muta's epic battles with WCW's face-painted franchise, Sting, are what truly gave rise to his legend. He typically only faced WCW's top ring warriors in addition to The Stinger, including Ric Flair, Lex Luger and Arn Anderson. Capturing the WCW Television Championship in 1989, Muta helped pave the way for other Japanese competitors to find success in America. Competing primarily in New Japan throughout the 1990s, Muta's ties to WCW remained strong, both battling and joining the Japanese branch of the New World Order.
While his stints in WCW were always somewhat brief, his impact on the entire world of sports-entertainment was immeasurable. — K.P.
What about Raven?
A spoiled rich kid who sulked in corners and hid behind a band of toadies he dubbed The Flock, Raven could be as loathsome and emotionally draining as a Smiths record, but few competitors were as psychologically captivating as this Bowery punk. A key figure in ECW's rise to cult status in the mid-90s, the skuzzy brawler saw to it that all his WCW bouts were contested under Raven's Rules when he joined the Atlanta organization in '97. Of course, that only meant that there were no rules.
Free to wreak his particular brand of Philly havoc, the grunge rock Svengali busted more stop signs than a runaway school bus as he abused Perry Saturn and beat Diamond Dallas Page for the United States Title. Too often, Raven walked away from his challenges. But few competitors were as enthralling as him when he stayed to fight. — R.M.
The fact that Billy Kidman won the WCW Cruiserweight Title while wearing a tank top and jean shorts didn't make him great — although it did make him kind of awesome. What made the skinny kid from Allentown, PA special was the way he entered into a division dominated by the world's greatest high flyers and made his mark regardless of the fact that he never competed in a Super J-Cup or sold out Arena México.
Kidman may have lacked the international pedigree of an Ultimo Dragon, but he made up for it with raw nerve and a Jushin Liger-inspired Shooting Star Press that was so audacious even some of the top Cruiserweights dared not attempt it. Going from Raven's flunky to Hulk Hogan's rival in a little more than a year, Kidman proved that a stacked resume is nice, but guts are more important.— R.M.
Buff Bagwell
In 1991, WCW was introduced to a handsome stranger by the name of Marcus Alexander Bagwell. The rookie made an immediate impact on the roster, drawing the ire of Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance.
Bagwell would go on to win the WCW Tag Team Championships with four different partners, proving his worthiness to the team sport. These accomplishments impressed the infamous nWo — a faction he would eventually join. The confidence and cockiness of Buff Bagwell was a perfect fit for the nWo and their way of life, and Buff certainly proved that he had the stuff.
In 1998, Bagwell suffered a broken neck that nearly ended his career. However, he showed his resilience and passion for his craft by making a full recovery and returning to active competition until the demise of WCW in 2001. — MATT ZIMMER
Chris Jericho
Before Chris Jericho broke the walls down in WWE, he was a key part of WCW's renowned Cruiserweight Division. No less arrogant than he is today, The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla backed up his brashness by being the first man the hold the Cruiserweight Championship on four occasions.
As technically gifted as Jericho was in the ring, his skills on the microphone catapulted him to greatness. While entangled in a rivalry with "The Man of 1,000 Holds" Dean Malenko, Jericho anointed himself "The Man of 1,004 Holds" in a memorable Nitro moment. He also earned ire by mocking foes' names, referring to Raven as "Raisin" and Juventud Guerrera as "Hoot 'n' Toot."
When Jericho made his highly anticipated debut in WWE, his arrival was significant due to his tremendous ability to entertain as showcased in WCW. It's just too bad he didn't bring his toothless security guard, Ralphus, with him. — Z.L.
Rick Rude
"Ravishing" Rick Rude showed a new aggression upon his arrival in WCW in late 1991. Making an impactful debut at that year's Halloween Havoc, he competed as the masked WCW Phantom and demolished Tom Zenk in minutes. When he revealed his identity later that night, Rude became the centerpiece of Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance. With a newfound rage and Heyman at his side, Rude was unstoppable.
Just weeks into his WCW tenure, he steamrolled over Sting to capture the United States Championship, which he held onto for more than a year. He then set his sights on Ric Flair and the WCW International World Championship. Rude got into The Nature Boy's head by putting the moves on his valet, Fifi. The Ravishing One's mind games worked, as he defeated Flair to win the title. This perfect combination of fury and cunning made Rude a force to be reckoned with in WCW. — B.M.
Eric Bischoff
It can be argued that no one was more integral to WCW's success than Eric Bischoff. Joining WCW as an announcer, Bischoff was savvy from the very beginning as he moved into Bill Watts' Executive Producer vacancy — a role widely perceived to be awarded to Jim Ross or Tony Schiavone.
He was soon promoted to Executive Vice President, took control of WCW and eventually became the company's President. Among Bischoff's game-changing contributions included substantially growing the budget to compete with WWE and the revolutionary concept of The nWo. He began the "Monday Night Wars" with the creation of Monday Nitro — a battle Bischoff won for 86 straight weeks. In the wake of the nWo's success, Bischoff emerged as its evil power hungry dictator, becoming sports-entertainment's first villainous authority figure.
While Bischoff many not have won himself many personal fans, his influence in the landscape of sports-entertainment remains to this day. — Z.L.
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
In January of 1989, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat made his WCW debut after competing in WWE from 1985 through 1988. Steamboat had previously competed for Jim Crockett Promotions before going to WWE, but his surprise appearance in a tag team match with Eddie Gilbert against Ric Flair & Barry Windham earned him an NWA Title opportunity against The Nature Boy. At the Chi-Town Rumble that same year, Steamboat defeated Flair to capture the championship. The two WWE Hall of Famers battled over the title for the remainder of that year, with Steamboat ultimately dropping the title back to his rival.
From there, Steamboat captured WCW's tag titles, the Television Championship, and a United States Championship, while engaging in long rivalry with "Stunning" Steve Austin. The Dragon is undoubtedly one of the most elite competitors of all time, and it's safe to assume that win, lose or draw, if you were an opponent of Steamboat, you knew that you were going to be in for a battle. — H.F.
Barry Windham
The son of Blackjack Mulligan has been called one of the best athletes ever to step foot inside a ring. That was obvious from the moment he joined WCW as he captured the WCW Tag Team Titles and the United States Title in 1988. Using his father's trademark Claw and a picture-perfect Superplex, the 6'7" stud racked up victories over Bam Bam Bigelow, Nikita Koloff and Dusty Rhodes.
Windham left WCW for WWE in 1989, but returned as 1990 began. He picked up right where he left off, joining The Four Horsemen until Ric Flair's departure led to their dissolution. His tag team with Dustin Rhodes had one of the most memorable matches in WCW history at a November 1993 Clash of the Champions against Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. He also found success on his own, reaching the peak of sports-entertainment by defeating The Great Muta for the NWA World Title in 1993. — B.M.
Rey Mysterio
At The Great American Bash 1996, a young luchador named Rey Mysterio made his WCW debut and challenged Dean Malenko for the Cruiserweight Championship. WCW fans were immediately thrilled by the high-flying competitor whose colorful attire added to the excitement of his jaw-dropping abilities.
His thrilling rivalries with Psychosis, Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero made the San Diego-native the most popular flyer in the Atlanta-based organization as he became the face of the Cruiserweight division and a five-time champion. However, Mysterio wasn't limited to Cruiserweight competition and stood up to challenges from larger competitors, earning victories against the likes of Kevin Nash and Scott Norton The "Giant Killer" even challenged Ric Flair for the WCW World Title in 1999. Mysterio went on to become a member of both The No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals and won the WCW Tag Team Titles twice before the end of WCW in 2001. — K.P.
Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner was never one to mince words. "If you don't like me, bite me," he often exclaimed.
The elder Steiner may not have had the flashy moves his brother, Scott, utilized. However, his unabashed use of brute force made him a mainstay in WCW. The University of Michigan wrestling standout was introduced to fans as a member of Kevin Sullivan's Varsity Club, where he teamed with former Syracuse grappler Mike Rotundo. Sullivan and Rotundo took advantage of Rick's kind-hearted nature, leading to "The Dog Faced Gremlin" venturing out on his own and defeating Rotundo for the Television Title.
Soon after, Rick was joined by Scott, and the two embarked on one of the most successful tag team runs in sports-entertainment history. Rick's power and mat skill complemented Scott's agility and helped the pair pick up seven WCW Tag Team Championships, overcoming teams like Harlem Heat, The Fabulous Freebirds and The Outsiders. — B.M.
Brian Pillman
Brian Pillman was special. Arguably one of the greatest overachievers in the genre, he had an insatiable desire to be a wrestling star. Fate and injuries prevented that from occurring over the long haul for "Flyin'" Brian, but while his star did shine, it was brilliant.
I helped bring the undersized All American defensive lineman to WCW in 1989 from Calgary. During the "Loose Cannon's" time in Atlanta, he turned heads athletically and with some of the era's most riveting and compelling promos. Brian's bouts with Jushin "Thunder" Liger were extraordinary as was his tag team with Steve Austin. Brian Pillman had one of the highest IQ's I've ever encountered and was a creative genius. For those of us that loved Brian, he will never be forgotten. And if fate had dealt him a different hand, more of today's fans would realize just how great Brian Pillman truly was. — J.R.
The Giant
When it comes to big men in the world of sport-entertainment, no one can match the ability possessed by the seven-foot monster, The Giant. Today the WWE Universe knows him as Big Show, but early in his career, The Giant moved around the squared-circle like a cruiserweight, executing dropkicks and even jumping from the top rope.
Making his WCW debut in 1995, The World's Largest Athlete immediately went after Hulk Hogan and his World Title. In his very first match at Halloween Havoc, The Giant was able to overcome the champion and become WCW's biggest villain. After being forced to vacate the title, The Giant would eventually regain the prestigious championship, this time dethroning Ric Flair while joining a short list of competitors who defeated Hogan and Flair for a major title. During his WCW tenure, The Giant was also a three-time tag champ and the winner of the 1996 World War 3 battle royal. — M.Z.
Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero may not have been born great, but he was raised to be. The youngest son of Gory Guerrero — the Vlad Dracula of Mexican wrestling — little Eduardo was rolling around in the ring before he was old enough to brush his own teeth. By the time he arrived in WCW in 1995, he was an international wunderkind who had enraged the Mexican faithful as a brash member of Los Gringos Locos and thrilled the Japanese under the mask of Black Tiger. In Atlanta, he became United States Champion, but he's best remembered as a swaggering cruiserweight who nearly unmasked Rey Mysterio before leading a luchador uprising he dubbed the Latino World Order. Eddie achieved far greater things in WWE, but his best nights in WCW were a thrilling sign of things to come. — R.M.
Arn Anderson
Whether he was known as "The Enforcer" or "Double A," Arn Anderson's name was always synonymous with WCW. Gaining the respect of his peers through hard-fought success, Anderson spent years in WCW's predecessor, Jim Crockett Promotions, raising hell with Ric Flair and the rest of The Four Horsemen. After a brief stint in WWE, Double A returned to what had become WCW and branched out on his own.
He almost immediately captured the WCW Television Title, then formed championship teams with both Larry Zbyszko and Bobby Eaton. Anderson was also a bit of a hired gun. His ability to inflict pain in the squared circle made him a reliable hand for both Paul Heyman's Dangerous Alliance and Col. Rob Parker's Stud Stable. Inevitably, though, he wound up with Ric Flair once again, re-forming The Horsemen for one last run before injuries forced him into retirement. — B.M.
Ron Simmons
Decades before he became a WWE Hall of Famer, Ron Simmons was making history. The collegiate football standout changed the landscape of sports-entertainment in 1992, becoming the first African-American to capture a major World Heavyweight Championship. Winning a raffle to fill a vacant spot to challenge for the WCW Title, Simmons entered the ring, scoop slammed then-champion Vader and changed the world.
However, before he changed the wrestling game, the powerhouse from Warner Robbins, GA., made up one half of Doom with "Hacksaw" Butch Reed and won the WCW Tag Team Championships with the aid of their manager, Theodore Long. But it is Simmons' breakthrough as World Heavyweight Champion that many Superstars cite as inspiration to be involved in the world of sports-entertainment. So, while WWE fansmay remember him for being a wrecking ball in The APA, understand that Ron Simmons paved the way for Superstars like The Rock, Booker T, and Mark Henry. Damn! — G.S.
"Stunning" Steve Austin
By now we all know the story — the busted tricep, the dismissive FedEx from Eric Bischoff, the glorious rebirth in WWE — but let's not overlook the time before Steve Austin turned "Stone Cold."
Then an overconfident neophyte with thinning blond hair and neon bicycle shorts, Austin may have looked like a Venice Beach con artist, but he wrestled with the unmistakable spitfire of a Texas kid chasing his dream. Excelling in both the singles and tag ranks, "Stunning" Steve traded the Television Title with WCW greats like Barry Windham and Ricky Steamboat, but he was at his best alongside the fantastic Brian Pillman. Joined together as The Hollywood Blonds, the hungry young competitors took an impromptu pairing and made tag team history as they topped the likes of The Dragon & Shane Douglas during their reign as champions. Sports-entertainment immortality awaited Austin in WWE, but this wasn't such a bad start. — R.M.
Even as a member of the legendary Four Horsemen, it was clear that Sid Vicious was his own man. Billed from "Wherever He Damn Well Pleases," the big man did what he wanted when he wanted.
After jumping from WCW to run roughshod over the WWE roster, Sid returned to terrorize once again, taking on the likes of Kevin Nash, "Hollywood" Hogan and Goldberg. At Road Wild 1999, the so-called "Millennium Man" pinned Sting in a decisive, career-defining matchup. The following month, he won the United States Championship, and became a two-time WCW Champion within the span of two days in January of 2000. He held the title until all championships were vacated during WCW's reboot in April.
Say what you will about one of the most polarizing performers in sports-entertainment history. One thing's for sure — Sid ruled the world. — Z.L.
Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko may have been one of the smaller competitors in WCW, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. Having traveled the world before arriving in Atlanta, he learned many different ways to stretch opponents to submission. His encyclopedic knowledge of moves led to a nickname being bestowed upon him — The Man of 1,000 Holds.
Malenko's mat wrestling prowess made him the perfect foil for the high-flying aerial artists of WCW's burgeoning Cruiserweight division. The Iceman had WCW fans on the edge of their seats as he tried to wrench the sinews and tear the tendons of stars like Rey Mysterio, Psychosis and Eddie Guerrero.
By the time he left WCW, Malenko had racked up four reigns as Cruiserweight Champion, one United States Championship, and a place in history as an esteemed member of The Four Horsemen. — B.M.
Scott Hall
Hey, yo! It's survey time again. Who's the competitor that turned sports-entertainment upside down when he appeared on WCW Monday Nitro in 1996 while still presumably under contract with WWE? Was it Jerry Flynn? Or was it the man who's more handsome than 10 movie stars, big Scott Hall? Survey says, "One more for the 'Bad Guy'!"
Formerly known as Razor Ramon in WWE, Hall was the first major Superstar to unexpectedly appear on Nitro. This shocking turn of events pushed Hall to the frontlines of the Monday Night Wars as his foundation of The New World Order alongside Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan resulted in record television ratings for WCW. During his impactful time in Atlanta, Hall was a Television Champion, a two-time United States Champion and a seven-time WCW Tag Team Champion. The talented performer wasn't always in prime condition, but few were better than the Bad Guy when he was on his game. — K.P.
Big Van Vader
Straight from the Rocky Mountains came The Man They Call Vader. Sporting arms the size of small children and a web of red straps gripping his face, The Mastodon was as imposing as they come.
Employing the legendary Harley Race as his manager, Big Van Vader manhandled Sting to win the WCW Championship at The Great American Bash in 1992 and began a reign of terror he dubbed "Vader Time." He won the title twice more — once after losing it only six days prior — but these accolades were not Vader's only triumphs. His vicious rivalry with Cactus Jack set new standards for brutality ( FULL STORY), and he kicked out of Hulk Hogan's immortal legdrop with authority before executing a Vader Bomb onto The Hulkster in a memorable bout at SuperBrawl.
Vader towered over his opponents. Vader dominated the competition. But most importantly, Big Van Vader was the man. — Z.L.
Scott Steiner
In 1986, a University of Michigan wrestler named Scott Steiner became an NCAA Division I All-American. Three years later, that competitor captured the tag titles alongside his brother Rick in WCW en route to becoming arguably the greatest duo in the organization's history. If he were judged on his physique alone, Steiner would appear to be just another powerhouse, but his amateur background and creativity in the squared circle presented a challenger with a skill set not often seen in a grappler of his stature.
Steiner joined The nWo in '98 and adopted the moniker "Big Poppa Pump." Drastically changing his appearance and muscle mass, he became the most physically imposing wrestler in WCW. The Genetic Freak held a number of titles during his WCW career, including seven WCW Tag Team Titles and the WCW World Title. A volatile and physically dominating competitor, Steiner is certainly one of WCW's most memorable characters. "Holla, if ya hear me!" — K.P.
"Macho Man" Randy Savage
"Randy always treated his opponents as if they were on the same level," Diamond Dallas Page once told WWE.com. "You were always at a main event level when you stepped into the ring with 'Macho Man.'"
A famously intense and fearless competitor, Savage captured the first of his four WCW World Championships by winning the inaugural World War 3 60-man, three-ring battle royal in 1995. Although he first stood up to The nWo, Savage eventually joined them in 1997, engaging in a physical rivalry with Diamond Dallas Page that highlighted the struggle between WCW and The nWo.
The Madness remained at the top of his game in The nWo, eventually sparking Hogan's jealousy over the World Title, prompting Savage to form the nWo Wolfpac alongside Kevin Nash. After a hiatus due to injury, Macho Man returned in 1999, once again winning the World Championship and commanding the respect of his opponents. — K.P.
Booker T
Booker T was arguably the most decorated Superstar in WCW. His tenure in the Atlanta-based organization began in 1993 and lasted until WCW's demise in 2001, making him one of the few major competitors that never left the promotion during the Monday Night Wars. His prestigious career began as a member of Harlem Heat alongside his brother, Stevie Ray. One of the top tag teams in history, the duo held the WCW Tag Team Champions a record 10 times.
While Stevie Ray recovered from an injury, Booker T began his successful career as a singles competitor. Collecting the Television Championship, U.S. Championship, and the WCW World Championship, Booker became one of a select few who achieved the Triple Crown in WCW. To round out his history making career, Booker T became the second African-American to hold the prestigious World Heavyweight Championship after Ron Simmons. There is no doubt that Booker T belongs amongst the greats of WCW. Now can you dig that, sucka? — G.S.
Lex Luger
A star in WCW from the very beginning, Lex Luger's unmatched power and impressive physique made him a formidable force inside the squared circle. Both an ally and an enemy of The Four Horsemen early on, Luger became a dominant United States Champion. During his third run with the title, The Total Package set the record as longest reigning U.S. Champion at 523 days. After losing and regaining the title in 1990, he held the title for an additional 210 days before vacating it after winning his first WCW World Championship.
Throughout his career, The Total Package shared a close friendship with Sting, often teaming with WCW's face-painted franchise and once winning the tag team titles. In 1997, Luger was the first WCW wrestler to defeat "Hollywood" Hogan for the World Title, reclaiming The nWo branded championship for WCW. — K.P.
Diamond Dallas Page
The story of Diamond Dallas Page's wrestling career has been well-documented over the years, but no one could have guessed that the former manager would become one of WCW's greatest competitors. Beginning his WCW career managing The Fabulous Freebirds, Page soon entered active competition and formed his own faction known as The Diamond Mine.
However, as DDP can attest, it was his defiance of The New World Order and his legendary rivalry with "Macho Man" Randy Savage in 1997 that truly launched his career. During his battles with Savage, DDP showed a willingness to defend the honor of his wife Kimberly. No matter what the odds, Page never backed down from a fight. It was that fortitude that earned him the moniker of WCW's "People's Champion" and helped him become a "three-time, three-time, three-time" WCW Champion, four-time tag team champion, two-time U.S. Champion and a one-time TV Champion. — K.P.
Kevin Nash
Along with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash's unexpected appearance on WCW Monday Nitro in 1996 is often credited with raising the Monday Night Wars to a fever pitch. A founding member of both The nWo and The nWo Wolfpac, Big Sexy's WCW career actually began in 1990. He competed as Steel, Oz and Vinnie Vegas before leaving the Atlanta-based organization in favor of WWE.
Returning to WCW alongside Hall, the duo declared war on the WCW locker room. Instrumental in the formation of The nWo, Nash helped change the landscape of sports-entertainment forever. However, the seven-footer's success goes beyond the revolutionary New World Order. Nash is a five-time WCW Champion with his first title victory controversially ending Goldberg's undefeated streak. He captured the WCW Tag Team Titles nine times — seven with Hall, once with Diamond Dallas Page and once with Sting. Nash was also the winner of 1998's World War 3. With accolades like these, Big Sexy is without a doubt one of the most influential figures in WCW history. — K.P.
173. That's how many conquests Bill Goldberg notched during his astounding 462-day undefeated streak in WCW.
The former NFL defensive tackle-turned-World Heavyweight Champion plowed through Hugh Morrus on Sept. 22, 1997, and gained momentum weekly with the indiscriminate obliteration of Raven, "Hollywood" Hogan, Curt Hennig and a lion's share of The New World Order roster. Speared like hunted prey, all near-200 challengers were left a collective tackled mass, while Goldberg Jackhammered his way to breaking new ground in wrestling.
By the time The Undertaker had accrued six wins at WrestleMania in WWE, Goldberg was more than 400 days into his impressive streak. Everyone in the Atlanta-based organization and around the world started to ask who would be next on the gladiator's exponentially growing list of crossed out names.
"Who's next?" soon became "what's next?" as the intense titan with incalculable strength amassed boons and recognition the likes of which few WCW warriors ever attained. — CRAIG TELLO
"Hollywood" Hogan
The sports-entertainment game changed when Hulk Hogan joined WCW in 1994. Getting a fresh start in Atlanta, The Hulkster hit pay dirt in his first WCW match, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair at Bash at the Beach. Expectedly, Hogan became one of the organization's most popular competitors, aligning with WCW mainstays like Sting and engaging in a memorably bizarre rivalry with Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom.
However, The Hulkster truly revolutionized sports-entertainment at the 1996 Bash at the Beach. As Scott Hall and Kevin Nash waged war on WCW, Hogan turned his back on the organization and millions of Hulkamaniacs by joining The Outsiders to form The New World Order. Their union put WCW on the map as Hogan basked in the jeers that his villainous "Hollywood" persona elicited on his way to becoming a six-time WCW Champion. — H.F .
Ric Flair
Already a sports-entertainment icon by the time Ted Turner launched WCW, Ric Flair continued along his path of success in the Atlanta-based promotion. Legendary rivalries with the likes of Sting, Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger defined The Nature Boy's reputation as one of the country's best competitors and his seven reigns as WCW Champion gave him further ammunition for his freewheeling interviews.
Although Flair left WCW in favor of WWE in '91, he returned home in 1993 and went right back to styling and profiling as the leader of The Four Horsemen. When The New World Order's power expanded, Flair went after Eric Bischoff, defeating The nWo's corporate leader to become WCW President in 1998. Flair remained a major player until the last episode of Monday Nitro where he battled his longtime rival Sting in an emotional sendoff for WCW. — B.M.
There is no face more recognizable or more closely associated with WCW than the man called Sting. Making his NWA/WCW debut in 1987, The Stinger remained with the Atlanta-based organization until it was acquired by WWE in 2001. Dubbed "The Franchise of WCW," Sting was one of the few major stars to never join WWE, remaining one of WCW's most popular grapplers throughout his career. Once sporting colorful face-paint and ring attire, the charismatic competitor went through a drastic transformation in 1996, becoming a silent avenger of WCW as The nWo's power expanded. With his baseball bat in tow, Sting descended from the rafters to disrupt the plans of "Hollywood" Hogan and the nefarious faction.
Throughout his tenure, The Stinger amassed six WCW World Titles, three WCW Tag Team Championships, two WCW International World Titles and two United States Championships before battling his longtime rival Ric Flair on the final Nitro. — K.P.
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Raw results, July 15, 2024: Bron Breakker makes a statement to Sami Zayn and Ilja Dragunov!
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Why the Earl is After the Girl Ways of Love Book 1 by Tabetha Waite Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Why the Earl is After the Girl
Ways of Love Book 1
by Tabetha Waite
Genre: Historical Romance
277 pages
A missing heirloom. A stolen inheritance. Can love conquer mistrust?
Athena Hawthorne never imagined that she would lose everything she'd ever had. But after the death of her father, his prosperous jewelry store is sold off to pay his supposed debts. Athena, now destitute, embarks on a mission to discover the truth, but circumstances force her to accept an offer from a handsome stranger to work as a governess. She's determined to clear her father's name, but a certain earl is making matters far more difficult than necessary. And she can't be in danger of losing her heart to a member of the aristocracy...
Orion Ashcroft, the Earl of Rockford, is convinced that Athena is a grasping thief who stole a priceless family heirloom, the rare sapphire known as the Couleur Magnifique. When he offers her the position of governess to his sister's children, he only intends to catch her in some nefarious scheme and get back the sapphire—his grandmother's dying wish. But he soon discovers that keeping his distance—and his sanity—around the beautiful Athena isn't as easy as he'd planned. It certainly doesn't help that his sister and his best friend plead her innocence at every frustrating turn. Soon he's struggling between honoring his promise and his growing attraction to Athena.
But there's danger closer than either expect. Even a masquerade can't hide Athena from the curiosity of the ton forever...and there's a threat hiding among the highest members of society...
Where the Viscount Met His Match
Ways of Love Book 2
380 pages
Secrets. Lies. And a second chance at love...
Torn from the only man she'd ever loved by a tragic secret, Mara Miller has traveled a long and difficult road. From poverty and the workhouses, she's finally made a life for herself as the owner of a small haberdashery in London. With her companion, Big B, an African slave she'd helped escape from a Brazilian slaver, she's made a fresh start. But when the past walks into her shop—in the form of the ever-handsome Roarke Garrott, Viscount Eversleigh—Mara feels her whole world crash to her feet. Thrust back into a web of lies, deceit, and manipulation, Mara is forced to face the one man she'd sworn to forget.
For the past seven years, Roarke had sequestered himself in India to mourn Mara's death. Vowing to move on and put the past behind him, he returns to London, only to find himself gazing into those beautiful green eyes he believed he'd never see again. Now he's found her—alive and trying to deny who she was. A million feelings wash over him. Joy. Fury. Heartbreak. He would have the truth from her—of where she'd gone, and why—but when trouble from the past finds Mara and Big B, the truth becomes secondary to saving Mara's life. After just learning that the woman he'd loved is alive, Roarke is not about to lose her again...
When a Duke Pursues a Lady
Ways of Love Book 3
An innocent woman. A loyal agent to the Crown. A path of deception that tests the bonds of love.
Lyra Coventry, Lady Weston, has spent the past three years trapped in an abusive and loveless marriage. But just when she believes she's free, she's charged with the murder of her husband. With no one to turn to for help, her judgment seems rather dire, until the Duke of Albright comes forward to offer his aid. With no choice but to put her trust in him, she doesn't know that he has an ulterior motive for helping her – to prove her guilty of treason. It isn't until the true villain comes to light that she discovers a strength she never knew existed – and a love she never thought was possible.
Alister Ayles, Duke of Albright, might be the subject of ton ridicule, but as a highly respected agent for the Crown, he discovered a higher purpose. However, when he's faced with his toughest investigation to date, he has to travel a difficult path. Years ago, he'd made a mistake and let Lyra slip through his fingers. Now, he has a chance to make it right by clearing her name. But when it comes down to a test of loyalty, will he stand strong, or fall prey to his desires?
Tabetha Waite is the award winning author of "Why the Earl is After the Girl," her debut novel and the first installment of her Ways of Love series. Raised in Missouri by her paternal grandparents, she always had a love of reading. Her early influences were the Gothic romances of the 60s, the Janet Dailey Americana series, and "Midnight Bride" by Kathleen Drymon. She continues to make her home in the Midwest with her husband and two daughters.
Follow the tour HEREfor exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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privacy policy
Information about our Web site
Last updated on the 14th of December 2016
This is the corporate website of Dublin Food Sales. We are located in Ireland and our offices are located at Units 2 & 3 Glasnevin Business Park, Ballyboggan Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.
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This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Our guest, Joel Kim Booster, wrote the new gay rom-com "Fire Island" and stars in it with Bowen Yang. It's about a group of gay friends vacationing on Fire Island. Booster is also a comic and has a new stand-up special called "Psychosexual." He's written for shows like "Big Mouth," "Billy On The Street" and "The Other Two." He spoke with guest interviewer Sam Sanders, the former host of the NPR show It's Been A Minute. Sam is currently working on a new weekly culture podcast for Vulture and New York Magazine, which is set to debut next month. Here's Sam.
SAM SANDERS: Joel Kim Booster is having a great year. His movie, "Fire Island," was released on Hulu this month to rave reviews. The film is a very gay and very Asian retelling of "Pride And Prejudice."
JOEL KIM BOOSTER: (As Noah) This week is sacred. We're going to Fire Island. It's like gay Disney World.
SANDERS: And Joel is featured in a new Apple TV+ comedy out later this month with Maya Rudolph. It's called "Loot."
MAYA RUDOLPH: (As Molly Novak) I can't believe how long that meeting was. What was that, like, three hours?
BOOSTER: (As Nicholas) It's 9:50 a.m.
RUDOLPH: (As Molly Novak) Really? And we have to be here till 6:30?
BOOSTER: (As Nicholas) We don't have to be, though. We don't have to do anything. That's why I'm so confused right now.
SANDERS: There's more. Joel Kim Booster is also out with a new comedy special on Netflix. It's called "Psychosexual," and it's full of what Joel does best - biting, sarcastic, hilarious takes on subject matter that could be extremely depressing in other hands.
BOOSTER: Don't believe that overpopulation is the major issue at play here. I do think that if you want to have kids, you should have kids. But I do think that if you are having kids, knowing everything we know about the way the world is going, it is sort of like when you're at a party that you know is dying down, you know, and then you get a text from a friend and they're like, hey, should I still come to the party?
BOOSTER: And you're like, yeah. Yeah. Jump in that Uber, girl.
BOOSTER: I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm sure there will be ice still at the party by the time you get here - when what you should be doing is calling them immediately and being like, don't come here. Somebody has put on a podcast.
SANDERS: So a lot of Joel Kim Booster's work is about identity, what it's like to be gay, what it's like to be Asian while also being gay, what it's like to be Asian and gay while growing up with white evangelical adoptive parents. In most of his work, behind every stare and every line, you can see Joel or his characters working through all of that, looking around, trying to figure out just where and how they fit in.
Joel Kim Booster, welcome to FRESH AIR.
BOOSTER: Thank you so much for having me.
SANDERS: You're having this great year. You've got "Fire Island." You've got the Netflix comedy special. You've got the Apple TV+ show. Are you allowing yourself to believe now in 2022 that you've, quote, "made it?"
BOOSTER: No (laughter). In some respects - like, listen, I - you know, I've made it in the sense that I am able to support myself as a writer/performer. And that, you know, is something of a feat in and of itself. And I'm very proud of that. But I don't know - I guess I'm lucky in some senses that it's all happening in the span of one month, Pride Month. I think the metric for me of actually making it next time will be if they let me release something that's not in June during Pride. That'll be when I really know that I've hit an upper echelon.
SANDERS: Can we talk about your movie, "Fire Island?" Give our listeners a 30-second description of this film for those who haven't seen it yet.
BOOSTER: Yeah. "Fire Island" is a modern-day retelling of "Pride And Prejudice" set on Fire Island, and it is about the experience of vacationing with a chosen family and what it's like to fall in love in a very short amount of time on vacation - and class and race and body politics.
SANDERS: Yeah. Yeah. And now I guess we need a 45-second description of what exactly Fire Island is for those who've never been. And I myself have never been.
BOOSTER: Yeah. Fire Island is a small little barrier island connected to Long Island. And it is now, for close to a century, been a sort of safe haven for queer people to go and escape sort of heterosexual society for a little bit. I think one misconception about Fire Island is that it's completely gay. In fact, Fire Island is made up of several sort of neighborhoods or hamlets, and only two of them are gay - Cherry Grove and the Pines. And that's where the movie is set. And there are no roads. There are no cars, no cell service. There are huge parties and debauchery that can happen. And you can also go and make dinner and play board games and read by the pool if you want.
SANDERS: When did you first go to Fire Island? And, like, what was it like?
BOOSTER: We - so I went in 2016 with Bowen for the very first time - yeah, Bowen Yang...
SANDERS: Bowen Yang, we should say.
BOOSTER: ...Who co-stars with me in the movie and co-stars with me in my life as one of my best friends. And he and I had the opportunity to go. And we were a little apprehensive because another important thing to know about Fire Island is it does sort of have a reputation for being not only a safe haven for queer people but specifically a very specific subset of queer people, which is cis, white, muscly, gay guys who are usually rich and usually in their own sort of exclusive...
SANDERS: Exclusive.
BOOSTER: ...Bubble and, you know, can be sometimes a little unwelcoming to people who don't fit into those categories in some way. And so we were a little nervous to go, but we ended up, you know, having sort of the summer of our lives out there for the first time and learning very quickly that Fire Island is a place for everybody, as long as - and it is very much about who you go with and who you choose to surround yourself with on the island. And I know that, like, a lot of people, when this movie was coming out, were sort of like, why would you want to celebrate a place that can be so toxic? And for me, it's always been like - it's one of the most visually arresting, beautiful places I've ever been.
And if you cede - if we avoid that island because there is this element of toxic gay guy culture, then we've lost something really special, you know? And I'm really heartened that, like, in the last couple of years I've gone, you are starting to see a lot more people of color going, a lot more queer, gender nonconforming, trans people going, you know, people of all body types. You know, we're sort of storming the island, and we're taking it back in a certain way and saying, like, this is for everybody. This is for everyone in our community. And, you know, we're not going to let just one subsection of the - of our community have it.
SANDERS: You know, so "Pride And Prejudice" is all about class. But your movie, "Fire Island," is a reworking of that text that becomes a commentary on both race and class. And I'm wondering, was it hard and, if it was, what was the hardest part about stretching this Jane Austen story to accommodate both of those things, race and class?
BOOSTER: Well, honestly, the mapping of it wasn't that difficult for me. I - so I brought "Pride And Prejudice" with me as my beach read the very first summer that Bowen and I went out there. As I was reading it on Fire Island, it was the first time I sort of made this connection where I realized that the way in which Jane Austen sort of rendered people of different classes communicating across class lines and the ways that people treated each other from different classes, it was very similar to what we were experiencing on Fire Island and the ways in which gay men create sort of artificial classes around themselves, you know, based on things like race and masculinity and body fat percentage and actual wealth. And it became very sort of clear to me on that trip that Jane Austen understood something really universal about not only, you know, the experience of communicating across class lines, but also just, like, how gay men communicate with each other. Like, in her novels, people are awful to each other without being awful to each other.
SANDERS: (Laughter) Yeah.
BOOSTER: They say awful, terrible things to each other but with the veneer of respectability and politeness that is similar to shade. You know, it is - I think, like, Jane Austen understood shade before - yeah...
SANDERS: It's a very gay thing to do.
BOOSTER: ...Before she - before the - you know, we even knew it.
SANDERS: You know, on top of all of this, there's this question of, like, what box a film like "Fire Island" fits into. Is it just a rom-com? Is it just a queer movie? Is it just an Asian movie? And I'm really intrigued by that last question because I've read that the cast of this film got more Asian as the project went along. Your love interest at first was not supposed to be Asian in the final film, though he is. How different of a movie would "Fire Island" have been had that remained the case - had your love interest not also been Asian?
BOOSTER: I think it would have been fairly different. You know, the love interest was always going to be a person of color. It was always going to be - but it was intended to be a person of color - a non-Asian person of color to sort of explore, like, the complicated dynamics of what it is for different people of color to interact and how it's different for Asian people versus, you know, possibly, you know, a Middle Eastern gay guy or an African American gay guy and trying to explore, like, the complications that occur when - you know, it's one thing to say that, like, it is hard to be gay and a person of color, OK? We - you can say that blanket statement, but it is specifically, on a granular level, difficult in different ways to be Asian and gay and to be Black and gay. And, like, it was a different kind of film.
But I think, like, ultimately, too, you know, there's something to be said - I think, like, for me, as an Asian creator, I'm glad that, like - I think it was better in the long run that I - especially as my first outing - tackled very specifically an Asian American story rather than trying to tell a million - and weave a million different stories and perspectives into one movie.
SANDERS: Our guest is actor, writer and comic Joel Kim Booster. He's the screenwriter and star of the new film "Fire Island." He also has a new Netflix stand-up special called "Psychosexual." And Joel co-stars with Maya Rudolph in the new TV show "Loot" on Apple TV+. We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH AIR.
SANDERS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Sam Sanders, back with Joel Kim Booster. He's a stand-up comic, actor and writer. He has a new stand-up special called "Psychosexual." And he wrote and stars in the new movie "Fire Island" with his friend Bowen Yang, and he co-stars with Maya Rudolph in the new Apple TV+ show "Loot." He's also written for shows like "Big Mouth," "Billy On The Street" and "The Other Two."
One of the most poignant moments in "Fire Island" is when Bowen's character confronts your character and basically says, I know you think we're in the same boat because we are both gay Asian men facing sexual racism, but it's more than that and it's different. Look at you, and look at me. The world treats us differently, right? One of us has a six-pack. And that conversation felt so real and so visceral. Let's hear some of that scene with you and Bowen Yang.
BOOSTER: (As Noah) There are plenty of other guys.
BOWEN YANG: (As Howie) For you.
BOOSTER: (As Noah) For you, too.
YANG: (As Howie) No, stop it. Stop talking about this like we're the same.
BOOSTER: (As Noah) But we are. You and me...
YANG: (As Howie) No, stop. You want to feel so good so badly that you did all this. And now you want me to feel good, too, because you - I don't know, you feel guilty. Stop pretending like you don't understand how the world works.
BOOSTER: (As Noah) That's really unfair.
SANDERS: How much of that conversation had been had before in your real life, and how many times, with anybody?
BOOSTER: It is definitely a conversation that I have had more obliquely, I think, with friends, and specifically Bowen, you know? It's never been as contentious and confrontational as it was rendered in the movie. But again, it goes back to wanting to make sure that, like - yes, of course I experience discrimination, but understanding that I am still looking the way I do, coming from a place of relative privilege within this community, in a community that places a high premium on six-packs, you know? And that is a form of currency that I am able to trade in in this community. And I'm not blind to that.
I'm not - you know, I didn't want to make a movie where I was, like, some kind of, you know, victim the entire way through without acknowledging that, yeah, I also have a great deal of privilege because of the way I look. And I didn't want to let myself off the hook in that way. And I'm - you know, that's why that scene exists in the movie. And I think it's important for people to reckon with that kind of privilege as well, you know, and understanding the intersections of, you know, where you are marginalized and where you have privilege.
SANDERS: Well, and then there's just these moments that come out of nowhere that offer such a lovely, like, comedic reset. Like, I keep thinking of the fleeting moment where, like, Matt Rogers is reciting lines from "My Cousin Vinny." And I had to, like, stop and rewind and watch it five times because it's just like, yeah, yeah, that, you know? And it is a hard needle to thread - to get that in a movie and all this commentary that we're talking about. But you did it, Joel. You did it.
BOOSTER: Thank you. Thank you.
SANDERS: I have heard that you read the YouTube comments on your comedy videos on YouTube. I wonder, have you been reading the reviews of your film?
BOOSTER: Yeah, I've been keeping up with the - most of the reviews of the movie. I'm interested. I think, you know, as a first-time filmmaker, I find, you know, criticism to be very instructive, I think. And it's, you know, the good and the bad. I absorb it all. And I think there were a lot of really lovely reviews of the movie, and people engaged with the movie in really interesting ways that I didn't, you know, necessarily expect. And then, there were also legitimate critiques that came out that I - you know, I'm absorbing and will definitely, you know, affect, I think, the way I approach my next project. And then, there are criticisms that I didn't take to heart and that I sort of felt were a little bit more frivolous or silly.
SANDERS: Like, what? Tell me one of those.
BOOSTER: Well, I think the Bechdel test controversy of 2022 was definitely one of the more bizarre experiences of my life.
SANDERS: I want to set up the Bechdel test for our listeners and then set up the tweet in question. So first, the Bechdel test comes from the cartoonist Alison Bechdel, and it was in one of her cartoons years ago. And to pass the Bechdel test, a work - usually a film - it must feature at least two women, and those women must talk to each other, and their conversation must concern something other than a man. That is a Bechdel test usually for a film.
And the writer Hanna Rosin tweeted after watching "Fire Island," your movie about gay men on Fire Island - she wrote that "Fire Island" was full of lazy portrayals of lesbians through Margaret Cho and that it also failed the Bechdel test. And then the tweet blew up. The Bechdel test became a trending topic. Various news outlets wrote about this. It became a meme. Bechdel herself ended up tweeting about it as well. Hanna apologized at length. First question - why did that one tweet, you think, resonate so deeply with people?
BOOSTER: This is such a blatant misuse of the spirit of the Bechdel test that that is why people were angry. And there were other aspects of it, too. I think calling Margaret's character drab was maybe frustrating for people - I think especially for Margaret, who the character was so much modeled after Margaret as a person that I think Margaret took a lot of offense to the descriptor of drab. And beyond that, there's one aspect of the tweet that really did sort of rankle me more so than - it's easy to laugh off the pass-fail of the Bechtel test in a movie about specifically queer Asian men. You know, I - my priority wasn't - you know, I think the movie isn't misogynist because it features a primarily a (ph) cast of, you know, gay Asian or gay people of color. I think the - that is sort of a misuse of the Bechdel test, to put it lightly. The thing that really - that was minor but really bothered me was the description of Bowen and I as cute Asian boys in the tweet. She said - I believe it was something like, you know - or - well...
SANDERS: How did you feel about that?
BOOSTER: I'm a 34-year-old man, you know (laughter)? I'm like - I don't even like, you know, the guys that I have sex with who are older than me to call me a boy in most cases, let alone a writer from New York magazine calling me a cute Asian boy. It just felt a little infantilizing. And quite honestly, I don't know - I don't know. It felt - it didn't feel good to me. And that was probably the biggest point of contention that I had with the tweet. But again, she apologized, and I fully accept the apology. And I - you know, in my 20s, I really followed Hanna Rosin's writing pretty closely and listened to her podcast. So, you know, it was - that was another strange sort of moment, is having someone you used to really listen to and absorb sort of comment on your work in that specific way. It was really sort of an out-of-body experience.
SANDERS: I now want to comment at this point - in full disclosure, I'm working on a new culture podcast for Vulture and for New York magazine where Hanna Rosin works. And we're colleagues. She is my boss. And she knows that we're talking about this, and she's a grown-up and can handle this chat. But yeah, like you said, we can do two things with that tweet and her work, you know - respect her body of work and also acknowledge, not the best tweet at all. What would the queer Bechdel test be?
BOOSTER: Oh, wow. I guess it would have to be about, you know, two named queer characters talking about something other than trauma. That's (laughter) - I think that's what it would be for me. They're...
SANDERS: (Laughter).
BOOSTER: They're not coming out. They're not being - you know, they are not experiencing homophobia. They're not falling in love with a straight person. It's - just two queer people existing - you know, ordering coffee and trying to do their taxes.
GROSS: We're listening to the conversation our guest interviewer Sam Sanders recorded with Joel Kim Booster. Booster wrote and stars in the new film "Fire Island." His new stand-up special is called "Psychosexual." We'll hear more of their conversation after a break. I am Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR.
KATIE GAVIN: (Singing) Sometimes, I run. Sometimes, I hide. Sometimes, I'm scared of you. But all I really want is to hold you tight, treat you right, be with you day and night. Baby, all I need is time.
GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. Let's get back to our interview with comedian, actor and writer Joel Kim Booster. He has a new Netflix comedy special called "Psychosexual," and he wrote and stars in the new gay rom-com "Fire Island," which is streaming on Hulu. He spoke with guest interviewer Sam Sanders. Sam's the former host of the NPR show It's Been A Minute and is currently working on a new weekly podcast for Vulture and New York Magazine.
SANDERS: So I want to ask you about "Psychosexual," Joel, this Netflix comedy special, this hour you just did. You split this special into different parts. What were the parts, and why did you do that?
BOOSTER: So the sections - it's sort of a three-act structure. And the first section is jokes primarily dealing with my identities as both a gay man and as an Asian man and as a gay Asian man specifically. And then, you know, I was sort of wanting to get that all out of the way so that I could move on to a section of jokes specifically that are sort of told from a perspective and about topics that any comedian could tackle, that, on paper, these jokes could be told by a comedian of any identity. And then the third act is sort of the most loaded act in a lot of ways because it's - the third act is made up of topics that I've been told numerous times that I shouldn't talk about as a comedian on stage, which is mostly about sex. And I did it all because I wanted to talk very specifically about the privilege and the burden of representation and what that all means and what it means to be a comedian who is of, you know, marginalized identities and how that affects my work and how that affects my - the perception of my work and, you know, how that plays out, you know, when I'm engaging with the audience.
SANDERS: There was one thing I wondered watching the special, especially the jokes just about dating as a gay man, dating as a gay man of color and the sexual racism that can be found in the community. All those jokes were so resonant. But I also know that according to your Instagram, and correct me on this if I'm wrong, you are not single anymore. First, congrats, and two, has finding a partner changed in any way your philosophy present in those jokes in the special? Like, are there any jokes now that partner Joel probably wouldn't tell anymore?
BOOSTER: I wouldn't tell most of them now in a lot of ways because it's no longer true for my life. You know, I wrote the special before I met my partner. And so there's jokes about, you know, being single that don't resonate anymore, you know, and I sort of have to talk about them in the past tense in a lot of ways. But I mean, there's a couple of things, right? Like, A, my partner and I are non-monogamous, so I am still experiencing sexual racism out in the wild, you know, as we, you know, experience - have experiences apart from one another and together as well. And it's convenient, too, like, the timing of meeting him because now I have a whole new well of material to sort of dip into.
This is the first serious relationship I've ever been in. And there's a lot of growing pains, and there's a lot of, you know, things that I'm learning about myself. And then the other big part of it is my boyfriend is white. And that is both - you know, internally, it's challenging at times to be in any sort of interracial relationship. It's challenging for me specifically because I catch a lot of [expletive] for it, you know? I can't post a picture of my boyfriend...
SANDERS: What kind of [expletive] you catch?
BOOSTER: I can't - people's say I'm a white worshipper, that I - you know, I'm selling out our race, that I - that they used to like me until I had a white boyfriend. Of course you have a white boyfriend. You only ever chase after white guys. You're just another, you know, Asian guy who only wants to sleep with white guys - and all of these assumptions based on the one white person that I, you know, happened to end up with - 'cause it is - like, for me, internally within our relationship, there are things that I am struggling with and dealing with as a person of color dating a white person. And those are things that I'm dealing with on a personal level and tend to have people come from the outside constantly bombarding me with accusations of being a race traitor, basically. And it makes it so much more difficult to have to deal with those, you know, very real personal challenges within our relationship because I have stuff coming from the outside and I have to deal with the stuff that's coming from the inside. And so, you know, it's challenging.
SANDERS: You know, I feel like we've talked so much about your work and this current moment, but I feel like for listeners to get a really full or more full understanding of who you are, Joel Kim Booster, we've got to talk about where you came from and what that's about. And I think first to get into that, what was happening for you before stand-up comedy? You know, stand-up is how you made a name for yourself, but you began wanting to be an actor and a writer. Like, when did young Joel know that he wanted that?
BOOSTER: I think I knew pretty early on. I think as soon as I knew it was a job, it was the only thing I have ever wanted to do, was to tell stories. You know, I was a really sort of - I loved attention as a child, as I do as an adult. And I think, like, I really craved the spotlight from a really young age. And I - a lot of it for me as a child was figuring out the ways in which you could get that kind of attention from storytelling. And so I would write my short stories and make my family sit down and listen to them. And I would, you know, be in as many, you know, community theater productions as possible. And I just, quite frankly, have never really been good at anything else. So it was always sort of the only option for me. And yeah, it's so weird to try and think back on a time when I wasn't interested in doing something along the lines of what I'm doing right now.
SANDERS: Was there a certain moment where you saw a certain thing on TV or in the movie and said, I got to do that?
BOOSTER: Yeah. I mean, Margaret Cho was a huge sort of eye-opening experience for me as a child. Watching "All-American Girl," her sitcom on ABC, was really massive for me. It was the first time I had seen an Asian American on screen that wasn't a sidekick, that wasn't doing martial arts, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I - it was, like, something that I just couldn't connect with. And suddenly there was this woman on screen who, you know, had a family that looked like me. And as a transracial adoptee, that was hugely impactful for me as well, was seeing an Asian American family on screen for the first time. And I just remember sitting really, like, inches away from the TV watching that show week after week and really for the first time understanding what was possible for me.
SANDERS: You know, it must have been really interesting for someone like you as a kid to watch it because you were this young Asian American boy, but your family wasn't Asian; your family was white. You were adopted as a child by Midwestern white evangelicals. What was the life that young Joel was living with that family when he was seeing Margaret Cho on screen?
BOOSTER: Listen; I had a really great childhood, but it was - there's a lot of dysphoria that, like - dysmorphia and strangeness that comes from, you know, not looking like your family. And there's a strangeness that comes with that that you cannot necessarily shake and that I don't know that I have ever completely shaken from myself. I just - you know, I grew up in a town of mostly white people, in a family of all white people. And as a byproduct of that, I think there's a lot of work that I've had to do to feel comfortable in any space, quite frankly - white spaces, Asian spaces.
You know, part of the experience I think that I share with a lot of transracial adoptees is this feeling of discomfort no matter where you are and not quite feeling like you belong. You know, I am so lucky that I'm queer as well because I think finding my chosen family and surrounding myself with people, some who look like me and some who don't but who understand me on, you know, that really deep spiritual level, has been really vital to me and my growth as a person.
SANDERS: Our guest is actor, writer, and comic Joel Kim Booster. He's a screenwriter and star of the new film "Fire Island." He also has a new Netflix stand-up special called "Psychosexual." We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH AIR.
SANDERS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Sam Sanders back with Joel Kim Booster. He's a stand-up comic, actor and writer. He has a new stand-up special called "Psychosexual." And he wrote and stars in the new movie "Fire Island" with his friend Bowen Yang.
You end up at a certain point in high school leaving that home and leaving your family because you're gay, and they find out, and they're not cool with it, right? What happens then?
BOOSTER: Yeah. So it was my senior year of high school. I moved out, couch-hopped, lived in my car a little bit and, eventually, ended up living with a family of a girl that I had one class with that, you know, I barely knew but sort of knew my situation and told me that I could sleep at her house for one night, and that one night turned into the rest of the year. And that family, you know, became my second family, you know?
And sort of ironically enough, her dad was the Methodist pastor in town. And really, you know, because coming from an evangelical background, I was really messed up about, you know - it's hard to untangle yourself from that sort of fundamentalism in religion. And so a huge part of me thought I was going to hell for a large part of my teenage years. You know, I was out, and I was happy being out, but I had this understanding that, like, eventually, I would be going to hell. And her dad, as this very progressive Methodist pastor in town, really let me know that I was OK. And, you know, I don't necessarily - I consider myself fairly agnostic now, but at the time it was so powerful for me to hear, you know, a person with authority in the church say to me, you are OK, and God loves you.
SANDERS: You know, going through that experience, I could see someone like you saying, well, let's not talk about that. I've moved on. I'm free now. But for a good portion of your career, it informed your comedy. And I'm thinking back to the first time you got on "Conan," which was - what? - six years ago this month, I think, June 2016. At the top of that set, you are talking about growing up in the Midwest, adopted and gay and Asian. So why don't we hear the beginning of that first set that you did on "Conan" back in 2016?
BOOSTER: My name, it's very strange. It does not match my face. Joel Kim Booster. Why? You know?
BOOSTER: Joel up top there - that seems pretty Jewish, doesn't make any sense at all.
BOOSTER: Kim in the middle - that seems closer.
BOOSTER: And then Booster right there at the end - well, that's just a word.
BOOSTER: That's not a name at all. What's happening there? And the reason I have this very goofy name is, yes, I was adopted by a nice white Midwestern couple in the mid-'80s, like many Korean babies were. Korea in the mid-'80s, if you were around, you probably remember it was the only country that would fly a baby to the U.S. and you didn't have to go and pick it up. So it was very much the GrubHub of babies back then.
BOOSTER: It was delivered by a very grumpy man on a bike.
BOOSTER: Forgot my mom's Pepsi, wouldn't go back for it. It was a disaster. So as you can imagine, it was a little weird growing up in the Midwest with this face and that family. I mean, I literally knew I was gay before I knew I was Asian.
SANDERS: One, wow, what a statement. But, two, to the level of, I don't know, bravery, self-awareness, to say that on a stage in front of people. What do you really mean when you say that I fully knew I was gay before I knew I was Asian?
BOOSTER: Well, because, you know, I - another sort of layer on top of all of this is that I was home-schooled from the time I was, you know, a child until I was a junior in high school. And so we led a pretty sheltered life. You know, it was really just me and my family as a unit. We didn't really - I didn't really interact with many people outside of my family. And I remember at - you know, being 4 or 5 years old and telling my brother and my sister I like boys, you know? And they thought it was a hilarious joke and didn't really think much of it at the time.
And it wasn't until I was probably 7 or 8 that I, you know, was at a family reunion in Alabama with my mom's side of the family, who are mostly from the South, and it was really at that moment where I was looking at this huge composite photo of our entire family standing together that I realized, oh, my God, like, I am different. I look different than all of these people. I look different from everyone in my family. And that was really when I had sort of an actual sort of real understanding of my racial differences from my family, was at that moment. And this was, you know, years after I knew I liked boys. So it is both of - it's a funny joke, but it is the truth.
SANDERS: You know, hearing you talk about this, hearing your comedy special this week, watching "Fire Island," I kind of see this common thread throughout all of your recent work and most of your work in general. A lot of the work is about relationships, and it's about the relationships that we choose, whether they're romantic ones or those with close friends. And now I feel like with "Fire Island" and with "Psychosexual," you're talking more about the chosen family than about the family that you were given. And I wonder what that means and what it says about your life and that relationship. What does it mean that you're talking less about that stuff now?
BOOSTER: You know, there's - so there's - I'm sort of circling back to my family, you know, in this new hour that I'm working on, in part, you know, because - I think part of the reason I left it behind is I'm in a much better place with my family now. You know, we've really reconciled and come together. And part of that is, you know, we lost my dad to COVID last year. And that really...
SANDERS: I'm sorry to hear that.
BOOSTER: ...Put a lot of things into perspective, I think, for our family of, you know, what's actually important and what - and how little time we actually have to be together. And why waste - you know, I think for my mom, especially, it was, why waste time disapproving of my life and keeping me sort of, because of that disapproval, at arm's length, you know? And so, yeah, we're - I think it's unfortunate that it took such a huge, tragic event to sort of bring us together, but it is, I think, like, ultimately, a silver lining to one of the worst things that's ever happened to me, is that it brought me closer to my mom.
SANDERS: Did she like "Fire Island?" Did she like "Psychosexual?" Does she watch your stuff?
BOOSTER: I don't think she's aware that either of them exist, and that is quite all right with me, I think.
SANDERS: Wow.
BOOSTER: My mom has always been fairly uncurious about my career, I think, because we don't need any more reason for tension in our relationship. I think that enough of it exists without her hearing me talk about my casual sex life or seeing, you know, orgies in my movie. So she's very proud of me. She knows that I'm able to support myself, that I, you know, have been able to carve out a very successful career in this industry. And that is enough for her, and that's enough for me.
SANDERS: Is there ever a version of your life in which you make a movie about that part of your life - the Korean child adopted by Midwestern, white, evangelical parents, who ends up fleeing home senior year of high school when he is gay? Would that be a movie that you ever write?
BOOSTER: Yeah. You know, it's obviously something that I am - I've thought about a lot. But it's funny, you know, even though so much of that happened when I was a teenager, it doesn't feel like that story has quite completed yet, you know? I feel like I still don't have enough distance from it to understand what story I would be telling. You know, I could tell an autobiographical story of just the simple facts of what happened - you know? - but I don't know, in sort of a macro sense, like, what is that - what am I trying to say? And until I know that, I don't - it doesn't feel like I know how the story ends yet. And maybe I might never understand that. But until I have the distance from it to know how the story ends and how it sort of closes the loop, I don't think I'm ready to tell that story in a fictionalized way.
SANDERS: Joel, I've asked you all the questions I have for you, and I just want to thank you for your time and say that I'm so excited for your big year. Thank you for all you do.
BOOSTER: Thank you so much, Sam. Thank you. I really, really appreciate that. I do.
GROSS: Joel Kim Booster's new Netflix comedy special is called "Psychosexual." He wrote and stars in the new film "Fire Island," which is streaming on Hulu, and co-stars in the new Apple TV+ series "Loot." He spoke with guest interviewer Sam Sanders. Sam's new weekly culture podcast for Vulture and New York Magazine debuts next month. After we take a short break, Maureen Corrigan will review a new novel by Ottessa Moshfegh set in the Middle Ages. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF BILL FRISELL'S "BEAUTIFUL BOY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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[2012.12.07] Takashi Amano on The Wall Street Journal
[2011.05.06] Takashi Amano photograph Postcard
[2011.04.19] Glass no Naka no Daishizen, French version now available!
[2010.10.28] Announcement on winning the 63th Niigata Daily News Culture Prize Award (Art activity division)!
[2010.10.12] Takashi Amano's portfolio exhibited at the APEC JAPAN 2010 in Niigata


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