the hope spot

Young freelance journalist Georgie joins a local wrestling circuit to investigate a new article, making friends (and more than friends!) along the way. But is the validation she gets from the sport worth the drama that comes along with it?

Glowing up isn’t the same as growing up.

Georgie’s always been nerdy: Teased by jocks, spending her lunchtime with a comic in hand, and falling in love with wrestling from Saturday nights on the couch with her dad. But that was then - This is now!

She’s out of school, freelancing as a journalist, and hot as heck. In an effort to prove to her mom that she has a ＂real job,＂ she goes undercover in the local hardcore wrestling scene to investigate a piece. She’s quickly swept up in the drama, both in and out of the ring. With new friendships developing and potential romance blossoming, she’s riding the wave of attention that temporarily silences her own insecurities. But as girl fights, casual hook-ups, and creepy older men begin to dominate her days, Georgie has to ask herself who really holds the power in her life, and whether she’s happy with where it’s headed.

An unflinchingly honest coming-of-age tale set in the fast-paced world of wrestling, Total Suplex of the Heart explores the complicated nature of growing up as a young woman in a male-dominated world: Georgie battles through eating disorders, toxic relationships, and her own messy mistakes. It’s a spirited story of falling in love, crashing and burning, and then finding your way back by falling in love again... this time, with yourself. Inspired in part by the real pro-wrestling experiences of writer Joanne Starer (The Gimmick, Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville) and featuring the explosive art of up-and-comer Ornella Greco (Star Trek: Picard’s Academy).

Raised in a family of Holocaust survivors, Joanne Starer is a firm believer in equality for all people and hopes to make the world just a little bit brighter through her writing. A former editor, she has worked with Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Walter Foster Publications, and Harris Publications, among others. At Marvel, she was part of the team that launched the now-legendary Marvel Knights line, which helped revitalize the brand. She has served on the board of the Editorial Freelancer’s Association and holds a Master’s in Media Studies from the New School. Outside of her publishing pursuits, she owned and operated a women’s wrestling promotion out of Pennsylvania back in 2002, championing equality in pro-wrestling a decade before it became a nationwide trend. Joanne resides in New York, with one very demanding cat and too many action figures to count.