Orderable direct from Floricanto Press - www.floricantopress.com
-, as well as available or orderable in major book stores and other
locations.
Dale Pierce is known mainly for
his graphic horror novels and for articles on film or interviews with indy
cinema people for this page. With a plan for multiple books on multiple
topics coming in 2008-2009, the most recent release is different from the norm for him. While the topic may not be for
everyone, those interested in bullfighting or a violent world of blood and
death, this text may well be for you.
Originally, Matadores was released
only as an E-book titled Ruedo-The History Of the Juarez Bullring by
prolific author, Dale Pierce. Two weeks into the marketing of the book, it was pulled when reprint
rights were bought up by Floricanto Press as part of a three
book deal. Though the title was changed to Matadores to give it more
universal appeal, the content remains much the same. The addition of
several photos, however, where the E book was simply text, also make for a
vast improvement.
This is part of a three book deal,
with others afterward pending by Pierce, coming from this Northern
California based publisher, known for books with Hispanic cultural or
historical themes. Pierce’s next two books on deck with them are The
Garden Lives, on wrestling at the defunct Phoenix Madison Square Garden and
Haunted Bullring, which
again places focus on the bullfighting world, but runs with weird
incidents, urban legends and superstitions of the same.
Matadores covers the history of
the old Plaza Monumental in Ciudad Juarez and the various toreros who
appeared there over the plaza’s five decades in operation. The text
selects some 200 plus biographies of matadores, novilleros, rejoneadores,
picadores, banderilleros and even a handful of writers who were regulars
in the plaza. There is an ample selection of both famous and not-so-famous
names.
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Among the toreros dealt with in
the text, with bios covering high points of their careers and of course
showings in Juarez are Calesero, Luis Procuna, Carlos Arruza, the
Armillita, the Capetillos, Fernando Dos Santos, Finito, Inclusero, Garcia
Higuras, Francisco Ruiz Miguel, Cordobes, Mario Sevilla, Caleserito,
Marian Ramos, Manolo Martinez, Eloy Cavazos, Curro Rivera, Curro Leal, Geno,
David Renk, Jesus Solórzano, Fabian Ruiz, Jaime Bravo, Guillermo Montes
Sortibran, Jose Antonio Gaona, Berardo Valencia, John Fulton, Rogelio
Leduc, Fabian Barba, Gaston Santos, Pavli Hermoso De Mendoza, Pepe Luis
Vazquez, Pepe Luis Hurtado, Charro Gomez, Joaquin Bernado, Glison, Sidney
Franklin, Leonardo Manzano,
Mauro Liceaga, Armando Soares,
Eduardo Liceaga, Cesar Giron,
Alejandro del Hierro, Joselito Mendez, Tomas Abaroa, Venus Pacheco, Coca
Cola, Francisco Doddoli, Gripa, Jesus Belmonte, Chinanas, Chato, Felipe
Zambrano, Manolo Urena, Antonio Lomelin, Alf redo Lomeli, Oscar San Roman,
Guillermo Montero, El Estudiente, El Queretano, Raul Garcia, the Silvetis,
Mario del Olmo, Raul Ponce De Leon, Miguel Villanueva, Marcelino Librero,
Alejandro Otero, Jaime Rangel, Jose Ramon Tirado, Zotoluco, Antonio
Urrutia and many others.
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“I grew up in Arizona,”
commented Pierce, “Thus I saw most of the bullfights in Nogales, rather
than Juarez, but my parents would make a trip there about once a year,
then alter, as an adult, I would fly or drive there myself. Thus, I have a load of fond memories of La Monumental and the
Juarez bullfights stuck in my mind, plus several of them captured on old
8mm movie film to keep my recollections sharp. I hated and still hate the
thought of La Monumental being torn down like they did. All that history
was destroyed.”
Well, not entirely, for the
stories live on in Matadores.
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“There is one story I didn’t
put in there,” said Pierce, “It involves Jesus Solórzano.
We used to see him all the time in Nogales. By chance, whenever we went to
Juarez, he just happened to be on the cards. When he saw us there, he was
flattered as he thought we were making the 8 hour drive from Phoenix to
Juarez just to see him on the cartel. In reality, it was just luck of the
draw.”
Pierce also pays note to what may
well have been one of the greatest days in the Monumental bullring during
the 1979 season, when a rejoneador and three mediocre toreros gave the
showing of their respective lifetimes to the dreaded Casablancas, the bull
ranch owned by the empresario. Large, difficult to handle by inexperienced
matadors and with unshaven
horns, no figures would face examples of the herd. Thus, the lesser-knowns
with something to gain would take chances with them. Gaston Santos, John
Fulton, Bernardo Valencia and Rogelio Leduc did so, cutting a total of 7
ears before the afternoon was over. Hurtado, several years later, would
become so disgusted with the star toreros and their lack of willingness to
face these bulls, had the ganaderia sold for beef.
Matadores is orderable also at $23.95 direct from Floricanto
Press - www.floricantopress.com
-, 650 Castro Street-Suite 120-331,
Mountain View, California 94041-2055 or rcabello@floricantopress.com
for shipping fees. It
will also be stocked in many book or orderable via them. It may also be ordered in book stores not
already stocking it, by the use of the number ISBN 978-1-888205-07-75395
While Pierce will be doing a set of lectures and
book signings upcoming, Juarez itself is oddly not on the list as a safety
issue. Juarez is the location of a horrible drug war with over 400
killings since January.
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