LIFELONG WRESTLING FAN AUTHORS FIRST WWE ENCYCLOPEDIA
- 08/13/2009 (5:53:05 pm)
- Georgiann Makropoulos
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| He has more fond memories of watching his favorite wrestler, Hulk Hogan, in matches. Watching his rise to stardom with many firsts for professional wrestlers, like being on the cover of Sports Illustrated and hosting an episode of "Saturday Night Live." And he remembers what a big deal it was watching Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III in 1987. So when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and DK Publishing approached Brian to work on their latest book project — a 350-page full-color encyclopedia of WWE history — he knew right away what his answer was. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “So how do you say no to it?” Shields spent his childhood years in Rockville Centre, and during that time, writing was always something that he enjoyed, but it he kept it to himself. He spent his school days playing sports, including basketball and baseball. It wasn’t until later on in life that he began writing out in the open. “As an intern, I was copy writing for print ads and creating presentations and writing the copy for packaging,” said Shields. “And I was also lucky to have great mentors along the way. And it’s really turned into something that now I also do professionally.” Aside from Shields’ full-time marketing job, he also runs a consulting agency, Mighty Pen and Sword. Shields furthered his writing passions by using his love of wrestling as material for his first book, also for the WWE: “Main Event: The WWE In The Raging 80’s.” “I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was probably five or six years old,” said Shields, who is now 32. “Growing up on Long Island, the WWE has always been so popular in the New York City metropolitan area. At that time, the mid-80’s, it was really the boom of when professional wrestling was turning into sports entertainment.” It was because of his writing ability and knowledge of professional wrestling history that the WWE tapped Shields, along with co-author Kevin Sullivan, to write its encyclopedia. “I knew Brian and his co-author Kevin Sullivan both brought a passion for World Wrestling Entertainment and the excitement of the brand. And Brian was a student of the history of our brand, what we’ve done over the years,” said Dean Miller, director of home entertainment and books for WWE. “So he just seemed like a natural.” Shields spent a year working on the 350-page book, which encompasses the WWE’s history from its beginnings in 1963 to today. “DK has kind of created that format of visual encyclopedias,” said Mike Vaccaro, director of business development for DK. “And we’ve done them with other successful partners like Marvel, DC Comics and James Bond. Their brand really fit this format very well.” Vaccaro added that DK only produces the visual encyclopedias with brands that have not only a strong fan base, but also enough content to fill 350 pages. “The WWE Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide To World Wrestling Entertainment” was published in late March (to capitalize on the hype of Wrestlemania XXV, which Vaccaro described as the “Superbowl of wrestling”), and is already going into its third printing. “It was on the New York Times Bestseller list for four weeks, which is phenomenal,” Vaccaro said. “By the end of this year, it will be the fastest selling DK encyclopedia or one of the fastest selling DK encyclopedias. So it could be our No.1 encyclopedia.” But for Shields, a fan of professional wrestling for 26 years, the success of the book, while definitely good, is overshadowed by the fact that he got to write the definitive guide to one of the things he loves, and that he was chosen for it by the WWE over hundreds of other writers. “It sounds so cliché, but it’s so flattering to be thought of for an opportunity,” he said. “To be selected along with Kevin Sullivan for the first ever encyclopedia is, for me, just a huge honor. I’m eternally grateful.” Comments about this story? [email protected] or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207. |
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