Ralph Walters was once a normal guy.  But then something bizarre happened. A retired elementary school Spanish teacher bit him on the arm, giving him the simple power of speaking really bad introductory Spanish. He also gained a new name: “El Derango.”   

  Walters is actually the manager of the Artist’s Wrestling League (AWL). It is a painting match taking place this month at the Vanderelli Room in Franklinton, during Columbus’ June Arts Festival. He is also a wrestler in the match. The wrestlers do not really wrestle; they are local painters who publicly paint against one another.

  Each wrestler has a pseudonym, complete with a self-created back story, such as “Machete Page.” She is a lush and the bastard granddaughter of Betty Page. “KatTaztrophy” is a drummer, who thinks she is a cat and only paints with her paw prints. “Jimmy ‘Wildman’ Folk” paints with an axe, and “Sister Sangre” is a nun, who only paints Jesus.

  “Most of the wrestlers are really into their characters,” Walters said. “We have a lot of fun together.”

  And that is why the whole thing started – just for fun.

  “Art is often a very serious affair with emotion pouring into a piece. We do serious day in and day out. It’s fun to have fun with art,” he said.

  Walters explained that the idea hatched from someone challenging him to an art match. At first he thought it was a bad idea, and then he thought it was genius. The first AWL took place in March with wrestlers against wrestlers. The biggest challenge was finding artists who were not so introverted that they could paint in front of people, Walters said. According to Beth Yoder – “Balla,” event organizer and merchandise creator, the first two rounds were a little quiet, but turned into the most fun.

  “Someone got pied in the face with his own pallet and ended up painting with his face,” Walters said.  

  There are some rules, but the events tend to take on a life of their own. The rules are as follows: a referee has 10 seconds to ask the audience to choose the topic of each painting, the wrestlers have 10 minutes to paint, the referee picks the winner based on the audience’s response and the winner’s prize is breaking something over the loser’s head.      

  The winners move up until one earns the championship belt.

  This upcoming event is the first time wrestling opponents will come from the audience. The opponents must wear clothing that can take permanent acrylic paint damage, and they must sign off to be filmed for publishing on social media.

  “They must also bring their best game face – a good wrestler grimace, and trash talking and cheating is not only permissible, but encouraged. At the last event, the cheating went crazy. It’s like in real wrestling when the referee turns around, the wrestlers cheat, and the audience goes nuts. It’s a good way to get them vested in what’s happening,” he said.

  During the AWL a concurrent art show will display video, card and board game - themed art. Walters is also a successful illustrator, some of which includes vinyl album covers, tour posters and Dark Horse Brewery beer labels created in his studio “Art Party” at 400 W. Rich Street.  

  “We are a group, who likes to create art because it is cathartic,” he said.

  The event takes place June 12 and 13 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Vanderelli Room, 218 McDowell Street, in Franklinton. Admission is free to the public. Audience participation is encouraged.
 

Upcoming AWL events include: Urban Scrawl, Aug. 29 and 30, and the Independents Day Festival, Sept. 19 and 20, both at and around 400 W. Rich Street, in Franklinton.

To view the previous AWL event, view the following links:

www.youtube.com/channel/UChkg30uD-1lClYHeCQh_uaw

www.facebook.com/ArtistsWrestlingLeague