By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Rob Schamberger's pro wrestling artwork has received shout-outs from some of wrestling's biggest names, including Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and Bill Goldberg.




Professional wrestling artist Rob Schamberger has had quite a few people tell him how great his work is. Heck, even Stone Cold said so.

Schamberger’s artwork was featured in the Pro Wrestling Torch Collectibles Column last May. Since then, Schamberger estimates he has created about 100 new pieces, some that were gifts for his Kickstarter backers and others that were commissioned pieces. He has also added about 20 new portraits to his Champions Collection.

Schamberger has received “overwhelmingly positive” support from some of wrestling’s top stars whose likeness he has captured with his unique brand of artwork. Bret Hart, Mick Foley, and Bill Goldberg have given Schamberger public shout-outs. In September, Steve Austin tweeted, “Helluva job RT” in response to Schamberger’s Stone Cold portrait. Some wrestlers have bought Schamberger’s portraits of them and others have commissioned pieces.

“The wrestlers have been very supportive, as are their families,” Schamberger said. “For instance, the Brisco family (was) really excited about the piece I did of Jack Brisco. It means a lot to them that he still means so much to us.”

Schamberger’s artwork is displayed at Metro Pro Wrestling shows in Kansas City, where “the wrestlers... have also really adopted me into their family.” His artwork has also been his ticket into some prestigious wrestling events, including the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum induction ceremony. While there, he had the opportunity to hang out with Gerald Brisco, Jim Ross, Dan Severn, Road Warrior Animal, and John Layfield.

“JBL especially was a total gentleman, and watching he and JR tour the museum, giving their insight on the exhibits, was humbling,” Schamberger said.




Schamberger’s artwork can be seen at www.robschamberger.com and he can be reached
on Facebook at Facebook.com/RobSchamberger and on Twitter @robschamberger. He’s willing to work on pieces of all sizes and price levels, and offers one-of-a-kind sketch cards, which have become a staple of the card collecting hobby over the last few years.

“I get a lot more requests for small watercolor and ink paintings lately,” Schamberger said. “I tend to do better the larger I work.”

Artist’s Choice

Rob Schamberger picks his five favorite pieces, while quipping, “That’s like trying to make me pick a favorite kid!”

(1) The Great Muta. “I ashamedly admit that I wasn't super-familiar with Muta's career at the time I did this, but visually this piece turned out pretty dang awesome. It's a mix of ink, watercolor and marker on 9" x 12" watercolor paper, done as a Kickstarter gift.”




(2) Sting. “Another Kickstarter gift, this one was a fun artistic journey to make. At first, it was just ink and watercolor, but I didn't like it. I added some hatching with a grey marker, but it still didn't look right. So I splashed some black house paint on it, but that made it too dark and unbalanced. I followed that with dripping some white house paint Jackson Pollock-style, and BAM! There you go!”




(3) The Undertaker. “This was a really challenging commission to do. My buyer asked for an ink and watercolor on 9" x 12" watercolor paper featuring the Undertaker from all of his Wrestlemania appearances! That's a lot to fit in, but I got the visual of how to lay it out, and I got to work. This one called for a lot more pre-production and planning, but I think it's one of my best!”




(4) Dolph Ziggler. “A piece from the Champions Collection, I really felt like I broke through to a new level with this piece. It's a mix of acrylic and spray paint. Dolph tweeted out that he liked it, and I got to show it to him in person at a Make-A-Wish event Harley Race's people put on. After meeting him, I fully endorse a big push for the guy! He was really cool and it was cool for him to be at the event.”




(5) JBL. “I'm a long-time fan of this guy. If you can watch his video talking about what Eddie did for him from the Eddie Guerrero tribute show without choking up, you're made of stone. Like I said earlier, I got to spend the day with him and he is a really genuine guy who sat there for, like, two or three hours to sign autographs. He sat there until everyone was taken care of. It reminded me a lot of Muhammad Ali at the Atlanta Olympics. A real class act that made me appreciate why the WWE backed him so strongly during his title reign. I equate this painting to that day in my mind, so from an emotional point of view, this is a favorite.”




PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com .

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