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Masked Republic announced the following:
Future House Publishing and Masked Republic Announce Release Date For Bilingual Middle Grade Book “La Dinistia Muñoz: Dragon Lee and the Monster of Salty River” featuring the Muñoz Brothers Dragon Lee, Rush, Dralistico and their father El Toro Blanco.
October 24, 2024 – San Diego, CA & Pleasant Grove, UT
Future House Publishing and Masked Republic have set March 10, 2025 for the launch of their all-new bilingual middle grade series La Dinistia Muñoz and the first novel Dragon Lee and the Monster of Salty River.
The trilogy of books is centered on real-life lucha libre megastars “La Dinistia Muñoz”—brothers Dragon Lee, Rush, and Dralistico, along with their father El Toro Blanco (also known as Bestia del Ring). These fantasy children’s books will feature heartwarming family moments alongside epic fights between the luchadores and terrifying monsters.
Filling a need for more authentic Hispanic content for native Spanish speakers, each book will be bilingual. English and Spanish text will be written on side-by-side pages so that families will be able to enjoy them in whichever language each family member is most comfortable with and those working to learn a second language can enjoy a fun approach to their studies.
One of the most successful lucha libre families today, all three brothers competed at the top levels of both Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Lucha Libre AAA in Mexico, winning a collective 12 championships between them. Starting with Dragon Lee in 2016, the brothers would all make their way into U.S. based Ring of Honor where Lee and Rush both won championships and started building even larger fanbases internationally.
Today, Dragon Lee is under exclusive contract to World Wrestling Entertainment where he is part of Rey Mysterio’s LWO stable while Rush and Dralistico are exclusive to All Elite Wrestling and are part of the “La Faccion Ingobernable” stable. And, just like in the pages of their new middle-grade novel, their father, once known as El Toro Blanco and now competing throughout Mexico as “Bestia del Ring,” was a successful luchador himself before he started training his sons who have all achieved success on a global level beyond their mentor. All of this combines for not only an exciting book for middle-grade readers, but a historic moment in publishing as well. Never in history have real life brothers under contract to rival global wrestling promotions been able to publish a book together.
The latter achievement is made possible by all three brothers being part of Masked Republic’s Legends of Lucha Libre IP management brand as well as being represented by the company’s Lucha Libre Agency. Masked Republic founder and CEO Ruben Zamora said of the deal, “Growing up, luchadores were my superheroes. We look forward to teaming with Future House to bring an exciting new story world to middle grade readers which will help add to the still underrepresented number of Hispanic children’s titles and retain a truly universal appeal.”
Dragon Lee (whose full real name is publicly unknown per the long-standing masked lucha libre tradition), joined the full-time WWE roster on Smackdown and later RAW. Much like he wants his career ascending to the highest levels of pro wrestling to provide inspiration for kids of all ages, he wants the family’s book series to begin providing inspiration even at a younger age. “We did not grow up rich or having the benefit of having a career handed to us,” Lee said. “Our father was a famous luchador, but there is not always a lot of money or glamour in lucha libre in Mexico. But what he had, and what he instilled in us, was drive, determination, a love for our family and a love for our culture. He trained us in the ring, but he also trained us in how to succeed in life. We all worked hard, extremely hard, and were able to accomplish that. Like my career inside the ring which I want to use to show kids from around the world that they too can achieve great things, I want our new book series to inspire them too – inspire them to learn to read bilingually, inspire them to get creative with their mind and their ability to tell stories, inspire them to work hard and achieve their dreams.”
Rush, whose real name is William Arturo Muñoz González, is excited to share the books with his children. “My son already wants to follow in my footsteps and become our family’s first third-generation luchador. He is very excited to read about the monster hunting adventures his uncles and I will go on. But, he knows that we take his education very seriously. My wife and I think that the way the books will feature side-by-side Spanish and English will be a great way for him to be learning in two languages at the same time, maybe without even realizing it. By the time our baby daughter is in school, we hope that the books will have become a staple of learning English in Mexico and Spanish in the U.S.”
Dralistico added “When my brothers and I were growing up, there were not a lot of books that had characters who were from our culture and who shared the same dreams as us. I want something better for my daughter and her generation. And, I want kids from all over the world to be able to share our adventures. I am very proud that my brothers and I will be part of such a historic moment in kids books.”
The “La Dinistia Muñoz” trilogy will be available in print wherever books are sold, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and indie bookstores, as well as on all major ebook platforms.
Writer Kevin Garcia’s synopsis of the first installment reads:
Witness the birth of the Muñoz Dynasty! El Toro Blanco guides his children through a world of monsters and myth. Dragon Lee must earn the right to wear a mask, and prove he is hero enough to keep it. Dralistico has a desire for adventure, and the skills to make his enemies quake. All the while, the mysterious Rush clashes with them at every turn, but the heroes can prevail -- right? Joining the younger Muñoz boys on their monster-fighting journey is Tali, the new girl in town who dreams of becoming a luchador like her friends, and wants to help them fight the creatures that stalk the night: The hidden Ahuizotl who haunt waters where humans fear to go, the freakish Canancoles who do the dark biddings of evil men, and the gigantic Tilcoatl, whom no one has fought and lived! Of course, the young luchadores will still have to face the most dangerous enemy of all -- the rudos who allow greed and anger to guide their actions. Can they survive their first mission? Will El Toro Blanco accept the young warriors? And who will be the next hero of the ring AND the town?!
About Future House Publishing:
With roots in cinematic storytelling, Future House publishes adult science fiction and fantasy novels, as well as middle grade adventure books that embrace community, liberty, and family. Our books are a unique blend of original and licensed properties, including page-turning stories set in worlds first born in film, tabletop games, and more. Future House Publishing books are represented for TV & Film Development by Kaplan Stahler Agency. Foreign Rights are represented by DropCap Rights Agency.
About Masked Republic® :
Masked Republic, a privately held company, is the first integrated live event, merchandising and media organization uniquely centered in the emerging growth market of lucha libre and dedicated to expanding the sport, deemed an integral part of Mexican culture, beyond the borders of Mexico. The company’s core lines of business include representation of dozens of the biggest stars in the industry, worldwide merchandising through the company’s Legends of Lucha Libre® brand, live event production and creation, management, production and distribution of content across multiple platforms including television, home entertainment, pay-per-view digital media and film. The company is headquartered in San Diego, CA with offices in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Mexico City and London. For more information, visit MaskedRepublic.com and follow @MaskedRepublic across social media.
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