Kamala by Rob Schamberger © 2012 Rob. All rights reserved.

Kamala

Kamala painting by Rob Schamberger

Acrylic and spray on 24″ x 24″ wood

James ‘Kamala’ Harris had one of the most notable gimmicks in the history of pro wrestling. Harris debuted in 1978 as ‘Sugar Bear’ Harris (really!) and toured the UK, before coming to Memphis, where his world would change forever. There, Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett gave him the name of Kamala, (then spelled ‘Kimala’) the cannibalistic Ugandan giant. The gimmick took off like wildfire, leading him to the WWF in 1984, where he had many notable managers like ‘Classy’ Freddie Blassie and Slick. He worked there through the early 1990’s, while still also competing in Lawler’s USWA where he was a four-time world champion. He had a brief stint in WCW as a part of the Dungeon of Doom before largely retiring and making sporadic appearances for the WWE and various independent shows.

About the piece: This was one of those that I just knew exactly what I wanted to do. The figure and background were done with acrylic, largely spread around with my fingers. Then I drizzled a little almond-hued house paint in the corner, and added the facepaint with a stencil and spray paint.

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