Martin Casaus, better known as Marty “The Moth” Martinez, has one of the most successful heel characters Lucha Underground has ever seen. During a recent interview, he revealed his inspiration for his character, more specifically serial killers. Given the fact that the Marty “The Moth” character petrifies me, the inspiration is well-founded.
The Iconic Marty Cackle
One of the creepiest things about Marty is his laugh, which honestly sounds like a psychopath who is on his next killing spree. The inspiration for this laugh might surprise you though.
During an interview with Wrestling Inc at ComicCon, Marty revealed his laugh is based on the Joker. Listening back to it now, I can hear the resemblance. No wonder it creeps me out!
“We’re at ComicCon, I’m a huge DC fan, So Joker has got to be part of the character. On the script, it said I was laughing and I started laughing like The Joker and it kinda stuck.”
Muses for His Persona
Marty was given an outline for his character by the Lucha Underground team, but most of the character work he did himself. During the interview, he also revealed some of his other inspirations for the character. Creepy, but they are some of the world’s worst serial killers.
One of Marty’s inspirations is none other than renowned serial killer Ted Bundy. Theodore Robert Bundy was an American serial killer during the 70’s. He was also one of the worst, assaulting and murdering numerous young women. He was eventually sentenced to death.
Another inspiration for his character is John Wayne Gacy, in my opinion, one of the worst monsters the world has ever seen. It is believed Gacy murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young adults during the 70’s in Illinois. He was also convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes. His nickname? The Killer Clown.
Martinez continued as he said he liked serial killers who could be “sitting on this couch having a conversation when there’s somebody in my basement being tortured… “
They serve as a warning, but also contribute to our entertainment, no matter how twisted that may be. Humans have a natural interest in the serial killer concept, so it is no surprise to me that Marty chose such monsters to base his character on. Since Marty has his creepiness down to a tee, the inspiration served him well.