Johnston McCulley

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army. But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind . . . Fist published in 1919, The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures. Now read how the legend began . . .

The Mark of Zorro

This premium quality edition contains the complete and unabridged text of The Curse of Capistrano, Johnston McCulley's original tale of the adventures of Zorro, printed on heavy, bright white paper in a large 6"x9" format, with page headers and a fully laminated full-color cover featuring an original design. Also included in this edition is a new, original biographical sketch discussing the life and work of the prolific, but enigmatic, author. First published in 1919 as a serial in the "All-Story Weekly" pulp magazine, this story was originally titled The Curse of Capistrano and was the first appearance of the "Zorro" character, the dashing masked vigilante fighting against the oppression of the King's officials in "Old California," while hiding his real identity as Don Diego Vega behind a foppish facade. When it became the basis for the 1920 Douglas Fairbanks film "The Mark of Zorro" and was republished as a novel to coincide with the film, it was re-titled as The Mark of Zorro. Numerous "Zorro" stories, books and films followed, some following Johnston McCulley's original characterizations more closely than others and all, including McCulley's own later stories, essentially disregarding the ending of the original story without explanation. Born in Ottawa, Illinois on February 2, 1883, Johnston McCulley was a prolific writer who published extensively in the pulp magazines of the day under a variety of pen names. He created a number of popular masked, costumed "vigilante" characters and "gentleman villains" with secret identities, and his work was a major influence on subsequent pulp characters. In particular, "The Shadow" was inspired in part by McCulley's work, in turn serving as a major inspiration for "Batman", and the modern "super hero" of American comic book fame owes much to McCulley. Among his many creations were "The Green Ghost," "The Crimson Clown," "Black Star" and "The Spider," all of which had elements, such as secret identities, sidekicks, imaginative gadgets and weapons, that became mainstays of later characters in the genre. McCulley died on November 3, 1958 in Los Angeles, reportedly "after a series of operations," the end of a prolific career, and a life shrouded in mystery, that produced "Zorro," one of the most widely known fictional characters in the world.

The Curse of Capistrano the Original Adventures of Zorro

This is the original story about Zorro (Spanish word for fox), who lived in California at the time it was Spanish and Mexican. The story is about Don Diego Vega in the company of his deaf and mute servant Bernardo, his lover and future wife Lolita, Sergeant Gonzales and others.

The Curse of Capistrano

Zorro

A Detective Story

The Black Star

Robert E. Howard

Murray Leinster

Randall Garrett

B.M. Bower

Darrell Schwetizer

Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Steve Liskow

Hal Charles

In our 89th issue, Michael Bracken pulls double duty to bring a pair of original mysteires to readers: great tales by Steve Liskow and Welsh-Huggins. Plus we have a crime novel by Johnston McCulley (who also created Zorro—but he tried his hand at a bunch of other heroes and antiheroes, among them The Scarlet Scourge, The Avenging Twins, and a ton of others). There’s also a novel by Western author B.M. Bower. Plus a solve-it-yourself mystery by Hal Charles. On the science fiction & fantasy side, we have classic tales by Randall Garrett and Murray Leinster, two favorites. Robert E. Howard (much on my mind since returning from our trip to Robert E. Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas) has a Solomon Kane adventure. And last (but far from least) we begin the serialization of Darrell Schweitzer’s amazing Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer, a series of linked short stories that come together to form a novel…though each tale also manages to stand on its own. The first 3 stories are in this issue. Here’s this issue’s complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “Nose for News,” by Steve Liskow [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “The Case of the Burgled Bushels,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Supply Chains,” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins [Michael Bracken Presents short story] The Voice at Johnnywater, by B.M. Bower [novel] The Scarlet Scourge, by Johnston McCulley [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Needler,” by Randall Garrett [novella] “Rattle of Bones,” by Robert E. Howard [short story] “Ribbon in the Sky,” by Murray Leinster [novella] Sekenre: The Book of the Sorcerer, by Darrell Schwetizer [serial book, part 1 of 4]

Black Cat Weekly #89

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army. But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind. The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures. Now read how the legend began... We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

Special Edition

"The Curse of Capistrano" by Johnston McCulley. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army.But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind . . .Fist published in 1919, The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures.

The Curse of Capistrano (the Mark of Zorro)

CUT IN BLOOD! a slashing sword leaves Zorro's mark Z Tortured peasants! Beautiful senoritas in prison! Old California beneath the whiplash of oppression! But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's army. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade carves a dreadful brand on the faces of his foes. But to dark-eyed Lolita he brings compelling, passionate--and forbidden--love. THE MARK OF ZORRO, Johnston McCulley's colorful, romantic tale of a California Robin Hood, has been read, seen, and acclaimed by millions.

The Mark of Zorro tells of the story of Don Diego Vega, alias 'Señor Zorro', in the company of his deaf and mute servant Bernardo and his lover Lolita Pulido, as they oppose the villainous Captain Ramon and Sgt. Gonzales in early 19th-century California during the era of Mexican rule. The novel is set amongst the historic Spanish missions in California, pueblos such as San Juan Capistrano, California, and the rural California countryside

Adventure Novel

The Mark of Zorro: The Curse of Capistran

Johnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 - November 23, 1958) was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro.Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters - The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown - were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75.

The Curse of Capistrano (The Mark of Zorro) Illustrated

The Curse of Capistrano is a 1919 novella by Johnston McCulley and the first work to feature the fictional character Zorro (zorro is the Spanish word for fox). After the enormous success of the 1920 film adaptation, The Mark of Zorro, the story was republished under that name. Prior to being published in novella form, The Curse of Capistrano appeared as five serialized installments in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly.

Johnston McCulley - The Curse of Capistrano

The Curse of Capistrano - Johnston McCulley - The Curse of Capistrano is a 1919 serialized novel by Johnston McCulley and the first work to feature the fictional Californio character Zorro (zorro is the Spanish word for fox). It would be later published as a book in 1924 under the title The Mark of Zorro

The Curse of Capistrano (The Mark of Zorro) by Johnston McCulley

The Curse of Capistrano (the Mark of Zorro) by Johnston Mcculley

Bold Venture Press presents the complete original pulp adventures of Zorro! Volume three presents Zorro Rides Again, a full-length adventure never reprinted since its original 1931 publication. With a shock of disbelief, the old Spanish California village heard that its friend Zorro was now attacking the weak and helpless! Hated by those who once worshiped him, hounded by the soldiery, the proud Zorro again becomes an outlaw to regain his stolen honor.In addition to Zorro Rides Again, this edition includes eleven thrill-packed short stories, published as a continuing series in West, the legendary pulp fiction magazine. There's action aplenty in "Zorro Draws His Blade" when the masked swordsman first duels with Sergeant Manuel Garcia.Also: John E. Petty, film lecturer and pop culture author, examines Zorro's exploits in Saturday matinee serials.Learn more about Zorro and other pulp fiction related books at the Bold Venture Press website.

Zorro Rides Again

Zorro #3

The Curse of Capistrano (The Mark of Zorro)

A thrill-a minute ride set in the days of Spanish colonialism in California, where thugs and greedy tyrants try to wrest every penny from peasants . . . and the one hero who defends the common man is the mysterious masked stranger who calls himself Zorro--The Fox! The first Zorro story appeared as a 5-part serial in All-Story Weekly, a famous American pulp fiction magazine, starting in the August 9, 1919 issue. In a case of fortunate timing, Douglas Fairbanks, the silent movie star, was in the process of trying to change his image at the time, and he chose Zorro as his next starring role. In 1920, when the romantic swashbuckler debuted, it set movie box office records. Riot police had to disperse the huge crowds that showed up at the New York opening. Zorro entered the public consciousness and is now a part of popular culture, the same as such heroes as Superman, Tarzan, and The Lone Ranger. The rest is history.

The book tells of the story of Californio Don Diego Vega, alias 'Señor Zorro', in the company of his deaf and mute servant Bernardo and his lover Lolita Pulido, as they oppose the villainous Captain Ramon and Sgt. Gonzales in early 19th-century California during the era of Mexican rule, before it became a U.S. state (see Alta California). It is set amongst the historic Spanish missions in California, pueblos (towns) such as San Juan Capistrano, California, and the rural California countryside (see also ranchos of California).

The Curse of Capistrano (the Mark of Zorro) Illustrated

McCulley's novel first appeared in 1919 as a five-part story serialized in All-Story Weekly, a popular pulp magazine. The novel was quickly adapted to film as The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks.

Johnston McCulley

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