The Complete Classic Adventures of Zorro by Alex Toth

Classic character, classic artist

This trade paperback, published in 2001 by Image Comics, reprints The Complete Classic Adventures of Zorro as drawn by the legendary artist Alex Toth. This volume doesn’t provide the original publication dates of these comics, but a little research reveals they were probably produced sometime between 1957 and 1962. Toth drew these comics for Whitman/Western Publishing, which had a distribution deal with Dell Comics. It’s unclear under which of the three corporate names these comics were released. These adventures were published as a tie-in to a Zorro television series that was produced by Disney. All the preceding information is a bit sketchy, because the book’s brief introduction by Howard Chaykin and the equally brief forward by Toth are more casual reminiscences than informative history.

The character of Zorro, created by pulp fiction writer Johnston McCulley, debuted in the novel The Curse of Capistrano, which was serialized in 1919 issues of All-Story Weekly and later reprinted in book form as The Mark of Zorro. The masked swashbuckler soon gained greater fame through movie adaptations starring Douglas Fairbanks and later Tyrone Power. In his forward, Toth expresses a fondness for Power’s interpretation of Zorro, and it shows in his art. The character that McCulley created is a masterful concoction of western adventure, swashbuckling heroes like The Three Musketeers, and romantic lore of Old Mexico. The atmosphere and general parameters of the narrative remain largely unchanged from McCulley’s original novel, though the names of the supporting characters have changed. Zorro is still the alter ego of Don Diego de la Vega, a wealthy caballero who pretends to be a lazy and cowardly dandy so no one will suspect he’s really the masked avenger.

It’s hard to imagine a comics artist whose style is more suited to this classic character than Toth. Though these comics were originally published in color, this volume reproduces Toth’s original inked artwork in beautiful black and white. Another artist has added an additional medium-gray tone, under Toth’s direction. The result is a film noir effect that rivals the silvery highlights and shadows of the Tyrone Power movie. Though Toth drew mostly comic books, his style is more in keeping with the artists of the classic newspaper adventure strips, like Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon or Alex Raymond’s Rip Kirby. Like these artists, Toth is a master of light and shadow, and wields his ink-loaded brush with an economy of stroke that infuses each panel with life and activity. His figures strike a perfect balance between anatomical accuracy and romanticized caricature. Toth also does a great job capturing the period feel of early 19th-century California—its old missions, picturesque haciendas, and desert landscapes.

Unfortunately, the writing does not live up to the art. Many of the stories are only six pages long, which allows for only the most childish of plots. A few longer entries, up to 26 pages, are more complex and offer a glimpse into the true narrative potential of the character. In his forward, Toth, a notorious curmudgeon, complains about the stories Disney provided him with, and his lack of creative freedom on the Zorro tales. Perhaps his disgruntlement explains the noticeable inconsistency in his art. Some adventures are drawn with intricate detail while others look hastily sketched. In either case, Toth’s art is superb and worthy of five stars. The package as a whole, however, writing included, merits about a 3.5.

A page from Alex Toth’s Zorro comics

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The Curse of Capistrano (a.k.a. The Mark of Zorro) by Johnston McCulley

Cowboy swashbuckler superhero
In the golden age of pulp fiction, author Johnston McCulley was known for a number of recurring characters, among them The Spider, Thubway Tham, The Black Star, and the Crimson Clown, all of whom have since faded into relative obscurity. One of his creations, however, endures to this day: Zorro. The swashbuckling caballero’s debut, The Curse of Capistrano, was originally serialized in 1919 issues of the magazine All-Story Weekly. Soon after, the novel was adapted into the movie The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks. In 1924, the novel was published in book form for the first time, with the title changed to match that of the film.

The story takes place in the early 19th century in California, before it became a U.S. state and was still a part of Mexico. An oppressive Spanish governor reigns over the land, stepping on the rights of the Indian peasants, the Franciscan friars, and even the Spanish landholders. One man dares to stand up against injustice—a masked rider known by the name of Zorro, a mysterious master of horse and blade who has been known to carve his initial into the flesh of those who oppose him. Like a Mexican Robin Hood, Zorro is revered as a folk hero by many and scorned as a criminal by some. The governor’s soldiers are constantly trying to capture and kill him, placing the hero in a series of perilous predicaments from which there seemingly can be no escape.

Zorro is a creation of pure genius, a brilliant chimera of Western gunfighters, French swordsmen like the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Three Musketeers, and the benevolent bandits who show up in folk tales around the world. In his depiction of the colonial missions, ranches, and Indian pueblos of Old California, McCulley creates a vivid and romantic atmosphere. He develops the chivalry of the caballero into a sort of mythology, which I suspect has greatly influenced subsequent depictions of the “Latin lover” in American pop culture.

It’s a little troublesome that Zorro has no qualms about slashing the governor’s soldiers to ribbons, when, like their civilian counterparts, they are also likely victims of their master’s oppressive rule. However, every such adventure story needs its bad guys, so there’s no point crying over spilt blood. For today’s reader, the book’s main fault is its familiarity. If you’ve ever seen a Zorro movie­—whether the Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power, or Antonio Banderas incarnations—you know where the story is heading and where it’s going to end. The resolution of each scene is a foregone conclusion. Still, McCulley throws in enough surprises to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. The action sequences are exquisitely rendered and choreographed for maximum suspense. The identity of the man behind the mask is quite obvious from Chapter 1, but McCulley doesn’t officially reveal the swashbuckler’s secret until the penultimate chapter. I highly doubt McCulley intended the ending to be a surprise. Rather, I think he keeps playing the Clark Kent/Superman game throughout the book simply to provide some comic amusement.

Almost a century after it was written, McCulley’s prose shows no signs of the antiquated clunkiness one frequently finds in vintage pulp fiction. 21st-century readers will still find much to enjoy in this classic swashbuckling thriller. The Curse of Capistrano is a timeless adventure story, and Zorro is a hero for the ages.
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The Spider Strain by Johnston McCulley

An amusing caper from the classic pulps
The Spider Strain, a novella by Johnston McCulley, was originally published in the April 8, 1919 edition of the pulp periodical Detective Story Magazine. McCulley is best known as the creator of the character Zorro, but during his prolific career as a writer for the pulps he created several successful recurring characters, among them The Spider. The Spider is a criminal supergenius who, despite being confined to a wheelchair, oversees a complex network of organized crime. John Warwick, in addition to being one of the criminal kingpin’s most trusted agents, is also romancing The Spider’s niece, Silvia. When Warwick decides to give up his life of crime, settle down, and marry his sweetheart, he must first ask for the boss’s blessing. The Spider informs him that he can have his freedom once he performs two final missions. The first is to steal a mysterious locket from the neck of a wealthy socialite. Warwick finds this task easier said than done, as his efforts are thwarted by an annoying adversary.

McCulley has written the tale in very simplistic prose, accessible to even a junior-high reading level. Nevertheless, it’s a brisk read with enough small twists and turns to keep the reader excited and looking forward to the next chapter. The intended surprise ending is more predictable than it should be, but not so obvious as to be offensive. Unfortunately, the least effective element of this novella is its protagonist. Warwick speaks in a voice that is like an overly exaggerated impression of Cary Grant. Every sentence ends in “What? My word!” Every man he encounters is either a “chap” or an “ass.” It‘s not even clear whether he’s supposed to be American or British, and the setting is never specified. While at the time I’m sure McCulley intended this manner of speech to be smart and hip, to the contemporary reader it gives the impression that Warwick is the least intelligent character in the book. He hardly seems capable of pulling off any of The Spider’s capers. On the other hand, his trusty Japanese valet, Togo, seems eminently competent by comparison.

Oddly enough, the second of The Spider’s two tasks for Warwick is never mentioned. This may be because The Spider Strain is the penultimate episode in this series, with one more installment remaining to cover Warwick’s final job for the master criminal. After reading this story, I’m not sure I want to follow Warwick on his last adventure, but McCulley’s writing is engaging enough that I’m interested in investigating some of his other characters. If you are in the mood for some classic pulp fiction, The Spider Strain is a light, entertaining read that will sufficiently satisfy your craving, but don’t expect to be blown away by it.
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Adventure Tales #1 by Hugh B. Cave, et al.

Classic pulp-fiction tales for the 21st-century reader
Adventure Tales is an infrequent periodical published by Wildside Press that reprints forgotten fiction from classic pulp magazines of the early twentieth century. This first issue of the series collects eight short stories and one novella. The subject matter is divided fairly evenly between mystery/crime stories and tales of adventure in exotic locales, from the South Pacific to India to Africa and ocean-going vessels in between. Sprinkled amongst the stories are several poems also taken from the pulps, penned by authors as diverse as Robert E. Howard (of Conan fame) and George Sterling.

In addition to the fiction and poetry, editor John Gregory Betancourt contributes an introduction. This is followed by an essay on Edgar Rice Burroughs by Mike Resnick, and there is even a letters column. This issue also contains an enlightening interview with Hugh B. Cave, author of more than a thousand stories, which provides a really interesting glimpse into the life of a pulp-fiction writer. These nonfiction components are valuable in that they provide today’s reader with a helpful education in the history and lore of the pulp magazines.

Cave is the “featured author” of this first issue, and his pieces are clearly the best. In “The Man Who Couldn't Die,” a luckless drifter, sick with fever, is left for dead on a barren rock called Fortune Island. There he encounters four treasure hunters, who abuse him as if he were a common slave, yet fail to break him. It’s an excellent story, and Cave’s writing calls to mind some of Jack London’s best tales. One more offering from Cave, also set in the South Pacific, is “Island Feud,” which details the confrontation between a young, idealistic doctor and an unethical boat captain. Another fine selection, “Rats Ashore” by James C. Young, may best be described as nautical horror. The captain and first mate of a ship departing South America begin to wonder where all the customary rats have gone. Although the story gives the answer away a little too quickly, once it gets rolling it offers all the suspense and fun of a classic B movie. Renowned pulp veterans H. Bedford-Jones, Harold Lamb, and Henry de Vere Stacpoole are also represented by good contributions.

The weakest stories in the book are two mysteries, “The Evil Eye” by Vincent Starrett, featuring his Chicago detective Jimmie Lavender, and “‘Watson!’” by Captain A.E. Dingle. The latter tells of two yachting playboys who fancy themselves sleuths along the lines of Holmes and Watson, but the storytelling in no way compares to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Faring better in the crime category is the novella “The Spider Strain” by Johnston McCulley, which takes up over a quarter of the volume. Though McCulley is best known as the creator of Zorro, this story features one of his other popular recurring characters, The Spider, a criminal supergenius who, despite being confined to a wheelchair, oversees a complex network of organized crime.

With the exception of “The Man Who Couldn't Die,” I wouldn’t say I was blown away by any of these stories, but they are almost all good solid examples of pulp storytelling. These well-selected pieces, coupled with the editorial content, really give the reader of today a chance to experience what it must have felt like to browse a newsstand during the golden age of the pulps. As of the time of posting this review, Wildside Press has published six installments of Adventure Tales. After enjoying issue one, I am looking forward to exploring this series further.

Stories in this collection:

Skulls by H. Bedford-Jones

Under the Flame Trees by Henry de Vere Stacpoole

Rats Ashore by Charles C. Young

The Evil Eye by Vincent Starrett

“Watson!” by Captain A. E. Dingle

The Make-Weight by Harold Lamb

Island Feud by Hugh B. Cave

The Man Who Couldn’t Die by Hugh B. Cave

The Spider Strain by Johnston McCulley

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