Back in the 90’s when I was seriously getting into writing, I also rediscovered a childhood favorite. That was the show, Zorro, and it was on the Disney Channel at the time. Zorro was the brainchild of a pulp magazine writer named Johnston McCulley back in 1919 when he published “The Curse of Capistrano.” The next year it was made into a silent movie with Douglas Fairbanks in the title role. McCulley cranked out many more Zorro stories until his death. There were more movies (like the stellar Tyrone Power film of the 1940’s) and numerous serials as well.

For the uninitiated, Zorro is the alter-ego of Diego Vega (or Diego de la Vega, depending on which incarnation you follow), a Spanish American aristocrat who becomes disgusted with corrupt and cruel administrators in Los Angeles. He creates a costume complete with a mask, sword, and whip, and with a fast horse, becomes the champion of the oppressed. The story was loosely set in the 1820’s.

It was theorized that McCulley was influenced by the novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy of the previous century. It is a fact that Zorro influenced the creators of Batman, a later, champion of justice. But Zorro was the first 20th century superhero, and Walt Disney, in 1957, made the fox a household name on the little screen. (Z’s suddenly were carved everywhere!) Disney discovered an unknown actor named Guy Williams, spent millions on top notch sets and props, and hired talented Norm Foster to head the project. What came was a number one show that could have run for years. Why didn’t it? Kids were crazy about it, the actors were perfect in their roles, and the stories were fantastic and exciting. The simple matter is that Disney wanted the show in color, like Bonanza on NBC. ABC balked at the cost, and Disney yanked Zorro rather than continue filming in black and white.

But the show is still popular in South America and Europe, and for several years it popped up in the states. Disney even colorized the program in 1992 (a very nice job, too.) How does that tie in with my writing in the 90’s? The first thing I wrote was Zorro stories, kind of on the order of what some authors were doing with the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises. Very naïve, I realized quickly. There was no living to be made writing new Zorro stories even if a new Zorro movie had recently come out. For a while I wrote the stories for friends, for fun, and for practice.

Still, I loved Zorro, more than in my childhood. I was fortunate to visit some Zorro filming sites, meet some Zorro guest stars, (unfortunately by that time Guy Williams and his co-stars had passed), and get involved in some fundraisers like getting Guy Williams a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, raising money for the Mission San Luis Rey, etc.

Then last year I was asked to contribute to a 100 year commemorative anthology of new Zorro stories to be published this May 1st. I still don’t expect to make a living from Zorro, but it legitimizes what I did so many years ago. Check it out! Zorro, the Daring Escapades by Bold Venture Press. https://www.boldventurepress.com/zorro-the-daring-escapades/

Susan Kite is the author of five published books with two more on the way. www.bookscape.net