American author Johnston McCulley first introduced the world to his dashing and mysterious hero Zorro in "The Curse of Capistrano", a five-part story published in the pulp magazine "All-Story Weekly" in 1919. Soon made into a popular silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks as the masked crusader in 1920, Zorro became a famous and beloved champion of the poor and downtrodden. "The Curse of Capistrano" was collected into one volume and published as "The Mark of Zorro" in 1924 to great commercial and critical success. Credited with creating the swashbuckling and romantic hero genre of literature and film, McCulley's story is a heart-pounding and deeply satisfying tale of bravery, kindness, and honor set in Mexican California in the 1820s. The hero spends his days as a timid and vain aristocrat and his evenings as a bold and cunning defender of the oppressed, using his sword to mark his enemies with his signature "Z". Full of impressive sword fights, courageous escapes, and a romantic and passionate love story, it is not hard to understand why this tale of justice and revenge continues to captivate audiences and inspire countless adaptations.
