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 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

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.

a detective story

The black star

O. Henry

William Hope Hodgson

Maurice Leblanc

E.W. Hornung

Sure, you can root for Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan or Hugh Drummond. But I'll take a good old-fashioned rogue over the lot of 'em any day. Boston Blackie, A.J. Raffles, the Lone Wolf, Thubway Tham, Mr. Clackworthy, Arsene Lupin -- they all hold a curious fascination, dabbling as they do in crime and punishment! So take a walk on the seamy side of the Victorian era. (And yes, we are cheating with the dates a little bit. But we wanted to include a few latter-day rogues whose adventures are in the spirit of their Victorian compatriots.) All told, it's more than 1,900 pages of great reading! Included are: The Adventures of Colonel Clay, by Grant Allen THE EPISODE OF THE MEXICAN SEER THE EPISODE OF THE DIAMOND LINKS THE EPISODE OF THE OLD MASTER THE EPISODE OF THE TYROLEAN CASTLE THE EPISODE OF THE DRAWN GAME THE EPISODE OF THE GERMAN PROFESSOR THE EPISODE OF THE ARREST OF THE COLONEL THE EPISODE OF THE SELDON GOLD-MINE THE EPISODE OF THE JAPANNED DISPATCH-BOX THE EPISODE OF THE GAME OF POKER THE EPISODE OF THE BERTILLON METHOD THE EPISODE OF THE OLD BAILEY THE COUNT'S CHAUFFEUR, by William Le Queux BOSTON BLACKIE, by Jack Boyle THE CHAIR OF PHILANTHROMATHEMATICS, by O. Henry THUBWAY THAM, by Johnston McCulley THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ARSÈNE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN-BURGLAR, by Maurice Leblanc THE LONE WOLF, by Louis Joseph Vance ALIAS THE LONE WOLF, by Louis Joseph Vance A ROGUE'S LIFE, by Wilkie Collins THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECOND SWAG, by Robert Barr JEFF PETERS AS A PERSONAL MAGNET, by O. Henry THE ASSASSINS' CLUB, by Gelett Burgess MR. CLACKWORTHY TELLS THE TRUTH, by Christopher B. Booth THE CLUE OF THE SILVER SPOONS, by Robert Barr JEM BINNEY AND THE SAFE AT LOCKWOOD HALL, by William Hope Hodgson A COSTUME PIECE, by E.W. Hornung CONSTANCE DUNLAP, by Arthur B. Reeve If you enjoy this book, search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the 170+ entries in the MEGAPACKTM series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, westerns, classics, adventure stories, and much, much more!

28 Classic Tales

The Victorian Rogues MEGAPACK®

The first work to feature Zorro, nobleman and master swordsman living in Spanish- and Mexican-era California. This novel originally appeared as five serialized installments in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. THE NATIVE HURRIED forward to fasten the door against the force of the wind, and then retreated to his corner again. The newcomer had his back toward those in the long room. They could see that his sombrero was pulled far down on his head, as if to prevent die wind from whisking it away, and that his body was enveloped in a long cloak that was wringing wet. With his back still toward them, he opened the cloak and shook the raindrops from it and then folded it across his breast again as the fat landlord hurried forward, rubbing his hands together in expectation, for he deemed that here was some caballero off the highway who would pay good coin for food and bed and care for his horse.

Johnston McCulley

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