Johnston McCulley

Johnston McCulley was an American pulp novelist and screenwriter, best known for creating one of the most iconic characters in pulp fiction history: Zorro. Born on February 25, 1902, in Los Angeles, California, McCulley began his writing career in the 1920s, writing for pulp magazines such as Short Stories and Argosy. His writing style was influenced by the 19th century adventure novelists like Alexandre Dumas and Baroness Orczy, and his stories often featured swashbuckling adventures, romance, and danger. McCulley's most famous creation, Zorro, was a masked vigilante who fought against injustice and tyranny in Spanish California. The character was first introduced in McCulley's serialized novel "The Curse of Capistrano" in 1919, and went on to become a legendary figure in popular culture. Throughout his career, McCulley wrote numerous novels and short stories, many of which were adapted into films. He was a prolific writer, and his work was popular in the pulp fiction era. His mysterious villains and swashbuckling heroes influenced many novelists and writers in the comic book industry. McCulley passed away on November 23, 1958, but his legacy lives on through the enduring popularity of Zorro.