I was never a big fan of Zorro (unlike my cousin, Louie, who coincidentally grew up in the same small town as Zorro's creator, Johnston McCulley) but have always been enamoured of Spanish California, with its Mediterranean climate.
Like so many other memorable characters, Zorro first appeared in the pulps, debuting in the story "The Curse of Capistrano", serialized in All-Story Weekly in five instalments from August 9 to September 6, 1919.
I remember picking up "Dracula vs. Zorro" back in 1993, as my comic collecting days were winding down. The title was published by the short-lived Topps Comics, and illustrated by Thomas Yeates (one of my all-time favourite artists).
That's why I was excited to see "The Mask of Zorro" during a trip to San Francisco to visit friends from high school (although Zorro's stomping grounds were historically further south, in the Pueblo of Los Angeles).
One thing I really liked about the movie was that it was framed as a homage to the character, telling the tale of an aged Zorro and his new protege. This was also the film that introduced many of us to Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Years later, I picked up Isabelle Allende's "Zorro" in advance of another trip to California. It's a great novel, and serves as a sort of prequel to "The Curse of Capistrano" while drawing upon elements from "The Mask of Zorro".
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