"Negro Romance" from Fawcett Comics on PBS tonight

On PBS tonight, the show "History Detectives" investigated a coverless copy of a Fawcett comic, "Negro Romance." They talked with Dr. William Foster at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon art, went to Geppi's Entertainment museum, then went to a historian who has been tracking down old comics creators.

It was he who had been in contact with Roy Ald, the editor listen in the front page. It turns out that he had written the book, and the artist was a black man named Alvin Hollingsworth, who went on to a significant art career after leaving comics in 1955.

Negro Romance was apparently an experiment by Fawcett in creating a comic with realistically written and drawn black characters in a mainstream genre. It lasted for three issues in 1952.

The segment and related info can be seen at PBS.org

Capt. Marvel vs. Captain Mar-Vell on WWE Raw (video game)

This YouTube poster has done a series of superhero wrestling matches. This one involves two of my favorite Captain Marvels. The Original Captain Marvel owns Mar-Vell through most of the match, but the cosmic space hippie manages to get two near pinfalls and bloodies the World's Mightiest Mortal. The big red cheese manages to recover, however, and executes several "clifhangers," He get several pins that are broken up by Mar-Vell getting his foot on the rope, but in the end...

New lecture video: The Death of Mar-Vell and the Coming of Monica Rambeau

The lecture at the Wicked Faire went well, but I am realizing that one hour is really not enough time to cover the whole history in the depth that it deserves. I put together this little video of a part of the history that doesn't get a lot of press...

Captain Marvel Culture lecture at Wicked Faire this Saturday!

Hi friends. Happy New Year! I know it’s been a long time since a Captain Marvel Culture update, but I have news!

I will be giving an updated version of my lecture about the history and significance of the many Captain Marvels this weekend! Attend, and you will learn how the name of Captain Marvel, which has been used by no fewer than 12 different superheroes from 4 different companies over the years is the most important name to follow when studying the history of comics with regards to western popular culture and history.

On Saturday, Feb 19, at 1:00 PM, the lecture will take place in the Palace of the Eagles room at the Wicked Faire at the Doubletree in Somerset, New Jersey. This is a wild, fun, bizarre event for people age 16 and older. I will also be singing there (http://www.myspace.com/captainzorikhmusic), giving a lecture on the history of armor and chivalry (http://www.newyorkknights.captainzorikh.com/), hosting a costume contest (http://www.captainzorikh.com/costumecontest), and presenting “Hit the Mat,” a grappling arts stage show I produced (http://www.captainzorikh.com/hitthemat).

So come on down and check it out!

Captain Z
http://www.captainmarvelculture.com
http://www.captainzorikh.com

New video: Interview with Bob Hall!

Bob Hall is an artist who worked for Marvel Comics for many years. He had the good fortune to draw a few issues of the Avengers when Monica Rambeau was Captain Marvel. I met him at the Big Apple Comic Con last month, and he was gracious enough to share a few words about his experience, as well as a few thoughts about a couple of other Captain Marvels. It is quite a lovely interview.



So it turns out that he is a big fan of the Big Red Cheese!

New CMC Ashcan!

As I am continuing to seek sponsors for this project, I have produced a second ashcan issue of Captain Marvel Culture. The first issue covered the period from the dawn of human art to Marvel's first Captain Marvel. This second issue will cover the introduction of Rick Jones up to "Power of Shazam."

These ashcans editions will also contain other, non-Captain Marvel-related writings and art by Yours Truly, as well as information for potential advertisers. your purchase of these editions will help finance the project.

I am on schedule right now to have these two editions available at the Big Apple Comic Con happening this weekend, Oct 1-3, at the Penn Plaza Pavilion in NYC. I will also have a beautiful and talented actress portraying the golden age Mary Marvel, who will be competing in the costume contest in the Affinia Hotel Ballroom at the end of the day on Saturday.

The convention itself will be an awesome affair, with comics creators liek Joe Simon, Carmine Infantino, Jerry Robinson, Mike Grell, Mark Millar, Arthur Suydam, Irwin Hasen, Billy Tucci, stc, and celebrities sich as Lee Majors, Mary McDonnell, Adam West, Burt Ward, Claudia Christian, Erin Gray, Walter Koenig, and more.

You can find out more about it at http://www.bigapplecon.com

So if you can get to NYC this weekend, don't miss it!

Dang! Missed it!

The Anthology film Archives showed the first episode of the "Adventures of Captain Marvel" serial back on July 22 along with the first episodes of "The Phantom Creeps," "Darkest Africa" and "Undersea Kingdom."