Zorro's Shadow: How a Mexican Legend Became America's First Superhero by Stephen J.C. Andes

Zorro's Shadow: How a Mexican Legend Became America's First Superhero Reviews

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  “Zorro’s Shadow” is a first person journey to find the origins of Zorro, the prototype of the superheroes who followed. It explores the fact and fiction surrounding “Zorro” the righter of wrongs, the enemy of the corrupt, and the champion of justice for all in old Spanish California. Zorro entered popular culture in 1957 in the Disney series, but Don Diego de la Vega, Zorro, The Fox, first appeared in 1919 in “The Curse of Capistrano” by Johnson McCulley. Print copies of Zorro books are difficult to access, and when studying California history in fourth grade, those interested in Zorro have to read the library’s copy in the research room rather than checking it out because so many previous copies have been “borrowed” and never returned.
  
  Andes explores Zorro as the model for superheroes that follow. Zorro has no super power, no accidental acquisition of unhuman strength, no escape from outer space, and yet Zorro’s story is that of a true super hero, incorporating multiple cultures, regional conflicts, fighters for the underdog, independent determination, and above all justice. He shifts back and forth in his role as an unassuming common person to that of a resourceful avenger of the oppressed.
  
  “Zorro’s Shadow” reintroduces Zorro to a multicultural America, looking at this prototype of today’s superheroes through fresh eyes and uncovering both the literary world of Zorro, and the historic facts upon which he is based. I received a review copy of “Zorro’s Shadow” from Stephen J.C. Andes and Chicago Review Press. It is an enlightening look into using fiction to tell the truth of historic tragedies.
  
  
  
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  Online Eccentric Librarian

  

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  Zorro's Shadow is a thorough examination of the Zorro myth: from historical origins to comics, books, tv shows, and movies. As well, a thorough dissection of culture and myth, superhero origins and latinx whitewashing can be found throughout. The author takes an easy conversational tone that is neither dry nor boring. But at the same time, he did have a tendency to go off on a lot of meaningless tangents that added nothing to the story he was telling.
  
  The first quarter of the book attempts to track down the origin of the legend - was it rebel/outlaw Joaquin Murrieta? Or was it Irish Spanish adventurer William Lamport? Author Andes takes great pains to thoroughly investigate both leads but ultimately (and frustratingly) comes up with very little. I found this first section so frustrating and full of odd musings and pointless journeys that I put the book down and didn't pick it up again for several weeks.
  
  The rest of the book is far more interesting: a dissection of the various media that have featured Zorro, from the first Zorro story called The Curse of Capistrano to 2005's Antonio Banderas movie, The Legend of Zorro. You'll get to know about the pulp author who created Zorro (and his notorious life) before travelling from his grave in Glendale to Hollywoodtown and Douglas Fairbanks assuming the role in movies. From there, Disney gave us Guy Williams and the comics picked up the mantle.
  
  Throughout the historical facts are cultural/political/opinion /observations/discussions such as the white-washing of Zorro (e.g., The Lone Ranger). Discussions of how important Zorro became to the Latinx culture yet how rarely Zorro movies had actual Latinx actors in there is also covered. But I think the true discussion throughout is that Zorro is the inspiration for superheroes to come: Batman, etc.
  
  So while it is a conversational read, it is also a frustrating one. The number of times the author says something to the point of "but I digress" can get annoying fast. Do we need to know the history of the Glendale Forest Lawn mortuary park where the first Zorro pulp author is buried? Do we really want to read about the author's vacation to Mexico City where he talked with a security guard at a statue as to whether Zorro was real? Honestly, I just wanted him to get to the point. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
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  Jeffrey Mariotte

  Zorro's Shadow is the history I've been waiting for all my life, without even knowing it. Disney's Zorro hit the airwaves when I was two years old, and only stayed on the air for two years, but lived on in reruns, and it was those I saw as a child, those that formed my lasting impression of Zorro in particular, and superheroes in general.
  
  Fast forward through my life: in 1961, my family moved to Paris, France. There, in the shop of a Russian barber who catered only to American military and Defense Department clientele, I first encountered comic books. I was already a Roy Rogers fan, so seeing Roy on the cover of a comic drew me in. I'm pretty sure there were Dell Zorro comics in the mix, as well. By 1966, my comics fandom had grown, and when the Batman TV series hit the air, I was more than ready (the only comic I've ever subscribed to was Detective Comics--featuring Batman--in that era. I have an autographed photo of Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin on my office wall to this day).
  
  Fast forward again, to 1973, when I moved to California's Bay Area. On frequent forays into the state's Gold Country, I became fascinated with Gold Rush-era bandit Joaquin Murrieta and bought the first of many books about him. And in college there (like Britt Lomond/Capitan Monstario), I studied fencing under a U.S. Olympics coach. Then jump ahead to 1980, when I became a bookseller, and 1988, when my first short story was published, and then 1993, when I entered the comic book business professionally at WildStorm Productions/Image Comics--where I wrote comics as well as helping to publish them, including my first original series, Hazard, which was the first major U.S. comics gig for a Filipino artist named Roy Allen Martinez. And then to 1999, when DC Comics (home of Batman!) bought the company and I became an editor. We'll stop the tour in 2008, when I got to write the short story that leads off the anthology Tales of Zorro, and in the process got to meet Guy Williams, Jr. and to carve some Zs in the air with one of his father's screen swords.
  
  None of which is about this fascinating book by historian Stephen Andes--but at the same time, ALL of that is about the book, because threads of my story are (unknown to Andes, of course) woven throughout the book. If you, dear reader, have grown up with Zorro, you'll find your own threads. Whether your Zorro is Fairbanks or Powers or Williams or Banderas, or to be found in the pulps or the comics or the lyrical novel of Isabel Allende, he's discussed here.
  
  Andes takes us through the character's creation, and the self-creation of his original author, Johnston McCulley. He explores in detail Zorro's Latinx roots, and discusses the reasons for Zorro's Americanization at different stages of his development. It's serious history, but it's told through the eyes of a fan, a fellow nerd. It's never dry, never pedantic and plodding, but as lively and engaging as Zorro himself.
  
  As in all the best books, you'll find yourself learning things you never knew, things you wish you'd always known. You'll marvel at some turns of phrase, you'll laugh out loud, and you'll come away with a fuller, deeper understanding of one of the most compelling, lasting, influential pop culture creations of all time. Zorro's Shadow is highly recommended--especially for nerds, but not exclusively for them. You should read it.
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  Laura

  I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!
  
  There's something very American about Zorro - my grandfather grew up watching the TV Series and I grew up knowing Zorro as Antonio Banderas. It shouldn't surprise me that Zorro became very white-washed, but at least this book provides a great unraveling of the origins of the famous character. I learned so much about Mexican-American history while reading this book! It can get bogged down by some minutiae of the character's history, but really where this book shines is where Andes highlights the beauty of diversity in American culture. Diversity gave us superheroes, has made America into what it is today, and is something to be celebrated. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it has definitely become one of the best non-fiction books I've read in 2020. There's something in here for everyone - from the lovers of Zorro, to those studying Latinx culture, to those who just love comics.
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  Gonzalo Oyanedel

  Aunque el texto rezuma el entusiasmo del autor hacia su postulado - extrañándose a ratos un enfoque más objetivo -, su esmerado viaje hasta las raíces que alimentaron al héroe pulp de Johnston McCulley no solo enfatizan su innegable herencia latina (más allá de la fantasía hispana y encarnada principalmente por el legendario bandido Joaquín Murrieta), sino que también reconocen el aporte del cine, la televisión, las nuevas novelas y la historieta en la construcción del personaje que se revela como un mestizo cultural y mediático; heredero de una evolución social y multimedial acorde a la realidad americana cuya proclama por igualdad y justicia es - pese a la pretensión estadounidense - común a nuestros pueblos. Se echó de menos eso sí una mención a "The New Adventures of Zorro" (1981), estupendo serial animado realizado por Filmation.
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  Marcelo Gonzalez

  This book not only contains everything that went into the unintended pop culture icon of Zorro, but it contains a large segment of information that ultimately has no relevance to Zorro, (here I name the chapter devoted to Don Guillen de Lampart.)
  
  The book reads like a sequence of independent essays linked by common theme, which isn't a bad thing. Certain chapters are more interesting than others and later chapters divulge the author's intention to make known that he has in fact scene all the Zorro movies and will tell you the plot of all of them.
  
  Overall, it's a readable history of the legend that will appeal to aficionados of Zorro and not many others.
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  Travis Salas-Cox

  Lots of really interesting and important history in this book. I enjoyed the concept, but i think it could have used one more pass by an editor. There were some times when the author seemed to switch thoughts midstream and then didn't really come back to them for a long time, if he did at all. Overall, i enjoyed the book. But those interested in reading it should beware that it isn't the most fluid read.
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  Liz

  I found the first couple chapters, speculating about the origin of the Zorro legend, to be fascinating. The rest was more old Hollywood focuses, which is less interesting to me. I think this would have been better as a series of essays instead of trying to keep a narrative flow. Andes is clearly a superhero nerd who was happy to geek out about Zorro, and for that I was right there with him. This was not necessarily a bad book, just not a book for me.
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  Erin

  Such a fascinating read for any Zorro fan. There were a few rabbit holes the author went down but it all came together at the end. I do understand the blatant racism and whitewashing that happened but by the epilogue the author was really beating the subject matter home.
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  Barbara

  This book is interesting if you follow superheroes, used to watch Disney in the 50s or 60s and love Zorro, as I do. I only read the chapters that piqued my interest and enjoyed them. Some of it read like a thesis and I lost interest in those parts.
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  Meg

  A thoroughly enjoyable read. I’m glad I stumbled upon it in a small bookstore in South Dakota… definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in superheroes, Mexican-American history, Hollywood history, comic books, American westerns, or someone just looking for a fun read.
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  Leonard

  To me, it felt like the author was stretching at points. I like a bit of history on the character, and yes Bob Kane had come out and said that Zorro was an inspiration for Batman, but still...
  
  
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  Anne

  Read it. It’s a bit dry but lots of good information on the origins through recent history of Zorro.