Before X-MEN '97! Before X-MEN the Animated Series! There was X-MEN "Pryde of the X-Men"!!!

When you tune in to X-Men '97 on Disney+ tomorrow...

...ask yourself what do you know about what led to it...even before the now-legendary animated TV series aired in the mid-1990s...

...with a then-heavily-promoted pilot by Marvel Animation, New World Studios, and Toei Entertainment that aired in syndication during September 1989.

Marvel Comics devoted much of their monthly "prozine" Marvel Age's 63rd issue to the project (including a new cover by the pilot's primary character designer Russ Heath which was also used for the first VHS release of the cartoon)!

Here's the main article...

(Note the panels running along the bottom of the pages are actually from a storyboard used during production)

In addition, there was an animators' size-comparison chart...

...and the issues's back cover was an illustration showing the characters'...backsides!

Two special treats for you...

First, the centerfold from this issue of Marvel Age by ever-amazing writer/artist Fred Hembeck about the fan anticipation for the pilot...

...and here's the pilot itself!

Note, it's from an EP (6-hour speed) VHS release.

(The slower the speed, the poorer the quality!

But a studio could fit more shows and/or movies on a single video cassette at a bargain price!)

Don't Miss X-Men '97!

The Little Mermaid's FIRST Live-Action Movie Appearance...

We presented a Little Mermaid comic book tale HERE...

...which was an adaptation of this live-action performance in a 1952 movie...

...about the (fictionalized) life of the fairy tale's writer, Hans Christian Andersen!

In the big-budget flick, Danny Kaye plays Hans, who becomes obsessed with a married ballerina who constantly squabbles with her spouse (also a dancer in the company) and pens "The Little Mermaid" in reaction to what he's witnessed!

Though most of the fairy tales are performed as songs Danny sings to kids, the Little Mermaid is performed as a ballet!
To add "swimming" special effects "magic" to the dancing, it was decided that, rather than presenting it as an actual ballet, they had Hans imagine how it would look!
This allowed them to do things on-screen with wires and optical effects which would've be impossible to show on a live-theatre stage.

The comic book, as shown HERE, did a straightforward adaptation of the fairy tale without the ballet.

See the new live-action Little Mermaid feature film from Disney

which opens this Friday in theatres!

Happy 60th Anniversary, Zorro!

Sixty years ago today...

...Walt Disney unleashed his version of the already-legendary Zorro on America, creating a phenomenon equal to Davy Crockett-mania several years earlier!

Check out his premiere in both comics and tv HERE!

Please Support Secret Sanctum of Captain Video!

Visit Amazon and Order...

Walt Disney's Zorro

Complete Season 1

&

Complete Season 2 (plus Specials)

Captain's Library: ZORRO "Presenting Senor Zorro" Part 1

Besides The Green Hornet, another multi-media masked hero was Zorro...

...but we'll go into more detail after the story unfolds...

Having successfully appeared in prose (a series of pulp novels and novellas), movies (both several features and a series of serials, some of whom feature a "Zorro" in name only), and comic books, Walt Disney adapted the character in a half-hour dramatic tv series, starring dynamic Guy Williams as Zorro / Don Diego.
Plotwise, the series did four 13-episode story arcs, each with a complete plotline involving a different villain. (This was dropped in the second season in favor of 3-5 episode storylines.)
The character's debut on October 10, 1957 had a similar pop-culture effect as Disney's earlier hero adaptation, Davy Crockett; Zorro-Mania spread thru the country!

Film historian Leonard Maltin and Guy Williams, Jr with just a few of the many products created during the show's run!

The ratings stayed solid for both seasons of the show's run, with little sign of cancellation in sight, when a dispute occurred between Disney and ABC, who broadcast the show!
As a result, Disney pulled all it's programming (including Zorro, Mickey Mouse Club, and DisneyLand), from ABC, sending a revamped version of DisneyLand (retitled Walt Disney Presents) to NBC, where it ran (under various names) from 1961 to 1981!
Walt Disney presents aired four NEW hour-long Zorro episodes!
Ironically, today Disney owns ABC!

To get back on topic, instead of doing new stories based on the tv series, the comic did adaptations of tv show scripts for the first few issues, all illustrated by Alex Toth, including this re-telling of the character's premiere episode!

To Be Continued, Tomorrow!

But not here!

Go to

Western Comics Adventures™

for the exciting conclusion
and click HERE for an absolutely amazing website about the Walt Disney Zorro tv series!

Check out our 

Western Comics online store...
 ...for duds and provisions!