Paperinik (also known as
Phantomias,
Duck Avenger,
Superduck,
PK,
Fantomerik,
Superdonald and
Phantom Duck) is a
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
superhero,
Donald DuckDonald Duck is an American cartoon character from The Walt Disney Company. Donald is a white anthropomorphic duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He usually wears a sailor shirt, cap, and a red or black bow tie, but no trousers...
's
alter egoAn alter ego is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person. It was coined in the early nineteenth century when schizophrenia was first described by early psychologists...
. Donald originally created his superheroic identity as a means of secretly seeking revenge against relatives such as
Scrooge McDuckScrooge McDuck or Uncle Scrooge is a Glaswegian anthropomorphic duck created by Carl Barks that first appeared in Four Color Comics #178, Christmas on Bear Mountain, published by Dell Comics in December 1947....
and
Gladstone GanderGladstone Gander is a Walt Disney fictional character created by comic artist and writer Carl Barks for Western Publishing. Gladstone first appeared in the story "Wintertime Wager" in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #88 ....
, but soon found himself fighting other menaces. The character is an
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
invention and, as a pervasive feature where he appears, very much not in
canonA canon, in terms of a fictional universe, is a body of material that is considered to be "genuine" or "official", that can be directly referenced as, or as if it were, material produced by the original author or creator of a series...
with stories that do not feature him.
Publication history
In 1969, various children complained to the publishers of the Italian version of the
Donald Duck comics (Mondadori) that Donald was always the loser in their stories. Writer Guido Martina and artist
Giovan Battista CarpiGiovan Battista Carpi was an Italian comics artist. He worked mainly for Disney comics, mostly on books featuring Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck, although he occasionally drew Mickey Mouse as well. He created Paperinik with Guido Martina.-External links:...
responded by giving Donald a
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
alias named "Paperinik". The name "Paperinik" is a combination of the names "
DiabolikDiabolik is a fictional character, an anti-hero featured in Italian comics. He was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani in 1962. His stories appear in monthly black and white digest-sized booklets. The character was inspired by several previous characters from French and Italian pulp...
", a then-popular fictional villain who started a hype about villains with names ending in
-ik, and "Paperino" (Italian for
little duck), Donald's Italian name.
In the French version he was called
Fantomiald, in the German version
Phantomias,
Patomás in the Spanish translations, and the Greek version
Phantom Duck (Φάντομ Ντακ), all of them based on the master-criminal
FantômasFantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
. In Denmark his adventures have mostly been published in small books called "Jumbobøger", or "Jumbo books" (Due to being several hundred pages long, not for their size). He is known in Denmark as "Stålanden", meaning "The Steel-duck" and in Sweden as "Stål-Kalle", meaning "Steel-Donald", and in Icelandic as "Stálöndin", also meaning "The Steel-duck". These names are probably based on Stålmanden/Stålmannen, local names for
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
. In Finland, Papernik is published in "Aku Ankan Taskukirja", "Donald Duck's Pocket Book". The Finnish name for Papernik is "Taikaviitta", meaning "Magic Cape". In Norway he is called "Fantonald", a portmanteau of "Fantomet" (
The PhantomThe Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many forms of media, including television and film, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the African jungle...
) and "Donald". In Poland the series is published under a name "Gigant Poleca" and the hero is named "Superkwęk" as in "Super Duck"
The creators introduced Paperinik in the two-part, 60-page story
"Paperinik il diabolico vendicatore" ("Paperinik the Diabolical Avenger") published on June 8 and June 15, 1969.
Original version
The debut story featured Donald receiving the ownership papers of Villa Rosa, an abandoned
villaA villa was originally an upper-class country house, though since its origins in Roman times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably. After the fall of the Republic, a villa became a small, fortified farming compound, gradually re-evolving through the Middle Ages into luxurious,...
outside of
DuckburgDuckburg is a fictional city which appears in Walt Disney's comic books and animated projects. In the comics and cartoons, Duckburg is the home of Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, Daisy Duck, and most of their supporting cast...
(
Paperopoli in Italian original version) whose owner had disappeared decades ago. Donald soon finds that the papers were actually intended for his cousin Gladstone, but he is content not to correct the mistake. Visiting the villa with his nephews, he discovers the
diaryA diary is a record with discreet entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries undertaken for institutional purposes play a role in many aspects of human civilization, including government records , business ledgers and military records...
and an abandoned suit of Fantomius, who was known as a notorious gentleman burglar and sometime
vigilanteA vigilante is someone who unlawfully punishes a criminal, or participates in a mob or conspiracy to mete out unlawful punishment to a criminal or criminals....
active during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Donald learns his methods of maintaining a
secret identityA secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
by acting as a harmless and rather incompetent gentleman during the day and during the night as a vindicator, taking revenge for his grievances against society. Intrigued, Donald decides to keep his discoveries to himself as they might prove useful.
He soon meets his own two greatest causes of grief: his ruthless and domineering maternal uncle Scrooge McDuck and his arrogant and extremely lucky first cousin Gladstone, who enjoys taunting Donald with his own effortless successes in comparison to Donald's constant efforts and failures. Deciding to take revenge on them, Donald presents the diary's notes on weapons and transportation means to
Gyro GearlooseGyro Gearloose is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic chicken created by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. He is part of the Scrooge McDuck universe, appearing in comic book stories as a friend of Donald Duck, Scrooge and anyone who is associated with them.-Fictional character...
, who soon equips him with a utility belt and boots that contain many useful gadgets and also adds special equipment to Donald's car. The first mission for "Paperinik", as he names himself, is to steal his uncle's
mattressA mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed, upon which to sleep or lie.The word mattress is derived from Arabic words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown...
which contains $1,000,000 in small bills. He does so by making certain that Scrooge inhales enough of a sleep-inducing drug to keep him out of action all night. He then frames Gladstone for the theft.
Scrooge and Gladstone, along with the
policeA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
, manage to track the thief to the Villa the next day. Gladstone, trying to clear his name, decides to investigate the villa but the "
candleA candle is a source of light, and sometimes a source of heat, consisting of a solid block of fuel and an embedded wick.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy and other plant waxes, and tallow...
" he uses for light is actually
dynamiteDynamite is an explosive material based on the explosive potential of nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth or another absorbent substance such as sawdust as an absorbent...
. He accidentally destroys the villa and the money ends up scattered around the area. Scrooge seems convinced that Gladstone is responsible but decides not to place charges if Gladstone manages to collect the money. Meanwhile Donald is gloating over all of this, and states that his career has just begun.
Donald later discovers a second volume of Fantomius's diary in the anniversary story
"Paperinik e il ritorno a Villa Rosa" ("Paperinik and the Return to Villa Rosa") by Fabio Michelini and Giovan Battista Carpi. The later story was 53 pages long and was first published in two parts on September 17 and September 24, 1996.
The first story is considered an Italian Duck comic classic, and was popular with readers of the time as Donald acted with more confidence, intelligence and skill than that of his regular identity. The story seems also to owe many of its aspects to its writer Guido Martina whose stories often focused on the darker and more
villainA villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous aspects of his characters' personalities.
The second phase
In the early stories, Paperinik wasn't actually a superhero, but a vindicator, avenging wrongs that had been done to Donald, sometimes in blatantly illegal ways. The writers toned this aspect down later and turned him into a superhero instead, as they understood it was not a good long-term idea to turn Donald into a full-time villain. The character's methods did not change much but he started targeting the criminal population of Duckburg, in particular the
Beagle BoysThe Beagle Boys are a group of fictional characters from the Scrooge McDuck universe. They are a gang of criminals who constantly try to rob Scrooge McDuck and were created by Carl Barks...
. This still remains his main mission today, although he occasionally faces higher profile adversaries and finds missions which require him to travel away from Duckburg.
The "old style" stories and characterization eventually fell out of favor, and Paperinik emerged as the main defender of
DuckburgDuckburg is a fictional city which appears in Walt Disney's comic books and animated projects. In the comics and cartoons, Duckburg is the home of Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, Daisy Duck, and most of their supporting cast...
, keeping watch on the city with his high-tech and always nonlethal weapons and gadgets, in a fashion much reminiscent of the
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
. The American hero is given explicit tribute in some stories where the Mayor or Police Chief of Duckburg are seen requesting Paperinik's assistance with a kind of
Bat-SignalThe Bat-Signal is a fictional distress signal device appearing in the various interpretations of the Batman mythos. It is a specially modified Klieg searchlight with a stylized symbol of a bat attached to the light so that it projects a large Bat emblem on the sky or buildings of Gotham City...
which projects the outline of a bat "wearing" Donald's trademark hat.
Gyro Gearloose remains the only citizen of Duckburg to know about Donald's secret identity. Initially, Gyro later forgets Donald's alias by eating a
Car-Can (read below), but this is disregarded in Paperinik's continuing appearances, and Donald is subsequently found to be approaching Gearloose with requests for new equipment quite frequently. Gyro becomes his first and most important ally, dependably providing him with a vast array of powerful (though still often humorous) weapons and sometimes helping him in his adventures. Some other characters discover Donald's secret time and again, but he always protects himself by erasing their memories with Gyro's
"Car-Can Sweeties" or by leading them onto a false trail. The name "Car-Can" is a contraction of the Italian "Caramelle Cancellin": Caramelle stands for "sweets", and "Cancellin" is a made up word related to the word "cancellare", "to erase".
To explain his knowledge of Paperinik's activities, Donald made the public believe that he is
"Paperinik's best friend", a fact that utterly perplexes
Uncle ScroogeScrooge McDuck or Uncle Scrooge is a Glaswegian anthropomorphic duck created by Carl Barks that first appeared in Four Color Comics #178, Christmas on Bear Mountain, published by Dell Comics in December 1947....
and the other characters.
Many of these stories were much more light-hearted than the first ones, and the theme of revenge was usually absent, although it is still occasionally used, especially against Scrooge McDuck.
This version of the character appeared in the Brazilian comic Clube dos Herois (Hero's Club), along with
Super GoofSuper Goof is a fictional character, the Disney character Goofy's superhero alter ego. He gets his power by eating Super Goobers . His powers are similar to Superman's...
, Super Gilly, the Purple Butterfly, the
Red BatIn Brazilian and Italian stories, Fethry is a major character depicted in various occupations, including as a reporter and comic strip artist for Scrooge McDuck's newspaper...
, the Green Bat, Paperinika and the Red Wasp.
Modern versions
In the 1990s the character had been dropped by most authors; his adventures were limited to fighting some environmental criminals and crooks of that sort. So, to boost the character, in 1996 a new monthly series was launched:
"PKNA - Paperinik New AdventuresPKNA - Paperinik New Adventures is a Disney comic, published in Italy from 14 March 1996 to 20 December 2000, about the new adventures of Paperinik, the superhero created in 1969 by Guido Martina and Giovan Battista Carpi, which served as Donald Duck's secret identity.The first issue of the series...
". The series had a new format for an Italian
Disney comicDisney comics are comic books and comic strips featuring Walt Disney characters.The first Disney comics were newspaper strips appearing from 1930 on. In 1940, Western Publishing began producing Disney comic books in the United States. The most notable American Disney comics books are Walt Disney's...
as it was influenced by
Marvel ComicsMarvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
'
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
s both graphically and story-wise. The art was more modern and "faster". Many young Disney artists were involved in the project: Claudio Sciarrone, Alessandro Barbucci,
Silvia ZicheSilvia Ziche is an Italian comic book artist and writer.Silvia Ziche is mainly known for her work on the Italian Donald Duck comics. Her drawing style is simplistic and comical, and includes many funny facial expressions on the characters.As well as Disney comics, Ziche has also worked on other...
and many others. The best young writers too were hired to make the series successful: Tito Faraci and Francesco Artibani among the best-known.
With the addition of many new technological characters (
droidDroids are robots seen in Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Ben 10 and is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.Prominent examples of droids in Star Wars include R2-D2 and C-3PO. R2-D2 is an astromech droid, a class of droid used aboard spaceships for repairs and navigational computing...
s,
A.I.Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science which aims to create it. Textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents,"...
s,
aliensExtraterrestrial life is defined as life which does not originate from planet Earth. The existence of life outside the planet is theoretical and all assertions of such life remain disputed....
, etc.) the series was intended for a different target audience than the classical Paperinik. The adventures were mainly
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
and in addition to the story featured in every issue were published sketches, special files, analyses and more. The stories were much darker than the original Paperinik stories, having more action and a few deaths from time to time.
The story begins with Donald Duck finding a secret floor in the building (Ducklair Tower) where he works. This was the secret laboratory of eccentric millionaire Everett Ducklair, whose assets were purchased by Scrooge when he left to "discover his true self" in the Eastern monastery of Dhasam-bul. Ducklair had created an artificial intelligence called Uno, which controlled the entire building. Donald managed to enter the 151th floor with his "Classic Paperinik" devices and befriended Uno. He offered to assist him in fighting crime, partly just for the desire of having a friend, since "loneliness is hard even for artificials". This proved to be necessary when the alien menace of the Evronians began to target Duckburg and the whole Earth, since the technology and physiology of the extraterrestrials left PK's usual weapons completely outclassed.
This marked the disappearance of Gyro from the stories; also, Donald's interactions with the usual Disney Club characters was minimized (with
Huey, Dewey and LouieHuey, Dewey, and Louie Duck are a trio of fictional ducks who appear in animated cartoons and comic books published by the Walt Disney Company. Identical triplets, the three are Donald Duck's nephews. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were created by Ted Osborne and Al Taliaferro, and first appeared in a...
being written off the story in the first issue), since his PK persona was now the main focus of the entire series and not just "Donald's cool alter-ego".
After a run of 50 regular issues plus various specials, the series was interrupted, to restart with a new name "PK
2". The series, less inspired than the first one, was a
sequelA sequel is a work in literature, film, or other media that chronologically portrays events following those of a previous work.In many cases, the sequel continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel can lead to a series, in which key elements appear...
to it, with most of the same characters and situations and maybe a little bit more continuity-oriented. This run lasted 18 issues. This series mainly focused on the character of Everett Ducklair returning to
DuckburgDuckburg is a fictional city which appears in Walt Disney's comic books and animated projects. In the comics and cartoons, Duckburg is the home of Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck, Daisy Duck, and most of their supporting cast...
after having spent years in the monastery of Dhasam-bul. It was revealed Ducklair had two daughters, who for some reason despise him, apparently for something to do with Ducklair getting rid of their mother.
It was then decided by the publisher to reboot the whole PK universe, and in the current series, named simply "PK", Paperinik has never existed and "PK" is the name Donald chose reading the serial number of his shield, the
Extransformer: -PK237-. The "Galactic Defenders" (
Guardiani della Galassia), an organization that protect the universe, appoint Donald as the defender of
EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
. This new version of Paperinik had little to do with the previous continuity started in 1969. "PK", although having some fans, is considered by various fans as a betrayal of the previous character's spirit. Many of the later are lobbying for the return of "PKNA", considered by them to be the best of the three newer series.
In the meanwhile, stories starring the classical Paperinik have appeared in other Italian Disney comics, and the character has recently received a better treatment than he had in the 1990s. Currently, Paperinik is somewhat back to his traditional origins, and thus the classic version of the character hasn't been forgotten.
In 2002, a video game starring Paperinik was released for
Playstation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
and
Nintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel...
GameCubeThe is Nintendo's fourth home video game console with Wii being fifth, and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
, entitled
Disney's PK: Out of the ShadowsDisney's PK: Out of the Shadows, also known as Disney's Donald Duck PK or simply PK, is an action-adventure video game released in by Ubisoft. It stars Donald Duck as Paperinik or "PK" as he battles the Evron Empire.-Plot:...
(sometimes called
Disney's Donald Duck PK, or just
PK). In the game, Donald Duck is transported into the future and tasked with saving the world from the Evronians; a race of aliens who also serve as the main antagonists in the PKNA comics. He is given special powers, and told that he has become a "platyrhynchos kineticus", an energized duck, or PK for short, stepping around his Paperinik roots. The game did not fare well commercially.
Roots of the character
The roots of Paperinik can be found in older literary characters. As many as six of them have been named as parent-characters based on the elements that they had in common with Paperinik, although his creation can also be seen as part of the rise of popularity of literary villains and
anti-heroIn fiction, an antihero is a protagonist archetype whose character or goals are antithetical to traditional heroism. The term dates to 1714, although literary criticism identifies the trope in earlier literature. - History :...
es in Italy during the 1960s:
- Diabolik
Diabolik is a fictional character, an anti-hero featured in Italian comics. He was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani in 1962. His stories appear in monthly black and white digest-sized booklets. The character was inspired by several previous characters from French and Italian pulp...
, created by sisters Angela Giussani and Luciana Giussani in 1962. Paperinik owes his name to this Italian master criminal who was among the most popular anti-heroes of the 1960s in Italy. He is the main influence for the first stories starring Paperinik.
- Batman
The Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
, created by Bob KaneBob Kane was an American comic book artist and writer, credited as the creator of the famous DC Comics superhero Batman.-Early life and career:...
(October 24, 1915 - November 3, 1998) and Bill FingerWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the...
(February 8, 1914 - February, 1974) in 1939. Paperinik's use of gadgets placed in his uniform, utility belt and car seems to derive from this influential superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
. He becomes the main influence for later stories.
- Rocambole
Rocambole is the creation of Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail, a 19th century French writer. Rocambole is a fictional adventurer. His importance to the genres of adventure novels and crime fiction cannot be overestimated, as he represents the transition from the old-fashioned Gothic novel to modern...
, created by Pierre Alexis Ponson du TerrailPierre Alexis, Viscount of Ponson du Terrail was a French writer. He was a prolific novelist, producing in the space of twenty years some seventy-three volumes, and is best remembered today for his creation of the fictional character of Rocambole.-Biography:He was born in Montmaur .Ponson du...
(1829-1871) as the main character of a series published in daily newspapers between 1857 and 1870 and later concentrated in eight volumes. Rocambole was an adventurer who started as a master criminal and later became a master crime-fighter. In both of his careers his methods included acting behind the scenes and manipulating persons and events. Both as a vindicator and as a superhero, Paperinik would use similar methods to achieve his goals.
- Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin is a fictional character who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television, stage play and comic book adaptations.- Overview :A contemporary of...
, created by Maurice LeblancMaurice-Marie-Émile Leblanc was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes.- Biography :Leblanc was born in Rouen,...
(November 11, 1864 - November 6, 1941) as the main character of a series of twenty-one novels published between 1905 and 1939. He is often described as a gentleman burglar and sometimes acted as a detective and the description of Fantomius' activities was based on him. Though a so-called villain wanted by the police, Lupin actually had a strong sense of honor and his targets were usually persons whose sources of wealth were less than honest. He administered his own type of justice as he saw it and often helped the police without them knowing it.
- Fantômas
Fantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
, created by Marcel AllainMarcel Allain was a French writer mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Pierre Souvestre of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas....
(September 15, 1885-August 25, 1969) and Pierre SouvestrePierre Souvestre was a French lawyer, journalist, writer and organizer of motor races. He is mostly remembered today for his co-creation with Marcel Allain of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fantômas...
(1874-1914) as the main character of a series of forty-three novels published between 1911 and 1963. The name "Fantomius" is presumably taken from this character. Fantômas was a master criminal and master manipulator with sadistic and homicidal tendencies. Though Paperinik had little in common with him, it should be perhaps noted that Fantômas' closest allies and his worst enemies were all related to him one way or the other. This was also the case with Paperinik early in his career. The French name for Paperinik is "Fantomiald" - a play on "Fantô-mas" and "Don-ald".
- Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. He has been featured in several books, films, television series, and other media....
created by Johnston McCulleyJohnston McCulley , raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro...
(February 2, 1883 - November 23, 1958) in 1918. Fantomius's methods of maintaining a secret identity derived from those of Zorro. Zorro indeed acted as a harmless gentleman when not acting as a vigilante during the night. He was also mainly active in CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. Paperinik is mainly active in Duckburg's fictional U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Calisota, located in the area equivalent to northern California (according to comic writer Don RosaKeno Don Hugo Rosa is an American comic book writer and illustrator best known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. His most famous work is The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, which is now out of print...
). For a chronology of Zorro see: ZorroZorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. He has been featured in several books, films, television series, and other media....
External links