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Zorro was created by the pulp-fiction writer Johnston McCulley (1883-1958). He was a prolific author and wrote hundreds of short stories and novels. In 1919, he wrote the book The Curse of Capistrano, which introduced Zorro, to the world . McCulley did not intend to write any more works based on the Californian character. The book was bought by a Hollywood studio who made a movie based on the novel, called the Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, a superstar at the time . <ref>Curtis, Sandra. Zorro Unmasked: The Official History (LA, Hyperion, 1998), p. 12</ref>.

This Mark of Zorro was a hit , and Hollywood executives persuaded McCulley to write more stories based on the dashing outlaw. McCulley wrote Zorro stories for almost 40 years. The novel <i>The Curse of Capistrano</i> has sold over 50 million copies and is one of the most commercially successful novels of all time. The Californian hero Zorro has appeared in countless books, movies, and theatrical productions. <ref>Curtis, p. 19</ref> In recent years there have even been video games based on the famous character.