Alan Zelenetz
American film producer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alan Zelenetz (born June 24, 1948)[1] is an American film producer and comic-book writer best known for co-creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics and a founder of Ovie Entertainment. Zelenetz also wrote several issues of Marvel's Moon Knight, Thor, and Conan the King.
| Alan Zelenetz | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 24, 1948 |
| Nationality | American |
| Area | Writer |
Notable works | Alien Legion, Conan the King, Thor |
Biography
Before becoming a film producer, Zelenetz was a junior high school principal at the Yeshiva of Flatbush, an Orthodox Jewish school in Brooklyn, and Solomon Schechter High School of New York.[2] One of the science teachers under his supervision was the father of Darren Aronofsky, director of Pi (1998) and Requiem for a Dream (2000).
Zelenetz quit his job as a high school principal and worked his way into a paid position at Marvel Comics. He did some volunteer proofreading work for a while, and then started to write for Thor, Conan the Barbarian, and Moon Knight. For Moon Knight, he introduced the Jewish identity of the character to the storyline.[2] In Thor Annual #10 (1982), Zelenetz introduced the first Nigerian hero, Shango (recruited by Thor to confront Demogorge), in the history of Marvel.[3]
Zelenetz was the main author and researcher for Marvel's Official Handbook of the Conan Universe,[4] a guide to the Hyborian Age, the fictional setting of the Conan the Barbarian stories. He and artist John Buscema collaborated on the Kull the Conqueror series in 1982–1983.[5] Zelenetz wrote the first Alien Legion series for Epic Comics. The characters had conceived by creator Carl Potts as "the French Foreign Legion in space."[6] Zelenetz and Charles Vess crafted "The Warriors Three Saga" in Marvel Fanfare #34–37 (Sept. 1987–April 1988).[7]
He is also director of ICI, the Institute for Curricular Initiatives in New York City.[8]
Selected filmography
Comics bibliography
Marvel Comics
- Alien Legion #1–20 (1984–1987)
- Alien Legion vol. 2 #1 (1987)
- Amazing High Adventure #4 (1986)
- The Avengers #224 (1982)
- Bizarre Adventures #32 (Thor) (1982)
- Conan the Barbarian #145 (1983)
- Conan the King #20–27 (1984–1985)
- Epic Illustrated #30 (1985)
- Jhereg: The Graphic Novel #1 (1990)
- King Conan #16–19 (1983)
- Kree–Skrull War Starring the Avengers #1 (prologue) (1983)
- Kull the Conqueror #1 (1982)
- Kull the Conqueror #2–10 (1983–1985)
- Marvel Age Annual #1 (1985)
- Marvel Fanfare #13, #34–37 (1984–1988)
- Marvel Graphic Novel #15 ("The Raven Banner (A Tale of Asgard)"), #25 ("Alien Legion: A Grey Day to Die"), #47 ("Kull: The Vale of Shadow") (1985–1989)
- Master of Kung Fu #123–125 (1983)
- Moon Knight #18 (text article), #21–22, #27, #32 (backup stories); #36–38 (main stories) (1982–1984)
- Moon Knight vol. 2 #1–4 (1985)
- Official Handbook of the Conan Universe #1 (1986)
- Savage Sword of Conan #83, #86, #88, #95 (1982–1983)
- Thor #329–336 (1983)
- Thor Annual #10–13 (1982–1985)
- What If? #35 (Yellowjacket), #39 (Thor and Conan), #41 (Namor) (1982–1983)
