The Magic Newswire - Magic News

For anyone interested in the varied representations of magicians in literature, including the literature of the comic variety, Good Comics has posted an article that is worth a read which discusses DC's "Action Comics #1." Why is this notable? Not only because it was the first appearance of Superman, but because "it also includes the first appearance of the magician, Zatara, who would later go on to have a more famous daughter named Zatanna. Zatara was created by Fred Guardineer, who wrote and drew the story in this issue." For those unfamiliar with Zatara, in addition to being descended from a race of magic using humans in the DC Comics universe, "as well as being an illusionist, Zatara also had genuine magical powers, which he focused through speaking backwards: he could do anything so long as he could describe it in sdrawkcab hceeps ("backwards speech", spelled backwards). This helped distinguish Zatara from the numerous Mandrake the Magician knockoffs that cluttered the comics and pulp magazines of the day, although Merlin the Magician(Quality Comics) also had this attribute, and it was also given to him by Zatara's creator, Fred Guardineer." Which came first? Mandrake of course which first appeared in 1934.