Why did Marvel Comics, famous for bringing to life such superheroes as Spider-Man, Captain America, X-Men and the Avengers, create a biography of St. John Paul II’s life in 1982?
Here is the story behind the remarkable comic book that has captivated millions since its first publication.
The story is recounted on the final page of the printed issue. Here is a brief summary, along with some added details.
John Paul II was on a tour of the Pacific in 1981 and spent 3 days in Japan, February 24-26. During that visit he had several major appearances in a country that has a very small Catholic minority.
At the same time, Father Julian Różycki, a Polish missionary living in Tokoyo, was a close friend of Gene Pelc, whom Stan Lee called “Marvel’s Man in Japan.”
Pelc was responsible for suggesting to Marvel the idea of creating a comic book about St. Francis of Assisi a year prior. This was, according to HNP Communications, when “friar Campion Lally, OFM, met Gene Pelc, a Marvel Comics representative, at the Franciscan Chapel Center in Japan and suggested that a comic book be written about Francis, who in 1982 was being commemorated on the 800th anniversary of his birth. Pelc liked the idea and suggested that a Franciscan friar collaborate on the comic book.”
The end result was published in 1980, titled “Francis: Brother of the Universe.” It was a smash hit, selling like crazy.
The success of the St. Francis comic led Fr. Julian to pass on a few copies to John Paul II’s entourage during his Tokyo visit on February 24, 1981.
Here is what happened next.
After conferring with the Pope, Fr. Julian arranged a meeting between Pelc and the Pope’s chosen representative, Fr. Mieczyslaw Malinski–a lifelong friend of the Pope, and one of Europe’s foremost religious writers. As someone who had lived with the Pope, gone to school with him, laughed and cried with him, only Fr. Malinski could provide the intimate details of the man, Karol Wojtyla.
Flying to Marvel’s headquarters in New York City, Gene Pelc and Fr. Malinski met with Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, writer Steven Grant and artist John Tartaglione. With the aid of Lucy Mazareski (who helped interpret for Fr. Malinski), the ball was soon rolling.
The comic book was put together by the most talented crew Marvel Comics has ever had. It included writer Steven Grant, penciler John Tartaglione, inker Joe Sinnott, colorist Marie Severin and letterer Jim Novak.
Interestingly, “production of this magazine was temporarily slowed when martial law was recently imposed in Poland and communications with Fr. Malinski were severely hampered.”
Furthermore, after they had started production on the comic book, St. John Paul II was shot on May 13, 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. It was an unexpected development that made its way into the comic book.
The result, “The Life of Pope John Paul II” was published in 1982 and was also a success, due in large part to the Pope’s popularity in the 1980s.
Philip Kosloski
Philip Kosloski is the founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing and the writer and creator of the comic book series, Finnian and the Seven Mountains.