Alan Zelenetz

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 series, several issues of Thor and a run of Conan the King (issues #16–28).

Alan Zelenetz
Born	(1948-06-24) June 24, 1948 (age 77)
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Writer

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 is also director of ICI, the Institute for Curricular Initiatives in New York City.^[5]

Selected filmography

• Pi (1998) (Judaica advisor)
• Darkon (2006) (producer, executive producer;)
• The Funeral Party (2007) (co-producer)
• Andorra scheduled in (2007) (producer)

Selected comics bibliography

• Alien Legion (1984) #1-20
• Alien Legion (1987) #1
• Amazing High Adventure #4
• The Avengers vol. 1 #224
• Bizarre Adventures #32
• Conan the Barbarian #145
• Conan the King #20-27
• Epic Illustrated #30
• Official Handbook of the Conan Universe
• King Conan #16-19
• Kull the Conqueror #1-10
• Marvel Age Annual #1
• Marvel Fanfare vol. 1 #13, #34-37
• 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)
• Master of Kung Fu vol. 1 #123-125
• Moon Knight vol. 1 #18, #21–22, #27, #32 (backup stories); #36-38 (main stories)
• Moon Knight vol. 2 #1-4
• The Savage Sword of Conan #83, #86, #88, #95
• Thor vol. 1 #329–336, Annual #10-13
• What If? vol. 1 #35, #39, #41