Art by C. C. Beck
Art by C. C. Beck

Manly Wade Wellman Shazam Text Stories

Manly Wade Wellman wrote several text stories for Fawcett Comics during his tenure on the Captain Marvel comics. In Whiz Comics #25-30, he explored the acronym S.H.A.Z.A.M. with two pagers about the ancient Greek and Hebrew heroes and gods that power the Big Red Cheese. He wrote the stories under the house name “Juan Lopez”. The illustrations for the segments are all done by unknown artists.

Wellman wrote other text stories, some like “V is For Victory” is an obvious war-time propaganda piece. Others like “The Werewolf Prowled” are closer to the Pulp stories he wrote for Weird Tales. Wellman would write Captain Marvel and other comic characters such as The Spirit in the early 1940s before returning to magazine writing.

“The Origin of Shazam: 1: Solomon – Wisest of Men” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #25, December 26, 1941)

“Hercules, the Bravest and the Strongest” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #26, January 23,1942)

“The Origin of Shazam 3: Atlas” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #27, February 20, 1942)

“Shazam: Zeus, Master of Power” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #28, March 20, 1942)

“Shazam: Achilles – Who Never Feared” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #29, April 17, 1942)

Shazam! Mercury, Faster Than Thought” as Juan Lopez (Whiz Comics #30, May 15, 1942)

All of these comics are available free from Digital Comic Museum.