Gene Pelc

Last updated
Gene Pelc
Born
Eugene Joseph Pelc

(1944-04-16) April 16, 1944 (age 81)
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
Alma materFordham University (BA)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, producer, business executive
Known forMarvel Comics Japan representative; creator of Japanese Spider-Man
Notable workSupaidāman (Japanese Spider-Man), Francis, Brother of the Universe, Bushido: Way of the Warrior
SpouseMarried (over 50 years)

Gene Pelc (born Eugene Joseph Pelc; April 16, 1944) is an American entrepreneur, producer, and entertainment industry veteran. [1] He is known for international exchange of media and entertainment content, particularly between the United States and Japan. [2] He is also known as Marvel Comics' representative in Japan, who facilitated the adaptation and licensing of Marvel properties, including the creation of the Japanese Spider-Man series and several other projects. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Early life and career

Gene Pelc was born in the United States and spent his early years in Roscoe, New York. [9] Pelc started his career as a radio announcer at WALL Radio, owned by WMCA, in New York.

Marvel's Man in Japan

In 1978, he met Stan Lee and pitched the idea of expanding Marvel Comics' influence into Japan, leading to his role as "Marvel's Man in Japan" [3] [10] During the late 1970s, Pelc created Supaidāman, a Japanese live-action TV series. Aired from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979, this series introduced Takuya Yamashiro. Pelc's vision for this series received support from Stan Lee despite initial skepticism from other Marvel executives. [11] His collaborations with Toei laid the groundwork for the Super Sentai series, which later inspired the creation of the Power Rangers in the U.S. [12] He also produced several Marvel-related shows with Toei, including Marvel's 616, [13] [14] Battle Fever J, Denshi Sentai Denjiman, Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan and Bushido: Way of the Warrior. Pelc worked on various animated projects, including The Adventures of T-Rex with Kitty Films and animation for Pink Panther, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, Spider-Man and Friends, and Dungeons & Dragons. He and Stan Lee co-created the comic book Shogun Warriors which inspired the Transformers. Pelc also contributed to the animation of the Transformers movie and TV series. [15]

Pelc was with Marvel until the 90's, during that time he was involved with World Pacific Wrestling. Later he got involved with the UWF International, a Japanese shoot wrestling organization. [16] Here, he produced "Bushido:The Way of the Warrior," a TV series syndicated worldwide. He also produced "SHOOT WRESTLING:It’s Real" and provided color commentary for Pay-Per-View specials. [17] [18]

Other Marvel Comic Projects

Pelc conceived and created Marvel's comic, Francis, Brother of the Universe, [19] which chronicles the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Published in 1980, it was Marvel's first comic to sell over one million copies and was translated into eight languages. He later produced The Life of Pope John Paul II, overcoming challenges presented by Poland's Communist regime to gather material for the biography. Both comics are recognized for their international reach and notable impact, introducing religious figures to mainstream comic audiences. [20] [21] [22]

Music merchandising career

Pelc founded Pelc Enterprises, a merchandising company for international music artists. [23] The company served as the main venue merchandiser for USA and UK music artists, handling retail and licensing operations for Japanese tours. [24] Pelc's first major client was Duran Duran, whose lead singer Simon Le Bon insisted that Pelc handle their merchandise or the band would not perform. [24] His client roster later expanded to include major artists such as Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga during their Japanese tours. [24]

Books

Pelc is the author of CONDEMNED: The Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan (2025), which covers the history and martyrdom of early Japanese Christians. The book was reviewed in the National Catholic Register, which discussed Pelc’s approach to documenting these events. [25]

Personal life

Pelc met his wife, Mary Angela Eastlake, while attending Fordham University. [26] [27] The couple have been married for over 50 years. [28] Pelc’s marriage formed an early connection to Japan which influenced his decision to work for Marvel in the country. [29]


References

  1. ↑ Keenan, Alex (2023-07-15). "Power Rangers Was Almost Made By Stan Lee Before The Iconic 1990s TV Show Happened (But It's Good It Wasn't)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  2. ↑ Soares, Michael Arthur (2024-09-11). Superhero Rhetoric from Exceptionalism to Globalization: Up, Up and ...Abroad. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-6669-5031-1.
  3. 1 2 "How Marvel Comics Changed Tokusatsu & Japan Forever ft Gene & Ted Pelc". krewe of japan. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  4. ↑ McEniry, Matthew J.; Peaslee, Robert Moses; Weiner, Robert G. (2016-04-05). Marvel Comics into Film: Essays on Adaptations Since the 1940s. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-2411-2.
  5. ↑ Glaser, Ed (2022-03-07). How the World Remade Hollywood: Global Interpretations of 65 Iconic Films. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-4467-7.
  6. ↑ Stein, Daniel; Denson, Shane; Meyer, Christina (2013-03-28). Transnational Perspectives on Graphic Narratives: Comics at the Crossroads. A&C Black. ISBN   978-1-4411-8523-5.
  7. ↑ O'Connell, Sean (2022-11-01). With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood during the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-4930-6620-9.
  8. ↑ "Supaidaman | O Homem-Aranha japonês completa 45 anos". Geek Pop News.
  9. ↑ "Saintly superhero: When Marvel Comics told the life story of John Paul II". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  10. ↑ Young, Richard (2022-01-17). "The Forgotten Spider-Man: Japanese Spider-Man". Japan Nakama. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  11. ↑ "Spider-Man japonés fue respaldado por Stan Lee: esta es la historia que contó "Marvel's 616″". depor.com.
  12. ↑ "Stan Lee: How Marvel Almost Created the 'Power Rangers'". Inverse. 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  13. ↑ "Marvel's 616: Japanese Spider-Man was Marvel's Gonzo Global Effort". bleedingcool.com. 2020-11-21. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  14. ↑ Hood, Cooper (2020-11-23). "Marvel's 616 Reveals How Stan Lee Helped Save Japanese Spider-Man". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  15. ↑ Salzman, Brody (2020-11-21). "Japanese Spider-Man Documentary Now on Disney+". The Tokusatsu Network. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  16. ↑ Dettloff, William (2023-05-25). Matthew Saad Muhammad: Boxing's Miracle Man. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-8525-0.
  17. ↑ Elliott, Brian (2021-02-25). "Nineteen ninety-four and the history of Bushido: The Way Of The Warrior". Riffing On Wrestling. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  18. ↑ "UWF-I Shootfighting: It's Real! « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  19. ↑ "Did You Know? Saint Francis Is a Marvel Comic Super Hero". UCatholic. 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  20. ↑ Kosloski, Philip (2019-10-19). "How John Paul II's visit to Japan led to a Marvel Comics biography of his life". Voyage Comics. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  21. ↑ Davis, Blair (2024-03-15). Christianity and Comics: Stories We Tell about Heaven and Hell. Rutgers University Press. ISBN   978-1-9788-2823-0.
  22. ↑ Piatti-Farnell, Lorna (2021-11-01). The Superhero Multiverse: Readapting Comic Book Icons in Twenty-First-Century Film and Popular Media. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-1-7936-2460-4.
  23. ↑ "Gene Pelc - Owner, Pelc Enterprises". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  24. 1 2 3 "Gene & Ted Pelc - Lance E. Lee Podcast Episode #175". 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  25. ↑ "Marvel's Man in Japan Chronicles Catholic Martyrs". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  26. ↑ Kosloski, Philip (2019-10-19). "How John Paul II's visit to Japan led to a Marvel Comics biography of his life". Voyage Comics. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  27. ↑ "'Marvel's Man in Japan' Now Chronicles Catholic Martyrs". EWTN. 2025-08-30. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  28. ↑ "Gene & Ted Pelc - Lance E. Lee Podcast Episode #175". YouTube. 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  29. ↑ "'Marvel's Man in Japan' Now Chronicles Catholic Martyrs". EWTN. 2025-08-30. Retrieved 2025-10-11.


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