Master of Kung Fu

Master of Kung Fu is an American comic book series from Marvel Comics whose original run was published from 1974 to 1983. The main hero is Shang-Chi, a kung-fu master, after whom the series carried the full title The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu from issue 17. The character was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. From issue 22, the creative core of the series was writer Doug Moench and artist Paul Gulacy. Later the series was also drawn by Mike Zeck (from issue 66) and Gene Day (from issue 100). The series arose at a time that Wikipedia describes as a wave of interest in martial arts in the United States of the 1970s. According to the same source, Paul Gulacy drew Shang-Chi after the model of Bruce Lee. We have not been able to establish from sources which specific fighting style Shang-Chi uses in the comic; the series title and his epithet kung-fu master link him to kung-fu. The original run ended in June 1983 with issue 125.

Editions and translations

Shang-Chi first appeared in Special Marvel Edition no. 15, dated December 1973. From issue 17 the comic carried the title The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu and the numbering continued from the Special Marvel Edition run; the standalone series is therefore dated from 1974. Wikipedia gives the first volume as 114 issues, counting issues 17 to 125, four Giant-Size issues and one Annual. Toward the end of the original run, two of its key creators left: artist Gene Day died after issue 120 and writer Doug Moench left the series after issue 122. The run ended in June 1983 with issue 125. After a long break, issue 126 came out in November 2017 (dated January 2018 on the cover) as the second volume.

People and martial arts

• Steve EnglehartAuthor
• Jim StarlinAuthor
• Doug MoenchAuthor
• Paul GulacyAuthor
• Mike ZeckAuthor
• Gene DayAuthor

Details

Status

Completed

First published / aired

Special Marvel Edition (Marvel Comics)