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]
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.
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 and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan. 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]
Pelc conceived and created Marvel's comic, Francis, Brother of the Universe,[18] 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.[19][20][21]
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.[22]
Pelc met his wife, Mary Angela Eastlake, while attending Fordham University.[23][24] The couple have been married for over 50 years. Pelc's marriage formed an early connection to Japan which influenced his decision to work for Marvel in the country.[24]
