Growing up, Auburn native Ed Catto was just the right age to be in front of the television when the 1960s TV version of “Batman” hit the screens.

From there he said that he was simply hooked on superheroes and, ultimately, comic books.

Throughout his career, Catto has found himself on the periphery of the world of comic books and action heroes, but it wasn't until fairly recently that he took the dive fully into that world as part of the creative team behind “Captain Action,” a new comic published by Moonstone Books.

In Auburn, Catto led an active life, playing tennis and some football in high school, but he was hooked on comics from an early age.

“I used to go over to Maxwell's every Thursday,” Catto said. “That was new comic day and I'd go over to get a new supply.”

When Kim's Comics first opened on Franklin Street, Catto had the distinction of being the first customer. He was riding his bike by when he walked in and made the first purchase in the store.

After graduating from Auburn High School in 1981, Catto went on to Cornell. While there, his passion for comics continued and he had the opportunity to strike up a friendship with Roger Stern, who at the time was living in Ithaca and was writing for classic titles like “Spider-Man” and “The Avengers” for Marvel.

“That was great,” Catto said. “I'd get to see the pages coming in before he had even put dialogue to them.”

Catto said that he is a fan of what has come to be known as the Silver Age of Comic Books, when Iron Man, the X-Men and other classic Marvel characters came from the legendary team of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

Catto was influenced by the period in the '70s when other artists and storytellers were coming to prominence and showing what could be done within the confines of the comic medium in terms of both story and art.

Catto went on to pursue his education in grad school and joined the world of marketing. This allowed him the opportunity to stay active in the world of comics, working with companies such as Nabisco on promotions that often featured comic characters - as well as working with the New York Comic Con.

But it was just a few years ago that Catto was approached by a friend, Joe Ahearn, about becoming what Catto has termed “retropreneurs” with the property of Captain Action.

Catto explained that Captain Action was a product of the '60s. Much like the original GI Joe action figures, he was about 12 inches tall and could be outfitted with various costumes and uniforms and was also featured in a short lived comic series.

Ahearn had come to own the rights to the character and was interested in a revival of Captain Action, a classic from both men's childhoods. Captain Action Enterprises, LLC was formed.

Catto said that they shopped the idea around to various publishers and found Moonstone Books to be very receptive to the idea.

This has allowed Catto and Ahearn to work with some of their favorite writers and artists in the industry in creating the “Captain Action” books, which have received a great deal of interest from industry events such as the New York Comic Con and the San Diego Comic Con.

“We have done modestly well,” Catto said. “The series has been a modest hit and we have gotten some good buzz from New York and San Diego.”

By bringing the character to the modern age, Catto and company have not limited themselves in their art or storytelling.

In the most recent issue five, Captain Action finds himself fighting an alien threat and helping President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. To add a special touch to the story, Catto put in the comic a fellow Auburn native, Brian McKeon, who works as deputy secretary of defense in Biden's office. Catto has heard positive feedback from Biden about the comic.

“It is kind of exciting to think that what we are doing is on the vice president's radar and maybe even the White House's,” Catto said.

Already the company has released a series of collectibles and has begun discussions with Hollywood for a potential movie. They have big plans to revive other characters, such as the Zeroids, which were an early kind of Transformer.

While Catto is still focused on his primary career in the world of marketing, he is enjoying his work in the comic world as well.

“It has been exciting,” Catto said. “But I couldn't do this without the support of my family. My mom wasn't the kind of mom that threw out my comics and my dad even found a few that he liked. From comics, I became a voracious reader, too. This is a lot of fun and I'm really enjoying what we are doing.”

On the Web

For more information about Captain Action, visit www.captainactionnow.com.