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DELL ~ A Giant Comic TARZAN’S JUNGLE ANNUAL #4 1955 ~ 100pp. 25 cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh stories 1-2-5 Russ Manning 3-6 Tony Sgroi - 4th
Cover Painting: Morris Gollub
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois stories 1-4-6 ~ Russ Manning - 3rd
Cover: Painting of a leopard in a tree snarling down at a gorillas on the ground - no Tarzan
Inside Front Cover: “The Harpy Eagle” enemy of the giant pteranodon of Pal-ul-don - black and white

1st story “Tarzan Defends the Walls of Cathne” - 24pp.
Type -- Saves Cathne - Talking Gorillas - White Pygmies - Argus

Flying on Argus, Tarzan sees Queen Elaine in her lion driven chariot riding into a Talking Gorilla ambush. He swoops down and warns her and takes the battle to the gorillas. Argus is effective against the Bolgani and Elaine escapes. Argus is struck by a thrown club and is forced to land. Tarzan fights the gorillas and leads them away from the giant eagle. Argus recovers and flies off forgetting about Tarzan. Jathon and the Cathneans arrive and help the ape-man fight the gorillas. Gundak and Korak are named as Bolgani fighters. Tarzan prevents a gorilla from pulling Jathon from his chariot. Tarzan is knocked unconscious by a thrown club. Gortak, the gund, picks up the Jungle Lord and calls for a retreat. They take to the trees. A spear wounds Gortak. He commands the gorillas to throw their clubs down at the Cathneans. The Cathneans are helpless. The gorillas escape to their camp where Gortak calls for a Dum-Dum. The Cathneans return home. Elaine weeps for the dead Tarzan and her foolishness that caused it. Jathon fears the gorillas will attack their buffalo herds. He also laments Tarzan loss because there is nothing to stop the gorillas now.

Gortak has Tarzan bound. Tarzan works at freeing himself. During the Dum-Dum Gortak calls for the overthrow of Cathne. He outlines his plan to have part of his apes ride on buffaloes to draw out the Cathnean chariots, while the main force scales the walls of the city. Tarzan hears the battle plan. Argus remembers Tarzan and searches for him. Once he finds him, he swoops in and carries him off by his ropes. The gorillas throw their clubs to no avail. Tarzan has difficulty directing Argus but finally gets the eagle to place him down on top of the Rock of Opar. King Nikko and his men ride up on antelopes. They free the jungle Lord and bring him to the ruins of Opar. Nikko calls for a feast in the great square. Lord Tarzan convinces them to aid Cathne against the Talking Gorillas. The next morning as they prepare to leave, King Nikko demonstrates the pygmies’ prowess with bolas by wrapping up a vulture. They descend the Rock by a crude elevator. They use rafts to transport themselves and their mounts close to Cathne. Tarzan and the pygmies observe the gorillas riding buffaloes in their attack on the city. The Cathnean chariots are drawn out into the battle. They also see the main force of Bolgani approaching the walls with grass camouflage on their backs. They carry notched poles to use as scaling ladders. Tarzan directs the pygmies to attack the main force. He slips in the gorilla line with similar camouflage. The pygmies throw torches on the grass camouflage and use bolas to drop the gorillas. Tarzan scales the walls and warns Jathon about the impending attack. Tarzan suggests bringing lions to the top of the walls to help in the fight. Jathon so orders it. The gorillas reach the top of the walls. Tarzan, Jathon, and the Cathneans ride the lions bareback into the melee. The gorillas are repelled from the walls. The pygmies drive the gorillas back into the forest. Jathon thanks Tarzan and the lions for the success. Tarzan says to give thanks to the little men of Opar. End.

The featured story is a new tale that concerns the City of Gold but deals with the Talking Gorillas and the White Pygmies now residing in Opar. Argus has a new look. He is no longer solid gold but has black covering the front half of his upper wing. Heavy black lines outline the last three layers of feathers. The tail also has the heavy black lines on three layers of feathers. Argus is knocked in the head and temporarily forgets Tarzan. This is the first time that Argus has been shown to be vulnerable. Queen Elaine is younger than ever and has a long blonde ponytail. The Talking Gorillas have still been reduced to using clubs but their gund is quite intelligent. He devises a clever battle plan with a diversionary force on buffaloes to draw the Cathnean charioteers away for the city as the main force uses camouflage to sneak up to the walls of Cathne. The Bolgani manage to capture Tarzan temporarily with yet another blow to the head. This makes twenty-two smashes to the skull for the ape-man. They hold a Dum-Dum. This is a first for the gorillas. The Cathneans have more elaborate chariots than ever before, shaped like a lion in front. Jathon himself has a fantastically engraved conquistador-type helmet. When he returns to Cathne, he changes to a more Greek-like helmet. He wears a third helmet for the battle with the gorillas on the walls of Cathne. The city itself does not have the opulent splendid towers as in previous stories but does have a Michelangelo-type of dome reminiscent of St. Peter’s dome in Rome. The White Pygmies are confusing considering their history in the Dell comics. Back in Dell Annual #1.1 Tarzan relocated them near Opar under the leadership of Prince Nikon. They were placed just outside of the ruins themselves. Now they have taken over the ruins and enjoy their new home. This, in itself, is acceptable for them to take over the ruins. It is their leadership that is difficult to follow. Prince Nikon becomes King Nikon and has a son name Prince Illony. In Dell #59.3 the pygmies were under King Ilonyi. One wonders if this is the same as Prince Illony? Now Nikko is king. Was this intended to be King Nikon? Did the writer poorly remember it? This inconsistency is happening more and more often in the Dell stories. More easily acceptable is the newly drawn elegance of the ruins of Opar. The city is not in disrepair as previously depicted. Possibly the pygmies have made repairs. Opar towers like what was usually reserved for Cathne. A three quarter page panel of Tarzan and Nikko entering Opar is quite impressive. It has an arch framed panel with broken statuary in the foreground. Opar now looks very much like an ancient Roman ruin. Despite the confusion of the pygmies it 
is an exciting tale with good drawings. 

Tarzan action cut-out - 1 page - color

Apes and Monkeys of Tarzan’s Jungle - Mandrill, Hamadryads, Chacma, Chimpanzee, 
Gorilla, Guenon, Mangabey -- 2 pages - color

2nd story “Boy Meets the Wild West”- 8pp.
Type -- Boy Story - Boy and Dombie Adventure - Save Two White Boys

Boy and Dombie watch elephants at a water hole. A white hunter calls for his two boys, Ricky and Curtis. Boy and Dombie stop the hunter and his safari from getting too close to the water hole. He explains that his two boys have wandered off from the safari. Boy and Dombie go to search for them. They are roped by the American boys and tied to a tree. Ricky plays at being Billy the Kid and his brother, Curtis, plays at being Sitting Bull. Boy says he can call animals to help them. The Americans scoff at the idea. Boy calls for Tantor, Korak, and Jad-bal-ja. When the animals come, the Americans run away. Korak unties them. Dombie points out that the two strange boys are headed for stampeding elephants. Boy, Dombie, and Korak mount Tantor. From Tantor’s trunk Boy picks up Ricky.  From the trees Korak picks up Curtis. They return the boys to their father. End.

This is an average Boy story with no appearance by Tarzan. 

Boy’s Letter and Diary - 2pp. - color

Hunter’s Test -- Mwalu, the elephant tracker gives Boy a lesson - quiz - 1p. - color

3rd story “Tarzan and The Reptile with a Heart”- 15pp.
Type -- Lost Land (Valley of Monsters) - Dr. MacWhirtle - Boy - Dinosaurs

Dr. Mac flies his helicopter towards the N’girri Outpost with Boy. Touaregs spot them and fire rifles at them. Dr. Mac is forced to land near an oasis that seems familiar to him. The doctor pulls out his pistol. The Touaregs ride their horses to the oasis. A Garth comes out of the foliage. Dr. Mac calls it Wheeck. The garth chases off the Touaregs. As the doctor makes the necessary repairs to the helicopter, he explains to Boy how he and Tarzan know the garth. Tarzan was exploring the Valley of Monsters. He was being chased by two Garths. He started to lower himself into a canyon to escape. An earthquake destroyed the cliff and he fell into the river below. In a box canyon, he killed a partridge for food. As he prepared a fire pit, he dug up a reptile egg. He ate and slept. The egg hatched a Garth, which attached itself to the Jungle Lord. Tarzan went to hunt. The Garth cried. Tarzan felt sorry for the creature and thought that maybe it had a heart of something special. After a few weeks, Tarzan believed it could take care of itself and started to leave. A thipdar swooped down and grabbed the Garth. As the thipdar flew pass Tarzan, he leaped on the reptile’s back. After it landed Tarzan stabbed it with his knife. The thipdar fell off the cliff. Tarzan mended the Garth’s wounds. In a week the Garth was healed, but its voice box had been damaged. Tarzan named the Garth Wheeck because of the noise it made. He left Wheeck by the falls. Boy asks the doctor how he knows the Garth and how it got to the oasis.

The doctor continues the tale. He and Tarzan went to the Valley of Monsters to collect brontosaurs eggs. While digging, a volcano erupted and the hot lava destroyed their helicopter. They started for the waterfalls. Three garths threatened them. Tarzan killed one with a bazooka. Tarzan shot at the others with Dr. Mac’s pistol to no effect. Suddenly, Wheeck appeared and killed the two garths. Wheeck remembered Tarzan. They headed for the falls. The earthquakes that accompany the eruptions destroyed the falls but left a cleft in the mountain. They went through the cleft and out into the Great Thorn Desert. Many different varieties of dinosaurs followed them. Another quake sealed off the opening. They headed out into the desert. The dinosaurs followed them. They died off one by one. Dr. Mac collapsed and Tarzan had him ride on Wheeck’s tail. Even Wheeck could not take another step. Tarzan carried the doctor. Finally they came upon the oasis. Tarzan brought back water to Wheeck. They headed out for the N’girri Outpost leaving Wheeck at the oasis. Dr. Mac finishes the repairs to the plane. Wheeck returns. They quickly take off. They see Wheeck with three young garths. Dr. Mac says that Tarzan must be informed of this. End.

Russ Manning probably drew the third story. It has the most unusual story line of any tale thus far in the series. It is told through the view point of Dr. Mac. He pops up every once in a while on the edges of the panels as the narrator of the story. It is the story of Dr. Mac and Boy. They are shot down by the Touaregs. While Dr. Mac makes repairs to the helicopter, he tells Boy two separate stories. The main story is in the present tense and ties the two past tense stories into one nice neat package. One fault in the first tale is Tarzan cooking the bird he killed for his meal. Tarzan eats his meat raw. But this allows him to discover the garth egg. The fault in the second tale is Tarzan carrying around a bazooka. Even the bazooka did not bother this writer because the story is so well written. Manning’s drawings are full of unusual perspectives and creative panel arrangements. Wheeck attacking the Touaregs is powerful and dramatic. His details in the backgrounds are a strong contrast to the simplicity of Marsh’s work. With Wheeck and her young left behind at the oasis coupled with Dr. Mac’s statement about informing Tarzan of their presence, sets up possible future episodes. This is a super little tale with an unusual and exciting format plus great drawings.

Table Top Jungle Village - directions for making a model of a Sudan village 
- 3 pp. - 1 in color, 2 in black and white.

Jungle Jumble Beast - five animals in one creature - top half of the page in color.

Floral Beauty - color by letters - bottom half of the page in black and white

4th story “Boy and The Bark Canoe”- 8 pp.
Type -- Boy Story - Boy and Dombie Adventure - Lost Tribe (Pygmies)

Boy and Dombie make a bark canoe and paddle upstream, portage around some rapids, and continue into a gorge where no one has gone before. They paddle through a cleft in the rocks to discover and be discovered by a lost tribe of pygmies. The pygmies are friendly. The chief invites them to share a meal of fish and mushrooms. Boy points at some women. The chief takes this as a sign of interest and betroths them. They carry Boy to a dais and place him on a gold stool. They place heavy gold necklaces and arm bracelets on him. They are making him their king. The witch doctor disapproves and wants Boy to undergo a test. He wants him to swim with the heavy gold on his body. Dombie brings the canoe around. The witch doctor forces Boy into the water with a trident. Boy climbs into the canoe. They paddle downstream. The pygmies swim after them. They lose them in the cleft of the rocks. Boy gives Dombie the necklace and removes the arm bracelets. They travel down the rapids. The canoe springs a leak. They swim for shore. Dombie is happy with his necklace. Boy says they will dive for the bracelets some other time. End.

This is a very average tale with no appearance by Tarzan. 

Danger Trail -- maze for Jo-rah to find Tarzan - 1p. - color

Jungle Games -- Jungle Rooster - a game played by Zulu boys and 
Tracking the Whiffenpole - 1p. - color

5th story “Numa and the Man Cub” - 8pp.
Type -- Non-Tarzan Story - Feral Story

Numa brings down a zebra. Sabor leaves her two cubs and joins her mate in feeding. Two hyenas carry off the cubs. Sabor returns to find her cubs missing. She tracks the hyenas and finds them feeding on her offspring. She kills one of the hyenas. The other escapes into a hole.

The missionary’s wife, Mrs. Lane, gives Loma, her native nurse, instructions. Loma brags to the village women about her importance. She falls asleep. The young boy, David Lane, wanders off. Sabor finds him and takes him to replace her lost cubs. Loma awakens and is distraught. She tells the Rev. and Mrs. Lane that Davie is missing. She blames a jungle devil for making her sleep. The reverend takes trackers to trail the boy. They find lion tracks and deduce that the boy is dead. The reverend wants to organize a hunt for the lion. The male lion accepts his mate’s new man-cub. The reverend directs the building of a pit trap. A goat is place near the trap. Sabor falls into the trap. Numa pulls Davie away before he falls into the trap. The reverend’s shouts frighten off numa. He does not fire his rifle. He is reunited with his son. He realizes that the lions were caring for his son. He instructs the native, N’goma, to have the lioness released unharmed. End.

The fifth story is a non-Tarzan story. It is an above story because of the feral nature of the tale. The boy who is abducted by the lioness is such a simp that it is hard to believe that he could have survived very long. And, once again Marsh depicts the marriage of an older unattractive man to a beautiful young wife. (There must be some psychological reasons for consistently applying this combination to couples.)

Africa’s People -- The Watusi from Ruanda are a race of giants, 
and the Masai from Kenya are lion killers. - 2p. - color

The Great Yam Feast -- Jane with Ozolua, queen and head wife of a king. - 2pp. - color

6th story “Tarzan and the Guardians of the Caves”* - 12pp.
Type -- Evil Witch Doctor - Rescues Pan-at-lee and Lodor - Lost Tribe (Valley People) - Cave Bears - Baboons

Tarzan decides to descend into Kor-ul-ja to visit the Wazdons. He watches Om-at, the Wazdon chief, smash his club and vent his angry at Guru for having stolen his wife and child. Guru, the evil witch doctor, appears and demands Om-at’s chieftain’s bracelet (symbol of power) in exchange for his family. Om-at throws his club handle and hits the witch doctor in the head. Guru slips away. Tarzan enters and shows Om-at Guru’s hiding place under a bark covering. Om-at threatens Guru. The witch doctor lets it slip that he has taken his family to the Caves of Ursamon. Guru flees. Tarzan stops Om-at from pursuing him. Om-at explains that the caves are in the Thunder Mountains, the home of the huge cave bears. Tarzan talks him into guiding him to the mountains. Tarzan is convinced that Pan-at-lee and Lodor are alive. Om-at is not so sure.

They reach the mouth of a large cave. Tarzan has Om-at help him collect pine knots for torches. Tarzan makes fire by rolling a stick in his hands. They enter the cave with their torches. Tarzan throws a torch at the bears, thus driving them deeper into the cave. They follow them. They slide by the bears by hugging a walls and using their torches. The bears run back towards the main opening. They come upon a notched log ladder that leads upwards. They come out into a valley crater with a village at the bottom. Om-at deduces that Guru gains access to the valley with the same type of fire protection. They descend into the valley and find Pan-at-lee and Lodor safe with the Valley People.

Pan-at-lee and the Valley People explain that the slopes of the valley are filled with fierce baboons and leopards. No one has ever left the valley. The Valley People give them spears and shields for protection as they leave. They come upon a tribe of baboons. Sheetah attacks the baboons. Tarzan kills it with his spear. The baboons become their friends and let them pass. Leopards attack them. Tarzan directs Pan-at-lee and Lodor into a cave. Tarzan kills a leopard with his spear. Leopards surround them. Suddenly the baboons attack the leopards. The leopards flee. The panicked beasts run into Guru and his witch men who are entering the valley. Their flaming shields do not protect them. The leopards kill them and run off. Om-at and his family are safe. End.

This is the first time there is a sixth story. The drawing style is that of Manning. Therefore, any comparison of the looks of Om-at, who has not been since Dell #26, and Pan-at-lee, who has not appeared since Dell #4, is quite pointless. The choice of the witch doctor’s name, Guru, was an interesting one. Since they are in Pal-ul-don and guru means terrible, the name is appropriate. Guru, hiding under the tree bark, is terrific panel. The Valley People are a new lost tribe with curious Chinese-coolie type hats. They seem quite content to be trapped in their little valley because none of them attempts to go with Tarzan and company as they prepare to leave the valley. The creation of the fire shields is a great invention. Guru and his men get their just rewards despite the shields. The chief baboon calls Guru and his men tarmangani. Maybe his eyesight is bad and could not see that they were Gomangani. It is a clever tale with nice Manning drawings.

Witch Doctor -- a pygmy ritual for a hunt is described -- 1p. color

Tarzan’s Ape-English - 4 pps. in color - 17 words - color

Inside Back Cover: Fish Out of Water - Mudskipper - Boy - black and white

Back Cover: 16th entry from American Museum of National History, NY. Diorama 
featuring an antelope (probably an impala). (This is the first diorama since Dell A#3.)

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A Giant Comic TARZAN’S JUNGLE ANNUAL #5 1956 ~ 100pp. 25 cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh - 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th(?). Manning - 2nd. ~ Tony Sgroi - 5th.
Cover Painting: Morris Gollub
Back Cover Painting: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois - 1-2-4-5-6
Cover: Painting of a cheetah chasing an eland as it leaps over a log.
Inside Front Cover:  “Jungle Storm” - black and white

1st story “Tarzan and The City of Silence”- 24pp.
Type -- Lost City (Tohr) - Rescue Ta-den

As a storm hits Tarzan takes cover under a rock. He cooks the wart hog he has killed over a fire. He expects a flash flood. When the storm passes, Tarzan watches two apes, Kurok and Throg, fight. A flash flood forces Tarzan into a tree. The apes are surrounded by water on a tiny sandbar. Crocodiles threaten the stranded apes. Tarzan throws the wart hog carcass in the water to distract the crocs. He pulls the apes into a tree with a rope. The ape-man learns that the apes were fighting over a round yellow thing. Tarzan spots the armband and enters the water to retrieve it. He recognizes it as belonging to Ta-den, the King of Alur. The word Tohr has been scratched on the inside. Tarzan deduces that Ta-den is a captive of Tohr. The apes warn Tarzan of an approaching crocodile. He escapes into the tree in the nick-of-time. The apes declare Tarzan their gund and want to follow him. Tarzan dissuades them and promises to hunt with them some other time.

Off to rescue Ta-den, Tarzan trots across the Great Thorn Desert. He swings over the Great Swamp avoiding a garth. In Pal-ul-don he is attacked by a gryf. Tarzan subdues the gryf and rides it to Tohr, the City of Silence. He directs the gryf to crash through the main gate. The lack of noise is deadening. It causes the gryf to go berserk and smash everything in its path. Tarzan detects a whirring sound and goes to investigate. He walks through the city noticing a statue that rotates so that it faces all areas of the city. A strange tingling in his ears causes him to peek into a building where he sees singing laborers turning a giant capstan-like shaft. Investigating further, Tarzan discovers the electric generator powered by the shaft. He climbs the stairs above the generator and finds the ‘silence machine’ that absorbs the sound waves in the city and surrounding area. The Jungle Lord throws a wrench into the machine, breaking it. The silence is also broken. The gryf continues its rampage. The citizens are in a panic because of the noise. Tarzan follows Ozman, the chief workman, to the King’s palace. Ozman is ushered into the King’s chambers. The King awakens and places a wig on his balding head. Ozman informs the King about the damaged ‘silence machine.’ Tarzan enters and tells the King that he damaged the machine and demands the release of Ta-den. The King’s use of slang causes the ape-man to deduce that he is an American. The King relates to Tarzan-jad-guru how his plane crashed in the area. He used the electric equipment aboard to impress the natives. He had them rebuild the dead city of Tohr and set himself up as King. He built the ‘silence machine’ to keep outsiders in fear. He won’t release Ta-den and plans to keep Tarzan there as well. Tarzan suggests that his invention could make him famous in American. The American would rather be King in Tohr. He pulls a cord and guards enter. The noise of the gryf distracts the guards. A guard throws a spear at Tarzan, who ducks. The spear kills the King. Tarzan fights his way out of the palace.

Spearmen attack the gryf. This only succeeds in causing the gryf to destroy more buildings. Tarzan finds Ta-den. Tarzan subdues the gryf. They ride the gryf through the Tohrian guards and smash through a gate. On their way to Alur, Ta-den explains that he and a soldier came to explore the mysterious city. He was captured and threw his armband over the wall to his servant. Tarzan shows him the armband. Ta-den deduces that the servant found Tarzan. Tarzan explains that he knows nothing of the man and declares that Tohr is no longer a mystery. End.

The featured story is a new story that revisits Tohr the first time since Dell Four Color #161. Burroughs created Tohr for the radio play “The Fires of Tohr.” The Four Color comic was an adaptation of the radio drama. This new story states that Tohr was a dead city before the arrival of the unscrupulous American. This must mean that Tohr fell into ruins after the death of Queen Ahtea and that Ukah’s father, an Attarian and traditional enemy of Tohr, who was chosen as their new leader must not have worked out. The writer(s) of this series must have had this story in the works for years because maps of Pal-ul-don in Dell #20 and Dell Annual #1 show Tohr in the southern region and always refers to it as the City of Silence. The City of Silence is not part of Burroughs’ radio drama. The fires of Tohr were a central theme of the radio show. The fires are eliminated from this story line. The city itself takes on a great new look. Marsh has really outdone himself with the drawings of the new Tohr. The influence of ancient Roman buildings colored stark white is impressive. The technology of the silence machine is a bit vague but not critical to the story. Tarzan literally throws a monkey wrench into the machine. The humor is probably lost on young readers. Tarzan gains entrance to the palace and the King’s chambers a bit too easily. In fact, the King and Ozman, the chief worker, do not seem to notice Tarzan standing in the room. The Tohrian guards are girded in the usual ancient Roman-like armor. The gryf is like a bull in a China shop as the beast practically destroys the entire city. The story is excellent as the comic remakes Tohr into a new vision. The city begs to be visited again. Hopefully Marsh would continue to draw the city with the same detailed vision as he did with this story.

Tarzan’s Birds - eagle, vulture, fish hawk, hornbill, ostrich, marabou, secretary bird, 
demoiselle crane, ibis, magpie, raven and guinea - 1 page - color

The Tree of Life - Baobab tree - one page - color

2nd story “Tarzan and The Tall Warriors”- 15pp.
Type -- Lost Race (giant Vikings) - Buto

Tarzan cooks unnamed meat for Buto, who wants to hunt a Nandi bear. Tarzan suggests trying the unexplored Gourambi Mountain Range. Buto is anxious to start. Tarzan first locates a herd of elephants. He convinces Tantor to carry them to the mountains. Buto starts to feel the cold of the mountains. Tarzan senses Sheetah. They each spear a leopard. They cook meat and tan the hides for clothing. They travel over the mountains to a fertile valley. Leaving Tantor on the rim, they descend a smooth wall into the canyon.

They come across a pile of rocks purposefully covering an opening to a cave. There is cryptic writing above the opening. They remove the rocks. They bundle reeds together for torches. In the Ice Cave they find a wall of ice that enshrines giant Vikings hunters and huntresses in battle with a lion and a leopard. Tarzan discovers that the wall has been opened and closed many times. Buto warns Tarzan that giant Vikings have entered the cave behind them.

The Vikings attack. Buto plays with his opponent. Tarzan disarms Yarl Hrolf, the leader. Buto disarms his man. Tarzan refuses to kill. Yarl is impressed by their skills and honor. They become friends. Tarzan understands some of their language. Tarzan speculates that they came to the valley a thousand years ago. He also believes that they discovered that the rocks were removed from the cave entrance. Yarl explains that the writing above the cave is a warning not to enter the cave under the penalty of death. The cave is where they enshrine their most famous hunters and huntresses. He forgives Tarzan and Buto for entering the cave.

Yarl invites them on a hunt. Beaters drive horta and antelope towards the hunters. Yarl offers his sword to Tarzan to kill the wild boar. Tarzan displays his quickness by maneuvering round and pulling horta’s tail. He kills the boar and gives the victory cry of the bull ape. Yarl invites them to their Skalli (village?) for a feast. The boar is roasted over an open spit. Yarl declares that Tarzan and Buto have earned the right to be buried in the Ice Cave. Tantor calls to them from a far. Yarl asks if that is Tarzan’s friend. Tarzan says yes. Yarl asks them to bring their friend to the Viking Village. Tarzan and Buto find Tantor. They decide that they had enough adventure and head for home. End.

The second story is a new story that is a pure adventure tale. There is no great threat of danger or harm to Tarzan and Buto. They easily handle the giant Vikings. As an introduction to a new lost race of people it is very interesting, if the writer(s) would continue to return to them. If this is a one-time adventure, it is pretty tame. The story potential is great but unfulfilled here. The wall of ice containing the enshrined Viking heroes is a great concept. The drawings are in the style of Russ Manning. Outstanding visuals are the long vertical panel of the waterfall and the wall of ice containing the Viking hunters and huntresses. Tarzan and Buto wear the tanned leopard skins throughout the adventure. They are drawn and colored a pale yellow with leopard’s spotted fur around the hood and the arm openings. The Vikings are impressively characterized and the size difference between them and Tarzan is excellent. In summary, the story is good but not totally satisfying. It is Manning’s drawings that make this an above average tale.

Synopsis by David A. Adams:

One fine spring day, when the days were growing achingly close to another summer, I ran across a winter Tarzan in Dell's TARZANS JUNGLE ANNUAL NO. 5, 1956. I was 15 and pretty much a Tarzan fanatic, so when I saw the ape-man wearing a leopard skin parka, I was thrilled to see him in a setting as cold as my own.

The story was entitled "Tarzan and the Tall Warriors." It is the second tale in the issue. Here is a synopsis of the story.

Tarzan and his gigantic black friend, Buto, decide to head out for new adventures in the Gourambi Range, an area that even Tarzan has not fully explored. They ride to themountains on Tantor, and when it grows colder in the high elevations two leopards fortuitously happen along, so they are speared for their coats. Buto complains that even with Sheeta's hide he is freezing as they cross over a pass through the snow on Tantor like Hannibal in the Alps. They come to a deep canyon and have to leave Tantor behind. They climb down and find a natural ice cave, which leads them to a lost  tribe of gigantic Vikings! They skirmish, and then make friends. Everything in the valley is oversized. Tarzan hunts and kills a giant wild boar with a Viking sword, which impresses Yarl Hrolf and his Vikings a good deal. They are told they can be buried in the ice cave with their noble ancestors when they die. They hear Tantor trumpeting on the rim of the canyon so use it as an excuse to leave with no intention of going back.

Tarzan and Buto wear the leopard skin parkas and walk through snow during most of the story, so it was extremely interesting to me.

Viking note from: The Icelandic Sagas: Edited and introduced by Magnus Magnusson The Folio Society, London, 1999.

Tarzan and Buto are called "skirling" by the Vikings. More accurately, "Skraelings" is a term used in early Icelandic sources to designate the indigenous inhabitants of Greenland and North America. The derivation of the word is uncertain, but it has contemptuous associations -- something like 'wretches'. Leif Eriksson's brother, Thorvald, was killed by skraelings, and later Thorfinn Karlsefni's Vinland colony had to be abandoned because of falling out with Native American tribes -- more skraelings.

I recommend a reading of the Icelandic Sagas by every ERB fan since they will find many ERBesque elements to keep them thoroughly entertained -- fact-paced, action-filled stories with larger than life heroes and deeds. One of my favorites is Egil'sSaga, the story of an ERB-like hero named Egil Skallagrimsson of Borg, the greatest warrior-poet of the Viking age.

12-18-02

The Game of Hazards -- cut-out circles of Tarzan and Muviro
to move them around two pages of obstacles - color

3rd story “Tarzan in the Ordeal of the Spears”- 8pp.
Type -- Evil Witch Doctor

A plane flies over as Tarzan hands Boy a jar and asks him to collect army ants for Dr. Mac. Tarzan is worried about Banga‘s, the evil witch doctor, control over the natives in the area. Banga is demanding ivory and forcing them to compete in The Ordeal of the Spears.

Two evil white men load ivory onto their plane. They have provided Banga with a bulletproof vest, which he uses in the ordeal. His opponents can cast two spears at him. The vest protects him and gives the false impression that he has power over death. Banga desires to be King of Africa. The white men are skeptical. Banga believes that if he can kill Tarzan, it will happen. He has a plan to capture the ape-man.

Tarzan leaves to stop Banga. Boy goes to collect ants. He herds ants into the jar. One ant bites him. N’kima enters and informs Boy that Tarzan has been captured and will undergo the Ordeal. N’kima leads Boy to the unnamed village. Boy signals Tarzan with the metal cap of the jar. Banga brags that even the mighty Tarzan cannot harm him. Tarzan can find no way out and takes up the first spear. Banga stands under a tree. The spear knocks Banga off his feet but he is uninjured. The second spear also knocks the witch doctor down. From the tree above Boy notices the vest. Banga raise his spear and states that Tarzan is no more dangerous than an ant. This gives Boy an idea. He empties the jar of ants onto Banga. Banga jumps around exposing the bulletproof vest. Tarzan grabs the spears from the distracted villagers. The villagers beg for mercy as they now realize that Banga’s magic is false. Tarzan tells them to listen only to their leaders. The tribe captures Banga. Tarzan will have him punished and wants to discover who else is behind this scheme. End.

The third tale is a new story that is very short but very well written. It is a great little story. The Ordeal of the Spears is slightly reminiscent of the Ordeal of the Mamba Dell #46.2 where an evil witch doctor ran a scheme with a snake. But this one is pretty impressive and Banga has grand delusions of being the King of Africa. The evil white men give Banga credit for devising the ordeal. But at the end of the story, Tarzan says that he wants to find out who is behind this scheme; thus he believes that Banga could not come up with this idea on his own. With that statement, the story ends rather abruptly. The tale probably should have ended with the arrest of Banga. Boy saving the day with the army ants did not bother this Tarzan fan. The Lord of the Jungle probably would have come up with something on his own, if Boy was not around to save the day. The drawings are the work of Jesse Marsh. Curiously, Boy temporarily wears a fez while gathering the army ants. Banga supports a decorative cloak during The Ordeal of the Spears. This must have been time consuming to draw for such a small tale. There are several outstanding panels. The first spear as it approaches Banga is terrific, as well as the second spear as it leaves Tarzan’s hand and flies towards the witch doctor. The bird’s eye view of Tarzan confronting the natives with their own spears is a great change of pace from the usual straight on perspective. Wonderful story!

Boy’s Letter and Diary - 2 pages - color

4th story “Tarzan in Desert Ambush” - 14 pp.
Type -- Tarzan Aids the Beni Adhemi - Arabs - Jad-bal-ja 

Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja travel to the City in the Sand. Tarzan leaves Jad outside the city. Tarzan learns from Shareef Hussein that the Beni Adhemi are desperate for seed grain and other supplies. The ape-man tells Hussein to prepare for a week outing and to meet him outside of the city.

Hussein arrives on horseback. The horse is nervous because of the golden lion. They travel two days to a river near the Blue Mountain Range. Tarzan finds a wood bowl he made on an earlier trip. He shows Hussein how to pan for gold. Jad-bal-ja will guard them while they work. In a couple of days they have enough gold to buy supplies. Hussein offers to share the gold with Tarzan, who refuses the offer. A Jungle Savage sneaks up on them. Jad-bal-ja frightens him off. After a week they return to the City of the Sand. Hussein selects five Beni Adhemi to accompany them to Marrach, the Arab market town.

It takes them ten days to travel to Marrach. Tarzan, wearing Arab clothing, finds a kahn, an inn, for them to stay. The innkeeper of the Inn of the Three Dervishes over charges them for the room. Hussein doesn’t mind. The innkeeper gives them a huge gold colored key to the room. The men stay in the room to guard the gold. Tarzan guards Hussein from afar as he purchases a camel, sheep, and other goods. Tarzan notices a spy watching Hussein. They return to the room. Hussein gives his men gold to go out on the town. Tarzan hands Hussein a club and informs him that he expects an attack. Tarzan hears Jad-bal-ja outside. He commands to the lion to come. Jad leaps into the second story window. Tarzan hears the robbers on the stairs. The robbers break into the room. Tarzan reveals Jad-bal-ja. The robbers believe it is a djinni and break the railing to the stairs as they run over themselves in their attempt to escape. Tarzan dons Arabs clothing and follows them. The agents of Sheik Ali Ben Yussuf worry about the djinni. Tarzan and Hussein decide that Ali will not care about the djinni and will probably ambush them outside of the city.

Two days later Hussein’s caravan leaves Marrach. Tarzan discovers the tracks of Ali’s men. He suspects an ambush and decides on a different route. Hussein worries that Ali will find their new route. Tarzan is counting on that fact. They travel to the Gorge of the Baboons. Tarzan bribes the baboons with fruit. The baboons allow them to pass. Ali discovers that the caravan went through the gorge and attempts to follow. The baboons demand fruit for passage through the gorge. Ali ignores them. The baboons attack them with rocks. Ali and his men empty their rifles at the baboons. When they reach the other side of the gorge, Tarzan and the Beni Adhemi are waiting for them. The Beni Adhemi easily disperses the would-be robbers. After a short battle, Hussein discovers that Tarzan has gone his separate way with Jad-bal-ja. End.

The fourth story is a new story in which Tarzan once again returns to the City of the Sand. This time sand is used in the singular rather than the plural. The narration at the beginning of the story states that Tarzan has not been to the city for months. In fact, Tarzan had just been there in Dell #80, June 1956. Annuals do not have published dates but from previous annual story lines compared to the regular monthly issues it appears that annuals come out between the May and June issues. Since this story claims that Tarzan has not been there in months, one would suspect that the writer of Dell #80.1 was not Gaylord Du Bois. Other than this minor quibble, the story is a good one and is very tight with no subplots. The savage is referred to as a ‘jungle’ savage whereas in Dell #80.1 they are called ‘mountain’ savages. The distance view of Marrach is impressive. The story refreshingly shows Arabs as honest businessmen not as bandits and slavers. Ever the trickster, Tarzan dupes the baboons into being his ally and fools Ali into his trap. The other quibble is a flaw by the colorist. As Ali arrives at the other end of the gorge, his cloak is colored bluish rather than red. This makes you think that you are seeing Hussein rather than Ali. Other than these minor quibbles, it is a very good story. 

Lie Detector of Zululand -- “boiling water test” - 1 page - color

The Hidden Terror -- alternating pictures of natives and gimla - to cut and fold - 1 page - color

5th story “Tarzan and Boy in Boy Saves the Day”- 8pp.
Type -- Tarzan and Boy Story - Tarzan Help the Waziri Repel Invaders

Tarzan makes blowguns for himself and Boy. Tarzan knocks a leaf out of a tree. Boy practices. He sees Chaka, the baboon, fighting with another baboon. Chaka thinks the baboon struck him with a stick and chases him. Tarzan sees what happened. He shoots Boy in the butt to teach him a lesson. Boy falls from the tree. Tarzan catches him. Isilio, the Waziri, runs up and informs Lord Tarzan that invaders are attacking the Waziri Village. Tarzan sends Isilio and Boy to search for Muviro’s hunting party as he goes to the village.

Isilio and Boy head for the river. Isilio crosses first in an attempt to draw the crocodiles away from Boy. As Boy crosses, crocodiles head for him. Isilio spears a crocodile as Boy reaches the other bank.

As they cross a veldt, lions drive them up a Baobab tree. Isilio offers to sacrifice himself to the lions so Boy can escape. Boy repeatedly shoots the lions with his blowgun. The lions turn on each other and fight. Boy and Isilio escape. They find Muviro and tell him about the invaders. Tarzan, Muviro and his men defeat the invaders.

The next day Tarzan and Boy come to the village. Tarzan instructs Boy to leave his blowgun outside of the village. Chaka finds it. Muviro tells Boy that the elders want to hear Boy’s story. Chaka shoots Boy in the butt with the blowgun. Muviro wonders what is wrong with Boy. Tarzan knows. Boy chases after the baboon. Chaka thinks this is very funny. End.

The fifth story is a new story that is not drawn by either Marsh or Manning. The look of all the characters is slightly different than Marsh or Manning’s style. The illustrator often times has arms, spears, heads, and the other things break out of the panels and spill into the gutters or other panels. This is a refreshing look to the panels. The story is a tight story that concentrates more on Boy than Tarzan. The title states that Boy saves the day. He helped out in this story but not as much as in A#5.3, “The Ordeal of the Spears.” Two of the names are close to names from other Dell stories. One wonders if they were meant to be the same characters and simply misspelled the names or if they were meant to be new characters. Chaka, the baboon, in this story is close to Chako, the baboon, from Dell A#1.5 and A#3.2. Isilio, the Waziri, is very close to Isilo, the Waziri, from two Boy stories in Dell #58.2 and Dell #59.2. An interesting story with interesting drawings, however it is more of a Boy story than a Tarzan story.

Boy and Dombie - Cutout -- 1 page - color

Bantu Boys at Play -- handball and ‘spearing the disk’ 1 page - color

6th story “The Courage of M’bogo”- 8pp.
Type -- Non-Tarzan Story

M’bogo, the alpha male buffalo, watches over the herd. A pride of lions attacks and kills two calves. M’bogo leads the herd against the pride. They drive the lions to the top of a kopje. The herd leaves. M’bogo follows the lions into a crevice. A lion scratches his nose. He leaves but lays in wait. The nest day he follows the pride and watches them feed on the calves. The lions attack stragglers of the herd. M’bogo takes on the pride by himself. M’bogo scares off the pride. With a lion on its back, M’bogo rolls over onto its back. The injured lion runs off. M’bogo leads the herd in attack. They drive the pride to the top of the kopje again. The injured male lion knows the pride will not attack the herd again. M’bogo knows that he can handle any enemy. End.

The sixth story is a non-Tarzan. The story is very average. The drawings are by an unknown artist. The style is neither Marsh nor Manning. The title character M’bogo is a buffalo that is the usual brown color not the black of the giant buffalo named M’bogo in Dell #68.2. 

Jungle Theater -- cutouts for a shoes box theater including Tarzan, Jane, Boy, 
Argus, gryf, tree house, and a lost city. -- 2 pages - color

Mabudu Money -- in Ituri Land the Mabudu tribe have a bank for leopard teeth. 1 page - color

Tarzan’s Ape-English Dictionary - 6 pps. in color - 20 words. The last page also includes Dell’s Pledge to Parents.

Inside Back Cover: “Spiny Pets’ - Boy and hedgehog - Black and white

Back Cover: New advertisement - Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum - illustrated story - playing safe during summer vacation - color

On the whole this is a great Dell annual with most of stories being outstanding. This last non-Tarzan story is the exception to this issue.

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DELL TARZAN’S JUNGLE ANNUAL #6 1957 ~ 100pp. 25 cents
A Giant Comic

Art interior: Jesse Marsh 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Manning 5th and 6th. Unknown - 7th
Cover Painting; Sam Savitt - Painting of a leopard leaping onto the back of a rhino
Back Cover Painting: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois
Inside Front Cover:  splash page - Tarzan swimming underwater, 
surrounded by exotic sea creatures, no caption - black and white

1st story “Tarzan and The Dwellers in the Depths” - 24pp.
Type -- Marooned on an Island - Saves Gorillas

Tarzan, Jane, and Boy are sailing a dhow for Mombasa to say good-bye to the d’Arnots. A typhoon smashes the dhow against a reef. Jane and Boy use gourds as floats to reach a nearby island. In the morning Tarzan retrieves the sail. They place it between two large rocks to provide shade. Boy brings a large crab for breakfast. Tarzan goes to explore. He witnesses a lion bringing down an antelope. He wonders how they got there and if this is an island. On top of a mountain he ascertains that it is an island that it is ten miles long and five miles wide. He sees a leopard stalking some goats. He shouts a warning to frighten off the goats. A boulder rolls down the hill and traps a gorilla under its weight. A tribe of gorillas fails to free their companion and leave. Tarzan uses a tree trunk as a lever to free Gorak. The Bolgani brings the ape-man to his tribe. They form a bond.

Sheetah stalks Jane and Boy. They spot him and shoot arrows. Tarzan arrives and throws his knife, killing the leopard. Tarzan decides they need a tree house for protection. Construction goes well. Tarzan says he needs more tools to build the walls. He sees the mast of a sunken freighter on the reef and decides to explore it for the equipment he needs. He dives and discovers empty animal cages, which explains the animals on the island. He finds an ax, saws, and a rope. A hammerhead shark attacks him. He kills it with his knife. He returns the next day with a small raft to carry his cargo. In also finds some fine china and silverware. Suddenly a giant squid attacks him. He has trouble fighting off all the arms. A sharp kick stuns the squid, which squirts an inky substance. Tarzan climbs the mast of the ship. The squid resumes its attack on the ape-man. A sperm whale attacks and kills the squid. Tarzan brings his cargo to shore. Jane is delighted with the fine china. The tree house is completed.

They watch as canoes carrying one hundred natives land on shore. They tie gorillas to poles at the water’s edge. A witch doctor draws a picture of a squid coming for the gorillas in the sand. Tarzan concludes that they are sacrificing the gorillas to the squid. Tarzan goes to Gorak and his tribe for help in rescuing the Bolgani. The natives prepare a fire and dance around the gorillas while beating on drums. Tarzan attacks the witch doctor. The gorillas attack the natives. The natives flee to their canoes and leave the island. They free the gorillas. Tarzan offers them some of the native food. Engok, one of the captive gorillas, is happy to eat. Boy tells Tarzan that the natives left behind a canoe. Jane thinks they should stay on the island a while longer. End.

The first story is a long and complicated story. It is very inventive. It covers new ground and puts Tarzan and his family in a Swiss Family Robinson type of scenario. There is a nice detail was Jane’s wet hair as she swam shore. Marooned on the island Tarzan amazingly builds a tree house in a very short period of time. The mystery of the animals on the island is eventually solved. The subplot of the band of gorillas ties in with the conclusion of the story. Creatures are killed. This is startling because little killing has taken place in the regular monthly Dells for quite some time. But the killing is in defense of his family and for self-preservation. The giant squid seems to get the better of the ape-man. Could he have saved himself? We will never know because a sperm whale erased the problem. The unnamed native tribe sacrifices gorillas to the giant squid. One wonders what the reasoning is behind such a practice that has become a ritual. The gorilla that Tarzan rescued from the boulder is named Gorak. This name was used once before in Dell #14 for an old man baboon. Great little story with the only thing that bothered this writer was how quickly the tree house was built, complete with red shutters on the window. (The splash pages on the inside front and back covers relate to the first story.)

The Big Game Hunt - game - 1 p. - color

Spotted Terror of African Skies - splash page - giant spotted guanionien - 
called the leopard of the skies - 1 p. - color

2nd story “Boy Meets the Golden Men”- 8 pp.
Type -- Boy Story - Boy and Dombie Adventure

Boy and Dombie build a catamaran on the island of Lutor. They launch it at night. The wind carries them across the lake and then dies out. At day break Terribs pop up. The boys try to out sail them. The catamaran runs aground in shallow water. The Terribs surround them. A Terribs knocks Dombie from the boat. He cracks his head on a rock. A Terribs shouts a warning as Golden Men sail up on their water skis. The Terribs dive for cover. The Golden Men carry the boys as they sail back to their secret city. Their healer cures Dombie. The Golden Men inform them that they can never leave because they know where the city is. The boys are distraught about being prisoners. Boy develops a plan to escape. That night, they jump on the backs of black swans and head for the main lake. At daybreak, a crocodile boat approaches. The craft holds Tarzan and King Loban. The boys fall off the swans as they take flight. The boys are pulled into the crocodile boat. Boy says he will explain what happened on their way home. Boy and Dombie are pleased with themselves as they pulled one over on the Golden Men. End.

The second story is a pretty good little story considering that Tarzan plays only a minor supporting role. Boy and Dombie get themselves in trouble again. They are almost captured by the Terribs, who also have minor roles. The Golden Men come to their rescue. The Golden Men have been used twice before in Dell numbers 77.2 and 88.2. They have changed from tall thin normal looking people with normal hair into tall and thin people with large ears and funny hats. In this issue their ears have returned to normal, and they look more like natives with golden skin and very little hair. Their hats are like tall black fez. This is the best choice thus far. (The great French cartoonist/illustrator Moebius draws people similar to these Golden Men. Was there an influence from Marsh?)

Jungle Carpenters - Tarzan and Boy help natives build a dwelling - 1 p. - color

Jungle Games - Hottentot Melon Dance and Togoland Hawk - 1 p. - color

3rd story “One of the Tribe” - 10pp.
Type -- Non-Tarzan Story - Baboons

A troublesome baboon youth named Nugu is caught in a Hottentot trap. M’kubwa, the tribe leader ignores the plea of his mother, Tckeka, because of the approaching farmers. The Hottentots sell him to white men. After five years a train bound for zoos picks up the animals. The freight car door rolls open. Nugu smells his home. He bends his bars and escapes. He avoids a leopard. He returns to his tribe to learn that a leopard has killed his mother. The tribe does not accept him. Nugu remains on the fringe of the tribe and warns them about approaching leopards. M’kubwa sleeps in a tree. Nugu keeps watch. A leopard stalks M’kubwa. Nugu drops down from above. The branch breaks. They crash to the ground. The leopard is killed. The tribe awakens to find that Nugu has killed the leopard. They accept him as their leader. End.

The third story is a non-Tarzan story. This story features baboons. This gives Marsh a chance to show off his incredible skills with baboons and their expressions.

River Animals of Tarzan’s World - splash page - hippo (river horse), crocodile, and waterbuck - 1 p. - color

Jungle Safari - splash page - Gree-Gree - like Mardi Gras - coming of age for young girls - 1 p. - color

4th story “Tarzan and The Treasure of Kings” - 16 pp.
Type -- Tarzan Helps Prince Rotan Fulfill His Quest - (M’bogo)

Mounted on M’bogo, Tarzan sees two lions attacking a saddled buffalo. They charge in to fight. Tarzan kills the lioness with his knife. The male lion runs off. The Jungle Lord gives the victory cry of the bull ape. Prince Rotan from Jalur approaches and tells Tarzan that he has come to live with him. He explains that his father, King Jadon, has sent his sons on a quest for the Treasure of Kings to prove them worthy of the throne. His brothers all lost their lives in the attempt. Tarzan admonishes him for his lack of courage and says he will accompany him. Rotan shows Tarzan an ancient gold bracelet with a riddle on it. The Prince is baffled by the riddle. They ride to the rim of the Canyon of Night. They make camp for the night. Tarzan says tomorrow they will look for the ‘face’ part of the riddle. He believes it to be a marker of some type.

The next morning they spy a head carved onto a rock below. The trail down ends at the edge of a cliff. Tarzan pounds a stake into a crack in the rock. He uses Rotan’s rope to lower himself into space. The ape-man swings onto a ledge below. Fearfully Rotan does the same. Tarzan recovers the rope. At a waterfall, Tarzan takes one end of the rope and walks through the falls. Tarzan guides Rotan through the falls with the rope. The Lord of the Jungle finds a cave. He leads Rotan through the cave and into the canyon. They find the first marker and look for the second, a ‘bird without wings.’ A relief craving of a bird is spotted. They finally arrive at a lake, ‘the waters of light.’

On the far shore is a temple. Rotan wants to hurry forward. Tarzan spots a bird print in the sand. Its size indicates that the bird is twenty feet tall. Rotan finds and picks up an egg as large as a watermelon. He wonders if this is the treasure and if it is a gem. Tarzan shouts a warning to the Prince as a huge bird starts to attack him. The ape-man’s knife throw kills the beast. They make a meal of the egg.

They arrive at the temple. A large white statue therein has another riddle written above it. Again Rotan is baffled. Tarzan prods him to figure it out. The Prince kneels before the statue. This opens a small door and releases a large blue gem the size of a watermelon. It is inscribed with the same words as above the statue. Rotan wonders how they will get out of the canyon. Tarzan shows him a doorway that also opened as the Prince knelt. They take the staircase up and out of the canyon. As they leave the opening, a great boulder rolls in place and seals the exit until someone else seeks the Treasure of Kings. End.

The fourth story is a good story with one major plot and no subplots. It has some nice little adventures and proceeds at a nice pace. The problem with the story is the Prince himself. He is a bit of a dandy, sometimes is a bit of a dolt, and lacks courage. He is on a quest to prove himself worthy of his father’s throne. Yet it is only through Tarzan’s guidance and persistence that Rotan accomplishes his goal. He does not prove himself worthy. And, this is all very confusing as to the history of Jalur from previous Dell stories. Rotan states that his father King Jadon sent his brothers on this quest and they died. Does that mean that Prince Taden, son of King Jadon is dead? Plus in the previous stories King Jadon was King of Alur not Jalur. Or are they going back to the original Burroughs story having Ja-don as chief of Ja-lur. To make matters worse Taden had become King of Alur by Dell A#3.1. Does that make King Jadon deceased? Or is this a totally different King Jadon? Another disturbing occurrence is after Tarzan kills sabor with his knife he says, “I - Tarzan - have slain her!” This is very un-Tarzan-like to say the least. Tarzan rides M’bogo with a saddle for a while and later the saddle disappears. Also Rotan’s gold bracelet is sometimes on his right arm and at other times it is on his left arm. The giant wingless bird has wings. There is a great foreshorten panel of Tarzan throwing his knife at the giant bird. The temple reflection in the ‘waters of light’ is nicely done in a couple of panels. The white statue in the temple has a Hindu, Indian, look about it. The clues and trail of the markers to the temple and out of the canyon are brilliantly done making it a great story. It the weakness of the Prince Rotan character that is the flaw of the story.

Jungle Taxi -- splash page - rickshaw-like - 1p. - color

Puzzle Page -- Dombie’s Dilemma and The Hunting Trip - 1p. - color

5th story “Boy and The Cassava Thief”- 8pp.
Type -- Boy Story - Boy and Dombie Adventure

Boy and Dombie carry hoes to the garden to check to see if the cassavas are ripe. Boy discovers that someone has been digging up the ripe roots. Boy builds a bamboo trap and demonstrates it for Dombie. Dombie has trouble raising the door to let Boy out. The next day Boy hurries to find a baby gorilla in the trap. Boy calls to Dombie for help. Dombie rushes to the Waziri Village and asks for help. The warriors mistakenly think he is referring to a full-grown gorilla. They arm themselves and rush to the rescue. When they discover the truth, they think Dombie was playing a joke and leave. Boy and Dombie tie up the balu. A large male gorilla approaches them. It chases Boy. Dombie runs to the village for help. They don’t believe him. The gorilla catches Boy, brings him to the balu, and demands that Boy untie the balu. Boy does so. The gorilla and balu leave. Boy rushes to the village with the news that the gorilla is gone. The warriors don’t believe there was a gorilla. Dombie asks him what happened. Boy says he will tell him but he might not believe him. End.

The fifth story is the second Boy story in this annual. Tarzan makes no appearance in this story. The drawings are not by Marsh. They are probably Russ Manning’s drawings. The boys have a different look to them, especially Dombie who looks older and wiser than Marsh’s Dombie. There are many interesting panels with unusual perspectives in this the boy who cried wolf-type story.

Puzzle Page -- Boy’s Speller-teller - 1p. - color

Boy’s Letter and Diary - 2pp. - color

6th story “Jane in the Good Luck Gift”- 6pp.
Type -- Jane Story

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Jane goes to the native market. One of Nimbo’s goats runs into her. Nimbo is bringing six goats to Kalaya to purchase his daughter’s hand. Later she sees Isha, the bride to be, at a hairdresser. Jane takes her to a fabric shop and buys her a bolt of red cloth for a wedding present. Nimbo’s goat breaks some pots in a pottery shop. The shop owner demands a goat as payment, which would mean the wedding is off. He then asks for the red cloth. Jane interrupts. She says that she will pay the shop owner for the pots if Nimbo would help her back to the tree house with her goods. He happily does so. Jane goes to the wedding. Isha’s wedding dress is made from the red cloth. Kalaya gives Nimbo one of the goats as a wedding present because it broken a hole in his house. End.

The sixth story is the first story to revolve around Jane. It is too bad that the story is average at best. The artist is probably Russ Manning.

Cut Out Paper Doll -- Jane’s Outdoor Oven - 1p. - color

7th story “Tarzan in the Day the Sun Died” - 8pp.
Type -- Saves White Man - Headhunters

Tarzan hears a rifle shot and a roar of an ape. He rushes to the rescue of a fat white man backed into a tree. Tarzan tries to convince Gorak, the ape to leave. Gorak turns his rage on the ape-man. Tarzan throws Gorak, who decides to leave. He learns from the man, Herbert Gates, that his safari deserted him because they were entering headhunter territory. The Taori headhunters surround them. Tarzan greets the chief. The chief has them bound and taken to their village. In their prison hut Tarzan finds an almanac left by a previous occupant. Tarzan browses the book.

The chief is delighted as Tarzan is bought before him. Tarzan warns him that the sun will die if Tarzan dies. The moon starts to move in front of the sun. At the total solar eclipse, the headhunters set them free. The chief begs for the sun to return. Tarzan makes him promise to stop headhunting. He does. Tarzan points to the sun returning. As Tarzan and Gates leave, Tarzan tells them that if they break their promise the sun will die. Three days later Tarzan says good-bye to Gates at a ship. Gates says he will think of him at every solar eclipse. End.

The seventh story is a clever little story. It uses a total solar eclipse to help resolve the plot. This was used once before in Dell #14.1. Gorak, the great ape, was also used in the first story of this issue. He looks different because Marsh did not draw this story nor did Manning draw it. This unknown, unnamed illustrator mimics Marsh’s Tarzan well. He also likes to use seven panels per page.

Tarzan’s Ape-English Dictionary - 4 pps. - 16 words - plus Dell’s Pledge to Parents - color

Inside Back Cover: splash page - “Bolgani” - black and white

Back Cover: New Advertisement - Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum - color

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DELL TARZAN’S JUNGLE ANNUAL #7 1958 ~ 100pp. 25 cents
A Giant Comic

Art interior: Jesse Marsh 1st, 4th, and 5th stories. Manning 6th story.
2nd story probably Bob McLeod ~ Stories 3 and 7 are by an unknown artist.
The 7th story artist is a good mimic of Marsh’s style. (could be John Ushler)
Back Cover Painting: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois
Cover: Painted cover
Inside Front Cover: Splash Page - “Tarzan’s Jungle World” - baboon - black and white

1st story “Tarzan in War in the Desert”- 24pp.
Type -- Lost Races (Tannalelt and Gaddanes) - Helps Tannalelt - (Airplane Wreck)

While canoeing up the Niger River, Tarzan, Jane and Boy spot a disabled seaplane. Tarzan tries to warn the pilot about an approaching crocodile. The croc grabs the man’s foot. Tarzan dives in and kills gimla with his knife. Tarzan binds the man’s wounds and learns that his name is Johnny Ball. Tarzan repairs the plane and starts to fly Johnny to his destination. A flock of storks causes them to dive into a storm. Out of the storm the plane is damaged. Tarzan attempts to land near a walled desert town. They crash. Tarzan saves his family and the unconscious Johnny from the burning plane. The plane explodes.

Warriors approach them. Tarzan can communicate with them in a language similar to Tamachec. The warriors are suspicious but lead them to the city, Tannalelt. A doctor (hakim) treats Johnny. Tarzan and his family are led to Saleem, king of the Tannalelt people. Saleem welcomes them and asks them to pledge allegiance to Tannalelt, as they will not be permitted to leave. Tarzan pledges for himself and his family. They learn that most of the warriors are away fighting the Gaddanes, their enemy. Tarzan and his family return to find Johnny in good health and spirits.

Sentries on the walls mistake Gaddanes soldiers for their own troops. The gates are opened for them, and the Gaddanes take control of the city. Tarzan, Jane, and Boy are captured and placed in a warehouse prison with the people of Tannalelt. The Amenokal Saleem informs Tarzan that a foggara, a water conduit, runs under the warehouse. Tarzan locates the water source with his knife in his mouth. They dig down to the foggara. Tarzan lights a match and leads a small group of men out of the city. They tunnel up to freedom. They return and lead the rest of the Tannalelt to freedom. The women and children are hidden in a gully. The men sneak into the outside stable and subdue the guards. They saddle addaxes and ride to search for the Tannalelt warriors. Tarzan formulates a plan to retake the city. They find the Tannalelt army.

The army approaches the city. Tarzan and a few select warriors enter the conduit and swim underwater to the palace lake. They sneak to the gates and overpower the guards. Tarzan opens and gates. The Tannalelt ride in and retake the city.

The king gives Tarzan permission to leave the city in exchange for his knife, Tarzan gives him his worn out knife. Saleem presents him with a royal knife to remind him of saving Tannalelt. End.

The featured story is an excellent story. It starts out with the Johnny Ball character, who takes a minor role once they get to Tannalelt. He disappears after the Gaddanes overthrow the city. The story introduces two new races of warring peoples, the Tannalelt and the Gaddanes. Two warring races is a typical Burroughs theme. There is a very impressive panel of the interior of the city. King Saleem makes Tarzan pledge allegiance to the city. Tarzan too easily pledges allegiance where he would usually resist such pressures. It is also typical of these tales not to allow strangers leave the city and that the lost races have little knowledge of the outside world. The writer tries to give a little history of the Tannalelt people. The stupidity of the wall guards allows the city to be taken by the Gaddanes. Tarzan and his family are thrown in prison with the Tannalelt. Tarzan incorrectly calls King Saleem ‘hakim’ or doctor. The writer must have forgotten what the term meant. Once again Tarzan uses matches that he must keep in his loincloth. Tarzan helps the Tannalelt escape and retake the city. This is all done with great story telling action. One is bothered by the incident of Tarzan giving his knife to the Saleem to remember the incident. Tarzan would never give up his father’s knife. But the comic stories have never placed much importance to Tarzan’s knives. They (the knives) seem to be expendable items to the writers. This is a minor quibble to a very good story.

Splash Page - “African Games” - nine-pin sprint and leopard trap - 1 p. - color

2nd story “Tarzan and the Great Animal Trainer”- 9pp.
Type -- Helps and Saves Kobo

Kobo, the animal trainer, rides his zebra-pulled-cart to Tarzan’s tree house. He asks for Tarzan’s protection from lions as he plans to capture another zebra. Tarzan agrees and rides in the cart to the veldt. Lions frighten off the herd. A lion jumps on top of Kobo. Tarzan chokes it unconscious. That night a zebra colt wanders into their campsite. Back at the tree house, Kobo trains the colt for Boy to ride. Weeks later they ride into the jungle. Lions attack them. Boy heads for the veldt. Kobo fights off the lions with a stick and rides to the tree house. Tarzan races to the veldt to find Boy with the zebra herd. The colt has found a mother to watch over it. On the way home they find Kobo’s broken cart. A monkey threw coconuts at Kobo’s zebra, which in turn broke the cart and ran off. Kobo captured the monkey with a vine rope. End.

The second story is an average story with average drawings not by Marsh’s hand. A lion is killing Kobo and Tarzan chokes it unconscious instead of killing it. The drawing of the choking is not very convincing. After that there is little for Tarzan to do. Kobo and Boy are attacked by a lion and manage to save themselves. Tarzan races to save Boy but arrives to find that Boy is just fine. In fact, not much of anything happens in this story.

Game Page - “Help Build a Ladder” - 1 p. - color

3rd story “Moonbeam and Shadow” - 10pp. 
Type -- Non-Tarzan Story (animal story)

Moonbeam and Shadow, the white-tailed mongooses, hunt for food for their four pups. A flash flood sends the young ones clinging to a branch. The babies ride on Moonbeam’s back down the river. Shadow is left back on shore. The next day Moonbeam finds crocodile eggs for her family. They barely escape a charging crocodile. They find shelter in an abandon aardvark burrow. Moonbeam bites an aardwolf on the nose as it tries to enter the burrow. Meanwhile, a leopard chases Shadow. A skunk sprays the pursuing leopard. A hawk attacks Moonbeam. Shadow joins her in killing the hawk. They find a new home in an empty termite mound. End.

The third story is a non-Tarzan story. It features two white-tailed mongooses. The artist could be Marsh but there is no clear indication of who the illustrator is. The story is a series of adventures and escapes of mongoose family.

Splash Page - “Birds of Tarzan’s Jungle” - crowned crane - serpent eagle - 
paradise whidah bird - touraco - tricolored starling - 1p. - color

4th story “Tarzan and the Man of Jalur” - 16 pp.
Type -- Helps Kandor Fulfill His Quest - Saves Luala

Tarzan’s spear brings down horta before an axe man’s axe hits the boar. The young man from Jalur argues over the kill. Tarzan fells him with a blow. They become friends. Tarzan cooks the boar’s meat. Kandor explains that Gorgan the Greedy, who lusts after his love Luala, exiled him from Jalur. He seeks the horn of the Great Rhinoceros and thus by ancient law he can challenge Gorgan for the throne. Tarzan volunteers to guide him to the northern mountains of Pal-ul-don.

Tarzan kills a leopard with his spear for clothing to cross the mountains. A huge, hairy, brown hyena attacks. Kandor misses with his axe and spear. Tarzan kills the hyena with his spear. He gives the victory cry of the bull ape. The hyena fur becomes Kandor’s clothing. They cross the snowcapped mountains.

They follow Tarzan’s plan to bring down a rhino. Tarzan attracts the rhino to expose its flank to Kandor, who spears it. Kandor cuts off the horn. Two Imperial lions approach. Tarzan kills the female with his knife and holds off the male. Another rhino approaches. The lion takes on the rhino and kills it. Tarzan and Kandor make their escape. Kandor carves the horn into an axe handle.

They approach Jalur. Kandor claims his right to single combat with Gorgan. The Jalurian people cheer Kandor. Kandor easily defeats Gorgan and exiles him. He makes Tarzan a Prince of Jalur. Kandor’s uncle informs him that Luala ran away to escape the advances of Gorgan. 

Tarzan and Kandor track Luala. They find her in a cleft of a cliff being threatened by a Torodon named Ombazan. The Torodon disarms Luala. Tarzan knocks Ombazan off the cliff with one blow. Kandor pledges his kingdom to Luala. Tarzan departs. End.

The fourth story is an excellent story. Tarzan befriends an axe man from Jalur. His name is Kandor, which is one letter off from Kandar, Carson Napier’s friend in Escape on Venus. Tarzan volunteers to guide Kandor on his quest for the horn of the Great Rhinoceros. This is similar to Tarzan helping Prince Rotan fulfill his quest in Dell A#6.4. Tarzan once again cooks meat. This is becoming commonplace. And once again Tarzan uses a leopard skin as clothing to cross the cold mountain pass. The hairy Great Rhinoceros is indeed huge. The Imperial lions of Pal-ul-don are supposedly four times normal size. They do not appear to be any different than normal lions. The main thrust of the story was to get the horn so that Kandor can claim his right to single battle with Gorgan the Greedy. The fight with Gorgan was short and anti-climatic. Likewise the battle with the Torodon, Ombazan, is very brief. The Torodon has a different look plus he is given a name for the first time. All in all, this is a very tight story with a logical course of action.

Cut Out -- Argus (also small Tarzan, Boy, Dombie, and Muviro(?) - 1p. color

Splash Page -- “City in the Sky” - Constantine, N. Africa - 1p. - color

5th story “Jane and Kimbo’s Machine”- 7pp.
Type -- Jane Story

Jane travels to an unnamed village. She learns that N’kala and her father, Kimbo, are struggling to make a living because Kimbo was injured in a lion hunt. At the market place Jane talks with Timu, the craftsman bowl maker, about the bowls she ordered. Jane breaks up a fight between Tanga and the cloth seller about the quality of cloth he sells. Jane gets and idea to help out Kimbo and N’kala.

At the tree house the family makes plans to travel to Nairobi. Tarzan secures horses from Sheik Ali Kundi. They ride to Nairobi. Boy is overwhelmed by the big city. Jane purchases for a loom that Timu puts together for her. The loom causes a big sensation at the market. Kimbo weaves cloth and N’kala makes dresses at the market place. Their future looks very bright. End.

The fifth story is the second Jane story. It is much better than the first one. It is a clever little tale that brings her, Tarzan, and Boy to the big city of Nairobi.

“Jungle Thanksgiving” -- Mangbetu Tribe - whistle, horn, jungle guitar, and grand piano of the bush - 2p. - color

6th story “Boy Braves a Siege by Lions”- 8pp.
Type -- Boy Story - Boy and Dombie Adventure

Boy and Dombie fish from a canoe. The Downs family park their safari car near some ruins and set up camp. In the morning young Jeremy goes fishing. Some lions scare him into a broken dugout canoe. He floats downstream. Bob and Molly think lions took their son.

Boy and Dombie hunt for guinea hens. They see a leopard stalking a lost Jeremy. Boy kills it with his bow. Boy gives the victory cry of the bull ape. Boy and Dombie canoe Jeremy back to the campsite. Lions chase them up to the top of a wall. Stones give out underneath sabor as she tries to climb the wall. Boy starts a fire to try to attract attention. A male lion tries to climb the wall. The crumbling wall and the boy’s arrows drive the cat back down. The parent’s safari car pulls up. A white hunter fires his rifle, which scares off the lions. Bob and Molly are reunited with Jeremy. Boy and Dombie head for home in the canoe before the Downs can meet them. End.

The sixth story is a better than average Boy story. Aside from wearing the silly colored fez hats, Boy plays the part of Tarzan quite nicely in this tale. He does all the things that Tarzan would do at that age. The drawings look like they are probably by Russ Manning. The ruins are an interesting feature of this tale with nice details.

Boy’s Letters and Diary -- 2pp. - color

7th story  “Tarzan and the Bridge of Life” - 8pp.
Type -- Saves Native and His Family - (Tantor)

Tarzan cooks a meal. He detects someone coming so he takes to the trees. Nogoni, his wife, Ila, and their child come into the clearing. Tarzan swings down and introduces himself. The natives explain that King Umpongwe and his warriors are pursuing them because Nogoni could not execute his friend so they fled. Tarzan agrees to help them and takes to the trees.

King Umpongwe and his warriors approach. Tarzan charges in on Tantor and scatters the warriors. Tantor scoops up the family, and they make their escape. The King regroups his men. Upon arriving at the gorge of the Batumi River, Tarzan sends Tantor home. Tarzan swings across the gorge. He ties a rock to a vine and throws it back across to Nogoni, who secures it. Tarzan tightrope walks back across. He fashions a Boslin’s chair so that Ila and the child can cross the gorge. Nogoni and Tarzan slide across just as the King and his men arrive. Tarzan cuts the rope. Nogoni and his family are safe in Tarzan’s country. End.

The seventh story is a good story. The drawings are not Marsh’s but in a Marsh-like style. The lettering is totally different than any previous lettering. Tarzan cooks food for the ninth time and the second time in this issue. The wife in this story is named Ila but she is not the same Ila of Dell #28. Tarzan uses Tantor to save a family from an evil king. The panel with Tantor charging in is impressive. Tarzan performs some amazing feats to rescue the family. It is short but good tale. 

Splash Page -- “Jungle Scarecrow” - Liberia - 1p. - color

Tarzan’s Ape-English Dictionary -- 19 words - 4pp. - color

Inside Back Cover: “Tarzan’s Jungle World” - klipspringer -- black and white

Back Cover: New advertisement - Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum - color

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