Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages & Webzines in Archive Volume 0483 and ERB C.H.A.S.E.R. ENCYCLOPEDIA A Collector's Hypertexted and Annotated Storehouse of Encyclopedic Resources present  
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 Tarzan
is the son of a British Lord and Lady who were marooned on the West coast
of Africa by mutineers. When Tarzan was a year old, his mother died of
natural causes, and his father was killed by Kerchak, leader of the ape
tribe into which Tarzan was adopted. Tarzan's tribe of apes is known as
the Mangani, Great Apes of a species unknown to science. Kala is his ape
mother. Tarzan (White-skin) is his ape name; his English name is John Clayton,
Lord Greystoke (the formal title is Viscount Greystoke according to Burroughs
in Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle; Earl of Greystoke in later, non-canonical
sources, notably the 1984 movie Greystoke). In fact, Burroughs, as narrator
of Tarzan of the Apes, describes both Clayton and Greystoke as fictitious
names – implying that, within the fictional world that Tarzan inhabits,
he may have a different real name.
As a young adult, Tarzan meets a young American woman, Jane Porter, who along with her father and others of their party is marooned at exactly the same spot on the African coast where Tarzan's parents were twenty years earlier. When she returns to America, he leaves the jungle in search of her, his one true love. In later books, Tarzan and Jane marry and he lives with her for a time in England. They have one son, Jack, who takes the ape name Korak ("the Killer"). Tarzan is contemptuous of the hypocrisy of civilization, and he and Jane return to Africa, making their home on an extensive estate that becomes a base for Tarzan's later adventures. In Tarzan, Burroughs created an extreme example of a hero figure largely unalloyed with character flaws or faults. He is described as being Caucasian, extremely athletic, tall, handsome, and tanned, with grey eyes and black hair. Emotionally, he is courageous, loyal and steady. He is intelligent and learns new languages easily. He is presented as behaving ethically, at least by Burroughs' definitions, in most situations, except when seeking vengeance under the motivation of grief, as when his ape mother Kala is killed in Tarzan of the Apes, or when he believes Jane has been murdered in Tarzan the Untamed. He is deeply in love with his wife and totally devoted to her; in numerous situations where other women express their attraction to him, Tarzan politely but firmly declines their attentions. When presented with a situation where a weaker individual or party is being preyed upon by a stronger foe, Tarzan invariably takes the side of the weaker party. In dealing with other men Tarzan is firm and forceful. With male friends he is reserved but deeply loyal and generous. As a host he is likewise generous and gracious. As a leader he commands devoted loyalty. In contrast to these noble characteristics, Tarzan's philosophy embraces an extreme form of "return to nature". Although he is able to pass within society as a civilized individual, he prefers to "strip off the thin veneer of civilization", as Burroughs often puts it.[6] His preferred dress is a knife and a loincloth of animal hide, his preferred abode is a convenient tree branch which happens to be nearby when he desires to sleep, and his favored food is raw meat, killed by himself; even better if he is able to bury it a week so that putrefaction has had a chance to tenderize it a bit. Tarzan's primitivist philosophy was absorbed by countless fans, amongst whom was Jane Goodall, who describes the Tarzan series as having a major influence on her childhood. She states that she felt she would be a much better spouse for Tarzan than his fictional wife, Jane, and that when she first began to live among and study the chimpanzees she was fulfilling her childhood dream of living among the great apes just as Tarzan did. |
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Feeling alienated from his peers due to their physical differences, he discovers his true parents' cabin, where he first learns of others like himself in their books, with which he eventually teaches himself to read. On his return from one visit to the cabin, he is attacked by a huge gorilla which he manages to kill with his father's knife, although he is terribly wounded in the struggle. As he grows up, Tarzan becomes a skilled hunter, gradually arousing the jealousy of Kerchak, the ape leader. Later, a tribe of black Africans settles in the area, and Kala is killed by one of its hunters. Avenging himself on the killer, Tarzan begins an antagonistic relationship with the tribe, raiding its village for weapons and practicing cruel pranks on them. They, in turn, regard him as an evil spirit and attempt to placate him. The twelve short stories Burroughs wrote later and collected as Jungle Tales of Tarzan occur in the period immediately following the arrival of the natives, the killing of Kala, and Tarzan's vengeance. Finally Tarzan has amassed so much credit among the apes of the tribe that the envious Kerchak at last attacks him. In the ensuing battle Tarzan kills Kerchak and takes his place as "king" of the apes. Subsequently, a new party of whites is marooned on the coast, including Jane Porter, the first white woman Tarzan has ever seen. Tarzan's cousin, William Cecil Clayton, unwitting usurper of the ape man's ancestral English estate, is also among the party. Tarzan spies on the newcomers, aids them, and saves Jane from the perils of the jungle. Absent when they are rescued, he is introduced further into the mysteries of civilization by French Naval Officer Paul D'Arnot, whom he saves from the natives. D'Arnot teaches Tarzan French and how to behave among white men, as well as serving as his guide to the nearest colonial outposts. Ultimately, Tarzan travels to Jane's native Baltimore, Maryland only to find that she is now in the woods of Wisconsin. Tarzan finally meets Jane in Wisconsin where they renew their acquaintance and he learns the bitter news that she has become engaged to William Clayton. Meanwhile, clues from his parents' cabin have enabled D'Arnot to prove Tarzan's true identity. Instead of claiming his inheritance, Tarzan chooses rather to conceal and renounce his heritage for the sake of Jane's happiness. |
THE BEGINNING
A page from that first-ever Tarzan story, written in
Edgar Rice Burroughs' own hand.
You'll see that ERB originally christened his jungle
character "Zantar," then "Tublat Zan," then, finally, "Tarzan"!
Note that "Bloomstoke" became "Greystoke."
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Chicago: April 13, 1914 Printed and typed contract between Edgar Rice Burroughs and A.C. McClurg & Co. for the book publication of Tarzan of the Apes, signed by Burroughs, Ogden S. McClurg (President of A.C. McClurg & Co.), and two witnesses. On the rectos of two sheets of legal-size paper, 13x8½. Original signed agreement for the book publication of one of the most famous and influential literary creations of the 20th century, the first edition of Tarzan of the Apes. Though A Princess of Mars had been published in magazine form in the spring of 1912 (under the pseudonym of "Norman Bean), it was Tarzan, written during the first six months of 1912, and published complete in the October, 1912, issue of The All-Story, who was Burroughs' most famous and enduring character, and the foundation of his enormous success. |
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New York Times 1914 "The New York Times Review of Books: One Hundred Books for Summer Reading" included ERB’s forthcoming TARZAN OF THE APES. Of course, TARZAN OF THE APES had appeared in "The All-Story" magazine in 1912, but the book was due for release on June 17, 1914. The Times would publish a more formal (but hardly longer) review on July 5. The Times paragraph suggested a certain skepticism: “The author has evidently tried to see how far he could go without exceeding the limits of possibility.” Nevertheless, there it is. Submitted by Rick Barry
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From the Pettee Sketchbook |
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TARZAN OF THE APES Chapters I. Out to Sea
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John Clayton: Lord Greystoke, emissary to Africa
Cast List Ref: Clark A. Brady's Burroughs
Cyclopedia
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This is an inscription on Tarzan of the Apes, inscribed by Edgar Rice Burroughs to His Brother, Henry Studley Burroughs and Sister-in-Law.
ERB INSCRIPTIONS
This is a copy of the inscription, in the form of a letter, which ERB presented to his wife Emma
when his first book, Tarzan of the Apes, arrived in the mail
from the Chicago A.C. McClurg publishers on June 10, 1914.
Unfortunately, this book was one of 26 rare and valuable copies stolen
on May 26, 1982 from the vaults at ERB, Inc. in Tarzana.
Click
Tarzan of the Apes. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1914. First edition, first issue (with no "acorn" device on the spine, and with the W. F. Hall imprint in Old English on the copyright page).
Inscribed by Burroughs on the front free endpaper (which is loose):
"To Henry Studley Burroughs/and his good wife, Ella/Frances Odhams, from/their low-brow brother,with/a bunch of love/Edgar Rice Burroughs".
Elsewhere in this book is a printed (silver gelatin) image of Tarzan and a group of apes mourning the death of an ape, signed by Burroughs' nephew (and frequent illustrator) Studley Oldham Burroughs ("S O Burroughs") affixed to the blank page facing page 1. Also with the bookplate of Ella Oldham Burroughs (Edgar Rice Burroughs' sister-in-law and Studley's mother) on the front pastedown.
Tarzan of the Apes edition in Arabic inscribed by
ERB
My Dear Dr. Rice -
I thought you might like this Arabic copy of Tarzan of the Apes
for your library.
Sincerely, Edgar Rice Burroughs
Los Angeles ~ April 22, 1925
Tarzan vs Tigers by Monte Moore |
Lane Batot's Tiger Discussion |
"He was worried because he had not clothing to indicate to all the jungle folks that he was a man and not an ape, and grave doubt often entered his mind as to whether he might not yet become an ape.
A much-asked question:
"Why Doesn't Tarzan Have A Beard"
TARZAN OF THE APES
Chapter 13: His Own Kind
http://www.erbzine.com/craft/t1ta.html
e-Text edition (temporarily on hold)
Was not hair commencing to grow upon his face? All the apes had hair upon theirs but the black men were entirely hairless, with very few exceptions.
True, he had seen pictures in his books of men with great masses of hair upon lip and cheek and chin, but, nevertheless, Tarzan was afraid. Almost daily he whetted his keen knife and scraped and whittled at his young beard to eradicate this degrading emblem of apehood.
And so he learned to shave--rudely and painfully, it is true--but, nevertheless, effectively."
I believe I have found the complete first book of "Tarzan of the Apes" serialized in "The Post" (I believe to be a Kentucky newspaper) from February of 1913. It seems like a very early printing before the book was printed and I am not sure if it's worth anything or how to find details on worth? The pages of the paper are all intact and nothing has been cut from the pages that were saved. I am currently scanning the comic "Osgar Und Adolf" form some of the top of the pages and was wondering if anyone might know anything on a value of the Tarzan story or know someone who would? -Steve Cottle |
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TARZAN OF THE APES by Edgar Rice Burroughs Part I See Part II PICTURIZED BY HAROLD FOSTER Companion Page at ERBzine 1602 |
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Neal Adams Ballantine Cover Art From ERBzine 3610 |
Robert Abbett Ballantine Cover Art From ERBzine 3351 |
Richard Powers Ballantine Cover Art From ERBzine 1014 |
Gold Key 155 |
Gold Key 178 |
From the Brian Bohnett Collection
Promotional Pin ~ 1989 Tarzana ECOF (Woodland Hills)
OTHER TARZAN OF THE APES
FEATURES IN ERBzine
ERBzine 0420: Tarzan
of the Apes in All-Story
ERBzine 0418: Tarak
and the Jewels of Louisville
Tarzan of the Apes Cover art by Daryl Mandryk for Fall River edition
Green Dragon and 4 Square Editions (Edward Mortlemans Cover Art
in 1 and 2)
Green Dragon Books were an imprint name of the Atlantic Book Publishing
Co. Ltd.
created by Gordon Landsborough.
The Burroughs editions had cover art by Edward Mortelmans.
These editions were authorised abridged specifically for young children.
There were 8 Tarzan books (Jewels of Opar was spread across two
volumes) and four Martian tales.
~ Laurence Dunn
Methuen Edition - Cover art by Walpole Champneys
Artist profile in ERBzine Art
Encyclopedia
| ERBzine
7001
Chapters 1-7 |
ERBzine
7002
Chapters 8-14 |
ERBzine
7003
Chapters 15-21 |
ERBzine
7004
Chapters 22-28 |
Click for full-size promo bars
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Hillman ERB Cosmos Patrick Ewing's First Edition Determinors John Coleman Burroughs Tribute ERBList Summary Project by ERB Fans J. Allen St. John Bio, Gallery & Links Edgar Rice Burroughs: LifeLine Biography Bob Zeuschner's ERB Bibliography J.G. Huckenpohler's ERB Checklist Burroughs Bibliophiles Bulletin |
Illustrated Bibliography of ERB Pulp Magazines Phil Normand's Recoverings ERBzine Weekly Online Fanzine ERB Emporium: Collectibles ~ Comics ~ BLBs ~ Pulps ~ Cards ERBVILLE: ERB Public Domain Stories in PDF Clark A. Brady's Burroughs Cyclopedia Heins' Golden Anniversary Bibliography of Edgar Rice Burroughs Bradford M. Day's Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Bibliography |
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