LA'S PLIGHT: THE BACKSTORY
By Scott Tracy Griffin
Way back in 1993, Danton Burroughs read a piece I had written
about his grandfather, author Edgar Rice Burroughs, and invited me to the
Tarzana, California offices of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. for a meeting
and tour. We struck up a friendship that day, and Danton became a staunch
advocate of my work, to the point that he referred me to appear on-camera
in documentaries, news programs, and other media. Danton was instrumental
in launching my career, which includes two non-fiction books on Tarzan
that shared Burroughs’ legacy with a global audience, and more public appearances
than I can count. I have always treasured the trust Danton placed in me,
a young writer, to honor his family legacy, and I wish that he could see
what his vision accomplished.
In 1995, Danton contacted me with the news that longtime
writer Don Kraar was leaving the Tarzan Sunday comic strip, and he intended
to refer me for the job. I couldn’t have been more delighted. The Tarzan
newspaper strip, launched in 1929, was one of the most successful and long-running
strips in history, overseen by talents like Hal Foster, Burne Hogarth,
Russ Manning, Gil Kane, Mike Grell, and Gray Morrow, who illustrated Don’s
scripts. Gray would remain the artist on the strip, collaborating with
the new writer.
The syndicate, however, had a different plan; the editor
decided to audition several people to find the permanent hire. Each writer
would submit two storylines consisting of 12-13 weekly installments.
During his 22-year tenure on the strip, Don presented
a sophisticated, globe-trotting contemporary Tarzan, tying the strip into
Burroughs’ other fantastic lands like Caspak, Pellucidar, Barsoom, and
Yoka Island. Given Don’s success, I felt that I should forge my own path,
rather than imitate his approach.
Influenced by my favorite strip writer/artist, Russ Manning,
I determined to return the setting to Africa for a series of timeless fantasy
adventures. My first storyline offered a visit to Opar by Tarzan and a
supporting cast including his adult son, Korak the Killer; Jad-bal-ja the
Golden Lion; and the mangani (great apes). I introduced a female lead,
Dr. Lisa Gordon, a cultural anthropologist, whose work would provide entrée
for readers to discover the lost lands as she did; the choice of profession
was based on my own academic background, with classes like human ecology
and anthropology among my favorites on the path to a Bachelor of Science
in sociology.
The offer to submit a Tarzan Sunday comic strip appealed
to me for several reasons. First, I love the medium of comic strips, even
more than comic books. Second, I realized that not many writers get the
opportunity to write newspaper strips, much less adventure strips, because
there are so few in existence. Third, just like screenplays and especially
teleplays, serialized adventure strips must adhere to a formula to succeed,
offering an additional challenge in crafting the storyline. My general
rule was to conclude the prior week’s action (including a brief text recap
if necessary), advance the story with dialogue and action, and end on a
cliffhanger to keep readers invested in returning the following week. The
challenge is that this must be accomplished in six panels—or less, if the
panels are combined to better showcase the art.
Sunday newspaper comic strips must be composed to appear
in two formats, without compromising the storyline. The first format includes
three tiers of eight panels, with a large title logo, while the second
format includes only two tiers of six panels, omitting the top tier and
the logo.
These two-tier color Tarzan strips appeared in “The Asbury
Park Press” in New Jersey, one of the few U.S. papers to carry Tarzan at
that time. The black-and-white proofs include the missing top tier material,
illustrating the difference between the two formats.
Comedy strips usually include a short two- or three-panel
gag in the first tier, either a lead-in joke, or a standalone joke. For
adventure strips, the challenge is to offer additional context that remains
expendable. I usually included non-dynamic exposition, either a brief comment
from the principles, or an “establishing shot”. Two things to avoid in
the top tier are recaps of the previous week’s plot, or any action or dialogue
that moves the story forward—such material must be confined to the two
lower tiers.
At the time, I was satisfied that I achieved my goal,
given my inexperience in the medium. To my more seasoned eyes, I see a
green writer who was buoyed up by a veteran artist. Gray Morrow was a pleasure
to work with, and I am grateful that he was such a generous collaborator.
Unfortunately for me, the syndicate seemed to have a surfeit
of talented professionals vying for the job, and the editor received so
many scripts that my second script was tabled. My intention was to follow
the Opar story with an adventure in the Valley of the Palace of Diamonds,
which, according to Burroughs’ writ, was inhabited by a primitive civilization
of gorillas.
Though I did not get a permanent position, and the newspaper
strip folded a few years later, I feel honored to have worked in the medium.
Perhaps someday the Tarzan strip will return to newspapers following its
hiatus, just as Flash Gordon and other vintage strips have. When it does,
I would love to write it.
~ Scott Tracy Griffin
