SKILL, NOT SIZE
October 2: On
this day in 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs finished writing the sequel
to “A Princess of Mars.” The manuscript for “Gods of
Mars” was mailed to Metcalf at Munsey Magazines that same day,
who bought first magazine rights to the story and published it in “The
All-Story,” from January through May of 1913. Fred Small drew
a single black and white headpiece that was used at the beginning of each
installment.
“The Gods of Mars” never had
amagazine cover. The issue with the first installment had a cover for “Sands
o’ Life,” a Pirate Yarn by William Patterson White. Other writers in the
issue included Jonathan Shift, Oliver Goldsmith, and Frank Condon.
The 100 word drabble for today, “Skill,
Not Size,” was inspired by the novel, “The Gods of Mars.”
SKILL, NOT SIZE
After ten long years, John Carter was astrally returned
to the Valley Dor on Mars where he found his old friend Tars Tarkas, a
Green Martian. They were attacked by plant men and hid inside a cave where
they were locked inside.
Soon the door opened and a score of yellow-haired men
carrying longswords attacked them. John Carter found a knife and killed
all twenty of the men. Tarkas said, “Very impressive. They had longswords
and you had but a single knife.”
Carter replied, “It doesn’t matter how big your sword
is if you don’t know how to use it!”
INSPIRATION
October 3: On
this day in 1953, artist Paul
Privitera was born in Derby, UK. Paul drew hundreds of Edgar
Rice Burroughs themed paintings and drawings. He began using acrylic
paint, but then changed to Dodge and Burn software to overlap images, change
colors, etc. Eventually, he put away his tubes of paint and used Photoshop
completely.
A brief biography of Paul and several examples of his
artwork are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag27/2708.html
The drabble for today, “Inspiration” is take from
a long ago interview with Paul Privitera.
INSPIRATION
“I have always been interested in Fantasy art -- certainly
inspired by the works of Frank Frazetta.
I paint, using Photoshop, as this provides the utmost
versatility. It requires no drying time, allows instant colour changes,
and makes possible limitless image manipulations.
Fantasy art captures the modern imagination. In the
future, perhaps fantastic art will be recognized as a form of high art
by the art establishment.
Edgar Rice Burroughs and Arthur Conan Doyle are the
main reasons for the creation of the following work. My illustrations are
inspired by comics from my childhood, movie posters, book covers and paintings.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
October 4: On
this day in 1916, actor Jan
Murray was born as Murray Janofsky in the Bronx, New York. Murray
played Captain Sam Bishop in “Tarzan
and the Great River.”
He hosted quiz shows, made countless television appearances
and played Icabod Crane on Kolchak: The Night Stalker in 1974 and Simon
Sweet on “The Man From Uncle” in 1967.
Murray began his show business career as a standup comedian.
The 100 word drabble for today is
“Food for Thought,” and it’s taken from Jan Murray’s comic routines.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“Dieting is a system of starving yourself to death so
you can live a little longer. Chubby Checker lost pounds by demonstrating
how to move as if you were drying your back with a towel. The substitution
of the word back for bottom indicates the oddly wholesome image of the
twist. Hunger is real. Russia needs our wheat. We can’t expect them to
invade countries on empty stomachs.
Yesterday afternoon I came home and a man was jogging
naked across my yard. I asked, ‘Why are you jogging naked in my yard.’
The man replied, “Why are you home early?”
KEEP IT SIMPLE
October 5: On
this date in 2003, when Travis
Fimmel wandered into New York as Tarzan
in a new Warner Bros. series.
Alas, or fortunately. depending on your personal feelings,
the show was canceled after only a few weeks. Even Xena the Warrior Princess
wasn’t enough to interest the viewers. Lucy Lawless was cast as
a Tarzan relative named Kathleen Clayton. Sarah Wayne Callies played
the part of Jane Porter, a New York detective. Nine episodes were filmed
but the series was quickly canceled, even though the show attracted a whopping
2.8 million viewers! Unfortunately, 2.8 million isn’t that large an audience
and Tarzan placed 112th among primetime programs!
The drabble for today is about the
concept of the short lived series. “Keep it Simple” is the title
of today’s 100 word drabble.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Lucy Lawless said to show creator, Eric Kripe, “The script
says I’m Tarzan’s aunt or some crap like that. Tarzan doesn’t have any
female relatives.”
“Relax, he does now.”
Travis said, “I may just be a pretty face, but Tarzan
belongs in the jungle, not Manhattan and a billionaire uncle – really.”
Sarah Callies complained, “Jane’s a scientist’s daughter
not a policewoman. You’ve created a mash-up of King Kong, a police procedural
drama, and Falcon Crest.”
Kripe smiled, ‘So you don’t think this is going to
work.”
Lawless shook her head. “It’ll never get off the ground,
too many moving parts.”
POSITIVE LANDING
October 6: On
this day in 1940, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “Men of
the Bronze Age,” which would ultimately become the second installment
of “Savage Pellucidar.”
It was originally published in “Amazing” in March 1942, reprinted in ‘Amazing
Stories Quarterly in the fall of 1942, and published as part of the first
edition of “Savage Pellucidar” by Canaveral Press on November 25, 1963.
I especially enjoyed this book. I thought ERB wrote it a little tongue
in cheek. The character, “The little man who wasn’t Dolly Dorcas” remains
one of my favorites – even though he was a cannibal.
“Men of the Bronze Age,” got a cover mention by “Amazing”
in 1942, but the cover illustration went to “Disciples of Destiny” by Don
Wilcox. The illustration with this article and drabble is by J. Allen St.
John.
The publishing history of Savage Pellucidar and several
illustrations may be viewed at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0747.html
The 100 word drabble for today, “Positive
Landing,” was inspired by “Men of the Bronze Age,” and the title of
the drabble, “Positive Landing,” is a pilot’s euphemism for a hard landing,
especially appropriate for today in 2021, the fifth day
of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. However, I checked
with the FAA and there wasn’t a NOTAM this morning for flying reptiles
during the flight window.
POSITIVE LANDING
Dian the Beautiful was in one of Abner Perry’s inventions,
a balloon. The craft escaped its moorings and rose quickly toward the central
sun.
A winged reptile, a thipdar, circled the balloon. Dian
couldn’t make the balloon rise higher, but she opened the gas valve and
the balloon dropped like a rock.
The thipdar became entangled in balloon’s ropes. His
struggles slowed the balloon’s descent into tall trees where tree dwellers
killed the thipdar, Dian slipped to the ground.
She said, “Abner, I’m sorry I broke your balloon.”
“You walked away from the landing. Don’t apologize.
Take credit for it.”
EVIL BY OMISSION
October 7: On
this day in 1966, the fifth episode of the Ron
Ely Tarzan television show was broadcast. The episode, “The
Prisoner,” featured character actor and frequent film and television
bad guy, Robert J. Wilke, as Spooner, Charles Maxwell as Mac, and Mimi
Dillard as Nione. Robert J. Wilke, too good a bad guy to only use once,
appeared in two subsequent episodes.
A native policeman, Khobi, was nearly killed by the diamond
smuggler, Spooner. While Khobi fought to survive from the attack, Tarzan
captured Spooner and took him through the jungle to face legal justice.
Spooner’s henchmen tracked Tarzan and his prisoner, little realizing that
the worst thing that could happen to them was to catch the ape man.
All the episodes are detailed at:
https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7420.html
The drabble for today is “Evil
by Omission,” inspired by the episode and the career of Robert J. Wilke.
EVIL BY OMISSION
Tarzan said, “You shouldn’t have attacked my friend, the
policeman. I’ll see you stand trial."
Spooner sneered, “Never happen. My gang will catch
us first.”
“They don’t want to fight me in my jungle.”
“They’ll fight you to the death, you may kill them,
but you’ll never kill me. If you lock me up, I’ll escape easily.”
“You seem very confident. Why is that?”
“I’m too good a bad guy to waste.”
Tarzan said, “I doubt that. There are two kinds of
evil people. Those who do evil and those who see evil done and do nothing.
I am neither!”
BORN TO BE A BIG SHOT
October 8: On
this day in 1921, Argosy All-Story Weekly published the first installment
of four on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s “The
Efficiency Expert,” a novel without green men or princesses, where
the jungle was an urban jungle. The hero, Jimmy Torrance couldn’t swing
on vines or use a sword, but he had a good heart. The cover painting was
by Stockton Mulford.
The issue of Argosy All-Story Weekly
also contained the second installment of “The Seventh Man,” by Max Brand,
“Broken Chains” by Jack Bechdolt, and 12 other stories. I’ll mention “The
Power of Madame Krishna” by Elizabeth Irons Folsom because I liked the
title and had to know a little more about someone whose name was Irons
Folsom.
Her real name was even better, Elizabeth Irons Folsom
Fox,” and she wrote about fifty stories for pulp magazines in a career
that lasted from 1914 to 1928. A well respected reporter, she wrote two
novels, “Free’ and “Mad Rapture. Her short story “Towers of Fame,” won
the O. Henry award for best short story in 1924.
Details about the publishing history
of “The Efficiency Expert” may be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0768.html
The drabble for today, “Born to
be a Big Shot,” was inspired by “The Efficiency Expert.” A tip of the
hat to Jim Croce for the song, “Working At the Carwash Blues.”
BORN TO BE A BIG SHOT
Jimmy Torrence, star college athlete was determined to
become a successful businessman and applied at several locations seeking
employment as “General Manager of a Large Business.”
He found no takers and was bemoaning his misfortunes
with a pickpocket named Lizard. “A man of my ability should be smoking
on a big cigar, talking trash to the secretaries, and drinking a double
martini, but no one recognizes my talent.
Lizard said, “Nobody starts at the top. They see you
like I see you. The only talent you’ve demonstrated is how not to starve
to death with no income and no common sense.”
COMIC ART
October 9: On
this day in 1903, Edgar
Rice Burroughs drew a cartoon and sent it to his father as a
birthday greeting. In the message, ERB said that he was taking a correspondence
course in drawing and hoped to be a cartoonist
someday.
How would things have been different
if “Under the Moons of Mars” began as a Sunday newspaper cartoon or if
a Tarzan character had been a reoccurring figure in Edgar Rice Burroughs
political cartoons? It could have happened. By 1906, the weekly Sunday
comics newspaper supplement was commonplace, with a half-dozen competitive
syndicates circulating strips to newspapers in every major American city.
I haven’t been able to find the cartoon
referenced in this article, but for countless examples of Burroughs work,
there is no better source than www.erbzine.com. Bill Hillman has spent
countless hours cataloging ERB’s writings and artwork – not to mention
his photography. https://www.erbzine.com/mag27/2760.html
is a good place to start.
The drabble for today is “Comic
Art,” a conversation that never happened, but ah, what could have been!
COMIC ART
Editor Thomas Metcalf said, “Ed, I like publishing the
Tarzan stories. Have you ever considered him as a Sunday Comic strip character?”
Ed replied, “I dabble in drawing, but I can’t draw
fast enough to meet a schedule like the comics demand. I couldn’t keep
up.”
“I’ll help you find an artist.”
“No thanks, I do my own work. Tarzan works well in
my stories, but I don’t think anyone will pay to put him on the screen
or in the newspaper. I’m not convinced Tarzan will make a good visual image.”
“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”
LITTLE JACK AND JILLLL
HICKORY HORNER
2021: The Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta Today
October 10: On this day in 1927, Volland published
the “The Tarzan Twins”
dedicated to ERB’s children, Joan, Jack, and Hulbert. The first edition
DJ was by Douglas Grant, who also drew six color and 36 black and white
illustrations for the interior. Volland published several reprints of the
book from 1927 through 1932. Whitman Publishing also published the story
as a Big Little Book with cover art by Hal Arbo and 189 interior illustrations
by Juanita Bennett.
The text of the book and several illustrations
are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0498.html
The drabble for today “Little Jack
and Jill Hickory Horner,” was inspired by the Tarzan Twins and too
many nursery rhymes to mention. My apologies.
LITTLE JACK AND JILLLL HICKORY HORNER
Climb up the hickory tree, Doc.
Dick run fast, escape the flock
Of Galla Galla, the cannibal chief
Who wants you both for stewpot meat.
Doc and Dick, fear Intamo the witch doc
He performs his spells around the clock.
He doesn’t know what makes you tick
But he plots ways to make you sick
Hide and stay safe ‘till sunrise
When Tarzan and Muviro arrive
And chase Galla Galla up a hill
Where he’ll fall down
And break his crown
And Intamo tumbling after.
Then come down from your high tree
Smile and say, what good boys are we!
TARZAN THE WONDER HORSE
October 11: On
this day in 1912, All-Story Magazine editor, Thomas
Newell Metcalf wrote a letter to Edgar Rice Burroughs offering
advice on what Burroughs should do in writing a sequel to “Tarzan
of the Apes.” Metcalf suggested that Tarzan should go civilized
in somewhere like London, Paris or New York and after that doesn’t work
our well, Tarzan return to the jungle.
Burroughs did, indeed, use this idea in “The
Return of Tarzan,” but whether Metcalf should get credit for
the suggestion will never be known.
Additionally, Metcalf, foreshadowing the numerous attempts
to get rid of Jane in later books and motion pictures, recommended that
Tarzan meet a woman who grew up in the jungle as Tarzan did. Burroughs
gave us several women in the novels, La of Opar for example, but none raised
quite that way.
The letter addressed simply to “Dear Burroughs” and referenced
here is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag28/2834.html
The drabble for today is an excerpt
from that letter written by Thomas Metcalf. And it’s called “Free Advice.”
It was somewhat prophetic. There was a famous
horse named Tarzan and Tarzan became and remains a household word.
Here's a photo of Ken Maynard and Tarzan
the Wonder Horse.
TARZAN THE WONDER HORSE
“I’ve been thinking over the necessity of a sequel to
“Tarzan” and is certainly looks as though we ought to have one, don’t you
think so? As you say, sequels are never quite as good as the originals,
but with such a howling mob demanding further adventures of your young
hero, it would be a very good move to bring him to the notice of the great
public.
I have no doubts at all that the time will come when
let alone naming race-horses “Tarzan”, the word “Tarzan” will become a
generic term for anything that is a huge success.”
IT'S ABOUT TIME
October 12: On
this day in 1946, science fiction fan, publisher, writer, and collector,
Forest
J. Ackerman (Forrey Ackereman) along with his wife and two other
people visited Edgar
Rice Burroughs at his home in California. Ackerman wrote a detailed
description of that visit. The description by Ackerman is available at
various internet sites, but I recommend https://www.erbzine.com/mag2/0211.html
Ackerman edited and published “Famous Monsters of
Filmland,” appeared in over 200 films, wrote over fifty stories under
his own nam eand authored several lesbian stories under the name "Laurajean
Ermayne.
The drabble for today is “It’s
About Time,” and it’s 100 words taken from Ackerman’s
reminisce about the visit.
IT'S ABOUT TIME
For the better part of my life I had lived only an hour’s
journey from Edgar Rice Burroughs. I decided it was high time I paid my
respects to the creator of Tarzan, John Carter, and Carson of Venus.
I spent three hours talking to him about his work.
Just before we left, our host produced an autograph
book and asked for our signatures, saying. “Not everybody is sincere. I
believe you have been. Thank you for calling. If I don’t recognize you
next time I see you please don’t think too badly of me – I have a terrible
memory.”
SCORECARD
October 13: On
this day in 1920, actress Laraine Day was born in Roosevelt, Utah.
Her birth name was La Raine Johnson. Laraine played Mrs. Richard Lansing
in the 1939 film, “Tarzan
Finds A Son,” which starred Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O’Sullivan,
and Johnny Sheffield.
Her first role was uncredited in 1937s “Stella Dallas”
and her last was in 1986 – she played Constance Fletcher on two episodes
of “Murder, She Wrote. Her career spanned fifty years and included well
over 100 roles in films and television.
In 1947 she married baseball manager, Leo Durocher and
the couple moved to New York. She read everything she could about baseball
and became the first woman to be honored by the New York Chapter of the
Baseball Writers Association. While Durocher managed the Giants, she wrote
the book, “A Day With the Giants,” and hosted a fifteen minute television
interview program, “Day With the Giants,” broadcast before all Giant home
games.
Today’s drabble, ‘Scorecard,”
was inspired by her career as a sportswriter and stolen in most part from
an Abbott and Costello routine.
SCORECARD
“Mrs. Durocher, they say you know more about baseball
than anyone.”
“Call me, Laraine, and I do write a lot about the
Giants.”
“So, Whitey Lockman’s plays first.”
“No, Who’s on first.”
“And Stankey plays second base.”
“He does not. Whats on second.”
‘You’re the expert, Loraine. Why are you asking me?
I know Alvin Dark plays short and Willie Mays, centerfield, but who’s on
third.”
“I don’t know. Pay attention Whos on first. Whats on
second and third base, I don’t know.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“How could I. I don’t even know what we’re talking
about.”
MONETARY VALUE
October 14: On
this day in 1907, English actress Benita Hume was born in London,
England as Benita Humm. She played Rita Parker in “Tarzan
Escapes,” which starred Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’
Sullivan. Bentita’s character is traded to an unfriendly native tribe,
along with her husband and Jane for ‘ju-ju’ by the treacherous Captain
Fry. Fry later falls into quicksand filled with poisonous lizards.
Details and photos from "Tarzan Escapes" are available
at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag6/0618.html
Benita Hume, a star of British stage and screen made
over 44 films in her career. She was married to actor Ronald Coleman for
twenty years and frequently appeared with him on “The
Jack Benny Radio Show” and once on television’s Jack Benny Show.
She and Ronald played Benny’s long suffering neighbors.
The drabble for today is, “Monetary
Value,” and it was inspired by Benita and Ronald Coleman on the Jack
Benny Show.
MONETARY VALUE
Benita said, “Ronald, it was fun doing television with
Jack Benny. Did we get paid more than we made on his radio show.”
Her husband replied, “No, we made exactly the same
amount. Nothing.”
“You mean all these years we’ve been doing his shows
and we’ve never gotten paid.”
“Jack said it would be embarrassing for friends to
take his money. The publicity should be enough.”
“Damn publicity. I’m ready to be embarrassed.”
Benita yelled at Jack Benny. “Ronald said you haven’t
been paying us. I’ve a mind to call the union.”
“Well, Benita. So mercenary! Now cut that out.”
LEGAL ADVICE
October15: On
this day in 1947, actor Clyde Benson, who appeared in the “Romance
of Tarzan” died in San Joaquin County, California. Benson played
a lawyer in the 1918 film, “The Romance of Tarzan.” Interestingly
enough, the flu epidemic of 1918 closed many theatres and postponed many
scheduled showings of the film. The film is considered lost, no known copy
exists.
Details about the film are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0504.html
His career was short, from 1915 to 1928. He’s one of
those unfortunates who didn’t survive the change to talking pictures. He’s
best known for “The Beast,” “Daredevil Jack,” and “Perils of the Secret
Service.”
The drabble for today is “Legal
Advice,” and it was inspired by Clyde Benson role in “The Romance of
Tarzan.”
LEGAL ADVICE
Tarzan said, “Jane, what’s a lawyer and why do I need
one.”
“He’s a man who’ll explain who you are and why you
deserve the Greystoke estates.”
“Tarzan speaks for himself.”
“Not in court, honey.”
The opposing lawyers pontificated, postured, objected,
and interviewed witnesses until Tarzan’s forehead scar glowed red with
anger.
Tarzan growled. “Listening to them, Tarzan not sure
who he is anymore. They sow confusions and change the meaning of Tarzan’s
words.”
After the judge finally ruled, Tarzan said, “I return
to jungle. Tarzan face lions, gorillas, and witch doctors. Jungle better.
Hungry crocodile don’t listen to lawyer.”
See
Days 16-31 at ERBzine 7388a
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