Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages in Archive Volume 7744a  |
ERB 100-Word Drabbles
NOVEMBER V Edition :: Days 16-30
by Robert Allen Lupton
Back to Days 1-15 at ERBzine 7744
With Collations, Web Page Layout and ERBzine Illustrations and References by Bill Hillman
ALTAR CALL
November 16: On this day in 1915, the New York Evening World Newspaper published part two of “The Man-Eater,” which Edgar Rice Burroughs started writing as a film synopsis titled “Ben, King of Beasts.”
The novella was never published in a magazine, its first appearance was in a newspaper/ Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, publisher of the Fantasy Press Magazine, published the first book version in 1957. There were only 300 copies. Two years later, in 1957, Science Fiction and Fantasy Publications published ‘Beyond Thirty and The Man-Eater, a hardcover with a dust jacket by Gil Kane. “The Man Eater (no hyphen) was reprinted in pamphlet format by Fantasy House in Fantasy Reader #5 in 1974. The Fantasy House pamphlet is available from Amazon for $15.00.
A graphic novel version of the book is available at the ERB Inc. website: https://www.edgarriceburroughs.com/
The brief details of the publishing history, reviews, illustrations, and the entire EBook version of the story are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0762.html The site also provides links to view the original pages as published by the New York Evening World, but apparently some countries, hello Canada, don’t allow newspaper links to be posted, so to view reproductions of the original pages, visit, the ERBzine link listed above.
The drabble for today is, “Altar Call,” and it was inspired by “The Man-Eater,” “Ben, King of Beasts.”Scott Taylor, who conspired to steal Virginia Scott’s inheritance, followed her to Africa searching for hidden stock certificates, but was stopped by Virginia’s love, Robert Gordon, and a gigantic lion, which was captured and sold to a circus. ALTAR CALL
Back in America, Taylor seized the certificates and ran. The lion recognized his evil scent, escaped, tracked Taylor, and killed him. Robert and Virginia found the body, viciously mauled by the lion. Robert, a devout Christian, said, “We can be thankful that he found religion before he died.”
“You think so?”
“Yes, no man remains an atheist when confronted by a lion.”
HOW MANY PAGES
November 17: On this day in 1996, Robert B Zeuschner’s remarkably complete and detailed reference work, “Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Exhaustive Scholar’s and Collector’s Descriptive Bibliography of American Periodical, Hardcover, Paperback, and Reprint Editions” was published by McFarland and Company in 1996. Mr. Zeuschner later updated and revised the original book and the updated version was published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated in 2016 with the title, “Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Bibliography.”
Copies of the 2016 edition are available in standard and deluxe editions at: https://edgarriceburroughs.com/store/...
The 100 word drabble, “How Many Pages,” for today is taken from the description of the book on the Edgar Rice Burroughs Incorporated website, where it’s credited to author Scott Tracy Griffin.”In 1996, Robert B. Zeuschner . . . delivered an expanded bibliography… (that) became the authoritative reference in the field. . . Twenty years later, further expanded and revised, Zeuschner’s bibliography is available in an aesthetic layout that enhances his decades of research. . . .Titled Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography, the work has grown from 287 pages to more than 700, with 2,000 entries and 500 color illustrations. Zeuschner continued his practice of consulting fellow experts in the field to augment his own research, resulting in a well-vetted reference work that’ll swiftly gain recognition as the definitive Burroughs bibliography” HOW MANY PAGES
TRUE LOVE ALWAYS WINS
November 18: On this day in 1927, Edgar Rice Burroughs presented his daughter, Joan, a manuscript of the play, “You Lucky Girl,” which he’d written expressly as a theatrical vehicle designed for her to play the leading role. The play underwent more than one working title, including Mary Who?," "Why Razz the Kids," and "Holy Bonds of Wedlock."
Joan never played the role and the play was never published, nor performed, in her lifetime. The first and only performances were in the Community Arts Center of Palmdale, California from April 25 to May 4, 1997.
It was published by Donald M. Grant in 1999 in deluxe and trade editions.
The 100 word drabble for today, “True Love Always Wins, is excerpted from a review of the 1997 performance of the play written by Robert B. Zeuschner. His entire review is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0084.htmlThe story is a romance and a melodrama in three acts. The plot of the script was vintage Edgar Rice Burroughs, like ERB’s more “realistic” stories, a little like “The Girl From Hollywood” (without the grimness), a little like “The Efficiency Expert,” combined with “women’s liberation” and a noble character, where true love wins out over all in the end. Doesn’t that sound like typical ERB? TRUE LOVE ALWAYS WINS
The two heroines were the same age as Joan Burroughs. The father had a bit of Ed himself, and I imagine the elder brother to be Hully or John Coleman, and perhaps Ed again.
SITUATIONAL VIOLENCE
November 19: On this day in 1995. The Gray Morrow illustrated and Jack Harris written Sunday newspaper comic story arc, “The Mangani Beyond the Veil,” concluded after a run of 14 weeks. In this story, which oddly echoes the “The Planet of the Apes, the Mangani are clearly gorillas who speak 'Mangani', a language common to the apes and monkeys of Tarzan’s Africa. Additionally, the beasts dress like ancient Romans and speak English.
Leaping between trees, Tarzan passes through a dimensional portal to an African village ruled by the gorillas, who in the language of the Mangani in the Tarzan novels, were called bolgani, not mangani. In the village are several human slaves who either preceded Tarzan through the portal or are native to this new world. The gorilla chief had Tarzan captured and forced him into the arena to fight the largest gorilla. Tarzan wins, of course, and the humans and some of the Mangani revolt. The chief was killed, leaving the more peacefully minded gorillas and humans to coexist. Tarzan returned to our dimension.
The 100 word drabble for today, “Situational Violence,” was inspired by the story arc, “Mangani Beyond the Veil.” https://www.erbzine.com/mag48/4807.htmlTarzan told the Mangani tribe that he came in peace, but the tribal chief ordered the ape man into the arena, weaponless, to fight the largest and most dangerous gorilla in the village. SITUATIONAL VIOLENCE
Tarzan defeated the gorilla and led the population in a revolt against the chief. A former slave said, “For a man who came in peace, you certainly aren’t afraid to fight.”
Tarzan replied, “A man can’t be called ‘peaceful’ unless he’s capable of violence to protect himself and others. If he’s not capable of violence, he’s not peaceful, he’s harmless. I’m many things, but I’m not harmless!”
OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE
November 20: On this day actor and aviator, Reginald Denny, who appeared in the film, “The Oakdale Affair, was born. The 1919 film coverage in ERBzine: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0765a.html ~ More about this ERB story in ERBzine at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0765.html
Denny was a British airman during WW1 and performed as a barnstorming stunt pilot after the war. In 1935 he developed a radio controlled airplane for the US Army Air Corps and eventually sold 15,000 to the Air Corps for use as target planes during training. His manufacturing plant employed Norma Jean Baker, who later became better known as Marilyn Monroe.
Denny had over 180 film and television credits including Cat Ballou, Rebecca, Topper, The Whistler, several Bulldog Drummond films, Of Human Bondage, and as previously mentioned, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “The Oakdale Affair,” playing Arthur Stockbridge.
The drabble today, “Out of the Line of Fire,” was inspired by Denny’s development of radio controlled aircraft.The General said, “Tell me again why I want planes that are controlled by radio instead of pilots?” OUT OF THE LINE OF FIRE
Reginald Denny nodded. “I flew several missions during WW1. Being shot at isn’t any fun at all. The war would have been more pleasant for me if I’d been on the ground operating the aircraft rather than being aloft taking enemy fire.”
“What’s the control range?”
“About a mile, not enough for battle, but good enough for target practice.”
“Why do I need them for target practice?”
“Do trainees ever kill the pilots operating the tow planes.”
“Got it. We'll take 15,000.”
ME SPEAK PRETTY ONE DAY
November 21: On this day in 2008, the online magazine, www.erbzine.com/mag, published a special Mangani language issue. The issue contained Jairo Uparella’s “Spoken Sounds of the Mangani Language” and Dell Comics’ Illustrated Mangani Dictionary, as illustrated by Jesse March. Later, Jairo expanded his Mangani language project and completed a 131 page “Visual Mangani-English Dictionary,” https://www.erbzine.com/mag64/6401.html
The special Mangani issue is located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag/ez081121.html
My original thought for the drabble today was to write one where the final line would be something like, "No matter what language you say it in, stupid is still stupid, but instead, the 100 word drabble for today, Me Speak Pretty One Day," was excerpted from Jairo’s Visual Mangani-English Dictionary, which as far as I can determine has never been published, except on www.erbzine.com.The Mangani and their language were created in 1912 by Edgar Rice Burroughs for his Tarzan novels. This dictionary includes the words created by Burroughs and those I’ve added to enrich it lexicographically as well as grammatically. Language is understood by simply seeing an image that represents a word and then we reproduce it by remembering that image. This is a visual dictionary and we’ve taken the present work to a higher level to show not only the name of objects, but scenes and actions that denote many verbs which narrate episodes in the life of “Tarzan of the Apes.” ME SPEAK PRETTY ONE DAY
PARDON THE INTERRUPTION
November 22: On this day in 1940, comic book writer, creator, and editor, Roy Thomas was born in Jackson, Mississippi. Among his many accomplishments in the field, he was Stan Lee’s successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel comics. During his career, he wrote almost every Marvel comic and several DC comics at one time or another and is credited with bringing Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian to the world of comics. When Marvel negotiated the rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan, Thomas wrote issues #1 through #14, and Marvel’s Tarzan Annual #1. He was nominated and won so many well-deserved awards, that I can’t list them all. Read Marvel's Tarzan Annual #1 in ERBzine at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag78/7848.html
Details about those Marvel Comic Tarzan series are at: https://www.erbzine.com/comics/marvel1.html
The 100 drabble for today, Pardon the Interruption,” is taken from an interview with Roy Thomas, according to Wikipedia, and it’s about his first days at Marvel. I can appreciate the challenge. Writing is hard enough, but life and other responsibilities get in the way.My first official job at Marvel was 'staff writer'. I worked 40 hours a week and wrote scripts. I sat at this corrugated metal desk in a small office and every visitor wound up there, and the phone rang constantly, and conversations went on all around me. Stan kept asking questions like in which issue something happened, or Stan would come in to check something, because I knew a lot about Marvel continuity up to that time. It quickly became apparent that the staff writer thing wasn't working, and Stan promoted me to editorial assistant, which immediately worked out better. PARDON THE INTERRUPTION
A SMALL IDEA
November 23: On this day in 1923, one day after he finished writing Tarzan and the Ant Men, Edgar Rice Burroughs submitted the novel to Argosy All-Story Weekly. ERB said that the novel was based in part on an idea from Bob Davis, the former editor of Argosy All-Story Weekly. In any event, the novel was promptly accepted and published in the magazine in February 1924. Countless details and illustrations for Tarzan and the Ant Men: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0497.html
Davis was never a passive editor, he often contributed ideas to his writers, which included, A. Merritt, George Allan England, Charles Stilson, J. U. Giesy, Max Brand, and Ray Cummings. George Allan England dedicated his magnificent trilogy, “Darkness and Dawn” to Davis.
The drabble for today is, A Small Idea,” a fictional conversation between Davis and Edgar Rice Burroughs.Editor Bob Davis said, “Ed, got an idea for a Tarzan book. He should meet a tribe of little bitty men in the jungle. They’ll capture him, but he’ll make friends with them and help them.” A SMALL IDEA
“Bob, like most people, I’ve read “Gulliver’s Travels.”
“This is different. You’ll give the little people big names.”
“Swift did that.”
“Even though they’re only six inches tall, they’re fierce and believe they’re the apex jungle predators.”
“Maybe, maybe not. One thing I learned out west was that acting like a big shot, doesn’t make you one. Talk and bluster doesn’t feed the family.”
THAT'S NOT A COUNTRY
November 24: On this day in 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs finished writing “The Mad King of Lutha, which was published as “The Mad King” in Argosy All-Story Weekly on March 21, 1914. He was paid $880.00 for the story of a farmer, Barney Custer, from Beatrice Nebraska who becomes and unwitting participant in a European intrigue.
Publishing details and several illustrations for The Mad Kind: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0758.html
The drabble for today, "That's Not A Country," is based on Barney Custer’s introduction to the Lutha, a small European nation.Peter of Blentz, regent for the mentally incompetent king of Lutha, a small European nation, said, “Mr. Custer, war is coming to Europe and you’re the very image of our king. Pretend to be him and help us save our nation.” THAT'S NOT A COUNTRY
“I’ll give her a try, but I’d like to see the country.”
“We’ll see the nation this afternoon. It’ll take a couple hours on horseback.”
“Two hours? How big is this place?”
“The Kingdom is almost eighty square miles.”“Hell, back home, Gage County, Nebraska is ten times that big. Eighty square miles is barely a decent wheat field.”
UPSIDE DOWN AND INSIDE OUT
November 25: On this day in 1963. Canaveral Press published the first edition of “Savage Pellucidar,” comprised of the four parts originally published in Amazing Stories in 1942 and 1943, “The Return to Pellucidar,” “Men of the Bronze Age,” “Tiger Girl,” and “Savage Pellucidar.” Just for the record, while each part of the novel was mentioned on the appropriate Amazing Story issue cover, no component was awarded the cover artwork.
The cover illustration for the first editions was by J. Allen St. John and has the blurb, “FIRST NEW BURROUGHS IN FIFTEEN YEARS.”
Ace Books reprinted the novel barely six months later with a cover by Frank Frazetta. Frazetta’s art work was also used by Ace Books for “The Cave Girl.”
Details, illustrations, and the entire EText version of the novel: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0747.html
Abner Perry made a gas balloon to explore Pellucidar, which may or may not have worked inside a hollow earth with a hot sun suspended eternally in the center of the planet. A hot air balloon certainly wouldn’t have worked because the air grows hotter in Pellucidar the higher you get and closer to the sun that you rise. A hot air balloon works on the surface of our planet in part because the air grows cooler the higher you go. Would a gas balloon work? Hard to say. It depends on whether or not the air pressure increases or decreases as the balloon approaches the sun. Remember, things are upside down. On the outer world, a gas balloon cools as it rises, in Pellucidar, a gas balloon would warm as it rises closer to the central sun, and the hotter it gets, the faster it goes up.
The drabble for today, “Upside Down and Inside Out,” and it was inspired by the conundrum of whether or not lighter than air aircraft will work in a place where the air’s density increase instead of decreases above the surface.Abner Perry said, “I’ve no idea if this balloon will fly. The air temperature increases with altitude. The nearer the central sun, the hotter the air.” UPSIDE DOWN AND INSIDE OUT
Von Horst commented. “You’re using hydrogen, not hot air. It should fly just fine.”
“Perhaps, but I haven’t determined if air pressure inside the world increases or decreases with height. And there’s one other problem.”
“Other problem?”
“The central sun’s not 93,000,000 miles away. Like Icarus, fly too high, and too close to the sun, and boom. Hydrogen loves an open flame!”“How will you find out?”
“I’ll have someone else be the pilot.”
FROM THE DREAM VAULTS
November 26: On this day in 1963, the New York Times printed a story about unpublished manuscripts by Edgar Rice Burroughs which had been stored in a safe at the offices of ERB, Inc. While the Times article may have been the first public acknowledgement of the existence of the unpublished work, members of the Burroughs family had long known about the manuscripts, but the assumption was that they were of previously published work. The mystery of the safe is a plot device worthy of the master, himself.
“Not long after Edgar Rice Burroughs died in March, 1950, rumors were whispered that ERB had left in his massive office safe many unpublished manuscripts. For years this legend retained its currency among science-fantasy fans. And now -- from Hulbert Burroughs, ERB's son -- comes confirmation."
Investigation later revealed that among others, the safe contained “Marcia of the Doorstep,” “You Lucky Girl!,” “I Am A Barbarian,” the fragment that became “Tarzan the Lost Adventure,” and a number of short stories and poems, some of which still remain unpublished. Who knows what else lies hidden inside the safe.
https://www.erbzine.com/mag63/6354.html#NOVEMBER26 is a good place to start looking for details about the safe and its comments.
The 100 word drabble for today is, “From the Dream Vaults,” and it was inspired by the mysteries hidden in the safe. The title is a homage to one of my old friends from New Orleans, Patrick Adkins.The New York Times representative asked, “Hulbert, I’ve heard that there are unpublished novels by your father, Edgar Rice Burroughs, inside a safe in your offices.” FROM THE DREAM VAULTS
“I can confirm that there is a safe and it contains manuscripts. I haven’t had time to evaluate the contents.”
“So is there a new Tarzan novel or perhaps a new John Carter story? Something about Pellucidar?”
“What part of ‘I haven’t had time to evaluate’ don’t you understand?”
“Why did he put them inside a safe?”
“Think about it. Not to be flippant, but there’s a reason they call a safe, a safe!”
IT'S ONLY GOOD IF YOU LIKE IT
November 27: On this day in 1940, Ralph Rothman sent word to Edgar Rice Burroughs that the response to “Tarzan and the Jungle Murders” and “The Giant of Mars,” was bad. Many fans didn’t believe that ERB had written either story. Years later, it was acknowledged that “John Carter and the Giant of Mars” was written by ERB’s son, John Coleman Burroughs. As far as I can determine, there is no question that ERB is the author of “Jungle Murders.”
“Tarzan and the Jungle Murders’ was published in the June 1940 issue of “Thrilling Adventures.” “John Carter and the Giant of Mars” was published in the January 1941 issue of “Amazing Stories.” It was an expanded version ow the Whitman Better Little Book, “John Carter of Mars.”
Details and illustrations for “John Carter and the Giant of Mars: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0740.html ~ Read the original illustrated BLB version at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag28/2841.html
Details and illustrations for “The Jungle Murders:” https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0730.html#ta
The 100 word drabble for today is, “Its Only Good If You Like It,” and it was inspired by the reception for “John Carter and the Giant of Mars.” It supports the prevailing belief that ERB wrote the story, which was the claim at the time.An avid reader accosted Amazing Stories editor, Ray Palmer, in a restaurant. “I just read the Giant of Mars. It was dreadful. I can’t believe you published it.” IT'S ONLY GOOD IF YOU LIKE IT
Palmer dabbed his lips. “I found it very enjoyable, unlike this cheesecake, which is inedible.”
“I don’t believe that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote it.”
“The chef here is Maurice, one of my favorites. I can’t believe he made this cheesecake.”
“So who wrote this crap?”“I complained and the waiter’s response gave me your answer. The same person who wrote the stories that you do like. Try this cheesecake. It tastes terrible.”
WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE
November 28: On this day in 1934, Burroughs-TARZAN Enterprises, Inc. issued two stock certificates to Ashton Dearholt, one for 2000 shares and one for 400 shares, the very same day that Dearholt , the cast, and film crew for the film, The New Adventures of Tarzan, aka, Tarzan and the Green Goddess, set sail for Guatemala. The trip was financed by a bank loan to Dearholt, co-signed by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Details and photos about the film and the expedition: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0584.html
The 100 word drabble for today is, “What’s the Downside,” was inspired by the issue of stock to Aston Dearholt on November 28, 1934. During the filming, Ula Holt and Dearholt became involved and were married in 1935.On board the ship for Guatemala to film The New Adventures of Tarzan, lead actress Una Holt said, “Ashton, did you get the stock certificates?” WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE
“I did. I got them early this morning. 2400 shares.”
“Wow, you own part of a movie studio. We’re rich.”
“No, were not. First, I’m still married and secondly, the only thing the company owns is a bank loan for over $50,000.00 and I’m personally responsible for that. This production has to go well or I’m in deep trouble.”“What if it doesn’t?”
“Learn to speak Spanish. I hear Guatemala is lovely in the springtime.”
NEVER HURTS TO SEE THE SUNSHINE
November 29: On this day in 1922, television, film, commercial and voice actor Laurence George ‘Laurie’ Main was born in Melbourne, Australia. He was the long time host of the Disney Channel’s “Welcome to Pooh Corner” and several ‘Winnie the Pooh’ specials. His 117 film and television credits include the 1981 Bo Derek production of “Tarzan the Ape Man,” “Cat Ballou,” “The Partridge Family,” “Bewitched,” “Daniel Boone,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Ironside,” “I Spy,’ “The Girl From U.N.C.L.E,” “Honey West,” “Robin Hood, Men in Tights,” and “My Fair Lady.”
Details and photos for the 1981 "Tarzan the Ape Man" film: https://www.erbzine.com/mag21/2150.html
The 100 drabble for today, “Never Hurts to See the Sunshine,” is a fictional conversation between Laurie Main and Bo Derek on the troubled Sri Lanka set of ‘Tarzan the Ape Man.’ A little credit to Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, and the rest of the gang.Bo Derek sat next to Laurie Main, who fanned himself in the stifling jungle heat. She said, “Laurie, this isn’t going well. The crew ignores me. We’re behind schedule. I’m NEVER HURTS TO SEE THE SUNSHINE
\afraid and worried.”Laurie smiled, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
“We’re behind schedule.”
“Rivers know patience. We’ll get there someday.”
“Laurie. That is so clever. Did Confucius say it?”
“Tao according to Pooh.”
“I love talking with you.”
“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn’t use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like, ‘What about lunch?”
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU
November 30: On this day in 1986, Actor Darby Jones, Tarzan Escapes, Tarzan the Fearless, Tarzan’s New York Adventure, and Tarzan’s Savage Fury, died. Jones was best known for his role as Carrefour in the 1943 film, “I Walked with a Zombie.” Where his iconic performance set a standard for the portrayal of zombies on film that still lasts to this day. Historian Alexander Nemerov called Jone’s portrayal a monumental and dominate screen presence, a minor actor granted extraordinary importance in a film. Later his zombie was called the kind of image that must have haunted the dreams of filmgoers for years. Jones, a high school athlete, was unfortuately typecast and almost all of his roles were in ‘jungle films.'
The 100 word fictional drabble for today, “I Can’t Understand You,” was inspired by Darby Jones and his zombie role.Director Jacques Toruneur, looked at actor Darby Jones and said, “You look exactly like a zombie. Can you play a zombie?” I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU
“Mr. Toruneur, have you ever seen a zombie?”
“No, I haven’t, but I can imagine what a zombie looks like.”
“If you can imagine how a zombie looks, I can imagine how to act like one.”
I want you to give me a vacant wide-eyed stare. Can you do that?”
“That won’t be too hard. Your English is terrible. I can barely understand your accent, so I’ll have a vacant wide-eyed expression on my face most of the time.”
