DEADLINE
March 17: On this
day in 1916, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “The New Stories
of Tarzan,” aka “Jungle
Tales of Tarzan” for The Blue Book Magazine. These twelve
short stories which focused on Tarzan’s adolescence, were published one
per month in Blue Book, with the first story, “Tarzan’s First Love,” published
in September 1916 and the last story, “Tarzan Saves the Moon,” in August
1917. It took Burroughs a year and a day to complete all twelve stories,
sort of poetic if you think about it. The collected stories have been published
several times as “Jungle Tales of Tarzan,” and the first story, “Tarzan’s
First Love,” was reprinted as “Tarzan, Jungle Dectective,” in Ellery Queen’s
1970 anthology collection and in “Love Stories” edited by Martin Levin
and published by Quadrangle, an imprint of New York Times Books.
Read all about “Jungle Tales of Tarzan”
at https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0492.html
The drabble for today is “Deadline,”
and it was inspired by ERB’s decision to write short stories on a monthly
schedule. It’s a fictional conversation between Ed and Emma after a check
from Blue Book arrived.
DEADLINE
“Emma, I cashed another check from Blue Book today.”
“I saw that, Ed. It seemed less than you usually get
paid.”
“I know, but it was for a short story, “The God of
Tarzan.” It’s about cash flow. I write a short story every month and I
get a monthly check. I can spend a more time working on the next novel
without worrying about grocery money, but I’m not I’m happy with the arrangement.”
“Why, it sounds great.”
“With a novel, I set my own schedule. Now, I might
as well be a newspaper columnist with a nightly deadline.”
ECLIPSE
March 18: On this
day in 1917, Edgar Rice Burroughs finished writing the 12th and final short
story included in “The New Stories of Tarzan” for Blue Book Magazine.
It took him a year and a day to finish the project on schedule. He wrote
other books during that time. The collected stories were published as “Jungle
Tales of Tarzan.”
The final tale, “Tarzan Rescues
the Moon,” tells the story of a young Tarzan, exiled by the Mangani
for freeing a native warrior, and recalled by the great apes to save the
moon from being eaten.
Details about the New Stories are
to be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0492.html
The drabble for today, “Eclipse,” was inspired
by the story, “Tarzan Rescues the Moon,” and every other writer who used
a solar eclipse in a novel.
ECLIPSE
The Blue Book editor called Ed. “I just read ‘Tarzan Rescues
the Moon.’ Not very original. Mark Twain used an eclipse in ‘Connecticut
Yankee,’ Haggard used it in ‘King Solomon’s Mines,’ and Verne put one in
his novel, ‘The Fur Country.”
“I see,’ said Ed. “Don’t get out much, do you?”
“So what?”
“Those stories use solar eclipses, my tale is about
a lunar eclipse.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Read an astronomy book. One happens during the day
and the other at night.”
“You sure?”
“The sun doesn’t shine at night where I live. Isn’t
it the same in New York?”
REQUIEM
March 19: On this
day in 1950, Edgar Rice Burroughs passed away while reading the
newspaper comics. It was a Sunday morning and the Sunday Tarzan comic story
arc was “Tarzan and
the Adventures,” written by Rob Thompson and James Freeman.
It was illustrated by Burne Hogarth and ran for 38 weeks. It began
on October 30, 1949 and concluded on July 16, 1950.
Read this entire Hogarth Tarzan Sunday
series in ERBzine at https://www.erbzine.com/mag73/7300.html
Read the strip that Ed was reading when he passed away
HERE:
https://www.erbzine.com/mag73/7322.html
Ed had a full and busy life. He was
a soldier, railroad policeman, salesman, pilot, war correspondent, film
producer, land developer, publisher, father, grandfather, writer, but most
of all, he was an entertainer and entrepreneur. His works spawned an industry
which included films, radio shows, television shows, animated films, Broadway
plays, toys, games, slot machines, clothing lines, and who knows what else.
Thousands were employed as a result of his writing.
I’ve attached the appropriate Sunday
comic page, assuming I did the math right. I wish the quality was better,
but the page I photographed is a little faded. It’s a great Hogarth page.
I hope Ed liked it.
The drabble for today is ‘Requiem,”
and it is from the Associated Press Obituary published shortly after Ed’s
passing.
REQUIEM
Burroughs died yesterday, but the ape-man he created will
live on to delight generations of youngsters the worldwide.
"Tarzan of the Apes" brought Burroughs only $700, but
he retained control over his literary works and the royalties reached fabulous
proportions.
Almost 40,000,000 Tarzan books have been sold.
Burroughs never set foot in Africa, the locale of
his jungle stories.
Burroughs lived in Honolulu when Pearl Harbor was
attacked. As a war correspondent for the LA Times, he traveled with the
armed forces for four years.
Before he began writing he’d been a salesman, clerk,
cowboy, gold miner and railroad guard.
WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
March 20: On this
day in 1875, artist Roger B. Morrison was born in Paris, Kentucky.
Morrison drew a black and white illustration for the interiors of the Moon
Maid series in the pulps. Morrison also contributed interior
illustrations for The
Efficiency Expert, Tarzan
and the Ant Men, and The
Chessmen of Mars.
Morrison was born in Paris – Paris,
Kentucky in 1875. After finishing school at age 15, the worked briefly
as a clerk for Standard Oil before a brief career as a semi-pro shortstop.
During the off season he worked as a cartoonist for the Louisville Evening
Post. He moved to New York City in 1898 where He looked for work as a newspaper
cartoonist and studied night school art classes at the National Academy
of Design on Fifth Avenue and East 89th Street. By 1900 was selling illustrations
to The Bohemian and The Cosmopolitan. He accepted a job as a staff artist
for the New York World in 1909, where he signed his work as Mori. His illustrations
were frequently reduced in size for publication and his small signature
wasn’t legible, so he created a signature with fewer letters and made his
new signature larger tin order to achieve the desired result.
He began selling his illustrations
to All-Story Weekly and The Argosy in 1917, but his fledging
career that was almost interrupted by WW1, but at age 39, he wasn’t accepted
by the military. In 1919 he worked as a newspaper artist at The New York
Morning Telegraph.
The pulp magazine The Argosy had a
regular feature entitled, The Men Who Make The Argosy, which introduced
some of their key contributors to their readers. The July 26, 1930 issue
included a charming and light-hearted autobiographical profile on Roger
B. Morrison, which included the self-portrait included herein.
In 1940, he retired and moved to Gulfport,
Florida where he painted seascapes until his death in 1945.
Details about all of the novels mentioned
herein are available at www.erbzine.com/chaser
The drabble for today is, “Worth
a Thousand Words,” and it was inspired by the remarkable Roger B. Morrison.
WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Edgar Rice Burroughs talked to the editor at Argosy. “Who’s
going to illustrate “The Red Hawk, the new story in my Moon Maid series?”
“We’ve commissioned Modest Stein for the cover and
Roger B. Morrison for the interiors.”
‘I like Stein’s work. Have I worked with Morrison?”
“Yes, Ed. He worked on “The Efficiency Expert,” The
Chessmen, of Mars,” and “Tarzan and the Ant Men.”
Burroughs replied, “A Barsoom novel, a Tarzan story,
and a modern romance. That’s quite a range.”
“It’s the same range for you. Morrison’s darn good.
If you can think it up, he can draw it.”
THINK FIRST
March 21: On this
day in 1893, actor, stuntman, gymnast, and policeman Frank Merrill,
aka Otto Adolph Stephan Poll, Adventures of Tarzan, Tarzan the Mighty,
Tarzan the Tiger, was born in Newark, New Jersey. Merrill doubled for
Elmo
Lincoln in the film serial, “Adventures of Tarzan” and was later cast
as Tarzan in the films “Tarzan the Mighty” and “Tarzan the Tiger.” His
victory cry in “Tarzan the Tiger” was the first to resonate in movie theatres
across America.
Merrill didn’t make the transition
to talking pictures and devoted the rest of his life to working with children
in Los Angeles as a city recreation director and volunteer gymnastics instructor
with the YMCA.
His silent film career of 18 films
included “The Little Wild Girl,” “Perils of the Jungle,” “Unknown Dangers,”
“The Fighting Doctor,” “Savages of the Sea,” and “Battling Mason.”
The drabble for today, “Think First,” was inspired
by the life and career of Otto Poll, who performed as Frank Merrill.
THINK FIRST
The Mayor of Los Angeles said, “We need to upgrade our
parks and provide better recreational facilities for our citizens. We’ve
a matching federal grant. What should we do?”
One director said, “Build riding trails.”
“No,” said another. “Horse riding is falling into
disfavor. More playground equipment.”
“I want tables where men and women can play chess,
checkers, or cards.”
“Nonsense, we’ll build a big football stadium.”
“Otto, you haven’t said anything.”
“I don’t know the budget, the timing, or any federal
guidelines. Unlike my coworkers, I find that the less I know about something,
the less I should say.”
FUTILE HOPE
March 22: On this
day in 1936, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing ‘Elmer,”
a novelette that would later be rewritten and retitled as “The Resurrection
of Jimber-Jaw” and published in Argosy Weekly on February 20, 1937
and included in “Tales
of Three Planets,” published by Canaveral Press on April 27, 1964.
The original version of “Elmer” was included in “Forgotten Tales of
Love and Murder” published by Pat Adkins and John Guidry in 2001. Read
the Jimber-Jaw e-Text Edition in ERBzine HERE and
Read
the Elmer e-Text in ERBzine HERE
The story is about a thawed out cave
man, who finds nothing but disillusionment in the modern world. A much
early version of “Encino Man” without the stupidity.
Details about the story, accompanied by illustrations
are at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0779.html
The drabble for today is “Futile
Hope,” and it was inspired by the story of Elmer, written by Edgar
Rice Burroughs.
FUTILE HOPE
Pat Morgan, who’d rescued and revived Elmer from a glacier,
taught the caveman to speak English. After several months, Elmer returned
to the glacier.
“”Elmer, why were you trapped in the ice.”
“My mate betrayed me for a warmer cave and a bear
skin. I hoped to wake in a better time.”
“Why are you back at the glacier?”
“Once more, I hope to sleep until better times. Women
in your time are the same as the women of my time. A glacier is warmer
than a woman’s heart.”
“I expect you’re right. Is there room for both of us?”
HORSE AND RIDER
March 23: On this
day in 1897, Edgar Rice Burroughs was discharged from the US
7th Cavalry. He was stationed at Ft.
Grant in Arizona Territory.
Ed often claimed that the most disagreeable part of his
service involved his contacts with the doctors. Soon after his arrival
at the Fort, he was examined by the doctors who recommended an immediate
discharge because of heart disease. "He told me that I might live six
months, but on the other hand I might drop dead at any moment." Washington
ordered Burroughs to be held for observation: "it evidently being cheaper
to bury me than to pay transportation back to Detroit."
Details about Burroughs’ time at Ft.
Grant are to be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag34/3469.html
The drabble for today is “Horse
and Rider,” and it was inspired by Ed’s brief sojourn with the cavalry.
HORSE AND RIDER
“Doctor,” said Ed Burroughs. “I’m not doing well in this
climate. Arizona territory isn’t for me.”
“Are you allergic to armed Apaches?”
“No, I’m not afraid, but I can hardly breathe and
my heart races. I’m an excellent horseman, but I’m so weak that almost
fell off my mount while on patrol yesterday. The Sergeant got lost and
refused any guidance. We wandered aimlessly for two days. I’m completely
exhausted.”
“Well,” said the Doctor. You know they say about a
Sergeant’s horse. It’s the only equine with two asses, the one under its
tail and the one on its back.”
TRAINING
March 24, 2024, the 2100th entry in this
series and 132 years ago on this day in 1892,
comic strip artist Rex Maxon
was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Maxon drew the Tarzan daily comic strip
for more than 18 years and more than 5200 daily illustrations. He briefly
illustrated the Tarzan Sunday newspaper strip. Maxon also did illustrations
for the pulps, including Spicy Detective, Six Gun Western, and Private
Detective. Along with writer Matt Murphy, He launched “Turok, Son of Stone”
for Dell Comics in 1954.
Maxon later moved to London where
he did portraits and landscapes, but his work, primarily an educational
filler strip about dinosaurs, “Young Earth,” continued to appear in “Turok”
until the early 1970s, just before his death in 1973.
Details and all the Rex Maxon Tarzan
daily and Sunday comic strips are available at www.erbzine.com. Start at:
https://www.erbzine.com/maxon
The drabble for today is “Training,” and it was
inspired by the career of Rex Maxon.
TRAINING
Matt Murphy said, “Dell wants a comic book starring a
Native American in a prehistoric world, “Turok, Son of Stone.” Are you
interested in illustrating some like that? We’ll need 24 pages a month.”
“Sure, my last Tarzan page was almost seven years ago.
I’ve been freelancing western comics and pulp magazines. It’ll be nice
to have a regular gig again.”
“Turok and his young sidekick, Andar, are brave and
clever dinosaur hunters. Do you like the idea?”
“Tarzan and Korak wearing more clothes and dinosaurs?
Yes, I love the idea. I’ve been training to draw this my whole life.”
GRIN AND BEAR IT
March 25: On this
day in 1975, actress Evelyn Greeley, who portrayed Gail Prim in
The
Oakdale Affair, the first approved film based on a story by Edgar
Rice Burroughs, died. Previously, “The Isle of Content,” allegedly based
on The Cave Girl was released. See The Isle of Content https://www.erbzine.com/mag78/7884.html
Evelyn was born in Austria. Contrary to publicity gossip
of the time, she was not related to Horace Greeley. She arrived in America
in 1897 and her birth name was Emilie Mahorko. She signed a contract with
World Film Corporation and was a star in silent films, often referred to
as “The most proposed to woman in America.” Her silent films included
Bulldog Drummond, Me and Captain Kidd, Bringing Up Betty, The Brand of
Satan, and A Daughter of the Sea. Her eight-year film career encompassed
a total of 30 films.
Details about the film, The Oakdale Affair, directed
by Oscar Apfel, are located at https://wwwrbzine.com/mag7/0765a.html
The drabble for today is “Grin
and Bear It,” inspired by the beautiful Miss Greeley and the unending
pursuit of suitors that chased her.
GRIN AND BEAR IT
Director Oscar Apfel said, “Cut! Great scene, Evelyn.
I wasn’t sure how you’d do acting with a bear. I thought you might be afraid.”
“Better a big bear than a big bad wolf. He’s cute,
but he did drool a bit.”
“You nailed it on the first take. You didn’t seem
the least bit troubled by him.”
“Unlike most of the men in Hollywood, he behaved like
a perfect gentleman.”
“What does that mean?”
‘He didn’t paw me. He kept his hands to himself and
he didn’t make unwelcome proposals, decent or otherwise. I may take him
out to dinner.”
TALE OF THE TAIL
March 26: On this
day in 1921, Argosy All-Story Weekly published the seventh and final
installment of “Tarzan
the Terrible,” the eighth novel in the Tarzan series. Argosy had
acquired “All-Story,” and combined the titles of the two magazines to create,
“Argosy All-Story Weekly. Only a few years earlier, All-Story had acquired
Cavalier Magazine and combined the titles to create All-Story Cavalier
Weekly.”
The issue contained a short story
by Ray Cummings, “Apollo of the Burrer Cakes.”
Details about the novel, its publishing
history, and several magazine, book covers and other illustrations are
available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0494.html
The novel follows the storyline from “Tarzan
the Untamed,” as Tarzan seeks to rescue Jane, who has been kidnapped
and taken to Pal-ul-don, a hidden land where the humans have tails, and
dinosaurs still survive.
The drabble for today is “Tale
of the Tail,” and it was inspired by the Ho-don’s and Waz-dons, the
tailed hominids of Pal-ul-don.”
TALE OF THE TAIL
“Jane and Pan-at-lee, a Waz-don female were held captive
by the hairless pale-skinned Ho-dons. Jane said, “How do I tell which men
are in charge. They all dress much the same.”
“Clothing is important, but carriage and attitude are
more important.”
“I’ve noticed that the men have often tamed the three-horned
lizards and ride them from place to place. Some ride small plainly covered
steeds, and some ride large ones painted like rainbows. Does having a multi-colored
dinosaur to ride indicate a strong and powerful man.”
“No, just the opposite. It indicates compensation for
being born with a tiny tail.”
I COULDA BEEN A SPORTS
WRITER
March 27: On this
day in 1915. The Fort Wayne Daily News began the serialization of
The
Eternal Lover.” “The Eternal Lover” is significant in that it is
a story in which Tarzan and Jane appear, but Tarzan isn’t part of the book’s
title.
Details about the novel, its publishing history, and
several covers and other illustrations may be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0759.html
The drabble for today is, “I Coulda
Been a Sports Writer.”
I COULDA BEEN A SPORTS WRITER
Mr. Burroughs, a copy of the March 27th issue of the Fort
Wayne Daily News arrived in today’s mail. It has part one of “The Eternal
Lover.”
“I always wanted to be a newspaper man, c, but I never
expected it would be one of my adventure stories or in Indiana. The editor
was difficult to understand.”
“Did he have an accent?”
“I thought so. I mentioned it.”
“Was he offended?”
“Not at all. He said, “Folks in Fort Wayne got a saying,
“We don’t talk funny, everyone else does.’”
“Seems kinda snooty.”
“Snooty, patooty. He sent me a press pass.
LOVE SELLS
March 28: On this
day in 1927, Edgar Rice Burroughs received a letter from Joseph
Bray at A. C. McClurg notifying him that his book, “The
Outlaw of Torn” had sold out the first edition. This was both
gratifying and frustrating. Ed had encountered a great deal of resistance
in having the story published in the pulps and the quick sales rewarded
his persistence. However, he’d constantly battled McClurg over small print
runs, and the quick sale of the first edition justified his concerns and
frustration.
Details about “The Outlaw of Torn”
abound at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0754.html
The drabble for today is, “Love
Sells,” and it was inspired by the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
LOVE SELLS
“Hello, Joseph, this is Ed. Got your letter saying
“The Outlaw of Torn” sold out in thirty-seven days. That’s good and bad.
If you’d printed more than 5000 copies, we’d have made more money.”
“I know. Did you just call to say me I told you so?”
“I did. I’ll put that the next book I inscribe to
you.”
“When do we get another manuscript?”
“I’ll send “Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle” if you’ll
print more copies.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Joseph, there’re other publishers. I’ll talk to Metropolitan.”
“They only publish love stories.”
“I only write love stories.”
BY HIS BOOTSTRAPS
March 29: On this
day in 1940, “The Times and Daily Leader” of San Mateo, California
published the column
by Dale Carnegie. This installment praised writer Edgar Rice
Burroughs.
Carnegie was the author of “How to Win Friends and
Influence People.”
You can read the entire article at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag17/1789.html#6
The drabble for today is, “By His Bootstraps,”
and it’s an excerpt from the article by Dale Carnegie. The message is familiar,
but remains true. It’s been worded in many ways. It reminds me of what
I tell people about still being a runner at 75 and about being a writer.
First rule of running is ‘Get off the couch and go run.” First rule of
writing is ‘Get off the couch and go write.” If you only run/walk a quarter
mile a day, that’s eighty-one miles a year, better than zero. If you only
write 300 words a day, a little more than the length of this post, that’s
110,000 words a year, enough for an annual novel. Interestingly enough,
the more you do both of these things, the better you’ll do them.
BY HIS BOOTSTRAPS
“I interviewed a man whose job wouldn’t support him, peddling
pencil-sharpeners.
“He'd seemed beaten, but he wasn't.
“He tried to think of something he could do at night.
He read a story, and said to himself, "I can write as well as that."
“The turning point in his life came when he determined
to hold one job while he tried another. That idea took him from poverty
to the millionaire class. If you’re not making what you need, then hold
the job you have and work up one on the side. It won’t be easy, but it
can be done.”
SELF CONVICTION
March 30: On this
day in 1946, the Rex Maxon
written and illustrated Tarzan daily newspaper story arc, “The
Law of Jungle,” began in newspapers across America. Rex had been
illustrated the Tarzan daily strip since 1929, with one short break. He
would illustrate the strip for about 15 months after the story, “The Law
of the Jungle,” concluded in May 1946.
Read the entire story arc at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag61/6124.html
The drabble for today, is "Self Conviction," inspired
by the Laws of the Jungle.
SELF CONVICTION
Blake, an adventurer in Africa, had cheated a native tribe
and fled into the jungle. A tribe of lions followed his spoor, He tried
to climb a tree, but a large snake waited there. Tarzan led him to safety.
Blake said, “Everywhere I go, something or someone is trying to kill me.”
“You break the laws of the jungle.”
“What laws?”
“Be wary. Respect territory of others. Don’t take
what you don’t need and don’t be stupid.”
“Laws? And what’s the punishment for breaking these
laws.”
Tarzan growled, “The jungle has but one punishment
for stupidity. Death!”
WHO'S THE SAVAGE
March 31: On this
day in 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “Number Thirteen,”
which would later be published as “The
Monster Men.” The novel was serialized in All-Story Magazine
as “A Man Without A Soul,” a title often confused with the British
Methuen publication of “The Return of the Mucker,” which was
titled “The Man Without a Soul.”
In this novel, Dr. Van Horn is creating
human like creatures from animals, with mostly horrible results. Project
number 13 is different, a perfect human, but is he the result of the experiments
or something else. There’s always a woman in danger, Virginia Maxon, in
this case. Can Number Thirteen overcome his savage beginnings, embrace
his humanity, and come to her rescue? Read the novel and find out.
Publication details and an electronic
version of the book are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0756.html
The drabble for today is “Who’s
the Savage,” inspired by the novel, “The Monster Men.”
WHO'S THE SAVAGE
“Virginia,” said Number Thirteen. “I’m mostly a beast,
a product of Dr. Horn’s vile experiments. It’s dangerous around me. You
should stay away.”
“A lion? Lions kill, but not for pleasure. They protect
and feed each other.”
“Perhaps I was created from a wolf.”
“Human wolves prey on women, but real wolves mate
for life.”
“I could be some kind of ape.”
“That’s another story, but apes raise and protect
their children.”
“Are you saying it’s better to be born an animal than
a human?”
“Unlike animals, only humans are intentionally cruel.
You aren’t that way. I’ll take my chances.”
