Official Edgar Rice Burroughs Tribute and Weekly Webzine Site Since 1996 ~ Over 15,000 Webpages in Archive Volume 7998a

ERB 100-Word Drabbles & Events
October VI Edition :: Days 16-31
by Robert Allen Lupton
 Back to Days 1-15 at ERBzine 7998

With Collations, Web Page Layout and ERBzine Illustrations and References by Bill Hillman

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THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT ACTING

October 16: On this day in 1898, actor Martin Wilkins was born. He appeared in “Tarzan and the Slave Girl,” “Tarzan’s Peril,” and “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure.”

Martin has 44 listed film credits, including ‘Voodoo Women,” “Elephant Stampede,” “Bomba the Jungle Boy,” “Bomba on Panther Island,” “Bomba and the Jungle Girl,” “Law of the Jungle,” “White Cargo,” and “Zombies on Broadway.” He appeared on the television series, “Jungle Jim,” “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” “The Silent Service,’ “The Millionaire, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and ‘Ramar of the Jungle."

Details about all three of the Tarzan films listed may be viewed at https://www.erbzine.com/movies

The drabble for today is “That’s Why They Call it Acting,” was inspired by Martin Wilkins career.

 
THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT ACTING
Alfred Hitchcock said, “Martin, you made several jungle movies. Ever visit Africa?”
“Never. I made some zombie films, but I never met a zombie.”
“Indeed. I’ve directed actors without the acting skills of a zombie. You made Tarzan movies, Bomba movies, Jungle Jim movies, and even a Sheena television episode. You played villains, heroes, chiefs, warriors and medicine men. Pretty good for a man who’d never been there.”

“Not that big a deal. The man who created Tarzan never set foot in Africa and Bomba, Ramar, and Jungle Jim are just Tarzan in disguise.”

“What about Sheena?”
“Jane on steroids.”

INTENTIONAL ACTRESS

October 17: On this day in 1947, Actress Simi Garewal (Simrita Garewal), who appeared in “Tarzan Goes To India,” was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. After spending much of her childhood in England, Garewal returned to India while a teenager. Her fluency in the English language induced the makers of the English-language film Tarzan Goes to India to offer her a role. Garewal made her debut alongside Feroz Khan in this film released in 1962. Her performance was good enough for her to receive many more film offers. During the 1960s and '70s, she was in several notable Indian films. She formed her own production company, hosted and directed television series, and anchored the talk show, “Rendezvous With Simi Garewal.”
The film starred Jock Mahoney as Tarzan. Details abound at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1960.html. At the time. It was the highest grossing Tarzan film to date. Simi and eight hundred other applicants answered an advertisement in a Bombay newspaper.

The drabble for today is, “Intentional Actress,” and it as 100 words excerpted from quotations attributed to Sime Garewal.

INTENTIONAL ACTRESS
At the age of fifteen, I did not know anything about the art of performing in front of a camera. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being an actress. When I announced I wanted to become an actress, my parents were dead against it. I had to put up a huge fight. I’ve never been satisfied with doing just one thing. When people said that I was ahead of my time. I took it as a compliment.

A woman’s professional achievements are always overlooked. It’s important for women to be financially independent and in control of their lives.

NEW JOB

October 18: On this day in 1998, the Gray Morrow / Mark Kneece, Tarzan Sunday story arc, The Night People, began. The story arc ran for sixteen Sundays and concluded on January 31, 1999. Gray Morrow illustrated the Sunday Tarzan’s for several years. Mark Kneese scripted six story arcs, the first in 1996 and the last in 2000.

Read the entire story arc at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag58/5809.html

Waziri cattle are being killed at night by a mysterious tribe that turn out to be Neanderthals, complete with cave paintings and stone headed spears. Tarzan and Jane meet the tribe only to discover that a land developer has dammed up the river the Neanderthals need to survive. Tarzan destroys the dam and the authorities arrest the real estate man. Tarzan and Jane plan to help the lost Neanderthals survive.

The 100 word drabble for today, “New Job,” and it was inspired by “The Night People.” I have to confess that the drabble today was pretty easy. It was so easy that ...

 
NEW JOB
Jane taught Una, a Neanderthal, to speak English and Una taught her tribe the language. Along with a new language came dissatisfaction with cave dwelling. Una told her mate. “Uggo, the world has changed. I want an apartment, a television, and a car. You have to get a job.”

 “What is job?”

People pay you money to work. Money buys a better life.” She sent him to the big city to find work.

Months later, Uggo returned. He said, “Found job. Bought everything you wanted. Have nice house.”

“Is job hard?”
“Uggo do commercials. So easy caveman can do it.”

 
THE SHAPE OF WATER

October 19: On this day in 2006, The 1962 Russian film, "Tarzan des Mers," was released in the US. The name was changed to “The Amphibian Man” at the request of the ERB Inc. The storyline of the film is remarkably similar to the film, "The Shape of Water,” an award-winning film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and released in 2017. There is also an Italian novel with the title, “The Shape of Water,” but it is unrelated to the films.

     The drabble for today was inspired by the similarity in the two films. It features my old friends from New Orleans, John, a film aficionado, and Pat.

THE SHAPE OF WATER
“John, I watched that new film, “The Shape of Water.” It was like watching a remake of an old Russian film, “Tarzan Des Mers.”

“That’s not true. It was wonderfully original and compelling. Beautifully filmed. No one was named Tarzan in “The Shape of Water.”

“John, no one was named Tarzan in the Russian film either. When the film was finally released in the US, the name was changed to “Amphibian Man.”

“Pat, there is no way that Guillermo del Toro plagiarized a fifty-year old Russian film.”

“If you say so, John, but it still sounds pretty fishy to me.”

YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE

October 20: On this day in 1915, Edgar Rice Burroughs simultaneously submitted “Taran and the Jewels of Opar” to All-Story Weekly and New Story Magazine. All-Story Weekly quickly purchased the novel and New Story Magazine went out of business. Burroughs wrote the novel in less than two months, September and October 1915.
In spite of the speed in which the story was written, “Jewels” was intricately plotted. Jewels of Opar was bowdlerized by Ballantine in the 1960s for political correctness.
All-Story Weekly serialized the novel a year later with the first installment dated November 18, 1916. P. J. Monahan illustrated the cover.
     A detailed publishing history, reviews, and several illustrations are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0490.html

The novel is an excellent and perhaps the fist example of what became Burroughs’s "writing formula," chapter to chapter cliff hangers, and extreme situations. The argument could be made that this was when Burroughs decided that while characters would appear in many novels, each book should stand alone. The reader could understand and enjoy the novel without reading the previous ones first. One could even say the Burroughs found literary gold with this novel.
La of Opar, the High Priestess of this forgotten civilization, had a major role in this book. She first appeared in “The Return of Tarzan.”

The drabble for today, “You Snooze, You Lose,” was inspired by the pulp publication of “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar.”

 YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE
The New Story Magazine editor said, “Burroughs’ new Tarzan manuscript came this morning. We need to buy it now. He also sent it to All-Story Weekly.”

The publisher said, “We’ve done business with him before. He won’t sell it to anyone else. Offer him the same rate as before.”

“I did. He telegraphed he wants double that.”
“No rush, wait him out.”
“But he said he wants an immediate decision, a cover illustration every issue, and advertisements in the six issues before the one with his novel.”

“I can’t hear you. La, la, la, la.”
"La? You've already read it?"

PUBLISH OR PERISH

October 21: On this day in 2006, the first issue of The Mucker Magazine was published by The Chicago Muckers, a chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles. The chapter was formed on August 6, 2006. The magazine was planned to be quarterly.
Read Ken Manson’s article about the organization and the magazine at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag30/3097.html?a_aid=3598aabf
Contributors to the 44 pages that made up that first issue first issue included Jeff Long, Laurence Dunn, Greg Philips, J. G. Huckenpohler, Jim Hadac, Ken Manson, Jerry Spancraft, Rill Ross, and Mike Conran. Joan Bledig designed the cover based on the J. Allen St. John cover to the first edition of the novel, The Mucker, published by A. C. McClurg. The rear cover featured photographs of the group attended the stage play, "A Princess of Mars."
The fictional drabble for today is “Publish or Perish,” inspired by the creation of The Mucker Magazine. A tip of the hat to writer Barbara Kingsolver for the last line.

PUBLISH OR PERISH
Joan Bledig said, “I’ll design the cover, but you folks have to contribute the articles.”
Jeff Long responded, “How many copies do we want?”
“Well, there’s ten of us and we should send copies to the Burroughs Bibliophiles and the University of Louisville. That’s twelve. Mayber three or four extras to help us recruit new members.”

Laurence said, “Fifteen?”
“That sounds good. What do you think people want to read about?”
Joan thought. “Don’t worry about what other people want to hear from you. Just write what you want to write. It’s the one only thing you have to offer.”

NAKED TRUTH

October 22: On this day in 1935, the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times requested ERB to write a political speech for Tarzan. Burroughs wrote “Tarzan’s Nude Deal.” The 600-word article was a speech by Nkima and was published, i believe, on November 5th as “Down With Lion Politicians.”
I haven’t been able to find the article, but the drabble today, “Naked Truth,” is 100 words based on Nikima’s speech, a speech that I’ve never read.

NAKED TRUTH
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here on behalf of my friend, Tarzan, and to ask for your vote. Aren’t you tired of lion politicians who obscure the truth behind fancy words. Tarzan’s Nude Deal offers the naked truth, undisguised. Don’t euphemize, don’t camouflage, don’t equivocate. Say what you mean and let the chips, water buffalo chips, fall where they may. A lion doesn’t say ‘food for everyone’ when he means food enough for himself.

Tarzan's Nude Deal hides nothing, good and bad. Don’t clothe the truth in fancy clothing. Leave it bare in all its glory or its shame. Vote Tarzan.

THE MONKEY FARM

October 23: On this day in 1929, Max Elser of Metropolitan Books, talked Ed out of investing in a monkey farm.
Earlier that year, On July 4, 1929, the Los Angeles Times announced that there would be a ceremony held at Bill H. Rice’s Los Angeles Monkey Farms, in Culver City, to celebrate the opening of the private zoo’s latest attraction: "Dedication tomorrow of the recently completed monkey island at the Los Angeles Monkey Farms, on Washington Boulevard, where more than 50 simians already have taken up residence on the water encircled monkey playground. The island here permits the monkeys entire freedom of the mound, a high wall surrounding the encircling canal forbidding escape of the simians."
    Visitors, already fascinated with jungle life thanks to popular movies and books, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs “Tarzan” series, were encouraged to throw peanuts and other food on the island, and watch the fracas that resulted. During the Depression, these attractions were a cheap way to entertain the masses. Unlike other animals, monkeys were easy to get and could be taken care of at a relatively low cost.
    The drabble for today is a fictional conversation between the two. Thanks to www.erbzine for the information about the monkey farm. https://www.erbzine.com/mag62/6262.html

THE MONKEY FARM
“Max, I’d like an advance. I’m planning to invest in a monkey farm.”
“I’m sorry, Ed. We must have a bad connection. Did you say you were investing in a monkey farm.”
“Yes. Chimps, gorillas, howlers, baboons, and spider monkeys.”
“Ed, you’re a great writer, but what do you know about monkeys?"
“They’re cute and kids love them.”
“No, they bite people and fling poop. They’re destructive little monsters.”
“It might be fun.”
“You want fun, go to the circus. You want to waste your money, how about we cut your royalty payments in half.”

“That’s ridiculous.”
“So’s owning monkeys.”

LIVING ROUGH

October 24: On this day in 1962, Canaveral Press reprinted “At the Earth’s Core,” with a cover and seven black and white interior illustrations by Mahlon Blaine. It always seemed to me that someone is being tortured in a Blaine illustration, but that could just be me. Mahon Blaine’s artwork graced the covers of seven Canaveral editions of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ s books.
"At The Earth’s Core" was serialized In All-Story Weekly in 1914, also serialized in Modern Mechanics under the title, “Lost Inside the Earth,” in 1929, published in first edition by A. C. McClurg in 1922, and reprinted several times by Grosset and Dunlap. Paperback editions appear subsequent to the Canaveral edition by Ace and Ballantine / Del Rey. Other editions have been published. Publishing details at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0741.html

The drabble for today, “Living Rough,” is taken from an article about Blaine published at: https://www.erbzine.com/blaine/

 
LIVING ROUGH
Blaine depicted himself as a typical, pipe-smoking veteran from the Lost Generation. After the war years, Blaine led a transient existence, toiling in Hollywood and bouncing back and forth from the West Coast to New York City as his marriage to actress Duskal Blaine smoldered, exploded, and then reignited.

Working with Jack Brussel, an antiquarian book dealer who published and sold erotica, Blaine illustrated classics like Paul Verlaine’s “Hashish and Incense,” the Marquis de Sade’s “Justine,” and fetish pornographic booklets. Befriending a young John Steinbeck in the early 1920s, Blaine illustrated the DJ of Steinbeck's first novel “Cup of Gold.”

PUBLISH AND PERISH

October 25: On this day in 1962, Canaveral Press published their reprint edition of “Pellucidar” with a dust jacket and interior illustrations by Mahlon Blaine. The post yesterday was about Mahlon, so today’s post will focus on Canaveral Press. First, Pellucidar was serialized in All-Story Cavalier Weekly in 1915. The first edition was published by A. C. McClurg on September 5, 1923 with illustrations by J. Allen St. John. It was reprinted several times by Grosset & Dunlap. Ace Books published a paperback version with a cover by Roy G. Krenkel only a few days before the Canaveral editions. Since then, the book has been reprinted in America by Dover, Castle, Ace, Ballantine, and Bison. Multiple versions have been privately published through various on-demand printers, with a new version possible as I write this. Publishing details are at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0742.html

Canaveral Press was a subsidiary of “Biblo and Tannen.” Richard Lupoff was the editor for the imprint’s entire existence. While created to reprint books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Canaveral also published original books by E. E. Smith, L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine Crook de Camp, and Richard Lupoff. The company published twenty-seven books, twenty-four of them by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The last new title was published in 1966, although some Burroughs titles were reprinted in 1974, shortly before the company went out of business.

The drabble for today is, ‘Publish and Perish,” and it was inspired by the publishing imprint, Canaveral Press, and the titles it published. The drabble contains eleven references to those titles.

PUBLISH AND PERISH
Publisher Jack Bilbo said, “Richard it’s pellucid to me that we’re lost too much money. Time to stop mucking about and close.”

“I’m not a fighting man, but pelliucid is a mighty big word for a man named for a hobbit.”
“The paperback competition is a holy terror, my lad. I’m not lying.”
“I’ll see the printer.”
“He’s old and in time he’s forgot the profits and perils of publishing.”
“Richard, he’s not a madman or monster. Time to escape while we can. If we printed enough books to sell on three planets, we’d lose three times as much money.”

 

 
HOME AT LAST

October 26: On this day in 1944, Edgar Rice Burroughs completed the fourth part of Savage Pellucidar, titled Savage Pellucidar. The title of the fourth installment of the novel was used as the overall title when Canaveral Books published the first edition of the book with a dust jacket and six interior illustrations by J. Allen St. John. The installment was first published in the November 1963 issue of Amazing, with illustrations by Lary Ivie.Detailed publishing information abounds at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0747.html
     The 100 drabble for today, “Home At Last,” was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s the final paragraphs to “Savage Pellucidar,” the last published work about Pellucidar written by Burroughs. It’s a shame we never got to read about Abner’s submarine.

HOME AT LAST
Who may say how long it took to make the incredible march of nearly two thousand five hundred miles to the Lidi Plains and the Land of Awful Shadow and across to the east coast and back to Sari? But at last, they came to the village, the village that most of them had never expected to see again; and among the first to welcome them was Dian the Beautiful.

Abner Perry was so happy that he cried, for those whom he thought his carelessness had condemned to death were safe at home. Already, mentally, he was inventing a submarine.

TELLING THE TALE

October 27: On this day in 1917, Publisher’s Weekly ran an advertisement for the upcoming book publication of “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs. A. C. McClurg was he publisher. Details about the publishing history of “A Princess of Mars abound at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0421.html
The drabble for today, “Telling the Tale”is 100 words excerpted from that advertisement.

TELLING THE TALE
An absorbing tale of adventure and romance forty-three million miles from Earth. It is hardly too much to say it is the boldest piece of imaginative fiction in this generation.

John Carter, American, goes to sleep in a mysterious cave in the Arizona desert and wakes up on the planet Mars. There he meets with a succession of weird and astounding adventures. He battles fora woman, beautiful as a houri, with Green Men of Mars, creatures fifteen feet high, and watch-dogs like enormous frogs

Only the man who created Tarzan, the Ape Man, could write so bold a story.

LAST FLIGHT HOME

October 28: On this day in 1945, the worlds’ oldest war correspondent, Edgar Rice Burroughs boarded an airplane and left Hawaii for the last time. While there, he had been a newspaper columnist, a war correspondent, and a founder of the Businessmen’s Training Corps. He also personally witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. He wrote a number of novels while in Hawaii or while on ship as a war correspondent.
Details about many of his adventures in Hawaii may be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag10/1049.html

The drabble for today is, Last Flight Home,” and it was inspired by Ed’s time in Hawaii

LAST FLIGHT HOME
A woman placed a lei around Edgar Rice Burroughs’ neck as he prepared to board a plane to fly to California. She said, “Aloha.”

Burroughs touched the flowers. “Aloha. That’s the first word I heard when I arrived.”

She smiled, “It means, hello, good-bye, and I love you. How soon will you come back.”

“I don’t know that I will.”
“Everyone comes back to Hawaii.”
“I hope so. It’s a blessing and a curse is that we don’t know when we’re doing something for the last time. Aloha, my dear. Take care of the islands for me."

And he left.

EXCLUSIVE EXHIBIT

October 29: On this day in 2016, The museum exhibit, Tarzan Myth and Mystery, closed at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History in Bryan, Texas. The exhibit had opened on June 16th. The exhibit was officially opened with a lecture by author, Burroughs historian, and current chairman of the Burroughs Bibliophiles, Jim Goodwin.

The drabble for today is, “Exclusive Exhibit,” was written by the magnificent Jim Goodwin. For more information, visit: https://www.edgarriceburroughs.com/tarzan-myth-mystery-brazos-valley-museum-natural-history-jun-16-october-29/

EXCLUSIVE EXHIBIT
This exclusive exhibit showcases items from extensive collections of Tarzan and Edgar Rice Burroughs memorabilia. Early publications, beautiful original artwork, rare books, and rarely seen film posters will be shown alongside stunning taxidermy animals from central Africa. Through this colorful and exciting exhibit, visitors can explore the natural settings of the Tarzan books, the life of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the bold world of pulp art, Tarzan’s international appeal, and other related topics.

The Museum partnered with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., private collectors, Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, and the Anthropology Department at Texas A&M University to produce this display.

 

NEW WRITING FRONTIERS

October 30: On this day in 1924, Argosy rejected “Marcia of the Doorstep.” Perhaps the subject matter of interracial love was too controversial for the time. The novel remained unpublished until 1999 when it was published by Donald M. Grant in a trade edition and a deluxe slipcased edition limited to 750 copies. Ned Dameron did the cover and interior illustrations. It hasn’t been reprinted.
Details about the novel, reviews, and other information are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0772.html
The drabble for today, “New Writing Frontiers,” is excerpted from the introduction of the novel written by Danton Burroughs, ERB’s grandson.

 

NEW WRITING FRONTIERS

Ed's next romantic mystery was MARCIA OF THE DOORSTEP, the book you hold in your hands. Written in 1924, it has remained unpublished until now. This was Ed's last rebellious protest against the constant demand for Tarzan or other fantasy stories that he felt he was being forced to write.

The story is full of Ed's own ideas, a forum for his political and social beliefs. Ed instills autobiographical characteristics in his characters. Marcus Aurelius Sackett is most assuredly based on my grandmother, Emma. Marcia's sweet disposition must be based on my Aunt Joan, who wanted to be an actress.

THAT'S NOT HOW I REMEMBER IT

October 31: On this day in 1932, Filming began on “Tarzan the Ape Man” starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan.

The studio pulled out all stops for its first talking Tarzan film, Tarzan the Ape Man. Production costs mounted to a cool $1 million, and the publicity department launched a spectacular promotion campaign. No angle was overlooked. "Girls," the ads said, "would you live like Eve if you found the right Adam?"

In fact, Weissmuller's sex appeal had a lot to do with the picture's success. Crowds filing out of the Stanley Theatre at the Baltimore premiere in 1932 were enthralled by Weissmuller's manliness.

The movie is memorable for at least three reasons. First, it introduced Cheta, the chimpanzee who became Tarzan's jungle buddy. Second, the picture depicted how Tarzan and Jane met. Finally, it gave us Weissmuller's famous yodel, "aaah--eee-aaaah" or was it "eh--wa--au--wau--aooow?" Tarzan used it as a victory cry or a danger shout to summon help from elephants and other animal pals. Actually, Merrill, Tarzan #5, developed the ape-call in a 1928 semi sound serial. But the jungle lord's "triumphantery" as we know it today was a creation of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer sound department.

Details about the film are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag3/0329.html

The drabble for today is “That’s Not How I Remember It” is excerpted from an interview with Maureen O’Sullivan. She reminisces about one of the most famous movie lines that was never actually included a film.

 

THAT’S NOT HOW I REMEMBER IT
“I was deadly afraid of height. Johnny and I had to cower in a tree. Johnny was a practical joker. He knew I was afraid. He shook our branch and I screamed.”

“As I shrieked, Johnny smiled, then occurred to him I was stealing his thunder. He was supposed to boom out with the blood-chilling, bull-ape call. So, with dry sarcasm Weissmuller said sternly:

“ME... Tarzan. YOU... Jane.”

OCTOBER VI:  16-31 ILLUSTRATIONS COLLAGE


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Copyright 2024: Robert Allen Lupton