#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day with Edgar Rice Burroughs

 July 2, 2025 and according to Amazon twelve years ago on this day in 2013, The Library of American Comics released “Tarzan The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips Volume One. This is the date the book was made available on Amazon, I believe. Other sources show the release date as June 18, 2013. Beginning a new four-book series collecting the entire run of the Tarzan newspaper strip by Russ Manning. In 1967, Manning was selected by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate to take over the strip and bring it back to the original Burroughs vision. With assists by Bill Stout, Mike Royer, and Dave Stevens, Manning created 26 original Sunday storylines and seven daily stories. The action took place from Pal-ul-don to Opar and Pellucidar and beyond. The first volume includes more than 650 daily and Sunday strips from December 1967 through October 1969, reproduced from the Edgar Rice Burroughs file copies.

There's a foreword by Russ Manning's assistant on the strip, William Stout. Henry G. Franke III, former editor of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association and current editor of Bibliophiles’ BURROUGHS BULLETIN, contributed introductions for each book in the series.

Read a tribute to Russ Manning at: https://www.erbzine.com/manning/

The drabble, "Art for Art's Sake, for today is excerpted from a revies of the book and of Russ Manning’s Tarzan newspaper strips written by Chris Mautner and originally published in “The Comics Journal” on September 12, 2013.

There’s no denying Manning’s capability, not just as an artist but as a storyteller. His crisp, dynamic art excels in the best Alex Raymond/Burne Hogarth tradition. His panels are full of a lean, muscular Tarzan leaping and gallivanting through the jungle and toward the reader. He’s excellent at pacing the strip, especially given the minimal amount of space he was given (usually only three panels a day. Manning’s Tarzan is something of a middle finger to newspaper editors, a sign that not everything in the funnies needed to be drawn on the level of Miss Peach, dwindling space be damned.

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025 and ninety years ago on this day in 1935, actor David Prowse, who played the executioner in the 1977 Amicus film, “The People That Time Forgot,” was born in Bristol, UK. That same year, Prowse played Darth Vader in the film that would become known as “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Most folks don’t remember that Prowse was Darth Vader, they only remember that James Earl Jones did the voice. Just an aside, but Prowse could have bench pressed James Earl Jones.

For details about the film, “The People That Time Forgot,” visit https://www.erbzine.com/mag30/3029.html

In addition to Prowse, the film featured Doug McClure, Patrick Wayne, Sarah Douglas, and Dana Gillespie.

Prowse was the British heavyweight weightlifting championship in 1962. He could deadlift almost 800 pounds and was the first man to lift the “Dinnie Stones” since the 1860s.

The Dinnie Stones are a pair of Scottish lifting stones located in Potarch, Aberdeenshire. They were made famous by strongman Donald Dinnie, who reportedly carried the stones barehanded across the width of the Potarch Bridge, a distance of 17 feet in 1860. They remain in use as lifting stones and a challenge for 'strong men' around the world.

The stones are composed of granite, with iron rings affixed. They have a combined weight of 733 pounds.

The fictional drabble for today is, “Size Speaks Volumes,” and it was inspired by David Prowse.

The interviewer said, “David, you made “The People That Time Forgot,” and “Star Wars” in 1977.”

“I got both gigs because of my size. I didn’t speak in either film. James Earl Jones dubbed my voice in Star Wars.”

“Did you know they’d dub your voice?”

“I didn’t, but I guess they didn’t want a Vader with a Bristol accent.”

“What about People That Time Forgot?”

“I didn’t have any lines."

“Did that bother you?”

“David Soul said, “ I was an accidental actor.” I was Cinderella dancing at the ball. Why complain I wasn’t singing lead in the band?”

RED HARVEST by Dashiell Hammett

 Just published a new edition of RED HARVEST by Dashiell Hammett. paperback priced at $8.29. Here's the link:

https://www.lulu.com/.../paperback/product-w4y8e7k.html...

If you haven't read Hammett's stuff, The Thin Man, The Maltese Falcon, and the Continental Op, you're missing great books.

The cover art originally appeared on the cover of Black Mask Magazine over 100 years ago on August 1, 1923 and lik

e the novel is in the public domain.

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - June 30, 2025

 June 30, 2025 and on this day eighty-one years ago in 1944, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ article, “Our Japanese Problem, was published in the Hawaii magazine. Burroughs. Burroughs was an unapologetic patriot and one might have expected a diatribe against the Japanese. It that’s what people expected they were disappointed. The article totally supported Japanese Americans, especially Japanese American soldiers. Burroughs condemned those who didn’t accept their contributions to America and the war effort. To quote, “I cannot forget that there are thousands of [Japanese] in Italy, fighting and dying at the side of other Americans; and I cannot conceive of America repaying them by disenfranchisement and deportation. There must be found a better way, a more American way."

For an example of Japanese Americans fighting with the United States, I’m going to reference a second generation Japanese American from Gallup, New Mexico, the Medal of Honor winner, Hiroshi Miyamura who fought during the Korean War. We are honored by his service.

The entire article may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag9/0941.html

America was struggling about what to do about Japanese Americans once the war ended. Proposals ranged from realistic to ridiculous, from assimilation to deportation, a subject very much in today’s headlines. Burroughs encouraged Americans to find a “More American Way” to deal with the perceived problem.

The drabble for today, “Perception or Reality,” is excerpted from the article and slightly edit to be exactly 100 words in length.

"How many Japanese Americans here are loyal citizens not even they themselves know, but that they have been law-abiding citizens is beyond question. Look at their record. Statistics showing the average annual number of convictions for murder, manslaughter, robbery, burglary, fraud, embezzlement, forgery, and for all sex crimes during two six-year periods, demonstrate convincingly that the Japanese have been law-abiding.

"And as to their asserted resistance to assimilation, which I assume refers to social intercourse and inter-marriage. That cannot be justly charged against them without first proving that they have resisted assimilation more than we have, which is rather doubtful."

#edgarriceburroghs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - June 29, 2025

 June 29, 2025 and fifty-two years ago on this day in 1973, actor Cecil Holland, who portrayed Colonel Vivier in the first authorized film based on a book by Edgar Rice Burrough, “The Lad and the Lion,” died. “The Lad and the Lion,” a silent film and one sadly lost, is about a young boy abandoned on a derelict ship with a lion. ERB wrote the pulp magazine version of the story in 1914 and revised and lengthened in 1938. “The Life of Pi” was written from 1999 to 2000 and published in 2001. Just saying. You don’t even have to use a decimal point to do the math.

Publishing details about the book, information about the film, and an electronic version of the novel are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0760.html

The film featured Vivian Reed, Will Machin, and Lafe Mckee. It was produced by the Selig Polyscope Company and directed by Alfred E. Green. The release of the film coincided with the publication of the story in All-Story Weekly, perhaps one of the first multimedia tie-ins in history.

Cecil Claude Holland was born in Gravesend-On-Thames in the UK and moved to San Francisco in the early 1900s. He helped with the city’s reconstruction after the famous fire.

Holland, who fought for the United States during WW1, later became an expert at applying make-up, and eventually left acting to do make-up full time. He was the first head of make-up for MGM.

He was known as “The Man of 1000 Faces,” a title inherited by Lon Chaney Sr. Chaney wrote the introduction to Cecil’s book, “The Art of Make-Up for Stage & Screen.”

The fictional 100 word drabble for today, “Don’t Bite the Hand That Makes You Pretty,” was inspired by Cecil’s career.

Lon Chaney said, “Cecil, does it bother you that people are calling me the man of a thousand faces.”

“No, Lon. It’s all yours. A makeup artist is a great gig, Steady work and good pay.”

“You make everyone into the best version of themselves.”

“Not really, Lon. I make people look like the best version of themselves. Beauty’s only skin deep and makeup is only an illusion. It doesn’t change who a person is.”

“Like Joan Crawford?”

“Yep. I told her that makeup won’t make her pretty inside unless she eats it. She beat me with a coat hanger.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025 and 109 years ago on this day in 1916, The Burroughs family on their cross-country trip, stopped in Hannibal, Missouri and visited Mark Twain’s boyhood home. The family stopped in Hannibal for vehicle repairs, not an uncommon occurrence on a 1916 road trip. Not only did the visit Twain’s home, but Ed, Joan, and Hulbert visited “Tom Sawyer’s Cave.”

According to the Association's 1916 Official Road Guide a trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the Lincoln Highway was "something of a sporting proposition" and might take 20 to 30 days. To make it in 30 days the motorist would need to average 18 miles an hour for 6 hours per day, and driving was only done in daylight hours. the trip was thought to cost no more than $5 a day per person, including food, gas, oil, and even "five or six meals in hotels." Car repairs would of course, increase the costs.

Since gasoline stations were still rare in many parts of the country, motorists were urged to top off their gasoline at every opportunity, even if they had done so recently.

A detailed article about the trip is located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag60/6020.html

The fictional drabble for today, "Contest," was inspired by the Family’s visit to Mark Twain’s home in 1916.

After their vehicle was repaired in Hannibal, Missouri, Ed and Hulbert had just started washing it when four boys stopped. One boy asked, “Whatcha doing?”

Ed smiled, “Me and Hully are having a contest. Whoever’s side of the car looks the best, wins a nickel.”

The boys huddled. “Can we try?”

“Yes, you can each wash a fourth of the car. Winner gets the nickel.”

The repairman watched the boys diligently working on the car. He handed Ed the repair bill and laughed, “Once the boys finish your car, I’ve got a fence that needs painting if you’re so inclined.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025 and seventy-two years ago on this day in 1953, the final episode, # 75, “Two in The Bush,” of the Commodore “Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle” radio series was broadcast, marking the end of new Tarzan radio broadcasts in the United States. Lamont Johnson was the voice of Tarzan. The introduction to each episode included the phrase, “from the immortal pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs,” even though ERB didn’t write any of the episodes.

The entire series is available to listen to at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag23/2337.html

The drabble for today is, “To A Louse,” inspired by the radio series and for those people who personify Major Bouncingbutt. Thanks to the film, “Bull Durham” and “To a Louse” by Robert Burns.

Major Bouncingbutt said, “I’m confident that the new prime minister will reappoint me as colonial governor. Everybody loves me and everybody loves the books I write.”

Tarzan said, “Major, you have a lot in common with the jungle animals. Life is a blessing for those who aren’t cursed with self-awareness.”

“Whatever do you mean. Everyone admires me except for backstabbing dogs.”

“Take a chance on a mirror, Major. As Bobby Burns wrote, “Would some Power the gift give us, to see ourselves as others see us!”

“I’ve read that. Are you calling me a louse?”

“The mirror, Major. The mirror.”