#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs

 May 31, 2025 and 103 years ago on this day in 1922, Edgar Rice Burroughs completed dictating “Tarzan and the Golden Lion” on his Ediphone.

The novel would be serialized in Argosy All-Story Weekly over the holidays in 1922/1923. The first edition was published by A. C. McClurg on March 24, 1923. The iconic cover by J. Allen St. John, which follows the theme of the pulp cover by P. J. Monahan, has become the symbol for Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc.

The novel, in my humble opinion, is one of the best.

Publishing details, several illustrations including book and magazine covers, and the complete Etext of the novel are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0495.html

The drabble for today is, “Ownership,” inspired by the novel and the relationship between Tarzan and Jal-bal-ja, the Golden Lion.

The soldier of fortune turned his rifle from Tarzan when the gigantic lion growled. “Tarzan,” he said, “The lion will kill us both.”

Tarzan growled. “I think not. I know this lion.’

‘You speak lion? Tell your lion to go away.”

“Not my lion. Owning a lion is like owning the wind.”

The lion tore the rifle from the man’s hands.

“Control your pet.”

“Friend, not pet.”

The man threatened the lion with a knife. The lion swallowed the man’s hand.

He screamed, “Stop your lion.”

Tarzan said, “Again, not my lion. Be happy he only wanted a snack.”

#Edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 30, 2025 - #clintwalker

May 30, 2025 and ninety-eight years ago on this day in 1927, actor Norman Eugene “Clint” Walker, a Tarzan-like character in the Bowery Boys’ film, “Jungle Gents,” was born in Hartford, Illinois. Clint is best known for his portrayal of Cheyenne Brodie in the television western series, “Cheyenne.” He appeared in several movies and television series, but a few of them were, “The Dirty Dozen,” “Send Me No Flowers,” “None But the Brave,” ‘Yellowstone Kelly,” and “Night of the Grizzly.”

His role as a “Tarzan” like character was his first acting role. There is anecdotal information that Clint tried out for the role as Tarzan, but wasn’t selected. I haven’t been able to verify that information.

In “Jungle Gents,” Walker’s character was unnamed. He was referred to as Anatta’s mate. Anatta was a jungle girl who apparently lived only to kill Huntz Hall, who reprised his role as Horace Debussy Jones (Sach). The jungle sets used for the film were the same sets used to film the “Bomba” films.

The drabble for today, “Hard For The Money.” is a series of quotations attributed to Clint Walker.

I worked on riverboats and joined the Merchant Marines. After WW2, I tried selling vacuum cleaners, insurance, and even cars. I worked on the waterfront making sure the longshoremen didn’t take too many things.

I never took myself too seriously. Acting is just a job, and it's important to have fun and enjoy the process. I was just a regular guy who happened to be in some movies.

I’ve had jobs that were hard work and it’s better to play a hardworking man than to be one.

End your day with a smile, a happy thought, and a grateful smile.

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs- May 29, 2025

 May 29, 2025 and ninety-six years ago on this day in 1929, Edgar Rice Burroughs submitted “A Fighting Man of Mars” to Argosy. It was rejected. Burroughs promptly submitted the seventh novel in the Barsoomian series to Blue Book Magazine, which serialized it monthly installments from April through September 1930. Laurence Herndon illustrated covers for five of the six installments and Frank Hoban did seven interior illustrations for each issue.

Publishing details, several illustrations and covers, and a complete Ebook are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0735.html

The novel features communication between Barsoom and Earth via the Gridley Wave. Jason Gridley, John Carter, and Ulysses Paxton make appearances, but the story belongs to the fighting man, Hadron of Hastor, who goes in search of the beautiful Sanoma Tora, who ultimately proves that beauty is only skin deep. She betrays Hadron, but when he saves her from the life she’s chosen, she switches allegiance and professes love for him. Hadron spurns her, saying that he loves a slave, the brave Tavia, a female worthy to be one of the heroines of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The story also introduces “the cloak of invisibility,” and how Harry Potter every ended up with it is beyond me.

The 100-word dabble for today, “Love the One You’re With,” was inspired by the novel, “The Fighting Man of Mars.” Kudos to performing artist Stephen Stills for the title of the drabble.

Hadron rescued the faithless Sanoma Tora, a beautiful woman had professed love, feigned or real, for her captor.

She cried. “I never loved him. I only pretended too in order to survive. I only love you.”

“I imagine you told him much the same. You’re well fed and wearing the fine robes and jewels he gave you.”

She spoke haughtily. “And I should suffer while I wait for you? Look into my eyes. You’ll see how much I love you.”

“Sanoma, the only thing I see in your eyes is deceit and disappointment, and I’ve had my fill of both.”

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

 May 28, 2025 and ninety-three years ago in 1932, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s short mystery story, “The Red Necktie,” was published in Rob Wagner’s Script Magazine. It’s a standalone mystery, a courtroom drama seeking the man who gave a red necktie to a judge and then murdered him.

You can read the entire mystery at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0048.html

The story was included in the book, “Forgotten Tales of Love and Murder,” published in 2001.

The 100-word drabble for today. “He’s Bound to be Guilty or He Wouldn’t be Here,” is excerpted from the jury instructions in the short story, “The Red Necktie and it was written my Edgar Rice Burroughs over ninety years ago. Credit to Rudyard Kipling for the title. The photo of the judge was the first one that came up when I googled “Judge in a red necktie,” and any political commentary is in the eye of the beholder.

“Gentlemen of the jury, during this trial the evidence has shown conclusively that one of these four defendants is guilty. These men have tried to shield one another, but the State has circumvented them by reducing the identification of the guilty man to a matter of cold figures. Unintentionally and unknowingly on their part, they have been adroitly led into divulging the identity of the culprit by revealing his age. The man against whom you must bring in a verdict of guilty, if this great and glorious nation is to endure, has just been identified by Mr. James, the prosecutor.”

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

 May 27, 2025 and on this day 124 years ago in 1900, Artist Rudolph Belarski, Argosy cover artist for "Synthetic Men of Mars," "The Red Star of Tarzan," "Carson of Venus" and the "Thrilling Adventures" cover for "Tarzan and the Jungle Murders" was born in Dupont, Pennsylvania. Belarski specialized in World War One covers for the pulps, including covers for War Aces, War Birds, War Novels, and War Stories.

He remained an active magazine cover artist until sometime in the 1960s and an art instructor until 1972.

There's an article about Rudolph and his ERB related work at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag10/1004.html

The fictional drabble for today is “”Call it a Draw,” was inspired by his career.

John Barrett, an prospective art student, called Ralph Belarski. “Hi, my name’s Josh and I want to illustrate paperback books like that Frazetta guy. How much to teach me?”

“I charge by the hour. There’s no way to say how much until I see your work.”

“My friends say my stuff is great.”

“Your friends aren’t buying cover art. What training have you had.”

“None. This art stuff is easy. I don’t worry about proportions, perspectives, or that vanishing point thing. I’m a natural.”

“I have no doubt. Everything is easy for people who don’t understand how hard it is.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 26, 2025

 May 26, 2025 and one hundred and eight years ago on this day in 1917, Motion Picture World reviewed and summarized the silent film, “The Lad and the Lion,” based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novel of the same name.

“The Lad and the Lion” (1917) was the first film made of a Burroughs’ story and the Selig Polyscope Company paid ERB $100 per reel for this five-reeler. Despite his considerable efforts to get film companies interested in his stories, this was the only success he had until “Tarzan of the Apes” was filmed the next year. The Lad and the Lion had the distinction of having its premiere (May 14, 1917) coincide with the print release of the story in “All-Story Weekly.” The film story was loosely remade in 1937 under the title “The Lion Man.”

Details about the film “The Lad and the Lion,” the revies and several illustrations are located at:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0450.html

The 100-word drabble for today is from that review written by George H. Shorey.

This is the story of a narrative romance, with a most unusual setting and one of the most remarkable animal characters we have ever seen. We cannot say that the dramatic pieces held us spellbound, nor can we say that the realistic leaps of the lion made us shiver, but we feel that audiences not inured to the tricks of the camera will perhaps get the real thrill intended. It is there, logically, The Chief reason it did not get us was that the action was too rapid, and to foreign to our sympathies to hold us to the spot.

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 25, 2025

 May 25, 2025 and seventeen years ago on this day in 2008, the United States’ Phoenix Lander, successfully landed in the Green Valley of the Vastitas Borealis on Mars.

The Lander carried the equipment for several scientific experiments, but also a special DVD compiled by The Planetary Society. The disc contains “Visions of Mars,= a multimedia collection of literature and art about the Red Planet. Works include the text of H. G. Wells’ 1897 novel “War of the Worlds,” and the1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles, Percival Lowell’s 1908 bool, “Mars as the Abode of Life,” all eleven Barsoom novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles,” and Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Green Mars.”

A number of my short stories are contained on similar archival disks on the moon.

The 100-word drabble for today is actually 111 words long, but I didn’t want to edit it. It’s the complete message on the disk.

This archive, provided to the NASA Phoenix mission by The Planetary Society, contains literature and art (Visions of Mars), greetings from Mars visionaries of our day, and names of 21st century Earthlings who wanted to send their names to Mars. This DVD-ROM is designed to be read on personal computers in 2007. Information is stored in a spiral groove on the disc. A laser beam can scan the groove when metallized or a microscope can be used. Very small bumps and holes represent the zeroes and ones of digital information. The groove is about 0.74 micrometres wide. For more information refer to the standards document ECMA-268 (80 mm DVD Read-Only Disk)

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - may 24, 2025

 May 24, 2025 and eighty-one years ago on this day in 1944, Edgar Rice Burroughs finished writing the short story, “Uncle Bill.” The 1787-word horror story remained unpublished until 2001 when it was included in “Forgotten Tales of Love and Murder,” published by Adkins and Guidry. There is conflicting information about the day the story was completed, with some sources saying it was completed on May 20, 1944.

You can read the entire story and a review at: http://erbzine.com/mag67/6726.html

The drabble for today, “Poor Bill is Dead,” was written by ERB historian, Irwin Porges.

“Despite some successful touches of realism, the story becomes merely a horror incident, the ending anticipated as soon as Bob and Mary discuss the attic. The viewpoint adopted by Burroughs, with Mary, the narrator, merely summarizing events, destroys the necessary suspense and of course weakens the characterization. Aunt Phoebe does not receive the individual development needed to explain her actions, and since the relationship between her and Uncle Bill is never established, the reader can conceive of no reason for the murder. Sent to the Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, and Cosmopolitan in 1944, "Uncle Bill" was rejected by all three.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 23, 2025

 May 23, 2025 and 112 years ago on this day in 1913, Rand McNally rejected the novel, “Tarzan of the Apes,” only one day after they received the submission from Edgar Rice Burroughs. Rand McNally sold map books. It’s 112 years later and map books have virtually vanished. Nice call, guys. When I realize that McNally only gave Tarzan a cursory glance before sending it back, I remember a quotation that I learned at the University of Oklahoma from a friend named Dave Curtis. I’m sure I’ll mangle it here. Sorry, Dave.

“Less we forget or leave a lesson yet unlearned, this was the least of the price we paid for having left one stone unturned.”

Rand McNally is an American company that provides mapping software and hardware for consumer electronics, commercial transportation, and education markets. The company is headquartered in Illinois with a distribution center in Kentucky. I expect that a lot more people are interested in the location of the Jewel Vaults of Opar than are interested in the highway to the Rand McNally offices.

Publishing details, numerous illustrations and a complete Ebook of “Tarzan of the Apes,” are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0483.html

The fictional drabble, “Royalties be Dammed, for today is a conversation between Rand and McNally. While the conversation is fictional, the conclusion isn’t.

Rand said, “That writer, Edgar Rice Burroughs,” sent us his Tarzan novel. It was a great success for All-Story Magazine. I’ve already read it. I think you should.”

“I’ve read it myself,” answered McNally. “Just return it. We publish maps.”

“We published ‘Mother Goose, why not Tarzan?”

“Think about our business plan. We don’t pay author royalties on maps. We keep all the earnings.”

“And Mother Goose?”

“Don’t be a silly goose, we don’t pay royalties there either. We’ll never be successful if we have to share our profits with writers. Send Tarzan back to the jungle whence he came.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day with Edgar Rice Burroughs = May 22, 2025

 May 22, 2025 and 101 years ago on this day in 1925, Edgar Rice Burroughs presented his daughter, Joan, with the handwritten draft of the graduation address he made to the graduating 1894 class at the Michigan Military Academy. He was president of the 1895 class.

The 100 word drabble for today is an excerpt from that speech. The entire speech may be read at:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0031.html. Enjoy.

I thank the Senior Class for the honorable and impartial way they have treated us both as officers and Men... and in bidding them a last farewell. May their future lives contain as many bright hours and as few real trials as this Cadet Day have in the past.

Our hearts fill and something rises in our throats as we look into the faces of the comrades about to leave us, We can well imagine that the same 'Something' rises in their throats as the thought comes to them that after tonight, Cadet Gray is a thing of the past.

Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association - Membership openings

 The Edgar Rice Burroughs Amateur Press Association has membership openings. Issues 164 and 165 were recently distributed to the members by editor Scott Tracy Griffin. The APA has been published / distributed for over 41 consecutive years.

If you a fan or aficionado of Edgar Rice Burroughs, related films, artwork, comics, or even the radio shows, this is your chance to be an active participate.

Contact the editor at tracyg04@aol.com for details.

More detailed information on the group is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/apa/

That page gives an alternative email address for the editor, but use tracy04@aol.com for a faster response.

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 21, 2025

 May 21, 2025 and ninety years ago on this day in 1935, the film / serial “The New Adventures of Tarzan,” produced by Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises, was released. According to Wikipedia, movie houses had the choice of booking the serial in 12 episodes, the feature film (also called The New Adventures of Tarzan), or the feature film followed by 11 episodes of the serial.

Tarzan films were major money earners in the world market in the thirties, with as much as 75 per cent of the total gross from foreign box office. In fact, in many African and Asian countries their premiers were black-tie affairs. In 1934, to cash in on this popularity and the considerable profits to be made in production and distribution, Burroughs teamed with George W. Stout, Ben S. Cohen and Lee Ashton Dearholt to form a film company to promote ERB's works.

The film starred Herman Brix as Tarzan. After WW2, Brix would continue acting under the name Bruce Bennett. The female lead used the name Ula Holt, who was born as Florence Eugene Watson and also used the stage name Ula Vale. She changed her name once more after marrying the director, Aston Dearholt. The film itself also had another title, “Tarzan and the Green Goddess.”

Several photos, details, and a complete copy of the film are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0584.html

The 100-word fictional drabble for today is, “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.” I enjoyed the film, but I didn’t care for Holt’s acting.

Herman Brix and Ula Holt visited after completing the filming of “The New Adventures of Tarzan.’ Brix said, “Dearholt told me that if this film isn’t successful, he re-release it with a new title.”

“Will we be paid twice?”

‘ No chance of that, Ula. I’m going to change my stage name. I don’t want to be typecast. New name, new career.”

“ I’ll change my name as well.”

“Ula, don’t bother.”

“Why not.”

“It’s true that a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but calling a sow a queen won’t stop her from stinking up the house.”

#edgarriceburroughs - Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs - May 20, 2025

 May 20, 2025 and eleven years ago on this day in 2014, Edgar Rice Burroughs Incorporated announced agreement with “Dynamite Comics” to relaunch “John Carter: Warlord of Mars,” comic.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc .and Dynamite Entertainment, announced today a comprehensive agreement that will see the return of Burroughs' original "John Carter: Warlord of Mars" to the pages of comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. The agreement allowed for the world-wide publication of the John Carter universe as well as "Lord of the Jungle" and ERB's library of archival material.

The initiative came on the heels of the reacquisition of comic book rights by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. that had been held by Walt Disney Pictures and its Marvel Entertainment subsidiary, as well as a recent legal settlement with Dynamite that cleared the way for Dynamite to introduce key characters and plot elements from the John Carter back story that were, until now, absent from recent comic book interpretations.

The 100-word drabble for today, “The Father of Space Adventure” is an excerpt from that article. The entire article may be read at: https://www.prweb.com/.../edgar_rice.../prweb11866552.htm

"It was important to reacquire comic book and comic strip rights from Marvel Entertainment so we could reintroduce them in the market place. We're excited to see the exploits of ERB’s first science fiction adventure hero brought to life in their fullness by the passionate creative talents assembled by the folks at Dynamite," said James Sullos, President of ERB Inc. "They're true fans - and it shows on every page and in every idea they've shared with us. Now fans everywhere will be able to appreciate the original adventure stories that later spawned Flash Gordon, Superman, Star Wars and Avatar."

If you start at: https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewProduct.html?PRO=C72513031883105011=1

You can order several of the issues directly from the publisher.