![Tarzan and the Golden Lion](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Tarzan_and_the_Golden_Lion.jpg)
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer.
Created by
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. Best-known for creating the characters Tarzan and John Carter, he ...
, Tarzan first appeared in the novel ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' (magazine publication 1912, book publication 1914), and subsequently in 23 sequels, several books by Burroughs and other authors, and innumerable works in other media, both authorized and unauthorized.
Character biography
Tarzan is the son of a British lord and lady who were marooned on the coast of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
by mutineers. When Tarzan was an infant, his mother died, and his father was killed by
Kerchak
Kerchak is a fictional ape character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's original ''Tarzan'' novel, ''Tarzan of the Apes'', and in movies and other media based on it.
History
In the novel ''Tarzan of the Apes'', Kerchak is the "king" of a tribal band of M ...
, leader of the ape tribe by whom Tarzan was adopted.
Soon after his parents' death, Tarzan became a feral child, and his tribe of apes is known as the
Mangani
''Mangani'' is the name of a fictional species of great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of the invented language used by these apes. In the invented language, ''Mangani'' (meaning "great-ape") is the apes' word for their own ...
,
great ape
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the east ...
s of a species unknown to science.
Kala
Kala or Kalah may refer to:
Religion Hinduism
*Kāla, a Sanskrit word meaning ''time''
*Kāla, a Hindu deity of time, destiny, death and destruction closely related to Yama and Shiva.
*Kalā, a Sanskrit word meaning ''performing arts''
* Kala Bo, ...
is his ape mother. Burroughs added stories occurring during Tarzan's adolescence in his sixth Tarzan book, ''
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' is a collection of twelve loosely connected short stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. ...
''.
Jane
As an 18-year-old, Tarzan meets a young American woman named
Jane Porter
Jane Porter (3 December 1775 – 24 May 1850) was an English historical novelist, dramatist and literary figure. Her bestselling novels, ''Thaddeus of Warsaw'' (1803) and ''The Scottish Chiefs'' (1810) are seen as among the earliest historical ...
. She, her father, and others of their party are marooned on the same coastal jungle area where Tarzan's human parents were 20 years earlier. When Jane returns to the United States, Tarzan leaves the jungle in search of her, his one true love. In ''
The Return of Tarzan
''The Return of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine '' New Story Magazine'' in the issues for Ju ...
'', Tarzan and Jane marry. In later books, he lives with her for a time in England. They have one son, Jack, who takes the ape name
Korak (the Killer). Tarzan is
contempt
Contempt is a pattern of attitudes and behaviour, often towards an individual or a group, but sometimes towards an ideology, which has the characteristics of disgust and anger.
The word originated in 1393 in Old French contempt, contemps, ...
uous of what he sees as the
hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the practice of engaging in the same behavior or activity for which one criticizes another or the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform. In moral psychology, it is the ...
of
civilization
A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system).
Ci ...
, so Jane and he return to Africa, making their home on an extensive estate in British East Africa that becomes a base for Tarzan's later adventures.
As revealed in ''
Tarzan's Quest
''Tarzan's Quest'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in six parts, as ''Tarzan and the Immortal Men'', in ''The Blue Book ...
'', Tarzan, Jane, Tarzan's monkey friend
Nkima
Nkima is a fictional character in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly comics.
His name comes from either the word N'kima ('monkey' in the Mbugu language, a regional dialect of Swahili), ...
, and their allies gained some of the Kavuru's pills that grant immortality to their consumer.
Name
![Harikalar Diyari Tarzan 06014 nevit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Harikalar_Diyari_Tarzan_06014_nevit.jpg)
"Tarzan" is the ape-name of John Clayton,
Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
Greystoke, according to Burroughs's ''
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seas ...
''. (Later, less canonical sources, notably the 1984 film ''
Greystoke'', make him Earl of Greystoke.) The narrator in ''Tarzan of the Apes'' describes both "Clayton" and "Greystoke" as fictitious names, implying that, within the fictional world that Tarzan inhabits, he may have a different real name.
Burroughs considered other names for the character, including "Zantar" and "Tublat Zan", before he settled on "Tarzan". Though the copyright on ''Tarzan of the Apes'' has expired in the United States and in other countries,
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is an American holding company founded in 1923 by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is based in Tarzana, California. The company holds the rights to the literary works of Burroughs that are still protected by copyright (a ...
claims the name "Tarzan" as a trademark.
Physical abilities
![The Adventures of Tarzan (1921) - 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/The_Adventures_of_Tarzan_%281921%29_-_2.jpg)
Tarzan's jungle upbringing gives him abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans. These include climbing, clinging, and leaping as well as any great ape. He uses branches, swings from
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
s to travel at great speed, and can use his feet like hands (he prefers going barefoot because he relies on the flexibility of bare feet), a skill acquired among the
anthropoid ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister g ...
s.
His strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and swimming skills are extraordinary; he has wrestled not just full-grown apes, but also
gorilla
Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
s, lions,
rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
s,
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
s,
python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pro ...
s, leopards,
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...
s, tigers, giant seahorses, and even
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
s (when he visited
Pellucidar
Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth invented by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event, Tarzan, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar.
The stories initially involv ...
). Tarzan is a skilled tracker, and uses his exceptional hearing and keen sense of smell to follow
prey
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
or avoid predators.
Language and literacy
As originally depicted, Tarzan/John Clayton is very intelligent and articulate, and does not speak in broken English as the classic movies of the 1930s depict him. He can communicate with many species of jungle animals, and has been shown to be a skilled impressionist, able to mimic the sound of a gunshot perfectly.
Tarzan is literate in English before he first encounters other English-speaking people. His literacy is self-taught after several years in his early teens by visiting the log cabin of his infancy and looking at children's primer/picture books. He eventually reads every book in his father's portable book collection, and is fully aware of geography, basic world history, and his family tree. He is "found" by traveling Frenchman Paul d'Arnot, who teaches him the basics of human speech and returns with him to civilization. When Tarzan first encounters d'Arnot, he tells him (in writing): "I speak only the language of my tribe—the great apes who were Kerchak's; and a little of the languages of Tantor, the elephant, and Numa, the lion, and of the other folks of the jungle I understand."
Tarzan can learn a new language in days, ultimately speaking many languages, including that of the great apes,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
, English,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Swahili, many other
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages (English: , Proto-Bantu: *bantʊ̀) are a large family of languages spoken by the Bantu people of Central, Southern, Eastern africa and Southeast Africa. They form the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid languages.
The t ...
,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
,
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
,
Ancient Latin, and
Mayan
Mayan most commonly refers to:
* Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America
* Mayan languages, language family spoken ...
, as well as the languages of the
Ant Men and of
Pellucidar
Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth invented by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event, Tarzan, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar.
The stories initially involv ...
.
Literature
![Tarzan of the Apes in color](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Tarzan_of_the_Apes_in_color.jpg)
Tarzan has been called one of the best-known
literary character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in ...
s in the world. In addition to more than two dozen books by Burroughs and a handful more by authors with the blessing of Burroughs's estate, the character has appeared in
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s,
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
,
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
,
comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
s, and
comic books
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
. Numerous parodies and pirated works have also appeared.
Critical reception
While ''Tarzan of the Apes'' met with some critical success, subsequent books in the series received a cooler reception and have been criticized for being derivative and formulaic. The characters are often said to be two-dimensional, the dialogue wooden, and the storytelling devices (such as excessive reliance on coincidence) strain credulity. According to
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
(who himself wrote stories of a feral child, ''
The Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, ...
''s
Mowgli
Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" (co ...
), Burroughs wrote ''Tarzan of the Apes'' just so he could "find out how bad a book he could write and get away with it."
While Burroughs was not a polished novelist, he was a vivid storyteller. Most of his novels are still in print. In 1963, author
Gore Vidal
Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and ...
wrote a piece on the Tarzan series that, while pointing out several of the deficiencies that the Tarzan books have as works of literature, praises Burroughs for creating a compelling "daydream figure." Critical reception grew more positive with the 1981 study by Erling B. Holtsmark, ''Tarzan and Tradition: Classical Myth in Popular Literature''. Holtsmark added a volume on Burroughs for Twayne's United States Author Series in 1986. In 2010, Stan Galloway provided a sustained study of the adolescent period of the fictional Tarzan's life in ''The Teenage Tarzan''.
Despite critical panning, the Tarzan stories have remained popular. Burroughs's melodramatic situations and the elaborate details he works into his fictional world, such as his construction of a partial language for his great apes, appeal to a worldwide fan base.
Unauthorized works
After Burroughs's death, a number of writers produced new Tarzan stories. In some instances, the estate managed to prevent publication of such works. The most notable example in the United States was a series of five novels by the pseudonymous "Barton Werper" that appeared 1964–65 by Gold Star Books (part of
Charlton Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1945 to 1986, having begun under a different name: T.W.O. Charles Company, in 1940. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton ...
). As a result of legal action by
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is an American holding company founded in 1923 by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is based in Tarzana, California. The company holds the rights to the literary works of Burroughs that are still protected by copyright (a ...
, they were taken off the market. Similar series appeared in other countries, notably Argentina, Israel, and some Arab countries.
Modern fiction
In 1972,
science-fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
author
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.
Obituary.
Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the ''World of Tiers ...
wrote ''
Tarzan Alive
''Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke'' is a fictional biography by American author Philip José Farmer, that alleges the life of Edgar Rice Burroughs' character Tarzan, is a story of a real person. The book was first published i ...
'', a biography of Tarzan using the
frame device that he was a real person. In Farmer's fictional universe, Tarzan, along with
Doc Savage
Doc Savage is a fictional character of the competent man hero type, who first appeared in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. Real name Clark Savage Jr., he is a doctor, scientist, adventurer, detective, and polymath who "rights w ...
and
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
, are the cornerstones of the
Wold Newton family
The Wold Newton family is a literary concept derived from a form of crossover fiction developed by the American science fiction writer Philip José Farmer.
Origins
In real life a meteorite, called the Wold Cottage meteorite, fell near Wold New ...
. Farmer wrote two novels, ''
Hadon of Ancient Opar
''Hadon of Ancient Opar'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books in April 1974, and reprinted three times through 1983. The first British edition was published by Magnum in 1977; it wa ...
'' and ''
Flight to Opar
''Flight to Opar'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Philip José Farmer, first published in paperback by DAW Books in June 1976, and reprinted twice through 1983. The first British edition was published by Magnum in 1977; it was reprinted b ...
'', set in the distant past and giving further knowledge of the antecedents of the lost city of
Opar, which plays an important role in the Tarzan books. In addition, Farmer's ''
A Feast Unknown
''A Feast Unknown'' is a novel written by American author Philip José Farmer. The novel is a pastiche of pulp fiction, erotica, and horror fiction. It was originally published in 1969, and was followed by two sequels, '' Lord of the Trees'' and ' ...
'', and its two sequels ''
Lord of the Trees
''Lord of the Trees'' is an American novel by Philip José Farmer. Originally released in 1970, it was one of two intertwining sequels to Farmer's previous ''A Feast Unknown'', along with ''The Mad Goblin''. ''Lord of the Trees'' features Lord Gr ...
'' and ''
The Mad Goblin
''The Mad Goblin'' is an American novel by Philip José Farmer. Originally released in 1970, it was one of two intertwining sequels to Farmer's previous '' A Feast Unknown'', along with '' Lord of the Trees''. ''The Mad Goblin'' features Doc Cali ...
'', are pastiches of the Tarzan and Doc Savage stories, with the premise that they tell the story of the real characters upon which the fictional characters are based. ''A Feast Unknown'' is somewhat infamous among Tarzan and Doc Savage fans for its graphic violence and sexual content.
Themes of gender and race
In her ''Manliness and Civilization'', Gail Bederman describes how various people of the time either challenged or upheld the idea that "civilization" is predicated on white
masculinity
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
. She closes with a chapter on ''Tarzan of the Apes'' (1912) because the story's protagonist is, according to her, the ultimate male by the standards of 1912 White Americans. Bederman does note that Tarzan, "an instinctively chivalrous Anglo-Saxon," does not engage in sexual violence, renouncing his "masculine impulse to rape." However, she also notes that not only does Tarzan kill black man Kulonga in revenge for killing his ape mother (a stand-in for his biological White mother) by
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...
him, "
lyncher Tarzan" actually enjoys killing black people, for example the cannibalistic Mbongans.
[Bederman, Gail. 1995. ]
Manliness and Civilization: A Cultural History of Gender and Race in the United States, 1880–1917
'. Tarzan and After. pp. 219–240.
Bederman, in fact, reminds readers that when Tarzan first introduces himself to Jane, he does so as "Tarzan, the killer of beasts and many black men". The novel climaxes with Tarzan saving Jane (who in the original novel is not British, but a southern White woman from
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
) from a
black ape rapist. When he leaves the jungle and sees "civilized" Africans farming, his first instinct is to kill them just for being Black. "Like the lynch victims reported in the Northern press, Tarzan's victimscowards, cannibals, and despoilers of white womanhoodlack all manhood. Tarzan's
lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
s thus prove him the superior man."
According to Bederman, despite Tarzan embodying all the tropes of white supremacy espoused or rejected by the people she had reviewed (
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
,
G. Stanley Hall
Granville Stanley Hall (February 1, 1846 – April 24, 1924) was a pioneering American psychologist and educator. His interests focused on human life span development and evolutionary theory. Hall was the first president of the American Psy ...
,
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (; née Perkins; July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer, advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She wa ...
,
Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells (full name: Ida Bell Wells-Barnett) (July 16, 1862 – March 25, 1931) was an American investigative journalist, educator, and early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the National Association for ...
), Burroughs, in all probability, was not trying to make any kind of statement or echo any of them. "He probably never heard of any of them." Instead, Bederman writes that Burroughs proves her point because, in telling racist and sexist stories whose protagonist boasted of killing black people, he was not being unusual at all, but was instead just being a typical 1912 White American.
Race
The Tarzan books and movies employ extensive stereotyping. With changing social views and customs this has led to criticism, including charges of racism since the early 1970s. The early books give a pervasively negative and stereotypical portrayal of native
Africans
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
, including
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
s. In ''
The Return of Tarzan
''The Return of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine '' New Story Magazine'' in the issues for Ju ...
'', Arabs are "surly looking" and call Christians "dogs", while
black Africans
Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in s ...
are "lithe, ebon warriors, gesticulating and jabbering".
In regards to race, a superior–inferior relationship with valuation is implied in virtually all interactions between white and black people in the Tarzan stories, and similar relationships and valuations can be seen in most other interactions between differing people. According to
James Loewen
James William Loewen (February 6, 1942August 19, 2021) was an American sociologist, historian, and author. He was best known for his 1995 book, ''Lies My Teacher Told Me, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wron ...
's ''Sundown Towns'', this may be a vestige of Burroughs's having been from
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census estimate. Oak Park was first settled in 1835 and later incorporated in ...
, a former
Sundown town
Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...
(a town that forbids non-white people from living within it).
Tarzan is a white European male who grows up with apes. According to "Taking Tarzan Seriously" by Marianna Torgovnick, Tarzan is confused with the
social hierarchy
Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). As su ...
that he is a part of. Unlike everyone else in his society, Tarzan is the only one who is not clearly part of any
social group
In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties ...
. All the other members of his world are not able to climb or decline socially because they are already part of a social hierarchy which is stagnant. Turgovnick writes that since Tarzan was raised as an ape, he thinks and acts like an ape. However, instinctively he is human and he resorts to being human when he is pushed to. The reason of his confusion is that he does not understand what the typical white male is supposed to act like. His instincts eventually kick in when he is in the midst of this confusion, and he ends up dominating the jungle. In Tarzan, the jungle is a microcosm for the world in general in 1912 to the early 1930s. His climbing of the social hierarchy proves that the European white male is the most dominant of all races/sexes, no matter what the circumstance. Furthermore, Turgovnick writes that when Tarzan first meets Jane, she is slightly repulsed but also fascinated by his animal-like actions. As the story progresses, Tarzan surrenders his knife to Jane in an oddly chivalrous gesture, which makes Jane fall for Tarzan despite his odd circumstances. Turgovnick believes that this displays an instinctual, civilized chivalry that Burrough believes is common in white men.
Gender dynamic
Burroughs's opinions, manifested through the narrative voice in the stories, reflect common attitudes in his time, which in a 21st-century context would be considered racist and sexist.
Although the character of Tarzan does not directly engage in violence against women, feminist scholars have critiqued the presence of other sympathetic male characters who do so with Tarzan's approval.
In ''
Tarzan and the Ant Men
''Tarzan and the Ant Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the tenth in his series of twenty-four books about the jungle hero Tarzan. It was first published as a seven-part serial in the magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' ...
'', the men of a fictional tribe of creatures called the Alali gain social dominance of their society by beating Alali women into submission with weapons that Tarzan willingly provides them.
Following the battle, Burroughs (p. 178) states:
To entertain Tarzan and to show him what great strides civilization had taken—the son of The First Woman seized a female by the hair and dragging her to him struck her heavily about the head and face with his clenched fist, and the woman fell upon her knees and fondled his legs, looking wistfully into his face, her own glowing with love and admiration.
While Burroughs depicts some female characters with humanistic equalizing elements, Torgovnick argues that violent scenes against women in the context of male political and social domination are condoned in his writing, reinforcing a notion of gendered hierarchy where
patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
is portrayed as the natural pinnacle of society.
Tarzan in other media
Film
The first Tarzan films were
silent pictures
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...
adapted from the original ''Tarzan'' novels, which appeared within a few years of the character's creation. The first actor to portray the adult Tarzan was
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 and ...
in 1918's film ''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
''. With the advent of
talking pictures
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
, a popular Tarzan film franchise was developed, lasting from the 1930s through the 1960s. Starting with ''
Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to
* Tarzan, a fictional character
* ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller
* ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller
* ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...
'' in 1932 through twelve films until 1948, the franchise was anchored by former
Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...
in the title role. Tarzan films from the 1930s on often featured Tarzan's
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
companion
Cheeta
Cheeta (sometimes billed as Cheetah, Cheta, and Chita) is a chimpanzee character that appeared in numerous Hollywood Tarzan films of the 1930s–1960s, as well as the 1966–1968 television series, as the ape sidekick of the title character, Ta ...
, his consort
Jane
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...
(not usually given a last name), and an adopted son, usually known only as "Boy." However, productions by
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
from 1959 onward dropped the character of Jane and portrayed Tarzan as a lone adventurer. Later Tarzan films have been occasional and somewhat
idiosyncratic
An idiosyncrasy is an unusual feature of a person (though there are also other uses, see below). It can also mean an odd habit. The term is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. A synonym may be "quirk".
Etymology
The term "idiosyncra ...
.
There were also several serials and features that competed with the main franchise, including ''
Tarzan the Fearless
''Tarzan the Fearless'' is a 12 chapter American Pre-Code film serial starring Buster Crabbe in his only appearance as Tarzan. It was also released as a 61-minute feature film which consisted of the first four chapters edited together, and whi ...
'' (1933) starring
Buster Crabbe
Clarence Linden Crabbe II (; February 7, 1908 – April 23, 1983), known professionally as Buster Crabbe, was an American two-time Olympic swimmer and film and television actor. He won the 1932 Olympic gold medal for 400-meter freestyle swimmi ...
and ''
The New Adventures of Tarzan
''The New Adventures of Tarzan'' is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters starring Herman Brix. The serial presents a more authentic version of the character than most other film adaptations, with Tarzan as the cultured and well-educated gent ...
'' (1935) starring
Herman Brix
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...
. The latter serial was unique for its period in that it was partially filmed on location (
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
) and portrayed Tarzan as educated. It was the only Tarzan film project for which Burroughs was personally involved in the production.
Weissmuller and his immediate successors were enjoined to portray the ape-man as a
noble savage
A noble savage is a literary stock character who embodies the concept of the indigene, outsider, wild human, an "other" who has not been "corrupted" by civilization, and therefore symbolizes humanity's innate goodness. Besides appearing in man ...
speaking broken English, in marked contrast to the cultured
aristocrat
The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...
of Edgar Rice Burroughs's novels (the
pidgin English
Pidgin English is a non-specific name used to refer to any of the many pidgin languages derived from English. Pidgins that are spoken as first languages become creoles.
English-based pidgins that became stable contact languages, and which have ...
being more linguistically plausible). With the exception of Burroughs's co-produced ''The New Adventures of Tarzan'', this "me Tarzan, you Jane" characterization of Tarzan persisted until the late 1950s, when Weintraub, having bought the
film rights
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
from producer
Sol Lesser
Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961.
Biography
In 1913, while living in San F ...
, produced ''
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' is a 1959 Eastmancolor adventure film directed by John Guillermin, produced by Sy Weintraub and Harvey Hayutin, and written by Les Crutchfield, based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With a st ...
'' (1959) followed by eight other films and a television series. The Weintraub productions portray a Tarzan that is closer to Burroughs's original concept in the novels: a jungle lord who speaks grammatical English and is well educated and familiar with civilization. Most Tarzan films made before the mid-1950s were
black-and-white films shot on studio sets, with
stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...
jungle footage edited in. The Weintraub productions from 1959 on were shot in foreign locations and were in color.
More recently, ''
Tarzan, the Ape Man'', starring
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe (born June 20, 1954) is an American film and television actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of '' Tarzan, the Ape Man''.
Youth
O'Keeffe was born in Ripley, Tennessee. A star footb ...
and
Bo Derek
Bo Derek (born Mary Cathleen Collins, November 20, 1956) is an American actress and model. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy '' 10'' (1979). Her first husband John Derek directed her in '' Fantasies''; '' Tarzan, the Ape Man ...
, was released in 1981.
Tony Goldwyn
Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...
voiced Tarzan in
Disney's
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animated film of the same name, released in 1999 (making it the first major animated motion picture to star the Ape Man) and his ape family were portrayed as gorillas in the film. This version marked a new beginning for the ape man, taking its inspiration equally from Burroughs and the 1984 live-action film ''
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes''. Since ''Greystoke'', two additional
live-action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
Tarzan films have been released, 1998's ''
Tarzan and the Lost City
''Tarzan and the Lost City'' is a 1998 American adventure film directed by Carl Schenkel, and starring Casper Van Dien and Jane March with Steven Waddington. The screenplay by Bayard Johnson and J. Anderson Black is loosely based on the Tarzan stor ...
'' and 2016's ''
The Legend of Tarzan'', both
period piece
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
s that drew inspiration from Edgar Rice Burroughs's writings.
Radio
Tarzan was the hero of two popular radio programs in the United States. The first aired from 1932 to 1936 with
James Pierce
James Hubert Pierce (August 8, 1900 – December 11, 1983) was an American actor and the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film. He appeared in films from 1924 to 1951.
Background
Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. He was an All-America ...
in the role of Tarzan. The second ran from 1951 to 1953 with
Lamont Johnson
Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards.
Early years
Johnson was born in Stoc ...
in the title role.
The Tarzan book series was later modernized and parodied in an authorized 2021 golden-age radio styled podcast program entitled ''The Adventures of Tarzan'', produced by the Freshly Squeezed Pulp comedy troupe of Duke University.
Television
![Travis Fimmel by Gage Skidmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Travis_Fimmel_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
Television later emerged as a primary vehicle bringing the character to the public. From the mid-1950s, all the extant sound Tarzan films became staples of Saturday morning television aimed at young and teenaged viewers. In 1958, movie Tarzan
Gordon Scott
Gordon Scott (born Gordon Merrill Werschkul; August 3, 1926 – April 30, 2007) was an American film and television actor known for his portrayal of the fictional character Tarzan in five films (and one compilation of three made-as-a ...
filmed three episodes for a prospective television series. The program did not sell, but a different live action ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' series produced by
Sy Weintraub
Sy Weintraub (May 28, 1923 – April 4, 2000) was an American film and television producer best known for his series of Tarzan films and television episodes between 1959 and 1968. Weintraub broke with the Johnny Weissmuller formula of portraying ...
and starring
Ron Ely
Ronald Pierce Ely (born June 21, 1938) is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
Ely is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series ''Tarzan'' and for playing the lead role in ...
ran on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
from 1966 to 1968. This depiction of Tarzan is a well-educated bachelor who grew tired of urban civilization and is in his native African jungle once again.
Tarzan was voiced by
Robert Ridgely
Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931 – February 8, 1997) was an American actor, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work.
Biography
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, Ridgely worked as a cabaret entertainer.Staff"Robert Ridgely, 65 ...
and Danton Burroughs
in the animated series from
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
, titled ''
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seas ...
'' (1976–1977), as well as in the
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
programs that followed:
* ''
Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour'' (1977–1978);
* ''
Tarzan and the Super 7
''Tarzan and the Super 7'' is a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS.
The show consisted of separate installments featuring seven groups of adventurers:
* ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle ...
'' (1978–1980);
* ''
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
''The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour'' is an animated television series produced by Filmation that aired on CBS during the early 1980s.
The series consisted of reruns of ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' paired with new episodes of Filmation's ver ...
'' (1980–1981); and
* ''
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour'' (1981–1982).
Joe Lara
William Joseph Lara (October 2, 1962 – May 29, 2021) was an American actor, martial artist, and musician, known for the role of Tarzan in the American TV series '' Tarzan: The Epic Adventures''.
Career
Lara played Tarzan in the 1989 TV movie ' ...
starred in the title role in ''
Tarzan in Manhattan
''Tarzan in Manhattan'' is a 1989 action adventure CBS television film. Joe Lara portrays Tarzan, and Kim Crosby appears as Jane Porter. Tony Curtis and Jan-Michael Vincent co-star. The telefilm was produced by Max A. Keller, Micheline H. ...
'' (1989), an offbeat
TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
, and later returned in a completely different interpretation, titled ''
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' (1996), a new live-action series.
In between the two productions with Lara, ''
Tarzán
''Tarzán'' is a television series that aired in syndication from 1991–1994. In this version of the show, Tarzan (Wolf Larson) was portrayed as a blond environmentalist, with Jane (Lydie Denier) turned into a French ecologist. The series aired ...
'' (1991–1994), a half-hour
syndicated series in which Tarzan is portrayed as a blond
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
, with Jane turned into a French
ecologist
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
.
Disney's animated series ''
The Legend of Tarzan'' (2001–2003) was a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
of the
animated Disney film from 1999.
The latest television series was the short-lived live-action ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (2003), which starred male model
Travis Fimmel
Travis Fimmel (born 15 July 1979) is an Australian actor and former model. He is known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series ''Vikings'' (2013–2017),Prudom, LaurVikings On History: Travis Fimmel Previews The ...
and updated the setting to contemporary
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, with Jane as a police detective, played by
Sarah Wayne Callies
Sarah Wayne Callies (born June 1, 1977) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Sara Tancredi in Fox's '' Prison Break'' and as Lori Grimes in AMC's '' The Walking Dead''. She has also starred as Katie Bowman in USA Network's ''Colo ...
. The series was cancelled after only eight episodes.
''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' featured recurring sketches with the
speech-impaired
Speech disorders or speech impairments are a type of communication disorder in which normal speech is disrupted. This can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak due to a speech disorder is considered mute. Speech skills are ...
trio of "
Tonto, Tarzan, and Frankenstein's Monster". In these sketches, Tarzan is portrayed by
Kevin Nealon
Kevin Nealon (; born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1995, acted in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series '' Weeds'', and pr ...
.
Stage
* A 1921
Broadway production
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
of ''Tarzan of The Apes'' starred Ronald Adair as Tarzan and Ethel Dwyer as Jane Porter.
* In 1976,
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith. known professionally as Richard O'Brien, is a British-New Zealand actor, writer, musician, composer, and television presenter. He wrote the musical stage show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' in 1973, which has remained in conti ...
wrote a
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
entitled ''T. Zee'', loosely based on Tarzan but restyled in a rock
idiom
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language, ...
.
* ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'', a musical stage adaptation of the
1999 animated feature, opened at the
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The Richard Rodgers Theatre (formerly Chanin's 46th Street Theatre and the 46th Street Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 226 West 46th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herb ...
on Broadway on May 10, 2006, and closed on July 8, 2007.
* The show, a
Disney Theatrical
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the flagship stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a major business unit of The Walt ...
production, was directed and designed by
Bob Crowley
Bob Crowley (born 10 June 1952) is a theatre designer (scenic and costume), and theatre director. He lives between London, New York and West Cork in the south west of Ireland.
Career
Born in Cork, Ireland on 10 June 1952, Bob Crowley is the ...
. The same version of Tarzan that was played at the Richard Rodgers Theatre is being played throughout Europe and has been a huge success in the Netherlands.
* Tarzan also appeared in the ''Tarzan Rocks!'' show at the Theatre in the Wild at
Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando ...
's
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
. Although the show closed in 2006, Tarzan, Jane Porter and Terk remain popular
meetable character
A costumed performer or suit performer wears a costume that usually, (but not always) covers the performer's face, typically to represent a non-human character such as a mascot or cartoon character. These range from theme park "walk-around" or "m ...
s at the
Disney Parks and Resorts
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, Inc., formerly Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and informally known as Disney Parks, is one of The Walt Disney Company's five major business segments and a subsidiary. It was founded on Apri ...
, and can be found in
Adventureland, and at
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division, it is the l ...
.
Video games
* A game under the title ''
Tarzan Goes Ape
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'', with little connection to the franchise, was released in the 1980s for the
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
and
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as t ...
.
* A ''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
''
computer game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
by Michael Archer was produced by
Martech
Martech Games was an early video game publisher based in Pevensey Bay between 1982 and 1989. It published a number of successful video games for the emerging home computer games marketplace, including BBC Micro, BBC Model B, ZX81, Sinclair ZX81, Z ...
.
*
Disney's Tarzan
''Tarzan'' is a The Walt Disney Company, Disney media franchise that commenced in 1999 with the theatrical release of the film ''Tarzan (1999 film), Tarzan''.
Films
Produced
''Tarzan'' (1999)
''Tarzan (1999 film), Tarzan'' is a 1999 Amer ...
had seen video games released for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
,
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
and
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
. Followed by:
** ''
Disney's Tarzan Untamed
''Tarzan: Untamed'' (known as ''Tarzan: Freeride'' in Europe and Japan) is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by Ubi Soft Montreal and published by Ubi Soft for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube.
Plot
Picking up quite a while after the defea ...
'' for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
(PS2) and
Gamecube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
** ''
Disney's Tarzan: Return to the Jungle'' for the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
.
* The Disney incarnation of Tarzan appears in the PS2 game ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'', with Goldwyn reprising his role from the film.
* In the first ''
Rayman
''Rayman'' is a franchise of platform video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft. Since the release of the original ''Rayman'' game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms.
The s ...
'', a
Tarzanesque
Tarzanesque (in French: ''Tarzanide'') is a term created by Frenchman Francis Lacassin used to describe characters in comic books inspired by Tarzan. A tarzanesque character resembles Tarzan in his physical resourcefulness, within a line of acti ...
version of
Rayman
''Rayman'' is a franchise of platform video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft. Since the release of the original ''Rayman'' game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms.
The s ...
named Tarayzan appears in the Dream Forest.
Toys and ephemera
Throughout the 1970s
Mego Corporation
The Mego Corporation was an American toy company that in its original iteration was first founded in 1954. Originally known as a purveyor of dime store toys, in 1971 the company shifted direction and became famous for producing licensed dolls (i ...
licensed the Tarzan character and produced 8"
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s which they included in their "World's Greatest Super Heroes" line of characters. In 1975 they also produced a 3" "Bendy" figure made of poseable, malleable plastic.
Several Tarzan-themed products have been manufactured, including
View-Master
View-Master is the trademark name of a line of special-format stereoscopes and corresponding View-Master "reels", which are thin cardboard disks containing seven Stereoscopic 3-D pairs of small transparent color photographs on film.Mary Ann & Wo ...
reels and packets, numerous Tarzan
coloring book
A coloring book (British English: colouring-in book, colouring book, or colouring page) is a type of book containing line art to which people are intended to add color using crayons, colored pencils, marker pens, paint or other artistic media ...
s, children's books, follow-the-dots, and activity books.
Comics
''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' was adapted in
newspaper-strip form in early 1929, with illustrations by
Hal Foster
Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip ''Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship a ...
. A
full-page Sunday strip
The Sunday comics or Sunday strip is the comic strip section carried in most western newspapers, almost always in color. Many newspaper readers called this section the Sunday funnies, the funny papers or simply the funnies.
The first US newspap ...
began March 15, 1931, by
Rex Maxon
Rex may refer to:
* Rex (title) (Latin: king, ruler, monarch), a royal title
** King of Rome (Latin: Rex Romae), chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom
People
* Rex (given name), for people with the given name
* Rex (surname), for people with t ...
. Over the years, many artists have drawn the ''Tarzan'' comic strip, notably
Burne Hogarth
Burne Hogarth (born Spinoza Bernard Ginsburg, December 25, 1911 – January 28, 1996) was an American artist and educator, best known for his work on the ''Tarzan'' newspaper comic strip and his series of anatomy books for artists.
Early life
...
,
Russ Manning
Russell George Manning (January 5, 1929"United States Social Security Death Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VMMT-NZN : accessed 28 Aug 2014), Russell Manning, Dec 1981; citing U.S. Social Security Administration ...
, and
Mike Grell
Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as '' Green Lantern/Green Arrow'', '' The Warlord'', and '' Jon Sable Freelance''.
Early life
Grell studied at the University of W ...
. The
daily strip
A daily strip is a newspaper comic strip format, appearing on weekdays, Monday through Saturday, as contrasted with a Sunday strip, which typically only appears on Sundays.
Bud Fisher's ''Mutt and Jeff'' is commonly regarded as the first daily c ...
began to reprint old dailies after Manning's last daily (#10,308; publ. July 29, 1972). The Sunday strip also turned to reprints . Both strips continue as reprints today in a few newspapers and in ''
Comics Revue
''Comics Revue'' is a bi-monthly small press comic book published by Manuscript Press and edited by Rick Norwood. Don Markstein's Toonopedia, Don Markstein edited the publication from 1984 to 1987 and 1992 to 1996.
As of 2020, it has published ...
'' magazine.
NBM Publishing
Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing Inc. (or NBM Publishing) is an American graphic novel publisher. Founded by Terry Nantier in 1976 as Flying Buttress Publications, NBM is one of the oldest graphic novel publishers in North America. The compa ...
did a high quality reprint series of the Foster and Hogarth work on Tarzan in a series of hardback and paperback reprints in the 1990s.
Tarzan has appeared in many comic books from numerous publishers over the years. The character's earliest comic book appearances were in comic strip reprints published in several titles, such as ''
Sparkler
A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames, sparks, and other effects.
Sparklers are particularly popular with children. In the United Kingdom, a sparkler is often used by child ...
'', ''Tip Top Comics'' and ''Single Series''.
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company, was a Racine, Wisconsin, firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Its Golden Books Family Entertainment division also produced children's books and ...
published ''Tarzan'' in
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...
's ''
Four Color Comics
''Four Color'', also known as ''Four Color Comics'' and ''Dell Four Color'', was an American comic book anthology series published by Dell Comics between 1939 and 1962. The title is a reference to the four basic colors used when printing comic ...
'' #134 & 161 in 1947, before giving him his own series, ''Tarzan'', published through
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark"Wh ...
and later
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...
from January–February 1948 to February 1972; many of these issues adapted Burroughs's novels.
DC took over the series in 1972, publishing ''Tarzan'' #207–258 from April 1972 to February 1977, including work by
Joe Kubert
Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkm ...
. In 1977, the series moved to
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, who restarted the numbering rather than assuming those of the previous publishers. Marvel issued ''Tarzan'' #1–29 (as well as three ''Annual''s), from June 1977 to October 1979, mainly by
.
Following the conclusion of the Marvel series the character had no regular comic-book publisher for a number of years. During this period,
Blackthorne Comics
Blackthorne Publishing, Inc. was a comic book publisher that flourished from 1986–1989. They were notable for the ''Blackthorne 3-D Series'', their reprint titles of classic comic strips like Dick Tracy, and their licensed products. Blackthorne ...
published ''Tarzan'' in 1986, and
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included '' ...
published ''Tarzan'' comics in 1992.
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
has published various ''Tarzan'' series from 1996 to the present, including reprints of works from previous publishers like Gold Key and DC, and joint projects with other publishers featuring crossovers with other characters.
There have also been a number of different comic book projects from other publishers over the years, in addition to various minor appearances of Tarzan in other comic books. The Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series ''Jungle no Ouja Ta-chan'' (
Jungle King Tar-chan
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masaya Tokuhiro. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's anthology ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from March 1988 to June 1990. Midway through serialization, its name was changed to , and contin ...
) by
Tokuhiro Masaya was based loosely on Tarzan. Also,
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
"god"
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...
created a Tarzan manga in 1948 entitled ''Tarzan no Himitsu Kichi'' (''Tarzan's Secret Base'').
Cultural influence
Science
![Calumma tarzan 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Calumma_tarzan_01.jpg)
Tarzan's
primitivist
Primitivism is a mode of aesthetic idealization that either emulates or aspires to recreate a "primitive" experience. It is also defined as a philosophical doctrine that considers "primitive" peoples as nobler than civilized peoples and was an o ...
philosophy was absorbed by countless fans, amongst whom was
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best know ...
, who describes the Tarzan series as having a major influence on her childhood. She states that she felt she would be a much better spouse for Tarzan than his fictional wife, Jane, and that when she first began to live among and study the
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
s she was fulfilling her childhood dream of living among the great apes just as Tarzan did.
[Jane Goodall]
" ''Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
''. 998
Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...
2020.
Tarzan is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of chameleon, ''
Calumma tarzan
''Calumma tarzan'', also known commonly as the Tarzan chameleon or Tarzan's chameleon, is a species of lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to the Alaotra-Mangoro region in Madagascar.
Etymology
The specific name, ''tarza ...
'', which is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
.
Literature
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
's
Mowgli
Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" (co ...
has been cited as a major influence on Burroughs's creation of Tarzan. Mowgli was also an influence for a number of other "
wild boy" characters.
Jerry Siegel
Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996)Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./ Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, in ...
named Tarzan and another Burroughs character,
John Carter, as early inspiration for his creation of
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
.
Tarzan's popularity inspired numerous imitators in
pulp magazine
Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazine ...
s. A number of these, like
Kwa and
Ka-Zar were direct or loosely veiled copies; others, like
Polaris of the Snows
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
, were similar characters in different settings, or with different gimmicks. Of these characters the most popular was
Ki-Gor, the subject of 59 novels that appeared between winter 1939 to spring 1954 in the magazine ''
Jungle Stories''.
Popular culture
Tarzan is often used as a
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
to indicate a similarity between a person's characteristics and that of the fictional character. Individuals with an exceptional 'ape-like' ability to climb, cling and leap beyond that of ordinary humans may often receive the nickname 'Tarzan'. An example is retired
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player
Joe Wallis
Harold Joseph Wallis is a retired American center fielder who spent five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics. He was nicknamed ''Tarzan'' because of his penchant for cliff diving.
A native of East St. ...
.
Comedian
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
was often prompted by her audiences to perform her trademark
Tarzan yell
The Tarzan yell or Tarzan's jungle call is the distinctive, ululating yell of the character Tarzan as portrayed by actor Johnny Weissmuller in the films based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs starting with ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' ( ...
. She explained that it originated in her youth when she and a friend watched a Tarzan movie.
Tarzan and Pellucidar main series chronology
#''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'', Chapters 1 to 11 (1912)
[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. ]912
Year 912 ( CMXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
__NOTOC__
Events By place Byzantine Empire
* May 11 – Emperor Leo VI (the Wise) dies after a 26-year reign in wh ...
2012.
Tarzan of the Apes
'. Washington, DC: Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...
.[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. ]912
Year 912 ( CMXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
__NOTOC__
Events By place Byzantine Empire
* May 11 – Emperor Leo VI (the Wise) dies after a 26-year reign in wh ...
2007.
Tarzan of the Apes
' (audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
), read by Mark F. Smith. ''LibriVox
LibriVox is a group of worldwide volunteers who read and record public domain texts, creating free public domain audiobooks for download from their website and other digital library hosting sites on the internet. It was founded in 2005 by Hugh Mc ...
''.
#''
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' is a collection of twelve loosely connected short stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. ...
'' (1919)
[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. ]919
__NOTOC__
Year 919 ( CMXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By Place
Byzantine Empire
* March 25 – Romanos Lekapenos, admiral (''droungarios'') of the ...
2012
''Jungle Tales of Tarzan''
Washington, DC: Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...
.[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. ]919
__NOTOC__
Year 919 ( CMXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By Place
Byzantine Empire
* March 25 – Romanos Lekapenos, admiral (''droungarios'') of the ...
2009.
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
' (audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
), read by Ralph Snelson. ''LibriVox
LibriVox is a group of worldwide volunteers who read and record public domain texts, creating free public domain audiobooks for download from their website and other digital library hosting sites on the internet. It was founded in 2005 by Hugh Mc ...
''.
#*"Tarzan's First Love" (1916)
#*"The Capture of Tarzan" (1916)
#*"The Fight for the Balu" (1916)
#*"The God of Tarzan" (1916)
#*"Tarzan and the Black Boy" (1917)
#*"The Witch-Doctor Seeks Vengeance" (1917)
#*"The End of Bukawai" (1917)
#*"The Lion" (1917)
#*"The Nightmare" (1917)
#*"The Battle for Teeka" (1917)
#*"A Jungle Joke" (1917)
#*"Tarzan Rescues the Moon" (1917)
#''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'', Chapters 11 to 28 (1912)
#''
The Return of Tarzan
''The Return of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine '' New Story Magazine'' in the issues for Ju ...
'' (1913)
[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. 9132012. ]
The Return of Tarzan
'. Washington, DC: Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a Virtual volunteering, volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the ...
.[ Burroughs, Edgar Rice. 9132009]
''The Return of Tarzan''
(audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
), read by Ralph Snelson. ''LibriVox
LibriVox is a group of worldwide volunteers who read and record public domain texts, creating free public domain audiobooks for download from their website and other digital library hosting sites on the internet. It was founded in 2005 by Hugh Mc ...
''.
#''
The Beasts of Tarzan
''The Beasts of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in '' All-Story Cavalier'' magazine in 1914, the novel was first ...
'' (1914)
EbookAudiobook
# ''
At the Earth's Core'' (1914)
#''
The Son of Tarzan
''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...
'', Chapters 1 to 12 (1915)
EbookAudiobook
# ''
Pellucidar
Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth invented by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event, Tarzan, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar.
The stories initially involv ...
'' (1915)
#''
Tarzan and the Forbidden City
''Tarzan and the Forbidden City'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twentieth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan.
Plot summary
A young man named Brian Gregory has disappeared in Africa, loo ...
'' (1938)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
''Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of ''All-Story Cavalier W ...
'' (1916)
EbookAudiobook
#''
The Son of Tarzan
''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...
'' Chapters 13 to 27 (1915)
EbookAudiobook
# "
The Eternal Lover
''The Eternal Lover'' is a fantasy-adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. The story was begun in November 1913 under the working title ''Nu of the Niocene''. It was first run serially in two parts by ''All-Story Weekly''. The ...
" (''The Eternal Lover'' Part 1) ''All-Story Weekly'', March 7, 1914
# "
The Mad King
''The Mad King'' is a Ruritanian romance by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in ''All-Story Weekly'', in 1914 and 1915, respectively. These were combined for ...
" (''The Mad King'' Part 1) ''All-Story Weekly'' March 21, 1914
# "Sweetheart Primeval" (''The Eternal Lover'' Part 2) ''All-Story Weekly'', Jan.–Feb. 1915
# "Barney Custer of Beatrice" (''The Mad King'' Part 2) ''All-Story Weekly'', August 1915
#''
Tarzan the Untamed
''Tarzan the Untamed'' is a book by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was originally published as two separate stories serialized in different pulp magazines; ...
'' (1920)
Ebook
#*"Tarzan and the Huns" (also cited as "Part 1: Tarzan the Untamed,"1919)
#*"Tarzan and the Valley of Luna" (also cited as "Part 2: Tarzan the Untamed,"1920)
#''
Tarzan the Terrible
''Tarzan the Terrible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in the pulp magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' in ...
'' (1921)
EbookAudiobook
#''
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-Story Week ...
'' (1922, 1923)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Ant Men
''Tarzan and the Ant Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the tenth in his series of twenty-four books about the jungle hero Tarzan. It was first published as a seven-part serial in the magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' ...
'' (1924)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins
''Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins'' is a collection of two Tarzan novellas by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, for younger readers. It was originally published as two children's books, ''The Tarzan Twins'' by Voland in October 1927, and ''Tarzan ...
'' (1963; for younger readers)
#*"The Tarzan Twins" (1927)
Ebook)
#*"Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins and Jad-Bal-Ja the Golden Lion" (1936)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seas ...
'' (1927, 1928)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Lost Empire
''Tarzan and the Lost Empire'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twelfth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in ''Blue Book Magazine'' from October 1928 thr ...
'' (1928)
Ebook)
#''
Tanar of Pellucidar
''Tanar of Pellucidar'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series set in the interior world of Pellucidar. It first appeared as a six-part serial in '' The Blue Book Magazine'' from March–August 1929. It was fir ...
'' (1929)
#''
Tarzan at the Earth's Core
''Tarzan at the Earth's Core'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, serialized in September 1929 to March 1930, the thirteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan and the fourth in his series set i ...
'' (1929)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan the Invincible
''Tarzan the Invincible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 19 ...
'' (1930, 1931)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan Triumphant
''Tarzan Triumphant'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 1931 th ...
'' (1931)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the City of Gold
''Tarzan and the City of Gold'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine '' Argosy'' from March thr ...
'' (1932)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Lion Man
''Tarzan and the Lion Man'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventeenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Liberty ''from November 19 ...
'' (1933, 1934)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Leopard Men
''Tarzan and the Leopard Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was serialized in ''The Blue Book Magazine'' from August 1932 to January 193 ...
'' (1935)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan's Quest
''Tarzan's Quest'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in six parts, as ''Tarzan and the Immortal Men'', in ''The Blue Book ...
'' (1935, 1936)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan the Magnificent
''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by Ro ...
'' (1939)
Ebook
#*"Tarzan and the Magic Men" (1936)
#''
Back to the Stone Age
''Back to the Stone Age'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series set in the lost world of Pellucidar. It first appeared as a six-part serial in '' Argosy Weekly'' from January 9 to February 13, 1937 under th ...
'' (1937)
#''Tarzan and the Elephant Men"'' (1937–1938)
#''Tarzan and the Champion"'' (1940)
#''Tarzan and the Jungle Murders"'' (1940)
#''
Tarzan and the Madman
''Tarzan and the Madman'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Written from January to February 1940, the story was never published in Burroughs' ...
'' (1964)
#''
Tarzan and the Castaways
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1941)
Ebook)
#''
Land of Terror
''Land of Terror'' is a 1944 fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixth in his series about the fictional "hollow earth" land of Pellucidar. It is the penultimate novel in the series and the last to be published during Burro ...
'' (1944)
#''
Tarzan and the Foreign Legion
''Tarzan and the Foreign Legion'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The book, written June–September 1944 while Burroughs was living in Hon ...
'' (1947)
Ebook)
#''
Savage Pellucidar
''Savage Pellucidar'' is a 1963 fantasy story collection by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh and final book in his series about the fictional "hollow earth" land of Pellucidar. It was published twelve years after Burroughs's dea ...
'' (1963)
#*"The Return to Pellucidar"
#*"Men of the Bronze Age"
#*"Tiger Girl"
#*"Savage Pellucidar"
#''
Tarzan: the Lost Adventure'' (c. 1940s; unfinished – 16 chapters, 83 pages; revised and completed by
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor.
A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...
, 1995)
Bibliography
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
#''
Tarzan of the Apes
''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released
as a novel in June ...
'' (1912)
#''
The Return of Tarzan
''The Return of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine '' New Story Magazine'' in the issues for Ju ...
'' (1913)
#''
The Beasts of Tarzan
''The Beasts of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in '' All-Story Cavalier'' magazine in 1914, the novel was first ...
'' (1914)
EbookAudiobook
#''
The Son of Tarzan
''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...
'' (1915)
EbookAudiobook
#''
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
''Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of ''All-Story Cavalier W ...
'' (1916)
EbookAudiobook
#''
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' is a collection of twelve loosely connected short stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. ...
'' (1919)
#*"Tarzan's First Love" (1916)
#*"The Capture of Tarzan" (1916)
#*"The Fight for the Balu" (1916)
#*"The God of Tarzan" (1916)
#*"Tarzan and the Black Boy" (1917)
#*"The Witch-Doctor Seeks Vengeance" (1917)
#*"The End of Bukawai" (1917)
#*"The Lion" (1917)
#*"The Nightmare" (1917)
#*"The Battle for Teeka" (1917)
#*"A Jungle Joke" (1917)
#*"Tarzan Rescues the Moon" (1917)
#''
Tarzan the Untamed
''Tarzan the Untamed'' is a book by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was originally published as two separate stories serialized in different pulp magazines; ...
'' (1920)
Ebook
#*"Tarzan and the Huns" (also cited as "Part 1: Tarzan the Untamed," 1919)
#*"Tarzan and the Valley of Luna" (also cited as "Part 2: Tarzan the Untamed," 1920)
#''
Tarzan the Terrible
''Tarzan the Terrible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in the pulp magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' in ...
'' (1921)
EbookAudiobook
#''
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-Story Week ...
'' (1922, 1923)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Ant Men
''Tarzan and the Ant Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the tenth in his series of twenty-four books about the jungle hero Tarzan. It was first published as a seven-part serial in the magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' ...
'' (1924)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle
''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seas ...
'' (1927, 1928)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Lost Empire
''Tarzan and the Lost Empire'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twelfth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in ''Blue Book Magazine'' from October 1928 thr ...
'' (1928)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan at the Earth's Core
''Tarzan at the Earth's Core'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, serialized in September 1929 to March 1930, the thirteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan and the fourth in his series set i ...
'' (1929)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan the Invincible
''Tarzan the Invincible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 19 ...
'' (1930, 1931)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan Triumphant
''Tarzan Triumphant'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 1931 th ...
'' (1931)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the City of Gold
''Tarzan and the City of Gold'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine '' Argosy'' from March thr ...
'' (1932)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Lion Man
''Tarzan and the Lion Man'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventeenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Liberty ''from November 19 ...
'' (1933, 1934)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Leopard Men
''Tarzan and the Leopard Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was serialized in ''The Blue Book Magazine'' from August 1932 to January 193 ...
'' (1935)
Ebook
#''
Tarzan's Quest
''Tarzan's Quest'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in six parts, as ''Tarzan and the Immortal Men'', in ''The Blue Book ...
'' (1935, 1936)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Forbidden City
''Tarzan and the Forbidden City'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twentieth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan.
Plot summary
A young man named Brian Gregory has disappeared in Africa, loo ...
'' (1938)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan the Magnificent
''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by Ro ...
'' (1939)
Ebook
#*"Tarzan and the Magic Men" (1936)
#*"Tarzan and the Elephant Men" (1937–1938)
#''
Tarzan and the Foreign Legion
''Tarzan and the Foreign Legion'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The book, written June–September 1944 while Burroughs was living in Hon ...
'' (1947)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan and the Madman
''Tarzan and the Madman'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Written from January to February 1940, the story was never published in Burroughs' ...
'' (1964)
#''
Tarzan and the Castaways
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1965)
#*"Tarzan and the Castaways" (1941)
Ebook)
#*"Tarzan and the Champion" (1940)
#*"Tarzan and the Jungle Murders" (1940)
#''
Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins
''Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins'' is a collection of two Tarzan novellas by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, for younger readers. It was originally published as two children's books, ''The Tarzan Twins'' by Voland in October 1927, and ''Tarzan ...
'' (1963, for younger readers)
#*"The Tarzan Twins" (1927)
Ebook)
#*"Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins and Jad-Bal-Ja the Golden Lion" (1936)
Ebook)
#''
Tarzan: the Lost Adventure'' (unfinished) (revised and completed by
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor.
A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...
) (1995)
By other authors
* Maude Robinson Toombs wrote a novelization of the film serial ''
The Adventures of Tarzan
''The Adventures of Tarzan'' (1921) is a 15 chapter movie serial which features the third and final appearance of Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan. The serial was produced by Louis Weiss, written by Robert F. Hill and Lillian Valentine (partially b ...
'' published as a 15-part serial for newspapers in 1921, it was collected and published as a released as a trade-paperback () by ERBville Press in January 2006.
*
Arthur B. Reeve wrote a novelization of the film serial ''
Tarzan the Mighty
''Tarzan the Mighty'' is a 1928 American action film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor. It was nominally based on the collection ''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film is now considered to be lost.
Cast
* ...
'' published as a 15-part serial for newspapers in 1928, it was collected and published as a released as a trade-paperback () by ERBville Press in 2005.
*Barton Werper – these novels by the pseudonymous "Barton Werper" were never authorized by the Burroughs estate, were taken off the market and remaining copies destroyed.
*#''Tarzan and the Silver Globe'' (1964), the novel was rewritten as "Zamba and the Silver Globe" () and published by ERBville Press in October 2014.
*#''Tarzan and the Cave City'' (1964)
*#''Tarzan and the Snake People'' (1964)
*#''Tarzan and the Abominable Snowmen'' (1965)
*#''Tarzan and the Winged Invaders'' (1965)
*
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
– the first novel authorized by the Burroughs estate, and numbered as the 25th book in the Tarzan series.
**''
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its ve ...
'' (1966)
*
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.
Obituary.
Farmer is best known for his sequences of novels, especially the ''World of Tiers ...
(also wrote a novel based on his own fascination with Tarzan, entitled ''
Lord Tyger
''Lord Tyger'' is an American novel by Philip José Farmer. Originally released in 1970, the book is a metafictional pastiche of one of Farmer's favorite subjects, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan.
Plot summary
Ras Tyger has lived in the jungle for ...
'', and translated the novel ''Tarzan of the Apes'' into
Esperanto
Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...
).
**''
Tarzan Alive
''Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke'' is a fictional biography by American author Philip José Farmer, that alleges the life of Edgar Rice Burroughs' character Tarzan, is a story of a real person. The book was first published i ...
'' (1972) a fictional biography of Tarzan (here Lord Greystoke), which is one of the two foundational books (along with ''
Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life'') of the
Wold Newton family
The Wold Newton family is a literary concept derived from a form of crossover fiction developed by the American science fiction writer Philip José Farmer.
Origins
In real life a meteorite, called the Wold Cottage meteorite, fell near Wold New ...
.
**''
The Adventure of the Peerless Peer
''The Adventure of the Peerless Peer'' is a 1974 adventure pastiche novel written by Philip Jose Farmer, writing as Dr. John H. Watson, about the meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictiona ...
'' (1974)
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
goes to Africa and meets Tarzan.
**''
The Dark Heart of Time
''The Dark Heart of Time: A Tarzan novel'' is a novel by American writer Philip José Farmer, authorized by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Published in 1999, the book was first announced under the title ''Tarzan's Greatest Secret'' in 1997. A 2018 rei ...
'' (1999) this novel was specifically authorized by the Burroughs estate, and references Tarzan by name rather than just by inference. The story is set between ''Tarzan the Untamed'' and ''Tarzan the Terrible''.
*
R. A. Salvatore
Robert Anthony Salvatore (born January 20, 1959) is an American author best known for ''The Legend of Drizzt'', a series of fantasy novels set in the Forgotten Realms and starring the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden. He has also written ''The ...
**''
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' (1996) an authorized novel based on the pilot episode of the series of the same name.
Stuart J. Byrne
Stuart James Byrne (October 26, 1913 - September 23, 2011) was an American screenwriter and writer of science fiction and fantasy. He published under his own name and the pseudonyms Rothayne Amare, John Bloodstone, Howard Dare, and Marx Kaye ...
In the 1950s, Byrne wrote the novel ''Tarzan on Mar''s under the pen name John Bloodstone, the novel is a crossover of the Tarzan series and the
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first Barsoom tale was serialized as ''Under the Moons of Mars'' in 1912 and published as a novel as ''A Princess of Mars' ...
series, John Carter's adventures on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
, however, he did not obtain a license to publish the novel, which had unauthorized editions.
;New Tarzan
Publisher
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, usually abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, Margaret Storey, William Golding, Samuel B ...
with the backing of the
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated, have updated the series through author
Andy Briggs
Andy Briggs (born 27 September 1972 in Liverpool, England) is a British author and screenwriter. He wrote the Hero.com series and the Villain.net young adult novels, which are due to be developed into a television series.
Briggs career began ...
. In 2011, Briggs published the first of the books ''
Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy''. In 2012 he published the second book ''Tarzan: The Jungle Warrior'', and in 2013, he has published the third book ''Tarzan: The Savage Lands''.
See also
*
Ape
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its siste ...
*
Enkidu
Enkidu ( sux, ''EN.KI.DU10'') was a legendary figure in ancient Mesopotamian mythology, wartime comrade and friend of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Their exploits were composed in Sumerian poems and in the Akkadian ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', writte ...
*
Feral child
A feral child (also called wild child) is a young individual who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, with little or no experience of human care, social behavior, or language. The term is used to refer to children who h ...
*
Mowgli
Mowgli () is a fictional character and the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's ''The Jungle Book'' stories. He is a feral boy from the Pench area in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, India, who originally appeared in Kipling's short story "In the Rukh" (co ...
*
Jungle girl
A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. An alternate depiction i ...
- fictional characters, female versions of Tarzan
*
Rima
Rima, also known as Rima the Jungle Girl, is the fictional heroine of W. H. Hudson's 1904 novel '' Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest''. In it, Rima, a primitive girl of the shrinking rain forest of South America, meets Abel, a pol ...
, a jungle girl character who predates Tarzan
References
Primary sources
Further reading
* Egan, Sean. 2017. ''Tarzan: The Biography''. London: Askill Publishing. .
* Wannamaker, Annette, and Michelle Ann Abate, eds. 2012. ''Global Perspectives on Tarzan: From King of the Jungle to International Icon''. 216 pages. (Includes studies by scholars from the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, Germany, and France.)
External links
*
Edgar Rice Burroughs tribute*
Tarzan eBooks by Project Gutenberg''Empire'' magazine Tarzan centenary featureFor an appraisal of Tarzan films in movies vs films section.Works by or about ERB at the HathiTrust
{{Authority control
Tarzan characters
Comics characters introduced in 1929
Dynamite Entertainment characters
Fantasy books by series
Fantasy film characters
Fictional characters with immortality
Fictional Central African people
Fictional feral children
Fictional orphans
Jungle superheroes
Fictional traceurs and freerunners
Male characters in comics
Male characters in literature
Fictional lords and ladies