Korak, a fictional character, is the ape name of John "Jack" Clayton III, the son of Tarzan and Jane Porter.
History
Jack first appeared in the original ''Tarzan'' novels 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 ...
. He was introduced as an infant in the non-Tarzan novel ''
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 f ...
'' (later retitled ''The Eternal Savage''), in which the Ape Man and his family played supporting roles. His next appearance (still as an infant) was in ''
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 ...
'', the third Tarzan novel, in which he was kidnapped and taken to Africa. The story of his youth and growth to manhood was told in the fourth novel, '' The Son of Tarzan'', in which he returned to Africa and lived in the jungle, taking for the first time the name Korak ("Killer" in the language of the Great Apes). Most references to him were as "Korak the Killer".
Half of the book relates to Meriem, the girl he rescues from a beating. The two of them run wild in the forest for years before being separated. After many adventures they are re-united and eventually marry.
Korak was later used as a supporting character in the eighth through the tenth entries in the series, '' Tarzan the Terrible'', '' Tarzan and the Golden Lion'', and '' Tarzan and the Ant Men''. The last of those three also briefly mentions Korak and Meriem's young son "Jackie". The
Bunduki
''Bunduki'' is a 1975 novel by J. T. Edson, and the first work in the ''Bunduki'' series that followed. The series involves characters related to Tarzan and was initially authorized by the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs. In the opening of the nov ...
series by
J. T. Edson
John Thomas Edson (17 February 1928 – 17 July 2014) was an English author of 137 Westerns, escapism adventure, and police-procedural novels. He lived near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, from the 1950s onwards, and retired from writing due to ...
- authorized by the Burroughs estate - includes Korak and Meriem's granddaughter Dawn as one of two main characters.
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 ...
, in which he was a major character for many years; and the ''Tarzan'', ''Korak, Son of Tarzan'', and ''Tarzan Family'' comic books.
In the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films, Korak was replaced by an adopted son called Boy (played by Johnny Sheffield). Tarzan and Jane never married in these films (they do in the books), and the substitution was made to avoid censorship. In the
Dell
Dell is an American based technology company. It develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services. Dell is owned by its parent company, Dell Technologies.
Dell sells personal computers (PCs), servers, data ...
comic books of the 1950s, which combine material from the books and the films, Tarzan's son was also called Boy. When the Tarzan comics returned to a more faithful portrayal of Burroughs' characters in the early 1960s, Boy revealed himself to truly be called Korak, going on to later be featured in his own comic book.
Kamuela C. Searle
Kamuela C. Searle (August 29, 1890 – February 14, 1924) was an actor, sculptor, and Painting, painter, best remembered for his portrayal of Korak (character), Korak, the son of Tarzan and Jane Porter (Tarzan), Jane.
Early life and film career
...
(adult) 1920
Comic books
* Gold Key Comics published ''Korak, Son of Tarzan'' #1–45 from January 1964 to January 1972. It featured work by Russ Manning, Warren Tufts, Dan Spiegle, and others. In 2013, Dark Horse Comics reprinted the Gold Key issues drawn by Manning in hardcover format.
* DC Comics acquired the publication licensing rights to the series in 1972, continuing the numbering from #46–59 (June 1972 to September–October 1975), when it was renamed ''The Tarzan Family''. The retitled series ran an additional seven issues #60–66 (November–December 1975 to November–December 1976) Both series also included other Burroughs' characters. The ''Korak'' series featured work from writers
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ( ...