The Daughter Of Tarzan!

I've been reading Ian Fleming's James Bond novels this summer. I'll have more to say on that when I wrap them up in a few weeks. But one novel which I read and enjoyed along the way was one I've read a few times before -- Dr.No. This one might not be the best, but it might be my favorite. If you only know the movie, then you don't really know No.

One character who gets famously realized on the big screen is Ursula Andress in the star-making role of "Honey Ryder". In the novel her full name is "Honeychild Ryder" and the young lady is rather younger than the statuesque and robustly adult Andress.


Honeychild is nearly a feral being, raised by a deceased native who took her on when her parents were killed. Honeychild is a creature of natural beauty who lives in nature, among animals in a den-like home. She is first seen by Bond from behind and is completely naked, and fully comfortable in that capacity. Fleming even refers to this ferocious young woman as a female Tarzan at one point. She even has a distinctive broken nose which reminded me of Tarzan's tell-tale scar, evidence of a deadly struggle in the character's past.

But what really convinces me that Fleming was doing a full-on version of the classic ERB hero is how Honeychild escapes the death-dealing clutches of Dr. No at the end of the novel. Spoilers for those who haven't read the book, since nothing like this happens in the movie.


Honeychild escapes her doom by simply knowing nature and trusting in the creatures who are part of it. She is strapped down by the insidious Dr.No so that crabs can lustily nibble at her helpless body, but Honeychild is more familiar with the crabs than No and so simply remains motionless as the crabs crawl over her and away. She is never really all that much in danger because of her special understanding of the world hidden from the overly civilized Dr.No. It's interesting to note that Bond himself survived an earlier threat by centipede, though for him it was a supreme test of will and not merely being one with nature.


It's easy enough to see Dr.No as a variation on Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu, that's obvious.


But Honeychild as a version of Tarzan is a slightly bit more obscured. Though clearly the designers of the cover to the first edition picked up on it rightly enough. (See top of this post and compare it to the first Tarzan hardback below.) So what you have in this wonderful little pulp feast is James Bond battling Fu Manchu alongside the progeny of Tarzan. It's a right good yarn that.


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A Burroughs Bovinity!

Lurking beneath this outstanding Frank Frazetta cover art is one of the great spoofs of Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. One has to admit that the story of Tarzan is absurd, but in that ludicrous premise we get one of the great characters in literature, a man literally of two worlds, of two species really. Tarzan is an idiotic concept which succeeds despite the wacky premise. Tarzan is absolutely greater than the sum of his parts.


National Lampoon was a no-holds barred humor magazine, skewering many aspects of modern society. The desire of many of us to hold dear such a bizarre character as Tarzan is certainly worthy of attention. This classic parody by Michael O'Donoghue and the great Frank Springer does a wonderful job of calling out many of the more insane parts of ERB's classic memorable story.

Enjoy "Tarzan of the Cows".










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Spidey Goes Mental!

I don't watch network television all that much, if at all these days. I mostly stay in the land of cable so when a show like The Mentalist pops up, I'm blissfully ignorant until such time as it might turn up on USA, AMC, or TNT. As it turns out The Mentalist, a CBS show is currently running on TNT and I've been catching up on episodes in the last few weeks. It's a charming show with some entertaining characters and some very nimble acting.


A few evenings ago on an episode titled "18-5-4" from 2010 second season of the show featured a safe owned by a murdered nerd numbers genius is opened and inside is a chess set which proves pivotal to the plot and an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man #46 from 1967. The lead character, Patrick Jane picks up the issue featuring Johnny Romita art and comments on its relative value and that the Shocker was the villain. Then the comic book is neither pictured nor mentioned again.

Such a throwaway bit of business was odd, such a specific reference for no distinct reason other than someone wanted to do it. Perhaps the comic was a red herring, but if so it's a meager one as nothing more is developed at all and the true clue is revealed almost immediately.

It's always neat to see comics show up in the media, especially like this where the details are correct.How many times have we seen comics from the wrong era carelessly thrown into shots? Spider-Man #46 was the first Spidey comic I ever actually read, though it was my cousin's comic and I wouldn't own one for some time. It's a solid comic, and I've always thought the Shocker a worthy opponent.

This appearance is likely old news for many, but I catch 'em when I catch 'em.

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Art Of Amzot!

Bob Eggleton
Here's some fantastic artwork featuring The Herculoids.

Phil Noto
Stephen Bissette
Al Rio
Steve Rude

Steve Rude
And here's something extra special - Herculoids meet the Space Family Robinson by the only artist fully qualified to document that meeting.

Dan Spiegle

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The Beasts Of Zartan!

Among the odd factoids about Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Herculoids is that Zandor's original working name was "Zartan", an obvious variation of Tarzan. So obvious was it in fact, that the name was changed to avoid the legal ire of the Burroughs estate.


But it does put this outer space jungle family into a somewhat different perspective to imagine them as the MGM-RKO Tarzan family unit. Zandor is Tarzan, Tara is Jane, and Dorno makes a fine Boy. It's all rather elegant.


And Igoo, Tundra and the other critters make some better sense as Tantor, Cheetah and other denizens of the Mutia Escarpment translated to the distant planet of Amzot. Gloop and Gleep in particular get the role designated to the trickster Cheetah, the comedy relief. The Beasts of Tarzan...er...Zartan indeed!


It's a fun way to reflect on this outstanding Alex Toth designed cartoon.



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End Of The Tabloid King!

I picked up the latest issue of The Jack Kirby Collector and unsurprisingly found a regular magazine-sized magazine and not the vast tabloids which have been the format for this publication for many years now. I was a bit chagrined that because of the addition of color, the price had not changed a jot, but then price and format have always been a balancing act for magazines when they seek to find a solution for the ultimate bottom line.

I like the new/old look because frankly it's easier to read. I don't have concerns over storage as is alluded to in the issue itself as a complaint from some regulars, as I have scuds of tabloids to keep it company. But I did find that to read it I had to spread it out on the floor and that got a bit uncomfortable at times. It's handy to have this precious info in a more accessible form.


TJKC has been a staple of my reading for nearly as long as it has been published. I found the devotion to one of my favorite artists arresting, and the insights into his work have been fascinating. I will confess that in more recent years, there seems to be a thinner value to content as frankly much of what can be said about Kirby has been said. Now and again we find some new thing, but largely it's a rehash. That doesn't make it an unpleasant read, just not as vivid as it was once upon a time.

The Jack Kirby Collector and Alter Ego are regular reads, along with the occasional issue of Back Issue. I hope Twomorrows is able to keep it going, and I know that barring the unforeseen I'll be along for the ride.


This fantastic image by Kirby and inked by Dashing Don Heck is the back cover for this issue, and it's material like that which keeps me coming back. That and the outstanding complete story "Fears of a Go-Go Girl Can Come True" from Kirby's defunct romance comic/magazine Soul Love he produced for DC way back when he stormed their gates so very long ago. Treasures like these are precious indeed. You can find this story online in a few places, but it's very cool to have it in print.

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Amra Of The Jungle!

One full year before getting the Tarzan license, Mighty Marvel produced their own offbeat and rather grim rendition of the Ape Man.


Under a lackluster Gil Kane cover dated June 1976, we get a good look at the Hyborian Jungle Man -- Amra versus Amra, or Conan versus Tarzan for everyone to enjoy. The Amra character had debuted a few issues before, but had not rated a cover. The red-haired "Lord of Lions" and his comrade, the black-maned Shulo offer a strong threat to the Cimmerian and Belit the She-Pirate.



Here are a few more pages featuring this weird and ruthless Tarzan variant. They demonstrate just how effective John Buscema will be illustrating the adventures of ERB's great hero.




The conflict between Conan and the ferocious Amra proved fatal to the latter and (at least according to Roy) that's how Conan came by his nickname "Amra". You've gotta' love Thomas, he feels a compulsion to explain absolutely everything.

Someone somewhere must've liked what they saw, because one year later we got this outstanding comic.


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