THE NEWEST HIT-SERIES IN DYNAMITE’S WARLORD OF MARS LINE OF COMICS!
Cover Art: Joe Jusko
November 9, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – After the incredible critical and commercial success of Dynamite’s Warlord of Mars, Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris, and Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom series, comes Warriors of Mars #1! Before John Carter another earthman visited the Red planet: Lt. Gullivar Jones. Now these legendary warriors are brought together for the first time! When Lt. Guillivar Jones happens upon a mysterious old man with a beautiful carpet he soon finds himself transported through space and time to the planet Mars where he meets the beautiful Princess Hera and a ferocious tribe of Red Martians bent on capturing her! Warriors of Mars is written by Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom writer Robert Napton, drawn by Jack Jadson, with covers by the legendary Joe Jusko and will hit comic stores February 2012!
“Gullivar was written first, but Carter cornered the market and became a legend,” says writer Robert Napton. “It’s Gullivar Vs. John Carter-let the battle begin! It’s a thrill to bring these two southern gents together on the same stretch of red turf and let them have at it. But it won’t be all blood and guts. There’s a story to be told. Many have heard of Gullivar of Mars, but don’t know who he is and how he’s a different sort of man from Carter despite being caught in the same otherworldly circumstances. This is one mash-up fans of pulp won’t want to miss.” “We’ve found a smart and clever way to tie these two pulp heroes together and rescue Gullivar from relative obscurity and place him up on the dais among the greats,” adds Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “We’re going to explore more of the eras of Mars with Gullivar, the past, present and future and Robert Napton has proven himself more than capable of spinning some excellent Barsoomian tales and we’ve paired him with a great new artistic find in Jack Jadson.”
Princess of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the first of his famous series, which initially began publication in serialized form within the pages of All-Story Magazine in February 1912. It is also Burroughs’ first novel, predating his Tarzan stories. Full of swordplay and daring feats, the story is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction.
Edwin Lester Arnold’s Gullivar of Mars novel, originally published as Lieutenant Gullivar Jones: His Vacation in 1905, bears a number of striking similarities to Burroughs’ Princess of Mars. Both Gullivar and Burroughs’ protagonist John Carter are Southern United States soldiers who arrive on Mars by apparently magical means (magic carpet in the case of the former, astral projection in that of the latter) and have numerous adventures there, including falling in love with Martian princesses. Gullivar is a more hapless character, however, paling beside the heroic and accomplished Carter. Gullivar, in contrast, stumbles in and out of trouble and never quite succeeds in mastering it.
Robert Napton has written hundreds of comics. He is currently writing WARLORD OF MARS: THE FALL OF BARSOOM for DYNAMITE. In 2008, he adapted Terry Brooks’ DARK WRAITH OF SHANNARA as a graphic novel and wrote the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. Join the conversation on Twitter with #WarriorsOfMars
To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit: www.dynamite.net
Author Martin Powell recently announced that he is writing a graphic novel of TARZAN AT THE EARTH’S CORE that will be illustrated by Tim Burgard, for Sequential Pulp/Dark Horse Comics.
The Tarzan At The Earrth’s Core graphic novel is officially licensed and authorized by the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and will be published as a special edition in celebration of the ape-man’s 100th Anniversary in 2012. “Tarzan has always been at the top of my list for characters to write,” Powell said on his blog. “And this is possibly the biggest project of my twenty-five year career. I honestly never thought I’d get this chance. Very special thanks to ERB, Inc. and Michael Hudson for making this possible.”
Dynamite’s Lord of the Jungle comic book series is set to expand on Edgar Rice Burroughs classic tale!
Cover: Paul Renaud
September 21, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – The original Lord of the Jungle returns! Dynamite is proud to announce the December release of Lord of the Jungle! Dynamite’s Lord of the Jungle is true to Edgar Rice Burroughs original tale, savage, violent, and uncensored for the first time in its 100 year history! We are so proud and excited about this book, that we are offering the first FULL issue for the introductory price of just $1.00!
Based on the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure story, Tarzan of the Apes, the first of his famous series, which initially began publication in All Story Magazine in 1912. The saga of Greystoke begins in December, written by Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Roberto Castro, and featuring covers by Alex Ross, Lucio Parillo, Ryan Sook, and Paul Renaud!
Cover: Ryan Sook
“Tarzan’s DNA is in everything from super heroes to space epics,” says writer Arvid Nelson. “But I was surprised at how little I knew about him, because the many adaptations wander very far from the original character. His true story is so much deeper and more interesting — that’s we’re trying to bring to life in Lord of the Jungle.”
“To allow the series to be accessible to fans old and new, we are offering the first issue at the Introductory Price of $1.00 for the full ENTIRE 32 page comic, as well as dedicating both of the Dynamite front gate folds of the October shipping Previews Magazine to our launch,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. “Get on board for the biggest comic book launch this December!”
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones and more!
In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s PROJECT SUPERPOWERS – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.
It’s happening as I sit here typing, on a Thursday, about 30 miles due south of the village where I happily abide, and, barring as always the unforeseen, I’ll be in the midst of it sometime tomorrow, mingling with armies of strangers, gazing at exhibits both exotic and banal, almost certainly meeting folks I have known for decades but seldom see whelmed by noise and flashing lights and color and celebrities and hucksters and the breath of chaos…
I refer, of course, to the New York Comic Con. (You thought I meant Armageddon? Naw… but maybe next week…) This is the younger, but extremely vigorous sibling of the monstrous (in at least two meanings of the word) San Diego Comic Con, but it is no wimpy little brother. Like Athena, springing from the head of Zeus, the NYCC arrived burly and mature, though a bit disorganized, three years ago and has been growing ever since. I’ve heard that 75,000 attendees are expected at the con site over the next four days. (At the San Diego shindig I attended last year, there were 130,000 or 140,000 con goers, depending on who provided the information.) That this event, and its west coast equivalent, could not only exist, but prosper, is yet another sign of how much comic books, that lowly, despised publishing stepchild, have changed and gentrified since I shuffled into the office of Marvel Comics about 45 years ago.
There were conventions then, sure, but they were miniscule compared to the current iterations – a few hundred or later, and at most, a few thousand avid fans who were there, not to ogle celebs or buy cool t-shirts, but to share a love of a certain kind of storytelling. You may have heard me describe (at a convention?) accompanying Flo Steinberg to my first con at the McBurney YMCA in Manhattan: maybe a hundred citizens of various genders and ages wandering around the Y’s gym, a few tables bearing stacks of old comics for sale, and the afternoon’s big deal, a group of comic book professionals on the stage discussing…well, discussing something. I was among them, and that, of course, was to laugh – me, in the business a month or two, sharing an audience with men who had given joy to me on many a summer afternoon and Sunday morning, who shaped the medium in which I labored. I wonder what I said. Probably something. Ah, the arrogance of youth…
The biggest attraction, at the Y that day, was the presence of a genuine movie star: Buster Crabbe, the screen’s Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers, in the flesh. If I hadn’t been a blasé college graduate and Navy veteran who’d actually been to a foreign country, yessir, or if I’d had any sense of what popular culture is, I’d have been impressed.
But hey! I’m no greystache lamenting the good old days when, dang it, things was the way they oughta be, decent and proper. Things now are different, but they’re as decent and proper as the universe allows them to be.
Somebody say amen.
Recommended Reading: Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. Hey, have you ever actually read it? Or read it since you had to do so as schoolwork?
Pulp AdventureCon November 5th, 2011 Ramada Inn, Bordentown, NJ
Thousands of rare PULP MAGAZINES, vintage paperbacks and movie collectibles on display in this pleasant one-day show that attracts collectors and exhibitors from as far as New Hampshire and Virginia. Held the first Saturday of November from 10AM until 5PM.
Time: 10 am to 5 pm Admission: $5 Email us for information — boldventurepress@aol.com __________________________________________
Update — October 17, 2011
LORD OF THE TREES
ALEX SIMMONS and ERIC BATTLE will be joining us as special guests. As the writer and illustrator team of the syndicated TARZAN newspaper strip, between the years of 2000 and 2002, they provided Lord Greystoke with plenty of challenges of hair-raising thrills.
These strips appeared as part of the story-arc “Day of the Hunter”, which appeared in newspapers across the country from January 6, 2002 – May 19, 2002.
Follow the link to the Official ERB, Inc. and Tarzan® Webzine Site, Bill & Sue-On Hillman’s ERBzine, to read “Day of the Hunter” and more of the Tarzan newspaper strips.
Update — October 18, 2011
As of October 18, 36 tables are spoken for. That leave approximately eight tables remaining. Now is the best time to jump in, if you’ve been stalling. Our erstwhile vendors include Paul Herman, Rich Harvey, Rick Hall, Gary Lovisi, Darrell Schweitzer, Henry Greenbaum, Bruce Tinkel, Gale Heimbach, Ed Hulse, Martin Grams, Rich Greene, Bill Parisho, Brendan Faulkner, John Gunnison, Mike Chomko, Chuck Miller, Eric Battles, Rodger Lowenthal, Nick Certo, Cowboy Tony, Walker Martin, and Mark Halegua.
CLICK HERE … to read about past shows. Walker Martin provides a pretty comprehensive overview of the stuff you missed in 2008.
I received my orders via email from the all powerful Hancock. He commanded me to write about this wondrous place where I found classic pulp during my vacation. A giant talking head that reminded me of a powerful wizard was just something you couldn’t ignore; besides, I love bookstores.
With this in mind, I head to City Lights, one of my all time favorite bookstores while on vacation in London Ontario. Like all real gems the entrance to this cave of wonders is located in one of the emptier parts of downtown on Richmond Street and King. Outside of LA Mood, an awesome comic shop where this writer did a book signing for his comic Veritas (which you can order at Indy Planet), all that surrounds this section of downtown are old and dusty buildings. Old pawn shops and music places and abandoned apartments line up along the side of the street. There is graffiti and a faint smell of sewage in the air. I approach the bookstore with trepidation. Would it be the same after being gone so long?
I see the familiar bars in the windows and the bargain books in the boxes decorating the entrance way. The door is old and creeky and I fumble my way inside.
I open the door and gape. Here there be books. Seas of them stare up at me on the floor. Most of them are divided by their sections and categories and are in large cardboard boxes, although a few seem to have escaped from their confines are just hanging around.
To my left is a bookshelf filled with the latest vampire and horror fiction craze. I notice the books Marked and Twilight hang side by side as two guardians of the gate. They greet you warmly with their black covers and insignias. Both series are there in abundance and it serves as a gentle reminder to the reader not to be greedy. There are wonders here yes, but at the end of the day you have to feel the wrath of Stephanie Meyer and PC Cast as you make your way to the exit.
After that cursory glance I notice some of the other books alongside the vampire army and to my amazement there are some nice books up there. Brian Lumley is hanging around with his Necroscope series. There is a touch of romance and violence with Ilona Andrews and then there are the many faces of horror behind Twilight. Truly there are good books right from the start tempting you to take them home. The wood creeks as I step inside. The building talks to me as I try not to sneak past the cashier gazing right at me. The wall of shame hangs behind him. The wall contains pictures of silly mortals who thought they’d steal a book in this place and get away with it. Each victim has their image ingrained in the background forever. I pass them and wave high to the slightly overweight man behind the counter as I cross the threshold of being an accidental tourist.
I’ve been here before. I think I know where I need to go. I proceed to walk to the back of the store. My quarry was located back there, as was the greatest temptations for a reader like myself.
City Lights has a marvelous science fiction section. It is easily a quarter of the first floor. You go past the part where the store sinks and dips and it’s on the other side. It is not only in alphabetical order but the authors themselves are categorized. You can see classic ABCs of science fiction like Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke with pulp favorites like Burroughs, Norton, Zelazny. Series like Conan,Tarzan and Doc Savage…wait a minute, Doc Savage?!
I grab it and look and there can be no doubt: The man of bronze sits there idly. I glance inside the cover and find it’s the right price. Sold. You don’t find Doc Savage just anywhere. Satisfied with the book I continue my exploration of the section. I pass by Charles De Lint, saddened to see they don’t have any more books I don’t already have. At this point, this cave of wonders feels like a familiar haunt. I love good science fiction and pulp and City Lights has tones of books for me to read and rediscover.
Looking back at the pulp series at the very top, I find a name I am unfamiliar with. John Norman towers above the B section right beside Tarzan. The first book is called Tarnsman of Gor. I open it up and read the first page. I was sold. This looks to be a fantastic book. I can’t wait to review it.
I stop there. My treasures have been found and I proceed to the checkout. I pay for my books, say a quick goodbye to the Twilight/Necroscope Section and head out the door, saddened that the experience was over, but happy I did it in such a place.
I’ve been very fortunate to be in some very cool book places, but City Lights is one of a kind. If you ever go to London Ontario it’s worth going in and taking a look, whether you are saying hello to a familiar book or like me are always seeking new works to try.
FLASH GORDON COMIC BOOK ARCHIVES VOLUME 5 HC John Warner (W), Bruce Jones (W), George Kashdan (W), Gene Fawcette (P/I), Al Williamson (P/I), Carlos Garzón (P), Al McWilliams (P/I), Frank Bolle (P), and Rick Veitch (C) On sale Dec 28 FC, 280 pages $49.99 HC, 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ Flash Gordon—hero of Mongo, gentleman scientist, two-fisted fighter, and now savior of the universe! Join Flash, the lovely Dale Arden, and Dr. Zarkov as they make a last desperate stand against alien monsters, corrupt kings, ravenous sharks, and the ultimate supervillain, Ming the Merciless! This volume collects Flash Gordon #28–#37, plus the three-issue adaptation of the cult favorite Flash Gordon movie! • Introduction by Michael T. Gilbert.
TARZAN: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS VOLUME 10 HC Gaylord DuBois (W) and Jesse Marsh (A) On sale Jan 4 FC, 224 pages $49.99 HC, 7″ x 10″ Tarzan faces his most harrowing adventure yet when his treehouse is targeted and destroyed by slavers, who kidnap Jane and Boy! This volume sees Tarzan battle lion-sized wasps, outwit ivory poachers, brave giant spiders to find desperately needed medicine, become stranded in the Valley of Monsters, and even track a murder cult for the British government. Reprinting Dell’s Tarzan #47–#51, from 1953, for the first time. • Introduction by PictureBox’s Dan Nadel.
ABE SAPIEN: THE DEVIL DOES NOT JEST #2 (of 2) From the pages of Hellboy! Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), James Harren (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover) On sale Oct 26 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries Abe Sapien’s investigation of a demonologist gets gory when, at the mercy of a malformed beast, he stumbles upon the secret of a rotten family tree—the roots of which, he may never escape. • Abe loses his mind in this early adventure!
B.P.R.D.: BEING HUMAN TP Liz’s origin revealed! Mike Mignola (W/Cover), John Arcudi (W), Scott Allie (W), Richard Corben (A), Ben Stenbeck (A), Karl Moline (P), Guy Davis (A), Andy Owens (I), and Dave Stewart (C) On sale Dec 14 FC, 152 pages $17.99 TP, 7″ x 10″ In these terrifying tales of witchcraft and the undead, Abe, Roger, Liz, and Johann learn the ropes as agents of the Bureau For Paranormal Research and Defense! Abe copes with survivor’s guilt, Roger goes on his first adventure with Hellboy, Liz tells the story of how she killed her family, and Johann Kraus dies! • A standalone collection that’s perfect introduction to these bizarre heroes.
B.P.R.D. HELL ON EARTH: RUSSIA #2 (of 5) The vault of horrors! Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), Tyler Crook (A), Dave Stewart (C), Dave Johnson (Cover) On sale Oct 19 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries In the vault of the Russian Occult Bureau’s headquarters is a man chained down and heavily monitored. When Kate and Johann are brought in for assistance, the zombie director of the Russian bureau pits them against the possessed prisoner!
BALTIMORE: THE CURSE BELLS #3 (of 5) Vampire nuns, giant snake gods, and the occult! Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Christopher Golden (W), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C) On sale Oct 12 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries A bloody ritual climaxes in a terrifying rebirth, as Lord Baltimore battles against the twisted “blessing” of vampiric nuns and an insane occultist. • A horrifying new take on vampires! • By Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
BALTIMORE VOLUME 1: THE PLAGUE SHIPS TP Mike Mignola (W/Cover), Christopher Golden (W), Ben Stenbeck (A), and Dave Stewart (C) On sale Dec 21 FC, 144 pages $18.99 TP, 7″ x 10″ After a devastating plague ends, Europe is suddenly flooded with vampires. Lord Henry Baltimore, a soldier determined to wipe out the monsters, fights his way through bloody battlefields, ruined plague ships, exploding zeppelins, and submarine graveyards, on the hunt for the creature who’s become his obsession. • First time in paperback! • By Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Christopher Golden (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
BRAIN BOY ARCHIVES HC Herb Castle (W), Gil Kane (A), and Frank Springer (A) On sale Dec 14 FC, 216 pages $49.99 HC, 7″ x 10″ A freak accident with an electrical tower affected Matt Price’s brain while he was still in the womb. Ever since, he’s had mysterious powers—telepathy, levitation, and mind control. Naturally, the government recruited him straight out of high school, and now he battles mad dictators and thawed-out dinosaurs as Brain Boy! • Introduction by Batton Lash.
CONAN: ROAD OF KINGS #9 Roy Thomas (W), Dan Panosian (A), Dan Jackson (C), and Aleksi Briclot (Cover) On sale Oct 19 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Ongoing Beneath the city of Tarantia, Conan, his allies, and the child in his care are at the mercy of a horde of zombie Hyborians, while above their heads an even greater menace reveals itself! If they survive the catacombs, can Conan and his charges withstand a siege of the city?
FEAR AGENT #32: OUT OF STEP part 5 (of 5) Rick Remender (W), Mike Hawthorne (P), Tony Moore (P/Cover), and John Lucas (I) On sale Nov 2 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries THE END! The creative team that came together on Fear Agent reunite for the stunning conclusion! • From Uncanny X-Force and Venom scribe Rick Remender!
KULL: THE CAT AND THE SKULL #1 (of 4) David Lapham (W), Gabriel Guzman (P), Dan Jackson (C), Jo Chen (Cover), and Stephanie Hans (Variant cover) On sale Oct 12 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries Few women in all the Seven Kingdoms can equal the beauty of Delcardes, but Kull is more interested in her traveling companion—the cat, Saremes. It is rumored that Saremes is of the old race and Kull is anxious to hear her counsel. The Hate Witch is dead but the serpent cult are rallying under a powerful wizard. In order to protect the people of Valusia, Kull must unravel the mysteries of this wise and ancient creature. • Kull vs. his greatest foe: THULSA DOOM!
KULT #4 (of 4) Jeremy Barlow (W), Iwan Nazif (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Jake Murray (Cover) On sale Oct 5 FC, 32 pages $3.50 Miniseries The illusion is pierced! The hellish real world is revealed! The final battle for humanity has begun! But with the power to reshape the world and his allies helpless to stop him, has Tomas Zenk been the true danger all along? • Inspired by the legendary RPG! • For fans of The Matrix and Hellraiser!
MIGHTY SAMSON ARCHIVES VOLUME 4 HC Arnold Drake (W), Paul S. Newman (W), John Warner (W), Jose Delbo (A), and Jack Abel (A) On sale Dec 21 FC, 224 pages $49.99 HC, 7″ x 10″ In a world of monsters and scavengers, Samson continues fighting his way across a wasted future America, searching for hope and dishing out justice. With his beautiful companion, her brilliant father, and a rogue’s gallery of foes, Samson and his team are constantly bombarded with danger! This volume collects Mighty Samson issues #25-#31 and Gold Key Champion #2 and features an introduction by Samson artist Jose Delbo. • Collects material unavailable anywhere else!
ROBERT E. HOWARD’S SAVAGE SWORD #3 David Lapham (W), Paul Tobin (W), Jeremy Barlow (W), Wellinton Alves (A), Joshua Williamson (W), Patric Reynolds (A), Cobiaco (A), Tony Parker (A), Gerald Parel (Cover), and others On sale Oct 26 FC, 80 pages $7.99 Ongoing Paul Tobin and Wellinton Alves conclude their Conan adventure, David Lapham and Fabio Cobiaco tell a high-seas adventure featuring King Kull’s right-hand man Brule, Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker adapt a cowboy adventure by Howard, Joshua Williamson and Patric Reynolds them up to revive Howard’s gritty detective Steve Harrison, and we bring you part one of the classic graphic novel Kull: The Vale of Shadow!
TUROK, SON OF STONE: AZTLÁN VOLUME 1 TP Jim Shooter (W), Eduardo Francisco (A), James Harren (C), and Raymond Swanland (Cover) On sale Jan 4 FC, 96 pages $15.99 TP, 7″ x 10″ The American Southwest, 1428. Turok, a wandering warrior, rescues young Andar from death at the hands of the ruthless Maxtla and his Aztec horde. Turok and Andar seek refuge in a vast cavern, where an otherworldly force sweeps them and their pursuers to a savage, timeless land of rampaging dinosaurs and unimagined wonders. Hunted in a world of danger and death, Turok and Andar fight to survive—and to find a way home. • Collects issues #1-#4 of the new Turok series.
PULP CLASSIC- Reviews by Joshua Pantalleresco TARZAN OF THE APES by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Ask me to pick my all time Edgar Rice Burroughs creation, and I think most people would say John Carter. To me, however, Tarzan was Burroughs at his most refined.There is a level of sophistication in Tarzan that is unsurpassed with any other of Burroughs’ characters.In fact, I’ll go so far to say that Tarzan of The Apes is probably Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most complex book in terms of character development, as the Tarzan that starts the novel is not the Tarzan that finishes it.Part origin, part coming of age and part adventure, I’m amazed with just how layered Tarzan really was, and it makes me realize just why this character is still so popular to this day.
Tarzan of the Apes begins with his parents arriving in to the harsh unforgiving jungle.Alice and Clayton battle the jungle valiantly, yet ultimately succumb to the harsh terrain, leaving baby Tarzan alone in the jungle, where he is eventually adopted by apes.The first half of the book is about Tarzan growing up in this environment.This stuff is among my favorite writing of Burroughs period.From covering the harsh realities of the jungle, to Tarzan discovering how to use tools, Burroughs does a great job separating Tarzan from a conventional savage and was able to show that Tarzan had a lot of cunning, reason and a little bit of a sense of humor.
One of my favorite scenes is Tarzan discovering his parent’s house and discovering the books in the library.The fact that he spends his time learning how to read astounded me when I first read it as a kid and still astounds me now.The thing I tend to hate with Tarzan in most of the television shows is that they make him out to be an above average ape man and nothing more.I can’t think of anything cooler than the fact that he used a children’s book to teach himself how to read in English.That’s an incredible feat and I’ve always thought that always having him be the simple ape man he is in most movies and television shows takes away a real important aspect of his character – his desire to become more than he is.
This facet of him is presented best when Jane enters the story.He sees her and feels an instant attraction.He starts communicating with her with the English he learns through letters.He is sprung into action when one of his local enemies captures Jane, which leads to Tarzan rescuing her.When he attempts to woo her with a very simplistic approach and is rebuked, he takes the first steps into becoming the gentleman English lord he is descended from.When she leaves, Tarzan seeks her out, learning more how to communicate, act like a man, and all the while making some acute observations about the ways of men he doesn’t approve of.
In the end, he saves Jane from a marriage that would have made her miserable, yet doesn’t walk away with the girl.All in all, it left me wanting more, just like it did when I first picked up the book years ago.Tarzan is everything you want in a great story.Despite the savage setting, there is something we can all relate to in Tarzan in this first book.It’s one of my favorites.I can’t recommend it enough.It’s a solid five out of five stars.
It was somewhere between the ages of twelve and thirteen that I discovered the classic pulp heroes of old through paperback reprints. Here were 1930s urban heroes such as the Shadow and Doc Savage while primal, wilderness characters were represented by Robert E.Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. I also discovered one of the greatest pulp authors of all time, Edgar Rice Burroughs. My entry into Burroughs fantastic worlds was through his Tarzan books like most of the readers of my generation. Having already become familiar with the Ape Man via movies, it was both a treat and surprise to discover the actual character in Burrough’s purple prose.
Becoming addicted to his work, it was a logical next step to pick up his equally popular John Carter of Mars series starting with “A Princess of Mars.” On the off chance there is someone reading this that has never had that pleasure, here is a quick recap. The series tells of an ex Confederate officer named John Carter, who, while mining for gold in the Arizona badlands, is somehow magically transported through space to the red planet Mars. There he finds it inhabited by all manner of beings and monstrous creatures that refer to their world as Barsoom. Carter has one glorious adventure after another, finds his love, the beautiful princess Theja Thoris, and goes on to become the Warlord of Mars.
I devoured those books. I’d never encountered anything else so filled with action, exotic characters and unabashed imagination as displayed in that amazing series. Of course the popularity of Burroughs alien tales inspired hundreds of writers to follow in his footsteps, many attempting to duplicate the verve and grandeur of his Barsoom titles. None ever came close, until now.
From the first chapter of J.P. Carlson’s book, “Rex Riders” that same magical what-if that Burroughs so effortlessly created is evident here. Set in the sleepy Texas town of Dos Locus, post Civil War, what Carlson brilliantly does is turn the tables on the Carter device and brings an alien romantic hero to Earth in the form of the Rex Rider.
The book’s protagonist is fifteen year old orphan, Zeke Calhoun, who is being raised on his Uncle Jesse McCain’s ranch. His two best friends are Bull, McCain’s loyal ranch hand and Stumpy, the old cantankerous and wise ranch cook. Growing up to be a cowboy is not an easy life and Zeke is constantly butting heads with his uncle, their ability to communicate strained by their ages. Having never married or had children, McCain finds bringing up a rambunctious teenage boy much more complicated than herding cattle.
Then one day a live triceratops comes charging down Dos Locos’ main street attacking the arriving stagecoach. After toppling the coach, the confused, armored beast then goes on a rampage and destroys several of the town’s stores before it is shot by McCain. Before anyone can even attempt to explain the creature’s presence, let alone existence, the area’s most powerful landowner, Dante D’Allesandro comes along, offers to pay for the damages and whisks the carcass away. No one gives the incident a second thought. I give much credit to Carlson’s depiction of good, decent and simple people who would react exactly as he writes them.
Months later, while riding through a nearby valley, Zeke and Stumpy come across a truly bizarre scene. An alien humanoid lying comatose on the ground, having been shot, and standing over him protectively is a baby Tyrannosaurs Rex with a saddle strapped to its back. With much effort, the two manage to haul the eight foot rider onto the back of his dangerous looking mount and get them back safely to McCain’s ranch. After the town doctor removes half a dozen bullets from the purple hued alien and he recovers, he relates a fantastic tale to McCain and his crew.
Slim, the name Stumpy gives the alien rider, is from a planet called Ismalis where millions of years ago his ancestors, using amazing transporters, rescued large numbers of the Earth’s dinosaurs when they saw they were in danger of becoming extinct. Now they thrive on Ismalis and as a Rex Rider, it is Slim’s duty to see they continue to do so. Unfortunately D’Allesandro has learned that it was via one these transporter platforms, hidden in a nearby mountain cave, that the runaway tryke traveled from Ismalis to Earth. D’Allesandro then begins to transport a group of cowboys to that alien world to build a camp from which they can rustle hundreds of trykes and bring them back to our world. When Slim attempts to stop him, warning that his scheme can only end in disaster for all involved, D’Allesandro’s hired gun, Caleb Cooper, attempts to kill him and his T-rex mount, called Hellfire.
McCain immediately sees the folly of D’Allesandro’s plan and offers his support to the Rex Rider, along with Zeke, Bull & Stumpy. Together these new allies have to travel to that strange and dangerous world and set things right. “The Rex Riders” is a deft blend of action, humor and wall-to-wall adventure in a truly original setting. Reading it was nothing short pure joy, easily recapturing the fun I’d had when first discovering the John Carter of Mars books. And if that isn’t a cause for celebration amongst today’s pulp readers, I don’t know what is. In fact, I love this book so much, I’m giving it to my grandson, Alex, assured it will set him on a path I first walked over fifty years ago. Thanks, J.P. Carlson. With your first book, you’ve made a loyal fan that is very, very anxious for the sequels.
(If) you’re…young; you don’t remember a time when continued stories were rare. But until Stan Lee made them standard procedure at Marvel in the 1960s, they were next to unheard-of.
Those words seem familiar to you? Certainly not, unless you read this department’s blather three weeks ago, when I began a discussion of continued stories in comics, where they – the words – appeared in a slightly different form. And in reprinting them, in a column which is – let’s face it – a continuation of a previous one, I’ve tried to deal with a paramount problem writers face when doing continued narratives: clueing in readers who either don’t remember the earlier stuff or are new to the series.
There is a difference between continuing characters and continuing stories. Continuing characters have been with us a very long time. Even if you ignore the many tales of the various gods and goddesses, those rascals, you can find a continuing character as early as 428 BC, give or take a few years, when Sophocles followed up his smash hit Oedipus Rex with a sequel featuring the same poor bastard, Oedipus at Colonus. Then, over the centuries, there have been various adventures of King Arthur’s knights and other heroes. But these were not continued stories, not exactly. An adventure or episode ended and the characters went into Limbo and reappeared to solve new problems and encounter new hassles. That kind of storytelling continued through the invention of high speed printing, which made books relatively cheap and accessible at about the same time that a lot of people were learning to read.
Which brings us to the pulp magazines, a publishing form that began about 1910 and was one with the dinosaurs by the middle 50s. A lot of these cheaply produced entertainments featured continuing heroes. (We’ve discussed perhaps the greatest of them, The Shadow, in this department earlier, and I won’t be surprised if he gets mentioned here again.) Meanwhile, over in another medium, movies were also featuring continuing heroes, ranging from that loveable scamp Andy Hardy to a legion of bad guy quellers, including noble cowpokes and suave detectives. And…in yet another medium, that newfangled radio was presenting weekly dramas about cowboys and detectives and police officers and even federal agents, like the movies only more often. And…here might be an appropriate place to mention comic strips, which began doing stories, as opposed to daily jokes, in 1929 with Burne Hogarth’s comic’s adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan, and since the introduction of Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy in 1931, were sometimes stretching plots over many weeks.
Those were continued stories featuring, of course, continuing characters. But there were others…Oh my goodness, look! We’re almost at the limit of our allotted word count and we have so much more to discuss. I suppose I could go on for a couple of paragraphs more, but that wouldn’t begin to exhaust the topic, so I guess we’ll just have to – yes! – continue this next week.
RECOMMENDED READING: The Creators, by Daniel J. Boorstin
Dennis O’Neil is an award-winning editor and writer of comic books like Batman, The Question, Iron Man, Green Lantern and/or Green Arrow, and The Shadow, as well as all kinds of novels, stories and articles.
Artwork copyright Tribune Media Services. All Rights Reserved.
(If) you’re…young; you don’t remember a time when continued stories were rare. But until Stan Lee made them standard procedure at Marvel in the 1960s, they were next to unheard-of.
Which brings us to the pulp magazines, a publishing form that began about 1910 and was one with the dinosaurs by the middle 50s. A lot of these cheaply produced entertainments featured continuing heroes. (We’ve discussed perhaps the greatest of them, The Shadow, in this department 
