Tarzan of the Apes

TARZAN OF THE APES - 1914

NOVELS INTRO

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Written

Dec 1911 to May 1912

ERB's working title

Tarzan of the Apes

First published

All-Story magazine, Oct 1912

Magazine title

Tarzan of the Apes

First hardcover edition

A C McClurg & Co, Jun 1914

Book illustrator

Fred J Arting

Filmed

1918, 1984, 1999 (Enchanted Tales)
& 1999 (Disney)

BACKGROUND
• Tarzan of the Apes was the third story that ERB wrote - he had written Under the Moons of Mars and The Outlaw of Torn in 1911. Ed wrote it in his spare time on the backs of old letterheads while he was working as a business advice columnist for System magazine. It was originally designed to be published as an episodic series of hair-raising adventures but it so impressed Thomas Metcalf, the editor of All-Story magazine, that the entire story was published as a "book" marked "complete in one issue" in the October 1912 issue of that magazine. Burroughs was paid $700 for the story. The All-Story cover illustration by Clinton Pettee is also historic as the very first graphic representation of this popular character. The first hardcover novel of the story was published by A C McClurg & Co in 1914 (below far right). Universally considered ERB's greatest work, this astounding story spawned 24 other Tarzan novels by ERB; numerous Tarzan novels by other authors; 50 "official" Tarzan films; many unofficial Tarzan films, nearly all in foreign languages; thousands of Tarzan comics; and countless other Tarzan paraphernalia ranging from lunch boxes to computer games. (Porges)

PLOT
• Deep in the savage African jungle, the baby Tarzan was raised by a fierce she-ape of the tribe of Kerchak. There he has to learn the secrets of the wild to survive - how to talk with wild animals, swing through the trees, and fight against the great predators. He grew to the strength and courage of his fellow apes. And in time, his human intelligence promised him the kingship of the tribe. He became truly Lord of the Jungle. Then men entered his jungle, bringing with them the wanton savagery of civilized greed and lust - and bringing also the first white woman Tarzan had ever seen. Now suddenly, Tarzan had to choose between two worlds. (1976 Ballantine paperback edition)

SOURCES
• Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan by Irwin Porges, 1975, Brigham Young University Press
COVERS
• Clinton Pettee cover from excellent 2000 reprint of the October 1912 The All-Story Magazine is from my personal collection
• G W Goss cover from 1952 British Methuen hardcover edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
• Burne Hogarth cover from 1972 Flamingo Books UK paperback edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
• Fred J Arting cover from the dustjacket of the 1914 A C McClurg hardcover edition was pilfered from an eBay auction item
LYNX
• The full text of this novel is available on-line from Robert Stockton's Tarzan of the Apes page
• Essay by Tangor (aka David Bruce Bozarth) Tarzan of the Apes: Child's Tale or Adult Fantasy?
• Good cover art galleries are at Nick Knowles' and Bill Hillman's Tarzan of the Apes pages
• The complete story is illustrated at Bill Hillmans Japanese edition art page
CAPTURE
• Bag yourself a copy of this novel at Amazon.com's Tarzan of the Apes page or try eBay