Number 2572: Tarzan and the lost astronaut

In a recent re-reading of a Dell Giant comic starring Tarzan, I was sure I was looking at the artwork of Jesse Marsh, who had been the Dell Tarzan artist from the 1940s into the mid 1960s, when he died. There were some things about Tarzan’s face that gave me a clue the artist was not Marsh, and sure enough, credit was given to an artist, John Ushler, of whom I was not aware. According to Alberto Becattini, who has amazing knowledge of Dell artists, Ushler worked in Dell comics from 1952 to 1962. Ushler had his own amazing ability, making his drawings look like Jesse Marsh’s.

The story is “The Lost Astronaut,” which was published in Dell Giant #51 (1961), Tarzan King of the Jungle. As usual, Tarzan is away from his wife and son, hanging around the folks of another lost city, Pal-Ul-Don, whose civilization is not only unknown to outsiders except Tarzan, but Pal-Ul-Don has dinosaurs as well. As per the story’s title, an American spacecraft lands in Pal-Ul-Don, and surprise! the astronaut is a woman. I don’t remember thinking about it when I read the story new, in 1961, but there were no female astronauts in the United States space program until long-overdo women joined the formerly males-only group in 1978, and the first American woman in space was Dr Sally Ride.

The foresight of showing a woman as astronaut is credited to Tarzan writer Gaylord Dubois.

 

Number 2483: Tarzan bundolo!

 

Tarzan hops onto Argus, his giant eagle, for a flight to the city of Cathne. There he encounters some belligerent Bolgani, who are bent on making Tarzan bund. Yep, there are ape-words in this story. Bolgani is gorilla, bund is dead. The creatures, as well as Tarzan, are wont to holler out "Bundolo!" which means kill. Tarzan is a bloodthirsty type, having named his own son Korak,* which in the ape language means killer. (Note: after this appeared reader Dwight Harvey wrote to remind me that Korak's real name is John.)

That aside, this is yet another story where Tarzan helps with the fighting in a city hidden in the African jungle, injecting him into their wars. It was written by Gaylord Dubois and drawn by Jesse Marsh. It appeared as the lead story in Tarzan Jungle Annual #4 (1955).

It is the end of the year. I’ll wish you Happy New Year, because 2020 has been a terrible year. We’ll hope for better in 2021. 

*In the Dell version of Tarzan’s parenting, his son is called “Boy,” which is what they named him in the old Tarzan movies, and was carried over into the comic books. It was apparently because the movie Tarzan and Jane were not married, and after they found the baby, decided to set up treetop housekeeping. Don’t ask me the circumstances. It has been at least 50 years since I saw that particular movie in the Tarzan series. For a time in the early 1960s there was interest in the Tarzan of the screen, and they were shown on a local TV channel on Saturday afternoons. I remember having an attitude about the movies, since I was a member of the Burroughs Bibliophiles, and was actively reading the original novels. I thought that made me an expert. When I once tried to explain the differences of the movie Tarzan and novel Tarzan to some classmates they looked as if they would rather grab a vine and swing away through the trees, somewhere far from me. 

In retrospect, who could blame them?
 

Number 2452: Hey, Tarzan, your wife wonders where you are

Jane and Boy are suddenly without a husband and dad when Tarzan mounts the giant eagle, Argus, and takes off for Pal-Ul-Don, another lost kingdom in Tarzan’s fantasy Africa.

Jane looks like she dressed for the occasion, perfect hair and makeup, looking plenty sexy. Tarzan appears unaware of her charms. The red bra top and slit-up-the-side sarong are indications she is aiming for his more primitive instincts.

I have been married for over 50 years. What would Mrs Pappy do if I suddenly got on the back of an eagle and flew off? Well, I’d know there would be hell to pay when I got back. I keep Mrs P apprised of my plans well in advance, and she returns the courtesy. Not so Tarzan, who is a guy with muscles and brains, but lacking in simple courtesy. My advice to you or to a guy like Tarzan: you can get away without too many brains and no muscles, just let your significant other know where you are going and when you plan to be back.

Oh, and Tarzan must have gotten the tourist map from the Pal-Ul-Don Chamber of Commerce.

Story by Gaylord Du Bois, artwork by Jesse Marsh. From Tarzan’s Jungle Annual #1, 1952.