Edgar Rice Burroughs: Self-Publishing Pioneer
When Edgar Rice Burroughs incorporated himself and his creations in 1923, he blazed a trail for the thousands of other authors who have followed his example in the hundred years since.
Read MoreREVIEW: Tarzan Forever: The Life of Edgar Rice Burroughs by John Taliaferro
John Taliaferro has given us the living, breathing Edgar Rice Burroughs and shown us what a wonderful writer he was. He shows ERB as a courageous and admirable man, a patriot and a family man. Tarzan Forever is also a good book for anyone who wants to understand the pulps and how they produced the finest American stories.
Read MorePastiches: A Fistful of Thoughts
About four months ago, I wrote a blog entry regarding 'pastiches' in the De Campian sense. There were several interesting comments on that post. While I thought I laid out my basic attitude toward pastiches fairly well, there are certainly various angles that I didn't cover.
Read MoreHal Foster: A Titanic Legacy
Today marks the one hundred and thirtieth anniversary of Hal Foster’s birth. Who was Hal Foster? Just the main artistic influence on Frank Frazetta, Joe Kubert and John Buscema. Also, Foster was a big influence on Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Bernie Wrightson, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Alfredo Alcala, Rudy Nebres and Gary Gianni. His overall impact on adventure comic art—especially in the realm of heroic fantasy—is literally incalculable.
Read MoreJoe Kubert -- Ten Years Gone
Joe Kubert passed on ten years ago today. An absolute legend in the comic book industry, Kubert's career spanned an astounding seventy-five years. Joe was one of the few comics giants to be admitted to various comic book halls of fame as a writer, artist and inker. In Comic Book Valhalla, Joe Kubert sits at the high table.
Read MoreThe Savage Swords of Neal Adams
Admired by everyone from Frank Miller to Neil Gaiman, Neal Adams brought a ferocity, dynamism and grimness to his art not often seen then or now.
Read MoreGiving Props to ERB's Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar created the template for the era of 'classic' Tarzan novels to come. Its publication was momentous at the time and—many decades later—that novel was my real intro to the world of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs and much, much more.
Read MoreNeal Adams: A Legend in Comics and Beyond
I just found out that Neal Adams turned eighty years old last week. I’m short on time but respects must be paid and props must be given. Neal Adams revolutionized the look of comics in the 1960s. He went on to create some of the coolest renditions of Tarzan and Conan ever…and he didn’t stop there.
Read MoreFrazetta: The Lost "Castaways" Cover
Frank Frazetta created ground-breaking art for the Canaveral Press edition of Tarzan and the Castaways, but Canaveral didn’t publish all of it…
Read MoreFrazetta and the Canaveral "Castaways"
The Canaveral Press edition of Tarzan and the Castaways was Frazetta’s first chance at illustrating a book in the more prestigious hardcover format. Like the major league ballplayer he very nearly became, Frank swung for the fences.
Read More