John Carter, Warlord of Mars
Encyclopedia
John Carter, Warlord of Mars is a Marvel Comics
series created in 1977 by Marv Wolfman
(writer) and Gil Kane
(penciller), based on the Barsoom
series of Edgar Rice Burroughs
and featuring the eponymous character
.
The entire series (with few exceptions) takes place between the third and fourth paragraphs of chapter 27 of Burroughs' novel A Princess of Mars
.
released three issues of John Carter of Mars under its Four Color Comics banner. The issue numbers are 375, 437, and 488, and were released in 1952-1953. Gold Key Comics
would reprint them as three issues in 1964, numbering one through three, but reprinted them out of order. Dark Horse Comics
in 2010 reprinted the comics in a hard back archive edition.
John Carter appeared in DC Comics
's Tarzan comics #207-209, then Weird Worlds
#1-7 and Tarzan Family 62-64 in the early 70s.
There was also a four-issue mini-series
cross-over in 1996 with another of Burroughs' characters, Tarzan
, in Tarzan/John Carter: Warlords of Mars from Dark Horse Comics
.
Starting in October 2010, Dynamite Entertainment
has begun publishing a twelve-issue series entitled Warlord of Mars. The first two issues served as a prelude story, issues 3-9 will adapt A Princess of Mars
, and issues 10-12 will be an original story.
wrote and illustrated 69 weeks of a syndicated colour Sunday newspaper strip
, John Carter of Mars, which debuted in The Chicago Sun on December 7, 1941. This debut coincided with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
, resulting in the series being picked up by very few papers. The strip began with a Princess of Mars adaptation but departed from the original with episode 5. John Coleman Burroughs explained that this was done at the request of United Features Syndicate, in order to provide more action in the weekly episodes. Continuing with the Burroughs tradition of family involvement, John's wife, Jane Ralston Burroughs, helped with the backgrounds, inking, and lettering of the strip and even served as model for Dejah Thoris
.
have collected the Marvel series as a single trade paperback
:
They also released a collection of the DC series:
As well as the earlier Dell Comics one:
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
series created in 1977 by Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
(writer) and Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
(penciller), based on the Barsoom
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote close to 100 action adventure stories in various genres in the first half of the 20th century, and is now best known as the creator of the character Tarzan...
series of Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
and featuring the eponymous character
John Carter (character)
John Carter is a fictional character, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who appears in the Barsoom series of novels. Though actually a Virginian from Earth and a visitor to Mars, he is often referred to as "John Carter of Mars" in reference to the general setting in which his deeds are recorded, in...
.
The entire series (with few exceptions) takes place between the third and fourth paragraphs of chapter 27 of Burroughs' novel A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars is a science fiction novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It is also Burroughs' first novel, predating his famous Tarzan series. Full of swordplay and daring feats, the novel is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction...
.
Other comics featuring the character
Dell ComicsDell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
released three issues of John Carter of Mars under its Four Color Comics banner. The issue numbers are 375, 437, and 488, and were released in 1952-1953. Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
would reprint them as three issues in 1964, numbering one through three, but reprinted them out of order. Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in 2010 reprinted the comics in a hard back archive edition.
John Carter appeared in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's Tarzan comics #207-209, then Weird Worlds
Weird Worlds (comics)
Weird Worlds was a short-lived science fiction anthology title from DC Comics that was published between 1972 and 1974. It lasted 10 issues.At first, Weird Worlds published series from Edgar Rice Burroughs that DC had the rights to...
#1-7 and Tarzan Family 62-64 in the early 70s.
There was also a four-issue mini-series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
cross-over in 1996 with another of Burroughs' characters, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, in Tarzan/John Carter: Warlords of Mars from Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
.
Starting in October 2010, Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
has begun publishing a twelve-issue series entitled Warlord of Mars. The first two issues served as a prelude story, issues 3-9 will adapt A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars is a science fiction novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It is also Burroughs' first novel, predating his famous Tarzan series. Full of swordplay and daring feats, the novel is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction...
, and issues 10-12 will be an original story.
Newspaper strip
In 1941, John Coleman BurroughsJohn Coleman Burroughs
John Coleman "Jack" Burroughs was an American illustrator known for his illustrations of the works of his father, Edgar Rice Burroughs.-Life:...
wrote and illustrated 69 weeks of a syndicated colour Sunday newspaper strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
, John Carter of Mars, which debuted in The Chicago Sun on December 7, 1941. This debut coincided with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, resulting in the series being picked up by very few papers. The strip began with a Princess of Mars adaptation but departed from the original with episode 5. John Coleman Burroughs explained that this was done at the request of United Features Syndicate, in order to provide more action in the weekly episodes. Continuing with the Burroughs tradition of family involvement, John's wife, Jane Ralston Burroughs, helped with the backgrounds, inking, and lettering of the strip and even served as model for Dejah Thoris
Dejah Thoris
Dejah Thoris is a fictional character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's series of Martian novels. Princess of the Martian city state/empire of Helium, Dejah Thoris is the love interest and later the wife of John Carter, an Earthman mystically transported to Mars, and subsequently the mother of their son...
.
Collected editions
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
have collected the Marvel series as a single trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- John Carter of Mars: Warlord of Mars (paperback, 632 pages, March 2011, ISBN 1595826920)
They also released a collection of the DC series:
- John Carter of Mars: Weird Worlds (paperback, 112 pages, January 2011, ISBN 1595826211)
As well as the earlier Dell Comics one:
- Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars: The Jesse Marsh Years (hardcover, 120 pages, May 2010, ISBN 1595824715)