John Coleman Burroughs
Encyclopedia
John Coleman "Jack" Burroughs (28 February 1913 - 22 February 1979) was an American
illustrator
known for his illustrations of the works of his father, Edgar Rice Burroughs
.
, the son of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan
, and of his first wife, Emma Centennia Hulbert. When he was six, the family moved to California
and settled on the estate they renamed Tarzana. Jack briefly attended Page Military Academy but couldn't adjust to the strict regimen and was removed in midyear and tutored at home (he had contracted a mild case of polio, and his parents were worried about his being exposed to disease in public schools). He later attended the Los Angeles Coaching School, Urban Military Academy
, and Van Nuys High School
, where he wrote and illustrated stories, graduating in 1930. He then enrolled in Pomona College
, graduating with honors in 1934. On 12 December, 1936, he married Jane Ralston. They had three children, John Ralston Burroughs, Danton Burroughs, and Dian Burroughs. They were divorced in 1961. On 16 December, 1961, Jack married his second wife, Mary. They divorced around 1972. Jack's creative powers were sapped by Parkinson's Disease
in his final years.
published on 15 February, 1937. A few months earlier, Ed had written: "it has always been the ambition of my son, Jack, and myself that one day he would illustrate one of my books. He is doing very excellent work, and I am having him illustrate the Spring book for us." Jack went on to illustrate all future Edgar Rice Burroughs books published during the author's lifetime - a total of over 125 illustrations. He also illustrated the John Carter
Sunday newspaper strip, a David Innes
of Pellucidar
comic book feature and numerous Big Little Book
covers.
. His later novel Danton Doring, written with Dr. John Eric Holmes
, remained unfinished.
There were also a great many items passed on from Jack's father, Edgar Rice Burroughs, including the latter's military hat, favorite chair, film projector, a mold for creating a bust of Edgar Rice Burroughs, photo albums, business documents, journals, favorite books, etc. Photos of many of these items were taken as they were retrieved from the storage room. Danton has released material deemed of interest to Edgar Rice Burroughs fans on the JohnColemanBurroughs.com Website.
On May 1, 2008, Danton Burroughs died of a heart attack following a fire in the family home in Tarzana, which destroyed a room containing memorabilia of his father John Coleman Burroughs and grandfather Edgar Rice Burroughs
. The cause of the fire is unknown.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
known for his illustrations of the works of his father, 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:...
.
Life
Jack Burroughs was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the son of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of 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...
, and of his first wife, Emma Centennia Hulbert. When he was six, the family moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and settled on the estate they renamed Tarzana. Jack briefly attended Page Military Academy but couldn't adjust to the strict regimen and was removed in midyear and tutored at home (he had contracted a mild case of polio, and his parents were worried about his being exposed to disease in public schools). He later attended the Los Angeles Coaching School, Urban Military Academy
Urban Military Academy
Urban Military Academy was a boarding and day school in Hollywood, California, for boys between the ages of six and fifteen, founded in 1905 by Mary McDonnell and at the time it opened "the only private school for boys in the City." Its commandant was Major Harry Lee Black, who in 1928 helped...
, and Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys High School established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2...
, where he wrote and illustrated stories, graduating in 1930. He then enrolled in Pomona College
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
, graduating with honors in 1934. On 12 December, 1936, he married Jane Ralston. They had three children, John Ralston Burroughs, Danton Burroughs, and Dian Burroughs. They were divorced in 1961. On 16 December, 1961, Jack married his second wife, Mary. They divorced around 1972. Jack's creative powers were sapped by Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
in his final years.
Career
Jack and his siblings Joan and Hulbert were all fans of their father's writing, but only John Coleman Burroughs added significantly to Edgar Rice Burroughs's works with new creative material.In art
Growing up in an atmosphere saturated by his father's famous creations, Jack's first excursions into the professional art world were influenced by Edgar Rice Burroughs themes. At age 23, he was given the chance to illustrate his father's book, The Oakdale Affair and the RiderThe Oakdale Affair and The Rider
The Oakdale Affair and The Rider is a collection of two short novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. "The Oakdale Affair," a contemporary tale, was written in 1917 under the working title of "Bridge and the Oskaloosa Kid," and is a partial sequel to The Mucker , as Bridge, the protagonist, had been a...
published on 15 February, 1937. A few months earlier, Ed had written: "it has always been the ambition of my son, Jack, and myself that one day he would illustrate one of my books. He is doing very excellent work, and I am having him illustrate the Spring book for us." Jack went on to illustrate all future Edgar Rice Burroughs books published during the author's lifetime - a total of over 125 illustrations. He also illustrated the John Carter
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...
Sunday newspaper strip, a David Innes
David Innes
David Innes is a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs as the main protagonist of his Pellucidar novels.-The early novels:David Innes is introduced in the first Pellucidar novel, At the Earth's Core, as a mining heir who finances the experimental "iron mole," an excavating vehicle...
of Pellucidar
Pellucidar
Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth milieu invented by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a notable crossover event between Burroughs' series, there is a Tarzan story in which the Ape Man travels into Pellucidar.The stories initially involve the...
comic book feature and numerous Big Little Book
Big Little Books
The Big Little Books, first published during 1932 by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, were small, compact books designed with a captioned illustration opposite each page of text...
covers.
In writing
In addition to his artwork, Jack wrote a string of short stories with his brother Hulbert and his wife Jane Ralston, who also served as model for the heroines he drew. Jack's novel Treasure of the Black Falcon was published in 1967 by Ballantine BooksBallantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann AG in 1998 and remains part of that company today. Ballantine's logo is a...
. His later novel Danton Doring, written with Dr. John Eric Holmes
John Eric Holmes
John Eric Holmes, M.D. , was a former associate professor of neurology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, an author and promoter of fantasy role-playing games, a noted fan and enthusiast of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and an American writer of non-fiction, fantasy and science...
, remained unfinished.
Legacy
In June 2003, Danton Burroughs opened a storage locker that had been sealed since his father's death in 1979. The room was packed with items that John Coleman had amassed throughout his very productive life: personal effects, letters, documents, books, photos, sketches, clothing, paintings, charcoals, artwork done for major Hollywood film studios, World War II propaganda art and handbook illustrations for Douglas Aircraft Co., etc.There were also a great many items passed on from Jack's father, Edgar Rice Burroughs, including the latter's military hat, favorite chair, film projector, a mold for creating a bust of Edgar Rice Burroughs, photo albums, business documents, journals, favorite books, etc. Photos of many of these items were taken as they were retrieved from the storage room. Danton has released material deemed of interest to Edgar Rice Burroughs fans on the JohnColemanBurroughs.com Website.
On May 1, 2008, Danton Burroughs died of a heart attack following a fire in the family home in Tarzana, which destroyed a room containing memorabilia of his father John Coleman Burroughs and grandfather 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:...
. The cause of the fire is unknown.