Tarzan and the Lion Man
Encyclopedia
Tarzan and the Lion Man is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs
, the seventeenth in his series of books about the title character Tarzan
. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Liberty
from November 1933 through January 1935.
It is the closest thing to a pure comic novel in the Tarzan series, with Burroughs wildly satirizing Hollywood's treatment of the Tarzan character and even spoofing his own work. It was written at a time when Johnny Weissmuller
was becoming a movie star by playing Tarzan as an illiterate character, to Burroughs' open displeasure.
discover a mad scientist with a city of talking gorilla
s. To create additional havoc, a Hollywood film crew sets out to shoot a Tarzan movie in Africa
and brings along an actor who is an exact double of the apeman, but is his opposite in courage and determination.
Later, as John Clayton, Tarzan visits Hollywood to find himself in a screen test
for a role in a Tarzan movie. He is deemed unsuitable for the lead role because he is "not the type."
form by Gold Key Comics
in Tarzan no. 206, dated February 1972, and by DC Comics
in Tarzan nos. 231-234, dated July 1974-January 1975.
for this story has expired in Australia, and thus now resides in the public domain
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg Australia
.
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 seventeenth in his series of books about the title character 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...
. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine Liberty
Liberty (1924-1950)
Liberty was a weekly, general-interest magazine, originally priced at five cents and subtitled, "A Weekly for Everybody." It was launched in 1924 by McCormick-Patterson, the publisher until 1931, when it was taken over by Bernarr Macfadden until 1942. At one time it was said to be "the second...
from November 1933 through January 1935.
It is the closest thing to a pure comic novel in the Tarzan series, with Burroughs wildly satirizing Hollywood's treatment of the Tarzan character and even spoofing his own work. It was written at a time when Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
was becoming a movie star by playing Tarzan as an illiterate character, to Burroughs' open displeasure.
Plot summary
Tarzan and his lion companion Jad-bal-jaJad-bal-ja
Jad-bal-ja, the Golden Lion is a fictional lion character in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan novels, and in adaptations of the saga to other media, particularly comics.-Character:...
discover a mad scientist with a city of talking gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s. To create additional havoc, a Hollywood film crew sets out to shoot a Tarzan movie in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and brings along an actor who is an exact double of the apeman, but is his opposite in courage and determination.
Later, as John Clayton, Tarzan visits Hollywood to find himself in a screen test
Screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film and/or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a camera to see if they are suitable...
for a role in a Tarzan movie. He is deemed unsuitable for the lead role because he is "not the type."
Comic adaptations
The book has been adapted into comicTarzan (comics)
Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
form by 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:...
in Tarzan no. 206, dated February 1972, and by 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...
in Tarzan nos. 231-234, dated July 1974-January 1975.
Copyright
The copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
for this story has expired in Australia, and thus now resides in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg Australia
Project Gutenberg Australia
Project Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. The site hosts free ebooks or e-texts which are in the public domain in Australia. The ebooks have been prepared and submitted by volunteers...
.