The Oldies Illustrators’ Flexible takes on a Pulp Fiction Legend

Remember what happened when Cyril Hume rewrote a film so much, resulting in him ultimately basing and theming it - rather too loosely - on one of the most influential works in the history of anything considered pulp fiction? He didn’t know any better either, as he was himself a cog in the ever mechanising Hollywood machine. 

Three years earlier, shortly before the Great Depression hit, Hal Foster didn’t become one of the greatest illustrators in the history of both USA and Canada, until he saw a certain deal by chance. With helpful permission from ERB himself, he smartly asked to use the character in his own way by illustrating him for the first official Tarzan comic in history. As a result, Hal Foster’s Tarzan is most likely a pragmatic adaptation of Frank Merrill playing the character in two Tarzan serials. 

Until artist-writer Russ Manning introduced a genuinely badass (and more culturally respectful) Tarzan design, most other comic book and strip Tarzans were inspired by various pale skinned actors and cartoonists - and largely only pale skinned actors and cartoonists. It was a skin colour discriminatory time indeed! 

Hogarth’s Tarzan is a mix of Hogarth himself, Frank Merrill and Laurence Olivier. Rex Maxon’s spin was inspired by Kamuela Searle, Elmo Lincoln and Noel Coward, while Jesse Marsh’s own was a mix of Yul Brynner, the cartoonist himself and Gordon Scott. The Barry Brothers’ own takes on Tarzan are inspired by stars Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness. 

Bob Lubbers’ Tarzan design was a mix of Lex Barker and once again Noel Coward, while Ruben Moreira’s spin was modelled on Johnny Weissmuller and Yul Brynner, whereas John Celardo’s own take was a mix of Jock Mahoney and Alec Guinness. 

But then came Russ Manning, who drew and evolved a singular character design which holds up to this day. Various actors and the cartoonist himself have impacted the making of said design, but German bisexual icon Horst Buchholz’s pretty face was more suitable for this icon than anything else! Joe Kubert introduced his own iconic take at almost the same time, only to wait until 1972 to gain a distinctive stride on its own. It largely is a mix of Lance Henriksen, Ron Ely and Robert Ridgely, who all had played a Tarzan character at each point in their lives. 

The rather happy long term result of all those factors is that most comic, literary and onscreen Tarzan variants have fortunately gained their own identity, but at the cost of drifting away somehow from their canonical originator himself. 

Since there is too much unofficial merch, the original canonical character has long been trademarked and owned as a part of an eponymous brand by his current rights holder, ERB Inc.