The Canon ERBU look of Tarzan is a mind screw!

For the first tale in the now-largely canonised Tarzan: The New Adventures, Tom Grindberg designed an ugly-cute Tarzan on a mishmash of Jesse Marsh and John Coleman Burroughs (via Ramona Fradon and Sal Buscema), and then Benito Gallego came along with a Tarzan that’s as ugly cute as Baki the Grappler. Even after the ERB Universe line launched in 2019, Chris Peuler made a Jesse Marsh-Mac Raboy crossbreed, one of the most accurate takes of the ERBU canon Tarzan by far. Rather tellingly, Rick Leonardi, Shane Foley, Mike Wolfer and Joe Jusko are amongst the few other artists who actually blend them properly for official Tarzan works. 

This why Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc’s own ERB Universe and its original canon prefer these otherwise different styles being blended into something else. It makes sense with many of the oldies being the preceding ‘godparent’ styles to most of the newer ones.

Jesse Marsh (both first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics and later comics for Dell Comics and Gold Key) + Barbara Schwinn Jordan = John Buscema 
It must’ve helped that Big Hairy John had a well earned reputation as not only a gentle giant who’s slightly over 7 feet tall, he also was one of the world’s tallest ever Marvel comics artists for that matter too! 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Milton Caniff = Frank Frazetta 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Alex Raymond = Mike Hoffman 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Paul Reinman = Boris Vallejo 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Burne Hogarth = Rick Leonardi

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Jack Lehti = Erik Marcus Gist

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + John Coleman Burroughs = Tom Grindberg 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Mac Raboy = Chris Allan Peuler 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Jack Kirby = Benito Gallego 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Roy Krenkel = Tony DeZuniga 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + John Celardo = Gary Gianni 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics) + Nick Cardy = Joe Jusko

Jesse Marsh (both first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell Comics and later comics for gold key) + Dan Spiegle = Kory Fuhrman 

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell comics) + Bob Lubbers = Rafael Kayanan

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell comics) + Rubimor = Roy Alan Martinez

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell comics) + Dan Barry = Mark Wheatley

Jesse Marsh (first two ever Tarzan covers for Dell comics) + Sam Glanzman = Stevan Subic 




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