Edgar Rice Burroughs fans

Artist Chris Wright and I have published a book that explores the worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs from the perspective of that tabloid newspaper of Mars, The Barsoomian Blade. It’s 100 pages, packed with art and humor. Here’s a preview. Click the lulu button below to go to the site where it’s available, or click HERE. Just $15.

The Muckers recently visited the hotel where the 2010 Dum Dum convention will be held Aug. 19-22. I made this video promoting the Dum Dum. Registration information can be found HERE.

The Muckers are hosting the 2010 Dum Dum in Chicago. We have four action-packed days lined up. Details at our new Dum Dum web site:
www.panthanpress.com/DumDum2010

I wrote this years ago on the old Panthan Press site. Found it on the Way Back archive olf old web pages …

Top Ten Reasons John Carter is Better than Tarzan

10. Woola would eat Jad-bal-ja for lunch and use Nkima as an after-dinner mint.

9. John Carter’s sword is bigger than Tarzan’s hunting knife.

8. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

7. Never had dozens of really bad movies made about him.

6.When John Carter’s son was 10, he helped the old man lead a slave revolt against the evil goddess of Life and Death. When Tarzan’s son was 10, he ran away from home with an old ape.

5. John Carter arrived naked on another planet, and rose to become Warlord of all Barsoom. After all these years, Tarzan still pretty much just runs around naked.

4. When John Carter’s wife is lost, her father launches 10,000 battle ships and starts massive wars. When Tarzan’s wife is lost, her father wanders around the jungle saying “Tut-tut.”

3. John Carter’s best friend is a 15-foot green guy with four arms, tusks, and a big honking sword. Tarzan’s best friend is a Frenchman.

2. Tarzan had to take pills to become immortal. John Carter was just born that way.

1. Four words: The incomparable Dejah Thoris.

I actually kind of liked the Dark Horse series “Tarzan versus Predator at the Earth’s Core.” But it just seemed to toss in so many elements that I kept thinking why not add some more. And then more. Then it started getting out of hand….

I’m not seeing Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in the roles. Which one is which? I am, however, keeping an open mind. Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkas keeps growing on me. Okay. Kitsch is John Carter. And he wasn’t bad as Gambit in The X-Men. John Carter just better not have a Cajun accent. And Collins is nice looking enough. It’s just that Dejah Thoris should be exotic in a way I can’t define, but I know it when when I see it. I hope they pull it off. If an X-Man was going to be John Carter, I’m with the crowd that said long ago that Hugh Jackman would have been great for the role. Maybe Jackman is getting too old, but Kitsch really looks to be too young.

I guess I’m just really pleased with myself for this cover I made for The Mucker Magazine earlier this year. I had to post it.

Every now and then when The Chicago Muckers get together, we do a magazine. Each member brings 25 copies of stuff they want to include in the ‘zine, and one member is assigned to provide the cover. This is one of mine.

The lion is one of two bronze statues that stand guard outside the Chicago Art Institute. J. Allen St. John, an artist who created the iconic image of “Tarzan and the Golden Lion,” was an instructor there. I wonder if maybe the bronze statues were an inspiration for him?

Hollywood Reporter has, uhm, reported that Willem Dafoe has signed on to be Tars Tarkas in the Disney version of Princess. I can see it. Sort of. Actually, I could see him as John Carter.

I always pictured the deathless Virginian as a scar-faced fighting man. And Dafoe could pull that look off. But he could also work as the green jeddak, I suppose.

I’m not sure I like the reference in the story that Tars Tarkas is the leader of the Thark race “who knows that the only way his people can survive is if they turn away from war, a position that may cost him dearly.”

Tars Tarkas still revels in war. So does John Carter. They just teamed their two peoples for the first time. Some interesting commentary at SF-Fandom.

ERB fans are getting ready for the 2009 Dum Dum in Dayton next month, hosted by Dick Spargur. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend because of other commitments, but I do hope to check in from time to time and maybe even record some podcast interviews via phone or Skype.

Meanwhile, the Chicago chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles, The Muckers, has already been planning for the 2010 convention, which we’re hosting. I’ve set up a message board for the Muckers at panthanpress.com/muckers to discuss those plans. Anyone is free to register on the board and add comments.

And if you are going to Dayton, there’s an area to post commentary about this year’s gathering.

I’ve been wanting to get the Panthan Press site back up for a while, and now it is. I hope you enjoy the new arrangement. I’ll be uploading the Dateline Jasoom archives on this blog, under the podcast category. There are 49 full episodes, plus shorter updates from past Dum-Dums. And I’ll be recording new shows soon, too. Stay tuned!