December 1964: Tarzan in the Legal Jungle

For a few months there in 1964 and 1965, readers could buy Tarzan comic books from two publishers.

Gold Key offered the authorized adventures of the Lord of the Jungle and Charlton Comics published four issues of Jungle Tales of Tarzan, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1916 book about the wild boyhood of Lord Greystoke.

“Under a Pat Masulli cover which seems to want to evoke the fantastic physique of Tarzan actor Gordon Scott, we find the first of several stories by ERB adapted from his stories of the Ape Man when he was growing up among the Mangani and learning the ways of the varied denizens of the jungle,” observed blogger Rip Jagger. “These are often charming stories filled with wonder and well suited to the perceived youthful audience for comics during the early ’60s.”

But not for long.

“Unfortunately it turns out that the ERB estate took legal issue with those who appeared to be using Tarzan’s name in vain and they brought the various productions to a halt including Charlton’s, seizing all the artwork and the materials related to it,” Jagger said. “Jungle Tales of Tarzan as a comic book disappeared from the stands and it became a taboo topic within the halls of (Charlton’s offices in) Derby (Connecticut).”

The Tarzan rights were all over the map in those days, with both Ballantine and Ace publishing Burroughs’ actual Tarzan novels, and somebody called “Gold Star Books” publishing fake, plagiarized Tarzan novels purportedly written by “Barton Werper” (an archenemy of Tarzan’s, appropriately enough. A nice in-joke there).

Five such titles were released — Tarzan and the Silver Globe (1964), Tarzan and the Cave City (1964), Tarzan and the Snake People (1964), Tarzan and the Abominable Snowman (1965) and Tarzan and the Winged Invaders (1965) — before ERB, Inc. sued them out of existence. Because unsold copies were ordered destroyed, these awful novels are quite collectible.

And so, too, are Charlton’s well regarded handful of Tarzan issues.