Dynamite To Relaunch Original “John Carter: Warlord of Mars”
Media Connection ~ May 27, 2014

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company founded by the author to protect and maintain his literary creations, and one of the comics industry’s leaders, Publisher Dynamite Entertainment, announced today a comprehensive agreement that will see the return of Burroughs’ original “John Carter: Warlord of Mars” to the pages of comic books, comic strips and graphic novels.  The agreement allows for the world-wide publication of the John Carter universe as well as “Lord of the Jungle” and ERB’s library of archival material.

The initiative comes on the heels of the reacquisition of comic book rights by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. that had been held by Walt Disney Pictures and its Marvel Entertainment subsidiary, as well as a recent legal settlement with Dynamite that cleared the way for Dynamite to introduce key characters and plot elements from the John Carter backstory that were, until now, absent from recent comic book interpretations.

“It was important to us that we reacquire the comic book and comic strip rights from Marvel Entertainment so we could reintroduce them in the market place.  We’re excited to see the exploits of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first science fiction adventure hero brought to life in their fullness by the passionate creative talents assembled by the folks at Dynamite,” said James Sullos, President of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. “They’re true fans - and it shows on every page and in every idea they’ve shared with us.  Now fans everywhere will be able to appreciate the original adventure stories that later spawned Flash Gordon, Superman, Star Wars and Avatar.”

“Working together with Jim and the team at ERB, we will be taking the worlds of John Carter and The Lord of the Jungle publishing initiatives to a new level.  There’s a rich history, and an incredible amount of archival material in the ERB library, and we’re looking forward to bringing it to the fans around the world.  This is the beginning of a great relationship.” states Nick Barrucci, CEO and Publisher of Dynamite Entertainment. “I can’t express how happy and excited everyone at Dynamite is to be working hand in hand with everyone at ERB, Inc”.

John Carter debuted in 1912 as the lead character in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first novel, serialized as Under the Moons of Mars in the pulp magazine, The All-Story, and later published as a complete novel retitled A Princess of Mars.  The character excited the imagination of readers and quickly imprinted onto the public psyche. As many literary and popular culture scholars attest, John Carter served as the template for a litany of adventure heroes to follow, from Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and Superman to the Jedi knights of Star Wars fame and most recently, Avatar.

In planning for a late 2014 relaunch, Dynamite Entertainment confirmed that the new comic book series will be titled John Carter: Warlord of Mars.  Dynamite will also republish other John Carter assets, going back as far as the early 1940s comic strips by John Coleman Burroughs, the son of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

In a related development, new John Carter: Warlord of Mars “adventure strip” episodes will make their online debut in early summer as part of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Digital Comic Strip Service at www.edgarriceburroughs.com/comics.  Written by the legendary Roy Thomas, with art by Pegaso (Rodolfo Perez Garcia) of Mexico City, this series will invite readers to accompany John Carter and his compatriots on exciting adventures that delve into the rich, storied history of Barsoom (as the inhabitants of Mars refer to their planet). As with the other nine series featured on the site, including Tarzan and Carson of Venus, the first four episodes of John Carter: Warlord of Mars will be viewable at no charge.

"Medal of Honor" 
by 
George T. McWhorter
  (Mad Kings Publishing)
  Reviewed by John Martin

  George T. McWhorter had it in mind to write a story about those who had won the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor above and beyond the call of duty.

  He at first planned "an 'unknown soldier' motif for the book." But as he scanned the records, he began to realize that it would be better "to present an in-depth study of valor through the exploits of a single man than to attempt a book on valor from a cross sampling of our honored dead."

  He did not at first zero in on Jonah Edward Kelley of Keyser, West Virginia. Rather, "Kelley picked me" when "I saw Kelley's impish grin in a photograph," wrote McWhorter.

  From there, McWhorter began to do research to find family and friends of this World War II Army "Hero of Kesternich," and his efforts resulted in the publication of the book earlier this year.

  McWhorter dedicated the book to all of the men who fought in World War II.

  The author relates the family background of Ed and then, through facts gleaned from interviews with family and friends, and supplemented by photos, tells the story of a young man who grew up in in the small mountain town of Keyser, population today nearing 5,500, a town labeled as "The Friendliest City in the U.S.A." 

Ed was a normal boy, growing up with a zest for adventure and knowledge, and along the way he acquired leadership skills. In fact, the reader will surely smile in reading Chapters 3, 4 and 5, which recount the numerous youthful activities of Ed and his friends, in a day when young people had no video games or texting devices to occupy their time but had to come up with games and pastimes using only the resources provided to them by friends and the local environment.

  "As his character developed, his classmates came to look on him as a natural leader whose principles of conduct could not be compromised in any situation. At the proper moment, a look or a gesture form Ed could be worth a thousand profanities. His good nature was uncluttered by grudges or recriminations, while trust in his parents' judgment solidified his own emergeing values."

  McWhorter wrote further, "By the time he had reached his teens, Ed's reputation for honesty had become proverbial, and Lester Gates recalls that if he owed a penny he'd walk a mile to repay it."

  After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, everyone wanted to join the service. Ed was determined to join the Marines but they turned him down, claiming he was color blind. A year later he was able to take an Army physical which found no such difficulty, and he was soon on his way to training and, eventually, deployment.

  Ed was one of those assigned to the newly reactivated 78th Lightning Division and rose steadily through the ranks until he was a staff sergeant by the time of the battle of Kesternich in Germany, where he won the Medal of Honor and lost his life.

  Kesternich itself was a small town in Germany near its border with Belgium, but its location was strategic and it needed to be taken in order for allied troops to advance. An earlier attack had failed to rout the German defenders. This time, it was the Lightning Division's turn to try.

  Kesternich was a much smaller town than Keyser, having only 112 buildings in it. But those buildings had been taken over by German forces and Ed's outfit had to clean them out, building by building.

  On Jan. 30, 1945, Ed had already been wounded -- in his back and his left hand. Instead of retreating to a medical station, he put a rough bandage on the shattered hand and used his rifle with only his right hand, "resting it upon rubble or over his left forearm." When it was necessary to toss hand grenades, he'd put his rifle down and pull the grenade pin with his teeth.

  He did all that because of his sense of responsbility for the men under his command. Instead of ordering them forward, he preceded them, rushing one house and killing three enemy soldiers, clearing the way for his squad to advance. He then killed a sniper and another charging enemy soldier. The next morning, he left his squad in a safe location and advanced to kill an enemy gunner dug in under a haystack. Once again finding his squad unable to advance due to a machine gun nest, he ordered them to remain in a safer position and attacked the gun single-handed, being brought to his knees in a hail of fire. Before he died, he shot dead all three of the machine gunners.

  The book contains a whole chapter with a detailed after-action report by Col. Richard W. Keyes, a battaliion commander with the Lightning Division's 311th Infantry, placing Ed's courageous actions in context of the overall battle.

  "Medal of Honor" is a solemn and worthy tribute to what one motivated and courageous U.S. soldier can do, and Ed's actions are typical of all of those who have won the nation's highest honor, and of many other brave men who have won other decorations or none at all.

  The book, hardbound with a dust jacket, cannot be purchased on websites such as amazon.com. After sending copies of the book out to various people, McWhorter then donated the entire remaining stock to Keyser High School to be sold as a fund-raiser for the school.

According to Charles Wimer, principal, copies of the book may be purchased by mailing a check or money order for $10, which includes shipping to:
  Attn: Medal of Honor book
  Keyser High School
  One Tornado Way
  Keyser, WV 26726
West Virginia Veterans Memorial's Ed Kelley page
 "His courage seemed to come not from any great hatred of the enemy 
but from a deep sense of commitment and responsibility for the men of his squad." -- Irving Berg, fellow soldier