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DELL #11 September/October 1949 ~ 36pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois

Front Cover Art: Painting by Moe Gollub. Front and back covers have nothing to do with the stories contain therein. 

Inside Front Cover: Advertisement for a subscription to the Tarzan Dell Comic featuring a back and white drawing of Marsh’s cover for issue #6. Rates for one year were 60 cents and one dollar for two years.

“Tarzan and The Sable Lion”
Arab Slavers - Jane and Boy Rescued

Tarzan comes upon numa with an exceptional mane and decides to take to the trees because it would be wrong to kill him. The lion catches the scent of a Go-mangani and goes for easier game. The sable lion follows the native into a cave. Tarzan pulls the lion’s tail to keep him from the native. The beast chases Tarzan over the hills and attempts to jump a gorge. It strikes his head on a boulder and falls unconscious. The native attempts to spear the lion but is stopped by Tarzan. The Go-mangani runs off. Tarzan binds the lion’s legs and mouth. He kills horta food and uses the hide to glove the lion’s claws. Tarzan wrestles with the lion to train him to obey him. After a week the sable lion is Tarzan’s companion.

As they cross a log bridge Buto Matari, a giant of a native with a knob stick, confronts them. He won’t let them across without a fight. Buto knocks the sable lion off the log with an accurate throw of the knob stick. Tarzan tackles Buto, and they fall into the river. After an underwater battle Tarzan puts a full nelson on Buto. They become friends. On their way to Buto’s village they are attacked by gorgo. After Tarzan tires the buffalo out, the sable lion finishes it off. At the village they discover the people are gone and the buildings are burnt to the ground. Tarzan detects the smell of nomad slavers and Jane and Boy’s tracks mixed with captives.

Sheik Abou Ben Ephraim has the captives placed in the barracoon. Jane is placed in stocks next to Lula, Buto Matari’s mate. When Tarzan and Buto arrive at night they move a shed next to the wall of the desert town so that they and the lion can gain egress to the city. Their appearance in the streets causes two passersby to faint. Tarzan’s sense of smell allows him to find the slave barracoon. He breaks the chains of the stocks. Guards come and think that Buto and the Sable lion are djinn devils and are easily overcome. Tarzan leads all the slaves out of the city and hides them in a goat corral. Tarzan, Buto, and the Sable lion go to the sheik’s palace. They awake Abou and demand his treasure to rebuild the village. A mamba protects the treasure chest. Tarzan quickly kills it with his knife. They make the sheik carry the gold. As they leave the palace, the roar of the lion scares off all the people. At the gate they let the sheik go. Back at the burned-out village they want Tarzan to share in the treasure, he refuses. On the way home the Sable lion leaves them. Later they find the lion with his mate and cub. end.

The featured story is a new story, which starts with Tarzan not wanting to kill a lion with an exceptional mane. In previous stories Tarzan easily killed two lions. The teasing of the lion is typical of Tarzan. The training of the lion was interesting but a bit of a stretch since the lion is full-grown. The scene of Buto and Tarzan on the log bridge is taken straight from Robin Hood and Little John on the bridge.  The battle with gorgo seems like filler material. Jane being placed in the stocks next to Lula, Buto’s mate. This is a typical Burroughs coincidence. The rescue, reaching the sheik’s bedroom and the escape, was too easily accomplished. It all sets up a possible return of Buto and the Sable Lion.

There is one three-panel page, which has a nice scene of the Sable Lion frightening off the people outside the palace. The underwater picture of Buto with a headlock on Tarzan is a striking panel. Marsh does a very good job with expressions on the featured lion. The nomad slaves are depicted as black men yet the head slaver has an Arabic name, Sheik Abou Ben Emphraim. There could have been several more scenes that would have worked well as silhouettes, but Marsh limited himself to just a couple.

Although the story seems contrived at times, it is consistent in characters and reads rather easily so it would be concerned to be slightly above average. Marsh does his usual work. This is the second consecutive issue to have one page of advertisement and two additional non-Tarzan stories.

“The Song of the Spear” -- 2nd text story with two small illustrations by Marsh -- 2 pages

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 1st installment -- 6 pages -- Gaylord Du Bois - writer. Marsh has a nice three-paneled page in the “Two Against the Jungle.”

Inside Back Cover: Pen and ink drawings entitled “Tarzan’s Ape-English Dictionary.” There are six *Y* words illustrated: Yad (ear); Yang (swing); Yat (eye); Yato (look, see); Yo (friend); and Yud (come). Six of the ten possible ‘Y’ words are illustrated.

Back Cover: Unknown art possibly Moe Gollub. The fourth back cover of an African warrior entitled, “A
Swazi Warrior of South Africa near Natal.”
 

 

DELL #12 November/December 1949 ~ 36pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois

Cover: The front cover is Gollub’s fifth and last cover. The front and back covers have nothing to do with the story contained within.

Inside Front Cover: Pen and ink drawings titled. “Ape-English Dictionary.” There are five *Z* words illustrated: Za (girl); Za-balu (sisters); Zan (skin); Zee (leg); and Zor (in). The inside front cover has dropped the word "Tarzan’s" from the title “Ape-English Dictionary.” There are five of the possible eleven possible ‘Z’ words. The ‘Z’ words will continue in the next issue. 

“Tarzan and the Price of Peace” 
Lovelorn Reunited - Arab Slavers - Establishment of a New Community

Tarzan watches as pacco protects her colt from an attack from a lion cub. As the zebra chases the cub, Tarzan lassoes her and breaks her like breaking a wild horse. He rides up to a go-mangani who is very unhappy. His name is Kolo. He can’t afford the price M’dongo demands for the hand of his daughter, Leelah, so she will have to marry Gambo, the rich, ugly chief of the tribe. They cannot elope because Gambo keeps Leelah guarded with spearmen. Tarzan goes to the village to observe the situation. He learns that the price is twenty fat cows and six bullocks. Tarzan travels to a place where he has hidden a treasure. He returns with jewels and gives M’dongo a huge sack of jewels for Leelah’s hand. M’dongo’s mate thinks Tarzan is a jungle god.

Tarzan makes lion noises, and the guards run for help. He enters Leelah’s hut and tells her Kolo is waiting for her. Tarzan uses lion noises to clear the way for their escape. Meanwhile, Kolo hears a leopard. Tarzan and Leelah arrive. Tarzan chases off a lion and then he throws fruit in the face of sheeta. The leopards give chase, but Tarzan loses them in the trees. Leelah rides pacco as they travel to the sea where they sleep for the night. In the morning Tarzan goes for food.

An Arab dhow glides into the cove. They spy Kolo and Leelah sitting on shore. Sheik Ibrahim and his slavers sneak up behind them and capture them. A slave takes a shot at pacco that alerts Tarzan that there is trouble. Tarzan spots the Bedouins and swims under their small boat. He leaps into the boat and manages to loosen Kolo and Leelah’s bonds. They dive into the water as per Tarzan’s instructions. Tarzan begins to throw the slavers overboard, but they overturn the boat. Suddenly sharks appear and eat the slavers. Tarzan, Kolo, and Leelah climb onto the bottom of the boat. Tarzan dives into the water and kills a shark with his knife. With one oar they head for the Arab’s ship.

On board Tarzan frees all the slaves. They come from many different places and have no idea how to get home. Tarzan sails them three days to a mangrove-bordered island in a mangrove swamp. As they disembark, they are met by unfriendly mangani. They build a boma for protection. That night, Tarzan searches for the apes and finds them dancing the Dum-Dum. Tarzan drops into their midst and ask who is their king. Chee-chak, the gund of the mangani, attempts to kill Tarzan. Tarzan defeats him and forces the apes to agree to live in peace with the go-mangani new to the island. Tarzan returns with a wedding present for Leelah and tells them of the peace with the apes. He leaves on the dhow and sails back to the cove where pacco is waiting for him. Tarzan says. “The price of peace is kindness...”. end.

The featured story is a new story, which does have an island with mangani on it that is slightly reminiscent of the island in The Beasts of Tarzan. The story has a number of incongruous elements: Tarzan breaks a zebra and rides off with no regard for pacco’s colt; Tarzan rides up on a zebra and Kolo doesn’t seem to be a bit surprised or shocked by the occurrence; Tarzan says he has seen Leelah, but we have not at that point; Kolo hears a leopard but the next panel has a lion stalking him; Sheik Ibrahim did seem to be on the slaver boat during the fight with Tarzan; yet, he is no longer around after the battle; and as Tarzan, Kolo, and Leelah board the slave dhow there is not a single person on board except the slaves. The title, “the Price of Peace,” and Tarzan saying that the price of peace is kindness is the most incongruous. Tarzan was not exactly the milk of human kindness when he captures a zebra, scares natives with lion noises, beats up slavers, and beats up the mangani chief. Once again the writer has left the door open for a possible return to the island.

The 2 three panel pages are the most impressive, especially the picture of the dhow in the cove. The first panel of Leelah with two others is a particular nice panel. What the slave crewmember sees, while looking through a telescope, is placed in a circular arrangement. This was a good choice. The boma pictures are not thorn brush as would be expected but rather a double-poled wall.

With the incongruent nature of the story and the usual Marsh panels, this makes for an average issue in the series. This is the third consecutive issue to have advertisements and two additional non-Tarzan stories.

“Mabu’s Ivory Hunt” -- 3rd text story - no illustrations -- 2 pages

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 2nd episode 5 1/2 pages ~ The second episode was written by Gaylord Du Bois and is continued in the next issue. The bottom half of the page is used for an advertisement for Tarzan comic subscription that includes a year subscription for sixty cents. No Canadian subscriptions were accepted, yet a foreign country could have a subscription for double the U.S. rate. /

Inside Back Cover: Advertisement for a subscription to the Tarzan Dell Comic featuring some back and white details of Marsh’s drawings as well as a detail from a Gollub cover. Offered free with the subscription is five 6 1/2” x 7 3/4” full color illustration of Tarzan and his friends. The inside back cover is the third advertisement for a subscription to the Tarzan Dell Comic. The single year subscription is not offered, but what is offered is a two-year subscription for one dollar or three year one for $1.40. The offer included a full color illustration of Tarzan and his friends. (These illustrations never appear on E-bay auctions nor do collectors offer them for sale. The question is: “Do any of them still exist?”)

Back Cover: Artist unknown possibly Moe GollubThis is the fifth back cover to have an African warrior gracing the page. It bares the caption, “A Dahoman Warrior of West Africa."
 

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DELL #13 January/February 1950 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed

Cover: 1st Lex Barker cover. The drawings around Tarzan have nothing to do with the stories contain within.

Inside Front Cover: Advertisement. Christmas ad with Santa Claus saying you should give subscriptions as presents. There is a wreath around a Marsh drawn Tarzan head as well as one around a Gollub drawn Boy’s head. A small montage of back covers of African warriors is  displayed. Once again the five free pictures of Tarzan and his friends is offered, but this time there appears to be an example of one of them, which is Tarzan wrapping the Sable Lion’s paws with boar skin from issue #11.  (Was this indeed one of the free pictures?) The subscription ad states that there is still time to insure Christmas delivery. Therefore, the January/February issue must have come out in November of the previous year. The text next to the African warrior pictures states that many boys and girls like to frame them or paste them in scrapbooks. The horror! Many of them, more than likely, ended up that way which is unfortunate for collectors now days.

“Tarzan and The Knight of Lyonesse” 
Opar - Roman Descendants - Arab Slavers - Lost World

Tarzan spots and follows a twelfth century knight. He stops the people of the rocks from attacking him and talks them into following the strange figure. The knight pauses at the foot of the kopje, which holds Opar. There he is attacked by the Dwarfs of Opar. Tarzan and the baboons join the fight as the Oparians take the knight’s horse through a secret passageway into the mountain. The dwarfs leave. Tarzan gives the knight’s armor to the baboons. Tarzan wonders about La as he revives the knight. His name is Hal Hogarth and is seeking a beard of a Saracen for his fair lady, Brenhilda. He tells of the history of the Kingdom of Carmel in the Valley of Lyonesse, founded by shipwrecked crusaders who were part of Richard Coeur de Lion’s crusade.

A lion comes. Tarzan and Sir Hal take to the trees where they sleep for the night. Tarzan tells Hal that he must find out about La. Hal would accompany him to try to retrieve his mount. Tarzan climbs to the top of the mountain and pulls Hogarth up by a rope vine. They find Opar deserted. They come to a valley where they lower themselves by a rope. On the other side of a forest they discover another city. La is about to sacrifice Ronceval, Hogarth’s horse, to the sun god. Hal attacks with a club and is quickly overcome and placed on the sacrificial altar next to his horse. Tarzan has a cap of dynamite in his belt. He throws it above the altar. It explodes. The Oparians believe that it is the work of their god and ask what to do next. Tarzan, as the voice of god, tells La to bring Hal and the horse away from the area. La recognizes Tarzan’s voice. Tarzan says he just came to see if she was all right, and they must leave now. He convinces La to show them the secret way out. Meanwhile the dwarfs try to cut off the escape. Tarzan and Hogarth fight their way through them to the doorway. They jam the door with Hal’s lance, and find Hal’s sword where the baboons had dropped it after losing interest in it.

As they leave Sir Hal is all depressed about not achieving his quest of a beard of a Saracen for his lady fair. They come upon some Bedouins with slaves. That evening, the Arabs build a boma. Hogarth jumps the barricade with his mighty steed and knocks out Ibn Akab, the leader, with the flat of his sword. The horse is grazed by a bullet and jumps the boma to escape. In the confusion Tarzan leaps the barricade and frees the slaves. He takes the unconscious Ibn Akab over the boma. Sir Hal finally manages to get his horse under control and rejoins Tarzan. Tarzan takes off Ibn Akab’s beard. The Arab tries to stab him. Tarzan throws the Arab out and tells him not to return. Now Hal is depressed because he doesn’t know the way home. Tarzan leads him to the edge of the valley marked by the Cross of Lyonesse. Sir Reginald, a knight, meets them. Upon hearing that Tarzan is a peer of the realm, Hal invites Sir Tarzan to visit King Wilfred of Carmel. Tarzan says he must check to see if Ibn Akab has left the country. End

The first story is a new story that has some strong influences from Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle. Both are based on the premise that a one of Richard the Lion-Hearted’s ships was wrecked near the coast of Africa, and the survivors founded a colony in a valley, Valley of Carmel (comic)/Valley of the Sepulcher (novel). Both stories also have a band of Arab slave traders. In /*LJ*/ the slavers play a key role in the plot whereas in the comic they are a relatively minor element. It starts out well with references to Dell #5 in which Tarzan believed that Queen La was/ /possibly dead. For the most part the action and characters are quite believable. One does wonder why the writer chose to make the Oparian males dwarfs. He does have Sir Hal call them ‘beast men’ so why change them into dwarfs? Naming the knight Sir Hal Hogarth is undoubtedly a tribute to the great Tarzan artist, Burne Hogarth. One also questions why the writer has Hal Hogarth speak in a pseudo medieval language and then have him utter archaic American phrases like ‘Gadzooks’ and ‘Zooks.’ One can overlook these discrepancies but having Tarzan rescue Hal and his horse by pulling out a cap of dynamite from his belt is unforgivable. Surely a better and more Tarzan-like solution could have been found.

Both Sir Hal’s fight with the Dwarfs of Opar and the ruins of Opar are very nice panels. As in Dell #5 Marsh gives Opar the look of ancient Greek ruins. In this issue one does not get to see quite as many buildings as in issue number five. The new city that the Oparians have built has some post and lintel architecture, but we don’t get much of a view of that city either.

2nd story “Tarzan and the ape-hunter” 16pp.
Type: Evil White Hunter

Tarzan is wrestling with Chaga, a great ape, as Manu comes to warn him about the Gomangani on the river. They observe a boat safari with a white man in charge. Tarzan orders the boats ashore. Hannibal J. Belmore, the hunter, is livid. He tells Tarzan that he is there to capture two great apes. Tarzan tells him to leave. Belmore knocks Tarzan out and ties him up with copper wire. Chaga carries Tarzan back to the other great apes. They wake him but cannot free him. Tarzan goes to an outcropping of flint to attempt to saw his way through the wire. Jad-bal-ja is drawn to the area by the blood. Tarzan sends him for food as he finishes cutting through the bonds. The golden lion guards Tarzan that night.

They track the hunting party. Tarzan can tell by the signs that two balus have been captured and the mothers are following them. They catch up to the mother apes. They follow Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja. At the river, Belmore is forcing the natives to head for the rapids. Tarzan ropes the white hunter and pulls him up into a tree. Tarzan frees the balus and tells the natives to return to their homes. For three days Tarzan uses Tantor to the right flank of Belmore, apes to the left of him, and lions in back to keep him moving. Belmore reaches a French military post and leaves Africa for good. End

The second story is a new story, which is a simplistic story of an evil white hunter who wants to capture two great apes. How Tarzan managed to get knocked unconscious by a man standing in front off him is not realistic. It would have been better if he had had his back turned. Belmore is a one-dimensional villain. It is an average story, which appears to be filler to bring the comic up to the billed 52 pages. This story is not in the Canadian edition.

It is standard material for Marsh with the only noteworthy panel - the last look at Belmore in close-up. He has a slight Joseph Stalin look about him. On last page of this story about one fourth of the page is taken up by legal statement of ownership and management of Tarzan Comics by publisher George T Delacore, Jr. as required by federal law.

This is an above average comic due to the excellent first story even with the silly dynamite incident. This is the first issue to contain a second Tarzan story even though it is a weak story.

“Mabu, The Lion-Hearted” -- 4th text story, no illustrations -- 2 pages

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 3rd episode - 5 1/2 pages. 
The bottom of the last page contains an advertisement for
subscriptions. The price remains at the same rate. There is also a statement, which states, “You Will Also Receive an Attractive Christmas Card from TARZAN.” (Do any of these cards still exist?)

Inside Back Cover: The top 40% of the page is the “Ape-English Dictionary.” There are six "Z words" illustrated in black and white. Zu (big); Za-dak-lul (ocean); Zugor (roar); Zu-kut (cave); Zut (out); and Zu-vo (strong). The bottom portion of the page is a Christmas gift subscription form.

The inside back cover has the remaining six ‘Z’ words illustrated. Between the five in the previous issue and these six, all eleven Z words have been illustrated. This marks the end of Ape-English Dictionary. The bottom portion of the page, very optimistically, has a subscription form with room for five separate entries.

Back Cover: This is the sixth back cover containing an African warrior. The title is “A RUANDA CHIEF." The members of this tribe are unusually tall.

In the Canadian edition of this comic the Ruanda Chief has been replaced with an advertisement for Dell subscriptions. It is unfortunate that Canadians could not enjoy these wonderful back covers.

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DELL #14 March/April 1950 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: 2nd Lex Barker cover. The drawings, which have nothing to do with the story contained within, are by an unknown artist. They are not in the style of Jesse Marsh. 

Inside Front Cover:  The 1st “Jungle World.” Four ink drawings illustrating: Turtle Dove; Wild Celery; Mantis; and Wart Hog.

1st story “Tarzan and The Lost Legion” 32pp. 
Type: Lost City - Roman Descendants - Empire Restored

While flying to map the Valley of the Monsters, Tarzan, d’Arnot and Boy spot a walled, unknown city on a mountaintop. They land because of an overheated engine. Roman soldiers confront them. Tarzan speaks to them in Latin. The Centurian (sp.) marches them into the city and presents them to the Imperator, Brutus Augustus. Brutus would have them sent to the arena because they do not bow before him. Flavia, Brutus’ cousin, claims Boy as her personal slave. In the dungeon they meet  Marcus Junius, the rightful ruler, as well as the savage baboons they are to fight weaponless in the games. Marcus tells them how the Romans came to this place fourteen centuries ago as they were being pursued by Vandal hordes. That night, Tarzan makes friends with Gorak, the old man baboon.

The next day Paul tells of an expected solar eclipse. The gladiators fight first. The slaves are given sticks to fight the baboons. Tarzan tells the baboons to join them so they can all escape. The emperor gets angry because they won’t fight so he sends in lions. Tarzan organizes a defense and pole vaults over the charging lions. During the battle Tarzan kills a lion with his bare hands. As the eclipse begins the crowd panics. In the confusion Tarzan, the slaves, and the baboons escape over the walls using the sticks as climbing devices. They don cloaks so they don’t look out of place. Marcus takes Paul and Tarzan through a secret door that leads to the palace and to his cousin Flavia. They leave Boy with Flavia, as she is to make plans with the senators who are loyal to Marcus. They knockout a guard and escape over the wall. They plan to find escaped slaves to help them restore Marcus to power. Lucius Arvo, once bodyguard to Marcus’ father, arrives with some men. They go off to locate more fighting men to help Marcus. Tarzan goes off alone to think things out.

At dawn the Romans have managed to trundle the plane up on the city wall. Tarzan smells numa and finds him stalking a balu. He kills the lion with his bare hands. Other mangani come. An ape named Urchak is their chief. Tarzan goes off with the gund to find food. They wrestle. Urchak gets mad and tries to kill Tarzan. Tarzan defeats him and talks him into going into the city with him. That night, they slip into the city and steal robes off of a couple passersby to conceal themselves. First they go to Flavia and Boy so she can lead them to Brutus’ quarters. Tarzan plans to capture him. Urchak wants to kill the guards, but Tarzan won’t let him. They crash into the emperor’s sleeping quarters and tie him up. They take him to the airplane.  alerted by the plane’s engine, guards rush in. Tarzan flies the plane off the palace roof and back to where Paul and Marcus are camped. He delivers Brutus to Marcus.

The next morning a cagey letter from the senate and one from Flavia saying to march on the city arrives. When presented with an army and catapults, the senators have the gates to the city thrown open in welcome. Restored to power Marcus frees all the slaves who helped him regain the throne. Tarzan, Paul, and Boy prepare to leave. The plane was overheating because of a clogged oil line. Urchak tries to talk Tarzan into staying. They give Urchak a toga to remember them by. They fly home. End

The main story is a return to a thirty-two page story similar to the first issues of the Tarzan Comic when there was only one story. The featured story is a new story that has some influences from Tarzan and the Lost Empire. The comic starts with a reference to Dell #7, as Tarzan, d’Arnot and Boy are to map the Valley of the Monsters from the air. Instead, they find a lost Roman city, which the writer seems to go out of his way NOT to name. This is a curious phenomenon because usually the writer appears to put names to almost everything. LE, of course, has the twin Roman cities of Castrum Mare and Castra Sanguinarius. The comic has no equivalent to Erich von Harben or the villainous Fulvus Fupus. The comic does have a beautiful woman named Flavia, but she is not the object of anyone’s affections like the novel’s counterpart, Favonia. The paranoid emperor of Castrum Mare, Validus Augustus is quite similar to the comic’s imperator, Brutus Augustus. The comic has the rightful deposed ruler, Marcus Junius, imprisoned, escaping with Tarzan, and leading his slave army back to the city to be restored to power. The novel’s counterpart is Cassius Hasta, nephew to the emperor, who is banished, captured and imprisoned in Castra Sanguinarius, and returns in triumph with troops including Tarzan and Waziri warriors. In the novel Gabula, von Harben’s black servant assassinates Validus Augustus. What comes closest to this is Urchak, gund of a mangani tribe, who helps Tarzan to capture Brutus Augustus and bring him to Marcus Junius. There are gladiator scenes in both works as well as Tarzan leading a slave revolt. It is a good tale and nicely paced throughout. There are a couple of minor points of annoyance: not giving the city a name; not giving the mountains a name (It was the Wiramwazi Mountains in the novel.); Marcus/ /discovering that he has legions of soldiers roaming around the countryside; and Tarzan’s continually stopping Urchak from killing guards. This last one is probably Dell’s self-imposed restrictions to keep the comic book code authorities at bay.

A couple of panels are cause for a raised eyebrow: twice while flying the airplane Tarzan’s hair blows in the wind even though the cockpit is closed; and the second is when the guard presents Tarzan and d’Arnot with a bowl of food, he has his arms extended through the bars and is holding a large bowl which could not have possibly passed through the opening. This is the first appearance of d’Arnot since issue #1. In the first issue Paul sported a goatee and dressed like a hunter with a pith helmet. In this story he has only a mustache and wears a blue uniform. He loses his hat during the gladiator battle with the lions and never has it on again. The best part of Marsh’s work in this issue is his knowledge of Roman architecture: the raised platforms of Roman temples; the use of the arch; and the use of caryatids. He obviously studied some Roman buildings for these panels. Some of the highlights are the emperor’s bedroom, the two-storied coliseum (the Coliseum in Roman is three stories), and the great arch looking very much like the Arch of Constantine.

2nd story “Tarzan and The Flying Chief” 7 1/2pp.
Type: Cannibals - Rescued Tourists

Tarzan watches a plane make an emergency landing. Budango, a cannibal chief, and his men capture the two occupants, Phil and Emma. Budango forces Phil to teach him how to fly the plane. Tarzan ropes Emma up into a tree while the cannibals watch their chief fly. When the plane lands they tell the chief a forest spirit stole Emma. They take Phil back to the camp and tie him to a stake. Most leave to watch the chief fly the bird machine. Tarzan swings in and rescues Phil. He takes him to Emma.

As the plane takes off, Tarzan leaps onto the tail fin. He manages to climb into the cockpit as the chief stalls the engine. Tarzan struggles to gain control of the plane. Budango thinks the ground is close and leaps to his death. Cannibals surround Emma and Phil. Tarzan buzzes the area. The cannibals flee. Tarzan lands the plane. They say their good-byes. End

The second story is seven and one half pages with the bottom half of the last page devoted to a subscription coupon. It is a new story, which is filler to bring the comic up to the advertised fifty-two pages. It is a consistent story with lots of action. The limited number of pages does not allow for character development.

There is only one real remarkable panel - Tarzan, partly in shadows, about to drop a rope around Emma.

“Mabu Saves a Stranger” -- 5th text story -- 2 pages (no illustrations)

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 4th episode - 6 pages

Inside Back Cover: Advertisement. Top half has an illustration of two pirates and states that you will receive a free copy of “Adventure Bound” with a subscription to the Tarzan comic. The bottom half, with a detail from a Gollub illustration (Dell #10), is an ad for subscription to Tarzan Comics.

The subscription advertisement is a first time offering of something other than Tarzan related material; i.e., a free copy of ‘Adventure Bound’ for subscribing. The subscription price for three years was raised one dime to one dollar and fifty cents.

Back Cover: The back cover is the 7th African warrior entitled, “SORCERER With Iron Claw and Leopard Skin (African Congo)

This is an above average issue because of the first stories’ writing and influence from Tarzan and the Lost Empire plus Jesse Marsh’s interesting Roman architectural drawings. This is the second issue to have a second Tarzan story. 

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DELL #15 MAY/JUNE 1950 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh 
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: This is the 3rd Lex Barker cover.
Down the left side of the cover are four drawings that look like they are in the style of Jesse Marsh. The top one could be La and thus would have something to do with the first story. The others drawings, apes celebrating a Dum-Dum, an Arab slaver, and Tarzan fighting some natives, have nothing to do with the stories. 

Inside Front Cover: 2nd “Jungle World.” There are six black and white illustrations: the sundew; mother baboon; cheeta; pygmies; flying fox; and lion. The captions under the drawings are some times pointless, some times informative, and some time condescending.

1st story “Tarzan and The Cave Men” - 24pp. 
Type: La - Lost World - New Ruler Empowered

Tarzan sleeps on Tantor’s back as the herd grazes. When he awakens they have arrived at the Mountain of Opar. Tarzan wonders what happen to La after he and Hal Hogarth escaped from the dwarfs. Tarzan catches the scent of the Dwarfs of Opar and goes to investigate. Seeing La, he charges Tantor into their midst, scattering them. Tantor gentle picks up La. She was being held in the Chamber of the Dead for allowing Tarzan and Sir Hal to escape. She managed to get away, but they followed her.  Tarzan purposes to find a new home for La in Pal-ul-don.

For two days they ride on Tantor through the Thorny Desert to reach the Painted Wells that has fresh water. The third day they ride through the Great Swamp that surrounds Pal-ul-don. Once in the forest, Tarzan sends Tantor home. Two gigantic hyenas attack. Tarzan throws La into a tree. The fight is too much for Tarzan. He calls for Tantor’s help. Tarzan kills one of the hyenas with his knife as Tantor gores the other to death. Shortly thereafter they come upon a cave man riding a mammoth. After letting La off, Tarzan and Tantor start to rout the cave man and his mount when suddenly the cave man turns and throws his club knocking Tarzan out. He captures La and rides off. After Tarzan awakens, he and the elephant track the mammoth. Tarzan leaves Tantor behind and scouts out the village of the cave men.

Aroc, the cave man who captured La, returns to the Valley of the Caves. Bundroc, the chief of the cave men, claims La. Tarzan leaps in to fight for La. The great bulk of the cave man makes him slow and no match for Tarzan. In desperation Bundroc leaps at Tarzan; Tarzan jumps over the charging giant; and Bundroc tumbles off the edge of a cliff. The cave people want to make Tarzan their chief. He appoints La to rule in his place. The cave people will accept this, if La will choose a mate before the full moon. La picks up Aroc’s club and sits in the queen’s chair. When she discovers that this means she has chosen Aroc as a mate, she throws the club knocking out Aroc. She is relieved to find out that she only knocked him out. The People of Caves celebrate the union. Tarzan returns to find Tantor waiting. Tarzan says they will stay long enough to learn more about Pal-ul-don. End

The feature story returns to a 24-page length. It is a new story, which starts with a reference to the events in Dell #13. It is an alternating series of travels and battles with the traveling taking up most of the action. It creates a big change in the prescribed canon of Burroughs: the removal of La from her home in Opar and making her a leader of a tribe in Pal-ul-don. This is truly heresy to many Burroughs’ fans. But where will it lead? Will the writer(s) leave her there or return her? The writer does respect what took place in previous issues. The story does move constantly forward and is consistent with its premise. The character of La is yet to be fully developed. At the end of the story, the writer has Tarzan saying that he and Tantor will explore Pal-ul-don some more. This appears to be a set up for the next issue. It was not to be.

A three-panel page of Tarzan looking down on the Valley of the Caves is nicely done. La’s clothing is more practical for running through the jungle, being thrown into trees, etc. than the ceremonial outfit she wore in #13 as she was about to sacrifice Sir Hal to the sun god. The expressions on La’s face show a great deal of emotion: shyness, pain, fear, angry, slyness, etc. It would be nice to see that great array of expression on Tarzan’s face. The highlight panel of the story is the one in which Tantor gores the hyena. It has a terrific natural feel to it with a strong diagonal sweep. 

2nd story “Tarzan and The Hunter’s Reward” - 16pp.
Type: Lovelorn Reunited

In Mobembe at the far reaches of Tarzan’s jungle, they are preparing for a hunt to be followed by a feast with the marriage of M’buku, chief Ukele’s son, to Lukela, the beautiful. Lukela is not happy about it. Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja bring down horta and have a feast. The tribal hunt begins by driving animals into a great circle of netting. Amele, a hunter, asks Lukela to run away with him. She won’t disgrace her family. Tarzan realizing they are in the middle of a tribal hunt uses vines to pull the golden lion up into a tree.

M’buku plans to rid himself of his rival Amele. He climbs the tree in which Tarzan and Jad-bal-ja are hiding. Tarzan deduces that M’buku’s plan is to spear the unsuspecting Amele as he walks by. Tarzan and Jad roar causing the would-be assassin to fall from the tree onto his own spear. Suddenly, a buffalo charges. Amele throws his spear to little effect. Lukela appears and throws a club at gorgo. Amele pushes Lukela out of the way of the buffalo as Tarzan drops on its back and kills it with a neck twist. They think Tarzan is a Jungle Lord. They also fear that Amele will be blamed for M’buku’s death.

As hunters approach, Tarzan steps on M’buku’s body showing that he killed the young man. As they throw their spears, Tarzan disappears into the trees. Ukele arrives and accuses Amele of being in league with the jungle man. Tarzan’s disembodied voice tells them that this is a Lord of the Jungle and that M’buku got what he deserved and further more Amele should marry Lukela. The Mobembes say they will obey. Tarzan sleeps until evening when he plans to check on the  trustworthiness of the natives. Ukele makes plans with Madege, the witch doctor, to have Amele killed to avenge his son’s death.

When the feast begins, Tarzan slips into the Council Tree at the center of the village. Lukela dances the story of the death of M’buku. Madege sneaks up with a poisonous snake. Tarzan ropes his hand carrying the snake. As a disembodied voice, Tarzan tells the tribe that should someone harm Amele; they too shall die. He leaves with the warning that the Lords of the Jungle are watching. End

The second story is a new story of star-crossed lovers. Tarzan plays matchmaker as he did in issue #12. It is a simple, average story with overtly villainous and righteous characters. It is not clear why Jad-bal-ja is in the story other than to have Tarzan pull his six hundred pounds up into a tree. Letting Tarzan show his strength by killing gorgo with the neck twist was a nice touch. (It reminds one of Julian the 9th wrestling a charging bull to the ground in The Moon Men.) Tarzan pretending to be a jungle-spirit as a disembodied voice is something that the Tarzan of the novels would enjoy doing. One thing that this writer has always questioned, in the books as well as the comics, is the sudden appearance of a rope when the characters have need of it.

The hairdos of the Mobembe tribe members look like short, wide Mohawks. The evil M’buku wears a strange red headpiece with a furry blue cloak covering his leopard skin shorts and shirt. Lukela is the sexiest drawn character to date and is drawn in some provocative poses. She loses her headpiece several times revealing a shaved head.

“Mabu Hides His Trail” -- 6th text story -- 2 pages (no illustrations)

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 5th episode - “The Cannibal Combat” -- 5 1/2 pages. This ‘Two Against the Jungle’ story is the first one to have a subtitle, ‘The Cannibal Combat.’

Inside Back Cover: Subscription advertisement. It is the same as Dell issue #12 except that the three-year rate is up to one dollar and fifty cents.

Back Cover: The back cover is the eighth in the series of African warriors. It is entitled, “A Chief of the KIKUYU, British East Africa.” 

This issue would rate only slightly above average. Its highlights are in the front and backs covers more than the stories contained within. The first story is consistent in its writing but changes the Burroughs canon dramatically. This is the third issue to have a second Tarzan story, and it is an average tale. 

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DELL #16 July/August 1950 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: 4th Lex Barker cover.

Inside Front Cover: The third “Jungle World” has only three items; baobab tree, galago or bush baby, and secretary bird. The title is confined to the top left with an image of Tarzan on the upper right.

1st story “Tarzan and The Beasts in Armor” 32pp.
Type: Lost World - Pal-ul-don -- Gangsters

Tarzan flies over the Valley of the Monsters to find the tyrannosaurs that escaped through a volcanic dyke. Suddenly a pterodactyl dives for the plane. Tarzan puts wing against a wing to drive away the beast. He lands and hides his plane with waterweeds. After he leaves, Boy sneaks out of the baggage compartment, goes fishing, and catches a prickly fish. As boy starts a fire to cook the fish, two young t-rex enter and chase Boy up a tree. They eat Boy’s prickly fish. Lake Dwellers arrive and try to kill the young dinosaurs. Tarzan finds the mother and makes a ball of bark and gum to prevent the monster from using its jaw. The mother attacks the tree Boy is hiding in. Tarzan comes to his aid and throws the gummed bark ball into its gapping maw. He races to the tree containing Boy. The mother t-rex gabs him but can not open her mouth. Suddenly a gryf with a rider appears. The lizard drops Tarzan and engages the gryf. Om-at slips off the back of the gryf. The gryf kills the mother tyrannosaurs. 

Om-at tells Tarzan about six gangsters who have flown in and taken gold and gems from the Ho-dons. They are hold up in a stone tower outside of A-lur. Tarzan and Boy join the fifty Waz-dons on gryfs to stop them from bring others to Pal-ul-don. On the way to A-lur, Om-at relates to Tarzan that the gangsters are holding Prince Ta-den prisoner to force Ja-don, the king, to obey them. Tarzan swings on ahead and finds the Prince with the gangsters. Ta-den sees Tarzan through the window. The gangsters discuss staying in Pal-ul-don and living like kings. Tarzan drops in through a trap door in the ceiling. He throws their weapons out of the window. While fighting the six gangsters, Tarzan is struck from behind. He continues to fight on. A thrown chair extinguishes the light in the room. The gangsters rush from the room, retrieve their weapons, and make for the stockade where their plane is. The men of Kor-ul-ja on gryfs arrive. Prince Ta-den calls for help as Tarzan is down. They break into the tower and administer Waz-don medicine to Tarzan. Tarzan breaks Ta-den’s chains.

They all attack the stockade with the gryfs. The gangsters head for their plane. Bull and Cobber, two of the gangsters open the gate. Tarzan, Om-at, and Ta-den on a gryf charge in. As the plane starts up, the gryf is frightened and turns back. The gryf’s tail strikes the wing of the plane as it attempts to take-off. They crash into the lake and drown. King Ja-don, the Ho-dons, and Boy ride up on gryfs. They all want Tarzan to stay. Tarzan says they must return home because Boy left without anyone’s knowledge, and people will be worried. Om-at, Tarzan, and Boy ride a gryf back towards the hidden airplane. They find the lake dwellers have discovered the bodies of two young tyrannosaurs. They have choked to death on prickly fish. They uncover their plane and fly home. End

The featured story is a new story, which combines the Valley of the Monsters from Dell #7 with a Pal-ul-don story. Although this is a return to a thirty-two page story, it tries to take in too much territory. It is commendable that the writer uses references from previous stories, but this is mainly a story of Pal-ul-don and probably was not necessary to throw in the Valley of the Monsters. Boy catching the prickly fish at the beginning of the story ties together neatly with the end of the story as it becomes the reason for death of the two young tyrannosaurs. Boy is the catalyst for this subplot; however, he is more immature in this issue than in previous stories; thus, he is a bit annoying to anyone over the age of twelve. It is a consistent story under its premise, but the premise is average.

Jesse Marsh’s name appears on the first page in panel number five. It has been quite a few issues since this has occurred. An early three panel page of the tyrannosaurs and a late three panel page of the meeting of Ho-dons and Waz-dons on gryfs are not his more striking panels as in the case of other three panel pages. They are quite ordinary. What is most disturbing in this edition is that once again the change of skin color of the people of Pal-ul-don. In #4 and #6 they were drawn as black men. In Issue #9 they were white. Now once again in this issue they are black. Since the writer uses references to earlier issues, why not keep the color of the skin consistent also? It is the same with the appearance of Om-at. In Dell #6 he is shown with a skull-cap, which disappeared in issue #9 and once more becomes part of his persona in this latest story. Also, one might question why an umbrella is necessary for King Ja-don on his gryf when it is a night scene.  It is possible that this is used to denote that the front gryf carrying him and Boy are important figures. The most remarkable panel is a sunset scene with a row of gryfs marching through the hills.

In the desert of rocks Tarzan has his water skin ripped open by a thorn brush. Figuring the juicy meat of an eland would keep him alive Tarzan stalks a giant one. He ropes it and breaks it like a horse. He rides it to a water hole. Tarzan hobbles the Giant Eland so he can get some sleep. Sheeta stalks them. The eland kills it with its horns. Proud of the eland’s self-preservation Tarzan thinks Bara will be useful for long journeys. They happen upon a crowd of natives. A witch doctor, T’gamai, singles out N’keeta to be a sacrifice to the lion god, Barumba. She fights as they bring her to the lion. Tarzan leaps over the wall on the eland and spears the old, blind lion. He brings her home to meet Lady Jane and Boy. End

The second story is a new story, which introduces the antelope, which will reappear many times in future issues. It is a very short story consisting of seven and one half pages. The other half of the last page is a subscription coupon for Tarzan Comics. It is an average story that moves along very quickly. We don’t know why Tarzan changed his mind about killing the eland for food and decided to tame it. Nor do we know why Tarzan felt the need to kill an old, blind lion rather than merely out running it on the Giant Eland. Barumba, the old and blind lion god reminds one of Thoos, the mangy old lion god of Cathne in Tarzan and the City of Gold.

“Mabu and the Gigantic Lizard” -- 7th text story -- 2 pages (no illustrations)

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 6th episode - “The Battle of the Python” -- 6 pages

Inside Back Cover: Advertisement. Includes a detail from Gollub’s cover #9, a drawing of a chimp, a facsimile of a Dell Comic Club certificate with Dell characters, and drawings of a boy and a girl with emblems on their sweaters. The subscription to the Tarzan comics comes with a certificate and a personalized baseball or heart shaped felt emblem.

Back Cover: This the ninth back cover to feature an African warrior. It has the caption: “Warrior 4”.

This is the fourth issue to have a second Tarzan story.

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DELL #17 MAY/JUNE 1951 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: (Jesse Marsh -?)
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: 5th Lex Barker cover. First Barker cover to have his name on the cover.

Inside Front Cover:  Ink drawing. Fourth “Jungle World.” Prehistoric animals are shown with a smoking volcano and a waterfall coming down a mountain. Text states that these creatures exist somewhere in a Lost Valley.

1st story “Tarzan and The Pygmy Princess” 24pp.
Type: Arabs - Rescue Pygmies - Mad Men - Giant Eland

Boy and Tarzan are putting the Giant Eland through its paces as Muviro arrives with the news that Abou Ben Ephraim has captured two white pygmies, a woman and her child. The Arab also boasted that he will capture Tarzan. Tarzan rides the Giant Eland to investigate. While Tarzan sleeps, the sheik, his son, Abdul, and native beaters are driving animals in a hunt. Tarzan and Bara accidentally fall into a pit. The mad dwellers of the pit call the place the Land of the Living Dead. They want to eat the antelope. Tarzan stops them. A wild hog falls in the pit and the mad men tear it apart, eating it raw. More animals are driven into the pit.

The Arabs arrive and toss down ropes so the animals can be pulled up. The mad men help out of fear of the Arab rifles. When instructed to rope the Giant Eland, Tarzan stops them. The Arabs leave believing starvation will drive Tarzan mad like the others. Tarzan convinces El Raschid, the leader of the loonies, to form a human ladder to try to escape. As El Raschid ropes a bush at the top of the pit, he kicks the others off balance. Tarzan leaps for the rope and reaches the top before the fool can cut the rope with his dull knife. He sends El Raschid on his way, pulls up the other mad men, and the Giant Eland. 

Tarzan rides the antelope to the town of the Sheik and climbs a tree near the city wall. Another tree by the Abou’s palace allows him to watch as the Sheik displays the two white pygmy captives to his guests. The boy accidentally spills a drink on the Arab chief who threatens to harm him. The mother pulls a sword on the Sheik. He laughs at her and sends them to their tent at the edge of the room. In a whispered voice Tarzan calls Princess Ila and Tado to the window. They recognize him. As they escape through the window, the Arabs spot them and raise an alarm. On the Giant Eland, Princess Ila relates their tale of how Urkat poisoned the crowned prince, imprisoned her husband, Prince Alet, and turned her and her son out into the terrible desert which surrounds their land. Tarzan promises to look into this matter in the Land of Ilona, but first he takes them to the safety of Muviro’s village. 

The Sheik and his men are scouring the area for the captives and Tarzan. When Abou Ben Ephraim is out of sight of his men, Tarzan drops on him, ties him to his back, and carries him to the pit. He lowers the begging Arab into the pit as revenge for those he had placed in the pit. Tarzan leaps on Bara and says they have a hard journey ahead. end

The featured story is new story, which includes characters from earlier issues. The Giant Eland was introduced in the second story of issue #16. The giant eland plays a major part in Tarzan’s transportation scheme. Sheik Abou Ben Ephraim was a minor player in Dell #11 but comes on with a vengeance boasting to capture Tarzan. The two White Pygmies appear to know Tarzan and he them. The White Pygmies in Dell #8 were from Lipona near a great desert and used gazelles as transportation. Princess Ila and her son, Tado, come from the Land of Ilona near a terrible desert and use antelopes for transportation. They sound similar. Given the writer’s penchant for referring to previous stories, it is a wonder why he did not make it the same country. Possibly they are different tribes from the same area. [Note: In Dell #18 it will state that they come from Lipona.] When Tarzan climbs into the Sheik’s walled city from a tree he questions why they always leave a tree by a wall so someone could easily gain access to the city. Good question. The characters are well thought out and the action moves along smoothly. It is fitting end to the story when Tarzan leaves Abou Ben Ephraim in the pit. This is an above average story.

There are many hints to suggest that this may not be the work of Jesse Marsh. Mainly it is in the look of Tarzan. Up to this point Marsh’s Tarzan has had a youthful appearance with a thin face, rounded jaw, and closer hair cut style. These drawings makes Tarzan look older, more mature. Tarzan has a broader face, more of a square jaw, and more hair. The differences are subtle, but they are there. If, indeed, this is the work of Marsh, it is a pivotal point in his career as it makes a mature change in the appearance of Tarzan. Muviro’s look in other comics looks was a black man with shorts. When he first appears in this story, he looks like an African warrior with a tribal loincloth, necklaces, earrings, and a fez. He is a person to be reckoned with. Abou Ben Ephraim, last seen in Dell #11, was old, white bearded, and bent over. Now he looks strong and powerful with a black beard. The colorists must not have read the story because it clearly states that it is night when Tarzan arrives at the Sheik’s city, yet the sky is clear blue. This story is only twenty-four pages with one nice three panel page of Tarzan and the Giant Eland. 

2nd story “Tarzan and The Shiftas’ Captive” 16pp.
Type: Shiftas Slavers - Rescue White Woman

Tarzan drops in on his old friend Lieutenant Tourneau in French Equatorial Africa. The lieutenant is seeking to catch a band of Shiftas, but they have escaped over the Belgian border. He has quarreled with his fiancée, Rita Lane, about joining the mission and fears this will take a long time. Tarzan goes to drive the Shiftas back towards the French. 

Following the cutthroats’ trail Tarzan crosses paths with the People of the Rocks led by their king, Zugash. They are angry because Shiftas have killed some of their tribe with thundersticks. After a quick tussle, they decide to leave Tarzan alone. Sheeta threatens a young baboon. Tarzan kills it with his knife. N’kima rushes to Tarzan with news of Gomangani following a white woman’s safari. By the time Tarzan reaches the area, the askaris have been killed and the bearers are deserting. N’tale, the chief of the Shifta band, makes a pass at the captured Rita Lane who slaps him. Before he can whip her Tarzan puts an arrow through his hand. Another arrow in another hand and one knocking away a pistol causes the Shiftas to flee with Rita. The other potential slaves make a run for it.

The bandits head for their hiding place on an old volcanic caldera. Tarzan climbs the sheer cliff to avoid the one guard at the entrance. He hurries to Zugash and the People of the Rocks. He talks them into helping get rid of the Gomangani who carry thundersticks. Tarzan overpowers and ties up the guard. Tarzan frees Rita as the baboons collect the rifles. Zugash accidentally fires a round which causes a melee in which Tarzan quickly gets the Shiftas to surrender before anyone is hurt. Tarzan brings Rita and the Shiftas to Lt. Tourneau. end

The second story is told in sixteen pages and has some weak influences from Tarzan Triumphant. Both stories have Tarzan defeating a band of Shiftas. In the comic, Tarzan must rescue Rita Lane, fiancée of a Lt. Tourneau. In the novel Tarzan’s rescues Dr. Lafayette Smith from the northern Midianites. In the process of this rescue he also frees Lady Barbara Collis, whose plane ran out of gas and landed in a volcanic caldera. She had been captured by southern Midianites and freed by Dr. Smith after which they both were captured by the northern Midianites. Therefore both stories have a fair damsel to be rescued. Both stories deal with a volcanic area. The comic takes place in the area of French Equatorial Africa whereas the novel takes place near Uganda, a British protectorate. Both stories have a baboon tribe ruled by a king whose name is Zugash, who befriends Tarzan. The Dell story does not have the unhappy race of epileptic fanatics known as the Midianites nor does it have the evil Russian Leon Stabutch, OGPU agent, who is sent to kill Tarzan. It does have a Lieutenant Tourneau who seems to be a friend of Tarzan; although, this is his first appearance in the Dell comics. This is also the first appearance of N’kima, and the writer captures the essence of the little Manu beautifully. The story develops the characters of Rita Lane, Zugash, and N’kima nicely as it moves smoothly to the logical conclusion. It is an above average tale.

This is probably the same artist as in the first story and once again this reviewer is not positive that it is Jesse Marsh for the same reasons as stated above. Overall there are no remarkable panels with the standard six or five panels per page with no exceptions.

This is an above average comic starting with it’s bright, colorful covers. Both stories are well written. When the writer borrows from Burroughs, even when it is an extreme remote connection, as in the second story, a more interesting story results. If the drawings are not Marsh’s, the clone’s work is almost identical as the tradition continues.

“Mabu and the Day the Sun Went Out” -- 8th text story -- 2 pages (no illustrations)

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 7th episode - “The Valley of the Pygmy Animals” -- 5 1/2 pages
Bottom half of the page used for a mail in coupon for subscriptions to Tarzan Comics

Inside Back Cover: Advertisement.

Back Cover: Tenth African warrior.

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DELL #18 November/December 1950 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh?
Writer: Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed

Cover: 6th Lex Barker cover. The heads of the animals appear like heads stuffed and mounted on a big game hunter’s wall. This is annoying because it makes Tarzan seem like a trophy hunter. Also the inclusion of a tiger in the group of animals has to be questioned, especially because of the controversy over the tiger in Tarzan of the Apes. This cover has little to do with the stories contained within. 

Inside Front Cover: Christmas subscription advertisement. Free gifts with the subscription include: membership certificate to the Dell Comics Club and a color picture of the Dell Comics Family Group, which contains Dell’s most popular characters.

1st story “Tarzan and The Valley of Mists” 24pp.
Type: Lost Race - Rescue White Woman

Tarzan and Thulak, king of a gray ape tribe, finds a red gem stone necklace. Tarzan places it around his neck as they follow the trail of a wounded tarmangani. They find a dying Roger Mackrey who relates the tale about how his sister, Leda, and their missionary parents were captured by Amazons and taken to the Valley of Mists. Before he dies he also relates that their parents have died. He escaped. Roger asks Tarzan for help in saving Leda as the dark skinned warrior women are trying to make her a high priestess on the Sacred Isle of Pythons. Tarzan finds a bag for jewels, but drops it as the spear throwing Amazons approach.

Tarzan and Thulak pursue the Amazons over two days and nights to the edge of a cliff with nothing but mist below. Tarzan descends the sheer rock wall. Thulak’s tribe follows him. When Tarzan leaves to trail the Gomangani, the apes cause such a commotion amongst the ripe bananas it brings the villagers. Tarzan discovers a lake swarming with huge pythons. A plane sputters overhead, and the pilot parachutes out. Tarzan saves the pilot whose chute is being dragged into the water by pythons. He is Jeff Lansing from Philadelphia, who was attempting to fly coast to coast by a new route but ran out of gas.

A trap door opens on the pier and two Amazon women leave to check on the riot in the village. Tarzan dons one of the diving helmets and enters the water to find Leda and the temple. Lansing, not wanting to stay alone, puts on the other breathing devise and follows. A rope is a guideline to the island beyond the water. They hide in the bushes as many Amazons enter the trap door to bring reinforcements to the village. They see Leda on the temple island that is surrounded by water containing huge pythons. The Amazons at the temple are trying to force Leda into sacrificing a pig. Tarzan leaps across the moat. The Amazons bow to him as they see The Eye of the Python necklace around his neck. They want Tarzan to sacrifice Leda; however, he takes the sacrificial knife and throws it into a python. Before they can react Tarzan grabs Leda and swings on a rope back across the moat. 

Lansing and Leda don the diving helmets and enter the trap door. The Amazons raise an alarm. Tarzan holds his breath and follows the guide rope. The apes are driven away by the warriors attack on Leda and Lansing. Tarzan stops them. When the women warriors appear, they take to the trees and make their escape with Tarzan carrying Leda. The apes carry Lansing. When they reach the top of the cliff, sheeta is waiting. Tarzan kills it with his knife. Safe at last, Tarzan tells her about her brother’s death. She faints. Tarzan tells Lansing that he better tell her that he loves her. Five days later at a train station Tarzan gives Leda The Eye of the Python necklace to start their new life together. end

The featured story is a new story told in twenty-four pages. As Dell #1 started with a dying man, Walter Paige, which was derivative of Tarzan the Magnificent’s dying Stanley Wood, so also this story starts with a dying man, Roger Mackrey. All of the above tales lead to the rescue of a white woman. In this story the antagonists are Amazons warriors who are completely different than the Amazons in the Burroughs novel. Tarzan and Thulak, the gray ape, are trailing the warriors when suddenly the entire tribe is with them. Twenty-four pages is limiting, but surely it would have taken only a panel or two to have the tribe logically join them. The Amazons characterization is only cursory so the reader never really has a chance to see their evil intent. The use of an underwater temple and diving suits probably is taken from Tarzan and the Forbidden City. Burroughs often times develops two lovers who are thrown together by their circumstances. Here for the first time the writer makes use of that genre by having Leda Mackrey and Jeff Lansing become involved. However, we never get to see this relationship develop. It merely happens. The use of this aspect of Burroughs should be encouraged but developed better. With the apparent flaws this story is slightly above average.

The drawings in this story are slightly different than the last issue. They are closer too issue #16. If this is Jesse Marsh, once again he has made a change in his style. The figure of Tarzan looks like a cross between #16 and #17. The three panels pages are placed horizontally and make for a nice visual experience. This is the first comic to make use of off-the-panel voices. Probably most shocking is the Amazon warriors who are topless. They do wear a cloth lei, which does discretely but suggestively cover their breasts. This is surprising considering Dell’s self-imposed censorship. They certainly are balancing on the edge acceptability with the Amazons. The diving helmet does not look like it could possibly work. The apes are wonderfully rendered.

2nd story “Tarzan and The Dyal” 16pp.
Type: Journey - Pygmies - Giant Eland - Dyal - Strange Beasts

Tarzan, Princess Ila, and Taddo ride the Giant Eland on their way to Lipona (see Dell 17.1). Tarzan takes them across the Great Thorn Desert by a shorter but more dangerous route to their home. A reed raft helps them ford the swamp, which surrounds Pal-ul-don. Bara cracks the skull of a crocodile saving Taddo’s life. In a part of Pal-ul-don unknown to Tarzan, two white Sabor-toothed tigers pursue them. Tarzan chooses a steep, high hill as a camp for the evening. He goes for food and kills an unknown creature for their evening meal.

With the princess on watch, the tigers climb the hill. Tarzan kills one with a rock. The next morning Tarzan skins the Sabor-tooth. Three hyenadons attack. Tarzan kills one with his knife as the other two chase the eland. Tarzan must now carry the princess and her son. Strange noises cause Tarzan to investigate. He finds a dyal attacking Olan of the caves. He throws the tiger pelt over the dyal’s head and leaps on its back. He makes eye flaps and experiments with controlling the beast. After the dyal is tamed they return to find Ila and Taddo missing. They discover Tor-o-don tracks and Tarzan leaves Olan to track the beast man on the dyal.

They catch up to the captives, and the dyal kills the Tor-o-don. As they continue to travel the dyal kills small animals for all to eat. They use a reed raft to cross another swamp. A week later they meet up with Princess Ila’s husband. He is now king as their enemies have been overthrown. Tarzan says his good-byes and leaves to search for the Giant Eland. End

The second story is continuing where Dell 17.1 left off after the rescue of Princess Ila and Taddo (spelled Tado in 17.1). Tarzan originally met the White Pygmies in Dell #8 on his way back from the Valley of Monsters, Dell #7. The home of the pygmies was called Lipona in Dell #8. When Tarzan rescued Princess Ila and Tado from Sheik Abou Ben Ephraim in Dell 17.1, he called their homeland the Land of Ilona. Now in this issue it is once again Lipona. This is the conclusion of that tale which is essentially the story of a journey through Pal-ul-don. The author has changed the Burroughs’ canon by placing dyals and hyenadons as part of the land of Pal-ul-don. (Dyals are found in Pellucidar and hyenadons are found in both Pellucidar and Caspak.) Olan and Tarzan recognize each other, but to the reader this is Olan’s first appearance. Much time is spent in showing Tarzan’s experimentation with the eye flaps to gain/ /control of the dyal as a means of transportation. Although we learn nothing about Olan’s character, the characteristics of the Dyal are developed partially. It is quite ferocious and primitive, something Tarzan is not. It is an average tale, which moves along quite slowly with many pauses in the story line.

The white Sabor-toothed tiger lying dead amongst the rocks looks like a walrus washed up on the beach. Also, the colorist made the Giant Eland white in one of the walrus... er tiger panels. The dyal, described by Burroughs, is a descendant of Phrorhacos and looks closer to a Diatryma according to Richard J. Dumont in his ERBapa #65 article entitled, “Lost in Pal-ul-don.”

This is the comic, which introduces the dyal as a character and will reoccur often throughout the Dell Tarzan comics.

“Mabu and the Lop-Eared Leopard” -- 9th text story -- 2 pages (no illustrations)

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 8th episode - “The Rescue of the Wild Man” -- 5 1/2 pages.  The bottom half of the last page of the Sid and Bucky story is a subscription form. 

Inside Back Cover: The fifth “Jungle World” is subtitled “The Beasts of Pal-ul-don.” It is done in black and white with red and pink highlights. The beasts included are: hyenadon; imperial mammoth; and the dyal. ½ page. Once again, the author has changed the canon of Burroughs. The dyal is part of Burroughs’ Pellucidar series, the hyenadon is part of both the Pellucidar and Caspak series, and the imperial mammoth is nowhere to be found in Burroughs.

Bottom half: A Christmas gift subscription form.

Back Cover: The eleventh African warrior has the caption, “Warrior 8.”

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DELL #19 January/February 1951 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: 7th Lex Barker cover.
Inside Front Cover: Christmas advertisement. (exactly the same as Dell #18)

1st story “Tarzan In the Ivory City” 24pp.
Type: Lost City - Lost Race - Rescue and Others

Tarzan, Muviro, and the Waziri are traveling back home from a hunt when they catch the scent of sheeta and a tarmangani. Tarzan scares off the leopard from a man in ivory armor who has been shot with a poison pygmy arrow. Before he dies Tarzan catches some words about a raiding party on elephants seeking young slaves. Elephant spoor shows that they were headed for the Waziri village. The warriors head for home. Tarzan, using the trees, arrives before the Waziri to discover that Boy and many young Waziri have been captured. He leaves instructions for the warriors to follow him as he starts his pursuit.

Along the way Tarzan meets Tantor and uses him to save his strength for fighting. Meanwhile, the raiding party arrives at the Ivory City. Boy is slapped for speaking and all the prisoners are thrown into a cell. Tarzan lets Tantor return home when they reach the walled city. Tarzan climbs the tree by the wall and uses his sense of smell to find the building in which Boy is being held. A few words of encouragement to Boy are cut short when the parapet he is leaning on crumbles. The unconscious body of Tarzan is discovered and thrown into a cell between the Strangler, a brutish local hero of gladiatorial games, and a gorilla. When Tarzan awakes, the Strangler taunts him about the arena games tomorrow on Prince Mako’s birthday.

At the emperor’s games Tarzan makes short work of the Strangler and throws him into the prince’s viewing box. The incensed brat of a prince has the gorilla released on Tarzan who kills it with a drop kick to the neck. Tarzan claims his right of freedom, however, the spoiled prince has him locked up. The king, upon hearing of Tarzan’s prowess, wishes to see him and pits him against his swiftest hunters. The prince wants to throw him to the lions. Outside of the city the six hunters with nets are little match for Tarzan. Suddenly, one of the elephants that encircle the royal party goes mad and throws its rider. When the elephants approaches the viewing stand, the prince and palace guard run away. Tarzan manages to get the mad bull to chase him. He leads it between two trees where its head gets stuck.

The king, grateful for being saved by Tarzan, grants him his wish to free Boy and the other Waziri children. He gives them elephants to ride home. Prince Mako is angry because they were his slaves and plots with soldiers to get them back and rid himself of Tarzan. On the way home Tarzan realizes that an armed body of men are following them and takes to the trees. When the elephant carrying the prince passes under the tree, Tarzan drops down in the howdah, knocking away the guards. Soldiers throw spears at Tarzan. One spear accidentally kills the prince. Tarzan returns a spear, which takes down a guard. Muviro and the Waziri warriors arrive and the remainder of the Men in Ivory scurry home. Tarzan sends Boy and the children mounted on ahead. Tarzan, Muviro, and the Waziri will walk in case there are others who might try to stop them. end

The featured story is a new story, which twists the elephant riding men of Athne into the Men in Ivory from the Ivory City. Even Boy calls them ‘Elephant Men,’ the term Burroughs used for the noblemen of Athne. The start of the story has Muviro’s sense of smell almost as keen as Tarzan’s. Although not elaborated on why, the raiders only take children. The story does a good job in developing the evil nature of the prince and the benevolence of the king. Everything Tarzan is forced to face is quickly and easily dispatched from the Strangler to a mad bull elephant. The Strangler is the same character as Phobeg in Tarzan and the City of Gold. The Strangler is from the Ivory City where as Phobeg was from Cathne. Both are braggarts and a bit dim. Tarzan defeats both and throws them into the audience. Tarzan did not need the Waziri to come to the rescue, but they arrive to insure a happy ending. The story is nicely told and is a good one, just not a great one.

Muviro, for the first time, looks truly African rather than a black man playing the part. His sporty new costume includes red necklaces both short and long with additional red bands around his chest. Tarzan has flown through the air before, however there is one panel in particular that must bring a smile to your face as Tarzan looks like a dive bomber, strafing the ground. The ivory city looks medieval from the outside with a great archway leading to the center of the city. The arena is two tiered as the coliseum depicted in Dell #14, although this one is not nearly as well drawn. The uniforms of the Men in Ivory take on a Roman look at times. The mad elephant running is especially nice in a couple of different panels. The panel, which captured the attention of this reviewer, was the one with Tarzan in the center and the freed children around him forming a ‘Golden Triangle’ composition. Emil Nolde’s painting, entitled “Christ Amongst the Children,” was the influence of this panel.

The featured story does have some interesting twists and influences from CiG. Mostly they develop characters you can hate or like because they have some substance to them. On the other hand sometimes the stories have unnecessary filler.

Riding a dyal Tarzan explores a lost valley. A young girl is rescued because the dyal bites the attacking Garth in the neck. The girl is Lachee, the red flower, daughter of the king, Bo-az. She has fled her home to carry on the tradition that allows her lover, Jo-rah, to catch and bring her home so they can be mated. They ride the dyal in search of Jo-rah. Tarzan climbs a rock to get a better look around. A thipdar scoops him up by his quiver strap. Lachee learns to control the dyal and rides off. When the thipdar passes over Lachee’s village, Timon, Jo-rah’s rival, thinks it is Jo-rah and goes to find Lachee.

Before the thipdar can drop Tarzan into a nest of three hungry young ones, he cuts the quiver strap. He descends the high, steep mountain by rope. He makes a flint spear. Jo-rah and a cave bear, a glotha, battle. Tarzan kills it with his flint spear. He and Jo-rah become friends. The axe man must find Lachee before morning or she must marry someone else. They see Lachee; however, Timon arrives there first. Lachee rejects him. He throws a spear at her but hits a telodon. The enraged beast kills Timon. Tarzan spears the gigantic boar-like animal killing it. The dyal chases off the young telodon. The lovers have found each other. Tarzan gives them the dyal as a wedding present. end

The second story supposedly takes up where Dell #18.2 left off. In that issue Tarzan said he was going to search for the Giant Eland. He does not mention this nor does it appear to be a pressing thought on his mind. The new lost valley to explore looks like a lot more fun so the heck with the antelope. He and the dyal rescue a fair maiden, Lachee, the red flower. She is a primitive girl with red fur clothing and a deep devotion to the tribal tradition of her future mate finding her and returning her to the fortress. She does not refer to it by name nor say if it is a village or a city. Fortress is the key word. Her lover, Jo-rah gives it a name, Cor-o-don. He calls it a village and speaks of the stockade around it. Curiously, as Tarzan is winged over the village by a thipdar, the village is shown as a small collection of huts surrounded by trees. The best line comes when Tarzan is making his flint spear, he says, “Back to the stone age ...”. How many young readers caught the reference? It is a slightly better than average tale - a good pastiche - which starts to develop a new world filled with pre-historic beasts to provide action and a new race to provide Burroughsian primitive culture.

The most striking panel is Tarzan being carried over the Cor-o-don village. The viewpoint from above the thipdar to the ground is unusual and quite inventive. Tarzan’s rope seems to come and go as the artist deems it necessary. Lucky it is there when Tarzan must descend the face of the mountain. The face of Jo-rah looks like the face of Boy, if he were older. The vertical stripped telodons is reminiscent of the tharban from the Venus series. The last page of this story takes up about seventy-five per cent of the page. The bottom portion is a statement of ownership of the comic as required by law.

“Mabu’s Dream” -- 10th text story -- 2 pages -- no illustrations

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 9th episode - “Escape From Pygmy Valley” -- 5 1/2 pages
The continuing tale of Sid and Bucky is five and one half pages with the bottom half of the last page exactly the same as Dell #18

Inside Back Cover: Sixth ‘Jungle World” in black and white with red and pink highlights. Subtitled ‘The Lost Land of Pal-ul-don’ three objects are illustrated: ferns; volcanoes; and strange trees. - ½ page. The bottom half is the exact same form used in Dell #18.

Back Cover: The twelfth African warrior back cover has the inscription, “Warrior 11.” 

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DELL #20 MAY/JUNE 1951 ~ 52pp. 10cents

Art interior: Jesse Marsh
Writer: Unknown (Gaylord Du Bois - unconfirmed)

Cover: 8th Lex Barker cover.

Inside Front Cover: Map ~ Seventh Jungle World entitled “Pal-ul-don.” It is a black and white map of the Dell version of Pal-ul-don. The text reads, “This map shows the principle features of this land, unknown to the rest of the world...” The scale given is 1 inch equals 40 miles. The map contains: people, beasts, cities, rivers, mountains, jungles, the swamp belt, and the Great Thorn Desert. The map for the seventh Jungle World presentation on the inside front cover is a thing of beauty. It is a necessity for the Dell Tarzan aficionado. It gives a reality and a focal point to the adventures. So what if it is not true to Burroughs. It is true to the comic being developed. In fact, it is almost a mini-history. It includes the Vari from the first comic, A-lur, Valley of the Monsters, Lipona, La, and the Lost Legion. It even includes places and people not yet touch upon by the stories: Queen Ahtea, Tohr, Ho-dons, and the cat men. Here the city of the Lost Legion is given a name - Magnus. The only things missing are Kor-ul-gryf and Kor-ul-ja, home of the Waz-dons.

1st story “Tarzan and The Terribs” 24pp. 
Type: Terribs - Lost Race - Rescue Tourists

Tarzan shoots Horta for dinner. With liana vines he builds a hammock to eat his meal above the other wild boars. Suddenly, men in crocodile skins, riding giant iguanas arrive. Tarzan is so surprised by their appearance he accidentally drops his kill on one of them Their knife throws cut the lianas. Tarzan returns fire with his bow. The flurry of Tarzan’s arrows and the fury of the boars drive them away. A new problem has risen as a mangani and her balu fall through the trees. Tarzan catches both of them. The mother abandons her baby thinking that Tarzan is a Terribs. Tarzan follows and returns the unharmed baby to its mother. They take Tarzan to their camp on top of the trees. Gorlak, the gund, does not trust Tarzan, and they fight. Tarzan easily bests the huge mangani and also saves him from falling to his death. Tarzan turns down the leadership of the tribe. 

Gunfire grabs their attention, and they go to investigate. A canoe containing two white people are being attacked by crocodiles in the water and Terribs’ spears from the shore. Tarzan ropes the woman up into the tree as the canoe passes underneath. He does the same with the man. He carries the man back to the mangani camp where he is reunited with his wife. They are Tim and Jess Wales, who were trying to get away from civilization for a while. That night with great stealth the Terribs climb the trees to the mangani huts. Tarzan smells them and an alarm is raised. A Terribs captures Jess and disappears with her down through the trees. Tim attempts to follow, but Tarzan stops him from falling to his death. Tarzan carries Tim to the ground by way of vines. Tarzan’s sense of smell allows them to trail the Terribs to their stone tower village in the desert. 

As they slip into the Terribs home base, Tarzan uses his nose to find the captured woman. He noiselessly silences two guards. They don the crocodile armor of the guards. They climb the tower which holds Jess. Tarzan stuns the guard. Tarzan drops into the tower and throws Jess up to Tim’s waiting arms. A guard awakes and raises an alarm. Tarzan places his crocodile armor on Jess. He knocks the armed Terribs out of the way and leads the Wales out. As they pass a tower, two Terribs try to drop a plank on them. They make it to the river as Tarzan carries the plank with him. 

The plank provides protection and a means of escape from the Terribs. The river carries them into a dark cavern inside a mountain. After some time, the walls are covered with a phosphorescent fungi. They hear the sound of a waterfall. They must choose between two tunnels. They select correctly as the left tunnel brings them to safety and daylight. They are near a Marubi village whose chief, Obantu, agrees to guide the couple to civilization - for a price. end

The feature story, “Tarzan and The Terribs,” is a new story, and it is a rousing good tale. It introduces the Terribs (possibly inspired by Burroughs’ Horibs). We don’t learn a lot about the Terribs - only enough to make them deadly and frightening. Even their name strikes horror. By keeping them mysterious your imagination can run wild with the possibilities. The mangani huts on top of the trees seems foolish to contemporary sensibilities, but it can be tolerated. Twos seem to be the connecting factor: Tarzan shoots two arrows at the Terribs; Tarzan catches two apes from falling from the trees; Tarzan rescues two people - twice; Tarzan knocks out two guards at the same time; Two people go to rescue Jess; There are two tunnels to choose from in the mountain cavern. Despite the incredulous part of Tarzan conveniently carrying a small corked bottle with matches in it, this comic introduces the most creative villain to date in the Dell Tarzan comics.

What is remarkable about this issue is the color saturation. The colors are much deeper and richer than ever before. The deep blue used for the night sky is dramatically effective. The armor of the Terribs is wonderfully handled - so natural looking. The Terribs’ buildings are almost like overgrown ant hills. The most unique panels are in the dark cavern. The first one is an excellent image. This is followed by a completely black panel with two balloons. A totally empty panel to denote stygian blackness has undoubtedly been used before. But it still is a bold move, and one he repeats two panels later. Between the black panels are two panels using Tarzan’s lit match as the light source - very nicely done.

2nd story “Tarzan Frees His Friends” 16pp.
Type: Bring ‘Em Back Alive Hunters - Arabs - Rescue Jad-bal-ja

Tarzan follows a river to the sea. As he wishes that N’kima were there to toss coconuts down to him, one falls at his feet. N’kima is there and falls from the tree. In Tarzan’s arms he tells him that he, Jad-bal-ja and his mate, and many other animals were captured and brought to this place by bad tarmangani. N’kima escaped and wants Tarzan is rescue the others. The ship is not in sight. A hurricane approaches. N’kima climbs a tree in fear of the wind. Tarzan climbs up after him to save him. The tree trunk breaks in the wind, and they cling to the limb as they are blown out to sea. A day and a night later the storm has abated, and Tarzan swims for an island.

On the island they recognize the Golden Lion’s roar. They spot the Arab dhow crippled by the storm. They sneak up on the Arabs. Al Jemel, an outspoken Arab, tries to convince his brothers to mutiny against the ship’s owner, Murdock, the Bull. They agree to go along with Al Jemel as Tarzan steals their rifles. He buries all of them except for two which he straps to a tree. He gives the vine that will fire the thundersticks to N’kima with the instructions to wait for his signal before pulling on the vine. Tarzan swims out to the ship and ties up the guard. He frees Jad-bal-ja. They both go to find Murdock. Murdock pulls a pistol. Tarzan disarms him. With Jad-bal-ja guarding the hunter Tarzan takes the keys and frees the animals including Throg, the great ape and dango which Tarzan dislikes. Tarzan ties up Murdock and tries to get the animals to swim to shore. Meanwhile, the impatience N’kima pulls the vine. The shots fly into the Arab camp. The Arabs take cover and discover their rifles are gone. The animals are afraid to swim ashore because of the gunfire. Tarzan swims back to the island. He roars like a lion as he attacks Al Jemel and continues to roar as the other Arabs attempt to help in the fight. Believing that lions are attacking them, the Arabs head for their row boat.

Meanwhile on the ship, Murdock knocks over a candle setting afire a box of oakum. He uses the fire to burn loose the bindings on his legs. Once on deck he is confronted by Jad-bal-ja and his mate. The Arabs see the smoke and believe the ship is on fire. As they attempt to board, the animals scare them back into the row boat. Tarzan stops Throg from throwing Murdock overboard. Tarzan throws the smoking box of oakum into the sea. Tarzan forces Murdock and the one guard to sail the animals home then to leave Africa forever. end

The second story is a new story and must be considered to be average when compared to the great invention of the Terribs in the first story. Tarzan saving his animal friends from evil hunters and Arabs is pretty standard fare. But the story is slightly above average because of the antics of N’kima. The use of N’kima continues to be delightful as this character is so endearing and mischievous that he upstages everyone when he comes on the scene. The Arabs are a bit dimmer than usual in this story, and Murdock is a very two-dimensional villain. 

The expressions on N’kima’s face add to the character as they show more personality than most of the other characters. Tarzan’s hurricane swept hair is unusual because most of the time Marsh’s Tarzan’s hair doesn’t appear to move - ever. A panel showing Tarzan leaping downward through the trees looks more like a diver than someone moving through trees. Tarzan does show some good expressions when he attacks and fights the Arabs. 

“Mabu New Skill” -- 11th text story -- 2 pages - no illustrations

“Two Against the Jungle” -- 10th episode -“The Bargain” -- 5 1/2 pages. The bottom half of the last page is a subscription coupon.

Inside Back Cover: Advertisement. Includes a black and white miniature of Gollub’s cover for Dell #8. Two free gifts are part of the subscription offer: a membership certificate with a wallet size card and five beautiful pictures of Tarzan and the gang in full color. A facsimile of the certificate is pictured along with two photos of Lex Barker from Dell covers #14 and #17 minus the background paintings.

Back Cover: The thirteenth and last African warrior back cover is labeled “Warrior 13”

This is a superior issue; in fact, it may be the best one of the first twenty. It has the last of the wonderful warrior back covers, and it is a beauty. It has the first Dell Tarzan map so the readers can start to see the how people and lands relate to each other. It introduces the best villain, the Terribs. The only weak point is the average cover.