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The First and Only Online Fanzine Devoted to the Life and Works of Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs Signature
Master of Imaginative Fantasy Adventure 
Creator of Tarzan and 
"Grandfather of American Science Fiction" 

Issue 0194

Jasoom - Tarzana - Africa - Pellucidar
BarsoomSasoomVanah - LunaAmtor - Cosoom
The Many Worlds of
Edgar Rice Burroughs Signature
"The master of imaginative fantasy adventure...
...the creator of Tarzan and...
...the 'grandfather of science-fiction'"


AFanFareEdition

I SEE BY THE PAPERS
...an exercise in nepotism...
A year in the life of a family
influenced by the Imaginative Worlds of ERB

Remember, our FanFare section is always open as a
showcase for ERB fan comments and creative work...
Send your submissions to the
JoN ~ Jeddak of the North


On December 19, 1936, ERB submitted an idea for a radio show to be called, "I See by the Papers." Ed planned to play the part of a columnist working at the Tarzana Tribune.  The setting would be the editorial office of the Tarzana Tribune. The cast would include Burroughs as a columnist, along with a good-hearted but sarcastic and critical small-town editor-publisher, a dumb blonde stenographer and an office boy. A demo was produced but the idea never reached fruition as a series.

Ja-On ~~ Bill ~~ Robin ~~ Sue-On ~~ China-Li   >>>The Hillmans<<<
The Hillman Family

China-Li Jade Ma-Ri Hillman (age 13)
China-Li finally learned what the ERB hoopla is all about when she attended her first Dum-Dum in Tarzana last summer. She was just starting to feel at ease among the very serious adults of ERB fandom when she was completely unnerved by a traumatic event which took place in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel. China was aghast as she witnessed her father, JoN -- armed with Johnny Weissmuller's razor-sharp Tarzan knife -- engage in ferocious  hand-to-hand combat with the mighty Tarak, the Tawny-Haired Barbarian.

China -- in addition to writing fantasy stories which she illustrates with many media -- plays harp, bagpipes, piano, synthesizers, trombone and drums and studies highland dance. She is very involved in the study of Celtic folklore and art. Her interest in SF/fantasy/adventure has taken her through ERB and into the writings of : Anne McCaffery, Mike Resnick, Piers Anthony, Tad Williams, Richard Adams, Robin McKinley, Garth Nix, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Raymond E. Feist, and more.

Obviously her middle name, Ma-Ri (seas of Luna and Mars) has had a great influence on the directions taken by her creativity. She is currently studying film animation in a commercial art class and is busy creating cells with acrylics on acetate as well as working in claymation.

China-Li co-produces RWO - Redwall Online - an Internet magazine aimed at the online role-playing Redwall community. Redwall is a series of books by Brian Jacques. Redwall is about anthromorphic/furre animals (animals with human characteristics, or vice versa). Besides editing the features in the magazine which accepts contributions from the Redwallers, China also writes many of the articles and reviews submissions giving feedback.



William Ja-On Campbell Hillman (age 21)
Ja-On's days are filled with working as kitchen supervisor and chef at SOO'S, teaching saxophone, body building, taking computer courses at Brandon University, and caring for 1 1/2 year old son ~ Soulin.

Ja, exposed at a young age to the worlds of ERB, is an avid SF/Fantasy reader... and writer. He has just completed a full-length, 15-chapter novel, COURSE OF CHAOS. Influenced by the time-shift adventures of Highlander, this fast-moving novel should appeal to most ERB fans.
COURSE OF CHAOS by "Crafter"
 http://home.westman.wave.ca/~hillmans/ja-on00.html



William Robin Monroe Li-Chan Hillman (age 18)
Robin is majoring in Computer Science at Brandon University where he also plays trombone in the university jazz band. He also shares drum duties with mom, Sue-On, in the family band. Robin's affection for the simian world is evidenced in his subversive website: Bananarchy, which is a very dangerous document extolling the destruction, mayhem, and terror brought on by bananas. His Bananarchy Gorilla Warfare Method describes how Bananarchists can use explosives and other weapons made out of bananas to wreak havoc upon society, the result being a total collapse of government... or at least, the family treehouse.



Soulin Jayson Lee Hillman (18 months)
Soulin has spent about 1/3 of his life interacting with the Tarzan McDonalds toys he stole from his grandfather's hoard. His crib is wedged among bookcases containing stacks of ERB comics and hardcovers. The walls of the nursery are festooned with Frazetta prints, a JCB watercolour original, and mylar window displays absconded from the local theatre. One of his first sounds was an "aaaawwaaaaww" screamed as he swung (with a little help) on the upper rail of JoN and Dejah's four-poster bed.
Soulin


Sue-On Hillman
Sue-On was introduced to the works of ERB by husband Bill, soon after their marriage 34 years ago. This China-born mother of three has had a long career as a Musician ~ vocals, drums, piano and synthesizers ~ a High School Teacher, Evaluator and Supervisor for the Education Departments of Manitoba Universities, and Advisor to the RCMP on Cultural Diversity. She and husband Bill own and manage a 265-seat Chinese restaurant where she puts in long hours. The ERB influence is evidenced in the SOO'S logo which features an ERB-like bamboo doodad framed by an exotic setting sun.
A Virtual Tour of SOO'S Restaurant will reveal even more ERB influences in the exotic bamboo decor. Sue-On's personal doodad is comprised of a five parts, each of which stands for a member of the Hillman family. The doodad was created with broad Chinese brush strokes.
Sue-On spreads the ERB gospel across many Internet Chat Lines... her Alias?... Dejah, of course.

A popular feature in the ERB WebRing is Sue-On's (Dejah's) Amtorian Gardens which teem with alien flora and fauna from Amtor and Barsoom.

Sue-On Family Odyssey


William Gerald Hillman
Bill boasts a family doodad of the same style as Sue-On's although the component strokes are not as curvy and buxom as those used in symbol.
He maintains many hundreds of ERB websites, including the weekly online fanzine:
ERBzine
Many of his other interests are highlighted in the family website:
BILL & SUE-ON HILLMAN ECLECTIC STUDIO
 www.hillmanweb.com


Hillman caricature posters by niece, Cindy



After attending the Star Wars premier on May 19, 1999 we were interviewed by the Brandon Sun... and they turned the interview into a lengthy front page Star Wars story in the next day's paper. I'll leave that story in a far away galaxy but I thought the related story might be of interest to ERB fans.

Being an ERB fan first and foremost, I did a crafty <g> segue to ERB fandom... so they included the following promo for a second story at the bottom of the Star Wars feature:



BRANDON SUN
Thursday  May 20, 1999
by Diane Nelson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Front page promo:
Bill Hillman was a Star Wars fan even before the show existed.
That’s because he’s a devotee of Edgar Rice Burroughs,
an early writer of science fiction who may have been the
catalyst behind George Lucas’ ultra-popular films /
See Page 2 (Burroughs Buffs)

BURROUGHS BUFFS
Tarzan creator inspired Star Wars, local sci-fi fan says

“Star Wars is an obvious spin-off,” Hillman said Wednesday.
“In fact, the rumour is that Lucas had originally contacted
ERB, Inc. to film A Princess of Mars, Burroughs’ first book.
And they couldn’t get together on it, so Lucas went off
and wrote his own version of it and it became Star Wars.”

Hillman and his family were among the first to see Lucas’
latest creation, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace --
they joined a group of dedicated fans at the first public
screening of the show at Brandon’s Capitol Theatre at
12:02 Wednesday morning.
********************************
MORE STAR WARS...BLAH BLAH BLAH
********************************
“I guess I turned them (our 3 kids) on to Star Wars back
when they were little kids, and they’ve been immersed in it
ever since,” Hillman said.

“I’ve been a science fiction fan since the ‘50s
so it’s nice to see SF come into its own
or at least space opera, which is basically
what Star Wars is.”

Hillman is such a Burroughs and sci-fi fan, in fact,
that he, his wife Sue-On and daughter China-Li,
will be attending a convention of the
Burroughs Bibliophiles - the Edgar Rice Burroughs
fan club - taking place in Tarzana, Calif. in mid-June.

Although Hillman has been a member for years,
this is his first time attending a convention.

And there may be an unexpected bonus
involved in the trip for buffs of Burroughs.

“He’s the creator of Tarzan and the grandfather
of science fiction, SF adventure and whatnot,” Hillman said.

“And now with the new Disney Tarzan (animated movie)
coming out, based on his first Tarzan novel, there’s a lot of
excitement again. The Burroughs Bibliophiles, of which we
are members, have been promised a special preview showing
of the film, on the Disney Lot, before the actual Hollywood
premiere.”

While Sue-On is looking forward to the trip and has become
a fan of Burroughs’ work, she said that wasn’t always the case.

“When we first got married, I said ‘What do you mean
I’ve got to read Tarzan?” she recalled with a laugh.
“But then I really got into the Martian/Barsoom stuff.
I liked that.”

Hillman puts out a weekly classic SF magazine
on the Internet based on the life and works of
Burroughs, and has an extensive collection of
first editions of many of his works.

Hillman credits Burroughs with being the
first multi-media writer, since he formed his own
publishing company, and delved into radio, TV, movies,
magazines, comics, toys, merchandising and real estate.

“He was the first -- just as I like Elvis and The Beatles
and early blues artists  -- they were firsts in
their genre,” Hillman said.

“And certainly, there’s adventure --
imagination, I guess, is the big thing.”
 



While catching up on my computer magazine reading I came across this review that I missed somehow a year ago. It appeared in Canada's largest Internet Magazine... Just to let everyone know that we're spreading the gospel up here in the frozen wasteland, here 'tis.
JoN

SYMPATICO NETLIFE:
CANADA’S HOME INTERNET MAGAZINE
July/August 1998
Voice of Canada’s Largest Internet Service: Sympatico
ARTS & LITERATURE SECTION
"EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: MOTES & QUOTES"
http://www.erbzine.com/mag
http://www.erbzine.com/all

**** FOUR STARS ****

Best known as the creator of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs led a colourful life, almost as full of adventure as his many novels. Out of Brandon, Man., comes an outstanding online homage to this creative thinker, his work and legacy as the "grandfather of science-fiction." His stories are set everywhere, from Mars to the jungles of Africa and have captivated millions of readers worldwide and continue to do so. Burroughs’ imagination has inspired authors such as Ray Bradbury – and why not? The man predicted the invention of antigravity propulsion, living-organ transplants and the automatic pilot. But what really makes Motes & Quotes a terrific site are the offbeat tidbits about Burroughs’ own exploits – such as how he fought Apache Indians led by Geronimo in Arizona when he was a 16-year-old in the U.S. 7th Cavalry in the 1890s. Through dozens of interviews, photos and excerpts from Burroughs’ war correspondent days in the early 1940s, Webmaster Bill Hillman gives us a complete Burroughs picture. You can read about Hillman’s own pilgrimage to ERB Inc. headquarters in California and his fantastic collection of memorabilia. Then swing through the jungle of more than 100 ERB-related links. ****

 

The media has been good to the Hillmans over the years. The Brandon Sun did a
full page feature on the back page of their November 22, 1998 issue.


 
Bill & Sue-On Hillman
Owners/Managers
Soo's Restaurant
Musicians, Former High School Teachers


Bill and Sue-On Hillman and Soo's have used the
Brandon Sun on a regular basis since 1970.
The Brandon Sun has been their main advertising medium
to promote their services with excellent results.


PROFILE:
Throughout their 32 years of marriage Bill and Sue-On have successfully juggled careers in education, music and the hospitality industry. They are well known on the Canadian music scene through their many national media appearances, tours and 12 recorded albums. After many years of performing locally, as well as in the U.S. and England, they extended their show business interests in 1992 to include management of Soo's Restaurant.

The Hillmans have three children -- all of whom help out at the restaurant and are actively involved in music: Ja-On works as Soo's kitchen supervisor and is taking post-secondary courses in computer technology as well as teaching saxophone. Robin is enrolled in grade 12 at Crocus Plains and performs in the Brandon University Jazz Band. China-Li is attending Kirkcaldy Heights School and is actively studying piano, harp, bagpipes, trombone and highland dance.

BUSINESS CONCERNS:

Great Food... Great Service! High service standards have always been a priority at Soo's. The present 265-seat complex now features five licensed dining rooms offering banquet facilities, daily buffets, catering, take-outs, dine and dance and live entertainment in the 165-seat show hall.

LIVING IN WESTMAN:

Soo's was founded by the Choy Family in 1970 on 222-10th street in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. The Choys have shared the family Cantonese recipes with Southwestern Manitoba most of the Twentieth century. In 1992 this tradition was carried on by Soo Choy's youngest daughter, Sue-On when she and husband Bill took ownership of the popular restaurant in Downtown Brandon. This take-over was soon followed by extensive remodelling and expansion.

VIEWS ON ADVERTISING IN THE BRANDON SUN:

The Brandon Sun has been their main advertising medium to promote their services with excellent results for over 28 years.
The August 21, 1999 Brandon Sun front page story 
www.heroes
came out of Bill's presence on the Internet
The April 1, 2000 front page (B-section) in the Vancouver Sun,
Traditional Chinese cafes endure as a constant throughout Prairies 
features the story of Sue-On's family, focussing on the
Hillman family restaurant, SOO'S

. WEBJED: BILL HILLMAN .
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BILL & SUE-ON HILLMAN ECLECTIC STUDIO
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