ERBzine 8067: Drabbles Nov 1-15, 2025

GOOD BY, SEAN

November 1: On this day in 1973, actor Sean Roberge, who played Roger Taft Jr.in 75 episodes of the Wolf Larson Tarzan television series was born in Toronto, Canada. Sean was killed in an automobile accident at age twenty-three. I was unable to find accident details. There is an appalling lack of information about the man online.

Information about the Wolf Larson, Lydie Denier series are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7454.html

The drabble for today, “Good By, Sean,” is excerpted from an article published at https://www.erbzine.com/mag33/3338.html about Lydie Denier’s book, “Me, Jane... Not You!” – published electronically through Magellan Books, but I haven’t been able to find anywhere to order it. If anyone has a link, please let me know.

GOOD BY, SEAN

“Some things were tough to remember,” she says. “It was emotionally draining.”

Particularly the death of Sean Roberge, who played Roger Taft, Jr.

“He was like a little brother,” she says of Roberge, who was just 17 years old when he joined the cast of "Tarzan." “During the first season, he was shorter than me, the second season he was as tall as me and by the third season he was taller than me.”

When Roberge was killed in a car accident in 1996, Denier found it too painful to watch old "Tarzan" episodes, but revisited them for her book.

PACK UP YOUR OLE KIT BAG

November 2: On this day in 1942, Ed wrote to George Carlin, and no, not that George Carlin, thanking him for his United Press correspondent credentials. Edgar Rice Burroughs officially became the World’s Oldest War Correspondent. In early December, he reported for duty and began writing “Dairy of a Confused Old Man or Buck Burroughs Rides again” about his experiences. The entire diary is available to read online at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag68/6800.html The diary is, of course, copyrighted by Edgar Rice Burroughs Incorporated.

The drabble for today, “Pack Up Your Ole Kit Bag,” is excerpted from the first entry in that diary. It’s been slightly edited for length to be exactly 100 words long.

PACK UP YOUR OLE KIT BAG

Hulbert phoned to say G-2 had called to say there was a seat for me on a plane leaving the next morning reserved for me. I was in the midst of a poker hand, stayed to win it, got up, and walked out with the money.

I packed my B-4 and musette bag. G-2 told Hulbert I was allowed 55 pounds. My gear weighed much more than fifty-five. The B-4 was jammed full; so was the musette bag. I also had a tin hat and a typewriter. Later, I acquired a gas mask. When fully loaded, I could just stagger.

THE SKY, THE SKY

November 3: On this day in 1985, the Gray Morrow illustrated and Don Kraar scripted Tarzan Sunday newspaper story arc, The Night of the Meteor, concluded. The story arc ran for twelve weeks, typical of the time.

The entire story arc and several more Sunday Tarzans are available to read at www.erbzine.com. This one is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag35/3513.html

A catastrophic meteor shower was predicted and Tarzan raced to save a lost colony of Boer settlers, a few of which didn’t believe him and refused his help.

The drabble for today is, “The Sky, The Sky,” and it was inspired by the story arc, “The Night of the Meteor.”

THE SKY, THE SKY

Tarzan was trying to save wildlife from an expected meteor shower. He discovered a lost Boer village. He said, “You must leave quickly. A terrible meteor shower is coming tonight. It will destroy your village.”

Jan, a Boer leader, laughed. “You sound like Chicken Little. “The sky is falling. The sky is falling. I won’t leave.”

The meteors destroyed the village and killed Jan and his followers.

Tarzan said, “Those people didn’t have to die. If I was wrong, he could have just returned to his undamaged home. My way was a win/win. His was a win/lose. He chose poorly.”

CHECK IN TIME

November 4: On this day in 1927, Script Magazine published Ed’s travelogue, “Eleven Year Itch.” In commemoration of his family’s 1916 cross-country trip, the family traveled to the Grand Canyon North Rim. His 52nd birthday was spent in Arizona, as were his 21st and his 50th: The article Eleven Year Itch is written to describe the event. Unfortunately, I don’t have that issue and I can’t find the article electronically. I can’t even confirm that Script Magazine was published in 1927, I show the first issue with a 1929 date.

Since I can’t find the article, the drabble for today, “Check-In Time,” is entirely fictional. Well, almost, the information about the hotels is accurate.

CHECK IN TIME

“Dad,” said Hulbert. “It was a really hard drive to the north rim of the canyon. I can’t say that it looks differently than it does from the other side.”

“No, the other side has an hotel, the El Tovar.”

Joan said, “They’re building a hotel here. It’ll open next year.”

“Doesn’t do us any good. We’re here now.”

“True,” said Ed. “ The first man who saw the San Fernando Valley probably thought someday this will be great city.”

“Excuse me if I don’t care to wait. No beans for me. I’d like a shower and a nice cabernet.”

FABRIC OF SPACE

November 5: On this day in 2022 was the official launch of “Victory Harben: Fires of Halos by Christopher Paul Carey. Edgar Rice Burroughs Incorporated celebrated the day by opening their offices for a tour. The book is available from ERB Inc. Here’s some information from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Incorporated website.

Born in Pellucidar, the world at the Earth’s core, in 1932, Victory Harben is the daughter of Gretchen von Harben and the warrior Nadok of the Voraki tribe. From a young age, Victory studied under Abner Perry and Jason Gridley, from whom she learned a deep love for science. At age eleven, she underwent a life-changing experience when she ran away from home and encountered a Mahar named Tu-al-sa in the subterranean city of Mintra. Victory traveled for the first time to the outer crust soon after, determined to unlock the secrets of advanced mathematics and physics hinted at in the Mahar archives. After graduating with a Master’s degree in theoretical physics, Victory returned to Pellucidar at the behest of Jason Gridley to help solve the mystery of the Gridley Wave’s failure.

The 100-word drabble for today, “Fabric of Space,” is excerpted from a press release by ERB Inc. dated July 25, 2025. The press release has been slightly edited to be exactly 100 words long.

FABRIC OF SPACE

‘When a mysterious force catapults inventors Jason Gridley and Victory Harben from their home in Pellucidar and flinging them across space and time, they embark on a grand tour of strange, wondrous worlds. Their search for one another leads them to the realms of Amtor, Barsoom, and other worlds even more distant and outlandish, Jason and Victory meet heroes and heroines of unparalleled courage and ability: Carson Napier, Tarzan, John Carter, and more. With the help of their intrepid allies, Jason and Victory uncover a plot, insidious and unthinkable—one that threatens to tear apart the fabric of the universe!’

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW

November 6: On this day in 1911, Edgar Rice Burroughs accepted an offer of $400.00 from All-Story Magazine for “Dejah Thoris, Martian Princess,” one of the many working titles for “A Princess of Mars.” Doesn’t seem like much, but $400.00 1n 1911 is about $13,800 today. That works out to about 19 cents a word in today's money - which is better than most magazines pay today. Other working titles were “The Green Martians,” “My First Adventure on Mars,” and of course, “Under the Moons of Mars.”

The check was dated November 15, 1911 and drawn on the Second National Bank of New York. It cleared.

A wealth of information about the novel and its genesis is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0421.html

The drabble for today, “You Know What You Know,” was inspired by that transaction.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW

“Emma,” said Edgar Rice Burroughs, “All-Story sent a contract for my Mars book. $400.00! The check will be here in less than then days.”

“They paid you four hundred dollars! Wonderful! Exactly what are they buying?”

“The story. They bought the story.”

“I read that there are lots rights and rules. Which ones did they buy?”

“Emma, I’m really not sure. I’ll do some research.”

“So, you don’t know what you’ve sold them.?”

I don’t know what I don’t know. I’ll find out. But one thing that I do know for certain is that we need the four hundred dollars.”

RIDE, EDDIE, RIDE

November 7: On this day in 1916, Edgar Rice Burroughs anticipated his involvement in World War One and enrolled in the LA Riding Academy. Just an observation, but I don’t believe that very much of WW1 was fought on horseback. Ed wasn’t selected to fight in the War, but he served as an officer in the Illinois Militia during the war.

All of the major combatants in World War I began the conflict with cavalry forces. Imperial Germany stopped using them on the Western Front soon after the war began, but continued with limited use on the Eastern Front, well into the war. The Ottoman Empire used cavalry extensively during the war. On the Allied side, the United Kingdom used mounted infantry and cavalry charges throughout the war, but the United States used cavalry only briefly. Russia used cavalry forces on the Eastern Front but with limited success.

The famous "Charge of the Light Brigade" in 1854 made the futility of charging armed fortifications on horseback readily apparent.

The 100-word drabble for today, “Ride, Eddie, Ride,” was inspired by the riding refresher course.

RIDE, EDDIE, RIDE

The riding instructor said, “Mr. Burroughs, you’re a better horseman than I am. Tell me why you’re here.”

“Brushing up. There’s a war going on and I want to be ready.”

“Mr. Burroughs, I read the papers. Exactly what does horsemanship have to do with trench warfare, machine guns, and hand grenades?”

“Maybe nothing, but one thing that history teaches us is that every decision you make during war isn’t a good decision. The advantage of a good horse is that it can help you get out of trouble even faster than you got into it.”

“Right then. Saddle up.”

DADDY NEEDS NEW SHOES

November 8: On this day in 1933, Ed referred in a letter to his daughter Joan as the popular Jane Porter of the air. Joan played Jane and her husband, James Pierce, was the voice of Tarzan on the “Tarzan of the Apes” radio show. ERB reviewed and revised the scripts for accuracy. To be clear the letter wasn’t to his daughter, Joan, but it referred to her.

Ed was quite the correspondent and he wrote numerous letters to his children, friends, and business associates. Most of the correspondence hasn’t been made available, not even to Porges. This letter, although unavailable to view, is referenced at : https://www.erbzine.com/mag63/6352.html#NOVEMBER8, is no exception.

The drabble for today, “Daddy Needs New Shoes, was inspired by the radio show, “Tarzan of the Apes.”

DADDY NEEDS NEW SHOES

“Mr. Burroughs, said the interviewer. “This is exciting. The TARZAN OF THE APES radio show will be broadcast in just a few minutes.”

“Yes, it is. I’m so proud of my daughter, Joan, and her husband, Jim Pierce. They’ll be the voices of Tarzan and Jane.”

“I’ve been told that they only got the roles because she’s your daughter.”

“Nepotism. I think not. You’ve got it backwards. I’m getting paid to review and rewrite the scripts. The only reason I was hired is because I’m her father.”

“Isn’t that still just nepotism.”

“Nah. It’s the reverse. I call it Old-fogeyism.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS POOP

November 9: On this day in 1999, “Dark Horse Comics” published “Tarzan: The Rivers of Blood #1.” A Bill Ross article about the Dark Horse “Tarzan Comics” is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag11/1156.html

The creative team behind it was a pair of Croats, artist Igor Kordej (or Kordey as he rendered his name for the English-speaking market) and writer Neven Antičević. The story takes Tarzan from his home in the jungles of Africa to Vienna and then to Zurich, first seeking aid from Sigmund Freud and then finally Carl Jung to help a mentally distressed Jane, who was put under a spell by a powerful magician. It was supposed to have a total of eight issues, but was cancelled after the fourth, apparently due to low sales.

Even so, Antičević had fully scripted the series, and Kordej had completed the art, i.e., both pencils and inks, for the fifth, sixth and first half of the seventh issues, and he had also done the roughs for the rest of the seventh and all of the eighth issue. And all that material sat around for a decade and a half, when a Belgrade-based publisher, System Comics, notified Kordej and Antičević that it had managed to get a license for a Serbian edition of Rivers of Blood, with the express intention of publishing the entire story and any extra materials. So in 2015 this lovely, oversized hardcover edition – or, as Kordej put it at the time, “one single, big, fat amazing book!” – was released.

The drabble for today, “Where the Wild Things Poop,” was inspired by the story, Tarzan: The Rivers of Blood.” Nothing like a little potty humor to start the day.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS POOP

Sigmund Freud said, “So Mr. Greystoke, you’re here because you’ve decided that your wife is crazy.”

“That’s Lord Greystoke.”

“Lord?”

“Yes, and I’m the king of the jungle.”

“Interesting. You think that you’re a lord and a king, but that your wife is the one who’s crazy. Let’s not talk about your wife just yet.

Let’s talk about you. How well did you get along with your mother?"

“My mother died when I was an infant and I was raised in Africa by a tribe of great apes.”

“Mein Gott! I can’t imagine what your toilet training was like.”

PLAY MISTY FOR ME

November 10: On this day years ago in 1974, the Russ Manning scripted and illustrated Tarzan Sunday arc, Tarzan in the Valley of Mist, began. You can read the entire 14 week story arc at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag21/2131.html. Many of the pages are from French versions of the Sunday page. The pages begin as full page versions and conclude as ½ pages. The story features a hot air balloon, that somehow works without a burner. It’s mistafying.

The drabble for today is, Play Misty For Me,” and it was inspired by the story arc.

PLAY MISTY FOR ME

Tarzan and Liz, the woman he rescued, emerged from the mist covered valley. Liz asked, “Are we safe? What kind of tree is this?”

“Don’t know. I think it’s a mist tree.”

"My friends were right behind us.”

Tarzan replied. “They tried to escape the billowing haze, but were too slow. They were mist taken.”

“Perhaps the natives in the valley took them. We have to go back.”

“No. The tribe’s leader, the mist chief means trouble. I was mist guided and mist took him for an honorable man. I don’t know the way.”

“Why, has it been mist placed?”

SOUNDS OF THE CITY

November 11: On this day in 1929, Edgar Rice Burroughs complained about his new noiseless typewriter, saying that he wanted to hear it. His words, "I have one of those noiseless typewriters, but as far as I am concerned it is a total loss. I want to hear them go,” are recorded on the ERB Timeline at: https://www.erbzine.com/bio/years20.html

While I can’t confirm exactly which model ERB had purchased. The photo attached is one of a models manufactured in 1929, four years after Remington bought the Noiseless Typewriter Co. and turned its three-bank models into four-bankers. (Remaining stock of the three-bank Noiseless standard was sold as the Remington Noiseless 5—a scarce model today. The no. 6 was succeeded by the no. 10, which was made, in different body styles, up to 1960. Meanwhile, the Noiseless Portable was reborn as the Remington Noiseless portable models, made from the early ’30s into the 1950s.

The drabble for today, “Sounds of the City,” was inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’ unhappiness with his new noiseless typewriter.

SOUNDS OF THE CITY

Joan Burroughs said, “Dad, I wasn’t sure if you were working. It’s so quiet in here.”

“I hate my new noiseless typewriter. I need to hear the click of the keys, the snap of the return, and movement of the carriage.”

“Really, isn’t the quiet better?”

“No! I’m a child of the city, of Chicago. I can sleep through the bustle of the city. The sound of silence makes me feel alone. The clickity-clack of the keys reminds me of horses on cobblestones.”

“I'll play recorded street noises for you.”

“That’ll help, but typewriter noise tells me that it’s working.”

JUNGLE BOOGIE

November 12: I’ve been occupied with my online bookstore, https://westmesapublishing.myshopify.com/ I had to sort out the shipping costs and arrange for my on demand books to be automatically fulfilled by LULU. Since both companies talk about how easy that is, you’d think, well it should be easy. It wasn’t. Shopify’s help is non-existent. You can’t talk to them and you can’t email them. Their chat program is worse than useless. LULU’s support was excellent and they guided me through the process. There are over 150 books on the site and another hundred will go live in the next few weeks. If you place and order and it tries to charge you over thirty dollars to ship one book, don’t buy it. Message me and let me fix it.

Anyway, enough whining. I learned something and that’s a good thing.

On his day in 1998, The Danish bubblegum dance group, Toy-Box, released the song, “Tarzan and Jane” on November 12, 1998. It would be the lead song in their debut album, “Fantastic.

It was re-released n 1999 to coincide with the premier of Disney’s Tarzan film and became a top 10 hit in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – reaching #15 on the Eurochart Hot 100. It was also a hit in New Zealand and Australia. The song was released in America, but it never caught on.

I apologize, but couldn’t resist using the deathless lyrics of the song as today’s drabble, “Jungle Boogie.”

JUNGLE BOOGIE

“My name is Tarzan I am jungle man
The tree tops swing-a from jungle land
Come baby come I will take you for a swing
Let's go honey I'm tink-a-ling
Tarzan handsome, Tarzan strong
He's really cute and his hair is long
Tarzan handsome Tarzan strong
So listen to the jungle song

I’m Tarzan from jungle you can be my friend
I’m Jane and I love to ride an elephant
When you touch me I feel funny
I feel it too when you're touching me
Come to my tree house to my party

Yes, I'll go if you carry me”

GET PHYSICAL

November 13: On this day in 1962, the Carol Burnett and Jack Benny ‘Tarzan’ skit on the Jack Benny Show, was broadcast. You can watch the entire episode including the skit at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUA86hLO0UA

The drabble for today, “Get Physical,” is 100 words excerpted from the script, all of which may be read at:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0014.html#6.%20THE%20JACK%20BENNY%20SHOW%20TARZAN I haven’t include the speakers' names in the word count.

GET PHYSICAL
JACK: Me Jane. You Tarzan.

JANE: No, uh no darling. Me Jane. You Tarzan. Understand?

JACK: Me Un..der...stand.

FATHER: Surely you can’t be in love... with.. this!?

JANE: With her arms around Tarzan’s mighty chest): O but father, I am. All my life I’ve wanted a man who could CRUSH me in his arms. Look at him so strong. This morning he tore a crocodile in half -- longways! Look at those muscles.

FATHER: Well. All right, daughter. You’ve made your decision. But remember that this is purely a physical attraction. Years will change all this.

FATHER: Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

MOTHER: You very well may.

PAVED WITH GOLD

November 14: On this day in 1949, the Paul Reinman illustrated and Rob Thompson scripted Tarzan daily story arc, Tarzan and the City of Gold, began. Their collaboration lasted for seventy-eight daily installments, after which Reinman left the strip and Nick Cardy took over the illustration duties. The story arc continued for another eight-four installments.

The story adapts ERB’s novel of the same name and features the lizard men, the horibs, and of course, the cities of Cathy and Athne. We must forget Queen Nemone, another female ruler who becomes infatuated with Tarzan.

Read the entire story arc at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag49/4948.html

The drabble for today, “Paved With Gold,” was inspired by the story arc and the novel upon which it was based. There’s a song, “In Heaven We’ll Never Grow Old,” that uses the phrase, “the streets are paved with pure gold.” Here are 100 words excerpted and modified from the “Moses Moses" recording of the song.

PAVED WITH GOLD

The streets are paved with gold

The streets are paved with gold up in Cathne

And you best behave if you wanna grow old
Mind your manners, do what you’re told
Don’t run away if the queen says bed
If you try, she’ll take your head.

And you don’t anger the queen or you’ll wind up dead
She get what she wants in Cathne
You don’t anger the queen, better do what she said
Or you’ll lose your head in Cathne.

I said, don’t lose your head
When the lions are fed
In Cathne.

THAT'S NEWS TO ME

November 15: On this day in 1963, Canaveral Press published new hardcover editions of three novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, CARSON OF VENUS, LOST ON VENUS, and LAND OF TERROR. Roy Krenkal illustrated LAND OF TERROR, The cover and interior illustrations for LOST ON VENUS were by J. Allen St. John. Sam Sigaloff adapted John Coleman Burroughs' original dust jacket painting for CARSON OF VENUS. Six interior plates by JCB were included in the edition.

A complete summary of the Canaveral editions along with all of the covers is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag28/2805.html

The 100-word fictional drabble for today, ‘THAT’S NEWS TO ME,’ is a conversation between Richard Lupoff and Jack Biblo, one of the owners of Canaveral Press.

THAT'S NEWS TO ME

Richard Lupoff said, “Jack, I’ve really enjoyed working with the Burroughs people to find new stories by the master to publish. For every new book I’m able to put together, you publish three or four reprints.’

“I do. The new books generate interest in reprints and the reprints generate interest in the new books.’

“Completists aside, I don’t understand why so many folks are buying reprints.”

“Richard, most people weren’t alive when these books were first published and everyone doesn’t own first editions. I think of it like a television rerun. If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you.”