ERBzine 8223: Drabbles Feb 1-14, 2026

PEACE IN PIECES

February 1: On this day in 1942, John Carter of Mars Sunday comic episode #9, Plummeting From the Ledge, by John Coleman Burroughs was published in a few Sunday newspapers. The Sunday comic never caught on nationally. The first episode was published at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor and successive episode competed with America’s entry into WW2.

The entire series is available to view at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag22/2281.html

The 100-word drabble for today, "Peace in Pieces," was inspired by the novel, A Princess of Mars, and its adaption as a Sunday comic strip.

PEACE IN PIECES

Dejah Thoris said, “John, my chieftain, you are such a skilled warrior. That’s surprising, especially since you claim to be a peaceful man rather than a man of war.”

“Absolutely, my princess. I’ve always considered myself to be a peaceable man. I believe that we should give peace a chance.
”

“You fought that Green Martain Dotar and stabbed him in the heart.”

“Ias fast as I could. He shouldn’t have threatened you. May he rest in peace.”

“And you chopped off the head of Sojat, another Green Martian warrior.”

“”Well, he was a lot more peaceful after I beheaded him.”

THE GREAT GOD, PHIL

February 2: Groundhog Day, and on this day in 1924, Argosy All-Story Weekly published the first installment of Tarzan and the Ant Men. The issue’s cover was by Stockton Mulford and had one interior illustration by Roger B. Morrison. The publishing history, several articles, dozens of illustrations, and an electronic version of the book are available without a paywall at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0497.html

In my opinion, the novel is one of the best Tarzan novels.

The drabble for today, “The Great God, Phil,” was inspired by the novel, by Groundhog Day, and by a touch of religious dogma or mythology, depending on your perspective.

THE GREAT GOD, PHIL
Tarzan said to the Ant Man warrior, “I see you keep this cave guarded.”

“We do. The earthly avatar of our God is inside. We put him there and rolled that great stone over the door.”

Tarzan tested the heavy boulder. “I’ve encountered many tribes, who worship many gods, but this is the first time I’ve encountered an imprisoned god.”

“We let him out just after the second new moon of every new year.”

Tarzan grunted and he slowly began rolling away the stone.

“Stop,” screamed the Ant Man. ‘If he sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks.”

ABRUPT PROPOSAL

February 3: On this day in 1967, Episode number 21, The Golden Runaway, of the Ron Ely Tarzan television series aired. Actress Gia Scala appeared in the episode, as did actors, Khalil Dezaleel. Sean McClory, and Chundra Lai.

The episode is almost a romantic comedy, think Romancing the Stone. Gia Scala appeared ion dozens of television series, but her difficulties with alcohol shortened her career and her life.

After a mission fire, a mysterious amount of cash appears to rebuild it. Tarzan led Martha Tolbooth and Henry Fitzroy on a journey to find the elusive benefactor who turns out to be Red McGeehan the headman of an isolated tribe.

<>Read about all the Ron Ely Tarzan episodes. https://www.erbzine.com/mag0/0014.html

The 100-word fictional drabble for today, Abrupt Proposal, was inspired by that episode.

ABRUPT PROPOSAL

Martha Tolbooth said, “Tarzan, our mission burned last week. Today, thousands of dollars just appeared. I wonder where it came from.”

Tarzan inspected the money. “We should determine its source before you spend it.”

Tarzan sniffed the money and with the skill of a bloodhound, he tracked to a remote village.

An American, Red McGeehan, ruled the tribe. “I care about the mission and the people. No strings.”

Tarzan said, “Free money is always expensive. Again, why.”

“I’m in love. Martha, will you marry me.”

Martha smiled, “This is so sudden. You should have started by buying me a martini.”

SNAP TO ATTENTION

February 4: This is the 2801 article in the series, Every Day With Edgar Rice Burroughs. Forty-one years ago on this day in 1985, Actor Dave Kashner, who appeared in the films TARZAN’S PERIL, and TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL, died in Los Angeles, California. Born in 1896 in what was then the town of Jaffa, Palestine, Dave had forty-four acting credits, mostly uncredited, including CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE SEA HAWK, ALBUQUERQUE, SINBAD THE SAILOR, and GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL.

A former cattleman, he was so skillful in handling whips that also his harmless lashes seemed to be very hard. He was often employed in flogging scenes. He could cut cigarettes out of actors' mouths, fire a gun by lashing the trigger, and snap objects out of their mid-air flight. He made his own leather-braided whips, ranging from 6 to 25 feet, which often took months to complete.

Details about TARZAN’S PERIL and TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL, may be found at the following links:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1951.html

https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1952.html

The drabble for today, ‘Snap to Attention,” was inspired by actor and whipmaster, Dave Kashner and his role in TARZAN AND THE SHE-DEVIL, which starred Lex Barker, Joyce McKenzie, and Monique van Vooren.

SNAP TO ATTENTION
Actor Lex Barker said, ‘Dave, good to see you on set. Happy to work with you again.”

“Yea, the lady playing the She-Devil, uses a whip, but she snaps it too hard. She’ll hurt someone. Just whipped on set so she won’t just flail about.”

“Careful. Monique lashes out when she doesn’t get her way.”

“She won’t be the first woman I’ve had to whip into shape.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that. She brought her own whips and even some chains."

“I’ll have her under control in no time.”

“Dave, she said the exact same thing about you.”

HOP, SCOTT

February 5: On this day in 1906, Actor John Carradine, who appeared in almost everything including, TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT was born in New York City. His birth name was Richard Reed Carradine and he is considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. In total, he holds 351 film and television credits, making him one of the most prolific English-speaking film and television actors of all time. TARZAN THE MAGNFICENT starred Gordon Scott and was released in 1960.

Movie stills, reviews, and other details about TARZAN THE MAGNFICENT, are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag19/1958.html

The drabble for today “Hop, Scott” was inspired by a sense of foolishness and very little else. I really have no excuse.

HOP, SCOTT

The director on set of TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT said, “We’re losing the light. Where’s the magnificent, the great Scott?”

“Grape shot?” asked John Carradine.

“No, not grape shot. Scott!"

“A Scot. We have several in the cast. I’ll fetch you a Scot if I don’t get kilt in the jungle.”

“Gordon Scott. I need Gordon Scott.”

John said, “Gordon, right. Back in a flash.”

Carradine returned with Tarzan in tow. “I found him. He was seated abeam a carved stature of a dog. A black terrier, I believe.”

“Abeam a board Scottie? Clever line, but it needs work. “

LOS LUNA

February 6: On this day in 1926, A.C. McClurg published the first edition of THE MOON MAID, a novel comprised of three stories originally published in Argosy All-Story Weekly. The stories were not written in the same order that they were published, nor in the order they appear in the novel. The stories are THE MOON MAID, THE MOON MEN, and THE RED HAWK. I designed a 100th anniversary envelope to celebrate the event, but I never could get it to print properly. My plan was to drive to the Los Lunas post office this morning and have them cancelled today – that way the envelopes would have a cancellation stamp on the 100th anniversary date from the Los Lunas post office. Los Lunas means “the moons,’ in Spanish. Life gets in the way sometimes.

Details about the writing and publication of the novel are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0767.html

The 100-word drabble for today, LOS LUNAS, was inspired by the novel, which is narrated by different incarnations of Julian, a man who can recall his past and future lives. He told the tale to Edgar Rice Burroughs.

LOS LUNAS
Edgar Rice Burroughs said, “Julian, it’s good to see you again.”

“And you, Mr. Burroughs. I read your account of my future self’s adventures. You made the me seem like a hero.”

“Don’t be modest Julian. I’m hoping to learn what happens next.”

“I’ll tell you about my life after the Moon Men conquered America.”

“Conquered America. How that could happen?”

“Good men do nothing while bad men take over.”

“A reprobate was running one of my publishers into the ground. Fortunately, folks stopped him."

”I hope America fares as well”

“Faring well is better always better than a farewell.”

YOU WON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M ANGRY

February 7: On this day in 1947, the Rex Maxon scripted and illustrated Tarzan daily comic story arc, The Rage of Tantor, began. Tantor of course means elephant in the language of the Mangani, the race of great apes/proto humans who raised Tarzan. The story arc ran for fifty-six daily episodes. It was the Antepenultimate story arc by Maxon who would soon leave the daily strip. That’s a pretty big word. The last is ultimate, next to last is penultimate, and the next in order is antepenultimate. Pretty sure I’ve never said that word out loud.

The entire story arc may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag61/6146.html

The 100 word drabble for today, “You Won’t Like Me When I’m Angry,” was inspired by the story arc, an old elephant joke, and the television show, The Incredible Hulk.

YOU WON'T LIKE ME WHEN I'M ANGRY
Jane said, “Tarzan, Tantor was in a bad mood all week, but he seems happier today.”

“He is. Ivory poachers have been chasing his herd for several days. Tantor hadn’t been able to find them. The longer he looked, the angrier he became.”

“I guess his better mood is because he found them.”

“He did. He found their camp early this morning. He caught them asleep and destroyed the camp, fouled their food and water, and chased them through the jungle”

“His feet looked diseased. Whatever did he step in? Is that a toe fungus?”

“No, it’s slow poachers.”

OUT OF YOUR OWN MOUTH

February 8: On this day in 1928, The LA Examiner published the eleventh article written by Edgar Rice Burroughs about the Hickman Murder Trial. ERB had been hired as a special correspondent for the Examiner to cover the trial. He was shocked and angry at Hickman’s brutality and lack of contrition. He was disgusted by the ‘innocent by reason of insanity plea.” Article Eleven was titled “Hickman’s Appel To Jury Derided As Sophomoric Essay.” Ed is identified as “Noted Writer, Creator of “Tarzan” and Author of “The War Chief.”

All thirteen of the articles about the Hickman trail are available on www.erbzine.com This one is located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag17/1769.html

Th one hundred word drabble for today, “Out of Your Own Mouth,” is excerpted from that article. It has been slightly edited to fit the 100-word drabble format. An alienist was the term in vogue at the time for a psychiatrist. A couple more definitions. Peradventure means maybe, perhaps, or possibly. Gobby" is a British English slang adjective used to describe someone who is loud-mouthed, outspoken, and often offensive.

OUT OF YOUR OWN MOUTH

“I’m supposed to write about Hickman, but he bores me to extinction. The accumulated testimony of the alienists fortifies my expressed suspicion that no good can come out of a boy oratory for the boy orator. Hickman's predilection for oratory has resulted in a gobbiness that may very well hang him. Like all orators he likes to hear himself go and like the fabled parrot he’s "talked too damn much." He’s convicted himself of every crime in the calendar and proven beyond peradventure of a doubt that he is not only quite intellectually normal, but even, in some respects, brilliant.”

HOPALONG MEETS TARZAN

February 9: On this day in 1924, “Argosy All-Story Weekly” published part two of TARZAN AND THE ANT MEN. The cover was by frequent ERB cover artist, Stockton Mulford, but it illustrated the first installment of "Eight Monkeys and a Catspaw” by Harry B. Smith, who only contributed five stories to the magazines, however, Smith was a remarkably prolific playwright, authoring dozens of operettas and musicals for the stage.

The issue contained an installment of “Hopalong Cassidy Returns” by Clarence E. Mulford. Most people identify Hopalong Cassidy with the handsome hero played by William Boyd. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. Shot in the leg during a gun fight, he walked with a limp that gave him his nickname.

Roger B. Morrison did one interior illustration for TARZAN AND THE ANT MEN.

The publication history, and electronic Ebook, and several illustrations for the novel are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0497.html

The one-hundred word fictional drabble for today, "Hopalong Meets Tarzan," was inspired by that issue of Argosy All-Story Weekly and maybe on line from a Jimmy Buffet song.

HOPALONG MEETS TARZAN
Tarzan encountered a scruffy-looking American under a banyan tree. “A cowboy in the jungle, you look so out of place.”

The man spit out a stream of tobacco. “Nobody asked you. Name’s Hopalong Cassidy. At least I don’t speak with no accent. You sound like a cross between a limey and a monkey. Can’t you afford no damn shoes."

“You’re very rude. Why are you limping?”

“Got shot in the leg. I won’t be taking any guff from a man who don’t got him no pants.”

“If you’re always this obnoxious. I’m amazed someone hasn’t shot you in the face.”

SMILE WHEN YOU SAY THAT

February 10: On this day in 1921, Wid’s Film Daily announced that the serial Adventures of Tarzan would star wrestler Bull Montana as ‘chief of the ape clan.’ It didn’t. Elmo Lincoln reprised his role as Tarzan.

Lewis Montagna, born Luigi Montagna, was an Italian-American professional wrestler, boxer and actor. Montagna never appeared in a Tarzan film, but he appeared in over 90 films, including an apeman in THE LOST WORLD (1925) and he appeared with Buster Crabbe in the 1936 Flash Gordon serial. Bull was friends with Douglas Fairbanks and a sparring partner for Jack Dempsey.

An interesting sidenote, of no particular value, is that American film producers cast a number of athletes to play Tarzan over the years, including swimmers, basketball players, and football players, but never a wrestler. However, wrestling was the vocation of choice for number of “Tarzans’ in Bollywood production.

Details about ADVENTURES OF TARZAN abound at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0590.html

The 100-word fictional drabble for today is “Smile When You Say That,” and it was inspired by LUIGI MONGAGNA, actor and wrestler.

SMILE WHEN YOU SAY THAT

Bull Montana finished a sparring with Jack Dempsey. Dempsey’s manager tossed him a towel. “Bull, I read that you’re gonna play Tarzan.”

“Nah, I didn’t get the part. Something about a bad screen test.”

“You don’t exactly look like a noble savage. Too short and too ugly.”

“It’s not that. I think I was much too pretty to play Tarzan.”

“Pretty? You? Your face looks like you swung into a tree. You look ore like a gorilla than a real gorilla.”

“You better smile when you say that. I don’t monkey around with men who jibber jabber like a chimpanzee.”

THE RIGHT STUFF

February 11: On this day in 1939, Argosy Weekly published part six, the final installment of Synthetic Men of Mars. Neither the novel nor the writer, Edgar Rice Burroughs was mentioned on the cover, but Samuel Cahan did a black and white interior illustration. The cover art by G. J. Rozen illustrated GLAMOUR GUY, a Dan Harden adventure by Frederick C. Painton. Painton was a war correspondent during the WW2 and a contributor to The Reader’s Digest and the Saturday Evening Post. During the War he was in a ship that was torpedoed, had companions killed by aircraft fire, and went ashore with the Marines on Iwo Jima.

You can read an EText version of the novel, see the publishing history, and enjoy numerous illustrations at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0737.html

The drabble for today, “The Right Stuff,” was inspired by SYNTHETIC MEN OF MARS and today’s headlines.

THE RIGHT STUFF
John Carter fought his way past horde of misshapen creatures that were but caricatures of human warriors. He confronted the scientist, Ras Thavas, in his laboratory. “Where did these monsters come from?”

“I made them. I’m growing my own army in huge vats.”

“So, they are artificial constructs?”

“They are not artificial. I grew them from 100% organically sourced materials.”

“Monstrous. They seem stupid. Are they artificially intelligent?"

“No intelligence, artificial or otherwise. I built them to fight, not to think.”

“I’d see that as a problem if I didn’t know how many humans survive without any sense at all.”

READING HORROR IN THE DARK

February 12: On this day in 1912, ERB submitted his short s tory, The Avenger, to The Associated Sunday Magazines. They did not buy the story and it wasn’t published until it was included in FORGOTTEN TALES OF LOVE IN MURDER, published in 2001 by Guidry and Adkins. Publisher and friend, John Guidry is now in a memory care facility. He doesn’t read any more, but his sister would love to have friends and fans send him greeting cards. If you DM me, I’ll give you the mailing address.

The story may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag68/6853.html

The drabble for today, “Reading Horror In the Dark,” is the first one hundred words from that short story.

READING HORROR IN THE DARK

This isn’t a pleasant story to read by the dim rays of a flickering lamp, which accentuate rather than diminish the restless, Cimmerian shadows at the far end of a large and sombre chamber, especially if you be alone in the house and the wind be moaning through gaunt trees without.

I tell you this because I have myself been lured by fair and pleasant preludes into commencing some fiendish tale, of a winter's evening, so that for long hours later I’ve lain with stiffening scalp, wide eyed upon a haunted pillow.

Yet, withal, it be less terrible than sad.

SHAKE IT UP BABY

February 13: On this day in 1932, Actress, director, aviator, and author, Susan Oliver, aka Charlotte Gercke, played Peggy Dean in the Ron Ely Tarzan episode THE DAY THE EARTH TREMBLED, was born in New York City. The Day The Earth Trembled should not be confused with, nor is it a sequel to the Michael Renny film, The Day The Earth Stood Still. Susan had over 125 film and television credits, but is best remembered as THE GREEN GIRL in the Star Trek episode, The Cage. She was an accomplished airplane pilot and was the fourth woman to flay a single engine aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1970, she copiloted their way to victory in a transcontinental race.

In the episode, Tarzan recruits three convicts to help him transport a group of children to safety. Information about the entire Ron Ely television series: https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7420.html

The 100 word drabble for today, “Shake It Up, Baby,” was inspired by the episode and my friends and relatives in California.

SHAKE IT UP BABY

There was an earthquake in the jungle
I saw the walls and buildings crumble
Saw the men just walking free from jail
Didn’t need no lawyer, didn’t make no bail
The earthquake made Tarzan really sad
Seeing kids without a mom or dad
But he caught escapees, one two, three
It’s back to jail if you don’t help me
Get these children somewhere safe
Before another quake hits this place.
I feel the shudder, I feel the sway
It’s time for me to run away
The next quake coming, it won’t catch me
I can’t say the same for Nairobi.

SLIP SLIDING AWAY

February 14: Happy Valentine’s Day, and on this day in 1943, the HONOLULU ADVERTISER published an article by the world’s oldest war correspondent, Edgar Rice Burroughs, WRITER HUNTS SOLDIERS WHO OWN MOUNTAIN ON SOUTH SEA ISLAND. The full article may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag17/1756.html#writerhuntssoldiers

The drabble for today, “Slip Slidin’ Away, is 100 words excerpted from that article, slightly edited to fit the one-hundred-word format. The Bouncing Baby referenced in the drabble was Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Jeep.

SLIP SLIDING AWAY

<>< style="font-weight: bold;">It had rained hard the night before, and Bouncing Baby and I slid and skidded over two miles of winding liquid road to the headquarters of Maj. J. F. Hart. First Lt. Benjamin M. Brothers was assigned to guide me the following day. We slithered back over the two miles of impossible road I’d just covered, and then over two miles of absolutely indescribable road to Lt. Brothers' camp. The only difference between the camp and the road was that the camp is wider and has shacks and tents. I was glad that I was wearing high shoes and leggings.