ERBzine 8224: Drabbles March 1-15, 2026

JUST DESSERTS

March 1: On this day in 1924, “Argosy All-Story Weekly” published part five of “Tarzan and the Ant Men.” The cover was by a frequent Edgar Rice Burroughs’ cover artist, Stockton Muflord, but it didn’t illustrate TARZAN AND THE ANT MEN. The illustration was for BIG GAME by Louis Lacy Stevenson, no relation to Robert Louis. Big Game wasn’t a jungle story, it’s a story about greed in the big city,

In the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, Esteban Miranda is a villainous Spanish actor and lookalike of Tarzan. He impersonates Tarzan to steal diamonds, eventually going insane and believing he is the ape-man while being held captive by a cannibal tribe.

Publishing details and several illustrations are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag4/0497.html

The one hundred word drabble for today, “Just Desserts,” was inspired by the novel and by the way karma should always work.

JUST DESSERTS

Jane said, “Tarzan, we’ve captured that horrible man who impersonated you, Esteban Miranda. He’s lost his mind.”

“He was a terrible person, a bad guy pretending to be a good guy and that internal conflict was more his mind could handle.”

“They’re taking him to England for treatment. They believe that with proper care and treatment, his memories can be restored to him.”

“Jane, I can’t understand why he’d want to remember that he was a liar, a conman, and a thief.

“I hope that he lives a long and happy life.”

“I don’t. Assholes don’t get happy ever after.”

DINNER DANCING

March 2: On this day in 1996, Episode 17, “Tarzan and the Mahars,” of "Tarzan the Epic Adventures," was broadcast. I remember being excited about the episode. I wanted to see what a television Mahar would look like. I hoped it would be better than the version of the creatures we way in the film, AT THE EARTH’S CORE. I wasn’t disappointed, the Mahars that Joe Lara battled were some bad folks. For those of you who don’t know, the Mahars were a tribe of sentient semi-pterodactyls who live in the hollow Earth. They have great mental powers and their favorite food is people.

Details and a review of the episode are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag76/7679.html

The one hundred word drabble for today, “Dinner Dancing,” was inspired by the Mahars, the television episode, and of course, Edgar Rice Burroughs. The terms in the drabble are actual terms used to describe water ballet.

DINNER DANCING

The mother Mahar and her child, Meena, stood across a pool from a terrified woman.
“Meena, Make her enter the pool. We’ll eat her in the water."

Meena Mahar, a young flying reptile, mentally seized control of the woman and guided her through a series of complicated swimming movements.

Mother Mahar said, “What the devil is that?”

“Water ballet. She’s doing an eggbeater, next will be a flamingo, then a knight, and she’ll finish with a fishtail."

“Stop that. I know I said it was okay to play with your food, but I didn’t say you could dance with it.”

SEEKING PINOCCHIO

March 3: Happy birthday to my wife, Sally. On this day in 1934, actress Gia Scala, whose real name was Josephine Grace Johanna Scoglio, and who played Martha in Ron Ely Tarzan series, episode #21, The Golden Runaway, was born in Liverpool, England. Scala soon after landed roles in such films as Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957), The Garment Jungle (1957), The Tunnel of Love (1958), and The Guns of Navarone (1961), starring Gregory Peck and David Niven.

Scala made frequent appearances on American television during the 1960s, appearing in such series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Convoy, The Islanders, The Rogues, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twelve O' Clock High, Tarzan, and It Takes a Thief (1969) in the episode "The Artist Is for Framing," her final acting role. She died at age 38 from severe barbiturate and ethanal intoxication.

Details about the episode, including a review by Charles Mento, are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7425.html#21

The drabble for today, “Seeking Pinocchio,” is excerpted from Charles Mento’s review the episode.

SEEKING PINOCCHIO

“Martha is played by the wonderful Gia Scala with brunette hair. She had blond hair in VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA second season episode JONAH AND THE WHALE (aired first in the second year). She was terrifically wonderful in that, too, and made the episode even more dramatic as a Russian woman who loses her partner in a whale attack and she’s swallowed by a whale while exploring in a diving bell with Admiral Nelson. She’s exotically pretty. In 2008, the Democratic Republic of the Congo released a postage stamp bearing Scala's image. Her life was tragic. “

NO, NOT LOOFA

March 4: On this day in 1922, Penny Magazine, London, published the first installment of The King and the Woman, aka The Mad King. The newspaper serialization concluded on May 13, 1922. The French publication of the novel was retitled, “Roi Maglre Lui,” “King In Spite of Himself.”

Burroughs wrote the first half of the novel under the working title, “The Mad King of Lutha,” in October and November of 1913. The second half, ‘Barney Custer of Beatrice,” was written in the fall of 1914. World War One began in July 1914, a little over a month before ERB began the second half of the novel.

Publishing details, a complete Ebook, and several illustrations: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0758.html

The drabble for today, “No, Not Loofa,” was inspired by Barney Custer’s country, Lutha.”

NO, NOT LOOFA

Bob Davis at All-Story said, “Ed, I love “The Mad King,” but the country’s name concerns me. Why name it after a bath sponge?”

“I didn’t. The sponge is Loofah, not Lutha.”

“Right. Never mind. I also looked up Lutha. It’s a Finnish sportswear company.”

“Bob, they don’t make swords so I don’t care. I made the name up, but if you want more, check the dictionary.”

‘Okay, it means soft and tender in Hebrew.”

“Yeah, and it means blunt in Hindi and plunder in Bengali. It also means “people’s favorite warrior.” Let’s say that I went with that one.”

TARZAN THE FEARLESS

March 5: On this day in 1934, Sol Lessor told ERB that he should expect to earn $20,000 from the film serial, “Tarzan the Fearless.” The serial starred Flash Gordon, I mean Buster Crabbe. There’s no real information about how much Burroughs actually earned.

Details about the serial are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0595.html

The drabble for today, That’s Gross, Not Net,” was inspired by Lessor’s comment and the way folks keep the books in Hollywood. It’s fictional, but no doubt contains a grain or two of truth.

Edgar Rice Burroughs watched the film version of “Tarzan The Fearless,” and he remembered his conversation with Sol Lessor and he called the producer.

TARZAN THE FEARLESS

“Sol, this is Burroughs. Haven’t seen my thousand dollars yet.”

”Sadly, the ducks ate your money.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

“They deduct some for editing and some for making all the prints. They deduct more for shipping They deduct more for shipping the prints back. The advertising people deduct the advertising costs.”

“Is that so.”

“It is. The studio deducts a storage fee reserve.”

“I see. Exactly where does that leave us today.”

“Well, Mr. Burroughs, the ducks ate all your money. As of today, you owe me six hundred and twelve dollars. I’ll take a check.”

I PAINT WHAT HE WRITES

March 6: On this day in 1870, prolific artist Frank Hoban, who illustrated FIGHTING MAN OF MARS, TARZAN AND THE LOST EMIPIRE and TANAR OF PELLUCIDAR covers for Blue Book Magazine, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Francis John Hoban also illustrated several magazine interiors for Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. By my count, he illustrated 35 ERB covers for Blue Book.

See a collage of his covers and details about the artist at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag10/1009.html

The drabble for today, “I Paint What He Writes,” was inspired by the prolific artist.

I PAINT WHAT HE WRITES

The Blue Book Magazine editor called Frank Hoban. “You’ve been churning out a cover a month. Can you maintain that pace?”

“I can. I just hope my illustrations help sell the magazine.”

“I get hundreds of letters every month saying your illustrations for the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels are absolutely spot on. What’s your secret?”

“Simple,” said Frank. “I’m a fan. I read the books before I illustrate them.”

“That’s a novel approach.”

“I think Burroughs said that the less he knew about a thing, the better he could write about it. He has enough imagination for both of us.”

ERB'S TARZANA

March 7: On this day in 1919, “The Van Nuys News” published the article, ERB had purchased the estate of Los Angeles Times founder Harrison Grey Otis, renaming it Tarzana Ranch. Articles about the ranch that would eventually become the city of Tarzana are located at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag13/1354.html

The one hundred word drabble for today is excerpted from that article, slightly edited to fit the one hundred word drabble format. In the article, ERB’s first name was reported as Edward, not Edgar. I’ve corrected that for the drabble.

ERB'S TARZANA

Tarzana will be the new name of Miraflores, the beautiful improved country estate formerly owned by Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, in Van Nuys South Hills, which was purchased last week by Edgar Rice Burroughs, famous American novelist, author of "Tarzan of the Apes," and other well-known works. Van Nuys welcomes Mr. Burroughs to our valley.

The estate, which comprises approximately 540 acres, lies along the south side of the Ventura Boulevard (State highway), west of Encino Acres its center faces the newly paved Reseda avenue, and the property extends to the sky line of the Santa Monica range of mountains.

SINISTER BEAUTY

March 8: 0n this day in 1992, episode # 7 or # 18, depending on who’s keeping score, of the Wolf Larson Tarzan television series, Tarzan the Hunted, was broadcast. The story guest starred Ron Ely as a bad guy hunter. He does a good job, although his voice sounds strange, at least it does on my video.

A summary of this episode is available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag74/7458.html#18

The fictional 100-word drabble for today, Sinister Beauty, was inspired by the episode.

SINISTER BEAUTY

Jane, played by Lydie Denier, confronted the hunter, Gordon Shaw, played by Ron Ely. “If I hadn’t read the script, I wouldn’t think you’re a bad guy. You’re far too pretty to be evil.”

Ron laughed, “Pretty is as pretty does. Evil and beauty are in the eye of the beholder.”

“That sounds so trite.”

“I’m an actor, not a writer. You want deathless prose, read Shakespeare.”

“Fine, in Twelfth Night, Viola says, “Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil.’”

“I’m not evil, to paraphrase the bard. ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but the scriptwriters make it so’”

STRONGER THAN ONE OF US

March 9: On this day in 1980, the Tarzan Sunday newspaper story arc, “The Sankuru Princess Survivors,” by Gill Kane and Archie Goodwin began. Sounds like a Star Wars adventure, doesn’t it? It’s not. The story features a riverboat, The Sankuru Princess, a beautiful African maiden, an escaped prisoner named Chango, corrupt police, and a snake with the longest length to circumference ratio I’ve ever seen. The lesson in the story is excellent. Never surrender to evil and all of us are stronger than one of us. One line in the story that deserves a mention is when on character refers to the fact that Tarzan has left Chango unchained.

You can read the entire story arc at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag34/3496.html

The one hundred word drabble, “Stronger Than One of Us,” for today was inspired by “The Sankuru Princess Survivors and Tarzan’s last line in the drabble is taken verbatim from the story arc.

STRONGER THAN ONE OF US

A military patrol led by the overly zealous Major Mtallah, sank the riverboat, Sankuru Princess, and then tracked the survivors through the jungle, determined to kill them all.

Tarzan guided the survivors through dismal swamps. Tarzan unchained a prisoner, Chango, who rather than remain with and help the other survivors, abandoned them to save himself.

The patrol trapped Tarzan and the other survivors, but Chango returned and helped fight the Major’s men.

Chango said, “I thought they’d kill us all.”

Tarzan replied, “He was beaten from the moment you decided to help the rest of us instead of merely yourself.”

TELL THE LION

March 10: On this day in 1922, Chapter 14, “Flaming Arrows,” sometimes called “The Flaming Arrow, of the movie serial, Adventures of Tarzan was released. The film serial starred Elmo Lincoln and Louise Lorraine. There were different versions of the serial because it was edited in 1928 and re-edited in 1935. A 10-chapter version of the serial has been preserved and restored by UCLA and various other versions have appeared over the years, including the most recent restoration to DVD by the Serial Squadron company. The scene of Tarzan (Elmo Lincoln) killing the lion was a result of the lion being annoyed at having its tail pulled. Lincoln was forced to fight for his life, and his victory can be viewed in the movie.

Details about the serial are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0590.html

The one hundred word drabble for today, “Tell the Lion,” was inspired by the film serial. A note of thanks to the country comedian, Jerry Clower.

TELL THE LION

Elmo Linocon, playing Tarzan, stood ready for a pretend fight with a lion. When the director said, “Action!,” the lion decided that the fight was for real. The lion growled and pounced on Elmo and it bit and clawed.

Elmo ducked, dodged, and yelled for help.

The director said, “Keep filming.”

Elmo stabbed with his knife, kicked, bit, and shouted “Shoot it. Shoot it. It’s killing me.”

The animal trainer yelled, “I can’t shoot, Elmo. I might hit you.”

“Damn it, man. I don’t care. Just shoot at the both of us. One of us has to have some relief.”

REVOLUTIONARY OR PATRIOT

March 11: On this day in 1971, the Russ Manning written and illustrated daily newspaper Tarzan story arc, “Korak and Pasha Ronchi,” concluded, The story arc ran for 58 days. You may read the entire story at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag29/2910.html

There’s a bit of glitch in the system and if you use the link provided on the website, it takes you to the final installments of “Tarzan and the Stone Pharaoh, but you can read or ignore the installments on that page, go to the bottom and click next, or you can simply use the link above.

The story features Korak and Jane riding a “Wind Wagon,” a sailboat with wheels for use on the desert. They are captured and taken to Pasha Ronchi, who leads a tribe of desert dwellers. The pasha’s men have aircraft, dune buggies, and modern firearms. They are revolutionaries. Eventually Korak and Jane escape and find Tarzan, who is dying of thirst in the desert. They all live happily ever after until the next installment, “Tarzan and the Cult of the Mahar.”

The drabble for today, “Revolutionary or Patriot?” was inspired by the story arc, “Korak and the Pasha Ronchi,”

REVOLUTIONARY OR PATRIOT

Korak complained to Pasha Ronchi, “Your men attacked from the air. We mean no harm. My mother and I are searching for my father.”

“We are but humble dwellers in the desert.”

“Humble? You have dune buggies, aircraft, and machineguns, the tools of modern warfare.”

‘We only defend our right to govern ourselves and live as we choose.”

“Your war is not our war. We’ll leave you in peace.”

“Fight with us. Soon we invade our oppressor’s capital city.”

“Invade? There’s a fine line between defense and aggression.”

The pasha smiled, “A line which is determined by the winning side.”

PAY ATTENTION

March 13: On this day in 1922, Penny Magazine, London, serialization of THE MAD KING concluded. Penny Magazine published the story under the title, “The King and the Woman, but not to foreshadow the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallace Warfield Simpsion.

Details about the novel, several illustrations, and its publication history are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0758.html

The drabble for today, “Pay Attention,” was inspired by the novel and good advice.

PAY ATTENTION

Princess Emma Von Det Tann smiled and said, “Barney, no one suspects that you aren’t the real king. The people are calm. The army obeys your every command. It’s time for us to relax.”

Barney replied, “I’m worried that war might be on the horizon. One of my inner council could be an enemy spy.”

“Any councilor in particular? Has someone done something?”

“No, things are going like you said, just swimmingly.”

“So why are you concerned? Can’t we just spend some time together?”

“Emma, the best time to look for troubles is when you don’t see any troubles coming.”

THOUGHT POLICE

March 14: On this day in 1952, the 16th Tarzan film, TARZAN’S SAVAGE FURY, was released. The film starred Lex Barker as Tarzan and Dorothy Hart as Jane. Details about the film are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag5/0580.html

It was shot in Chatsworth, California's Iverson Movie Ranch. The film was the last to be directed by Cyril "Cy" Endfield in the US. Finding himself one of Hollywood's film-makers blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee he moved to Britain.

The drabble for today, Thought Police,” was inspired by the film’s title and the blacklisting of the director, Cyril Endfield.

THOUGHT POLICE

The writer for the London Times asked, “Mr. Endfield, you were blacklisted in America for your beliefs. How do you feel about that?”

“What a stupid question. Two of my last films were TARZAN’S SAVAGE FURY and THE SOUND OF FURY. I’m planning a film to be titled SEA FURY.”

“Would it be fair to say that you are, wait, I’m looking for the right word here, you are furious.”

“I am. I look forward to the day that men are judged upon their actions, not what other men think that they think.”

“Any time soon?”

“No, perhaps by 1984.”

SAME SONG, SECOND VERSE

March 15: On this day in 1930, the Rex Maxon / RW Palmer daily newspaper comic adaption of The Son of Tarzan, concluded This was the fourth adaption of one of the Tarzan novels since the daily comic strip began. The strip would continue to adapt the novels until February 1935 when the adaption of "Tarzan and the Lion Man" concluded. The next story arc was “Tarzan and the Fire Gods,’ scripted by R. W. Palmer.

ERB wasn’t a fan of Maxon’s artwork, thinking it to be uninspired.

All of the Tarzan daily strips by Maxon and Palmer may be read at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag22/2293.html

The fictional drabble for today, “Same Song, Second Verse,” was inspired by the adaptions of the Tarzan novels for the daily comic strip. Maxon’s artwork was often criticized, but he was a consummate workman and he always turned in this work on time. One of the most important lessons for success is to be on time – every time.

SAME SONG, SECOND VERSE

Rex Maxon said, “Palmer, I finished “The Son of Tarzan.” I’ll start drawing “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar” this afternoon. What story comes after that one?”

“I don’t remember, but there are at least a dozen more to adapted. Burroughs wrote “The Son of Tarzan” in about 120 days. Counting weekends, our adaption ran 110 days. If we and he keep up the pace, we won’t catch him for four years. After that, I suppose I’ll make up new stories.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Rex, why do you care. Everything you draw looks the same anyway.”