*** 1942.06.22: Jack (John Coleman) and Jane's first son, John, was born on this date. Ed shared a "military secret" in a letter to Jack.  He wrote how pleased he was that his grandson has been named John as it is his favorite "he-name." He explains, for the first time, his  fascination with the name John. A 12-year-old tough guy used to bully the younger Eddie during his walks to Brown School in Chicago. Eddie was scared stiff and wanted to grow up to be just as tough and to be named John... rather than Edgar. ". . . at the age of eight or nine, I used to meet a tough guy by the name of John on my way to Brown school. He was about twelve, and I was scared as hell of him. Up to now it has been a military secret."
    Bill Hillman Notes in the ERB EVENTS Site: 
Back in Centennial Year 2012, The Times of India interviewed me for an article in their newspaper/magazine in India: I spoke up for ERB and his works in the interview for their article. During the interview I put their correspondent Atul Sethi in touch with JCBs eldest son John Burroughs (Danton's brother) so he also interviewed John, grandson of ERB, in a follow-up interview. The highlights of the interviews are featured in ERBzine 3913.
    India Times Interview Highlights with John:
What are your earliest memories of your grandfather?
"My earliest memories are of an old man partially crippled by strokes and Parkinson's. He was much like Andy Rooney who would wheel himself about in a custom built wheel chair. My little brother and I (Danton Burroughs) were deposited with him while my parents ran errands or vacationed. He would always arrange a surprise for his two grandsons and seemed genuinely happy to see us even after we ran about his place as small boys do. Then he would bring out a giant pirate's chest with an ornate key. Upon opening, we found it full of nickels (valuable in 1949). Then as if from nowhere, he produced a full sized slot machine and told us boys we could play as long as we wished, and keep anything we won. But no cheating by pocketing the nickels from his pirate's chest. He was until the end a great practical joker and knowing my mother had tried in vain to stop my brother from sucking his thumb, concocted an elaborate ruse that sent me into near hysteria.

"It came about when we were dropped off for a visit and my little brother Danny ran ahead of me up the pathway into the house. Meanwhile I was throwing rocks at the fish in his ponds, when out of the house ran my brother Danny holding his bloody hand in a towel screaming, "Poppy cut my thumb off"...close behind came grandpa waving a pair of seemingly bloody pruning shears, shouting ,'you still have one left' Needless to say when the smoke cleared and Danny began to laugh at my distress, I found the blood was ketchup and the shears were a prop for effect."

How do you think he would have reacted to Tarzan completing 100 years?
"I think he knew that his first character John Carter of Mars would be a lasting legacy. Frankly, in 1912 he was surprised when the book publishers were bidding against each other for the rights of his then serial stories Tarzan of the Apes. In fact, as years went by he had plans of killing off this original eco-warrior because he wanted to write historical novels and westerns."

Many heroes and superheroes constantly reinvent themselves over the years but Tarzan has remained more or less unchanged. Why is this so?
"The evolution of the character is timeless, actually. The situations that Tarzan encountered are the same today but on a grander scale -- specifically his triumphs over the protection of his forests and animal population. Here at ERB, Inc we have licensed the Tarzan name to Andy Briggs and Robin Maxwell (two best-selling authors) to bring the Tarzan character into modern times.

How is the Tarzan centenary being celebrated across the world and particularly, in Tarzana, the community that your grandfather founded? Is there a new Tarzan film also in the pipeline?
The United States Postal Service has issued a centennial commemorative stamp in honor of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tarzan. I received it on behalf of ERB, Inc this August. Constantin Films has the Tarzan animation rights and plan to release their 3D film using performance capture (similar to Avatar) in 2012. Warner Bros also has the live action rights with a script written and director selected for release either in 2014-2015.
Baby John Burroughs and Family
http://www.erbzine.com/mag9/0906.html
TIMES of INDIA Interview with John Burroughs and Bill Hillman  October 15, 2012
https://www.erbzine.com/mag39/3913.html
ERB Bio Timeline
http://www.erbzine.com/bio