Monday, December 13, 2021

FOR WOLD NEWTON DAY - TARZAN YET AGAIN?


HAPPY WOLD NEWTON DAY!

From Wikipedia:
In real life a meteorite, called the Wold Cottage meteorite, fell near Wold Newton, Yorkshire, England, on December 13, 1795.

[Philip Jose] Farmer suggested in two fictional biographies, Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke (1972) and Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life (1973) that this meteorite caused genetic mutations in the occupants of two passing coaches due to ionization. Many of their descendants were thus endowed with extremely high intelligence and strength, as well as an exceptional capacity and drive to perform good or, as the case may be, evil deeds. The progeny of these travellers are purported to have been the real-life originals of fictionalised characters, both heroic and villainous, over the last few hundred years.

I don't know why I'm so fixated on Tarzan when it comes to the representations of the Wold Newton Family as depicted in Toobworld.  I suppose the same is true for Sherlock Holmes; but at least I honor him on his alleged birthday each year and not use him for the Wold Newton Day showcase as often as I do with the Lord of the Apes.

For those who have never seen any of my earlier theories about the most famous character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, here is a simple recap:

Lord John Greystoke, AKA Tarzan, as seen in the series is the same character from the books despite the modern (1960s) setting. 

My theory is that decades before, Tarzan had found the immortality elixir as described in one of the later stories.  Drinking it, he was now an eternal, frozen in Time at the age he was when he ingested the elixir.

But let me make one thing clear - in no way am I advocating that this is THE Tarzan of the Wold Newton Universe.  This is Tarzan of Toobworld, and although they have some similarities, there is more which keeps them irreconcilable.  (So many great "wolders," chief among them Win Scott Eckert and Sean Lee Levin, do incredible research in order to expand the WNU, that they don't need a boob-toober like me underfoot!)

At any rate, here is the review of the 'Tarzan' TV series as was presented in the TV Guide, written by acerbic critic Cleveland Amory:




ENJOY YOUR WOLD NEWTON DAY!


1 comment:

Unknown said...

With a lovely (although maybe over-muscled) artwork by Al Hirschfeld!