Me Tarzan, You Collector by Linda Rosenkrantz on Creators.com

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Me Tarzan, You Collector

Back in the dark days of the Great Depression, the beleaguered public sought to escape from their plight by looking to black-and-white heroes who could transport them far from the grim realities of life. These included cowboys like Tom Mix and the Lone Ranger, and space heroes Buck Rogers and Flash Gorden, who could zap them out of their earthbound doldrums. And then there was Tarzan.

This great escapist hero was created in 1914 by the middle-aged — let's be honest — hack writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, who by then had collected enough publishers' rejection slips that he might well have wanted to flee to the deep, dark jungle himself. The character debuted in All Story magazine, but it was the first novel Burroughs sold, "Tarzan of the Apes," which changed all that.

The story of the young Lord Greystoke, orphaned in Africa and nurtured from infancy by the fierce but loving female ape Kala and known in the jungle as Tarzan, which means "white skin" in the language of the apes, was an instant success. By the end of the 1930s, Tarzan was the popular protagonist of 20 more adventure novels, a comic strip, 16 movies, and a 15-minute radio serial.

The jungle boy entered the daily comic strip world in January 1929. Drawn by a promising young artist named Harold Foster, it was then the only action adventure in the field and, after a slow start, became a gigantic hit. At first the story was told in text at the bottom of each frame, instead of the usual balloons. In time, Rex Mason took over the daily strip, Burne Hogarth did the Sunday page from 1937 on, and Harold Foster moved on to create Prince Valiant.

But it was in the movies that the character reached his largest audience. Starting in 1918, Tarzan was played in features and serials by a series of actors including Elmo Lincoln, Frank Merrill, Herman Brix, Buster Crabbe, Lex Barker, Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney and others.

The iconic Tarzan, though, was of course Olympic swimming star Johnny Weissmuller, who became the loin-clothed hero incarnate. It was he, in his first film in the series "Tarzan the Ape Man," who introduced the immortal phrase "Me Tarzan, you Jane" into the vernacular, as well as the breast-beating gesture accompanied by his jungle roar — actually a mix of five sounds, including Weissmuller's own voice, a soprano singing high C, and a recorded hyena's howl played backward.

A new generation was reached when Tarzan came to television in 1966. His video adventures were viewed in an hour-long series starring Ron Ely, as well as a Sunday morning cartoon series. And in the 1980s, not surprisingly, he entered the video/computer game age.

Collectible items pertaining to one of the most popular and enduring fictional characters of all time abound. There is movie promotional material dating back to the days of Elmo Lincoln, including posters, publicity campaign books, cello buttons, masks and photos, followed by comparable Johnny Weissmuller items.

The radio shows spawned premiums and other memorabilia as well, the first (1932-36) sponsored by Signal Oil Co. and others, the second (1952-53) by Post Toasties. Premiums from the earlier series include membership material in a Signal Tarzan Club, and a number of promotions from such sponsors as Kolynos toothpaste and Hormel foods.

Also collectible: comic books and strips, books including original editions of the Burroughs serials; Big Little Books; the 1927 "The Tarzan Twins" book and a 1929 hardcover collection of Hal Foster comic strips; early statuettes; jewelry; jigsaw puzzles; a celluloid pocket knife; a very rare 1933 Johnny Weissmuller gum card; a Tarzan Jungle Map and Treasure Hunt game; and a 1934 Tarzan Drink More Milk bracelet, valued at more than $3,000.

Linda Rosenkrantz has edited Auction magazine and authored 18 books, including Cool Names for Babies" and The Baby Name Bible" (St. Martin's Press). Visit her baby names website at http://nameberry.com. She cannot answer letters personally. To find out more about Linda Rosenkrantz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.