My year with Tarzan

[bionicbob]

1996's TARZAN THE EPIC ADVENTURES -- I have long been a champion of this often neglected, even forgotten, series.

Why?

To put it simply, it is the most accurate adaptation of Tarzan EVER!!!!

Is it a perfect adaptation? No, of course not but it comes darn close at times considering the limited budget, uneven scripts and guest cast.

Is it a great tv show? No, but it popcorn fun the majority of the time.

Actually, it is amazing that it was any good at all, considering this was produced by the Kellers, who also made the horrible CONAN show during this same time period. The Kellers are schlock low brow producers and were cashing on the hot syndicated market and the Hercules/Xena craze of the era. But every once in a while, they produced something decent, even good. As they say, even a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day lol.

What THE EPIC ADVENTURES understands and gets right, and that the majority of Apeman adaptations fumble or ignore, is that Tarzan and his Africa, his world, is an Epic Fantasy. It is Middle-Earth. It is Narnia. It is a melting pot of every myth, legend, fairy tale and conspiracy theory that was popular during Burroughs life time. Africa is littered with ancient Atlantean relics and former colonies. Mysterious lost races and prehistoric monsters lurk behind every tree and hill. Super-science and sorcery govern many a plot. The Epic Adventures understood and embraced these core elements and ran with it. Along the way, they managed to do 2 or 3 excellent, if very compressed, novel adaptations.

The series also took full advantage of the fact that Tarzan existed in its own Shared Universe with other ERB heroes and worlds. Tarzan visits the Inner World of Eternal Noon called Pellucidar in the pilot and learns of Amtor (ie VENUS) in another episode. And we know from the toy line, there was discussion/plans for Tarzan to go to Barsoom (MARS).

While a second season of the show was planned, it never emerged due to financial issues. And that might be a good thing, as it seems the show would have undergone a significant retooling, as Joe Lara was fired and was replaced with actor Xavier DeClie.

The entire series is currently available both on YOUTUBE and TUBI. Sadly, the series has never had a Region One physical media release.

Perhaps my favourite episode is the fun "PRIESTESS OF OPAR", which is a solid adaptation of the novel "The Jewells of Opar"...

 

[Garp]

Week 45: 'Tarzan and the Lost City' [1998]

Tarzan leaves his comfortable Scottish estate to do battle against evil scavengers of the city of Opar.

If I was being charitable, I would point to the Daylight Saving Time change as the reason why I dozed more frequently through 'Tarzan and the Lost City' than other recent films. But, to be fair, we cannot completely rule out the possibility that this 1998 film is just plain dull.

Casper Van Dien takes up the vine, utilizing an unnatural and offputting accent (was he dubbed?). I got the impression that director Carl Schenkel was less interested in making a Tarzan film as he was an Indiana Jones rip-off. Van Dien's Tarzan is OK, I guess, but I never got the impression he had grown up in the jungle nor had ingratiated himself into high society. Schenkel was probably dying to get him into a fedora with a bullwhip in his hand somehow, but had to make do with a loincloth and some arrows.

Jane March plays Jane Porter with a modicum of spirit, although frankly she looked too young and small for the part. Steven Waddington as the villain seems to be having the most fun, but then again the villains always do.

The location work and sets were pretty good I thought (less so the special effects), but when we reach Opar, we're back in Indiana Jones territory; the inner sanctum looks like a separate chamber from 'The Last Crusade'. There isn't any one thing I can point to to highlight that this is a bad film, but equally nothing I can recall as a recommendation. Indeed, I've forgotten most of it already. It exists, it might be entertaining in the right state of mind, I suppose, but it's all just a bit... blah.

 

[bionicbob]

On paper, I think TARZAN AND LOST CITY is an okay script with potential.
But it is so poorly executed, that it is not even a fun B Movie.

I liked that it stayed a period piece and recognized Tarzan's Lord Greystoke background. Van Dien is fine in a bad tv movie sort of way but limited. Jane is once again mis-interpreted as English Society, and like Van Dien, just okay. Only the villain brings any sense of fun or energy to the movie. While the costume and some of the production design is nice, the FX is poor. Also, the soundtrack by Christopher Franke was weak and often did not even seem to reflect what was happening on the screen.

The concept of trying to re-visualize Tarzan an Indiana Jones style adventure is not a bad one. Honestly, Tarzan was in many respects the original Indy. So it is not too far off from the source and I can see why this approach was taken to attract modern audiences. And in a more capable director's hands, and with a better budget, it might have worked.

Also, like the Indiana Jones movies it seemingly tries to emulate, the movie ending is very similar to Raiders. Just as the Ark destroys the Nazis, the magic of Opar destroys the badguys -- thus making Tarzan mostly unneeded.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'George of the Jungle 2' [2003]

I didn't care for the first 'George of the Jungle', so I wasn't expecting much from its sequel that featured neither of the original leads. So, in a sense, I suppose I wasn't disappointed as I didn't like this one either.

Christopher Showerman replaces Brendan Fraser as George, and the filmmakers don't let you forget it; Fraser is referenced at least three times by name. The fact that Fraser is not George becomes a running joke, which was only half-amusing the first time it's mentioned and becomes increasing less funny each time it's repeated. (Strangely enough, the film neglects to mention that Julie Benz has replaced Leslie Mann as Ursula, or Christina Pickles replaced Holland Taylor as her mother. Maybe that would have been milking it.) Still, Thomas Haden Church does return as Lyle, and John Cleese phones in his voice for Ape (possibly literally).

The film carries on from its predecessor - George and Ursula are married, her mother is still upset, Lyle is still lovesick for her, and Ape is still singing in Vegas. On this premise hangs a plot to get George and Ursula to Vegas for very kid-friendly shenanigans. This film ups the ante on slapstick and adds apes lighting their own farts, letting me know I'm not the demographic they were aiming for. The filmmakers constantly and annoyingly break the fourth wall, possibly aware that they don't have much else to work with. Showerman does a passable Fraser imitation (with impressive pecs, it has to be said), but is either incapable or didn't bother to add some of the nuance Fraser offered (limited though that was in a silly kids movie). Benz sounds uncannily like Mann, but is merely an ornament in this film. The CGI is appalling - the elephant and kangaroo look like they had one cursory render and everyone said "That'll do" - and even the costumes and animatronics for the apes look worse. The film tries to bring adults along for the fun ride by providing references that their offspring wouldn't understand - like King Kong and Charlie's Angels - but it's hardly Pixar stuff.

'George of the Jungle 2' is a babysitter movie. Plonk your kid in front of the TV for an hour and a half and go get your chores done.

 

[Garp]

Week 46: 'Tarzan' [1999]

Disney disneyfies Tarzan.

There's probably a good animated movie to made from the Tarzan novels. Tarzan is a smart, athletic hero with a wonderful backstory who gets into pulpy adventures with lost tribes and the like. Unfortunately, 'Tarzan' by Disney isn't it. Oh, the animation is great, fantastic even, with the jungle looking appropriately lush, the water looking authentic enough to dive into, and the characters having that noticeable cartoony look, yet still being fluid and believable. Artistically, this film cannot be faulted.

Instead, Disney get twisted around trying to make a sometimes bloody tale into a family-friendly movie. They cherry-pick aspects of Burroughs' novel, then soften the blow. Tarzan's parents are killed offscreen by a leopard; Kerchak is killed by a poacher and has a touching death scene with Tarzan, whom he recognises as his son; Kala survives, etc. Tarzan himself has no knowledge of English nor his background until Jane Porter teaches him the former and Kala the latter. Indeed, it's not clear in the film that Tarzan is a Clayton, with that character here being the villain.

Added to the confusion is the use of language. Tarzan and the animals speak perfect English together, yet we also see Tarzan learn broken English to speak with the newcomers to his home. Of course this was necessary for a kids film, who would not have tolerated subtitles or long stretches of Tarzan-beast interactions done with body and sign language. But it's clumsy. And finally, we have Phil Collins. To me, Collins is background music - I can't imagine ever listening to a Phil Collins album all the way through for pleasure - and he provides the soundtrack here. This makes the film a semi-musical as, unlike previous Disney films, none of the characters actually sing any of his songs. Collins provides the soundscape for montages on the whole which, for me, drags the film further down.

The plot follows more closely any of the 30-40s Tarzan films, with a double-crossing guide out to poach apes for money. The Tarzan-Jane romance is rushed, and Tarzan himself (voiced by Tony Goldwyn) is a watered-down hero. There is nothing to show he is smarter, stronger, braver or worthy of being Lord of the Jungle. He coasts on his backstory and what the audience already know about him.

Being Disney, we have two annoying sidekicks - the street-smart Terk, voiced by Rosie O'Donnell, and the neurotic Tantor, voiced by Wayne Knight - who fortunately have small roles. Minnie Driver does well as Jane, but Brian Blessed is the standout as Clayton. I can imagine he boomed his lines from a studio next door to the one with the microphone.

Disney tried to create an interesting jungle tale mixing part 'Jungle Book' with 'The Lion King' and even a splash of 'Beauty and the Beast'. I'm sure on paper, it worked. On screen, though, it left me cold.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'Tarzan of the Apes' [1999]

While Disney was working with Phil Collins to produce a grand animated retelling of Tarzan, Golden Films were quietly plodding away with an unknown voice cast and released this 48 minute cartoon to home video before Disney hit the screens. Some parents were possibly duped by this Asylum-like move, so more power to Golden Films, I say.

As for the film itself, it has a Filmation look, but somehow not as good. The story weaves closely to the novel, even having Tarzan being able to read and write English before being able to speak it (which he learns from D'Arnot), but with such a short runtime, there's a lot that's truncated or cut.

Similar to another better known animated feature, 'Tarzan of the Apes' is also a musical, although the songs (all three of them) are forgettable. Still, the characters do actually belt these songs out at least. And as for the voice cast? Either in an Alan Smithee move they all asked for their names to be removed from the credits, or the filmmakers didn't think they were important enough to add; no one is listed.

This is a Cliff Notes version of Tarzan, the sort of thing a teacher would put on in class and repeatedly tell their students "Ignore that bit - it's not in the book." For completists such as myself only.

 

[bionicbob]

Disney's TARZAN.... I definitely liked it more than @Garp

Is it a great movie? Nah, it's fun and fine but no where near the same high quality category as Disney's previous entries like Beauty & the Beast or Aladdin.

This is more of a Weissmuller style Tarzan... which I admit having mixed feelings about.... but I am so used to Studios getting the Apeman wrong, that at this point, all I am looking for is a fun flick that does not totally tarnish the character.

And I think this animated venture succeeds in that respect. The first half of the movie is significantly stronger than the last half.
And unlike Garp, I am a HUGE Phil Collins, so I really enjoyed the soundtrack.

So for me, an okay Tarzan tale. Though I think the tv spin-off Legend of Tarzan was more enjoyable and fun.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'The Legend of Tarzan' [2001-3] [TV]

A spin-off animated TV series from Disney's 1999 film, 'The Legend of Tarzan' follows the adventures of the titular character plus his new wife Jane and her father. All the characters, including Terk and Tantor, speak English that everyone understands, but none are voiced by the original actors.

The episodes are not up to the graphic quality of a big budget, big screen production, of course but they do the job. The first episode ('Race Against Time') is actually very good, with Tarzan being bitten by a snake and slowly losing his strength and agility. It's a Kryptonite moment for the usually indestructible hero and it works extremely well. The next three episodes I saw didn't quite reach the same standard, and the moral messages were more obvious, but I don't consider it an evening wasted. Phil Collins only turns up in the opening credits, thankfully. Generally, I'd have to agree with @bionicbob - more fun overall in bitesize pieces.

 

[Garp]

Week 47: 'Tarzan & Jane' [2002]

This Direct-to-Video 'movie' is actually three unaired episodes from 'The Legend of Tarzan' TV series strung together to make a surrogate babysitter for 75 minutes. The framing device is that it is Tarzan and Jane's first wedding anniversary, and Jane is unsure how to celebrate it. Her friends, Terk and Tantor, remind her of her previous failed attempts to engage Tarzan in previously unknown activities, and off we go into Flashbackland. The three stories only have a passing reference to the overarching plot (the final one is the worst offender here, being completely shoehorned in to fit), and the episodes themselves aren't as good as previous ones I'd seen. Worse, the linking scenes in the present day are of a noticeably poorer quality than the episodes, demonstrating that little effort was put in to try and make this work.

There is no good reason I can think of to check this out, unless you're on an obsessed quest to watch every Tarzan iteration you can find. But no one could possibly be that crazy.

 

[bionicbob]

Week 47: 'Tarzan & Jane' [2002]

Yeah, I agree.... very poorly done.

Disney only had the license for Tarzan for a small window, and they seemed determined to pump out as much as possible with little regard to quality.

 

[bionicbob]

According to author Philip Jose Farmer, TARZAN was born on this date, NOVEMBER 22, 1888.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'George of the Jungle' [TV] [2007]

I haven't really enjoyed the 'George of the Jungle' media so far, and this 2007 TV series is the one I have enjoyed the least. I'm not entirely sure why it exists. It is too far removed from the original TV cartoon, and arrives 10 years after the first film. Perhaps they were attempting to muster up some nostalgia from students who fondly remembered Brendon Fraser in a loincloth, as the episodes have a manic Ren & Stimpy style to them. Whatever the reason, it didn't work for me.

Apparently this show was revived again in 2017 with extra changes. The episodes I endured were from the first season, in which Ape does not have a proper English accent, George's mate is called Magnolia, and there is a cool, eye-rolling teenager called Ursula instead. I managed to squirm through three episodes last week before calling it quits, and have only vague recollections on what they were about. No matter. This is the last of the 'George of the Jungle' films or shows, and I am glad of it.

 

[Garp]

Week 48: 'Tarzan' [TV] [2003]

My thanks to bionicbob for bringing this series to my attention; somehow my research missed this one. Fourteen years after we last saw a Lord of the Jungle in New York ('Tarzan in Manhattan'), the WB network goes back to the well and brings us a new contemporary Tarzan in the shape of Travis Fimmel. This Tarzan has been found alone in the Congo and brought back to civilization by his uncle, possibly for nefarious means. Tarzan quickly finds his Jane Porter (Sarah Wayne Callies), here one of NYPD's finest with a fiancé, a younger sister and a street-smart partner. Angst and action ensue.

Due to technical issues, I only managed to watch the 50 minute pilot. The writers do a good job laying out various threads which the short-lived series may or may not have tied up nicely by the end of its eight episodes run. Why does Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi), head of Greystoke Industries and Tarzan's uncle, want to keep his nephew caged? Whose side is Jane's fiancé on? Why is Tarzan so wooden?

Yes, Travis Fimmel is not a great Tarzan. He looks young and his demeanor reminded me of Brad Pitt in 'Meet Joe Black'. His semi-detached broodiness, soft voice and staring may appear to be romantic when you add an emo soundtrack, but actually he's a bit creepy. Jane, of course, starts to fall for him immediately, setting up a love triangle that the teens demanded.

The show itself looks good in a fairly generic Police procedural way, but it felt more like a Batman series than anything. Tarzan pounces on bad guys out of nowhere, then retreats back into the shadows. It's entertaining, but I'm not sure it's Tarzan. The final shot of the pilot encapsulates its whole essence, I feel: Tarzan, shirtless, on top of a NY building at night while Avril Lavigne's 'I'm with you' blasts in the background. What the hell, though; I had some fun.

 

[bionicbob]

2003's TARZAN on the WB Network.

The WB was trying to repeat the success of their hit show SMALLVILLE and thus greenlit the development of this Apeman series.

And it was... okay. It had a strong cast, good production values and story potential.... though I do not think it could have sustained itself long term unless the show did a radical format retooling -- you know, like, go to Africa or embrace the more fantastical elements.

The show was developed by ERIC KRIPKE, who would later create my one of my favourite shows, SUPERNATURAL for the WB and THE BOYS for Amazon. So maybe something interesting could have happened. But even Kripke has gone on the record and said the show was a piece of crap LOL.

In 2012 the CW would develop the remake of BEAUTY & THE BEAST. It was very similar in themes, tone and style as Kripke's Tarzan.
Now, that was a crap show and it lasted a whole 4 seasons!?!?!

All eight episodes of 2003's TARZAN are available on Daily Motion.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'Tarzan, King of the Jungle' [Fan Film] [2012]

DeWet Du Toit has a dream, and that is to be a Big Screen Tarzan. Du Toit is a South African stuntman with an impressive physique and a twin brother with a movie camera. Combining all of these aspects, Du Toit makes Tarzan fan films/promo films in the hope of catching a Hollywood producer or director's eye.

The first film I watched of his, simply titled 'Tarzan' from 2011 definitely swings more to the promo type film. It's 15 minutes long and features a not-so-well-built Du Toit running around a jungle in a loincloth when he's not talking directly to camera as to why he is the Tarzan that the world is waiting for. With his shaggy blonde hair, Du Toit looks more like Steve Irwin than Tarzan, and the film concentrates on his bare feet more obsessively than I would have liked. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm and passion is palpable, and I couldn't but help to admire his drive.

The second film, 'Tarzan, King of the Jungle', is more of the same, only longer and with some semblance of a plot. Du Toit has been hitting the gym since his first film and looks in good shape. He has also dyed his hair an unnaturally dark brown-black which doesn't quite work, but A for effort. Here we have more running around in the jungle (less feet, thankfully) but interspersed with battling a gorilla (a passable costume), a snake and white slavers. We also have a beautiful young Jane, with whom an immediate romance blossoms in a cheesy sequence of frolicking in a lake and riding on elephants to the soundtrack of Bryan Adams' 'Everything I do'.

Yes, the soundtrack is eclectic here, from soft rock to classical to metal. The editing too could do with a tweak, but that's not the point. The point is to get Du Toit in front of eyeballs and it works. He portrays Tarzan as the stilted talking Weissmuller type (even saying "Me Tarzan, you Jane" at one point) and his acting doesn't come across as great. But again, he puts in the work for the important stuff such as wrestling, swinging, making fire and, uniquely, eating a dead mouse.

There are three more of his films I found online, which I'll review over the coming weeks. More power to his tenacity, I say.

 

[Garp]

Week 49: 'Tarzan II' [2005]

From the poster, I believed that 'Tarzan II' was going to be about Tarzan and Jane's offspring, and how Tarzan learns to be a father while his son learns some other trite lesson simultaneously. Not being particularly quick on the uptake, it took me several minutes before I realised that the boy running around on screen was actually a younger version of Tarzan, and that 'Tarzan II' is not a sequel, nor quite a prequel, but that secret third thing: a midquel.

The inherent problem with midquels is that they need to have a strong story to exist on their own. A good example is 'The Enchanted Christmas' which extrapolates what occurred when Beauty and the Beast shared their first Christmas together before his transformation. It tells a tight, self-contained story that couldn't have fit into the original film, and with humour and good music. But this is not a review for a film that did it right. This is for 'Tarzan II', which didn't.

Here, Tarzan is left for dead after an accident, with the ape tribe coming to terms with what a Tarzanless life looks like. Not actually dead, Tarzan overhears some of the gorillas stating that it's not so bad without him, seeing as though he got into a lot of mischief and whatnot. In a pique of lazy writing, Tarzan takes this as his cue to run away and meet a plethora of quirky characters before 'finding himself'.

This is no real plot to speak of here. Tarzan gets into scrapes then gets help from his new friends before returning to the fold. All the effort that should have gone into the script went into hiring voice actors, which admittedly are impressive for a direct-to-video film: Glenn Close, Brad Garrett, Ron Perlman and, best of all, George Carlin. Phil Collins was also handed a bagful of cash to toss off some songs he had stuffed in a drawer, and the artwork is somewhere between the original big screen production and the TV series. It doesn't have the same attention to detail as the 1999 film, but nor the slapdash nature of the series either.

Even before I fell asleep well before the end, I was checking my phone, preferring to read about this film rather than watch it. Maybe they should have made a film about Tarzan's offspring after all. Disney, call me.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'Tarzan vs Predator' [Fan film] [2014]

DuWet Du Toit returns as his hero in this 25 minute fan film, reimagining the 1996 graphic novel. Du Toit has physically beefed up again for the role, if not in an acting or scriptwriting sense. The film is very cat-and-mouse, utilizing bits of Predator movies and even another fan film to draw out the battle. This comes across more as a labour of love than another attempt to get Hollywood to take him seriously, as it doesn't showcase Du Toit very well. And him standing screaming naked at a waterfall is just weird. Whatever, I'm still rooting for the guy.

 

[Garp]

BONUS: 'Investigating Tarzan' [Documentary] [1997]

Brendan Fraser introduces this hourlong scattershot overview of The Lord of the Jungle. This sloppily edited documentary lurches from one topic to another, rarely delving too deeply into the subject matter. It focuses mostly on the films & TV shows, from Gordon Griffith through to Wolf Larson, with plenty of clips and trailers. There are a few brief interviews with Tarzan folk, notably Denny Miller of all people, but dozens of interviews of random people off the street, asking them what they know of the big guy. It's useless filler, belaying the fact that this film doesn't have a focus. Kudos for the filmmakers tackling the racism and sexism of the original novels and subsequent films, but overall this is not much more than the equivalent of a televisual Cliff Notes. Free to view on YouTube.

 

[bionicbob]

TARZAN 2 -- my memories of this are vague. I do know my 5 year old daughter at the time loved it and watched it repeatedly lol.

DuWet Du Toit -- objectively, these fan films are not very good. Though they do improve with each new installment. But you can not deny his passion and commitment to the character, giving these fan projects an undeniable underdog quaility.

INVESTIGATING TARZAN -- yeah, as documentaries go, this is terrible lol

 

[bionicbob]

With @Garp Year of Tarzan quickly coming to a close, I just wanted to sing the praises of one last ERB creation --JOHN CARTER!

While a box office disappointment, the movie was excellent entertainment in my book.
Here is my original review from way back in March 2012. I rewatched the movie multiple times since this review, and still stand by it:


I have waited my entire life for this movie. I read all the ERB Mars novels when I was 10 years old. I absolutely adore them, especially the first 3 books, which I think should be required reading for anyone who calls themselves a fan of science fiction and fantasy. Written in 1912, the first book is groundbreaking on so many levels and inspired countless other storytellers, writers and movie makers. Without John Carter there really would be no Flash Gordon or Star Wars or Avatar.


But I digress, back to the movie itself. I found the movie completely engaging from scene one. This movie, while Saturday matinee in action at times, it is not a park your brain at the door type movie. You do have to listen and pay attention. There is a lot of information to digest, you are dumped into the middle of an alien world and bombarded with lots of alien names, titles and customs. It is not spoon fed to you. It can be a challenge, even to one who has read the books. But it is the kind of challenge I like and wish more movies gave me.

The look, world building, and special effects are some of the best I have ever seen. The CGI rendered Tharks are masterpieces! With in minutes you forget they are computer animation, as they seem as real as you or me.

The story is not a literal translation of the original novel, A Princess of Mars. It is more of a mining of all the best elements of the first three novels, crafting a slightly different narration but one that is completely faithful of the world created by ERB.

Some things, including one very key plot point, have been dramatically changed for cinematic storytelling reasons and I actually applaud these changes. They make for a much more dynamic and dramatic story.

There is one scene where John Carter and friends are being chased by the Thark Horde, and he has had enough and finally makes his first stand with only his loyal Woola at his side. This scene is CLASSIC! One of the best moments in any sci-fi movie ever done. It is heroic, inspirational and crushingly sad and heartbreaking all at the same time. It is one of many outstanding moments for me in this movie.


The cast is wonderful. Lynn Collins is a revelation as Dejha Thoris! From the first moment she appears on screen, she steals the movie with her magnetic personality and warmth. I think I may be in love! Taylor Kitsch, won me over as John Carter. I was leery when I first heard he had been cast, but he quickly makes this role his own with just right amount of pathos and integrity. The romance between these two characters is completely believable and brings much heart to this adventure tale.

Mark Strong and Dominic West as our badguys are great fun. This is not Shakespeare, they are not complicated characters. These are classic evil, power hungry, unredeemable villians. And they play their roles perfectly.

The movie on a whole completely works for me. I was smiling from start to finish.
Andrew Stanton has once again proved he is a master maker of movies, whether they are animated or live actions. This man knows story and he knows character.

I really hope the movie going audiences will take a chance to go see this movie despite Disney's horrible marketing campaign and embrace this movie for it's old fashioned adventure style because I want a sequel!!!

And maybe, just maybe, if this movie is a success, we can finally get a real Tarzan movie!

I give JOHN CARTER 9.5 out of 10!!! It is retro-sci-fi/pulp done to PERFECTION!!

As for John Carter's connection to Tarzan, they have teamed-up many times in comics, and recently has their first novel adventure together with TARZAN CONQUEROR OF MARS by Will Murray, with a sequel expected in 2023.