Deadman and Tarzan

 

If I saw this on the stands I might wonder how Boston Brand found himself working alongside the King of the Apes. The chance to see this offbeat pairing illustrated by the legendary Neal Adams would be enough for me to want to pick it up, however.

Justice League of America and Samurai Jack (And More!)

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought that I would present the kind of Saturday morning line-up that would have made my head spin.  With shows line these and some Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch, I would have been all set.  Here are some closer looks at the stories in this issue:

Vixen and Tarzan

 

I got a kick out of the old Tarzan cartoons from my youth.  They felt superhero-adjacent to me and I liked the character designs. Even as a kid, the limited animation did stand out to me.  I remember getting a little annoyed with all of the re-used sequences.

Tarzan and Hawkman

 

This is a crossover that I really wish DC had done.  Joe Kubert is in my opinion the greatest comic book artist to ever live and it would have been great to see him work on a projects featuring two characters that he depicted so masterfully.  Heck, throw in Sgt. Rock and you might just have the perfect comic book!

Warlord and Tarzan

 

I'm kind of surprised I hadn't featured this pairing before, but better late than never!  It also gives me the opportunity to feature the artwork of the very talented Mike Grell.  I enjoyed his work on Green Arrow back in the day, and I was glad to be able to pick up a sketch by him:

He-Man and Tarzan

 

This cover serves as a prequel to STF #528...

I remember getting a kick out of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies that would sometimes play on TV after school when I was a kid.  I'm still a sucker for movies that feature lots of animals.  We even named one of our many cats Tantor after Tarzan's trusty Elephant - I'm betting we aren't the only ones who did that.

Tarzan and The Herculoids

Both of these properties were part of my regular Saturday morning viewing as a kid, so this is a meeting I have been imagining for decades.  Their worlds really do seem like they would easily go together.  I would have loved to have seen an animated crossover.  Heck, make it live action - Sure there would be special effects required, but think of the money that could be saved on the wardrobe budget!

Tarzan and Devil Dinosaur

I'm still waiting for a great Tarzan movie.  It should be more doable than ever with today's technology, but even the most recent attempt has left me wanting.  All a director needs to do is to read Volume One of  Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years, which reprint the classic 70's comics, and use that as a template.  I've heard that Disney is looking to do a live action version of their animated Tarzan movie, maybe that will finally satisfy my itch for a film that does the Ape man justice.

Tarzan and Jonny Quest

These two properties were among my favorite non-superhero cartoons when I was a kid.  Both had limited production values, with heavy re-use of stock footage and music cues.  Still, the strength of the characters and the exotic locations and situations were enough to keep me coming back.  It would have been great to see their animated worlds collide.

Tigra and Tarzan

It will probably be a while before we see Tigra join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  With The Cheetah set to make her debut in the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, Tigra will probably seem too similar in nature to introduce too quickly afterwards. Still, I always liked her personality and I hope she shows up somewhere down the line/

Tarzan Vs. King Kong

This is yet another suggestion from comics historian and Patron of this blog, Marc Tyler Nobleman that had me smacking my forehead because I had never thought of it before.  Imagine a movie featuring the Lord of the Jungle having to deal with the King of all Beasts?  It pretty much writes itself in my mind's eye.  Let's bring on Lord Greystoke after Kong finishes up with Godzilla in his next theatrical appearance!

Sub-Mariner and Tarzan

I recently picked up a copy of Telling Stories: The Comic Book Art of Frank Frazetta, and I was amazed at the scope of his capabilities.  I was aware of his work with fantasy characters, but he did just about everything - humor, romance, war, noir, science-fiction - and did it all amazingly well.  My only wish is that he had done more work for the Marvel and DC heroes that I grew up with,  Still, he has a phenomenal body of work and I recommend the book to any fan of the art form.

Black Panther and Tarzan in "Stampede!"

The Legend of Tarzan trailer is out, and I like much of what I see so far.  The computer generated animals look pretty impressive for the most part and it seems that the story will stick close to the source material, which it should.  The cast that has been assembled is very capable, so if the writing is quality, it may finally be the live action Tarzan flick that I have been hoping to see one day.

Tarzan and T'Challa crossed paths once before in an early STF cover...

The Atom and Tarzan

Brandon Routh's Atom costume for Arrow has been revealed and it looks pretty well done for a TV budget.  My only quibble is with the helmet.  Instead of a traditional mask, there is a clear visor so that you can see the actor's full face.  Ray Palmer on the show has spoken about keeping his anonymity while using his new suit so that decision doesn't make much sense to me.  Hopefully it will turn blue or something once he shrinks and goes into action.

Tarzan Vs. Kraven The Hunter

This is a battle I would love to see.  You just know that these two would clash instantly.  Kraven would definitely want to match his skills against the lord of the jungle, and Tarzan has no patience for animal thrill-killers.  It would be a great fight, but ultimately my money is on Tarzan in this match up.

Swamp Thing and Tarzan

I have a feeling that these two would get along well.  Both are very in tune with their environments and act as protectors of their land.  Neither are very talkative, but I am sure they would find kindred spirits in one another -   and when the action starts... the bad guys had better look out!

Concrete and Tarzan

Joe Kubert's Tarzan and Paul Chadwick's Concrete have some of the most beautifully illustrated scenery in comics.  The lush backgrounds help to reinforce the respect that their title characters have for their  environment.  That's just one of the reasons that those comics are so enjoyable to reread time after time.

Tarzan Vs. Skeletor

Joe Kubert will always be my favorite Tarzan artist from the comics, but he certainly isn't the only one to make his mark.  I quite like John Buscema's version of the character as well.  Buscema was an artistic god to me ever since I got a copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, and he seemed to be able to illustrate just about any type of story.  As much as I enjoyed his artwork on the more mainstream superhero titles, for me he really shined on titles like Tarzan and Conan.  He was great at mixing in fantastical elements with realistic looking landscapes and giving his characters a broad range of facial expression.

Tarzan and Ka-Zar

Talk about a couple of overachievers!  As if living in the jungle and fending off attacks from lions, tigers and crocodiles in only a loincloth didn't make them tough enough, they both regularly seemed to be going toe to toe with dinosaurs as well!  It's a good thing they have their trusty knives on them at all times (how do you think that they always keep their faces so clean shaven?)

Tarzan and Shanna, The She-Devil

The latest I have read on the next Tarzan movie is that Warner Brothers has signed on David Yates to direct.  Yates helmed the last four Harry Potter films, so he knows his way around a major franchise at least.  Special effects have taken a major leap since the last live action Tarzan film, so I am very curious to see how this turns out.  No actor has been selected yet, but I have read names like Alexander Skarsgard and Charlie Hunnam being considered.  Hopefully we will hear more soon and that Hollywood will finally do this iconic hero justice.