Oh…my…Grodd! The Chinese “Year of the Monkey,” 2016, is shaping up to be the greatest year in the hairy history of apekind! Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan (AKA Lord of the Jungle) is on track to thrill old and new fans alike with incredible new adventures in comics, books and on the big screen.
The Legend of Tarzan swings into theaters on July 1st and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, John Hurt, Djimon Hounsou, Margot Robbie as Jane, and Alexander Skarsgård as the Ape-Man himself. This movie is developing some incredible buzz and is poised to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer…and have you seen that amazing trailer yet?
If you dig Tarzan movies (And who doesn’t?), then you have to pick up the new book, Tarzan on Film, by ape-man authority and author of Tarzan the Centennial Celebration, Scott Tracy Griffin, who has meticulously documented the ape-guy’s onscreen career from the silent movies to this summer’s extravaganza.
In addition to The Legend of Tarzan film there are at least two new written Tarzan tales slated for release this summer that will have Burroughs’ Lord Greystoke mixing it up with crossover characters from other popular ape-centric franchises.
Next September Dark Horse Comics and BOOM! Studios are going to have Tarzan featured in a five issue comic-book mini-series that has him jungle-adventuring in the Planet of the Apes universe.
From the recent Dark Horse/Boom! press release, “In Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes, Tarzan and his ape brother Caesar, raised as brothers but separated by slave traders, reunite when the war between man and ape takes them from the jungles of Africa to the center of the Earth.”
If you are an ape-fan like me then the Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes announcement from the recent Emerald City Comic Con is just about the greatest news you have ever heard – but wait…there’s more!
Altus Press recently announced that Tarzan will go face-to-face with Skull Island’s favorite simian in this summer’s King Kong Vs. Tarzan, written by the modern day Tarzan and Doc Savage scribe, Will Murray, who says, “Instead of a sequel or a prequel, we have something new: an interquel, an interlude set within the original King Kong narrative. The beauty of King Kong Vs. Tarzan is it not only the hurls those epic characters against one another, but allows us to include the original cast of characters from the original 1932 novel—Carl Denham, Jack Driscoll and Ann Darrow.”
Can’t wait for the upcoming Tarzan fun? You can always read (or re-read) the classics – or, in comic shops now, check out the excellent new comic miniseries, Lords of the Jungle, that has the Ape-Man teaming up with Sheena, Queen of the Jungle for the first time ever. (Read about it on Nerdvana at: ‘Lords of the Jungle’ promises a historic team-up.)
Additionally, if you are an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan in Arizona, let me tease you by saying that you’ll want to make sure you have your Phoenix Comicon badges in order for this year’s show – and start practicing that Ape-Man victory cry!
