Tarzan Annual [1974]

[1973] Annual. Original price 70p.
58 pages. Full colour and tone contents.
Brown Watson Ltd.

Painted cover by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED [Tarzan Riding Elephant] illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 3 Tarzan Annual title page; illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited). / Indicia

 4 Tarzan and the Beast of Kemodo text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

 9 Jungle Puzzles illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited)

10 It's Odd - But True! illustrated feature by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

12 Rogue Ape text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 Tarzan of the Apes Tarzan and the Demon Elephant w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited); p: Paul Norris (uncredited); i: Mike Royer (uncredited).

r: Tarzan (Gold Key) #197 (Dec 1970).

38 The Guardians of the Caves w: Gaylord Du Bois (uncredited). a: Russ Manning (uncredited).

r: Tarzan's Jungle Annual (Dell) #04 (Aug 1955).

30 Tarzan and the Cannibals w: UNKNOWN (uncredited). a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Tarzan newspaper strip (King Features Syndicate).

45 Tarzan and the Crocodile Men text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

50 Safari Quiz illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

52 The Man-Tamer text story by UNKNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

A step-down in appearance, with a cover which is slightly rough and ready when compared to the previous edition. Depicting Tarzan swinging through a burning jungle, there really should be more urgency presented, although artistic choices in composition - and Tarzan's body language - seem to nullify whatever inherent drama the situation might hold. The expression on Cheetah's face doesn't help any.

Interior illustrations are similarly spoiled by inexplicable choices. If they were presented in black and white there would be no issue with their inclusion, though choosing green spot-colour is an awful decision - while it might seem logical to use green to indicate that the characters are in a jungle, the background is left monochrome while Tarzan is coloured green.

A green elephant is not, however well-drawn, going to convince me that there is any care taken with the annual. Is it gangrenous? Is it an alien elephant? Is it so lazy that moss has begun growing on it? The answers are not to be found in this publication.

For many hours the great storm had raged. Before sunset the dark clouds had filled the air with a lurid, gloomy light. The dense African jungle, its shadowy depths green even when the sun shone brightly, was a place of darkness and menace.

Now thunder rolled and crashed over the jungle and the hills, and flash after flash of lightning split the skies, lanced to the ground and sent great trees toppling and thudding to the ground, with sulphurous smoke wisping from their ripped bark.

The writing in the stories isn't up to the standards of the novels, nor have a solid grasp on the world of Tarzan - The Beast of Kemodo, with Kemodo being a mountain, features a creature which is larger than an elephant. Vast, with a spiny back, a head with large, whitish eyes, and horny outcrops which weave to and fro... Yes it is a dragon. Named the "fire dragon of Kemodo" it may be, but no amount of rationalisation can justify its appearance in the jungle. In Pellucidar, sure, but in a location which is so distant from the hunting grounds of such beasts?

The illustrations accompanying Rogue Ape bring to mind Mytek the Mighty, which further removes any sense of realism. It isn't the fault of the story, nor the artist, but the lingering doubts as to the seriousness of the title's intentions cannot be easily dismissed.

There are also problems with the strips, especially noticeable in The Demon Elephant, with loose and cartoonish artwork, often neglecting to provide backgrounds to scenes. Such a slapdash approach to the character doesn't provide the best means with which to tell a dramatic story (in which Jane is kidnapped), and whatever tension is washed away with a clumsily-handled and truncated battle.

The Guardians of the Caves is presented slightly better, though The Cannibals is less attractive. By not picking out outstanding strips to represent the character's best appearances, no sense of importance is imparted to readers. It is difficult to see how this would appeal to an audience which had been exposed to far better representations in other titles, especially as no effort seems to have been made to adhere to consistency.

1973

Tarzan Annual

1975