For the fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his work, it seemed like a second summer was going to pass without both of the usual Burroughs conventions.
The 2021 Dum-Dum — hosted by The Burroughs Bibliophiles, the nonprofit literary society devoted to the life and works of Edgar Rice Burroughs — is currently being planned to take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November. There will be no Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship gathering in 2021.
But now, thanks to the efforts of Henry G. Franke III, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., and the PulpFest organizing committee, there will be a summer convention for Burroughs fans.
Running from August 19 – 22 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania, this year’s PulpFest will be the site for ERBFest 2021.
On Friday, August 20, join ERBFest 2021 and Henry G. Franke III for “Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Unfinished Tales — Mars, Venus, Poloda, and Tarzan’s Africa,” an exploration of the writer’s later years after he’d remarried and moved to Hawaii. Henry will also discuss Burroughs’ involvement in World War II, as well as his return to California and Tarzana.
And don’t forget about the other ERBFest presentations and panels at PulpFest 2021 — “The Amazing, Thrilling, and Fantastic Edgar Rice Burroughs” on Thursday, August 19, at 7:15 PM; “Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Unfinished Tales — Mars, Venus, Poloda, and Tarzan’s Africa” on Friday, August 20, at 3 PM; “Beyond the Farthest Star: A Classic Science Fiction Novel Restored” on Friday, August 20, at 3:35 PM; “The News from Tarzana: Thrilling Updates from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.” on Friday, August 20, at 4 PM; and “Introducing Pulp’s Legacy of Adventure to a Younger Generation” on Saturday, August 21, at 8:50 PM. Topping things off will be “A Barsoomian Bull Session,” hosted by Henry G. Franke III in the hotel lounge area on Saturday, August 21, beginning at 11 PM. They’re all part of ERBFest 2021 at PulpFest 2021 in Mars, Pennsylvania. There is no extra cost to attend our ERBFest activities.
Henry G. Franke III is the editor of THE BURROUGHS BULLETIN journal and THE GRIDLEY WAVE newsletter. He has also contributed to several comic strip reprints and is currently writing the afterwords for the Authorized Library books published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated. Specializing in art inspired by Burroughs’ stories, Henry is currently working on an illustrated biography of artist Russ Manning.
The general public is welcome to attend our programming events. To learn more about our programming schedule, please click the Programming button at the top of this page.
For those who also want to enjoy our dealers’ room, you can join PulpFest by clicking the Registration button at the top of this page. And don’t forget to book a room at the DoubleTree. They’re going fast!
For more on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories of the 1940s, be sure to join PulpFest 2021 on Thursday, August 19, at 7:15 PM. Henry G. Franke III will be discussing, “The Amazing, Thrilling, and Fantastic Edgar Rice Burroughs,” a look at the author’s personal and professional life during the Second World War.
During World War II, Edgar Rice Burroughs revisited Barsoom and Pellucidar in the pages of Ziff-Davis’ AMAZING STORIES. At the same time, he returned to the adventures of Carson Napier on Venus in AMAZING’s companion title, FANTASTIC ADVENTURES. His story, “Goddess of Fire” — appearing in the July 1941 number of FANTASTIC ADVENTURES and featuring cover art by J. Allen St. John and H. W. McCauley — was one of four Venus novelettes that ran in the pulp magazine during 1941 – 42. They would later be combined to form the book ESCAPE ON VENUS, first published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. in 1946.
However, Burroughs was not finished with Carson Napier’s adventures on Venus. Found among his papers following his death in 1950 was the novelette, “The Wizard of Venus,” and two and one-half pages of another Venus story. Written on December 2, 1941, Burroughs’ unfinished Venus tale was to be the second of three or four related novelettes that would later be combined into a sixth Carson Napier novel.
“The Wizard of Venus” would eventually be published as part of the collection TALES OF THREE PLANETS, published in 1964 by Canaveral Press. The story would later be paired with “Pirate Blood” (written in 1932 using the pseudonym John Tyler McCulloch) and published in 1970 by Ace Books. The paperback would feature cover art by Roy G. Krenkel.
Many thanks to David W. Smith of Fantasy Illustrated for sharing with us a number of premier cover images featured on the Ziff-Davis Burroughs pulps.
Trademarks Tarzan®, John Carter®, John Carter of Mars®, Warlord of Mars®, Dejah Thoris®, Barsoom®, Carson of Venus®, Carson Napier™, Duare™, Princess of Venus™, Amtor™, Edgar Rice Burroughs®, ERB Authorized Library™, and others owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Associated logos, characters, names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Used by Permission.
