Back in 2019, PulpFest was happy to have a number of Duke University students among its members. Little did we know that this group of young people were also members of a college comedy group called Freshly Squeezed Pulp.
Beginning in 2018, FSP chronicled the adventures of Tar-Zaan, a light-hearted parody of the Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp series. A student-produced podcast, FSP offered Duke’s students an escape from everyday life — much like the pulp fiction of the early twentieth century.
Former president and current writer for FSP, Madeleine “Mac” Gagné, related:
Listeners have told me that when they put on their earbuds and listen to one of these pieces, they dissolve into this fictional world that has so many different components.
While attending PulpFest 2019, the members of FSP met the good folks from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Incorporated. Working with the California-based organization, Tar-Zaan became The Adventures of Tarzan®, a twenty-episode authorized series now available through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Spotify. A new episode is released every Wednesday at 6 PM, eastern standard time.
Through its podcast, Freshly Squeezed Pulp is drawing a younger audience to classic pulp fiction, providing a gateway to this long-gone entertainment form. According to Victoria Wang, the group’s current president:
One thing that I found really valuable is combining these familiar — in certain ways, nostalgic — stories that everybody kind of knows . . . to put a spin on it where it’s not just to modernize the plot or the story so that it’s more relatable to a twenty-first-century audience, but it’s actually to add another layer of depth to it where we discuss modern themes.
The Freshly Squeezed Pulp podcast has garnered strong support and participation from the Duke community. The Adventures of Tarzan® writer Brock Foreman notes, “We’ve had people come on board and voice three lines, while others have signed on and their character turns into part of the main plotline.” Fellow writer Daniel Egitto continues, “It has been a really unbelievable experience, with so many getting on board with what we’re trying to do.”
On Saturday, August 21, join PulpFest and ERBFest 2021 as we welcome the dedicated performers and creators of Freshly Squeezed Pulp. They’ll discuss the production of their podcast, the younger generation’s interest in pulp, and how the genre can continue to flourish in the minds of hopeful adventurers for millennia to come. The cast and crew members will also explain why Barton Werper became Tarzan’s ultimate villain, why La suddenly became everyone’s favorite character, and how they attempted to create an overarching plot covering the original Tarzan novels while melding them with a healthy dose of comedy.
As Freshly Squeezed Pulp seeks to draw more young fans to pulp and PulpFest alike, they want to begin a discourse with seasoned fans of pulps and pulp fiction. They want to better understand what truly defines the genre and what makes pulp pop!
Please join FSP at 8:50 PM on Saturday, August 21, for “Introducing Pulp’s Legacy of Adventure to a Younger Generation.” It’s part of this summer’s celebration of Edgar Rice Burroughs and his work.
The general public is welcome to attend our evening 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. Your membership in ERBFest is part of your PulpFest membership.
And of course, don’t forget to book a room at the DoubleTree.
The queen and high priestess of the lost city of Opar, La was introduced in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “The Return of Tarzan.” The novel was serialized in seven parts in NEW STORY MAGAZINE. The cover art for the novel’s first segment — running in the June 1913 issue of the Street & Smith pulp magazine — was painted by N. C. Wyeth.
Many thanks to Madeleine “Mac” Gagné of Freshly Squeezed Pulp for her help with this post.
Trademarks Tarzan®, Tarzan of the Apes®, Lord of the Jungle®, Lord Greystoke™, Tarzan and Jane®, Jane Porter®, Jane Clayton™, Korak™, and Edgar Rice Burroughs® 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., and used by permission.
