Edgar Rice Burroughs has been called “The Master of Adventure.” It can also be said that the author was also a “Master of Romance.”
Who can forget the concluding paragraphs of Burroughs’ most famous novel, Tarzan of the Apes?
Here was the man who had Tarzan’s title, and Tarzan’s estates, and was going to marry the woman whom Tarzan loved — the woman who loved Tarzan. A single word from Tarzan would make a great difference in this man’s life.
It would take away his title and his lands and his castles, and — it would take them away from Jane Porter also. “I say, old man,” cried Clayton, “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for all you’ve done for us. It seems as though you had your hands full saving our lives in Africa and here. . . . If it’s any of my business, how the devil did you ever get into that bally jungle?”
“I was born there,” said Tarzan, quietly. “My mother was an Ape, and, of course, she couldn’t tell me much about it. I never knew who my father was.”
Who is Tarzan without Jane? John Carter without Dejah Thoris? David Innes without Dian the Beautiful?
We hope you’ll join PulpFest 2024 on Thursday, August 1, at 10:15 pm as Pittsburgh pulp and Burroughs fan Bernice Jones and the Vice President of Operations for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Cathy Wilbanks take a look at “The Women of Edgar Rice Burroughs.” It’s part of this year’s ERBFest, taking place alongside PulpFest 2024 from August 1 and running through August 4 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania.
Co-hosted by Henry G. Franke III — the editor of The Burroughs Bibliophiles, which publishes The Burroughs Bulletin journal and The Gridley Wave monthly newsletter — ERBFest is a salute to the Master of Romance and Adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Now in its third iteration, ERBFest was started in 2021 when it seemed as if a second summer was going to pass without both of the usual Burroughs conventions — The Burroughs Bibliophiles’ Dum-Dum and the Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship (ECOF) gathering.
In addition to “The Women of Edgar Rice Burroughs,” ERBFest 2024 will celebrate the centennial of the first book publication of Burroughs’ The Land That Time Forgot. We’ll have a film program and a presentation on “Pulp Paleontology,” as well as a panel presentation by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. All this and more will be part of ERBFest 2024.
Of special note is the 2024 Dum-Dum Banquet, scheduled for Saturday, August 3, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Bravo! Italian Kitchen, located one-half mile from PulpFest’s host hotel. The banquet will be hosted by The Burroughs Bibliophiles and is independent of PulpFest 2024.
A resident of Western Pennsylvania — not far from Cranberry Township — Bernice Jones came to us last year with the idea of a presentation on “The Women of Edgar Rice Burroughs.” A writer, researcher, public speaker, and voracious reader, Bernice first met Tarzan over 50 years ago when, as a child, she needed reading material while visiting her great-grandmother’s house. She asked, “If I’m very careful, can I read great-grandpa’s books in the barrister case?”
Great-grandpa had the first five Tarzan novels. They were a wonderful experience and Bernice was hooked. She credits her great-grandfather who passed five years before her birth for her deep love of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Bernice attended her first Pulpfest in 2022 in the company of her now husband. Listening to the panels and talking to other fans, she started thinking about the characters she loved from ERB. She realized that aside from the main characters, her favorites are the women in his novels: Jane Porter, Dejah Thoris, Duare of Amtor, and the many other strong female characters.
Intrigued, she read and thought more. Having read many books from the early 20th century, she realized that not only did Burroughs portray his women differently than other male authors at the time, but one could see ERB’s growth as a twentieth-century human being through his women.
Bernice lives with her husband, Neal, and their three cats — Bastion, Carter John, and Dejah Thoris. Obviously, Bernice didn’t name Bastion.
Cathy Wilbanks began working for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. while she was still in high school and worked part-time with Danton Burroughs — the author’s grandson — inventorying and organizing materials in the warehouse. After a career in teaching, Wilbanks rejoined the company in 2001. Now Vice President of Operations of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., she is responsible for all internal operations of the organization and continues to assist with the marketing of the many fantastic creations of that master of romance and adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs. You’ll find Cathy on Facebook and Instagram.
The general public is welcome to attend PulpFest’s and ERBFest’s evening programming events free of charge. To learn more about our programming, please click the schedule 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!
If you want to sell at this year’s PulpFest, our wall tables are sold out. Island tables are still available, but they won’t last long. Register soon!
Our featured image is adapted from P. J. Monahan’s cover for Argosy All-Story Weekly for February 18, 1922, illustrating the first segment of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ serial, “The Chessmen of Mars.” The woman in the image is Tara, princess of Helium, daughter of John Carter and Dejah Thoris.
Our lead image was adapted by PulpFest advertising director William Lampkin from Modest Stein’s cover for the April 4, 1914 issue of All-Story Weekly, illustrating the first segment of “At the Earth’s Core.” That’s Dian the Beautiful, a princess of Amoz.
Our middle image is C. D. Williams’ cover for the September 23, 1916 number of All-Story Weekly, illustrating the opening segment of the serial, “The Girl from Farris’s.” The first of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ realistic novels, it’s the story of Maggie Lynch, once a resident of Chicago’s notorious Red Light district who sets out to end her “life of sin” and find a decent job. The story was originally serialized in four parts by the Munsey pulp magazine.
In our final image, Tarzan rescues the beautiful La of Opar from a raging elephant. Leaping from tree to tree, Tarzan and La escape the charging animal. The artwork is P. J. Monahan’s cover for the November 18, 1916 issue of All-Story Weekly, the opening segment of the Burroughs’ novel “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar,” originally serialized in five parts by the Munsey pulp magazine. Along with Jane and Dejah Thoris, La of Opar is one of Burroughs’ greatest women characters.
Trademarks Tarzan®, Tarzan of the Apes®, Jane Porter®, La of Opar™, Opar™, John Carter®, Dejah Thoris®, Tara of Helium™, Barsoom®, Chessmen of Mars™, Pellucidar®, At the Earth’s Core™, David Innes™, Dian the Beautiful™, The Land That Time Forgot®, Edgar Rice Burroughs®, Master of Adventure™, 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.
For more on Edgar Rice Burroughs and his creations, please visit our YouTube Channel.
And while you’re there, be sure to subscribe.
