Korak is the Honorable Jack Clayton, son of English Lord John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke, also known as Tarzan, lord of the jungle. He is the hero of a 1915/6 magazine serial and 1917 novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs and a 1920 silent movie serial, as well as a character in several other Tarzan stories from 1914 to 1924. He experienced a revival in 1964 as the star of his own comic book series and as a major character in various Tarzan comic books, pages, and strips from 1966 to 1978.
As depicted in the comic books, pages, and strips, Korak has a lean, athletic physique, broad shoulders and thin waist, almost no clothing, a cute, boyish face, and full, thick hair. He is also an intelligent, enthusiastic teen-aged boy with excellent natural instincts and a good heart.
Korak strives to emulate his legendary father but lacks his strength, maturity and experience. Therefore, he is both more likely to enter into dangerous situations and more vulnerable to being defeated.
As the star of his own comic book series in 1964, Korak is a capable, young hero. His adventures were somewhat similar to those of his father Tarzan, but independent from them.
In 1966, ABC released the TV series Batman, featuring the frequently imperiled youthful sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder. As a fan of seeing cute, young sidekicks in trouble, I watched every episode.
The British Tarzan weekly started in 1977. This week's artists are Will Meugniot and Rick Hoppe.
Korak continues to have a lean, athletic physique, broad shoulders and thin waist, almost no clothing except for a leather loincloth over his mid-section, a cute, boyish face, and full, thick, dark hair.
He continues to be a strong, athletic, teen-aged jungle boy. However, his smaller size makes him even more vulnerable to defeat to larger, more mature opponents.
He continues to be an intelligent, enthusiastic teen-aged boy with good natural instincts and a good heart. His youthful inexperience makes him vulnerable to dirty fighting techniques or seduction. His youthful enthusiasm may lead him into trouble over good but dangerous causes or to otherwise confront dangerous opponents to prove himself.
Last week, a local fisherman managed to catch a mermaid. Establishing a telepathic connection with her, Korak rescued her and took her to the ocean, but was severely injured by an angry mob seeking to stop their escape. After successfully defending the mermaid from the outraged gang, Korak was taken to her underwater city, where he was treated.
This week, Korak learns that the mermaid's underwater city sent a small army to the fisherman's village to find her. Korak manages to avoid the destructive, vengeful soldiers and notify the general that the mermaid is safe in her underwater city. The general calls off the attack, and the mermaid tasks Korak with destroying the helmet which produced the small army.
Korak demonstrates his speed, strength, and intelligence by managing to avoid a small army in order to locate its leader, and successfully convincing him to call off the attack.
Meugniot and Hoppe's artwork is slightly rougher than Spiegle's. However, viewers still get good views of Korak's lean, athletic physique or cute, boyish face.
Favorite scene: page 5, panel a
This blog is intended to raise interest in and appreciation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs character Korak. To see this story in context, you may find it in my Korak in British Tarzans blog at the following link:
This week's adventures can also be found at the following link(s):
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