Korak in British Tarzans (10/1/1977) - conclusion

 

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 artist is the wonderful Dan Spiegle.  

 

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.  However, under Spiegle, Korak tended to have a shorter, more compact, gymnast's build.

 

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 also lead him into trouble over good but dangerous causes or to otherwise confront dangerous opponents to prove himself.

Last week, Tarzan tasked Korak with the assignment of retrieving a comedian from a strange village.  After a brief attempt to elude the village guards, Korak surrendered after taking one of the guards captive, attempting to use this as leverage to bargain for his own freedom, and finding that the village had a policy of executing its captured guards for their apparent weakness.  Taken to a prison cell where he found the comedian.

This week, after learning more about the village from the comedian, and his imprisonment for his efforts to entertain some doomed children, Korak was forced into a deadly gauntlet.  After surviving several physical challenges, Korak decided to play dead in order to lure a guard to dispose of his body.  He then takes the guard captive and uses the possibility of his execution as leverage to help him, the comedian, and the children to escape the village.  

 

Korak again demonstrates his speed and strength by surviving many physical challenges in the gauntlet.  He also demonstrates his intelligence and resourcefulness by playing dead in order to lure a guard to dispose of his body and the taking him captive and using the possibility of his execution as leverage to help him and the comedian escape.

Spiegle's artwork is excellent.  Again, viewers get great views of Korak's lean, athletic physique and cute, boyish face as he listens to the comedian in the prison cell and then struggles against the gauntlet's many physical challenges.  However, my favorite scene is when Korak captures the guard who is sent to dispose of his body.

Favorite scene: page 8, panel d

 

Previous British Tarzan blog:  

Korak in British Tarzans (9/24/1977) - new

Previous blog:  Korak in Sunday Tarzans (9/25/1977)

Next blog:  Korak in British Tarzans (10/1/1977) - new

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:

https://britishtarzanskorak.blogspot.com/

This week's adventures can also be found at the following link(s):