Korak in Sunday Tarzans (1/22/1978)

 

 

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.

Russ Manning took over the Sunday Tarzan pages in 1968.  His Korak tended to have a tall, lean, swimmer's build.  While the son of Tarzan continued to have somewhat autonomous adventures, the slender, handsome youth seemed to be getting into trouble more frequently and more easily.  Moreover, in the Sunday Tarzan pages, Korak tended to suffer from more frequent comparisons to his legendary father. 

Previously, Korak was in captivity on a boat and wearing bandages on his head.  However, with the help of a veiled red-haired woman, Korak began to remember the circumstances. The veiled red-haired woman introduces herself as Leila, priestess of the great god Krackoa, who are bred to have such allure that they are forced to wear veils to hide it.  She was kidnapped by raiders and brought to a city.  However, when they removed the veil, they started fighting among themselves over her.  Korak fought and defeated the raiders and rescued her.  However, after removing her veil, Korak immediately became obsessed with her.

The raiders discovered them in the walled garden.  During the subsequent fight, Korak was injured in the head by a sword.  However, the guardian priests of Krackoa manage to drive off the raiders and, at the behest of Leila, take Korak with her on the boat to the lake of Krackoa and bandage his head and tie him to a pole.  The boat enters into a lake in a dormant volcano with a giant squid, who turns out to be the great god Krackoa.  Leila is called to communicate with the giant squid, who strikes her, leaving her unconscious.  The boat docks at an island, where everyone else disembarks and a still unconscious Leila is carried away to be treated.  Korak escapes from the boat, ambushes a guardian priest, and finds Leila, still unconscious.  The son of Tarzan removes her veil again, becoming obsessed with her again, and revives the priestess with his kiss.  Leila has a message from the god Krackoa but is distracted by a handsome and pouty Korak who is jealous of her dedication to her job.  Meanwhile, the guardian priests are still searching for the son of Tarzan when the volcano erupts.  Korak tries to escape on a boat with Leila.  However, Leila wants to sacrifice herself to the volcano god.  The guardian priests find them and take Korak and Leila on a boat, from which the priestess throws herself into the water with the giant squid. Korak escapes from the guardian priests and dives into the water after Leila.

 

This week, the volcanic eruption destroys Krackoa.  However, the water currents lead Korak into a stream, outside the crater lake, and towards safety.

 

Korak continues his leading role in this adventure.  However, the son of Tarzan has a passive role as the water currents from the volcanic eruption leads the love-struck, young hero into a stream, outside the crater lake, and towards safety.

Manning's artwork is excellent.  However, Korak's lean, athletic physique gets lost amidst the swirling water and the volcanic eruption.

Favorite scene:  panel d

Previous blog:  

Korak in Sunday Tarzans (1/15/1978)

Next blog:  Korak in Sunday Tarzans (1/29/1978)

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 Hillman's ERBzine at the following link:

https://www.erbzine.com/mag21/2136.html

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