Sandy Ricks in Call of the Dolphin (4/3/1965)

 

Introduced in the 1963 film Flipper, Sandy Ricks rescues and befriends an injured dolphin and names him Flipper.  In the 1964 sequel Flipper's New Adventure, his father Porter is widowed and goes to park warden school.  In the 1964 television series, Porter becomes chief warden of Coral Key Park in Florida, and Sandy gains a younger brother Bud.

As played by Luke Halpin, Sandy has a pretty, boyish face, tousled mop of blond hair in the first season, and a slender, athletic swimmer's build.  He is often shirtless, dressed in nothing more than blue cutoff jeans and white sneakers.

In the 1964 series, Sandy's and Bud's job was to appear to translate for the dolphin and to get into trouble so that the animal star could rescue them.  Sandy tends to be the more responsible brother.  He often accompanies Bud in his misadventures or his father in his ranger duties.  

In this episode, Sandy is stung by a jellyfish and needs help to get into the boat before he drowns.

Sandy has an underwater scene searching for Flipper, who seems to be spending more time with an oceanographer in his minisub emanating dolphin sounds.  He also has a lengthy above-water scenes with his diving mask, when he is attacked by a jellyfish and helped by Bud to the side of the skiff.

However, my favorite scenes are when Sandy is shirtless above water without a diving mask.  In this episode, Sandy has a few such scenes.  First, at the beginning, playing football with Bud, Sandy discusses how they are missing Flipper, who seems to be spending more time with an oceanographer in his minisub emanating dolphin sounds.  Then, he and Bud find that Flipper escaped from his enclosure and grab the skiff to go and find her.  Finally, after the underwater scene, Bud tries to help Sandy into the boat after the jellyfish attack and is assisted by the oceanographer who is brought to them by Flipper, and their father arrive to treat Sandy.

Favorite scenes:

This blog is intended to promote the appreciation of Luke Halpin's portrayal of Sandy Ricks in the 1964 television series "Flipper".

For more appreciation of Luke Halpin's portrayal of Sandy RIcks, check out the Luke Halpin Gallery.   

Previous episode:

Sandy Ricks in Sailor Bud (3/27/1965)

Next episode:  Sandy Ricks in Flipper's Monster (4/10/1965)

Robin in I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle (2/22/1968)

 

Robin the Boy Wonder is the eager, youthful sidekick of Batman, the Caped Crusader, the vigilante crime-fighting alias of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.  Introduced in 1940 as orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson in the DC comic book series Batman, Robin was played by Burt Ward in the 1966 television series on ABC.

As played by Burt Ward, Robin has a cute, boyish face, clean-cut, brown hair, and a compact, athletic physique which fits perfectly with his character's acrobatic background.  His colorful outfit, with his dark green mask, gloves, and booties, his bright, red shirt, his shiny, yellow cape, his tight, green panties, and his form-fitting, flesh-color leggings, certainly catches the audience's attention.

Due to his youth, inexperience, and smaller size, the Boy Wonder is clearly the weak link in the Dynamic Duo, which their opponents often seek to exploit.  Robin is also cocky, enthusiastic, and overly eager to prove his independent crime-fighting abilities, especially to Batman.  He is often in trouble and in need of rescue.

This week's villain is King Tut.

Favorite scenes:

During a fight with King Tut, one of his henchmen stuns Robin with a punch and carries the Boy Wonder to a corner of the Batcave, where others take turn punching him.

This blog is intended to promote the appreciation of Burt Ward's portrayal of Robin in the 1966 television series "Batman".  You may purchase both episodes at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Hi-Diddle-Riddle/dp/B00OLZVMY8/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=batman+1966&qid=1620375265&sr=8-3

Previous blog:  

Robin in Great Train Robbery (2/8/1968)

Next blog:  Robin in Joker's Flying Saucer (2/29/1968)

Korak in Sunday Tarzans (4/23/1972)

 

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.

Korak in Sunday Tarzans (4/23/1972)

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. 

Previous to this week's adventures, Korak find that the Waziri are threatened by a young, idealistic family who wish to find a place to farm.  They ask for Korak's help.

This week, Korak, Muviro the Waziri, and the young, idealistic family camp next to the Dismal Gorges.

Korak remains in a leading role in his own adventure.  Korak guides the idealistic, young family to find unclaimed land in Africa.

Manning's artwork is wonderful.  The young, athletic, shirtless Korak gets some good scenes, including a wonderful half-body shot including his face and torso.

Favorite scene:  panel c

Previous Sunday Tarzan blog:  

Korak in Sunday Tarzan (4/16/1972)

Previous blog:  Korak in Daily Tarzans (4/17/1972-4/22/1972)

Next blog:  Korak in Daily Tarzans (4/24/1972-4/29/1972)

Next Sunday Tarzan blog:  Korak in Sunday Tarzans (4/30/1972)

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/mag17/1790.html

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

https://www.erbzine.com/manning/720423.jpg

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/17/1972-4/22/1972)

 

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.

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/17/1972)

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/18/1972)

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/19/1972)

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/20/1972)

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/21/1972)

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/22/1972)

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 Daily Tarzan strips in 1967.  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 Daily Tarzan strips, Korak tended to suffer from more frequent comparisons to his legendary father. 

Korak rejoins his father for further adventures in Pellucidar, a fictional world within the Earth's core.  Korak is introduced to a Mahar, an intelligent, flying dinosaur from that underground world.  As Tarzan and his son return to Pellucidar, a flock of Pteranodons attack the blimp and help the Mahar escape.  

Trying to prevent the escape, Korak becomes the Mahar's prisoner.  Initially rendering the son of Tarzan powerless by its powers of clairvoyance and mind control, the Mahar is distracted enough by an attempted rescue that the young jungle hero is quietly able to escape.  While taking shelter in one of the caverns through a storm, Korak encounters a scantily clad princess, Da-van, whom he saves from the Mahar. After Da-van rides away on her giant lizard, Korak rescues David Innes, leader of the humans in Pellucidar and father of Da-van, and a group of humans from an army of Sagoths, hostile ape-like warriors.  However, they soon find themselves ambushed and enslaved by another group of Sagoths and assigned to rowing a galley.

This week, the Sagoths capture Da-van and assign her to row the galley next to Korak.  Soon, the boat is attacked by an azdryth, a giant sea monster.

Despite continuing on his independent adventure, Korak continues to be enslaved by the Sagoths at the boat.

Manning's artwork is wonderful.  However, the youthful, handsome son of Tarzan is still just rowing the  boat with David Innes and the other Pellucidarians.

 

Favorite scene:  4/19/1972, panel a

Previous daily Tarzan blog:  

Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/10/1972-4/15/1972)

Previous blog:  Korak in Sunday Tarzan (4/16/1972)

Next blog:  Korak in Sunday Tarzan (4/23/1972)

Next daily Tarzan blog:  Korak in Daily Tarzan (4/24/1972-4/29/1972)

 

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/mag29/2900.html

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

https://www.erbzine.com/mag29/2956.html