Edgar Rice Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, and died on March 19, 1950. An American author who worked primarily in adventure, science fiction, and fantasy, he is best remembered for two enduring creations: Tarzan, the jungle-raised nobleman who anchored twenty-four of his novels, and John Carter, the swashbuckling Martian hero at the center of eleven more. Beyond those flagship series, Burroughs built out an impressive body of work that included the subterranean Pellucidar tales, the Amtor series, and the Caspak trilogy.
The Funnies #40 (1940)
Tarzan's popularity was swift and sweeping, and Burroughs pursued its commercial potential with considerable energy — licensing a syndicated comic strip, films, and a broad range of merchandise. That strip formed the foundation of his comics presence, with credits spanning 221 issues between 1929 and 2021 across titles such as *Tarzan*, *Tip Top Comics*, and *Lord of the Jungle*. His California ranch eventually lent its name to the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles. It should be noted that Burroughs was an open advocate of eugenics and scientific racism, views that he embedded in his fiction as well as expressed directly in nonfiction writing, and Tarzan was consciously constructed to embody those ideas — a dimension of his legacy that demands honest reckoning alongside his undeniable cultural influence.
