Tarzan Meets The Custer's

The Mad King was first published in book form by McClurg in 1926, but this was not its first appearance. Shortly after Adventure magazine turned down The Mucker in 1913, Burroughs began work on The Mad King Of Lutha. Beginning on October 26, the magazine version was completed within a month. Burroughs received his check on December 8.

J. Allen St. John

This story introduces us to Barney Custer of Beatrice, Nebraska who is visiting the kingdom of Lutha, his mother's native land. Because of a lost election bet, Barney is not permitted to shave for a year. Thus, his full red beard gives him a close resemblance to Lutha's escaped mad king. Often mistaken for the king, Barney is dragged into much danger and intrigue.

The Mad King

In an excellent example of Burroughs mixing fiction with reality the heroine, Princess Emma von der Tan is named after his first wife, Emma Centennia Hulbert. The selection of Beatrice, Nebraska, as Barney's hometown was because of Herbert (Bert) T. Weston. Bert had been Burroughs' classmate at Michigan Military Academy, and from Beatrice had maintained a lifelong correspondence with him.

Memoirs Of A War Bride

Continuing his rapid writing pace Burroughs launched at once into Nu Of The Neocene, a twenty-five thousand-word story that was finished in twenty days. This is a very debated Tarzan-related story, which researchers view from different perspectives.

• Some say it is a story involving a double passage in time, first to the future and then to the past.     
• Others say that Barney's sister merely dreamed under severe stress.
• Some say the small boy mentioned, "Dackie," (magazine version - Jackie book version)
  is Jack Clayton III, Tarzan's son.
• Others say it is Jackie Clayton IV, Tarzan's grandson.
• Some place Victoria's occurrence after The Beast Of Tarzan.
• Others say the events occurred after Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar.

The Eternal Lover

Anyway, Barney has now left Lutha, and he and his sister, Victoria, are visiting the Greystokes at their African estate. In this adventure, which Burroughs dated early spring, Victoria is the leading character. An earthquake transports Nu of the Neocene, the mighty-muscled hunter of Oo, the saber-toothed tiger into 1913.

The Mad King

In this non-Tarzan series story, there is a lot of interesting Greystoke lore. For instance, this is the first reference to Tarzan's African estate and the fact that the Greystokes are now living there on a permanent basis. Also, ERB, the narrator, (Tarzine #34) is visiting the Greystokes at the same time as the Custers.

Tarzine #34

Sweetheart Primeval, the sequel to Nu Of The Neocene, was completed in less than a month, on September 14, 1914. Again there is an earthquake, but this time Victoria is transported into the past. The entire story takes place in the prehistoric past and at its end, another earthquake occurs and Victoria is transported back to modern times and to the Greystoke bungalow.

Sweetheart Primeval

Robert H. Davis, who had replaced Metcalf as the editor of the slumping All-Story Cavalier wrote Burroughs on June 12, 1914, and mentioned a squeal to The Mad King Of Lutha.  Barney Custer Of Beatrice, which was written between September 26 and November 1, 1914, was first sent to Davis on November 2, 1914. Changes had to be made and the quick-writing author had the manuscript back in the mail by November 16, 1914. Burroughs was paid one thousand three hundred twenty-five dollars for his efforts. A check for five hundred dollars on November 14, 1914, and one for eight hundred twenty-five dollars on November 24, 1914.

Barney Custer of Beatrice

The sequel to The Mad King Of Lutha opens in Nebraska. Victoria is present, but she does not play a major role. Again mixing fiction into reality. Burroughs wrote Bert's wife, Margaret, into the script. Victoria, at the beginning of the story, wants to go motoring with Lieutenant Butzow and regrets her promise to Margaret to play bridge. Mysterious bombings occur in Beatrice, and they are revealed to be the work of Captain Ernest Maenck, In pursuit of the captain, Barney travels to Austria and then to Lutha for the second round of adventures. 

The Mad King

Although The Mad King had run both in the pulps and as a hardback, the quick-witted Burroughs had not given up on its money-making prospects. During this time in his career, the Tarzan movies were quite good to him. Why not use their fame as a stepping stone to introduce his other works?

The Mad King

On January 11, 1915, Burroughs sent a synopsis of The Mad King to the Selig Poloyscope Company hoping to land a motion picture deal. On August 31, 1915, J.A. Berst, Vice-President of the Selig Company wrote and explained that the book would make a five-reel movie but the synopsis was not suitable for motion picture production.

The Mad King

With that rejection, Burroughs sent The Mad King synopsis to the Universal Film Manufacturing Company in Universal City, California. Slow on answering, ERB again tried to sell the synopsis to Selig for one hundred dollars a reel. Berst again rejected it, saying the price was too high. The author was also unable to persuade Universal with a brief summary, so the movie production of The Mad King came to a temporary stall.

The Mad King

Well known for resistance to wasting any of his material, Burroughs simply turned in a different direction. He acted on a comment by Berst - that a scenario, the final version, would be worth more money. More than a month later Burroughs again sent The Mad King to Selig. On November 30, 1915, Selig replied. "I have read your scenario The Mad King and regret to state that we will not be able to use it for the reason that we already own three or four plays of that kind..." So ended the movie career of The Mad King.

The Mad King

Still refusing to give up, Burroughs submitted The Mad King for serialization in the Kansas City Star in December 1926. After a reading Louis Mecker, the serial editor, rejected the script because it was too much like a motion picture scenario. Although Burroughs objected and defended his efforts, it was to no avail. Finally reaching the end of the rope, the persistent businessman let The Mad King rest.

The Mad King

About The Author

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines, over a span of forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more excepted date May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, and Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022. Swordsman On Unium is going through the publishing process.