Joe Ferrier - Mike Moody - self-styled Tarzan chronologist - has adapted Pete (ERBANIA) Ogden's old push-back theory, which would have us fans believe Tarzan was born in 1872 instead of 1888 (as ERB wrote). But every one of them is wrong. ERB-APA #48.
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| ERB-APA #48 |
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| The Burroughs Bulletin |
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| ERB-APA #49 |
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| The Barzommian #11 |
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| Joe Kubert |
Joe Ferrier - Mike Moody gave it a shot, based on D. Peter Ogden's push-back theory, that - since Korak (Tarzan's son, Jack) was on the "Argonne Front" (1918) - Tarzan also had to be "older" and thus couldn't have been born in 1888 - so just arbitrarily push that birth year back to 1872 - which makes everything work out okay? This theory is only half right. Yes, Korak is older; no Tarzan is not! Ogden & Moody's theory disregards ERB's birthdate for Tarzan, for starters. Next, it ignores "modernization" - or lack of"six-cylinder" vehicles before "The Return Of Tarzan" (1909 era) if those events took place 16 years earlier.? And it would make characters like Jane a bit past it for her "heroine" role in "Tarzan's Quest" (1914) when she would be over 60 years old - if born in 1873. No way.
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| Tarzan's Quest |
Mike Moody - Joe, I did not just arbitrarily push Tarzan's birth year back to 1872. I spent two years, or more, trying to form an 1888 chronology that conforms to ERB's presented storyline. I could not. With an open mind, I then approached the chronology in the 1872 perspective, first theorized by John Harwood in 1947.
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| Joe Kubert |
Through many hours of research and dissecting ERB's every word, I have now reached the conclusions that I am now presenting to the ERB-APA for discussion. Indeed, my findings agree pretty much with John Harwood and Pete Ogden's findings, but I would like to point out a few things.
- I did not take their word for it. I have spent twenty-one years investigating it. The fact is if Tarzan was a human being on the planet Earth as we know it. If Korak was Tarzan's born son. If you follow ERB's written storyline. Tarzan was born in 1872. No other way, or at least what I have seen presented up to this writing.
- Although my research does not run hand and hand with John's and Pete's, my 1872 chronology is much more complex than either one of theirs. My research shows the Tarzan stories were written by two men, not one. John Carter's great-nephew from Virginia and Edgar Rice Burroughs of Chicago, IL.
- So far, my and John F. Roy's chronology theories are the only ones to include the narrator, John Carter's great-nephew. No Tarzan chronology is going to be absolutely complete until this behind-the-scenes character is included. Therefore, on this one point alone my 1872 chronology is superior to Phil Farmer's, Alan Hanson's, Pete Ogden's, John Harwood's, and Joe Ferrier's.
- I have shown on many occasions (TARZINE #62) that ERB often wrote true family dates and names of family members and friends into his stories. My 1872 chronology, unlike any other, continues this practice for any dates that are needed, but unrevealed by ERB. For example. What day in May did the Greystoke's set sail? Calendar-wise, any day in May would be agreeable with ERB, but my chronology uses May 14 which is the birth date of ERB's brother, Frank. What day in late August, or early September, was Tarzan born? Calendar-wise any of those days are agreeable with ERB, but my 1872 chronology uses September 1, which is ERB's birth date. Of course, this practice doesn't make my 1872 chronology any better than any other research, but I do feel it adds an ERB personal practice.
- I also pointed out the key to completely understanding other people's chronology theories. Make sure your readers understand your chronology perspective.
- Are you talking about nonfiction ERB events, or are you talking about ERB's fictional Tarzan series storyline?
- Does your chronology support a more science fiction Tarzan such as time travel, alternate worlds, dimension-hopping, Burroughs Universe, etc?
- Does your chronology support Tarzan being a normal human being living on the planet Earth as we know it?
- The year your chronology begins.
Unlike any predecessor before me, the heart and soul of my 1872 chronology is that John Carter's great-nephew from Virginia, the narrator, and Edgar Rice Burroughs from Chicago, Illinois, the author, teamed up to write the Tarzan series, plus others. Unrecorded offstage, the two met up and ERB, the author, using the information supplied by John Carter's great-nephew, the narrator, wrote a magazine story, Under The Moons Of Mars.
In 1910 John Carter's great-nephew, the narrator, went to visit an old monastery in England and obtained information for ERB, the author, to write a second story, The Outlaw Of Torn. While in England on that visit to John Carter's great-nephew, the narrator met an official of the Colonial Office who told him the Tarzan story. The official even showed documents to back up his claims. By the way, the officials' story covers all of the events from Tarzan Of The Apes/Jungle Tales Of Tarzan, The Return Of Tarzan, The Beasts Of Tarzan, The Son Of Tarzan, and Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar.
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| Pablo Marcos |
After the second magazine article was completed the two decided to turn the Greystoke's secret into a series of magazine stories. The ape man's story presented a problem the first two did not. The first story, about John Carter, was so unearthly no one would believe it was anything but fiction. The second story was about the distant past and disagreed with the historical account. So, therefore, could not be proved or disproved.
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| ERB, the narrator. |
This new story, however, was about an influential British family and the events did not occur all that too long ago. After much pondering the two decided to go ahead with the story, but change the true names, locations, and dates to protect the British family's identity just in case the story might be true.
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| Clinton Pettee |
Therefore, when ERB, the author, began writing Tarzan Of The Apes on December 1, 1911, he intentionally changed the British family's names, the actual location of the Clayton cabin, and the Greystoke's actual sailing date, and added some personals. My personal research indicates the ERB writing team moved the actual events up sixteen years. To do this there was a certain amount of modernization the author had to insert into the story to through off the true Greystoke's sailing date.
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| Fred J. Arting |
That is why six-cylinder cars are mentioned in Tarzan Of The Apes, The Return Of Tarzan, and The Beast Of Tarzan when in reality they were steam or electric cars. There were no "skyscrapers" in NYC in 1894, so what was the Countess de Coude speaking of? She was describing the giant tiers of the just-completed Brooklyn Bridge. In 1894 they were the largest structure in NYC and the bridge was the talk of the world and the place to see in the Big Apple.
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| Tarzan Series |
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| Boris Vallejo |
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| 1893 Peugeot Type 8 |
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| The Best Of The ERB-APA |
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| ERB-APA #45 |
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| ERB-APA #46 |
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| 1872 Africa |
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| King Leopard II Of Belgium |
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| TARZINE #55 |
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| ERB-APA #45 |
Now, Joe, for your research on six-cylinder cars. I really don't know why you, or a couple of the others, are so jubilant over your ERB-APA #47 article because you offered nothing new that John F. Roy and I have not pointed out years ago. Both of us have pointed out that in an 1872 chronology, six-cylinder cars are an impossibility. Does this mean the 1872 chronology has now been gunned down as you proclaim? Not hardly.
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| ERB-APA #47 |
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| Tarzan Series |
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| 1893 Duryea |
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| 1872 Greystoke Chronology |
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| Burne Hogarth |
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| 1872-5-14 Clayton's sail from Dover England |
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| ERB-APA #19 |
Date: January 31, 1871
Event: John Clayton and Alice Rutherford were married.
Date: end of April 1871
Event: John Clayton receives his first mission from the Colonial Office.
Date: very late November, or very early December 1871
Event: Lady Alice becomes pregnant.
Date: very late January, or very early February 1872
Event: Lady Alice discovers she is with child and the Greystoke's buy child provisions to take along to Africa.
Date: May 14, 1872
Event: The Greystoke's set sail from Dover, England.
Date: June 14, 1872
Event: Greystoke's arrive at Freetown where they chartered the barkentine, Fuwalda.
Date: June 16, 1872
Event: In the morning of the second day aboard the Fuwalda, Captain Billings shot Black Michael in the leg.
Date: June 18, 1872
Event: On the fourth day aboard the Fuwalda, Clayton came on deck that morning just in time to see the limp body of one of the crew being carried below by four sailors while the first mate stood glowering with a heavy belaying pin in his hand.
Date: June 19, 1872
Event: At noon the Fuwalda passed a British man-of-war.
Date: June 20, 1872
Event: The Fuwalda mutiny.
Date: June 25, 1872
Event: The Fuwalda sights land and that night ERB mentions Lady Alice is with child for the first time.
Date: June 26, 1872
Event: The Greystoke's are put ashore with all their belongings and Clayton builds a tree shelter. That night the two saw their first Mangani.
Date: June 27, 1872
Event: Clayton begins to work on a one-room cabin.
Date: near the end of July 1872
Event: Clayton finishes a one-room cabin built of small logs about six inches in diameter and completely covered on the outside with four inches of mud. He had also completed a stone fireplace and chimney but had not yet made a door or furnishings.
Date: August 14, 1872
Event: British warships search for the Fuwalda and find her wreckage on the shores of St. Helena.
Date: August 27, 1872
Event: Clayton hung the cabin door, completed the furnishings, and moved all their belongings inside.
Date: September 1, 1872
Event: A Mangani bull attacks Clayton while he is working on an addition to the cabin. That night Lady Alice gives birth to a healthy son.
Now, Joe, us hillbillies ain't never had no Logic 101, much less know what it is. But there is one thing I do know. Very late November, or very early December 1871 to September 1, 1872, is not even seven months. By golly, it's nine months. Joe, Logic 101 without accurate research is not worth a dime.
What you did wrong is assumed that I approached the Claytons' sailing date like you, Alan, and all my predecessors. I did not. It is important to note that when Clayton receives his African mission ERB in no way implies that Lady Alice is with child, or that the newlyweds leave England immediately after receiving Clayton's mission. Read the Tarzan Of The Apes description again.
Date: end of April 1871
Event: John Clayton receives his first mission from the Colonial Office.
Date: very late November, or very early December 1871
Event: Lady Alice becomes pregnant.
Date: very late January, or very early February 1872
Event: Lady Alice discovers she is with child and the Greystoke's buy child provisions to take along to Africa.
Date: May 14, 1872
Event: The Greystoke's set sail from Dover, England.
Date: June 14, 1872
Event: Greystoke's arrive at Freetown where they chartered the barkentine, Fuwalda.
Date: June 16, 1872
Event: In the morning of the second day aboard the Fuwalda, Captain Billings shot Black Michael in the leg.
Event: On the fourth day aboard the Fuwalda, Clayton came on deck that morning just in time to see the limp body of one of the crew being carried below by four sailors while the first mate stood glowering with a heavy belaying pin in his hand.
Date: June 19, 1872
Event: At noon the Fuwalda passed a British man-of-war.
Date: June 20, 1872
Event: The Fuwalda mutiny.
Date: June 25, 1872
Event: The Fuwalda sights land and that night ERB mentions Lady Alice is with child for the first time.
Date: June 26, 1872
Event: The Greystoke's are put ashore with all their belongings and Clayton builds a tree shelter. That night the two saw their first Mangani.
Date: June 27, 1872
Event: Clayton begins to work on a one-room cabin.
Date: near the end of July 1872
Event: Clayton finishes a one-room cabin built of small logs about six inches in diameter and completely covered on the outside with four inches of mud. He had also completed a stone fireplace and chimney but had not yet made a door or furnishings.
Date: August 14, 1872
Event: British warships search for the Fuwalda and find her wreckage on the shores of St. Helena.
Date: August 27, 1872
Event: Clayton hung the cabin door, completed the furnishings, and moved all their belongings inside.
Date: September 1, 1872
Event: A Mangani bull attacks Clayton while he is working on an addition to the cabin. That night Lady Alice gives birth to a healthy son.
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| Russ Manning |
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| Ronald William Kirby |
Joe Kubert
By your own calculations, Joe, if the Claytons sailed three months after they were married Lady Alice was either pregnant before she got married, or Tarzan was born premature. There is no way on either charge. ERB in no way implies that Lady Alice is with a child at this time. The author also informs us Clayton is a very moral and honorable man.
It is very unlikely that the Colonial Office would take a man out of the Army, raise him to a higher position, and then send him and his wife of three months to Africa for five to eight years without letting them spend some time with relatives before they go. That is not to mention the fact that Clayton would have to have at least a minimum amount of training to handle his new position.
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| Joe Kubert |
My 1872 chronology shows that John and Alice got married on January 31, 1871 and that
Clayton received his African mission at the end of April 1871. The Greystoke's did not set sail
for Africa until May 14, 1872, the following year, however. Now you, Alan Hanson, Phil Farmer, John Harwood, and others act like Clayton gets married and in three months' time jumps up, grabs a few belongings, grabs his pregnant wife, and sails off to Africa on some urgent mission. As a personal nickname I have dubbed you guys the "Hasty Guys."
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| Andrew's Church Greystoke |
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| May-14-1872 Claytons' Sail From Dover, England |
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| Joe Kubert |
You "Hasty Guys" seem to think there is some kind of highly explosive situation where
Clayton's immediate presence is demanded. Your all's description of the Greystoke's hasty departure tends to make one assume that Clayton was going into the direct trouble zone as a spy and that his presence was desperately needed. This is not what my research reveals, however.
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| Africa before Europeans |
So, I won't repeat past claims any interested party should reread my article The Greystoke Destination, Tarzine #55. This research clearly shows that Clayton was going much further south than the actual trouble zone. This in itself implies that Clayton was not being sent as a field spy. Secondly, the fact that he was taking his wife and soon-to-be child should clearly imply that Clayton was not going to be overly exposed to dangerous situations.
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| Tarzine #55 |
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| King Leopold II Of Belgium |
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| J. Alen St. John |
Mike Moody - Joe, it is nice of you to take self-proclaimed credit for teaching me a lesson or two about the Argonne Front. The only problem ol' buddy is I knew about it long before I knew there was a Joe Ferrier. If I thank the proper person it would be Phil Farmer who educated me in Tarzan Alive back in 1972. "He is at the battle of the Argonne, in October-November, 1918, and the following year he shows up to rescue his parents after traversing half of the worst part of Africa alone." Please.
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| Jean-Paul Goude |
1893 New York City
Mike Moody - All to comparatively few is an understatement, Joe. The oldest skyscraper in New York City is the twenty-one-story Flatiron Building on 23rd Street where Broadway crosses 5th Avenue. Completed in 1902, it was built in the shape of a triangle.
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| Manhattan Storage 1893 |
So, if there were no skyscrapers in New York City in late 1893, or very early 1894, what was the Countess de Coude speaking of? "Oh, nothing at all my dear. I was but recalling with admiration those stupendous skyscrapers, as they call them, of New York." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan.
As pointed out many times in the past, the word "skyscraper" like "limousine" was a modern word that ERB, the author, purposely added to modernize the actual events by sixteen years. Regardless of the modernized world, it is plain that Countess de Coude saw something stupendous while visiting New York City. What was it? It was the Brooklyn Bridge.
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| 1872 Brooklin Bridge |
The Brooklyn Bridge is a new suspension bridge over the East River. At the time Countess de Coude and Tarzan saw it the bridge was just opening, and it connected the then-city of Brooklyn to New York City. Shortly afterward Brooklyn became a borough of New York City.
John Augustus Roebling (1806 - 1869) born in Munchhausen, Germany proposed the bridge in 1857. Appointed chief engineer in 1867, he spent two years defending his plains. Then, within a few weeks after the plains had been approved by the War Department. Roebling died as a result of a crushed foot while making surveys for the work.
The bridge was completed by his son, Col. Washington Augustus Roebling (1837-1926) born in Saxonburg, Pa. The son had obtained massive amounts of experience from his father while working on earlier bridges. While working on the foundations for the masonry towers in 1872 Washington was stricken with caisson disease (Bends) which left him an invalid for the remainder of his life. He directed the completion of the bridge by inspecting the work with field glasses from his sickroom window.
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| Col. Washington Augustus Roebling |
The Brooklyn Bridge has a span of one thousand five hundred ninety-six feet and was the largest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1883. The bridge hangs from steel cables that are nearly sixteen inches thick. The cables are fastened to stupendous two-hundred-foot towers at either end of the bridge. The bridge has six lanes for traffic and costs about $15,000.00.
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
Joe, what the Countess de Coude actually saw instead of "stupendous skyscrapers" was the stupendous two hundred seventy-five-foot towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. In 1893-1894 those towers were the highest structure in New York City and were the talk of the entire world. People from all over came just to see it.
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| Thomas Adrian Fransioli |
Joe Ferrier - ERB tells us Tarzan was born in 1888 and that his beloved wife Lady Jane Porter Clayton was born in 1889 in Baltimore, Maryland, a year younger than her Jungle Lord - yet - "push-back theorists" claim Tarzan's "old lady" was born sixteen years earlier, in 1873. ERB indicated Jane was 19 when Tarzan rescued her from Terkoz in 1908 - which would make her 30 years old in 1919 while still in Pal-ul-don about to be rescued by Jack/Korak - and about 45 years old in 1934, during "Tarzan's Quest" adventure - yet push backers obviously want us to believe Jane was 45 in 1919 while in Pal-ul-don, and 61 years old during "Tarzan's Quest" tale! Can any right-thinking aficionado of ERB adventurers actually buy into such a hocuspocus hypothesis?
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| J. Allen St. John |
.jpeg "Blue Book Magazine") |
| Blue Book Magazine |
- When Tarzan saved the witch doctor the jungle lord was awarded by going through a native anti-aging ritual.
- Later Tarzan received anti-aging pills which he undoubtedly shared with Jane, Korak, Meriem, Nikimi, Jad-bal-ja, and most probably Dackie/Jackie Korak's son.
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| Tarzan's Quest |
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| Neal Adams |
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| ERB: The Narrator |
Now if ERB is going to go through all the trouble of changing the principal characters' names to protect their identity, it is only obvious ERB is not going to supply the true Greystoke sailing date or give the couples true destinations or locations.
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| 1872-6-26 Fuwalda arrives in Portuguse Angola. |
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| 1885 Gottlieb Daimler |
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| 1886 Pioneer - Daimler engine into stagecoach. |
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| Tarzan Of The Apes |
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| Tarzan Of The Apes |
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| J. Alan St. John |
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| Frank Frazetta |
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| Boris Vallejo |
.jpeg "Boris Vallejo") |
| J. Alan St. John |
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.
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