Alan Hanson Comments ERB-APA #54: A Reply

Alan Hanson - Enjoyed your article on John Harwood, the father of the Tarzan chronology. John Harwood was my favorite writer in his era, John F. Roy in his era, and Alan Hanson in his era. I agreed with almost everything you wrote about John Harwood except the part about his chronology articles.

ERB-APA #54

I agree with you that in December 1947 in Burroughs Bulletin #6 John Harwood wrote the greatest chronology article of all time. In How Old Is Tarzan? John Harwood clearly indicates that his research concludes that Tarzan was born in 1872, not 1888. This is the theory John Harwood himself accepted, and it stood fast for twenty years.

Burroughs Bulletin #6

In 1966 John Harwood did team up and write with H.W. Starr, Korak-Son Of Tarzan in Burroughs Bulletin #16 about an alternative birth date of Tarzan besides 1872. Yes, it was Tarzan Of The Apes provided 1888 date. Where we disagree is that you say John Harwood realized his mistake in the first article and swayed to the 1888 birth. I disagree. Starr and some others raised questions about several of John Harwood's 1872 theories. Instead of defending his 1872 chronology theories, John Harwood bowed to peer pressure and teamed up with Starr to write the 1888 chronology-based theory.

Burroughs Bulletin #16

Over the past twenty years, I have studied the challenges Starr and others made to Tarzan's 1872 birth. I have seen none that cannot be reasonably explained away. For example, you state in your article, "Also, Harwood noted that historically the explanation of natives by a European power was unlikely in the year 1872." I don't know where you get this information, but historical fact claims Leopold was doing the same thing in the Congo in 1872 as he was in 1888. Would you like to prove me wrong?

King Leopold II

I am very proud to say my research indicates the same thing as John Harwood's. If Korak is Tarzan's son, and they are living on the earth as we know it, Tarzan was born in 1872. If the ape-man has no son named Korak, or if the two are dimension hoppers or time travelers. Tarzan was born in 1888.

Jack Clayton AKA Korak

I can't imagine the number one Tarzan story researcher of all time, John Harwood, not accepting the fact that Korak is Tarzan's son. Well, I guess I had better speak softly, because I could not imagine the number one Tarzan story researcher of the 90s, Alan Hanson, not excepting that Korak is indeed the son of Tarzan.

A Chrono-log Of ERB Tarzan Series

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.