Jungle Comics - A Safari!

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Jungle Comics

Andrew the Bee’s Four-Color Safari: 

All You Need to Know about the Thrill-Packed World of Jungle Comics!

With Additional Observations and Comments

by Gwendolyn E. Bardwell Carew

(aka Wendy)

Introduction, by Andrew the Bee

Fact or fiction?

In the jungle,

it doesn’t matter!

     Do you have a yen for adventure in savage lands?  Did you ever want to track the spoor of the Clawed Ones or go native with cannibal warriors?  Did you ever want to call the mighty gorilla Friend, or chant with the witch doctor in his juju hut?  Did you ever dream of swinging from vine to vine through the forest canopy, leading intrepid explorers to lost cities of gold? 

Well, if that’s what you crave, then jungle comics are for you!  But just like the real jungle, they’re full of pitfalls for those who come unprepared!  Jungle comics have their own law, and heaven help the reader who does not quickly learn it! 

Are you looking for something to discuss at the book club?  Jungle comics are not Tolstoy and you’re not going to find any high literature or complex character studies in their pages.  In fact, words only get in the way.  If you don’t want to go hungry in the comic-book jungle, you’ll have to engage your eyes more than your mind! 

Are you fussy about facts?  A stickler for detail?  In jungle comics, knowledge is a handicap!  Sure, tigers don’t live in Africa, but you have to avoid getting hung up on that.  If you see a tiger attacking a giraffe, just roll with it!  Does that native idol look like the Buddha?  Just keep reading --You can’t let this stuff slow you down!

Are you a sensitive hippie?  You’d better get over it fast, because political correctness has no place in the comic-book jungle.  Offensive stereotypes lurk on every page, and rampant sexism wafts through the air like the perfume of a poisonous tropical flower!  There’s a knife or spear in every hand and all the loincloths are made out of endangered species!

     Are you the churchy type?  If so, you’ll have to toughen up!  Although good usually triumphs over evil in the comic-book jungle, there’s still plenty of voodoo and black magic!  Pagan rituals and human sacrifice are the norm on Sundays, and missionaries need not apply!  If that makes you uneasy, then you might want to think it over before venturing away from Sunnybrook Farm.  But if you love comic books as much as I do, then it doesn’t get any better than this!  Jungle comics are the pure essence of what comic-book reading is all about.  They’re the ultimate mix of escapism and the forbidden.  I mean, where else is it OK to ogle pinup models dressed in animal-hide underwear?  And where else is it no problem if a huge black man ties them up and dangles them over a pit full of crocodiles?  And what about those mostly-naked white guys who hang out with bonobo monkeys and howl in the treetops?  In jungle comics, it’s all good!  So if you’re game, don your pith helmet, grab your bullwhip, and come along!  It’s a jungle out there, and you won’t want to miss it!

 

A Word from Wendy

     Hi Everybody!  This is going to be an adventure for me, too.  I never thought I would find myself reading these awful jungle comics.  They are every bit as bad as Andrew says, and I don’t know why he likes them so.  But being the sort who looks for the silver lining, I can say that there are at least a few good points to make about these comic books. 

For one, the stories usually have a moral quality to them.  All of that violence and other stuff is there to support the idea that good is better than evil.  In jungle comics, evildoers almost always get their just deserts!

I’m not sure why everybody in the jungle is inclined toward nudism, but it’s nice to see that both men and women are treated the same in that regard.  It’s also nice to see that the women can be as strong and brave as the men (though I don’t really approve of them fighting like men).

There’s an unfortunate amount of implied racism in these comic books, but considering the times, it’s a pleasant surprise to see that people of color are not openly belittled or caricatured.  And if the antagonists are often black, there’s a lot of instances where white folks are the bad guys too.

Animals, while they are still hunted, are usually treated with respect in jungle comics.  Sometimes they appear to be smarter than the humans.  That’s refreshing when you happen to be a kangaroo!

Anyway, these are some of the positive things that can be said about jungle comics.  Maybe more will turn up as we accompany Andrew on his little safari.  I’m game if you are.

Gwendolyn E. Bardwell Carew, aka Wendy

"A Brief History Of The Jungle By Andrew The Bee"

 

I

f you’re the kind who thinks too much, you’re probably wondering why the comic-book jungle looks the way it does.  I’m going to explain it to you so you won’t be bothered by that question later on.  Remember, it doesn’t pay to overanalyze jungle comics.  So let’s get the history lesson out of the way so you can focus more on your stem brain!

     The roots of the comic-book jungle go down deep, probably all the way to the late 1700s, when certain enterprising folks brought the first lions and elephants to America.  People would come from miles around to be amazed by these strange creatures, and no doubt they also wondered about their original habitats in Africa!  Later, guys like P.T. Barnum would collect whole zoos of exotic animals, and in time, the “menagerie” became a regular part of many circuses that toured the U.S. after the Civil War.  Of course, lots of these circus animals came from the jungle, which could be Africa, Asia, the Amazon, or just about any place that wasn’t America, the poles, or the desert!  It really didn’t matter what country or continent these animals came from; it was enough to know that they were “jungle” animals!  That’s why it’s not important in jungle comics if a tiger shows up in the Congo!

Now in the 1800s when all this was going on, the great powers of Europe were beginning to claim large chunks of Africa for themselves!  Some of the guys who first went over there wrote books, and some of those books became famous!  There were explorers like Paul du Chaillu and David Livingstone, who told what it was like to hunt with the pygmies or quest for the source of the Nile!  And then there was Henry Morton Stanley, who spent most of his time looking for Livingstone and writing about all the cool stuff he saw!

     So there were already some ideas about the jungle as a place of wild animals, heathen natives, and high adventure when Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing Tarzan of the Apes in 1912.  They say that Burroughs was inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, but it was probably all of those old ideas about the jungle that made Tarzan a huge hit with people all over the U.S.A!  By 1916, the first of many Tarzan movies was made, and Burroughs himself followed his first novel with something like two dozen more Tarzan books!  Make no mistake, Tarzan is the granddaddy of all jungle comics heroes, and you can’t talk about jungle comics without at least mentioning his name!

While Tarzan was becoming a household word for all Americans, a new generation of jungle explorers was heading for Africa and capturing its wonders on film!  The invention of the motion-picture camera made it possible for everyone to experience the jungle almost first-hand, and in the 1920s and ‘30s, jungle documentaries had people flocking to the movie houses.  Folks like Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck, and Martin and Osa Johnson were leading cinema safaris into Africa and Asia, and before long, lots of people would get a pretty good idea of what the jungle actually looked like! 

But at the same time, some of these guys were fudging it!  For example, a 1930 movie called Ingagi featured dudes dressed in gorilla suits and “natives” who were actually Hollywood extras.  And believe it or not, there’s this tiger that shows up in Beatty’s 1936 classic, Darkest Africa.  Again, this proves that facts are not important in the jungle.  It was thrills that mattered, and in the jungle, nobody questioned where they came from.

Darkest Africa, Republic Studios.  1936

     The jungle, whether fact or fiction, became more popular than ever during the 1930s.  The Great Depression made people want to escape their hard and boring lives, and for lots of folks, trekking with Frank Buck or swinging away with the Ape-Lord was just the ticket.  Filling their heads with scenes from movies like Trader Horn, The Lost Jungle, or the latest Tarzan serial, they began to create their own inner jungles of the imagination.  Just like Tarzan or the “White Goddess” of Trader Horn, they would be kings and queens of an exotic land –a land full of mystery and adventure!  That beat selling shoes or slinging hash, for sure!

So it’s no surprise that jungle comics were among the first and most clearly-defined comic-book types when comic books began to make their way onto American newsstands toward the end of the 1930s.  The jungle was tailor-made for comic-book escapism, and the two went together like peanut butter and jelly!

      What’s the first jungle comic, you ask?  Tarzan had been a fixture in the Sunday funnies since 1931, so there was already a basic “look” to the comic-book jungle when Jumbo Comics Number One came out in September 1938.  Like most early comic books, Jumbo Comics was a mishmash of adventure and humor stories, kind of like the comics section of the newspaper.  But one of its main characters, “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” proved to be hugely popular.  Pretty soon, the publisher of Jumbo Comics, Fiction House, introduced a second book which they simply called Jungle Comics.   

May, 1940.  Will Eisner Cover

     Jungle Comics started in January 1940 and became the model for pretty much every jungle title to follow.  Unlike Jumbo Comics, every story in Jungle Comics was set in, well, you know, the jungle.  And instead of a female “jungle queen,” Jungle Comics featured “Kaänga, Jungle Lord,” who was just like Tarzan, except blond.  Together, Sheena and Kaänga ruled the comic-book jungle and its cast of characters.  The two of them presided over almost every jungle stereotype out there, and for the next 15 years or so, they figured as the stars of jungle comics’ golden age.

So there you have it!  I’ve given you the basic background of jungle comics and how they came to be.  Now forget all of that!  It won’t do you any good as you wrestle with giant pythons or dodge the spears of the Leopard-Men! 

     The next leg of our jungle journey takes us into some steamy territory indeed!  Yep, I’m talking about Fox Feature Syndicate.  In the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, they put out some of the worst comics ever, and that’s saying something!  --Something Good, that is!  Fox comics are like yard-long cheesesteaks!  You know they’re plenty bad for you, but you can’t stop eating them once you dig in!  "The combination of wacky stories and tattoo-parlor art is almost irresistible, especially if you like bondage, violence, and near-nudity on every page!"

But ‘nuff said for now.  Let’s get back to our trek, where we find ourselves in the domain of Jo-Jo Congo King for April 1948!  Jo-Jo’s a lowbrow Tarzan who’s always getting into trouble with dames!  And his mate, Tanee, is the jealous type, so you’re sure to witness some spectacular girl-on-girl fighting in most issues of this comic!  But in this story, the catfighting involves talking leopards.  --Did I say talking?  Holee, what witchery is this?!  Let’s find out as we go toe-to-paw with… The Leopards of Learda!

Jo-Jo Congo King, April 1948

Jo-Jo Congo King, Art by Jack Kamen

     As it turns out, the comic-book jungle is full of interesting people!  But just like a big city or even your own home town, the jungle has its share of bad apples!  It doesn’t hurt to be cautious when dealing with strangers, and to help you sort out the good from the not-so-good, I’ve profiled some characters that you are likely to run across when making your way through the pages of a typical jungle comics story.

The first person you will meet is the “Jungle Lord” or “Jungle Queen.”  These are the heroes of every story, and it is their adventures that you will be following as you delve ever deeper into the comic-book jungle.  The “Jungle Lord” is almost always patterned after Tarzan of the Apes, and as such, you can be sure that he is strong as well as brave.  He is highly skilled in jungle ways and is a devout observer of “jungle law.”  Like Tarzan, he has lived in the jungle since childhood; animals are his friends and teachers, and he affirms the basic dictum that only the fittest survive.  But he tempers the jungle’s sternness with mercy, and often tries to help civilized people who find themselves lost or imperiled.  He also assumes the role of “king” over jungle natives, yet his kingship is mainly honorary.  The Jungle Lord does not want to rule over men, nor does he wish to receive their homage.    

The “Jungle Queen” is like the Jungle Lord in many ways.  She performs many of the same functions and is equally strong and brave.  Yet unlike the Jungle Lord, the Jungle Queen very often has no “mate.”  Since these stories were written at a time when women could not be seen as being more powerful than their husbands, it made sense that the Jungle Queen had to be single.  However, she will sometimes have a boy or animal sidekick, and in many cases, she also has the admiration and respect of good-guy male adventurers whom she encounters in the jungle.

The Jungle Queen has to be single…

"A Jungle Who's Who, By Wendy Carew"

     Both Jungle Lord and Jungle Queen have suitably exotic names that are presumably native in origin.  For the Lord, these include such monikers as “Jo-Jo,” “Kaänga,” “Tabu,” or “Zago.”  The Queen might be called “Rulah,” “Sheena,” “Taanda,” or “Zegra.” 

I mentioned that the Jungle Lord or Queen have either “mates” or sidekicks.  As you read along, you will become well acquainted with these folks too.  Like Tarzan’s Jane, the Jungle Lord’s mate is frequently a civilized person who has decided to forsake the comforts of home to be with her jungle man.  But she will often retain her civilized name, reinforcing the idea that she is a newcomer and dependent on her man’s superior strength, skill, and knowledge. 

     Sometimes the Jungle Lord’s mate is a native, but apart from having glossy black hair and a tendency toward speaking broken English, she might as well be white.  In either case, she frequently needs to be protected or rescued, and her mishaps round out the plot of many a jungle comics story.   As to her looks, she is very often young and gorgeous in an overripe sort of way.  And she’s barely dressed, as seems to be the jungle custom.  If I were more cynical, I would say that her primary role is to fuel the fantasies of male readers.

The perils of the jungle are unlimited when you’re not very bright

     Another important native character to know is the tribal chief.  The chief is usually an older black man, bedecked with feathers, animal teeth, and other regalia that suggest both his status and his former prowess.  His main responsibility is the day-to-day governing of his people, and it is he who calls in the Jungle Lord or Jungle Queen when things become too much for him to handle.  The chief is also a font of wisdom, and while the Jungle Lord or Queen may be fully conversant with the ways of the jungle, the chief is often better versed in tribal lore and other matters that pertain to the natives.  This is particularly true of “juju,” or native magic, a subject that is soundly eschewed by both the Jungle Lord and the Jungle Queen.

 

     Because magic is almost always suspect in jungle comics, it’s no surprise that one of the principal bad guys is the native witch doctor.  Usually depicted as a devilish-looking black man adorned with human and animal bones, the witch doctor is a schemer who typically wants the chief’s place of power.  He usually views the Jungle Lord or Jungle Queen as a threat, and will devise many stratagems to lure them to their doom.  Through his magic (which often involves hallucinogens), he can force both people and animals to obey his will.   However, this often this leads to his undoing when his spells are ultimately broken and his unwilling thralls turn on him.

Off to rescue his mate… again

     The Jungle Queen’s sidekick (when she has one) is usually a native boy, though he too is considerably more “white-looking” than his fellow tribesmen.  Like Batman’s Robin, he is bold and eager to please, though perhaps not very bright.  As a result of disobeying his elders, he often finds himself in scrapes from which the Jungle Queen has to extricate him.  But he returns the favor on occasion and frequently proves his worth.  Because he lives in his own village, rather than with the Queen, he also serves as the informal mouthpiece of his tribe.  As such, he will often pass along any news or rumors that might be making the native restless. 

Jungle Comics #99, March 1948.  John Celardo, cover

The juju flows like wine… or something

     Related to the witch doctor is the evil sorceress.  Her motives are the same as the witch doctor’s, yet she more often than not appears as a white or olive-skinned femme fatale.  Her magic is often greater than the witch doctor’s and she may command the obedience of larger numbers of humans and animals.  Because of her greater power, she is often the ruler of her own tribe or lost city, but ambition spurs her on to greater conquests and thus an inevitable clash with the Jungle Lord or Jungle Queen.

     Visitors to the jungle are most often English-speaking Americans, but they can also be Europeans or Arabs.  Depending on the story, they can be either good or bad.  When they’re good, they’re usually hapless explorers or adventurers who need to be rescued from something.  Typically, these folks are pretty one-dimensional and serve only as foils to whatever the plot might be.  Sometimes, however, they can be members of the opposite sex who fall in love with the Jungle Lord or Jungle Queen.  Although such stories are rather rare, they are also some of the most interesting, because when it comes to romance, the usual clear-cut distinctions between good and evil don’t apply.

When the visitors are bad, they’re often unscrupulous exploiters bent on taking gold, diamonds, oil, or other precious resources that rightfully belong to the natives.  Sometimes they’re slave traders or even psychopaths who get a thrill out of “hunting” humans.  In some of the earlier jungle comics, they might be Nazis or the Japanese, bent on some nefarious scheme to win the war.  For the most part, however, these people know little of the jungle. 

     I already told you that in jungle comics, words just get in the way – Still, there are some words that you definitely need to know!  If you want to make it through the comic-book jungle in one piece, you’ll have to walk the walk and talk the talk!  So I’ve made up this list of words that will help you on your path!

A Glossary of Jungle Words, by Andrew the Bee

Aie!, or Aieee!  Expression of horrified surprise

Boom stick.  Rifle

Bukanda.  Water buffalo

B’wana.  Boss or master, usually a white male

Coiled One.  Snake, often a python

Death-Tongued One.  Venomous snake

Devil- (adj.).  Used to describe something malevolent or dangerous, usually an animal

Devil Cat.  Dangerous feline

Devil Coiler.  Dangerous snake

Devil Pack.  Group of dangerous animals

Fire Stick.  Rifle

Great One.  Elephant

Hairy One.  Ape

Hii!  See “Aie!”

Holee!  Expression of surprise or wonder

Horned One.  Rhinoceros

Jambo!  Greetings, hello

Juju, or Ju Ju.  Native magic.  Sometimes carries the meaning of “luck”

Kraal.  Compound, encampment, or village

Long-Necked One.  Giraffe

Long-Nose, or Long-Snout.  Crocodile

Lop-Ear.  Rhinoceros

Mabola!  Expression of frustrated surprise, akin to “Damn!”

Maned One.  Lion

Mayomba!  See “Mabola!”

Memsahib.  Mistress, usually a white female

Sahib.  Master, usually a white male

Slimy One.  Snake

Slithering One.  Snake

Spoor.  The trail or track of an animal or human

Spotted One.  Leopard

Stick-Language.  Writing

Striped One.  Zebra

Tawny One.  Lion

Thunder Stick.  Rifle

Trunked One.  Elephant

Veldt.  Plain or prairie (as opposed to jungle)

Wah!, or Wagh!  Expression of disgust or surprise

Wallah!  See “Mabola”

     OK B’wanas!  In the jungle, you learn by doing!  The old steam launch has taken us about as far upriver as any civilized person dares.  We bid Cap’n Joe farewell and disembark, keeping a wary eye open for crocs and giant leeches as we wade toward the green ramparts ahead.  The screams of wild animals and the muttering of native drums fill the sultry air, telling all who understand that strangers have come!

We might be new to jungle ways, but already we have picked up the spoor of adventure!  As we draw within hailing distance of the Zombali Village, we are struck by a strange, almost irresistible melody!  Let us fare deeper into the pages of Jungle Comics for December 1943.  Aye, let us follow in the footsteps of Kaänga, Jungle Lord, as he solves the mystery of…  The Vampire!

Cover by Art Saaf

Art by Jim Mooney

     Did you think I forgot about the Jungle Queen?  Heck, I’ve been saving the best for last!  Of course that means more Fox Comics, this time featuring Rulah, Jungle Goddess!  She’s a “goddess” because the natives think she came from the heavens to be their wise leader.  In reality, she’s “society aviatrix” Joan Grayson, who was attempting a solo flight across the Dark Continent when her plane crashed somewhere deep in the Congo!  Over two or three years, she has completely mastered the ways of the jungle, and not once has she changed her trademark giraffe-and-parachute-cord bikini!  That’s probably because she’s too busy knifing lions, pythons, elephants, and other dangerous animals!

Rulah squares off against dangerous humans as well, which brings us to our next adventure!  In this unsavory story from Rulah, Jungle Goddess for November 1948, you’ll see why Fox Comics are the sleaziest out there.  This isn’t a tale of jungle derring-do with mighty heroes and worthy foes; instead it’s a messed-up romance involving a spineless gigolo and a murdering harlot!  Rulah, like she always does, shows up to slap some beasties around and save the day, but it all feels like so much window dressing!  The real focus of this yarn is the deadly triangle that connects George, Guido, and …The Carnivorous Blonde!

Art by Igor Shop

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ike Rulah says, savages can be found just about anywhere, and you don’t need to live in the jungle to encounter wild animals!    Still, I can’t think of too many other places where the thrills are as non-stop as in jungle comics!  This book has given you just a small taste, but if you’ve gotten this far, you’ll want to wolf the rest down like a starving maned one!

Sure, they’re only comic books, but ask yourself why you’re reading this stuff!  Well, I’ll tell you why!  It’s because deep inside, you’re another Livingstone or Frank Buck!  You’ve got the guts of Kaanga and the grit of Sheena!  You crave action and the excitement that makes life worth living!  How do I know this?  Because you’ve read this book and have braved its perils! 

By now, you’re savvy to jungle ways, but the real safari is only just beginning!  There’s a whole Dark Continent of comic books out there!  Every one of them is waiting for you to push past the cover, to trek deep within its pages, and to blaze a trail to adventure!  Go on then!  Keep reading and don’t look back!

       I’m not sure if wading through three terrifically objectionable stories qualifies as “adventure,” but I do have to admit that my horizons are a little broader than they used to be.  Jungle comics are certainly a unique genre, and I’ve learned that in the comic-book jungle, suspension of disbelief can be an art form.  Apparently anything is possible, which is a very uplifting idea.  It’s just a shame that in such a climate, we’re forced to endure things like fugitive dope-addict killer harem-girls, brain transplants performed by burlesque dancers, and lecherous safari guides named Guido (pronounced “Guide-O” I’m sure).

    In fairness, however, these stories contain some really positive moments as well.  Take, for example, the Zombali chief’s willingness to send his own son after a deadly threat to the tribe.  Or Tanee’s compassion for Learda’s victims, despite being a victim herself.  Or Rulah’s determination to save a decent man from fair-faced evildoers.  Such moments appeal to our highest virtues even as the other stuff panders to our lowest vices. 

     Unlike Andrew, I’m not quite willing to read my way through a continent of jungle comics.  Yet I will concede that they are perhaps not all bad.  Now kindly excuse me, as I’m off to take a well-deserved bath... If you feel like trekking on, by all means please be my guest!        

Jomo Kenyatta, Movie Extra. The big guy is Paul Robeson as Bosambo.

Sanders Of The River, 1935. London Films d). Zoltan Korda.  

You can't make this stuff up.