Tarzan is a pillar of the comic book world. Dell Comics, Gold Key, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse have all held the license. The 1970s Marvel run by Joe Kubert is legendary, featuring gorgeous, gritty artwork. Meanwhile, Dynamite Entertainment currently publishes Lord of the Jungle and frequent crossovers (Tarzan vs. Predator, Tarzan and the Green Lantern).
In video games, Tarzan has had a quieter but persistent presence:
Perhaps his most significant modern media impact is in crossovers. Tarzan is the original shared universe character. Burroughs himself crossed him over with his John Carter of Mars series. In comics, he has fought alongside Superman and Batman (both created in part as responses to Tarzan's archetype). The notion of the "lost world" and the "feral hero" that underpins Predator, Mowgli (The Jungle Book), and even The Legend of Zelda’s Link is a direct legacy of Tarzan.
The sun had just begun to set, casting a golden glow over the vast expanse of the jungle. Tarzan, with his muscular build and agile movements, swung through the trees with ease. He had lived in this jungle all his life, raised by the loving care of a gorilla named Kala after his parents' tragic death.
As he reached a clearing, the chattering of birds and the rustling of leaves filled the air. Tarzan stopped on a branch, looking out over the landscape. He felt a deep connection to this land, to the creatures that lived here, and to the freedom that the jungle offered. TARZAN XXX.3gp
Suddenly, a cry for help pierced the air. Without hesitation, Tarzan sprang into action, swinging from vine to vine towards the sound. A fawn was trapped in a hunter's snare, struggling to free itself. With a few swift movements, Tarzan released the animal, earning a gentle nuzzle as a thank you.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Tarzan made his way back to his treehouse, feeling content. He had protected his jungle home and its inhabitants, a duty he took pride in. The call of the jungle was strong in him, a reminder of where he belonged.
Tarzan has appeared in over 20 games, mostly tie-ins.
Trend: No AAA standalone Tarzan game since 2001; the IP is considered dormant in gaming outside of retro re-releases. Apparel & Collectibles: Tarzan remains a staple of
The character was periodically rebooted with varying tone and success.
| Year | Title | Format | Key Characteristics | Box Office / Reception | |------|-------|--------|---------------------|------------------------| | 1984 | Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan | Live-action | Serious, literary adaptation; Tarzan speaks received English. Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell. | Mixed reviews, moderate box office. | | 1999 | Tarzan (Disney) | Animated Musical | Phil Collins soundtrack; "Son of Man," "You'll Be in My Heart." Character design by Glen Keane; fluid animation. | Huge hit: $448M worldwide. Revived franchise for a new generation. | | 2016 | The Legend of Tarzan | Live-action/CGI | Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie. Post-colonial, older Tarzan leaves jungle to expose Belgian atrocities. | $356M worldwide; mixed reviews. |
Key Insight: The 1999 Disney film remains the single most profitable and culturally pervasive Tarzan media of the last 30 years, largely due to its music and merchandising.
The story begins not on film, but on paper. In 1912, American novelist Edgar Rice Burroughs published Tarzan of the Apes in The All-Story magazine. The character was an immediate sensation. Burroughs created a unique mythological cocktail: the ultimate noble savage, a highborn English lord (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) stripped of civilization, who learns to survive through raw instinct, yet retains the genetic "superiority" of his racial and class lineage. Tarzan is a pillar of the comic book world
This core duality—beast vs. gentleman—became the engine of the entire franchise.
Throughout the 1910s to 1940s, Burroughs wrote two dozen sequels, creating a dense expanded universe. Tarzan fought lost cities (Opar), dinosaurs, Nazis, and even traveled to a hollow earth (Pellucidar). These books established several tropes:
While problematic by modern standards (Burroughs’ work contains colonial and racial biases of his era), the literary Tarzan laid the bedrock for the adventure genre. He influenced everyone from Superman (who is also an orphaned alien raised by surrogate parents in a rural "wilderness") to Indiana Jones.