Wednesday Worlds of Wonder JOHN CARTER "Lights of Doom"

The John Carter movie is in theaters now...

...so we're presenting the never-reprinted "Secret Diaries" mini-series that ran in DC Comics' Tarzan Family in 1976!

This all-new tale from Tarzan Family #64 (1976) was written by Bob Kanigher, penciled by Noly Zamora and inked by Vic Catan with several panels modifed/redrawn by editor Joe Kubert.
Unfortunately, the story ends on a cliffhanger as the remaining two issues of Tarzan Family featured a reprint of Carter's first DC Comics appearances in Tarzan #207-208...
DC then cancelled both of their Burroughs-related titles as ERB.Inc announced plans to publish their own line of comic books which, unfortunately didn't work out, as seen HERE.
In 1977, Marvel Comics was granted the license for ERB characters, doing both Tarzan and John Carter as stand-alone titles ignoring any storylines DC had produced (including adaptations).
When Marvel's Burroughs titles were cancelled in 1979, unused artwork for both of them was adapted (ironically) into other licensed-property titles!
The unused Tarzan story became, with rescripting and additional art, a two-part BattleStar Galactica tale .
John Carter's unpublished tale was modified into a two-part Star Wars story (#53-54) with John Carter becoming Aron Peacebringer, Dejah Thoris relabeled Alisande, and Tars Tarkas losing a couple of arms, turning orange, and renamed Keral Longknife!

As we mentioned earlier, the "Secret Diaries" mini-series has never been reprinted since it's publication in 1976, even in the recent Dark Horse trade paperback that presented all the other John Carter stories that appeared in DC Comics!
There is one more never-reprinted Barsoom tale (without John Carter or any established characters) from DC which you'll see next week!

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