Dateline Jasoom: Joan Bledig on Princess play

In 2006, Joan Bledig and I traveled from Chicago to Minneapolis to see “A Princess of Mars” performed on stage by Hardcover Theater. This is our discussion of the play on the drive home. My friend of more than 25 years died Jan. 18, 2024. RIP, Joan – J the V.

Episode 34. An “almost live report” from the 2007 ECOF convention in Binghamton, NY. Roving reporter Jim Thompson speaks to Elmo from the huckster room. Elmo also talks to fans D.J. Howell, James G Huckenpöhler, Dick Spargur, Doug Denby, Bill Morse, John Tyner, Elaine Casella (organizer of the convention), Mike Conran, Jonathan Hart, Laurence Dunn, and Fred Lucas. Discussions include the friendships of fans, organized fandom, collecting Burroughs, the best Burroughs artists, favorite ERB worlds, meeting Johnny Weissmuller, misunderstandings about the literary Tarzan – and much more. Fans at the convention do a collective shout-out to Henry Franke, who was stationed in Afghanistan at the time.

Episode 19. Opening bit: Traffic Copter 0-220 reports on a four-elephant pile-up on the trail into Opar. Jim Thompson talks about collecting all the different kinds of material related to Edgar Rice Burroughs. “You always remember the ones that got away,” he says.

Episode 18. Opening bit: Professor Maxon calls Dr. Frankenstein to compare notes. Jim Hadac discusses the portrayal of Jane in fan fiction and pastiches. Jim and the other panelists – Joan Bledig, Cole Richardson and Huck Huckenpöhler – take questions for a wide-ranging discussion of Jane in all of her incarnations.

Episode 17. Opening bit: A seemingly eternal season of baseball comes to an end with a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Sari Sabertooths in Pellucidar Park. A conversation with Bill Hillman about “Brother Men,” the book by Matt Cohen about Edgar Rice Burroughs' correspondence with his best friend, Herbert T. Weston. And Matt himself discusses the project during the 2006 ECOF.

Episode 16. The Oct. 1, 1939 Texaco Star Theater radio show featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs – shared with Dateline Jasoom by longtime ERB fan Ted McKosky. ERB on Tarzan Finds a Son: “We thought it was pretty good. Of course there's always room for improvement. We're pretty happy with Johnny. Good Tarzans are always hard to find.” ERB on dreaming up strange worlds: “Purely imagination. Before I wrote a word I used to sit around and dream of weird people and weird places just for my own entertainment.” During the 2006 ECOF, Joan Bledig provides an insightful look at Jane of the novels and Huck Huckenpohler talks about Jane as portrayed in the movies. Cole Richardson talks about Jane in the comics. This episode is a must for any fan of Jane Clayton, Lady Greystoke. And certainly for anyone who has never heard the voice of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Episode 14 From the 2006 ECOF convention in Rockville, Maryland. Interviews with fans Steve Wadding and Robert Jones. Shirley LeBeau says hi. George McWhorter opens banquet with a Tarzan yell. Speakers: Laurence Dunn, Dorothy D.J. “Usha” Howell, Mike Conran, Jim Thompson, and Alan Hanson, winner of the 2006 Golden Lion award, and John Tyner. Elmo announces the formation of the Chicago Muckers.

Episode 6. Andy “Jason Gridley” Nunez: Why Elmo Lincoln didn't get the speaking role of Tarzan in “Tarzan the Ape Man.” Steve “Ghak the Hairy One” Wadding promotes the 2006 ECOF convention in Rockville, Maryland. Bit: A preview of the dinner speaker for a 2006 Burroughs convention. Real news about that convention, which would be held in 2006 in Maryland, in an interview with Bill Ross of the National Capital Panthans, a chapter of the Burroughs Bibliophiles. “It's a great place to meet and become friends with people who share your interest,” Bill says. A chat with Bill Hillman, curator of erbzine.com, about what conventions are like. He recalls the “fight to the death” he and Bob “Tarak” Woodley had with Johnny Weissmuller's knife at the 1999 Dum-Dum in Tarzana. More details on plans for the Tarzan on Broadway production.