Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle


Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four seasons.

Opening-credits narration

"The jungle: Here I was born; and here my parents died when I was but an infant. I would have soon perished, too, had I not been found by a kindly she-ape named Kala, who adopted me as her own and taught me the ways of the wild. I learned quickly, and grew stronger each day, and now I share the friendship and trust of all jungle animals. The jungle is filled with beauty, and danger; and lost cities filled with good, and evil. This is my domain, and I protect those who come here; for I am Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle!"

Storyline

In many ways, the series is the most faithful of all screen-based adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan and featured a number of "lost cities" from the original novels. The rotoscoped animation is based upon the work of Burrough's favorite Tarzan artist, Burne Hogarth.
In the series, Tarzan is depicted as intelligent and well-spoken – not the simple-minded caricature of many films. His sidekick is N'kima the monkey, as in the novels. It uses much of Burroughs' Mangani language.

Characters

Main characters

Tarzan – The main protagonist.N'kima – Tarzan's manu companion.Jad-bal-ja – A golden-furred, dark-maned lion raised and trained by Tarzan.Tantor – African elephants that are friendly towards Tarzan and will also come to his aid if summoned.

Other characters

Queen Nemone – The ruler of Zandor who has had encounters with Tarzan.
  • * Tomos – Queen Nemone's prime minister who does her bidding.
  • * Belthar – Queen Nemone's pet lion.Phobeg – The strongest man in Zandor and member of Zandor's Royal Guards. In Phobeg's first appearance, Tarzan must fight him in a tournament. Tarzan managed to defeat him and Phobeg later frees him and Thia. Phobeg has since remained a secret ally of Tarzan when it comes to Queen Nemone's plots. In "Tarzan and the Soul Stealer", it is shown that Phobeg has a son named Tiborgh who assists his father in working in Zandor's Royal Guards.Jane Porter – Tarzan's love interest in the original novels, she only appeared once during the Filmation series. In "Tarzan and Jane", she and her father were part of an archaeological expedition looking for the lost city of Cowloon and were accompanied back to civilization by Tarzan.

Fictional races

Mangani – A type of great ape. They are intelligent, with their own spoken language, are Tarzan's friends and family, and will come to his aid if summoned. Named Mangani include Terkoz and Tor. Kala was only seen in the intro of this cartoon.Bolmangani – A race of gorilla-men. They take monkeys, normal gorillas, and other animals to be used as slaves in plots to enhance their city and to take over the entire jungle. The Bolmangani have fought Tarzan many times and have been thwarted by him. They try to get revenge on him for thwarting their plots. Donlumangani – A race of short humanoid primates that live in the snowy mountains. They are nicknamed the Ice People.Monkey People – A race of creatures that are part human, part monkey.

Other animals

Almost all of the animals in the Filmation series are referred to using the Mangani-language names that Tarzan knows them by.Argus – A giant eagleBazansi – A spiderBolgani – A gorillaBorta – A common warthogButo – A black rhinocerosDimetrodon – A reptile from the inner world of Pellucidar and the land of Pal-ul-donDango – A spotted hyenaDuro – A hippopotamusEta-pamba - A kangaroo ratGimla – A crocodileGordo – An aquatic beast resembling a sauropodGorgos – An African buffaloGryf – A dinosaur-like creature in Pal-ul-don that is described by Tarzan as "ancient". It resembles a Triceratops with the dorsal plates and spiked tail of a Stegosaurus and teeth like a Tyrannosaurus.Handal – A hornetHistah – A Central African rock pythonLukota – A giant tortoiseManu – A monkey. N'kima is one.Nita – A hawkNuma – A lionPacco - A zebraPlesa – A fishSabor – A lionessSheeta – A leopardTandor - The Pellucidar name for the woolly mammothTangani – A baboonTarbogani – A white gorillaTar-Sheeta – A large white tiger that lives in the snowy mountainsThipdar - The Pellucidar name for the PteranodonZabor - The Pellucidar name for the TyrannosaurusZupisa – A great whale

Episode list

There were 36 total episodes, produced over four seasons.
The first season consisted of 16 half-hour episodes. The second season added six new episodes, and aired with the half-hour series The New Adventures of Batman as The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour. The third season added six new episodes, and aired with a number of other series as the ninety-minute Tarzan and the Super 7. The fourth season added eight new episodes, and aired as part of the second season of Tarzan and the Super 7.
The "fifth season", and the "sixth season" were all Tarzan reruns aired with other series.

Season 2: 1977

Aired as part of The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour.

Season 3: 1978

Aired as part of Tarzan and the Super 7, season one.

Season 4: 1979

Aired as part of Tarzan and the Super 7, season two.

Cast

  • Robert Ridgely – Tarzan, Tarzan Robot King Ovan, Robot
  • Lou Scheimer - N'kima, Mangani, Zandor Guard, Bolmangani Guard, Ungo, Forbidden City King, Novard Guard, Gajat the Great Mangani, Robot Guard, Giant Warrior, Gimla, Rashid Guard, Prisoner, Glakor, Bolmangani, Land Person, Rachnid, Worker, Tao Ching Guard, Archimedes Q. Porter, Terkoz, Mutineer, Cowloon Descendant, Ando, Monkey Person, Zandor Soldier, Prisoner, Red Gorilla Soldier Phibian, Nibian Guard
  • Jack Bannon – Brant
  • Erika Carroll – Nina, Carna
  • Ted Cassidy – Phobeg
  • Robert Chapel –
  • Gerald Clark –
  • Linda Gary – Annie Talbot, Reba, Rowanda, Dr. Jessica Randolph, Queen Tara, Mara, Jane Porter, Zidora, Landa, Red Gorilla Kingdom Queen, Fana the Huntress, Angora, Queen Tiara
  • Joanie Gerber – Queen Nemone
  • Barry Gordon – Bjorn
  • Hettie Lynn Hurtes – Thia, Queen Nemone
  • Howard Morris - Mr. Zanti, Professor
  • Alan Oppenheimer – Tomos, Bolmangani Guard, Monkey People Tribesman, Paul Gregory, Magrat, Shabot, Norcross, Phelps, Smiley, Emperor Cronus, Malanor, Alien Doctor, Orbin, Carlos, Jorak, Targani, Tarbogani, Zan, Phobeg, Zandor Soldier, Commander Girak Bolmangani Emperor
  • Jay Scheimer - Native Woman, Meridia, Monkey Person
  • Jane Webb –
  • Frank Welker - Chang, Sifu, Wu Han, Dr. Zolus, Mole People, Prince Yaru, King Togg, Vizier

Formats

Home media

The series is not owned by Universal Television, and the rights are owned by the Edgar Rice Burroughs company. Warner Home Video has released one episode on DVD, "Tarzan and the Colossus of Zome", on Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Volume 1; Warner Bros.' rights to the series may originate from their ownership of international TV distribution rights in the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, Warner has released most of the Tarzan franchise it owns either through its Turner Broadcasting subsidiary or in-house.
The first season of the series was released on DVD on June 14, 2016 as part of its 40th anniversary.