Le S Caché se présente à l'enregistrement avec la fascination de français avec Tarzan...
There is a case to be made that Tarzan is the greatest pop culture figure of the 20th century. Created in 1912 for a pulp magazine by an unassuming author Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan's only real rivals for this are James Bond, Superman and possibly Batman. Tarzan the literary figure is of course but one aspect of the ape-man's cultural existence. The cinematic Tarzan is almost as old as cinema itself first appearing in the silent 1918 film
Tarzan of the Apes with a miscast barrel-chested Lincoln Elmo as the lead.
Recently (with considerable Gallic aplomb), the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris had a show that dissects the history, culture, influences and overall significance of the aristocratic savage whose appeal still captivates. The show has reportedly been a smash and if there is a revival of interest in Tarzan this show will no doubt be much of the reason for this.
The exhibit takes into consideration all aspects of Tarzan's existence (as a warrior, aristocrat, ecologist, etc.) and the great comic work of Hal Foster and Burne Hogarth are among the striking artifacts in this exhibit. The Hidden S (Mark Rhodes) was lucky enough to get the chance to interview the exhibit curator Roger Boulay about the show, Tarzan and the French influence on the Ape Man. (Many Thanks to Laurent Jourdren who was nice enough to translate Mr. Boulay's answers)
Omnicomic: Tarzan is a great comic figure, but is there anything that separates him from the other great comic figures?
Roger Boulay: Tarzan is totally different and that is why he is original and still very popular. In the exhibition, I depict the symbolic confrontation between the naked hero and superheroes/robots (i.e. Batman, Robocop, Metropolis). Tarzan is a true hero who doesn't get his power from another galaxy.
Omnicomic: Was there anything that surprised you in the creation of this exhibit?
Boulay: The immensity of the subject! Also, to discover the many complex ramifications the myth of Tarzan has in western culture. Films, books, posters, figurines, accessories, sculptures, costumes, paintings, ethnographic objects, outfits, toys, dolls and comic books provide an image of the hero's world, which is both a composite and abundant at the same time.
The most exciting thing was to coordinate these different types of documents with exterior documents not of Tarzan origin, which helped build the myth. All things which contributed to inspire the author, the aspirations of the epoch time like King Kong or the myth of the great ape.
Omnicomic: Tarzan attracted some of the great comic art virtuosos like Burne Hogarth and Hal Foster. Did this help elevate Tarzan from other superheroes who may not have been lucky enough to have great artists depict their stories?
Boulay: The notion that comics are art is a notion that grew out of France and Belgium in the 60s. A lot of French and Belgium museum and private collections contain US comics' Francis Laccassin, interpreter of Tarzan stories who invented the term "9e Art" (Ninth Art).(Author's note: Laccassin was a great French cultural critic who helped make the case for comics as art).
[Burne] Hogarth definitely created a memorable Tarzan, but many other artists were inspired by the character as well like Gotlib (Marcel), Reiser, Zembla and other artists who parodied the character.
Omnicomic: The literary Tarzan's first words were in French (Mais oui-translation: Oh Yes) and the recent Christopher Lambert performance saw a french actor portray the Burroughs' creation. Do you think there is something particularly French about the character in his outlook or attitude?
Boulay: I don't think he is French in his realization. But he speaks French and his first "civilized" trip was to Paris: he saved a french lieutenant. That is the story.
Maybe the performance of [Christopher] Lambert is more subtle than some of the other less faithful cinematic versions of the character. In France, the image of Tarzan was popular before the translation of the books. Comic books and cinema permitted France to discover him before the books. This kind of help makes this show a success. The French and Tarzan are a great story together!
Special thanks to the musee du quai Branly in Paris (merci!) for the images. The exhibit runs until September 27.
http://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/programmation/expositions/a-l-affiche/tarzan/index.html
Le S Caché se présente à l'enregistrement avec la fascination de français avec Tarzan...
There is a case to be made that Tarzan is the greatest pop culture figure of the 20th century. Created in 1912 for a pulp magazine by an unassuming author Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan's only real rivals for this are James Bond, Superman and possibly Batman. Tarzan the literary figure is of course but one aspect of the ape-man's cultural existence. The cinematic Tarzan is almost as old as cinema itself first appearing in the silent 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes with a miscast barrel-chested Lincoln Elmo as the lead.
Recently (with considerable Gallic aplomb), the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris had a show that dissects the history, culture, influences and overall significance of the aristocratic savage whose appeal still captivates. The show has reportedly been a smash and if there is a revival of interest in Tarzan this show will no doubt be much of the reason for this.
The exhibit takes into consideration all aspects of Tarzan's existence (as a warrior, aristocrat, ecologist, etc.) and the great comic work of Hal Foster and Burne Hogarth are among the striking artifacts in this exhibit. The Hidden S (Mark Rhodes) was lucky enough to get the chance to interview the exhibit curator Roger Boulay about the show, Tarzan and the French influence on the Ape Man. (Many Thanks to Laurent Jourdren who was nice enough to translate Mr. Boulay's answers)
Omnicomic: Tarzan is a great comic figure, but is there anything that separates him from the other great comic figures?
Roger Boulay: Tarzan is totally different and that is why he is original and still very popular. In the exhibition, I depict the symbolic confrontation between the naked hero and superheroes/robots (i.e. Batman, Robocop, Metropolis). Tarzan is a true hero who doesn't get his power from another galaxy.
Omnicomic: Was there anything that surprised you in the creation of this exhibit?
Boulay: The immensity of the subject! Also, to discover the many complex ramifications the myth of Tarzan has in western culture. Films, books, posters, figurines, accessories, sculptures, costumes, paintings, ethnographic objects, outfits, toys, dolls and comic books provide an image of the hero's world, which is both a composite and abundant at the same time.
The most exciting thing was to coordinate these different types of documents with exterior documents not of Tarzan origin, which helped build the myth. All things which contributed to inspire the author, the aspirations of the epoch time like King Kong or the myth of the great ape.
Omnicomic: Tarzan attracted some of the great comic art virtuosos like Burne Hogarth and Hal Foster. Did this help elevate Tarzan from other superheroes who may not have been lucky enough to have great artists depict their stories?
Boulay: The notion that comics are art is a notion that grew out of France and Belgium in the 60s. A lot of French and Belgium museum and private collections contain US comics' Francis Laccassin, interpreter of Tarzan stories who invented the term "9e Art" (Ninth Art).(Author's note: Laccassin was a great French cultural critic who helped make the case for comics as art).
[Burne] Hogarth definitely created a memorable Tarzan, but many other artists were inspired by the character as well like Gotlib (Marcel), Reiser, Zembla and other artists who parodied the character.
Omnicomic: The literary Tarzan's first words were in French (Mais oui-translation: Oh Yes) and the recent Christopher Lambert performance saw a french actor portray the Burroughs' creation. Do you think there is something particularly French about the character in his outlook or attitude?
Boulay: I don't think he is French in his realization. But he speaks French and his first "civilized" trip was to Paris: he saved a french lieutenant. That is the story.
Maybe the performance of [Christopher] Lambert is more subtle than some of the other less faithful cinematic versions of the character. In France, the image of Tarzan was popular before the translation of the books. Comic books and cinema permitted France to discover him before the books. This kind of help makes this show a success. The French and Tarzan are a great story together!
Special thanks to the musee du quai Branly in Paris (merci!) for the images. The exhibit runs until September 27.
http://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/programmation/expositions/a-l-affiche/tarzan/index.html
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