Monday 5 March 2012

1977: JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS: THE MARVEL YEARS


Swords, savages and aliens.  What's not to love?  Marvel, flush with the success of CONAN THE BARBARIAN, decided to unofficially extend the franchise by acquiring the rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs' character, created in 1911 and first published the following year.

Marvel launched their WARLORD OF MARS comic book in 1977, the year of STAR WARS.  In the UK, it appeared as a back-up strip in STAR WARS WEEKLY.  Marvel cancelled the book in 1979.

During the same period, Marvel also published a comic book version (29 issues and three annuals) of Burroughs' more famous creation: TARZAN.  Both books ended with unpublished inventory which Marvel reworked as issues of STAR WARS and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

ISSUE 1
June 1977

ISSUE 2
July 1977

ISSUE 3
August 1977

ISSUE 4
September 1977

ISSUE 5
October 1977

ISSUE 6
November 1977

ISSUE 7
December 1977

ISSUE 8
January 1978

ISSUE 9
February 1978

ISSUE 10
March 1978

ISSUE 11
April 1978

ISSUE 12
May 1978

ISSUE 13
June 1978

ISSUE 14
July 1978

ISSUE 15
August 1978

ISSUE 16
September 1978

ISSUE 17
October 1978

ISSUE 18
November 1978

ISSUE 19
December 1978

ISSUE 20
January 1979

ISSUE 21
February 1979

ISSUE 22
March 1979

ISSUE 23
April 1979

ISSUE 24
May 1979

ISSUE 25
July 1979
(NOTE: No June-dated issue was published)

ISSUE 26
August 1979

ISSUE 27
September 1979

ISSUE 28
October 1979

ANNUAL 1
1978

ANNUAL 2
1978

ANNUAL 3
1979

The two-part unpublished inventory story (W/A: Walter Simonson) was reworked as a STAR WARS storyline.

STAR WARS
ISSUE 53
November 1981

STAR WARS
ISSUE 54
December 1981

2 comments:

  1. " it appeared as a back-up strip in STAR WARS WEEKLY.
    - Actually, I'm 99% certain that it didn't.

    In fact, I don't think Marvel's John Carter ever saw a UK reprint, which I'd guess was down to the terms of the license.

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