The Prehistory Of Superheroes

Celebrating the origins of the superhero genre

[davidreadthat]

7/4/26

Synthetic Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1940.

[spacenoirdetective]

Frank Frazetta, illustration work for "Pellucidar" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1985

[evilhorse]

Wah! These birds have no fear of man!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #8)

[evilhorse]

This will be a good fight!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #8)

[evilhorse]

Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #2

[evilhorse]

Defenders of the Earth: Dark Destiny #2

[evilhorse]

Flash Gordon #0 (Miguel Mercado variant cover)

[evilhorse]

Flash Gordon Quarterly #7

[evilhorse]

Tarzan! Are you real?

(Tarzan Volume 1 #5)

[evilhorse]

Here is water, Tantor, in the flesh of this desert plant!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #6)

[spacenoirdetective]

Douglas Klauba, "Lovecraft with Sam Spade"

[evilhorse]

Tarzan and the Outlaws of Pal-Ul-Don

(Tarzan Volume 1 #6)

[strange-creature-in-black]

Something for his birthday that I remembered yesterday. But also I just realized Shin's 10th birthday too... BUT THEN also kind of a redraw of this sketch i made in 5 min.

Two birds and a kiwi with one stone.

Truly the year of ugly motherfuckers.

[evilhorse]

Imagine that—killing a Mesozoic pterodactyl in the twentieth century!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #7)

[evilhorse]

Tarzan and the Men of Greed

(Tarzan Volume 1 #5)

[strange-creature-in-black]

from The Shadow Magazine #265

THE BLACK DRAGON

illustrated by Paul Orban

[evilhorse]

I could make a balloon!

(Tarzan Volume 1 #7)