"Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan figure" Topic

Does anyone make one? The exhibition topic reminded me that I am still looking. I have seen a few Tarzan figures but they look a bit off from my boyhood memory of the old movies.

Hmm. Ask a question about Vampirella, you get your answer in under 15 minutes. Ask a question about Tarzan, 2 hours and counting. What does that tell you?

Tarzan is dead, Vampirella undead?

Ah, no she was a living bloodsucking vamp, that means living for ever in mans mind.
Weismuller on the other hand…
;-)

In the effort of fairness, TMP was closing for maintenance right after I posted.

Tarzan no dead.
Jungle fruit keep Tarzan swinging long time.

Since I don't know of any fitting mini, may I suggest a headswap of some more or less naked body of a celt or african tribesman with the head of a handsome bareheaded modern mini?

What about the Pulp Figures lord of the jungle figure? He looks very much like a traditional movieland Tarzan, plus you get his mate and son and Cheetah in the set.

Here's the link:

tinyurl.com/mdkbcv

Jim

FWIW, I've never thought of Weissmuller as the definitive "Tarzan". In fact, the definitive "Tarzan" has yet to be filmed. The Burroughs novels present an entirely different character than the one created by MGM, so I'd rather go with a figure that matches my imagination. Having said that, there are a few minis from Reaper that might fill the bill. If you're looking for something closer to the movies you might like the Tarzan-ish looking family from Bob Murch's "Pulp" range. Look under "Lost Tribes and Lost Worlds".

link

or try Foundry's "Lord of the Jungle"

link

BTW, I don't dislike Weismuller's "Tarzan" series of films. In fact, I think "Tarzan and his Mate" is one of the wildest and most enjoyable adventure films of all time. I just like the novels beter. (-:

And Foundry has one also:

link

Jim

Looks like The Shadow and I were going to the same places at the same time.

Jim

I do not like the Foundry or the Pulp Figures version. The Foundry version seems a valid representation of the literary Tarzan, but not what I want. I don't like Kojar's bow and brandished knife. Tarzan just needed his hands to wrestle a lion into submission.

I understand The Shadows preference for the novels and the film character's differences from Burroughs' literary character. My boyhood exposure was Weismuller. Later I read the novels, but by then I was fully clothed again and no longer playing Tarzan in my backyard.

borrible may have the best match to the look I want.

I agree with the Shadow. I grew up watching and loving the old Weismuller Tarzan (and Jungle Jim) movies. I can enjoy them now for what they were, but I see them and the actual Burroughs books as coexisting in parallel fun-house mirror universes. In some ways, my favorite interpretations of Tarzan, and essentially the lens through which I filter all interpretations, are through the comic strips of Hal Foster, Burne Hogarth, and Russ Manning and especially the brilliant DC Comics run of Joe Kubert. When I imagine Tarzan it's the Kubert Tarzan I see: lean, aristocratic, and lethal.

Mulligan

Right now, the best I can do for the Johnny Weissmuller version of Tarzan seems to be borrible's suggestion.

From my figures I came up with…

1) A Black Tree Naked Pict with Green Stuff loincloth and GW sheathed knife from my bitz.
link

2) A Romano-British head from West Wind
link

The West Wind heads are very large. I have converted some Saxons from Black Tree before with mixed results. This conversion may not work, but barring something else, it seems the best approach.

The Kozar figure looks more like Ka-Zar than Tarzan, to me.

link

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see an image that really looks like the inspiration of Bob's figure.

"In fact, I think "Tarzan and his Mate" is one of the wildest and most enjoyable adventure films of all time." – Isn't that the one that had nudity? mmm,mmm,mmm… Shadow… you dirty scoundrel you.

"When I imagine Tarzan it's the Kubert Tarzan I see: lean, aristocratic, and lethal." – Numerous times ERB describes Tarzan as having an Apollo type build. picture Apollo is the one with the harp. Plus, with the lifestyle Tarzan lived he would have to be lean.

I like Bob Murch's one just a little better. Add a grass rope and give him dark hair and that would be the kind of Tarzan I always imagined.

picture
picture
picture

This one my fav…
picture

I like the Pulp Figures miniatures…

"In fact, I think "Tarzan and his Mate" is one of the wildest and most enjoyable adventure films of all time."

>Isn't that the one that had nudity? mmm,mmm,mmm… Shadow… you dirty scoundrel you.<

Yep..that's the one. (-: Full frontal nudity in an underwater swimming scene. Also natives torn apart by sprung tree limbs, Great Apes riding a herd of elephants into battle against a Pride of Lions, and Jane wearing her animal skin bikini blasting leaping Lions off the rocks with a hunting rifle. One of the most delirious climaxes for a flick that I've ever seen! IMO, it had every other Tarzan movie beat by a mile! Although "Tarzan's New York Adventure" – MGM 1942 – with Weissmuller swinging from the rooftops and diving off the Brooklyn Bridge was pretty far out too! (-: By that time the Tarzan films had been demoted to "B" status, running barely over an hour and always on the bottom of a double bill, but what TNYA lacked in budget was more than made up for in invention and comedy.

"Tarzan Triumphs" also gets a nod for being a bit over-the-top with Tarzan fighting Nazis to protect a lost civilization, but I liked it mostly for the highly decorative Frances Gifford who also played Nyoka in the Republic serial "Jungle Girl". The famous line from this one was "Now Tarzan make war!"

I remember all those Weissmuller Tarzan movies, plus I devoured the 24 ERB books in 24 days, when I was a kid.

Warren played Tarzan all that summer. Learn many skills that later helped in military survival courses in adulthood.

Got it converted.

link

I used the second Pict from the previous link.

For a head I settled on a Reaper "Ivy Crown" archer from the Warlord line. The size and eye shape was similar. The hairstyle looks good from the back, but it differs in the front. The photo makes the head look larger than when you hold it. The loincloth is old lead for making flags. I tore it and then pressed it in when glued to get the form. The knife is just some GW bit. Empire archers or militia perhaps?

Not as well proportioned as a professional sculpt, but after painting, I think it will work nicely. Thanks borrible for the suggestion and nycjadie for other Tarzan thread.

Actually,Weissmuller was Burroughs choice for the "Perfect Tarzan Look". This from Volume II of Irwin Porges' bio of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

@religon

Thats the spirit!
Looks great.

The classic Airfix Tarzan set has Tarzan as well as Korak in 20mm plastic.

link

Also Tantor and Simba (actually simba simba since there are several…)

Ral Partha did a figure that screams Tarzan. I painted it for a friend back in the late 80's. Don't remember the name or number, but he was standing holding a spear in his left hand.

Anyone with an old Ral Partha catalog should be able to find him.