Marvel Comic’s John Carter: Warlord of Mars ran for 28 issues and 3 Annuals between 1977 and 1979. Based on the pulp fiction of American author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the series followed the fantastical adventures of John Carter, a Civil War veteran magically transported to the planet Mars, known as “Barsoom” by its inhabitants.
Burroughs, creator of the groundbreaking Tarzan, the Ape Man, introduced John Carter in his story Under the Moons of Mars, serialized in All-Story Magazine in 1912. Retitled A Princess of Mars, the story was published as novel in 1916, becoming the first in a series of adventures set on the red planet. The “Barsoom” series, with its melding of fantasy, science fiction, western and romance, influenced later works of American popular culture, including Flash Gordon, Superman and Star Wars
In addition to the Marvel series, Burrough’s interplanetary hero has headlined a few other comic titles and has been the subject of at least two films; 2009’s direct to DVD Princess of Mars and Disney’s big budget John Carter, released in 2012.
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