Monster-of-the-Week: …let’s give the honor to any member of the Tharks, that fearsome tribe of tall, tusked, four-limbed, green-skinned Martian warriors in the Edgar Rice Burroughs yarn.
Meaning no slight to the movie’s impressive rendering, for me the quintessential Tharks are those of Gino D’Achille on the covers of the Ballatine paperback editions of the John Carter stories from the ‘70s:
Re-reading A Princess of Mars in anticipation of the film’s release, I came across this passage concerning the Tharks:
“Evidently devoid of all the finer sentiments of friendship, love or affection, these people fairly worship physical prowess and bravery, and nothing is too good for the object of their adoration as long as he maintains his position by repeated examples of his skill, strength and courage.”
Thank Heaven no one here on Earth—no sports fans, say—are like this…
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