Tarzan!

by Jason Atomic

On Friday March 11th The Life Drawing Collective teamed up with Orbital Comics, in London’s West End, to bring us an epic Tarzan themed life drawing experience.

The Life Drawing Collective: La Queen of Opar, Jane and Tarzan

The session was sold out at 30 places. On this occasion they were primarily comic artists, attracted by the dynamic theme. Orbital comics was festooned in vines and creepers with an ambient jungle and animal noise soundtrack to complete the atmosphere.

Andrew was our Tarzan - an appropriate casting, as he had been the model used for pre-production design on the new Legend Of Tarzan movie. Carla was Jane, and Manko completed the Burroughsian triangle as La, Queen Of Opar, High Priestess Of The Flaming God.

Playing host to the event was quite strange to me as it took me back to childhood quite vividly. When I was around seven years old I was obsessed with Tarzan & ERB’s fantasy fiction. In fact I remember my parents being called into school because the teacher thought I couldn’t read. ‘But he narrates Edgar Rice Burroughs novels to us at home!’ they told Miss Whatever-her-name-was who was having no luck enticing me to read Ladybird’s monosylabic ‘Peter And Jane Go To The Fair’...

by Jason Atomic

by Jason Atomic

During longer poses at the Orbital Comics life drawing session, in tribute to my younger self, I read excerpts from Edgar Rice Burroughs ‘Tarzan Of The Apes’ (published 1912), and ‘Jewels Of Opar’ (published 1916). Watching and sketching Andrew, Carla and Manko pose in their characters reminded me of my childhood friends whom I’d persuaded to play Tarzan with me, enacting scenes inspired by those books.

To hear more about the concept of this event and to see a selection of images by some of the amazing artists who have defined our image of the Lord Of The Jungle, visit my post on Comixstripped. 

More photos and artwork from the session on our Facebook here.