A Princess of Mars — Manuscript Edition from ERBBooks and the ERB Limited Edition Collection

A Princess of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Just got some great news from Jim Gerlach and the folks at the Edgar Rice Burroughs Limited Edition Collection at ERBBooks.com  Their next project is set to come out December 1st, and it’s A Princess of Mars: The Deluxe Manuscript Edition.  As always, it’s a deluxe,signed and numbered limited edition set.   Iain McCaig – who has the distinction of providing concept art for all four John Carter movie projects – is on board and painting a color illustration.  Doug Klauba, Thomas Gianni and Tom Grindberg are all painting new illustrations as well.  In addition we’ll be including for the first time all five Schoonover illustrations in color as they were originally painted.   It also has great illustrations by one of my personal favs —  Aaron Miller.  Here’s an example of his work, which if you’ll recall, we featured prominently in the John Carter “Legacy” Fan Trailer.

Here’s more detail on  what the edition includes:

  • 500 Limited Edition Numbered Copies of Leatherbound Book: “A Princess of Mars: The Deluxe Manuscript Edition,”  is a leather-bound book limited to 500 numbered copies signed by the artists and contributors, featuring a corrected text and new foreword by Michael Moorcock and introduction by Dr. Robert Zeuschner.
  • Newly Commission Artwork: There will be newly commissioned artwork on the wraparound dust jacket, plus the  book will contain 20 color plates, including the five plates originally done by Frank Schoonover for the first edition. However, this time they’ll all be in color, as will paintings by Frank Frazetta, Greg Manchess, Robert Abbett and Aaron Miller. There will be work by other artists as well, such as illustrations by Thomas Yeates, and the black and white illustrations from the later magazine printing of the story in Modern Mechanics and Invention Magazine in 1929.  Zavier Cabarga, who did the titling for Gerlach’s editions of “Savage Pellucidar” and “John Carter of Mars,” is creating original titling for the book and new designs for the title page, chapter headings, drop caps and page decorations. The book will have full color endpapers featuring a map of Barsoom.
  • Document Portfolio of Manuscript Pages: As far as “manuscript” goes, Burroughs originally wrote his story in longhand, and the book package will include a document portfolio with a reproductions of manuscript pages.
  • Letters Between Burroughs and Metcalf, His Editor: The portfolio will also include the letters between Burroughs and Thomas N. Metcalf, editor of The All-Story, in which the two men exchanged thoughts for completion of the story. Burroughs had submitted just half his manuscript to The All-Story to see if the magazine would be interested, before he fleshed out the rest of the story.
  • Facsimilie of the $400 Check from All-Story: Additionally, the portfolio will include a facsimile of the actual $400 check paid to Burroughs by All-Story for that first published story of his. “The check was the first big event in my life,” Burroughs said later. “No amount of money today could possibly give me the thrill that first $400 check gave me.”

Here’s the full flyer with a form for pre-ordering.  You can also get pre-order info at ERBBooks.com.  I’m told orders are going great — I’m not sure how many more copies of the limited edition run are available…..

Leave a Reply