KORAK, SON OF TARZAN
Issue #6, December 1964

Steve "Korak" Allsup

Copyright © 2003

Cover: Mo Gollub?
Inside front cover: Wild Animals of Africa #12- Cheetah

Story: Ordeal by Lightning
Position: 1
Writer: Gaylord Dubois
Artist: Russ Manning
Inker: Mike Royer
Pages: 16
Characters: Korak, Nkima, Sir Edmund Rathbone, Harding, Umpongo, King Omgosa, Hosela, Mr. Demar

Synopsis: Tarzan, embroiled against the Leopard Men cult, sends Korak to answer a summons from Sir Rathbone at the Protectorate of Simanga government office. The warlike Basuko tribe threaten to wipe out a community of European settlers. Heading out for the bush country, Korak and Nkima take refuge in a cave from a thunderstorm. There they witness a a warrior receive a shock to his spear from lightning. Korak resuscitates him, and learns he is an outcast, of royal blood, because he preached peace to the Basuko tribe. He explains to Korak that he has the right to challenge Chief Omgosa to the Ordeal by Lightning. Korak agrees to go to the tribe and announce Umpongo’s challenge, but Omgosa chases him away with bullets. But Korak sends him a warning by way of a pursuing warrior he hauls up into the trees. Korak and Umpongo then go to the settlers and warn them. At Korak’s instructions, they herd into the church and set up chain fences attached to the steeple lightning rod. At the advice of his witchman, who Korak overheard, Omgosa attacks the farms during the thunderstorm that afternoon. When the Basukos attack the church, lightning strikes the rod just as Omgosa uses his rifle to lift the chain fence, killing him instantly. In the excitement, Umpongo is hailed the new king.

Remarks: Korak wears a short sleeve shirt, jeans and sandals to meet Sir Rathbone. Korak smears mud all over his skin to disguise him when he enters the village by night.

2. Text page: Splendor of the Past

3. Jon of the Kalahari: Lake in the Desert. 4 pages. Dubois, writer; Marsh, artist.

Story: Warrior of the Deeps
Position: 4
Writer: Gaylord Dubois
Artist: Russ Manning
Inker: Manning
Pages: 11
Characters: Korak, Pahkut, Smiley, Jerry Burgess, Warnitz, Abdul,. Calabar

Synopsis: In an ocean cove, Korak is making Pahkut jealous by playing with Smiley the dolphin. Suddenly they spot a man surrounded by sharks far out in the waves. Korak and Smiley rescue him after Korak wounds one of the sharks with his knife. The man, Jerry Burgess, was the captain of an expedition to salvage gold from a sunken ship, and his partner turned on him and threw him overboard. Korak and Pahkut carry him back to his ship in their canoe that night. The mutineers having left in the lifeboat after two of them are mysteriously killed in the water, Jerry, Korak and Pahkut then climb aboard and Burgess dons his suba gear in order to start hauling up the gold. He is attacked by a giant octopus living in the sunken ship, and Korak has to dive down and rescue him, with the aid of Smiley. Meanwhile, the others return to the ship and are about to shoot the two men when Pahkut attacks them from below decks, where he has been eating the provisions, and causes Warnitz to shoot himself. The others, who had been coerced by Warnitz, return their loyalty to Burgess. Burgess offers to cut Korak in on the gold, but Korak and Pahkut immediately leave in their canoe.

Remarks: Korak owns a dug-out canoe with outrigger and sail. Korak explains that dolphins are natural enemies with octopi.

Inside back cover: People of Australia #2- Tasmanians

Back Cover: Pin-up of cover painting