The Dragoman's Jest

Ah, to be an armchair adventurer in the 20s, 30s and 40s . . . so many books, movies, magazines, comics and pulps to heat up your blood. And the Orient was by far the location of choice to fight for freedom, riches and princesses, not necessarily in that order. Usually the babe was worth risking everything for.

J. Allen St. John — Oriental Stories — Winter 1932

THE St. John?

In the early 20th century era of amazing magazine illustrations, this Vogue cover stands out. It's typical art nouveau subject matter of the time, but the treatment is sensitive and gorgeous. It's signed by St. John, and I can't help but figure that this is J. Allen St. John, by any means not typical of him, and likewise his signature.

This was the point in time when J(ames) Allen St. John was turning out mainstream assignments for magazines and advertisers, though four years prior to this cover he had illustrated the book The Face in the Pool, and it would be two years after this cover that Edgar Rice Burroughs would write his first story Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars. I could settle this in my mind if I had access to the St. John bibliography, but I don't. Probably one of you St. John enthusiasts do (Mr. DoorTree?).

Later note: We've heard from Mr. DoorTree, and yes indeed, this cover was created by our esteemed ERBdom chronicler, J. Allen St. John. So sweet, so sweet.

St. John — Vogue — March 18, 1909

The Golden Lion

Of course, the most classic rendition of Tarzan and the Golden Lion comes from J. Allen St. John, the patron saint of Edgar Rice Burroughs imagery. Yes, Frazetta and Krenkel are shining stars, but you can see just where those two received their inspiration from.

In my book, the epitome of Tarzan, complemented by St. John's fabulous title design: