Ehrbar is a Grammy-nominated creator (for the Read-along book and cassette companion to The Lion King II: Simba's Pride), and he keeps himself very busy working on various writing projects for Disney and other companies. I recently caught up with Greg and chatted with him about his work on the comic-book adaptation of Disney's Tarzan and why he doing work for Disney so much. Here's what he had to say.
Shawna Ervin-Gore: You've written the comics adaptation of the upcoming Disney Tarzan film . . . where does the story begin, and what familiar elements will we see when the comic (and the film) starts?
Greg Ehrbar: Like the original Burroughs story, the comic book takes us from Tarzan's infancy with human parents to his "adoption" by ape mother Kala. He starts out awkward, trying to fit in with the apes, and gradually his skills and ingenuity put him at the apes' forefront.
Of course, he doesn't know what human civilization is until Jane and her father arrive with the villainous Clayton to search for apes. Jane is certainly one of the most familiar elements from the original story and many previous filmed versions.
SE: So what's the basic story? Who is Tarzan when we first meet him, and what sorts of things does Ris character encounter?
GE: The overall story follows Tarzan's growth from childhood to "ape-manhood," so to speak! He's part of his ape family, yet he has trouble gaining acceptance from Kerchak, the family leader.
SE: Can you describe the cast of characters we'll meet?
GE: His best fnends include a rough-and-tumble female ape named Terk, and a milqueloast elephant named Tantor. I particularly enjoyed working with this trio! Thejr're a truly mixea groug of personalities, yet they complement each other very well. That' s the hallmark of great character chemistry, and I think everyone will pick that up from the film and from the comic book.
SE: I think a lot of people will assume this will be a comic book that only kids would want to read. Do you think that's true?
GE: Great Disney classics get their greatness from how they manage to appeal to every age. I absolutely think Tarzan is for adults as well as kids. There's so much compartmentalizing these days, it's nice to know that there is still some entertainment that can be a shared experience among people of different ages.
SE: I think the degree to which adults are drawn to Disney's animated films shows that comics based on those properties can have the same kind of ageless appeal. Were you thinking of this sort of thing when you were scripting the comics?
GE: Well, I absolutely agree with you, and though it may not have been consciously on my mind while I was writing, the idea of appealing to all ages means so much to me that it certainly made its way into the comic.
SE: You did such a great job on this adaptation, I'm curious what other work you've done in comics?
GE: That's so nice of you to say! Actually, in addition to other comic projects, I've written and/or produced recordings, books, videos, commercials, radio programs, TV shows and. print ads.
SE: And do you do a lot of work with Disney?
GE: Oh, yes. Some recent writing projects include The Lion King II: Simba's Pride readalong book and audio cassette, which was nominated for a Grammy, and the upcoming Tarzan - My First Read Along called "Your Heart, My Heart."
SE: What have you liked best about your role as a writer of the Disney Tarzan comic book?
GE: I guess it's the adventure of letting the action appear in my mind and figuring out a way to get it on paper. That's also the hardest part. I see the movie script and various artwork segments long before the movie is completed, so I have to visualize it in my head first. There are wonderful people at Disney who are always there to help along the way, and when it's done, seeing the comic book is as exciting as seeing the movie for the first time !
Disney's Tarzan makes its comic-book debut this June, in an action-packed, two-issue series, written by Greg Ehrbar and featuring the art of Mario Cortes. The first issue hits comics shops and newsstands everywhere June 16th. Each full-color issue of this all-ages jungle adventure retails for $2.95.