Danton Burroughs — the grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs and a major force in keeping that man's work alive — left us Wednesday evening at the age of 64. He had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease for some time and died at his home in Tarzana, a suburb named for his grandfather's legendary creation. He was the son of John Coleman Burroughs, who was himself distinguished in the arts as a photographer and illustrator.
I worked several times for and with the Burroughs estate, writing and/or editing comic books of Tarzan and Korak. I wish I could say that Danton and I always got along but we often clashed and of course, since he was who he was, he usually (maybe always) got his way. But I always respected his passion for the family legacy and not just because there was a good living to be made from it. He was genuinely dedicated to that legacy for all the best reasons and if you do a little Googling, you'll find dozens of websites that attest to his generosity in perpetuating the work of his pa and grandpa, and sharing it all with the world.
Thanks to Jim Van Hise for sending me the sad news so I could share it with you here.