Tarzanesque is a term created by Frenchman Francis Lacassin used to describe characters in comic books inspired by Tarzan. A tarzanesque character resembles Tarzan in his physical resourcefulness, within a line of action that includes an adventurous life in the jungle, the gift of understanding and being understood by animals, contact with lost civilizations and courage combined with the ability to deal with nature. The creation of such characters may have been propitiated by the success that Tarzan had achieved since his appearance in literature in 1912, culminating with the release of daily comic strips in 1929, which paved the way for a genre that combined the allure of the unknown environment, the need for the archetypal characteristics of the hero and the popularity of access.
Cover of The All Story (October 1912), Tarzan's literary debut
Cover of Jo-Jo, Congo King #23 (1949)
Although Sheena (pictured above) was not the first "jungle girl," she brought in her look - a leopard-skin bikini - a novel feature that would be widely replicated.
Cover of the October 1936 issue of Ka-Zar.
A jungle girl is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. A prehistoric depiction is a cave girl.
Princess Pantha is an example of a jungle girl
