The two hallmarks of the collection is the artwork and craftsmanship.For the first time color tipped-in plates have been added to the works of ERB – an average of 18 color plates and 50 black and white illustrations per volume. Each book is filled with commissioned and colorized illustrations and the best of published and unpublished story related ERB artwork past and present. Most editions feature multi-panel illustrations with two containing four-page fold-outs. Each set is handcrafted and includes a host of bonus items including custom crafted cases, vintage style cloth and leather sewn bindings, foil stamped covers, die cut bookmarks, laminated dust jackets, medallions, color illustrated endpapers, a replica manuscript pen, a glass movie slide and collector archives full of rare replicas of book contracts, letters on vintage paper, manuscript pages, early advertising and first publications in pulp magazines and newspapers.
Milestones of the collection include: - First new book published by ERB Inc. in forty-eight years. (2015) - Four new authorized Grosset & Dunlap ERB titles including Back to the Stone Age which was the first new G&D ERB book in 75 years. - Introduced the “New Worlds” series in 2020 commemorating the titles that launched a new realm of storytelling. These editions featured a drop spine decorated cases, larger book format and bonus enclosures and include: A Princess of Mars – The Manuscript Edition (2020); Tarzan of the Apes – The Artist Edition (2021); At the Earth’s Core – The Letterpress Edition (2022) and The Moon Maid – The Centennial Edition (2023). - First book publication of artwork including the frontispiece and 28 chapter title illustrations for Land of Terror by John Coleman Burroughs, the four paintings reproduced in color by Frank Schoonover for A Princess of Mars, the 22 full-page illustrations by Zdeněk Burian for Tarzan of the Apes and the ten Frazetta pen and ink drawings created for At the Earth's Core. - First publication of a manuscript page for Tarzan of the Apes that was in not in the pulp or book printings. - First full-size publication of the first part of the newspaper serialization for Tarzan of the Apes, At the Earth’s Core and The Moon Maid (2023). - Two editions (Back to the Stone Age and At the Earth’s Core) published by hand on a vintage press using metal printing plates. Each set includes a plate used or designed for the printing of the book.
