1934 Tarzan ice cream cup premium sign. Note that ice cream cups were only five cents!

Last month, we brought you extensive coverage on the history of the Dixie Ice Cream Lid program. This week, we take you back to that time period for yet another fun romp through the world of frozen confections and the prizes they afford.

In 1934 and 1936, Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin used the backs of 12 of its Big Little Books as Tarzan Cup Grand Prize Pages.

The miniature storybooks themselves were premiums children received after turning in twelve Tarzan ice cream cup lids. For each set of 12 lids returned, kids received one of twelve new Big Little Book stories (sized at approximately 3.5 x 3.5 inches). Titles advertised on the Grand Prize Page included Tarzan and His Jungle Friends, Smitty and Herby, Dick Tracy Meets a New Gang, G-Men Foil the Kidnappers, Chester Gump and His Friends, Wash Tubbs' Foreign Travels, Tailspin Tommy's Perilous Adventure, Little Mary Mixup Wins a Prize, Dan Dunn's Mysterious Ruse, Terry and the Pirates Meet Again, Ella Cinders' Exciting Experience and Texas Ranger-Rustler Strategy.

Readers were invited to "save this valuable [page]" in order to gear up for a grand prize trade-in. After tearing these back pages from the Big Little Book ice cream lid premiums, kids could receive one of five "grand prizes:" a beautiful pearl-handled four-blade scout knife with Tarzan's picture on both sides; new Sybil Jason embroidery luncheon set (with needles, napkins, tablecloths, thimble, hoop and embroidery silk), a "Book of Marvels!" (with brief descriptions of 500 scientific marvels of the world and 350 fine photographs); a Nancy Drew mystery titled The Message in the Hollow Oak or the full-length full sized book Tarzan and the Lion Man.

The twelve Grand Prize pages were sent in with one dime for postage and handling, as well as a note specifying name, address and the collector's prize of choice.

In 1935, a larger series of Big Little Books (sized 4 x 3.5 inches) emerged, offering a different set of prizes. The back covers were still referred to as Tarzan Grand Prize Pages and each one was still obtained by saving 12 Tarzan ice cream cup lids. However, instead of your choice of 12 Big Little Book titles, you received six stories, featuring Broncho Bill, Tailspin Tommy, Tarzan, Buck Rogers, Ella Cinders or Zane Grey. After saving the back pages of each of these, along with twenty more Tarzan ice cream lids, readers had their choice of 13 "best quality, full-length full-size novels about Tarzan" with titles like The Beasts of Tarzan, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar and Tarzan the Terrible.

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1934 Tarzan ice cream cup premium sign. Note that ice cream cups were only five cents!		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5
First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5
First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5
First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5
First series of 12, 3.5 x 3.5		An example of a Tarzan Grand Prize Page from the second series (3.5 x 4 inches). This is what the Grand Prize Page looks like before it's removed to redeem prizes.		First series Big Little Book with Prize Page missing. It's very common to see the books with the back covers missing, as these had to be sent in to redeem the prizes.
Second series (1935), 4 x 3.5 inches		Second series (1935), 4 x 3.5 inches		Second series (1935), 4 x 3.5 inches
Second series (1935), 4 x 3.5 inches