Edgar Rice Burroughs

He created many “manly” characters you might be familiar with, like Tarzan and John Carter that have been adapted to film.

Tarzan appears in 26 of his stories.

Before he was an acclaimed writer, Burroghs worked as a Pencil Sharpener Salesman.

He created his own company, and of course named it after himself: Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. and his family today still holds the rights to his works and the characters in them.