Perhaps you're one of those people who gets a bit nostalgic when you hear the phrase Swamp Thing? You may picture a comic book, a movie, or maybe a TV show and you'd be right in all three respects. Let's take a quick journey through the swamp and look at the history of this popular superhero.
The Comic Books
Swamp Thing was brought to life by creators Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson. We first met this fascinating green creature in the DC comic books during the '70s and '80s. The man in green has appeared in DC comic books with various storylines and also as a solo comic series. The franchise has an extensive comic book history, thus making Swamp Thing an iconic figure throughout the years.
The Movies
Director and horror genius Wes Craven introduced us to the first movie based on the Vertigo/DC comics in 1982. Actor/stuntman Dick Durock took on the role of Dr. Holland/Swamp Thing with Broadway star and voice actress Adrienne Barbeau as Alice Cable. Her character was a love interest for Swamp Thing and was created solely for the film. Barbeau's character is a female version of Matt Cable, a well-known character within the comic books.
The year 1989 brought viewers the sequel, The Return of Swamp Thing, with Dick Durock reprising his role and the lovely Heather Locklear (then an up-and-coming actress) as his new love interest Abby Arcane ( another well-known comic book character also featured in the TV shows). The film was known for having a lighter tone than the first movie and had quite memorable special effects.
The TV Series
Did you know that there were actually two TV series in the early '90s? The first was the 1990 version and the man himself Dick Durrock once again took on the role. The series had a total of 72 episodes and was quite popular amongst avid sci-fi fans.
Then there was a short-lived five-part animated version in 1991. This time around legendary voice actor Len Carson lent his voicing talents to the franchise, voicing Swamp Thing.
Has the nostalgia caught you yet? Gear up for all the horror with yet another interesting version of the franchise, with CW's Swamp Thing, coming to M-Net City in October 2020. This time the show gets darker and deadlier. Spectacular and well-executed special effects, great storytelling, and an excellent cast drive this rebooted sci-fi classic. Stay tuned.
