I’m taking a page out of Fleet’s blog book this week (with his permission of course) and bringing you a cool comic movie adaptation that many of you have either forgotten, or perhaps remember fondly. I speak of 1982’s Swamp Thing, directed by none other than Wes Craven of Nightmare On Elm Street fame, also it’s less then memorable sequel, the Return of Swamp Thing from 1989.
The first Swamp Thing film came along before the Alan Moore run in the comic and followed pretty closely to his comic book origin but once the origin is established, it veers off into some early 80’s camp. I’m of the mind that comic movies of this time can be so bad that they are entertaining, and Swamp Thing certainly falls into this category. Something the films do to depart from their comic book counterpart is the characterization of Swamp Thing as super-hero of the bogs and shy away from him as an accidental force of nature. I suppose movie-goers of the time weren’t ready for a comic book character with substance. They just wanted him to punch the bad guys and get the girl. Flash forward to 1984 at DC comics when Alan Moore took over the writing duties of the monthly Swamp Thing comic, and was producing comic stories that were worthy of being considered fine literature. Writers like Moore on Swamp Thing, Neil Gaiman with the Sandman, and Grant Morrison on Doom Patrol were writing comics without limits and forging a revolution in comics. So what happens in 1989 when they produce a second Swamp Thing movie? It’s even worse than the first. The one redeeming quality I’ll grant credit to their efforts for is their inclusion of Born On the Bayou by Credence Clearwater Revival on the opening credits. Beyond that, it was more rubber plant suit bad guy fighting action and lot’s of explosions! When I was a kid, I actually enjoyed the sequel. It was a swamp based super-hero that made me home-sick for Louisiana (although the movies take place in Florida) In 1990, there was even a Swamp Thing TV series which aired on USA and lasted a baffling 72 episodes.
Any mention of Swamp Thing nowadays invokes thought of Alan Moore’s high-brow approach to the character that ushered in the Vertigo era of comics. Mention Swamp Thing over 20 years ago, and images of Dick Durock in a bad rubber suit with some moss, leaves and vines glued to it come to mind.
-Jim
Tags: Swamp Thing
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One of my favorite bookstores in St. Louis. Star Clipper offers not only the best selection of comic books and graphic novels in the city, but also a cornucopia of art, design and pop-culture related books and magazines. 
It pains me to admit this, but here goes: I’ve never read a single issue of Alan Moore’s “Swamp Thing” — and I love Mr. Moore’s work. But being an old guy, I saw the movie before he took over the scripting, so my perception of the character is tainted by the awfulness of the film. I just can’t imagine that even someone as talented as Mr. Moore could take ol’ Swampsocks and make him interesting. That’s a most felonious fallacy of logic right there, but what can I say? I’m as stubborn as I am biased. Am I really missing out here? Someone make a case for Alan Moore-flavor Swamp Thing and maybe I’ll be swayed, but most of the praise I’ve heard/read about the character can be boiled down to “He took a really crappy character and made him respectable,” and that’s less than inspiring.